I rode passed an Iraqi soccer practice the other day. I should’ve taken a picture.Â
I think that in the next 20 years or so that Soccer will be come mainstream. Over the last ten to twenty years, America has been raising a generation of Soccer players. Most of them will never play again, however, they will know the game. I believe they will watch the games.
Much of this depends on the marketing of the Soccer Community as a whole. NASCAR provides an excellent case study for getting a sport to become mainstream. The Soccer Community needs to pay attention.Â
There are too many different soccer groups out there. NASCAR had this same problem, they overcame, but they also consolidated.
NASCAR doesn’t compete with American Football. You can’t. NASCAR starts its season with the Daytona 500–in February–Nothing else is going on. Then the go through the Spring and Summer and stop before Football hits the playoffs. Part of this is because of tradition, but I believe this is one reason why NASCAR has become successful. Soccer could complete with Basketball and become a Spring Sport. I believe there a many people who would fill stadiums during the Spring and Early Summer–they can’t do this in the Fall, because many of them are already at an American Football game–NFL or NCAA.
NASCAR got a solid contract with ESPN to televise the races. This was a win-win for both, but it put NASCAR on the map as the Racing of Choice. MLS needs to settle down with a Major Network…may FOX. NASCAR has done this well.
It will be interesting to watch. To see if the Professional Soccer Community will get organized and bring it to the mainstream–where it is everywhere else in the world.