Soccer (or football, how it is called in most of the other countries) is the most popular team sport in the world. With over 4 billion fans scattered all over the globe, it’s no wonder that even in the United States it is among the top played and watched team sports or even sports in general.
As a game that had existed in one form or another ever since ancient times, it’s no wonder that soccer has been played in the United States for a long time. The exact date soccer had first appeared in the U.S. is up for debate but it goes back to 1850s. Back then they even mostly called it “football” and, over the years, teams started making their appearances and leagues, cups and championships were being formed. Some of the more notable teams were Brooklyn Celtic, Bethlehem Steel, The Fall River Rovers. At first, the game was at an amateur level, with there being the American Amateur Football Association which even created their own cup.
As time went on, the associations kept evolving and changing names, eventually applying for FIFA membership when soccer gained even more traction and started having a bigger influence on the country. At one point, soccer was right behind baseball in popularity, which is a big deal knowing how large the Major League Baseball is, but the Great Depression put a stop to the overall growth and the expansion of soccer was postponed for later years. Fast-forwarding to 1960s college soccer was “guilty” of the creation of two professional leagues, and so soccer was back on track.
In the following years, it kept growing in popularity, among men as well as among women. One of the biggest boosts it had gotten was in 1984 when the USA hosted the Summer Olympics. High attendance to soccer matches was a gateway to States receiving the honors of hosting the World Cup in 1994. The World Cup had the most influence on the development and growth of soccer all around the continent and so, in 1996 the Major League Soccer was formed.
From there on out everything snowballed and, according to the most recent polls, soccer is the second-fastest-growing team sport in the States, only behind lacrosse. Surpassed only by basketball, baseball, and American football, it’s no wonder that MLS has the most teams out of any professional soccer league in the world. Even the National Women’s Soccer League is well accepted and, while not every game is broadcasted or has the same following as a men counterpart, some sites occasionally stream women’s soccer matches so you have something nice to do on your phone if you are bored from playing all the mobile porn games.
Overall, soccer in the U.S. is in rapid expansion. Some of the most famous players all over the world are traveling to States to continue their career so soon we will have lists of most popular soccer players there just like we have top porn stars lists.
Featured Image: Jason O. Watson
