The World Cup deserves your attention this year

The United States is in desperate need of a solid performance from the Men’s National Team in this year’s World Cup.

This is not to say they have to go and win it all, as exciting as that would be. Rather, they just need to put up a good enough performance in order to put the U.S. population and the rest of the world on notice. This World Cup can prove very influential to the general public on how we should take the sport of soccer seriously within the U.S.

The “World’s Game,” as it is often called, is dominated by European and South American countries, while the United States seems to struggle to produce talent that can even rival some of these smaller European clubs.

So why is this? Why can the United States produce some of the greatest athletes in the world such as LeBron James and Michael Phelps, but struggle to develop soccer stars that can rival Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo?

The difference comes from where our priorities lie in regard to our nation’s sports. We, as a nation, seem to be more focused on fast-paced action. Score lines of 49-35 excite football fans, basketball fans clamor for high-scoring offensive performances, hockey fans love the thought of a 7-4 game, but will scoff at the idea that a soccer game can end at 0-0.

I took to the streets of St. John’s University and proceeded to ask people, “Why don’t you watch soccer?” SJU senior Connor Reed replies, “It’s boring. Chances are, I will sit there the whole game and only one goal will be scored.” SJU Senior Cameron Bjork responds, “It’s long and boring with low scoring. Hockey and basketball have similar styles of offense but are much faster and higher scoring.” SJU senior Cade Marsolek also adds, “I like watching the big hits in hockey and football, or the high intensity and scores of basketball.”

After receiving these replies it became pretty apparent. This is not a matter of the United States being unable to produce athletes that can be top soccer stars, but rather a matter of soccer being considered “boring” to a large portion of the United States.

So how do we fix this? Obviously, we cannot alter the game of soccer to fit our nation’s wants and needs, so instead, we need to get the American public to be invested in the sport. Moves have already been made to draw eyes and attention to the sport, with the MLS expanding and drawing more revenue on a daily basis and making moves to sign older European stars who are nearing retirement.

Still, this does not seem to be enough. This is where the World Cup comes into play, specifically for the U.S. Men’s National Team. This year’s World Cup is set during the winter, where they will be competing against hockey, basketball and football for viewership, so the U.S. team must put on a show to get people talking.

If the Men’s National Team performs well enough in this year’s World Cup, maybe there will be wider appreciation for the sport in this country. Maybe we as a country can start producing top stars in soccer to rival those of other countries. Maybe we will not only start enjoying the sport, but we may be able to take pride in it. Or maybe we as a country will continue to disrespect the “boring, slow and low-scoring” game that the rest of the world adores.