MLS is Back

Now I know spring training baseball is in full swing, basketball season is heating up, hockey season is skating along, and March Madness is about to get uh..., madnessy, but did you know that the 2012 Major League Soccer season just kicked off?  Well it did and I have a feeling it’s going to be a great season.

The smell of freshly cut grass lingers in the air as the San Jose Earthquakes hosted the New England Revolution this past Saturday defeating them 1-0 for their first home opener win since they were re-established in 2008.  The goal was scored in the 15^th minute by the star of the team Chris Wondolowski (Wondo). It was a great game and great to see the guys get a win to start off the season but do Bay Area fans care? Do Americans care that the MLS season has started?

Soccer seems to fall into the weird area for Americans along with the metric system and vacation time. If it’s something the rest of the world (especially Europe) does, than we aren’t interested because America is awesome and everybody else can suck it.  But who wouldn’t want more vacation time? Sorry to say it but the metric system does seem to make more sense and soccer is a fun and entertaining sport to follow.  It is quite obvious that soccer isn’t the most popular sport in the US but it definitely deserves better. Soccer is the most popular sport around the world but it only ranks 5^th in the US behind the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL, although polls are showing that the MLS might soon be overtaking hockey for that fourth position.  Attendance is steadily rising and teams like the Seattle Sounders and LA Galaxy are bringing in huge numbers. Players like Landon Donovan, David Beckham, and Thierry Henry are helping to bring in fans looking to glimpse some spectacular plays by world-renowned players. 

Things are certainly looking up for MLS with a recent ESPN poll showing that soccer was ranked second behind the NFL with Americans age 12-24 as their favorite sport. Soccer is steadily climbing in popularity among Americans and rightfully so. The US Men’s team is progressively improving and the US Women are insanely good, coming in second place, losing a classic match against Japan in the 2011 Women’s World Cup. The men looked great in the 2010 FIFA World Cup and they recently defeated the intimidating Italy in a stunning 1-0 victory.  The success and rise in popularity among the US Men and Women’s team can only help the popularity for MLS.

I can’t make people watch games but the MLS is making great strides in developing the league and trying to compete with not only the four other major sports in the US but with the more popular soccer leagues in Europe.  New clubs are constantly popping up all over the country, and are reaching out and attracting better players around the globe. Not to mention, MLS just signed a new 3-year national broadcast agreement with NBC. My recommendation would be to check out a game once in a while, be it MLS, college, the US Men’s team or a European league.  You might be surprised at how electrifying and fascinating a match can be.  I’ll be heading to AT&T park this coming Saturday, 3/17 to root for my SJ Earthquakes as they take on the Houston Dynamo.