North Star Writers Group

There are those who obsess about US soccer – the people who dog the US for its consistently mediocre-at-best position in “the world’s most popular sport.” They tend to feign embarrassment, and most normal people can’t stand them.

There are also those who mock soccer as a sport simply because the US never seems to play it very well. If we’re not the best at it then it must not be very important. I can sympathize with these people a little bit because I am also an American elitist.

My guess is that most Americans fall more closely to the middle. Soccer is not our pastime. We’re not very good at it so it’s a little embarrassing when we consistently get beaten by countries we would obliterate if things really got ugly. Then again, we do tend to wipe the floor with them in the more exciting, high-scoring sports – basketball and football – so things could be worse. (If our basketball team gets beaten again in the next Olympics, then we can anticipate genuine national concern. We are, all of us, uneasily considering 2004 a fluke.) However, it would be nice to see the US scare up a few ripples like they did in 2002.

A few concerns about the upcoming games:

1. While the US team has received its highest world ranking ever – fifth – Christ Albright responded by saying, “I don’t know if that’s exactly accurate.” Ironically, Christ Albright is on the US team. Are you kidding me? Who says that? Whatever happened to “It’s a testament to the great improvement our team has made in recent years,” or even, “Soon, the world will learn that we are actually not fifth, but first. We got gypped last year by a Germany handball that would have given us a penalty shot that would have projected us to the semifinals. We were the best team then, and we still are.” Honesty is nice and all, but don’t disagree with a high ranking. I’m incredibly grateful the reporter didn’t ask Mr. Albright what the US ranking should have been. Who is this guy? If American over-confidence doesn’t penetrate its sports teams then it is no wonder our country has trouble lending its support.

2. The US has drawn what some would consider the toughest group in the tournament. This will ultimately reap either immeasurable excitement or a fully anticipated, nationwide melancholy. So far, it seems to have caused most American onlookers to expect no more than the already-scheduled three games out of the US team. It’s the highest ranking we’ve ever gotten, and no one thinks we’re going to join the half of the teams that make it to the second round. Talk about depressing.

3. Some of us have already discovered that Bruce Arena has a lisp. Suffice it to say that this does not exactly lend itself to the tough-guy image to which Americans tend to cling. There’s not a whole lot I can add to this. He does have one of those hardened, slightly awkward assortment of facial features (wide nose and receded hairline included) that I have come to associate with hockey players, and he looks tough enough seated on the bench. If ESPN can simply avoid Arena’s voice altogether, or at least until the US makes the finals, this could turn into a non-issue. Either way, it’s merely a concern.

Despite these concerns, the more important issue is that television viewership for the 2006 World Cup is going to be higher in the United States than it has ever been. For a few games, American soccer players will be displayed before the entire country. It will be a bit like the NCAA tournament in the sense that everyone watching is just begging to be impressed. The casual onlookers will finally become aware of those dazzling talents the diehards have appreciated all along. Eddie Johnson, Landon Donovan, I hope you show up. You’ll make a lot of your countrymen incredibly happy, not to mention some hefty endorsements.

MLS is a pretty good league. It’s not very popular, but it is moving in the right direction (unless, of course, you would prefer it to remain obscure). An impressive US performance in this year’s Cup – perhaps another trip to the quarterfinals – would validate the 2002 performance, and consequently, would significantly buffer the humble, yet considerable cluster of soccer supporters the US already has.

Make no mistake, this World Cup will bring about severe consequences for US soccer.

Granted, I do not think a great performance will turn soccer into a powerful American sport. It is just not our game. It is too slow and there is probably not enough ego (which, I think, is the primary reason why hockey has never really caught on). However, if the US team only manages to beat Ghana, then Americans will resort back to considering US soccer a joke. The group of people that fell somewhere towards the middle will promptly carom towards the American elitists who, all along, chose not to care.

Like I said, there is cause for concern. The Cup’s not exactly in the bag. But someone, somewhere, said there are only four teams better than ours. Even if our own team doesn’t believe it, someone with an apparently important opinion, disagrees. I, for one, hope that person is proven right.

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