Sometimes it's tough to be an American Soccer Fan...but it was really tough in 1990...
While right now most US fans are either euphoric about the upcoming World Cup or sweating like dogs wondering if we can pull out a point or three against the Czechs, most US soccer fans have to put up with a lot of frustration about the general lack of support and recognition that the sport gets in the US. Around this time every four years, we hear a chorus from the old-school, baseball-centric, soccer-hating, US sports media about how no one in the US cares about soccer (who is that shithead anyway).
Well, we know that not to be true. In this blog entry we'll take a look at what 5 World Cup appearances from 1990 to 2006 have done for US soccer. This may be old news for old US soccer fans who still have fully-functional memories. For the rest of us as well as new fans of US soccer and the curious fan from Europe and South America, let's take a look at what things were like for us in 1990 and today: |
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| Mexico owned the US before 1990. US won only 2 of 27 meetings since the between 1930 and 1990. |
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| The 1990 World Cup squad consisted of 22 amateur players out of the US college ranks, and two players that had a combined 3 years professional experience. | Since 1998, the US squad is fully professional and has a wide choice of professional players including over 70 plying their trade in foreign professional leagues currently. | ||
| It used to be a joke that all the US national team players were naturalized citizens. Yes, we've had a few great ones over the years: Thomas Dooley, Earnie Stewart, Roy Wegerle...but then we've had some stinkers: David Regis, Michael Mason, David Wagner. |
What never seems to get much attention is that Netherlands, Portugal and England had more than a few naturalized players from former colonies. Anyway, now we can laugh as Germany, England, Tunisia, Japan, Mexico, and even Spain...have naturalized citizens on their roster. We have Pablo Mastroeni, who actually grew up and learned the game in the US (but every British announcer insists he's Argentinean)... oh and then there's Freddy Adu (future US National Team star), again spending the better part of his 17 years in the US. | ||
| US Ranked #28 in first FIFA rankings in 1993. | US is now ranked #5. Ok, even US fans don't put much credence in these rankings...but who can argue with a top 8 finish in 2002! | ||
| No CONCACAF Championships. | US has won 3 CONCACAF Gold Cup Championships since 1990...not exactly dominating the region. | ||
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Televised soccer was reserved for Hispanic stations, rare reruns of finals on ABC's Wide World of Sports...or in the case of the 1990 World Cup, cable channel TBS aired several games with commercial interruption. Remember US Italy in Italia 90...broadcast on Cable only TBS... the lone goal was scored during a commercial interruption...the goal was never replayed during the telecast. My Italian classmates were horrified...I was horrified and embarrassed. |
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There was no media coverage except the occasional paragraph in a newspaper listing the world cup scores. The NASL enjoyed a bit of coverage in the 70's...but the 80's media coverage was effectively a black hole (no I'm not just talking about Frank Deford's a#@%@!). |
This year ABC is actually airing World Cup specials (the "s" is intentional...they aired two) BEFORE the World Cup. This is a new development. While TV news interviews and coverage for soccer have been fairly embarrassing (our local Oakland, California anchor would often refer to San Jose and US star as "Brandon" Donovan), there's at least a lot more of them than before. Recently, ESPNNews (a channel that probably noone watches, but is run continuously in sports bars) ran a great interview with Oguchi Onyewu...where among other things, Brian Kenney pronounced Onyewu's name correctly... a first for mainstream national TV media coverage. | ||
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Anyone recognize this league?  I thought so. I actually went to most Orlando Lions matches...some games with 2000 in the 60,000 seat Citrus Bowl. |
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Who needs a soccer stadium when you have so many fine NFL and college football stadia? ok..ok, we had St. Louis Soccer Park...seating 8,500. Intimidated the hell out of the Costa Ricans in qualifying. |
 MLS and USL have been transforming the economic viability of the sport in the US by establishing soccer specific stadiums for many teams and more are on the way. Teams with soccer specific stadiums include Columbus Crew, Los Angeles Galaxy, Charleston Battery, FC Dallas, Atlanta Silverbacks, Rochester Raging Rhinos, Chicago Fire. Colorado Rapids, New York Red Bulls are on the way. | ||
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Where are the US fans? My brother and I were the only US fans in an Orlando pub taking in the US Czechoslovakia game in 1990. |
 Starting with Sam's Army in 95 and branched out to local supporters groups in local MLS and A-League (now USL) cities. From the WC94 games to games in France, Korea there was no comparison...first US fans showed up in good numbers at France and Korea and second the US fans are 10 times more vocal and passionate than the US Switzerland game in Detroit in World Cup 94. | ||
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Where can you find a replica jersey? You would have to travel abroad or have a relative abroad send you one to get your hands on a replica jersey. |
Replicas are readily available from a large number of retailers with official name and numbering too. Well, in some cases you still can't get them...at least the 2006 US World Cup jersey...now it's not because nobody offers them, but because they were sold out before the roster was announced...so saps like me who waited to see what players and numbers would be before ordering, got put on a backorder list which isn't clear will make it to me before I head to Germany. US Soccer store employees: if you're reading this...I need those jerseys by June 9th! | ||
I'm sure I left some good points out, so feel free to share your comments.
Now back to sweating like a dog...but enjoying every minute of it.