5 Reasons US Soccer Remains Unappreciated at Home and Abroad

The news of the decision by FIFA to award the 2018 FIFA World Cup to Russia and 2022 to Qatar underlies a reality that no one wants to discuss.

The reality that the US soccer team, while one of the greatest, is not appreciated at home or abroad. It is a shame that this is a reality, but we must confront it.

The reasons are multiple and may have to do with envy as well as subjects unrelated to sports.

While I am willing to concede that maybe the presence of politicians defending the US soccer team candidacy might have hurt our cause, there are other factors as well.

Loyalty

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NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 02: Students at the Business of Sports School wait for the announcement of the winner of the bid to host the 2022 World Cup on December 2, 2010 in New York City. While the USA was thought to be a front runner, Qatar won the bid. Ru

While the US soccer team has loyal supporters, as more than one million signed the petition. Qatar had 14,000 loyal fans from the USA, which made up its 500,000 fans on its webpage.

I have been in certain sports stores where soccer souvenirs are sold. While there are some who sell souvenirs from US soccer, there are many discount stores that sell products from teams from other countries.

During my Christmas shopping in 2009 with my family and their friends, there were certain stores selling shirts supporting the Mexican national team as well as Saudi Arabia, Pumas and Cruz Azul.

The absence of US soccer shirts were prevalent in the certain stores.

While soccer is gaining ground along with baseball and American football in the USA, there are certain people (including media) that do not pay attention to it unless there is a World Cup.

Politics

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ZURICH, SWITZERLAND - DECEMBER 02: FIFA President Joseph S Blatter names Russia for the hosts of 2018 duirng the FIFA World Cup 2018 & 2022 Host Countries Announcement at the Messe Conference Centre on December 2, 2010 in Zurich, Switzerland. (Photo by

Sepp Blatter talks about the need to separate politics from football.

While he should be applauded for staring down at France and Nigeria after the 2010 FIFA World Cup, his behavior in this election is reprehensible.

Sepp Blatter once said that the Arab World deserves to be host of a World Cup. He made this statement during the campaign for the 2018/2022 FIFA World Cup bid.

Mr. Blatter made these statements in spite of a FIFA Technical Evaluation report which talked about the extreme heat, and logistical challenges of Qatar hosting a World Cup.

He should have not expressed any opinions which could have been misconstrued as giving one country advantage over another.

I thought that the president of FIFA was above all forms of political expression. It appears that I was wrong.

Envy

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JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - JUNE 10: (L-R) FFA Board Member Moya Dodd, AFC President Mohamed Bin Hammam and Australian Federal Sports Minister Kate Ellis at the Australian FIFA World Cup Bid Exhibition in Sandton on June 10, 2010 in Johannesburg, South

While I would include politics as one reason, envy and a deep seated resentment towards the United States exists.

It appears that certain people who dislike the USA have the tendency to take it out on the US soccer team.

The dislike have more to do with politics and stereotypes than it has to do with sports. The certain people who place politics and sports together could care less that the US has the MLS [Major League Soccer].

They could care less about the diversity of the USA, they just do not want the USA to play in what is their sport or any other sport.

The US soccer team have nothing to do with what happens in the United States of America. They are people who love to play soccer and excel at it.

It is a team composed of people who come from all walks of life and want to enjoy a game.

Promotion

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NEWCASTLE, AUSTRALIA - NOVEMBER 26: Landon Donavan of the Galaxy watches on during an LA Galaxy and Newcastle Jets Children's Football Clinic at Newcastle International Hockey Centre on November 26, 2010 in Newcastle, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Get

While Drew Carey and others have promoted US soccer, we still have a long way to go. There are people who still feel that soccer is a fad that leaves with the end of each World Cup.

I am of the feeling that we, the US soccer supporters, should be more vocal in promoting our team. We should wear our colors with pride.

We should show our bumper stickers and attend any game that we can afford to attend. We cannot allow the gains of the last decade and a half to result in nothing.

We should promote our sport in magazines as well as blogs without hesitation. My favorite team is US soccer and CD Chivas USA and I am proud of it. I invite others to feel the same way.

The System

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NEW YORK - AUGUST 01: (L-R) Former New York Cosmos Owner Peppe Pinton, President of the United States Soccer Federation Sunil Gulati and Chairman of The New York Cosmos Paul Kemsley pose for a photograph before the announcement of the return of the World

FIFA and US soccer will eventually have to undergo change.

FIFA will have to change its methods of selecting countries for the World Cup.

The US soccer team may have to change by bringing more domestic players that will eventually replace the older and seasoned players such as Donovan and Bocanegra.

Maybe changing the schedule of the MLS to reflect Europe is another possibility. I am open to suggestions on this subject since it is the supporters who should comment and make suggestions.

Conclusion

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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - AUGUST 10: Alexandre Paro #9 of Brazil and Carlos Bocanegra #3 of the U.S. fight for the ball in the first half of a friendly match at the New Meadowlands on August 10, 2010 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky

For our detractors, we may be down but we are not out. We will recover from this loss like we have recovered before.

US soccer is far from dead or dying, it is thriving in every community and every corner of the USA. It will make its presence heard in the world.

The people who once mocked us will one day regret what they have done when we become a big soccer country.

My message to US Soccer is the following: Yes We Can.