Missing out the World Cup not a long-term disaster for U.S. soccer’s popularity
Missing out on next summer’s World Cup definitely hurts, but soccer has come too far in this country for its popularity to all hinge on one tournament.
Breathe.
That’s what I’ve been doing since the U.S.’s unlikely and improbable 2-1 defeat to Trinidad and Tobago on Tuesday night. It’s also what I’ve been trying to tell fans and friends alike who have been texting me since the final whistle blew. I’ve never seen such sporting anguish in my Twitter feed.
It was a series of impossible results that all lined up to create a scenario that no American soccer fan ever imagined could come to fruition. In the heat of such a defeat, there have been calls for change. Self-criticism is a natural reaction: Was it Jurgen Klinsmann’s fault? Should U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati go? Are the players not good enough? Despite spending millions, why is this country having such a difficult time developing players? If Iceland, a country of just 330,000 people, is able to qualify for the World Cup, then why can’t the United States.
These are all great questions the morning after the biggest defeat in American soccer history. While some changes need to take place at all levels of the game, I am also here to tell you that it’s going to be all right. I’m here to tell you that it’s not all gloom and doom. Life will go on. Soccer will continue to prosper. The fans are there. They won’t just suddenly disappear because the United States misses out on the World Cup next summer.
Gulati has said that no wholesale changes need to be made. I don’t totally agree with that. Had that Clint Dempsey attempt late in the second half that slammed against the post gone in we would be talking about how great this team is and with what charisma and character they were able to squeeze out a draw. The narrative in sports can so easily sway to one side or the other. That’s how fragile the balance is.
Missing out on the World Cup doesn’t change the fact people who follow the game will continue to watch it. This is not about the casual fan. I don’t really care about those “fans” who only watch soccer every four years and spend the rest of the time ignoring it. I don’t care about those who hate the sport and disparage it daily. I don’t care about converting people. Soccer is a sport billions around the world love; millions in this country love it. The soccer community in this country is very large and growing thanks to MLS all the way down to your local AYSO chapter. Soccer isn’t going anywhere. It’s become too entrenched in this country. It’s a major part of youth culture.
Not qualifying for the World Cup will create short-term pains, but also potential long-term gains. MLS has become a strong domestic league. It is so strong that it has helped fellow CONCACAF nations such as Costa Rica and Panama, who both qualified for Russia ’18, improve and grow their national team programs over the past two World Cup cycles.
Cities are lining up hoping to get an MLS franchise. That is one of the great legacies from hosting the 1994 World Cup. Klinsmann’s arrival had generated lots of lofty expectations that never came true. Bruce Arena, the most-successful U.S.-born coach ever, was brought in to fix the mess. He couldn’t. The players ultimately never rose to the challenge.
Next: Disaster strikes for U.S. Soccer
The future is not all bleak. Christian Pulisic is an amazing player. He is the heir to Landon Donovan. He may even be better. Pulisic deserved to be in the World Cup. At only 19, he will get his chance. There are many other young players out there that we haven’t heard of yet that will likely emerge. The Under-17 team, currently playing in India, is a place to start. It will be the task of the next coach to sort this out. Developing a winning culture and reaching the next Olympics will need to be a priority. Brazil rebuilt its team after winning the gold medal in 2016 after its 7-1 semifinal debacle to Germany at the World Cup two years earlier.
In this bleak hour, it is also worth noting that great teams with bigger soccer pedigrees than the United States will also miss out on next summer’s party. Chile, the South American champions, and Cameroon, the reigning African champions, won’t be there. Neither will the Netherlands, a team that has reached three World Cup finals, the most recent in 2010.
Other great nations have missed out on past World Cups: France in 1994 and Egypt in 2010 to name just two recent ones. Those teams rebuilt themselves. France won it all in 1998 at home, while Egypt qualified for the next World Cup. Some turnarounds take a short time, others longer. The United States has the money and know-how to do the same.
Soccer is here to stay. The fact that we feel so dejected is because we are a soccer nation. When they failed to reach the World Cup in 1986, no one noticed. When they qualified in 1989 for the 1990 tournament, their first in 40 years, very few cared. That team left a legacy that got us to where we are. It will be a long, long road. The positive thing is that there will be plenty of fans lining that road cheering this team on. Do I believe that we will win? We’ve come too far as a soccer nation not to.