I really enjoy watching the World Cup and some of these other tournaments, but MLS play doesnt do it for me.

It boils down to $. You can't slap a load of million dollar commercials into a televised soccer game because there's no play stoppage, so you won't get the coverage. We'll continue to overload Sportscenter with 10-preseason-games-a-night-baseball, though, flapping about "predictions" and "bright stars" long before the first pitch of the season is thrown out. Even the NHL can't keep up financially with the bloated other 3 major sports. Actually, I'm a rabid NBA fan, so maybe a little more b-ball coverage would be okay. :D

In terms of $$$ there are more in the soccer world than anyone can imagine, but its not all about $$$, it is a sport where one sweats his heart for 45 min or more in each half. There is no stoppage time or changing players as you please, which is the case with Basketball. You have to have stamina to play the game.

I was born and raised in the USA and love the Lakers, Dodgers, UCLA and Rams. I also enjoy the sport of soccer which I started watching in the 1970s when Pele, George Best and other world soccer stars played in the U.S. The game has grown tremendously over the years. There are so many good youth players on club teams playing all over the country, it's just a matter of time before we find a system that recognizes the best talent and puts them on the same team. One area that has been neglected is in the Latin community. There are so many leagues out there with great young players, but we are somehow missing the boat on this talent.

Soccer would be more entertaining if they were allowed to hit each other - i cant stand baseball for the same reason - its boring - nothing happens. I want- nay - i NEED physical contact in a sport. Football, Hockey, Basketball - those are more physical therefore hold my interest. And yes, i understand there is bumping etc. But i would be interested if the guy going down the field could just get leveled with a big hit. That would make it interested. I really dont know why baseball is so popular to be honest - i find it horribly boring.

due to circumcision American males cannot appreciate a sport so dependent on the use of the lower body

I didn't vote because I don't care. I enjoy the sport - a lot. I appreciate the sport and don't seek everyone else's permission to enjoy it. I don't need something to be important to others for it to be important to me.

Popularity is overrated and a pretty lame way to evaluate the merits of something. Who cares if America likes soccer? Sounds like the people who don't like it are FAR more obsessed about that question than those who do.

the US will be love with soccer someday soon !

Well stated John - 1187506. A great showing like this at next year's World Cup might be too much to ask after the "success" of this Confeds. Cup. However, like one of the players said - "It's not about getting respect - it's about winning." That ultimate achievement always garners respect. You can't play one half and expect to win. They just weren't able to generate the same level of energy and execution in the 2nd half. It was apparent after the 1st quick goal that Brazil was going to come back...The momentum had swayed. You have to earn respect and they still have a ways to go there although the general public is rather apathetic toward it after their kids move on to other sports. Another great commment about not scouting Latin community for talent and then having a better system than what is currently in place to produce a high caliber player that might stick at one of the bigger clubs in the world. Everyone loves a winner!!!

I dont really care whether Mike Celzic thinks whether soccer will be become big in this country or not...it doesnt matter because I love watching the game and I dont care what opinionated columnists think about the game. I am glad that ESPN provides a much better coverage of the international tournaments than before - as long as the immigrant community likes the game (which they will because they grew up with the game), there will be a following of soccer in this country. MLS really hasnt come up to that level and it is time that the management there think how to elevate the league to the next level - however without $ this will be almost impossible....but as long as we get to watch the games from outside of the U.S. and the occasional succeses of the U.S. national team, I am fine with the status quo.

If the rest of the world thinks soccer/football is the greatest thing then that is fine.

I resent that some imply Americans don't get it or are too dumb to appreciate it.

We have a pretty saturated televised sporting market in the US and someone is going to be the odd man out. As someone else has said, without a chance for commercial breaks, there is not tremendous incentive for networks to air soccer/football to the masses for free. Hence the rediculous practice of covering uniforms with advertising (like a NASCAR race care).

The cable market does have premium channels that cover this sport. You just have to pay extra for them.

I would welcome the opportunity to be able to watch US soccer/football on TV more often. But I am not going to suddenly start thinking it is more enjoyable "to me" than watching NFL Football (yes calling the American sport Football was probably unfortunate) .

I just think it says something that many Americans have had experience playing soccer in gym class and on school teams. Yet it cannot attract the intense interest of the US masses. Yet the NFL is pretty much the king of televised sports in this country and appeals to males and females alike. The Super Bowl is like a holiday.

I am just saying to each his own.

If Americans were truly interested, we (Americans) would speak in a household manner of names like Kobe, LeBron and D-Wade. Simply stated, the market is not present for soccer as this holds for other countries. Europeans cherish soccer as Americans love baseball.

We do not respect the game because we suck at it. Football is a great game, but it is not part of our culture. Nonetheless, is is still the most popular game in the plane, so who cares if is not popular here. I am pretty sure the rest of the planet are not worry about this fact.

USA USA USA

It's just the way we run TV versus the way others run TV.  45 minutes of uninterrupted play means that commercial TV can't sell advertising time.  Therefore, TV doesn't hype it, and people in the media put it down.  If commercial TV could find a way to sell ad time, the media types wouldn't be putting soccer down.  On the other hand, have you ever been to a hockey or basketball or football game and sat around while the players scratched their butts waiting for an official's time out (i.e. commercial break) to finish?  It really ruins the game.

Based on its popularity around the world, saying "soccer (futbol) is boring" says more about the watcher than the watched. The ball is never "dead", if play is stopped time is added at the end to complete the game. I have a hard time saying that someone who has to be slapped by the game in order to pay attention is a "fan".

The world likes this, the world likes that. So what? The world doesn't care about US likes and vice versa. And? It's ridiculous to read that some people think that Soccer nonfans have a bigger issue with this topic than Soccer fans. You guys might want to actually read these posts again. Then, if possible, get over it. As some posters have remarked, One day...

The way I see it, soccer is not respected in US because most people do not understand it, and it's difficulties. I've heard many people say they think it's easy, always from the sidelines of course. This sport requires more endurance then most people could imagine, and most athletes of other sports could endure. Although, it's not just a fitness test out there, every player has to react with skill and intelligence every time they are imediatly involved in the play. Which is very hard to do while you're pushing yourself physically without pauses and breaks. Now, I know not understanding the sport is not the only issue with it's popularity, media owns the US, and the media does not support soccer as much as other sports. I can see this easily changing, and hope it does.

Honestly, I would prefer if the USA never comes to like football. I would hate the idea of commercial influences determining 'stoppages' so some firm can sell its product. Surely sport should be one of the few places immune to interference from the external pressures of reality, i.e. an artificial bubble of escapism. Here heroes are made, broken and remade..or just fade away. Fine, generate finance around the peripheries of the sport, but leave the game alone, and let America enjoy their own tribalisms.

I never liked soccer until both my sons started playing it and I was forced to coach it.  Once I had to understand the sport, I grew to love it very quickly.  Once you understand the game, you are hooked.  That is the problem in the US.  People don't understand soccer when they watch, nor do they care to, and I don't necessarily blame them.  However, soccer right now is exactly like baseball was when I was little, kids were playing it in first grade.  TONS of kids are growing up playing soccer.  As these kids grow, soccer will eventually get the respect it deserves when they become adults.  Even if they choose football or baseball when they get older, they'll have a love and respect for soccer.  Personally, I think US will see a World Cup within the next 20-30 years. 

Who cares if soccer is popular in the United States! Will that validate the game in this country! Whatever sport you choose to play or watch is your own business, who cares what other people or the press thinks. Soccer fan's get a life and stop worrying about the popularity of the game.