Steps to Make the MLS and Football more Popular in the United States

Steps to Make the MLS and Football more Popular in the United States

            At best soccer is the sixth most popular sport in the United States behind American football, baseball, basketball, hockey, and golf.  If soccer is to become more popular in the United States, its major professional league, the MLS, must become more attractive to Americans.  Making the MLS more popular will not on its own make soccer more popular in the United States, but it will greatly contribute to the increased popularity in the United States.  In addition the United States needs to do more to bridge the excitement gap between World Cups, ideally with another international tournament like the Copa America.

            The MLS must make itself a bit more like other national sports leagues.  First, the MLS should get rid of ties and make each game end in a win or a loss.  The MLS can use the same format as the World Cup, a 30 minute overtime period and if that results in a tie, then utilize a penalty kick shootout.  If the addition of 30 minutes of extra time is too much time for broadcasting purposes, the 30 minutes could be made into a 30 minute sudden death period similar to the NHL.  Another possibility of shortening extra time could be to go directly to penalty kicks.  Ties, especially a 0-0 tie, leave fans feeling cheated and unentertained.  People like resolution.  Ties which do not happen with anywhere the frequency in other major American sports leave fans unenthusiastic and bluntly, fans do not want to watch a tie.  Adding a definitive win or loss resolution to a game will help draw fans into a game and increase their investment in games which will have a similar resolution to most other American sports.

            Much of the interest surrounding the 2014 World Cup in the United States stemmed more from patriotism and supporting a US sports team than from general interest in soccer.  This patriotic sentiment can be used to the advantage of garnering attention for soccer within the United States by stoking it in between World Cups.  The most feasible way would be for the United States and the rest of North America to join the Copa America.  Having another international competition the summer after the World Cup would keep interest in soccer alive in the United States and build off of the interest generated from the previous World Cup.  A tournament combining conmebol and concacaf would comprise several top national teams in the world.  Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay have all won multiple World Cup titles.  Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Columbia, Costa Rica, Mexico, and the United States all advanced to the knockout round in the 2014 World Cup.  Argentina, Brazil, Columbia, and Costa Rica made the quarterfinals.  Argentina and Brazil made the semifinals and Argentina made the finals of the 2014 World Cup.  With all of North and South America the Copa America will encompass nearly a billion people and would provide very large opportunities for television and marketing deals across North and South America.  The addition of the United States and Mexican television markets would increase the popularity and marketing potential of the Copa America.  With the addition of North American national teams the new Copa America could utilize the same format as the Euro Cup, making it a miniature World Cup the summer after the World Cup.  With the large populations involved and prestige of countries playing in it, the new Copa America could provide a true rival to the Euro Cup.  The existing popularity of the Euro Cup would also provide another avenue for soccer fans the summer following the new Copa America, but not as popular providing that the United States will not be playing.  With the Copa America the summer after the World Cup and the Euro Cup the summer after that, these tournaments would do much to increase the popularity of soccer in the United States during the years in between World Cups.

               Building off of the exposure garnered during the new Copa America, the MLS should do more to schedule matches between Brazilian and American clubs.  While European teams enjoy relatively more notoriety with American sports fans, Brazilian clubs remain unknown.  Opening the America market to Brazilian clubs can be a great opportunity for Brazilian clubs economically from merchandise sales to television revenues.  These matches can also bring more exposure to soccer in the United States.

            Increasing the popularity of soccer in the United States will be a difficult and long process.  But if the United States is proactive and takes supportive steps, soccer can increase in popularity in the United States.