Soccer Thoughts

(This cartoon image of World Cup groups was found at joyreactor.com.)

I spent much of the time that I normally dedicate to research and blogging just watching the World Cup yesterday -- so I thought I'd just make my last post about soccer (football, as the rest of the world knows it).

Like many other Americans (at least those of us who love soccer), I was very disappointed when the group drawing were held for the World Cup. The United States wound up in an extremely tough group -- with Germany and Portugal (two of Europe's best teams) and Ghana (a very good team that had beaten the United States the last two times we played them). I honestly did not think the United States would be able to advance to the next round, since only two teams from each group gets to advance.

But I am very proud of how well the U.S. team has played in this very tough group. They started off by beating Ghana 2-1, and then yesterday they came back from a one goal deficit to tie Portugal 2-2 (and for a while it looked like the U.S. might even win that game). Now the U.S. and Germany both have 4 points, while Ghana and Portugal both have 1 point. That means that after two games the United States still has a good chance to advance past the first round.

We play Germany next, and if we beat Germany or tie with them, then we will advance. We will also advance if Ghana and Portugal tie (even if we lose to Germany). If we lose and either Portugal or Ghana wins their game, them it will go down to tiebreakers (since we would both have 4 points then). Whatever happens now, I am very proud of how well the U.S. team has played. They have represented this country very well.

And while I'm on the subject of soccer, I thought I'd bring you the results of a recent Rasmussen Poll on the subject. The survey (taken on June 17th and 18th of a random national sample of 1,000 adults, with a 4 point margin of error) asked Americans if they thought soccer would become as popular in the United States as it is in the rest of the world in the next five years. A clear majority of 59% said no, while only 19% said yes.

That 19% are far too optimistic. I love soccer myself, and I truly believe it is gaining in popularity very fast in the U.S., but it is still far from being as popular here as it is in the rest of the world. It might one day become that popular here, but it's going to take a lot longer than five years. What do you think?