What Americans learned from the World Cup

HEY! WE HAVE A SOCCER TEAM!
The World Cup has always been an event Americans were aware of, but 2010 was the first time the general American public had a personal stake in the tournament. A lot of things conspired to generate the unprecedented interest in the game. First, the US got a marquee matchup against England in the opening game, that just happened to fall in primetime on a weekend. The dramatic comeback against Slovenia further whetted the appetite, and the last-minute winner against Algeria to advance the US out of group play was straight out of a Hollywood script.

But the on-field achievements in South Africa can’t explain all of the success the World Cup had with the general American sports fan. The US-Slovenia game drew record ratings – and was on a Wednesday morning. The England game can explain some of the attention the US team drew, but some of it has to be explained by the growth of the game itself. International club soccer, from the Premier League to the Champions League, and the growth of Major League Soccer helped set the table for the unprecedented attention the US team received in South Africa.

HEY! SOCCER SHOULD HAVE INSTANT REPLAY!
While an injustice makes for great television, the goal taken away from the US against Slovenia for a phantom foul helped to galvanize the casual US fans in support of the team. But it also introduced American fans to an ugly truth soccer fans have known for years – that some kind of instant replay review is needed to make sure the right call gets made.

FIFA is listening, apparently. With the combination of American fans (and the massive American sports market) awakened to soccer, along with the “daylight robbery” of the English and the Mexicans in an 8-hour period, FIFA President Sepp Blatter has been forced to back off his “no technology ever” position he took just weeks before the World Cup started.

HEY! MAYBE SOCCER ISN’T JUST FOR WEIRDO EUROSNOBS!
Soccer has always been a favorite whipping boy of “real Amur’cun” sports fans. With its’ low scores, its’ embracing of ties, and its’ lack of a clock on the field – not to mention the fact that Americans in general weren’t very good at the sports – your average American sports fan felt comfortable in dismissing and making fun of the sport.

Not anymore. Landon Donovan has become a household name, showing up on cultural touchstones like the Tonight Show and the Daily Show. Heck, he might even show up on Dancing with the Stars! With the success the Americans achieved on the field and the attention the team drew from the public at large, soccer went a long way towards legitimizing itself with the average American sports fan.

No one is expecting that soccer will be replacing baseball or the NFL for the average American sports fan. But with the additional soccer availability for Americans on television and in person, and with the added legitimacy and popularity this year’s World Cup brought to the sport, it may just be that the foundations have been laid for soccer to become a vibrant part of the American sports landscape.