Why Soccer Can't Be Successful In The US? The King Of Sports (except for the US)

The Europeans call it Football. Soccer is not very popular among american sports enthusiasts but it's the king of sports everywhere else.

The FIFA World Cup, UEFA World Cup, UEFA Champions League have the highest TV ratings for sports events. Single matches like a Barcelona vs Real Madrid or a Manchester United vs Ac Milan are true sporting performances that drive millions and millions all around the globe from Argentina to the Arabian desert. Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Guardiola or José Mourinho may be unknown to most americans but they do are top worldwide celebrities.

On the tops are also Soccer related video games like Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer and Electronic Arts' FIFA Soccer and Football Manager.

Why can't Soccer be successful in the US?

• The "Draw": In Soccer a match can end up with a draw. In the American Culture the very own concept of a "draw" is awkward, someone has got to win and someone has got to loose. It complicated also Bet related odds.
• "Half-time": A Soccer match is 90 minutes long and only stops at half-time for a 15 minute break (used to be 10 minutes but due to publicity interests the half-time break went on adding extra 5 minutes). Being said there isn't enough space for commercial ads like in American Sports where numerous time breaks take place. There no room for publicity during a game except for the teams equipment or advertisement on the stadium which is then diffused through TV broadcast.
• "Goal!": In Soccer the points for a team to win are called "Goals" and they happen when the ball is legally put in the net. While played on a enormous field with 11 players on eachside including a goalkeeper the scores tend to be low. More than 5 goals on a match is not very common, also some games end up with no goals at all or even a 1-0. To score a goal in soccer does take time as it is a very skillful and tactic sport. So, few goals less opportunities do celebrate, buy a round and place an ad while the team is cheering...back to commercials again!

May not be it, but it does takes it's weight on the low popularity of Soccer in the US and the lack of investment/interest surround the king of all sports. Despite the US FIFA World Cup 1994, Soccer still not gained the trust and enthusiasm of the american audience maybe only because it does not suit the hyper-corporation-guided style that characterizes the US through the eye of Football Lovers all around the world.