I never played futbol. In ‘94, when the WC was here, I decided to see what all the worldwide fuss was about. So after I got home, I turned on whatever game was on TV. And I was *blown away* by the athleticism, skill level, and drama. The Brazilians of Romario & Bebeto. Hristo Stoichkov. Carlos Valderrama.
Later, espn started broadcasting Eredivisie games on Sunday mornings. I’ve been hooked ever since.
In ‘14, we had 9 teenage boys in our living room watching USA-Belgium. 5 had never played. Some were drawn by the hype of the flag, sure, and others were just going with the crowd. But they were all back for the final, which was riveting. All are huge fans of the sport today.
I have a buddy who never watched a game in his life before last summer, and got hooked going to a couple DCFC games. I’m still explaining some of the rules and we’re starting to get into the tactics.
Trust me, hosting the World Cup will be HUGE for the growth of the game here.
And *especially* if the USMNT can win some games and last a few rounds. The dismal performance of ‘98 set the sport back in the US, and the failure of ‘18 put a brake on enthusiasm.
I was 28 in 1994 and had grown up on the typical American sports diet of watching and playing football, baseball, and basketball. My small high school didn't have soccer and I had basically no exposure to the sport.
The '94 WC was my first exposure and I've been watching soccer / futbol ever since. It began with watching national team tournaments and slowly expanded to include the club game both here and in Europe. 28 years later, it is by far my favorite sport as I listen to multiple soccer podcasts and watch multiple matches each week. Other than college football, I hardly watch any of the big three professional sports these days. These are great times to be a soccer fan.
Almost exactly the same for me, Matt. The only other sport I watch these days on even a semi-regular basis is NHL hockey - because the play doesn’t almost constantly STOP.
I never played futbol. In ‘94, when the WC was here, I decided to see what all the worldwide fuss was about. So after I got home, I turned on whatever game was on TV. And I was *blown away* by the athleticism, skill level, and drama. The Brazilians of Romario & Bebeto. Hristo Stoichkov. Carlos Valderrama.
Later, espn started broadcasting Eredivisie games on Sunday mornings. I’ve been hooked ever since.
In ‘14, we had 9 teenage boys in our living room watching USA-Belgium. 5 had never played. Some were drawn by the hype of the flag, sure, and others were just going with the crowd. But they were all back for the final, which was riveting. All are huge fans of the sport today.
I have a buddy who never watched a game in his life before last summer, and got hooked going to a couple DCFC games. I’m still explaining some of the rules and we’re starting to get into the tactics.
Trust me, hosting the World Cup will be HUGE for the growth of the game here.
And *especially* if the USMNT can win some games and last a few rounds. The dismal performance of ‘98 set the sport back in the US, and the failure of ‘18 put a brake on enthusiasm.
I was 28 in 1994 and had grown up on the typical American sports diet of watching and playing football, baseball, and basketball. My small high school didn't have soccer and I had basically no exposure to the sport.
The '94 WC was my first exposure and I've been watching soccer / futbol ever since. It began with watching national team tournaments and slowly expanded to include the club game both here and in Europe. 28 years later, it is by far my favorite sport as I listen to multiple soccer podcasts and watch multiple matches each week. Other than college football, I hardly watch any of the big three professional sports these days. These are great times to be a soccer fan.
Almost exactly the same for me, Matt. The only other sport I watch these days on even a semi-regular basis is NHL hockey - because the play doesn’t almost constantly STOP.