With the World Cup opening its arms to the entire planet at the moment you'll have to forgive many American soccer journalists for neglecting the domestic game. Yet I will certainly try to remain calm and slug out yet another column on our beloved A-League because, you see, this has turned into another interesting year in the A-League. However, I do ask the jury for some leniency in these proceedings, as I'm sure I will be the victim of overzealous digression. We've got all the action on the field that one could possibly want and we've had more than our fair share of the drama off the field.
The stories have been rehashed several times about the situations that occurred in Hampton Roads and Vancouver with somewhat pleasant endings to both. The season is going full steam ahead with several surprises that have already been chronicled. Then there is the exciting play on the field so far this year that has been covered. So what should I be talking to you folks about this week?
Do you want the simple answer? Okay, there's the World Cup going on in Japan and South Korea as you read this. The long answer of course involves some sort of harried discourse about the implications of a successful World Cup to the state of North American soccer. Of course I would be the last person who would go on some long and winding rant about how this spate of good soccer fortune would be beneficial to North American soccer, right? Oh wait, that is what I do.
So without further ado let me get right on to it. At this moment the U.S. national team is yet to kick a ball in the World Cup, Canada didn't even qualify, and yet this World Cup is already a success here. Why, you might ask? For some rather simple reasons the World Cup in Korea is already successful. Situations such as Clint Mathis appearing on the cover of a certain sports magazine, the same player being featured in an issue of TV Guide of all things, and a rather ridiculous looking photo spread of several U.S. players in the New York Times add exposure among the North American audience to this World Cup.
All of these things likely seem like fairly trivial nuances surrounding the world's biggest spectacle for a single sport but at a time when so many people like to ring the death knell for the game things like this happen. People around the USL like to point out that both the A-League and D3 are shrinking compared to previous years but how far back in the past are these people really looking? Then there's the continued exponential growth of the PDL and Super Y-League that point to a strong future base for the game in North America.
This moment can seem like a crossroads for the avid soccer fan among the populace, as they know that the American domestic schedule carries on in the midst of the tournament in Japan and South Korea. This period shows that there's been growth, however slow, between 1990 and the present. A quick look back reveals a fledgling version of what we now know as the USL and no true division one to speak of during the days prior to the United States' first re-appearance in the World Cup since 1950. Fast forward to 2002 and you've got a World Cup that will be shown on television in its entirety in North America, a "major league" for soccer, and an additional three levels of professional and semi-professional soccer to go along with an ever-evolving youth system.
Make no mistake, it's not all sun and roses but it is something far better than we could be experiencing right now. Many people have claimed soccer dead on arrival on several occasions yet for some reason we soccer fans maintain an almost ludicrous belief in the game. If the average Joe wonders why that is a very simple answer can be found. It lies on the other side of the World at the moment and 32 nations will be kicking it off shortly, indeed as you read this. The World Cup is the highest level of soccer, futbol, calcio, or voetbal played on the planet and once every four years we get to revel in it.
The times like these are for enjoying and even having a look around to assess the state of affairs of the people's game. Often times we get busy with diagnosing troubles with soccer when seasons end or we need something new to talk or write about. At a time like this, though, we are reminded why we trouble ourselves so much with this game. I know that rants like this one are a dime a dozen when the World Cup comes around but I just thought it would be an appropriate topic and a chance to spout off about the best tournament in sport. I warned you that this would turn into one long digression so please accept my apologies. That being said, after getting up early to watch the games make sure you get out to a USL or MLS field somewhere and watch the games up close and personal.
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