SXSWorld
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Jürgen Klinsmann Putting American Soccer on the Front Foot by Andy Smith T THOMAS EISENHUTH AL BELLO-ALLSPORT here is no hyperbole in claiming that the 20th edition of soccer's World Cup, which kicks off in Brazil on June 12, will be the most widely watched event in history. Some marketing estimates are that a cumulative broadcast audience of approximately six billion people (or roughly 6/7 of the world's population) will watch either at home or in public viewing areas over the course of the month-long tournament. In the United States, interest will be even stronger than in 2010, when more than 24 million television viewers watched Spain defeat Netherlands in that year's World Cup final. Roger Bennett, ESPN columnist and co-host of Grantland's "Men in Blazers," sees World Cup 2014 as the new high-water mark for the sport: "Brazil in 2014 will be game-changing for soccer in the U.S. There is a literate soccer culture that watches European leagues on a regular basis, and the matches will be televised during U.S. 1994 World Cup team prime viewing times." Beyond the attention given to final. Meanwhile, earlier grassthe men's national team, the wider roots promotion on the youth level future of American soccer also was paying off, with millions of seems bright. After some rocky early kids growing up as soccer players, years, Major League Soccer (MLS), exceeding participation levels in the professional league founded in most other team sports. Also, the the mid-'90s, is enjoying growing country continued to welcome success and prestige with rabid fanmore and more immigrants, espebases, expansion into new markets cially from Latin America, who and projections that its audience brought their love of the game may triple over the next decade or and its culture along with them. In so. 1988, the U.S. earned the right to On the grassroots level, the host the 1994 World Cup, bringing nation can boast some 24 million the world's showcase event to these soccer players (according to the shores. U.S. Soccer Federation). Of this Jürgen Klinsmann on the sidelines Around the same time, fortunes estimated number, more than four on the field for the U.S. men's million players under the age of 18 national team turned as well. In are officially registered with a youth November 1989, the U.S. team stunned Trinidad and Tobago in a soccer organization. Additionally, not even the most soccer-mad coundeciding qualifier for World Cup 1990, punching the nation's World tries in the world can approach the numbers of American women and Cup ticket for the first time since 1950. Once at the tournament in girls who play, with the U.S. women's national team being a perennial Italy, the U.S. was overmatched (the team was described by European world powerhouse. press as "a college all-star team"), losing all three first round games, but But just 30 years ago, the future of U.S. soccer as anything more its effort spurred domestic interest in the sport. By the time World Cup than a kids' recreational activity seemed pretty bleak. The top pro entity, 1994 rolled around, the skeptics both at home and abroad were still the North American Soccer League (NASL), was collapsing, and an numerous, but the American players and record crowds were ready for American bid to host the 1986 World Cup had failed miserably. A them. few years earlier, soccer had been hailed as a potential spectator sports Bennett had recently moved to the U.S. from his native England juggernaut, but by 1984, it bore a stigma of failure that was gleefully when that World Cup began, and he was immediately taken with the embraced by hostile mainstream sports media pundits such as New U.S. team: "I was blown away by how that '94 team took on the chalYork Daily News columnist Dick Young, who once called it "a game for lenge. When I first saw them walk out for that first game with those commie pansies." denim-style uniforms, and Alexi Lalas (U.S. defender, current ESPN Then something unexpected happened. Soccer matches at the 1984 soccer analyst) with his long red hair and scraggly beard, I thought it Summer Olympics drew around 1.4 million spectators, including was amazing. They did it their way." a sellout of the 100,000-plus seat Rose Bowl in Los Angeles for the 32 SXSWORLD / FEBRUARY 2014