preview

Soccer In The 1920's

Decent Essays
Open Document

Soccer, or football in most countries, is the most popular sport in the world. The 2010 world cup received over 26 billion views. However, soccer is by no means the most popular sport in America. Baseball is America’s pastime, but did you ever wonder how soccer in America came to be? Soccer’s popularity went through many ups and downs throughout the 20th century before rooting itself in American culture as it is today. Soccer has been played in the United States since the late 1800’s. However, soccer as we know it today first gained popularity in the 1920’s. The 1920’s marked a time of great financial success in America. When waves of immigrants arrived in the US to work in factories, plants, and mills, they brought soccer with them. In 1921, the country's first pro soccer competition was formed. The American Soccer League included teams from Fall River, Massachusetts and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, …show more content…

This event proved to be a pivotal moment in the popularity of soccer in the US. The cumulative attendance of the tournament was 3,587,538. This turnout broke the previous record by more than 1 million people. The U.S. stadiums were filled to approximately 96 percent capacity during the tournament. The US team advanced to the round of 16 for the first time since 1930, and this success helped keep American audiences interested and boost ratings. About 11 million Americans tuned in to the USA vs. Brazil round of 16 match on July 4. The tournament produced 50 million dollars that was contributed to the US Soccer Foundation, an organization created to administer the World Cup surplus . This amount was more than double the estimated projections. With these funds, training facilities and stadiums were renovated and upgraded to meet FIFA standards. After the tournament, the MLS (Major League Soccer) was formed, and unlike its predecessors has endured to this

Get Access