Are Americans becoming soccer fans

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203609204574317122524606410.html#mod=WSJ_myyahoo_module

This is a good article from the wall street journal!

TheFarPost wrote:http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203609204574317122524606410.html#mod=WSJ_myyahoo_module

This is a good article from the wall street journal!

Thanks for sharing.

Are Americans becoming soccer fans?

NO! More are becoming soccer curious, but not to the level of fan-dom. Just look at the thread "FCD - low ticket sales". The numbers stink ---- for EVERY team. Dallas is the worst.

I love going to watch my son play soccer. I have enjoyed a few MLS games. I used to be a Sidekick season ticket holder ---- RIP Sidekicks . But Im not going to be a FCD season ticket holder when I have to drive forever across the metroplex only to get there and see a mediocre team with a college coach.

DadofDefense wrote:Are Americans becoming soccer fans?

NO! More are becoming soccer curious, but not to the level of fan-dom. Just look at the thread "FCD - low ticket sales". The numbers stink ---- for EVERY team. Dallas is the worst.

I love going to watch my son play soccer. I have enjoyed a few MLS games. I used to be a Sidekick season ticket holder ---- RIP Sidekicks . But Im not going to be a FCD season ticket holder when I have to drive forever across the metroplex only to get there and see a mediocre team with a college coach.

The location of PHP is relative - If you live anywhere from downtown Dallas north its a 30 minute drive on the tollway. We make it from Wylie in under 30 barring traffic. It takes over an hour to get to the ballpark from here or anywhere else north and east of Dallas. Even when the boys played at Texas Stadium it was a 45 minute drive plus an hour in line to get off the highway just to pay $15 to park. PHP is free parking (except during youth tournaments ).
Everyone seems to forget most pro sports coaches started in the college ranks (Think Jimmy Johnson, Barry Switzer.....) so why is everyone throwing Hyndman under the bus for being a college coach first? I guess everyone wants someone with no coaching experience rather than college experience?
As far as US becoming fans I think the tide is turning but it will be a long road. I know my kid has my DVR fileld with every soccer match he can find. Might be the difference for the future that todays kids are getting much more exposure to the via cable where 5-10 years ago you couldn't find any soccer except maybe World Cup which was probably on ESPN37 on delay at 3am........

good article. Guess they didn't see the attendance numbers.

chasematt wrote:

DadofDefense wrote:Are Americans becoming soccer fans?

NO! More are becoming soccer curious, but not to the level of fan-dom. Just look at the thread "FCD - low ticket sales". The numbers stink ---- for EVERY team. Dallas is the worst.

I love going to watch my son play soccer. I have enjoyed a few MLS games. I used to be a Sidekick season ticket holder ---- RIP Sidekicks . But Im not going to be a FCD season ticket holder when I have to drive forever across the metroplex only to get there and see a mediocre team with a college coach.

The location of PHP is relative - If you live anywhere from downtown Dallas north its a 30 minute drive on the tollway. We make it from Wylie in under 30 barring traffic. It takes over an hour to get to the ballpark from here or anywhere else north and east of Dallas. Even when the boys played at Texas Stadium it was a 45 minute drive plus an hour in line to get off the highway just to pay $15 to park. PHP is free parking (except during youth tournaments ).
Everyone seems to forget most pro sports coaches started in the college ranks (Think Jimmy Johnson, Barry Switzer.....) so why is everyone throwing Hyndman under the bus for being a college coach first? I guess everyone wants someone with no coaching experience rather than college experience?
As far as US becoming fans I think the tide is turning but it will be a long road. I know my kid has my DVR fileld with every soccer match he can find. Might be the difference for the future that todays kids are getting much more exposure to the via cable where 5-10 years ago you couldn't find any soccer except maybe World Cup which was probably on ESPN37 on delay at 3am........

Not sure why everybody complains about PHP being in Frisco....has anyone ever lived in another major city? It's not uncommon for a 45 min to hour drive to get to a stadium. The problem is the quality of play! And you ask...why is everyone picking on poor Hyndman? Cuz he sucks!

Soccer in America is like ance - it gets under your skin as a kid but eventually you outgrow it.

happyfeet wrote:

chasematt wrote:

DadofDefense wrote:Are Americans becoming soccer fans?

NO! More are becoming soccer curious, but not to the level of fan-dom. Just look at the thread "FCD - low ticket sales". The numbers stink ---- for EVERY team. Dallas is the worst.

I love going to watch my son play soccer. I have enjoyed a few MLS games. I used to be a Sidekick season ticket holder ---- RIP Sidekicks . But Im not going to be a FCD season ticket holder when I have to drive forever across the metroplex only to get there and see a mediocre team with a college coach.

The location of PHP is relative - If you live anywhere from downtown Dallas north its a 30 minute drive on the tollway. We make it from Wylie in under 30 barring traffic. It takes over an hour to get to the ballpark from here or anywhere else north and east of Dallas. Even when the boys played at Texas Stadium it was a 45 minute drive plus an hour in line to get off the highway just to pay $15 to park. PHP is free parking (except during youth tournaments ).
Everyone seems to forget most pro sports coaches started in the college ranks (Think Jimmy Johnson, Barry Switzer.....) so why is everyone throwing Hyndman under the bus for being a college coach first? I guess everyone wants someone with no coaching experience rather than college experience?
As far as US becoming fans I think the tide is turning but it will be a long road. I know my kid has my DVR fileld with every soccer match he can find. Might be the difference for the future that todays kids are getting much more exposure to the via cable where 5-10 years ago you couldn't find any soccer except maybe World Cup which was probably on ESPN37 on delay at 3am........

Not sure why everybody complains about PHP being in Frisco....has anyone ever lived in another major city? It's not uncommon for a 45 min to hour drive to get to a stadium. The problem is the quality of play! And you ask...why is everyone picking on poor Hyndman? Cuz he sucks!

It's not PHP - it's a great facility. Yes, Frisco is a drive for some, but if you really want to see a game you'll make a drive, no matter where the stadium, if the product on the field is good and competitive - you will make the trip if you are a fan. I use to drive almost an hour to go see the games in the worn out / outdated / empty Cotton Bowl - not because of the facility but because I wanted to see the games.
Let's not kid ourselves, the product on the field is not good / the marketing and friendliness to non FC Dallas clubs is not good / and I don't want to pay $7.50 for a cold one............

pitchfever wrote:

happyfeet wrote:

chasematt wrote:

DadofDefense wrote:Are Americans becoming soccer fans?

NO! More are becoming soccer curious, but not to the level of fan-dom. Just look at the thread "FCD - low ticket sales". The numbers stink ---- for EVERY team. Dallas is the worst.

I love going to watch my son play soccer. I have enjoyed a few MLS games. I used to be a Sidekick season ticket holder ---- RIP Sidekicks . But Im not going to be a FCD season ticket holder when I have to drive forever across the metroplex only to get there and see a mediocre team with a college coach.

The location of PHP is relative - If you live anywhere from downtown Dallas north its a 30 minute drive on the tollway. We make it from Wylie in under 30 barring traffic. It takes over an hour to get to the ballpark from here or anywhere else north and east of Dallas. Even when the boys played at Texas Stadium it was a 45 minute drive plus an hour in line to get off the highway just to pay $15 to park. PHP is free parking (except during youth tournaments ).
Everyone seems to forget most pro sports coaches started in the college ranks (Think Jimmy Johnson, Barry Switzer.....) so why is everyone throwing Hyndman under the bus for being a college coach first? I guess everyone wants someone with no coaching experience rather than college experience?
As far as US becoming fans I think the tide is turning but it will be a long road. I know my kid has my DVR fileld with every soccer match he can find. Might be the difference for the future that todays kids are getting much more exposure to the via cable where 5-10 years ago you couldn't find any soccer except maybe World Cup which was probably on ESPN37 on delay at 3am........

Not sure why everybody complains about PHP being in Frisco....has anyone ever lived in another major city? It's not uncommon for a 45 min to hour drive to get to a stadium. The problem is the quality of play! And you ask...why is everyone picking on poor Hyndman? Cuz he sucks!

It's not PHP - it's a great facility. Yes, Frisco is a drive for some, but if you really want to see a game you'll make a drive, no matter where the stadium, if the product on the field is good and competitive - you will make the trip if you are a fan. I use to drive almost an hour to go see the games in the worn out / outdated / empty Cotton Bowl - not because of the facility but because I wanted to see the games.
Let's not kid ourselves, the product on the field is not good / the marketing and friendliness to non FC Dallas clubs is not good / and I don't want to pay $7.50 for a cold one............

Attendance a couple of years ago was averaging around 15,000 per game, now its less than 10,000, a very big drop.
I agree its not the park, the metroplex is so big that it would not matter were you build a stadium, most would need to drive around 30 minutes to get there.
Put a winning team on the field and the fans will come.

homer999 wrote:Soccer in America is like ance - it gets under your skin as a kid but eventually you outgrow it.

You are wrong. Just because you didn't grow up with it doesnt mean this next generation will not support it.

I think today shows that Americans are still slow to embace soccer. US v Mexico is on Telemundo only.
Go USA. My prediction US 2-1 Mexico, so far US up 1-0.

The telecast on Telemundo has nothing to do with the US soccer interest as Mexico (i.e. the home team) has unequivocal broadcast rights. The fact that mun2 has opened up the English broadcast to non-subscribers actually speaks well to the positive trend in soccer interest in the US.

rip wrote:The telecast on Telemundo has nothing to do with the US soccer interest as Mexico (i.e. the home team) has unequivocal broadcast rights. The fact that mun2 has opened up the English broadcast to non-subscribers actually speaks well to the positive trend in soccer interest in the US.

Did not know that. But didn't ESPN broadcst some away games for the US in WC qualifying?

BTW thanks for the mun2 info, just found it.

True10 wrote:

rip wrote:The telecast on Telemundo has nothing to do with the US soccer interest as Mexico (i.e. the home team) has unequivocal broadcast rights. The fact that mun2 has opened up the English broadcast to non-subscribers actually speaks well to the positive trend in soccer interest in the US.

Did not know that. But didn't ESPN broadcst some away games for the US in WC qualifying?

I believe the home team controls the broadcast rights and can negotiate with whomever they choose.... at least within some set of general parameters.