CS Monitor: Pro Soccer in America

In an opinion piece by Parnesh Sharma in the Christian Science Monitor, some shots across the bow for soccer in the USA, and what Beckham’s arrival really means: “US soccer: Commend it like Beckham”

Professional soccer has established solid footing today despite two big obstacles: (1) Many Americans loathe watching soccer; and (2) The National Football League (NFL) has a history of bullying the sport.

The first point may seem counter-intuitive, given how popular the sport is among America’s youth. The ubiquitous “soccer moms,” with their SUVs full of cleated kids, have had their own political demographic for more than a decade. Yet soccer, in the way it defies the melting pot, is deeply un-American.

A lot of the piece is over the top, generalizing, and melodramatic like…well, like a soccer fan. ;) But some interesting points to ponder.