Has soccer finally cracked the US?
By Alan Condon
Nov 2, 2014; Dallas, TX, USA; The MLS Cup logo on the pitch prior to the match between the Seattle Sounders FC and FC Dallas at Toyota Stadium. Seattle and FC Dallas tied 1-1. Mandatory Credit: Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports
2. Rising popularity and expansion of MLS
North America has long been the continent where many of the world’s greatest stars chose to wind down their careers once they were past their peak, with Pele, George Best and Diego Maradona all having graced US soil in the dying days of their respective careers.
That trend seems to be continuing now with the arrival of many big name stars such as Beckham, Henry and Keane in recent years, and this season the MLS welcomes Kaká, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard.
Speaking to the Irish media on the effect of Europe’s biggest stars playing in the MLS, Kyle Beckermann outlined that it was about more than just showing up.
“With those names, especially Beckham, I think it just got into the popular culture of America and they took notice. But it wasn’t only just about their name, they had to come and perform, and I think Robbie, Thierry and David performed.”
The objective now and for the future of the MLS, should be to attract these players to the league while they are still playing at their peak, or very close to it. Certainly at the contemporary rate of popularity and expansion, juxtaposed with the consistent increase in quality, that goal doesn’t seem like too far of a stretch.
The recent World Cup was further proof that the MLS can produce and harness players who can perform at the highest level of the game, such was the 2002 World Cup where they reached the quarter-finals.
Furthermore, the expansion of the MLS is a prime indicator of the sport’s increasing popularity in the US with New York City FC and Orlando City SC set to make their inaugural debuts against each other on March 8. An Atlanta MLS team has also been confirmed and is preparing to feature in 2017, along with David Beckham spearheading an investment group for the establishment of a new Miami MLS team in the near future.
Annual attendances for the MLS have been steadily increasing since its establishment in 1996, but have seen a significant boost in numbers since 2010 where the season’s total attendance was just over 4 million, according to the MLS season stats which are available on its website. Last year, the attendances were capped at over 6 million and the figures for 2015 are expected to increase even further.
Next: Record viewing numbers of 2014 FIFA World Cup