"Vision of soccer becoming the suburban sport" - - That's the problem right there. We will always suck at soccer as long as its the sport that puny white suburban kids play.. it is the "suburban sport"
OK, maybe a bad choice of words on my part. Think about promotion of the sport instead. Soccer is the most accessible team sport there is. All you need is a ball (and even then -- not always ). It's tailor-made for poor neighborhood -- that's why it's so popular around the world. Just as important, you don't have to be particularly gifted athletically to succeed. You need to have technical talent, and there needs to be a system that would develop this talent, but you don't need to be a freak of nature to become a star, and you can start developing without anyone's help. Do you know that Messi is 5'7"? There is no major professional sport in US where you can become a star with this height. Maybe hockey, but if soccer is not "major", then neither is hockey. And hockey is MUCH more expensive. Perhaps baseball, that's a decent alternative. Other then that... For a poor average size kid in downtown Newark, soccer can be a straight shot to a free college ride. And all he needs to start improving skills is a ball. No hoop, no pitcher, no bat... just a ball. There is sooo much potential in US, it's amazing the blindness of the sport management.
I think he meant that soccer is played predominantly in suburbia. He is right about it, for the most part.
I did know about Messi's height (the reason he started playing in Spain was his Argentinian team wouldn't pay for the shots), but there is a sport where short players sometimes excel. Baseball. There is a bias towards height as in most sports, but Jose Altuve is the best second baseman in the game and on the verge of winning MVP. http://m.mlb.com/cutfour/2017/07/11...ifted-to-pose-for-picture-next-to-aaron-judge
Very true. In term of just height baseball is certainly a valid choice. But b-ball will require purchasing equipment -- bat, helmet, glove. For soccer the only equipment are the sheenguards. For a poor kid -- huge difference. Plus, you can practice almost every soccer technique alone.
didn't fox pay something stupid like hundreds of millions to broadcast in the US? now there is no US team involved? lol somebody is losing their job
