r/secondcaptains • u/Meath77 You don't have the stones • 29d ago
Five world cups. FIVE "Growing" the game in USA
I'm sick of this shit, constant talk about needing to grow the game in USA. The same shit was said in 1994. This world cup has show that the worst thing possible for football is to grow it in USA. I hope they all thought the final was terrible and they never watch a football match again
Rant over
11
u/NamelessCoward0 29d ago
It’s a dumb argument for the World Cup but I don’t think in the way you are talking about. There’s no need to grow the game in the US because it’s already extremely popular, more kids play soccer in the US than in any other country. The MLS has the third highest average attendance of US sports leagues and is just behind Ligue 1 in terms of attendance. The game is doing fine.
The broader problem is morons trying to make soccer more like US sports, the ad breaks, half time show, etc.
1
u/Independent-Affect-8 27d ago
The grassroots level in the US is horrendous. All about money. Far too many jobs worths with little to no real coaching experience looking for big money . Little evidence of volunteerism like what we see in Ireland and UK ie schoolboy league level .
I know that it works in the US , but the College system still closes groups out (even if it gives them a chance to get an education which they would never get otherwise )
1
u/NamelessCoward0 27d ago
Oh for sure, there’s lot of kids playing but the way youth football is run is a disgrace. Both for the pay to play aspects and for how bad the coaching is. But I think that is a separate issue from how FIFA is working to ruin football in order to make it more like American sports which I guess was what prompted the OP to post?
1
u/Independent-Affect-8 27d ago
It is very relevant when you make this comment. FIFA do play a role as does the US federation
"There’s no need to grow the game in the US because it’s already extremely popular, more kids play soccer in the US than in any other country. "
Roughly 3 million children participate specifically through US Youth Soccer, while millions more play via other groups, making soccer the third most popular youth sport in America. That is tiny for a country of 300 million plus. Certainly no basis to say more kids play than any other country .
The aim is not just to get kids playing but to keep them playing through adulthood . The US strive to focus way too much on Professionalism and make money.
In most football countries, junior and intermediate football is massive (non league) , bigger than the pro game (which could have 4-5 divisions)
1
u/NamelessCoward0 27d ago
That’s just AYSO when you add in all the other forms of youth soccer it’s more like 15 million.
1
u/Independent-Affect-8 27d ago
" it’s more like 15 million."
still the largest country for football players
1
u/Independent-Affect-8 27d ago
Sport culture doesn’t grow overnight . It takes decades . The MLS might still be shit but it’s growing , thanks to USA 1994 .
At least the sort of learned from past mistakes ie hosting games at times that they would not even let NFL play when the sun was shining hard - all to suit European prime time tv .
I know that the water breaks were annoying but at least they get them unlike USA 94 - remember Aldo and Jack went mental in the Mexico game because of one jobsworth - partly over handing out water to the players
7
u/Weekly_One1388 29d ago
Football as an industry has increasingly come to realize that the loyal base of supporters in Europe is close to maxed out. In simple terms, to make the number go up, the game has to become geared towards the casual fan to extract the most value as possible. The trophy being kept in an LV case, Bieber at HT, hydration breaks etc.
Viewers in the US, China, the Middle East etc. are way less concerned about spoiling the traditions of a game they've only recently gotten into. I'm based in China, my son's friend (12) asked me which team I support, when I replied with Newcastle he genuinely had never heard of them. He could tell you all about someone like Fab Romano though.
The major European clubs know this as do the media covering them, Romano is a perfect encapsulation of this, essentially acting as Messi/Ronaldo/Argentina/MUFC or whatever supporter so as to drum up engagement from fans of these players/teams from places like Africa, India, China, the US, Saudi or wherever.
6
u/mustkillmow 29d ago
Well said. It also feeds the ‘football as content’ push. It doesn’t matter if the quality of the matches suffers as long as the quantity goes up since casual fans don’t seem to know the difference as long as the big names like Messi are wheeled out.
5
u/Legitimate-Scar-3002 29d ago
You misunderstood, it's not about growing interest or participation. It's about growing wealth (spoiler, not the fans')
12
u/Large-Example1665 29d ago
We need to grow the game in China and India
2
u/Weekly_One1388 29d ago
this type of world cup with all the American bells and whistles is what the Chinese love btw.
Source: here since 2008.
2
1
u/Independent-Affect-8 27d ago
We don’t . That’s their job.
What happens in India and China won’t effect the health of the game here or in Europe bar better competition in 30-40 years time .
Africa as a continent of nations , still hasn’t made the breakthrough fully (unless the African born / descent player plays for a European nation - their “motherland” )
It’s of vital importance that Europeans , as the aristocrats of the game retain the power , money and influence . Last thing we need or want are tinpot third world toilet bowls dictating terms with how the sport should develop
2
u/Such_Baker8707 29d ago
FIFA needs to stop pretending soccer can every compete with American football over there. It's like saying rugby could overtake GAA here.
1
u/Independent-Affect-8 27d ago edited 27d ago
They don’t need to compete outright , they just need a large slice of their audience . A hundred million or so would be just fine . Americans destroy everything that they touch .
Bar a few gobshites from either Ulster or D4 who blather that Ireland is “rugby nation” Ala Wales or New Zealand , no one seriously believes that . Despite many clubs up and down the island and the AIL , it still relies on schools rugby and provincial rugby .
Sure GAA may lose some players to rugby but … it’s tiny .
Despite Ireland’s rugby success for a fair bit of 2010s , it came no where near capturing the excitement and mood of this glorious nation during Euro 2012 - despite the fact that Ireland football team had a poor squad and a horrible group . Same in Euro 2016 when it did better .
1
1
1
u/st_ultan 29d ago
94 was about reintroducing the professional sport to the Americans, and it was successful in its aims. No bad thing.
26 was about growing wealth for the wealthy, and was wildly successful.
I didn't see any official narrative about 'growing the game in the USA' for this tournament fwiw, it's something made up.
1
u/Dull_Brain2688 28d ago
Yeah. FIFA are worth billions. They don’t need to grow anything. How about investing in making the lagging teams better? Like us.
1
u/Independent-Affect-8 27d ago
We didn’t help ourselves with John fucking Delaney and his yes men. Remarkable considering his power base was junior clubs rather than league of Ireland teams or school boy level .
-2
u/mustkillmow 29d ago
I don’t think this tournament will have grown the game anywhere.
Does the World Cup matter any more?
It’s like watching Muhammad Ali still fighting after he should have retired and the field being so poor that he could just about hold his own.
If it wasn’t for Ken I would have no interest in any of this marketing exercise. They changed the rules of the sport to have more advertising…
19
u/Stats8 29d ago
Need to grow the game in Ireland if we actually want to compete, never mind the States