World Cup '14: America Is Not a Soccer Power. Yet.

Soccerball with USA flag (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

At the halfway point of the 2014 FIFA Men's World Cup, teams vying for soccer (or football, if you prefer) supremacy have been whittled down to eight.  The expected teams are still here:  host country Brazil, Argentina, Germany and the Netherlands.  Some left unexpectedly:  England, Spain, Mexico and Italy.  The major underdog in this bunch?  Costa Rica.

Other than Luis Suarez of Uruguay getting suspended by FIFA for four months for allegedly taking a bite out of an opponent, reports of members of the Cameroon squad allegedly throwing matches, and demonstrations in Brazilian cities questioning the wisdom of their government in building so many potentially useless stadiums, it's been a quiet World Cup so far.

The United States side was eliminated in the Round of 16 by Belgium, who scored two goals in extra time to move on to the quarterfinals.  It was a surprise that the Americans made it this far, considering how goalkeeper Tim Howard almost single-handedly saved their rear ends while the offense sputtered, and the defense failed to get the ball out of their own zone.

The U.S. beat Ghana in the opening round, then tied Uruguay when they lost their lead with seconds left, and then were shut out by Germany.  But the Americans still had more goals in that round than either Ghana or Uruguay, so they got out of the "Group of Death", whether they deserved it or not.

Granted, the United States is nowhere near ready to contend for the World Cup.  Even coach Jurgen Klinsmann has admitted as much.  It is also folly to suggest that, because of record TV ratings on ESPN and Univision, soccer has arrived as a major sport in America.  It just means that Olympics-style jingoism is alive and well.

Millions of kids play soccer growing up because their parents feel better about not paying for expensive equipment, and because they believe the risk of injury is minimal.  Just a ball, shorts, and the ability to kick for long distances is all that's necessary.  However, there is a concussion risk if you head the ball or crash into your opponent--that is, unless youth leagues, high schools and colleges start requiring helmets and other safety equipment.

Once they grow up, though, most kids abandon soccer in favor of other sports.  Watching soccer is not the same as playing it, because Americans won't sit through scoreless ties with hardly any action.  If they did, Major League Soccer would be packing them in at NFL stadiums instead of dinky little "soccer-specific" parks.

Speaking of MLS, the two groups that want to bring a franchise to the Twin Cities had better take another look at the TV ratings.  While cities with MLS teams (and some who don't) have posted gains in viewership. Minneapolis and St. Paul seem to be lagging toward the bottom of the ratings.  Does this mean that Minnesotans aren't all that interested in the World Cup, and that an MLS team would be a waste of time and money?  Or does it mean that having a pro team would have greatly accelerated interest?

Soccer in the United States, it's been said, is the game of the future.  And it's been that way for decades.  Not to dismiss the efforts of the women's soccer team, who won their own World Cup in 1999 and have been contenders ever since, but if the sport is to attain major status in this country, the men's team has to win a world championship.  That could happen in the next 10-20 years, if things fall right. Only then will people say that for American soccer, the future isn't what it used to be.