From the Sidelines: Soccer, America's forgotten sport

When an athlete leaves his native land to test his skills in a more competitive league in a foreign country, it's usually major news. For example, when Hideki Irabu came to the United States to pitch for the Yankees, his starts were televised live in his home country of Japan, sometimes in the middle of the night. When Dikembe Mutombo returned to his native Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire) as an NBA superstar, he was given a hero's welcome.

So why did no one even blink when American goalkeeper Kasey Keller left the States to play professionally in England? Why wasn't Keller doing Nike commercials when he was promoted to England's Premier League, and led Leicester City to an English Cup title?

The short answer: soccer is not popular in America. Fine. Maybe a first-team All-American from the University of Portland going to England to play soccer won't excite every American sports fan. But last Sunday, Keller and the United States National Team qualified for the 1998 World Cup (France '98) and received very little press while doing it. During World Cup qualifications, Keller went 562 minutes without giving up a goal, and probably had more to do with the United States's success than any other player. Recently named the 1997 Chevrolet/U.S. Soccer Male Athlete of the Year, Keller would be a household name if he played basketball. But America has not granted soccer players the demi-god status that it has granted to basketball, baseball, and football.

Why not? Soccer is the most popular sport in the world, requiring tremendous skill and athleticism from its competitors. The traditional argument says that soccer is too slow--players don't score enough goals for impatient American fans. This is ridiculous. Soccer teams move the ball a hundred yards in a matter of seconds--let's see John Elway do that. And since soccer teams don't score many goals, it's that much more exciting when they actually do, as anyone who's heard Univision sportscaster Andres Cantor's cry of "GOOOOOOOOAAAL" knows (which, by the way, includes anyone who watched the United States qualify on Sunday, since there was no English-language telecast). Even when goals aren't scored, it's usually because of eye-popping plays made by keepers like Keller. When the Colorado Avalanche defeated the Florida Panthers 1-0 in three overtimes to win the 1996 Stanley Cup, it was hailed as thrilling hockey, not as a dull, low-scoring affair.

There is some hope for soccer in America. The U.S. has tried to capitalize on the success of its World Cup (United States '94) through the formation of Major League Soccer (MLS). Even though it suffered a slight attendance drop-off in its second season, MLS looks like it's here to stay. And our country isn't totally oblivious to the National Team--44,000 people have already purchased tickets for the United States's final qualifying game against El Salvador on Sun., Nov. 16 at Foxboro, and the game is expected to sell out.

But would owners be satisfied if the Atlanta Braves nearly sold out their divisional playoff games? Of course not. Yet World Cup qualifying games are at least as important to the National Team as playoff games are to professional sports, if only because the World Cup occurs just once every four years. However, since it has taken America a long time to warm up to soccer, let's consider the attendance at qualifying games a success.

The publicity for these games, however, has been virtually non-existent. On Sun., Nov. 2, the National Team stepped onto the field in Mexico City, a place where they had lost all of their previous 17 games. After a disappointing tie with Jamaica, America was on the brink of elimination from France '98. Through a minor miracle, the Americans played the final 58 minutes one man down and still managed a draw with the powerful Mexican team. Again, even for the most important, intriguing, and difficult game the U.S. has played since USA '94, there was no English-language telecast. In a country where sporting events have premium entertainment value, this is absurd.

Sunday's game against El Salvador will be televised live on ABC. ABC should have done its research and secured the rights to televise the previous two qualifying games, but this is the one they got. It's a meaningless game for the United States (but not for El Salvador), but I suggest watching anyway. Watch to see Kasey Keller shut down El Salvador's strikers. Watch because after almost a year and a half, it's the last game of World Cup qualifying for the Americans--and you will have to wait until summer to watch the World Cup itself. Watch, and you might see why soccer is the world's most popular sport.

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