Perhaps in the past I have been too sceptical about the progress likely to be made by Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States. Having lived and worked there, I was well aware how entrenched the major sports were.
Perhaps in the past I have been too sceptical about the progress likely to be made by Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States. Having lived and worked there, I was well aware how entrenched the major sports were.
However, now two of those sports have shot themselves in the foot. College football is mired in a paedophile scandal and the National Basketball Association is on strike. Significant investment has gone into new soccer clubs in Vancouver, Seattle and Portland. When I lived in Seattle, the Sounders were miles away at the opposite end of the city so I settled for baseball instead, although I did get up at unearthly hours to watch live soccer from England in an Irish bar.
Bringing David Beckham to MLS is estimated to have cost $250m. But it may have been money well spent. He shifted 600,000 shirts in his firsy year and attendances have gone up, 7 per cent last year. However, it is really about re-defining the brand. Will Chang, the owner of leading club DC United, has said: ‘David has been a huge catalyst in helping soccer make the paradigm shift to being cool.’
Soccer is a major participation sport for boys and girls in the US, in part because it is seen as less dangerous than some more traditional sports. In the past good athletes often switched away from soccer when they got older because of the earnings prospects. Dates with cheerleaders may also have been a consideration.
Perhaps all that is beginning to change, although television viewing figures are only rising slowly from low levels. But there is no doubt that, after some earlier failures, soccer has established itself in the US and the only way is up. If you are in the States, have a great Thanksgiving tomorrow!