By Gabriel Landrein.
Charlotte FC, the most recent addition to the MLS team roster (photo credit: WFAE)
The United States Men's National Team (USMNT) for soccer was founded in 1913, over 100 years ago. Despite this lengthy existence, the USMNT has never been able to go farther than the semi-finals of the World Cup, and that was all the way back in 1930, when there were only 13 participating teams in the competition. This seems like a bizarre phenomenon, given that the United States is widely considered one of, if not the best, sporting nations in the world. At some point in time, the United States and its athletes have absolutely dominated American football, baseball, hockey, basketball, golf, and even tennis. However, the same cannot be said about soccer. After the 1940 World Cup, it took the United States 50 years (until 1990) to make it back to the global stage, a period of time known as The Great Drought. In the meantime, the USA men’s basketball team won eight gold medals at the Summer Olympic Games. A stark contrast to say the least. However, the tides for soccer in the USA have been turning in recent history.
The most obvious representation of this phenomenon is the fact that more than ever, American players are reaching the highest echelons of club soccer in Europe. Currently, there are 21 Americans playing in Europe’s ‘Top Five’ Leagues, a number that seemed impossible just a few years ago. The league that has taken the most chances on American players in recent years has been the Bundesliga (Germany), which has turned into a true testing ground for Americans making the jump from the MLS. Current names include creative winger Giovanni Reyna at Dortmund and speedy right-back Joe Scally at Borussia Mönchengladbach. However, in recent history, the Bundesliga has housed arguably the biggest name in American soccer, ‘Captain America’ Christian Pulisic, who was given his first chance at European glory by Dortmund. RB Leipzig and Schalke 04 gave midfielders Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie chances, and FC Augsburg recently took a chance on young striker Ricardo Pepi (he’s now at Groningen in the Netherlands). Now, Tyler Adams has joined fellow midfielder Brenden Aaronson in the British Premier League at Leeds United, and Christian Pulisic is repping the blue and white for Chelsea. Americans are also represented in the Serie A (Italy), with wing-backs Bryan Reynolds at AS Roma and Sergiño Dest on loan for the season at AC Milan. More and more, American presence in European soccer has become visible, and Americans are well and truly taking the chances offered to them and cementing their spots in teams across Europe. Having players actually getting minutes in Europe is the best way of visually representing the USA, and this draws more attention to the real impact Americans can have on the soccer field at the highest level.
Captain America celebrating a goal in the Chelsea blue (photo credit: Juvefc.com)
This sudden increase in American talent playing abroad at the highest level has also had positive impacts on the USMNT. Now coached by Gregg Berhalter, the U.S. has recently had an inspired stretch of form, winning the CONCACAF Nations League in 2020 and the Gold Cup in 2021. After failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, the U.S. broke their duck and qualified for Qatar 2022 after finishing third behind Canada and Mexico. Despite worrisome recent performances against Japan and Saudi Arabia, (zero goals scored in their final two friendly matches before the World Cup) this young and talented squad goes into the World Cup full of hope as to what the future could hold.
However, this sudden soccer revolution goes deeper than just improved players and national team play. Recent successes follow a broad cultural shift in the USA regarding soccer. The MLS (Major League Soccer) is more popular than ever, now boasting 28 teams across two conferences, with recent additions such as Los Angeles Football Club, Austin FC, Charlotte FC and Inter Miami making their mark on the league. Attendance figures for MLS games have been up, with teams such as Atlanta United drawing an average of over 47,000 fans per game, a number comparable to many top European clubs. More than ever, the influence of Europe is visible in the MLS, with new teams preferring names more akin to European clubs (see: Atlanta United, Inter Miami, New York City Football Club), a sharp contrast to the old guard of MLS teams, like the Columbus Crew, Philadelphia Union and Seattle Sounders, names more akin to teams seen in football and baseball. However, foreign influence isn’t all bad. The MLS is attracting big names such as David Beckham (35% stake in Inter Miami) and Kevin Durant (5% stake in Philadelphia Union) to invest in its future growth. This, alongside expanded television coverage and events such as the USA Summer Tour, where prestigious European teams such as FCBarcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich played several friendly matches in the United States (some against MLS teams), is making the world notice American soccer.
This cultural shift also extends beyond major competition. According to Statista, “more teenagers are playing soccer in the U.S. than ever before. The number of participants in U.S. high school soccer programs has recorded an all-time high in the 2018/19 season, with over 850 thousand boys and girls playing the sport across the country”. As newer generations of kids find baseball more boring, and parents are worried about potential injuries in football, kids are increasingly turning towards soccer as their sport of choice. This is fantastic news for the future of American soccer, as a larger talent pool almost inevitably means better American teams in the future.
Jesús Ferreira, notable Dallas FC academy graduate (photo credit: Major League Soccer)
Matching this trend, the MLS is also working hard to groom and cultivate the next generation of American soccer stars. There has been real development into MLS team academies, with the FC Dallas academy in particular shining bright. The academy was founded in 2008, precisely in an attempt to sign and develop the stars of the future. This has worked better than anyone could’ve imagined, with the Dallas Academy producing household names such as Weston McKennie (Juventus), Kellyn Acosta (LAFC), Ricardo Pepi (FC Groningen), Chris Richard (Crystal Palace) and Jesus Ferreira (FC Dallas). Additionally, the MLS has developed a program similar to youth competitions in Europe, MLS NEXT. This program provides a space for competitive player development, and for promising young players to showcase their talents and then go on to sign ‘Homegrown Contracts’ with their parents clubs or be scouted and recruited by Division I university programs.
Investing in youth development and a strong domestic league, things the MLS and U.S. Soccer is currently doing, are key for the future of American soccer. Even though the MLS will never be able to compete with the money and talent pool of European soccer, it can serve as a sort of pipeline league known for its stellar player development and some strong club teams, much like the Croatian Football League or the Edervisie (Netherlands) do now. As the popularity of soccer and the talent pool of American players grows, it seems the future of American soccer is bright. The U.S. Men’s National Team is steadily improving and gaining prestige, and we can hope they will make their mark at the upcoming World Cup in Qatar.
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