Posted by

Aaron Nielsen ,

August 5, 2014 Email

Aaron Nielsen



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@ENBSports

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I'm not one who usually writes articles strictly to pat someone on the back for a job well done. However, looking at some recent facts, Americans and Canadians deserve credit for their interest in soccer and their willingness to take time to watch and attend games.



The recent World Cup was full of records as more people than ever before in Canada and United States took time to watch games. 4.9 Million watched the World Cup final in Canada, which meant that over 60% of television watchers that Sunday were watching Germany beat Argentina. The numbers were higher than any NHL game this season be it Stanley Cup finals or a Toronto Maple League game, and the only comparable numbers are if Canada is playing in the Olympic Gold Medal game in Men's Hockey.



Meanwhile 26.5 million watched the World Cup finals in the United States, which was 6 Million more than watched the game in the United Kingdom. The number was higher than NBA Finals, World Series and arguably only Super Bowl is now a bigger must see sporting event in the States. Looking at a non- sports comparison, 16.3 Million more Americans watched the World Cup Final than the much anticipated Breaking Bad finale. You can add to this the fact that 24 million watched the United States get eliminated by Belgium earlier in the tournament and the total numbers for all games were in the 100s of millions.



However, we’re not only watching the game on television. Attendance in MLS, USL Pro, and NASL is steady and, with the recently added clubs, the total numbers of people attending is even higher. 64,207 watched Seattle host Portland on the night of the World Cup, only 10,000 less than saw the final itself in Rio's Maracana. Sacramento in USL Pro has broken that league individual game record three times this season with an attendance of 20,231 while fellow expansion side in the NASL Indy Eleven are averaging over 10,000 fans a game.



Which brings us to this past weekend where close to 400,000 watched professional soccer in the United States, more than anywhere else in the world. True some of the big leagues haven't started their domestic season yet, although well attended countries Brazil and Japan had a full slate of domestic games. Based on the history of the game, this might not have been the first time it has happened, but it is a very rare occurrence.



MLS, NASL, and USL Pro had a full schedule, including San Jose Earthquake and the Seattle Sounders opening the San Francisco 49ers new 60,000 seat stadium. There were also four games in the International Championship Cup, which saw crowds over 30,000 in Minnesota and North Carolina and 109,318 saw Manchester United beat Real Madrid 3-1 in Michigan Stadium, which is one of the biggest stadiums in the World.



You add to this the projected success for the upcoming U-20 Women's World Cup in places where books were written about the wasteland of soccer and it is clear that it is now not only a major event but also a sport that should be included in the conversation as a comparable sport to the other top four.



Also, this growth will undoubtedly continue. The 2015 Women's World Cup should be a huge success and expect the 2026 World Cup to be either in the United States or Canada. The two new MLS clubs Orlando and NYCFC will be successes with the bringing of big name players to North America in Villa, Lampard and Kaka and potentially Xavi and Robinho. Expansion is scheduled for USL Pro and NASL in the States and there are now legit soccer stadiums in Winnipeg, Hamilton and Saskatchewan, cities who have yet to start a club.



It's funny because the only one who seems to be slow to the show are the traditional media who historically created many of the sports leagues in the past. It could be a sample of a new world but from my experience people reading this article know more about the game than most ESPN, TSN, Sportsnet and major sport newspaper and media employees.



Personally, I'm critical of the game because I saw the sport reaching this point in North America, so I try to challenge myself and others on developing a product worth the attention people are willing to give it. One thing that recent events have shown to be true is not only are players not bigger than the game, we can now also say the same thing about the media.