With the World Cup approaching in less than three months, the game of soccer in the United States will have a ton of publicity, much of it focused on the fate of the USMNT. Our goal in this tournament is simple -- get out of the group satages, pray that we don't face Brazil in the second round and try to reach the final eight again.
But a lot of focus will be on the general state of soccer in the U.S. It has been 12 years since we hosted WC 1994. There is a league which has survived, but not prospered. We still cannot host qualifiers in many cities because we will be treated as the visiting team. We have sent a handful of players to Europe, but only a couple of non-keepers have thrived.
So what's the goal for soccer in the United States? Soccer will never be as important here as it is in most of the world. People don't identify with the clubs as they do in Europe or South America; we don't have the history with the game; fans don't travel; and our sports culture is dominated by television, while soccer, at its best, is experienced in person (or in a group setting).
So, in a perfect world, where should soccer in the U.S. be on our sports landscape?
I would like it as the fourth professional sport, above hockey. There is a decent amount of interest in the National Team, which makes it unique in the American sports culture.
I think that, for the sport to thrive, the current schedule must change. Just as the home stretch comes, we lose TV and media coverage due to football. I think that MLS should start the week after the Super Bowl and go through Labor Day (if not a couple of weeks before).
Thoughts?