[retired_google]

Originally posted by San Starko:
<BLOCKQUOTE>Originally posted by Daaaaave:
the complete lack of soccer supporters in toronto bode ill for that franchise

There's plenty of fans here, but it'll have to be marketed correctly and to the right areas of the city, which I doubt will happen. Not to mention they'll have to compete with the stupid 'If it's not the Maple Leafs we don't care' attitude of the media here.
</BLOCKQUOTE>

So in other words, what Daaaaave was saying.

Should have gone to Montreal first. They could have been the Athletic Bilbao of MLS.

[retired_google]

MLS
T.O. stadium will benefit community (Toronto Sun)

Mulrooney's return a boost for lineup (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)

Ugly win better than a loss (Columbus Dispatch)

Schmid obliges Martino's request for a trade (Columbus Dispatch)

Red Bulls need wings (North Jersey Media Group)

USL2
Eagles lose first game of season (Charlotte Observer)

PDL
Crusaders ready to kick it off (Cape Cod Times)

[retired_kimmymarlo]

we won 4-1 bitches.

[retired_google]

Temperature at the start of Dallas v. Houston: 95 Fahrenheit.

[retired_hvporter]

Originally posted by Jason the Yank:
Temperature at the start of Dallas v. Houston: 95 Fahrenheit.

Another one brought to me live by Sky Italia :eek:

Nice to see Mulrooney back starting :thup:

[retired_ietus]

How popular is "soccer" in America at the moment? Is the world cup likely to be watched by a lot of people or will it largely be ignored? What's the quality of American soccer like? Apologies for all the questions

[Skoooby]

Colin Goran Clarkeson is doing his best to chase away anybody who should attend or watch on TV a MLS match featuring FC Dallas.

[retired_google]

Grabavoy scores on his Crew debut. :***)

[retired_google]

Originally posted by prong:
How popular is "soccer" in America at the moment?

It's still a niche sport, with poor television ratings for MLS, but attendance at MLS is pretty similar to what you'd find in the Championship.

Part of the problem is that the audience is very fragmented. You've got some people who want to watch MLS; some people known as "Eurosnobs" (native-born Americans who watch the European leagues and refuse to watch the US leagues because of their perceived poorer quality); Mexican immigrants want to watch the Mexican League; European immigrants want to watch their leagues (for example the Italians want to watch Serie A, English want to watch the Prem).

Is the world cup likely to be watched by a lot of people or will it largely be ignored?

It won't do spectacular numbers, but that's partly because the World Cup will be on during the middle of the work day (and needless to say the US doesn't stop business for the World Cup). Plus the coverage is on both English- and Spanish-language television, so it flies a little under the radar. I expect the Spanish-language television will do good numbers (due to Latinos watching), the English-language television (ABC/ESPN) not so much.

What's the quality of American soccer like?

Well, "quality" is partly a matter of perception. Sure it's not like the Prem or Serie A, but IMO it's about Championship, or lower-half of the Prem quality. Of course, the salary cap and the limits on squad size have a way of squeezing out players.

You also cannot forget though that MLS is only 11 years old. The Prem, Serie A, etc. all have about a 100-year head start. Soccer here didn't start with MLS of course, but until the NASL came along in the mid-1960s (and in the decade between the NASL's death and MLS' birth) it was played basically on a semi-professional level (although the first American Soccer League in the 1920s was able to raid the English and Scottish leagues for players)

If you're curious about the history of US soccer, go to this site, which is a year-by-year archive of what happened in US soccer. It's a great site that I can't pimp enough. :thup: