By Brigitte L. Nacos
As I follow the moaning and groaning over the failure of the American soccer team at the World Cup in the media, I wonder how sports writers could have been blinded by the fact that FIFA put the team in fifth place in the world ranking. Surely, this decision had something to do with the team's miracle performance four years ago. Why, one askes, can Americans be disappointed, when they do not support professional soccer as most other nations do?
It is telling, as Steven Goft of the Washington Post mentions today, that there are more players in the U.S. national team that make their living in Europe than those playing in MLS teams in the U.S. Whereas soccer is popular among primary and secondary school students, there is far less interest in and support of professional soccer in the United States--certainly not compared to Europe or Latin America.
Rooting for the U.S. team during the Olympic Games and the World Cup is one thing, putting one's money where one's mouth is in the face of dream performances or complete failures seems quite another matter. Years ago, when the backers of pro-soccer got the worlds leading kickers, Pele and Beckenbauer, to play in the U.S., soccer games drew large crowds. But to cultivate understanding and enthusiasm takes more patience and money than the backers were willing to invest.
The situation is even worse in women's soccer. When the national team plays for a gold medal or a world championship, Americans catch the soccer bug--temporarily. But even the most brilliant performances in international competitions did not stop the women's professional league from folding.
Given this lack of support for both men's and women's professional soccer, how in the world can anyone be disappointed?
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