proof that soccer is growing (second in u.s. soon???)

MC KAos

Well-Known Member
Messages
7,500
Reaction score
39
World Cup edges NBA finals in US TV ratings

AFP
July 11, 2006

NEW YORK (AFP) - Sunday's World Cup final in Berlin scored big with US television viewers, with nearly 17 million tuning in for the clash between France and Italy -- topping audiences for the NBA basketball finals.

According to preliminary data released by Nielsen Media Research, 11.9 million people watched live coverage of the final on the ABC network, while another five million chose the Spanish-language broadcast on the Univision channel.

The total represented an increase of more than 150 percent over the 2002 final, which was shown early in the morning, and around 30 percent over the 1998 tournament decider.

In a country where football is still considered something of a minority sport, Sunday's viewing figures compared favourably with those for high-profile US sporting events.

It was four million more than the average audience for last month's NBA finals between the Dallas Mavericks and the Miami Heat and not far away from the average 17.1 million that watched last year's baseball World Series.

However, it was still nowhere near the highlight of the annual US sporting calendar, American football's Super Bowl, which attracted more than 90 million viewers in February.

http://sports.yahoo.com/sow/news?sl...v=afp&type=lgns

well looks like soccer is getting more popular in the US!! whether you guys like it or not. The MLS, by the way, has shown improvement in each of its seasons in existance, and are now starting to build soccer only stadiums. This is important cuz it will allow the MLS to play 2 seasons a year, like every other league in the world, and therefore atract better players!!(beckham maybe!!)
http://sports.yahoo.com/sow/news?slug=afp-fblwc2006usamedia&prov=afp&type=lgns
 

CowboyMark

New Member
Messages
436
Reaction score
1
It's still going to take a long time before it's considered a premiere sport here in the states. I agree it's improving but it still needs a little more time. Personally I hope it's every bit as exciting as when I go see games in mexico.
 

cowboynDC

New Member
Messages
39
Reaction score
0
It is growing, there are approx 3.3 million players in the US. Beckham will come to the US whether it grows or not, as this is a place for the aging stars of the world to come and continue to play and get paided. It will be good for the US game if he comes here, as his is a name people know.
 

bobtheflob

New Member
Messages
1,768
Reaction score
0
You also have to take into account that this happens once every 4 years and has a single title game as opposed to a best of 7 series. Soccer is still like most olympic sports here, people pay attention once every 4 years, then promptly forget about it.
 

SA_Gunslinger

Official CZ Ea-girls hater
Messages
4,788
Reaction score
0
bobtheflob said:
You also have to take into account that this happens once every 4 years and has a single title game as opposed to a best of 7 series. Soccer is still like most olympic sports here, people pay attention once every 4 years, then promptly forget about it.


yea, but that's just the world cup.

there is great domestic (mls, english premiere league, etc) and international soccer (national team fixtures) all through the year, every year.
 

joseephuss

Well-Known Member
Messages
28,041
Reaction score
6,920
phillycowboyslover said:
yea, but that's just the world cup.

there is great domestic (mls, english premiere league, etc) and international soccer (national team fixtures) all through the year, every year.

That was his point. People in the US are not watching the MLS. They will watch the World Cup because it is more than just soccer. It is an event. Plus the MLS is not great soccer. It is the minor leagues.
 

Yeagermeister

Well-Known Member
Messages
47,629
Reaction score
117
Just maybe a huge chunk of that comes from people that have moved/immigrated to the US :huh:
 

JMead

New Member
Messages
217
Reaction score
0
Yeagermeister said:
Just maybe a huge chunk of that comes from people that have moved/immigrated to the US :huh:

Was going to say the same thing. I bet 70% or 80% of the numbers listed are foreign people.
 

AbeBeta

Well-Known Member
Messages
35,684
Reaction score
12,394
joseephuss said:
That was his point. People in the US are not watching the MLS. They will watch the World Cup because it is more than just soccer. It is an event. Plus the MLS is not great soccer. It is the minor leagues.

It is a huge quality difference. The best 5 MLS players might not even be as good as bench players on the French, Italian, Argentine, Brazilian (etc) squads.

The MLS does need some good international playters (Zidane is rumored to be coming to the Red Bulls). Honestly, the U.S. teams can't afford these guys -- this is one case where European clubs have a serious advantage b/c they have so much more money.

But instead of Becks coming here, the MLS needs its own, U.S. born version of Becks -- you'd be surprised what a single, high profile talent, can do for a league. Michael Jordan was that guy for the the NBA -- Kobe was set to be that guy until his incident in Colorado. One high profile player could really set this MLS on fire in the U.S.
 

jem88

Active Member
Messages
2,698
Reaction score
1
abersonc said:
It is a huge quality difference. The best 5 MLS players might not even be as good as bench players on the French, Italian, Argentine, Brazilian (etc) squads.

The MLS does need some good international playters (Zidane is rumored to be coming to the Red Bulls). Honestly, the U.S. teams can't afford these guys -- this is one case where European clubs have a serious advantage b/c they have so much more money.

But instead of Becks coming here, the MLS needs its own, U.S. born version of Becks -- you'd be surprised what a single, high profile talent, can do for a league. Michael Jordan was that guy for the the NBA -- Kobe was set to be that guy until his incident in Colorado. One high profile player could really set this MLS on fire in the U.S.
Maybe Freddy Adu will be that guy. I hope so as I'd love to see the game grow in North America. I'm not a big fan of his, but I suppose you have to give Landon Donovan credit for sticking around in the MSL. He could easily be playing in the Premiership.
 

AbeBeta

Well-Known Member
Messages
35,684
Reaction score
12,394
jem88 said:
Maybe Freddy Adu will be that guy. I hope so as I'd love to see the game grow in North America. I'm not a big fan of his, but I suppose you have to give Landon Donovan credit for sticking around in the MSL. He could easily be playing in the Premiership.

Adu doesn't really seem to have the kind of personality you need to be a superstar. and he hasn't exactly torn it up in the MLS. complaining about playing time doesn't help either.

Donovan did play in Germany -- and he freaking SUCKED. He wasn't on a very good team but he couldn't get off the bench. His WC performance this year suggests that he is not a as good as folks think.
 

jem88

Active Member
Messages
2,698
Reaction score
1
abersonc said:
Adu doesn't really seem to have the kind of personality you need to be a superstar. and he hasn't exactly torn it up in the MLS. complaining about playing time doesn't help either.

Donovan did play in Germany -- and he freaking SUCKED. He wasn't on a very good team but he couldn't get off the bench. His WC performance this year suggests that he is not a as good as folks think.
He looked good against Italy. I don't think he's superstar material, but he could play in the Premiership (with Fulhams, Aston Villa, Middlesborough, or any of the other mid-table dwellers.)
 

AbeBeta

Well-Known Member
Messages
35,684
Reaction score
12,394
jem88 said:
He looked good against Italy. I don't think he's superstar material, but he could play in the Premiership (with Fulhams, Aston Villa, Middlesborough, or any of the other mid-table dwellers.)

He looked better against Italy -- but the U.S. needed him big time against the two teams they could have actually beaten - Ghana and Cz.

But you are right -- Donovan, to have any chance at developing, needs to be in Europe. Brian McBride is a good role model for the younger U.S. players -- they have to leave the comfort of the MLS to get better.
 

jem88

Active Member
Messages
2,698
Reaction score
1
abersonc said:
He looked better against Italy -- but the U.S. needed him big time against the two teams they could have actually beaten - Ghana and Cz.

But you are right -- Donovan, to have any chance at developing, needs to be in Europe. Brian McBride is a good role model for the younger U.S. players -- they have to leave the comfort of the MLS to get better.
Agreed. It is interesting to look at teams like Mexico and Costa Rica, the majority of whose players play domestically. There is something to be said about having the majority of your national team playing in the same country. That's the problem Canada faces. Admittedly, we're just not very good, but the few good players we have- Julian and Jonathan De Guzman (Deportivo and Feyenoord), Tomas Radzinski (Fulham I believe), Paul Stalteri (Tottenham), Jason Devos (formerly of Wigan, not sure where he is now)- all play abroad. As a result, it's a rare occasion when we manage to get them all together to train with the national team. Were we able to do that, we might have a chance at beating out the Costa Ricas of the world.
 
Top