Soccer Trying to Make it in the Football World

In most countries, the name of the game sound alike.text, September 27th 2007, Beckham's LA Galaxy is
Words like football, fussball, futbol, futebol... don't justplaying against the KC Wizards. SPORTiana.com, as
sound the same, they are the same game. In thethe author of this text, had the insight in MLS
U.S., however, they call it soccer. Major Leaguethrough KC Wizards in the summer of 2006, a year
Soccer (MLS) as an American professional soccerprior to Beckham's arrival in the MLS.
league has been around for some time now.At that time KC Wizard's head coach complained
Unlike other American major league sports, MLS doesabout having himself and 2 more assistant coaches to
not dominate the sport's public attention on globalrun the team's training, forcing him to leave several
scale, nor its champion is crowned as the 'Worldplayers from 26 man roster sitting on the bench
Champion'. MLS has been going through constantbecause of not being able to have them all on the
development. Did it gain significant public and mediafield during trainings at the same time.
attention in the world football? No!The training facilities included one open-air field and
Soccer as the 2nd, 7th or 10th most popular sport inthe in-door field with gym used by the NFL team KC
the U.S. doesn't make a great difference, theChiefs, within the Arrowhead Stadium complex. The
American public will still follow the NFL, , MLB NHL orWizard's open air-training field was situated next to
NBA. The world public would follow those leaguesthe fence aside KC Chiefs training fields.
with same attention as they are world's mostGrass on the Wizards field was almost separated
prominent sports leagues.turfs on the ground as hard as a rock, a field where
In recent years with the globalization of media, themany players would pass on training in order to avoid
world sports scene has started to change; in thatinjuries. A head coach, 2 assist coaches, fitness
process, English football league, Premiership, promotestrainer… NFL stadium and facilities…
itself as 'The Greatest Show On Earth' and is in factsmall office space at the corner of a
the world's most popular and most watched sportingstadium… it would be quite a contrast to the
league, with a current worldwide viewership of half aclubs from leagues where Beckham previously played.
billion people and media income for seasons 2007 toPlayers: Majority MLS players come in the league as
2010 worth over $5 billion.drafted college players. College soccer usually means
If the world will watch football leagues like Englishplayer's playing for a full ride scholarship with the first
Premiership or Spanish La Liga, who will watch thepro contracts signed at the age of 22 or so. In other
American major league sports other than domesticcountries, first pro contracts are usually signed at the
spectators? Will a part of the American public turn toage of 18, at the age of 22 the player is coming out
watch overseas football leagues as well? Suchof a 4 year contract and managers have a better
questions made soccer be an issue in the U.S sports.understanding of a player's capabilities in pro football.
Every now and then, the MLS officials would wakeThis means college players are 4 years behind. By
up from the drowsiness of being in shadows of Topsigning a first pro contract at the age of 22, they
4 American major leagues around the time whenwould come out of the 4 year contract at the age
World Cup takes places and it becomes evident howof 26, at that time, major world football clubs would
immense the game of football is in the terms ofrather invest their money in a 22 year old's prospect
world public interest, media attention, sponsors.who has also had 4 years of pro football experience.
As the noise around World Cup passes, the MLSCollege players hardly pass over playing in the MLS
would fall back in drowsiness. It was not to be like(players' first pro contract) on their way to better
that after the World Cup 2006 in Germany when thepaid leagues as most foreign clubs would not sign a
world public had clear picture of European football'scollege league soccer player with no pro football
modern stadiums, multi-million player contracts... theexperience at the age of 22.
world sports spotlight got a hold on football.Prominent American players like DeMarkus Beasley
This time it's not the MLS who is to take the initiative($2million to PSV - Netherlands, currently for
of promoting MLS, it's the whole of American£700,000 with Rangers - Scotland) or Tim
professional sports entertainment industry. It is anHoward ($4million to Man Utd - England, currently with
economic opportunity where the money revolvingEverton after being loaned), joined MLS directly from
around the world football was too great to behigh-school without playing college soccer, just like
missed or discarded.Freddy Adu.
In the summer of 2007, U.S. soccer attempted toFor an average football fan with the choice to watch
take over the world football by storm by offeringa variety of matches, e.g. the giants of the game
David Beckham a $250million contract, the mostsquaring up in domestic leagues like this past
expensive football player contract in history of theweekend when it was Man Utd vs Chelsea in England,
sport, some described it as the deal to bringBarcelona vs Sevilla in Spain, Roma vs Juventus in
Beckham to America is thought to be the biggest inItaly, PSV vs Feyenoord in the Netherlands…
sporting history. MLS sent out a message to theBoca Juniors games in Argentina, Lyon in
world.France… there's little space for MLS.
In the midst of summer when European leaguesA football fan wants to see the competitiveness,
were between the seasons and the waters werepassionate fans, decades-long fierce rivalry between
still, MLS got the wanted exposure with news storiesthe clubs, tradition, the world's best players,
being dominated with the Beckham family moving toestablished players with reputation of playing for
LA. Did the stories overtake the world football mediaprestigious clubs, ultra-modern football-specific
and public attention in favor of MLS yet? No!stadiums, most of which the MLS does not offer.
Is $250 million worth of exposure in the long run?The MLS needs to gain the interest of the American
Time will tell. Autumn came, European andpublic and media in order to gain the same interest
international leagues are in full swing, the world sportswith the world public. Hard-working, attractive
news publish less articles about Beckham, LA Galaxyall-around players like Eddie Johnson of the KC
and the MLS. To make things worst, LA will hardlyWizards or DC United's Jaime Moreno, who proved
make the play-offs, giving the media less to writetheir quality in this summer's Copa America 2007 are
about.the prototype players for a successful competitive
In the league that has had an overall lost of moreleague.
than $350 million in the first 8 years after itsThe MLS's proposed soccer-specific modern stadiums
foundation (a BusinessWeek report from 2004),for all clubs are a step forwards. German Bundesliga
where at the present time only two teams, LAwitnessed tremendous boost of public interest and
Galaxy and FC Dallas, are profitable with 3 additionalmedia attention on domestic and global level prior to
teams expected to be profitable within a year, aand after the World Cup 2006, with a legacy of
$250 million one-player investment seems like agreat new and renewed old stadiums.
gamble. If so, what are the odds?The MLS ought to internationalize as much as
In recent years, several notable players chose topossible, the English Premiership did it, when foreign
make the step away from the bigger leagues ofbillionaires started buying clubs, world class players
Europe and South America for a financially goodarrived in even great number to make it the most
contract with teams from the Gulf countries. Thewatched and profitable football league in the world.
headlines reported rich transfer deals, though thereMany writers have speculated on why football is not
was no to little follow-up in media coverage of thoseas popular in the U.S. as it is in some other countries,
leagues.most of them point to the fact that the game does
Not to be forgotten, prior to David Beckham's arrival,not have enough scoring. Changing rules of the game
MLS attempted to gain exposure with Freddy Adu, ain favor of having more goals per game may be
player under the age of 16 that was crowned as thebeneficial this time around.
next Pelé. Adu received significant mediaFootball is a powerful force, it already changed the
attention, the world knew he's playing for DC UnitedNorth American major league sports philosophy, MLS
of the MLS.clubs are competing in the Super League and the
Many may or may not know that Adu, this pastCopa Sudamericana, The New York Red Bulls new
summer at the age of 18, signed a contract instadium will feature a full "European-style" roof, in
Europe with Benfica FC - Portugal. Prior to joining2007 MLS started selling ad space on the front of
Benfica, Adu spent some time during summer in thejersey (a floor of $500,000 per shirt sponsorship),
Man Utd's training camp, Alex Fergusson did not givefollowing the practice of the international football.
him the reason to stay.As the Latin American immigration increases in the
Benfica paid to the club from Salt Lake City $2millionUS, so is the interest in football. With football being
for the player's release note and Adu will receivethe most popular recreational sport for both boys
$1.2million per year, solid but not the contract thatand girls, the MLS has potential. In 2006 Don Garber,
tops the news. Adu was not on Benfica's ChampionsMLS Commissioner, expressed his expectations for
League match roster against Milan on Sept. 18th, inthe league's clubs to be profitable by 2010 overall.
compare a player like Messi at the current Adu's ageLA Galaxy's merchandise sales through Beckham's
was already among the starting 11 for the footballnext 4 four years with the club may not top $600
giant FC Barcelona.million as it was during his time with Real Madrid, still
The MLS didn't appear to have gained substantialan MLS player made onto the covers of Sports
attention for the sport with Adu, nor contributed toIllustrated magazine and gather a crowd of 66,000
his development into the world dominant player asspectators at a packed Giants Stadium.
expected. Through history, some of the best playersIn the words of David Beckham about his move to
of all times played soccer in the States, includingMLS: "I'm coming there to play football... I'm not
Pelé, Beckenbauer, Eusebio…saying me coming over to the States is going to
After the decades long attempts that did not givemake soccer the biggest sport in America". It's about
hoped results for the success of U.S. soccer, whattaking one step at the time, if soccer aims to make
difference Beckham's playing (currently on a 6 weekit in the football world.
absence due to the injury) may makes now? Let'sis the author of this text. None part of the text is
have a brief look at the MLS, a professional soccercopyrighted by the third parties. Feel free to
league that started in 1996 with more than 10published, broadcast, rewrite or redistribute the text
seasons of experience under way.in full or part and add a link to upon your wish.
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