National Sports and Other Myths: The Failure of US Soccer

Despite its undisputed popularity as the world’s number one sport and despite recent successes, soccer in the US remains in the minor leagues. Notwithstanding the growth of the US soccer market since the 1994 World Cup, the US Major League Soccer (MLS) teams continue to struggle despite their anticipated market potential. The economics of profes-sional sports has much to do with this failure. Without a large fan base, the MLS cannot secure the broadcasting fees necessary to escape its conservative economic model. How will a large and loyal fan base for US soccer emerge? The recent emergence of 14-year-old Freddy Adu as the youngest professional player in soccer history, however, may prove to be helpful in helping to create a star system within the US soccer world. One cannot overlook, however, the powerful draw of nationalism that sport evokes. The popularity of baseball, basketball or football in the US has much to do with how these sports have come to be identified with being American. This essay reviews the recent history of soccer in the US and analyzes several cultural and economic factors in order to argue that for the next foreseeable future, soccer in the US remains problematic.