Time for change: Soccer needs more interest in the United States.

On June 26th, 2010, I remember sitting in my buddy's basement with a thirty rack watching the tough United States tough loss to Ghana, knocking us out of the 2010 World Cup. Tim Howard allowed two goals in the back of the net. While current captain Clint Dempsey leads the team to qualify for 2014 World Cup, many of the United States citizens do not even know who he is.

While soccer in the U.S.A. has difficulties drawing fan interest into the sport, Soccer everywhere else in the world is taken to heart by their fans with pride, nationalism, and respect. If you need more information on that last statement, just go read Franklin Foer's book, How Soccer Explains the World and it will all make sense. Americans interest is the NFL, as many fans think Oakland Raiders fans are disrespectful and crazy. However, it is nothing compared to the devoted hooligans throughout Europe, such as Chelsea fans organizing one of the first English soccer hooligan crews.

Soccer in America has problems in the past drawing attention for fans. Fernando Delgado explains soccer originally failed in this country due to lack of corporate sponsors. The way soccer returned through MLS was by reinforcing the teams with immigrant players. Immigration has been key to keeping soccer a sport in the United States.

Adidas attempts to draw anti-soccer Americans' attention to the sport. The company plans to use Lionel Messi as a global icon for the sport. Adidas wants to launch a line of shoes for Messi to come out this year, hoping that the Americans that see any highlights on ESPN or games of the 2014 World Cup will see his skill and play, drawing more attention to the sport.

Messi is also providing the United States a chance to see many world stars of soccer. He is hosting a charity game in the great Soldier Field of Chicago in July. Americans can witness (if they choose to) many great world athletes of soccer.

If the United States can make it to the World Cup finals match, I feel it can draw interest of Americans to the sport of soccer. Winning the Stanley Cup worked for Chicago Blackhawks to get fans again. I love hockey, I am glad to have friends watch hockey with me again, but now I cannot even get some tickets to a game since everyone apparently loves hockey now that the hawks have won a cup recently. I think the same can go for team United States during the World Cup 2014.

If only during the World Cup 2014 gets attention from Americans for soccer, so be it, at least it gets my friends to watch soccer games with me. All I know is I will be at the bar a lot during 2014 watching matches. I just hope the bar is packed with friends and other Americans to watch the United States play.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/soccer--next-to-try-and-sell-soccer-in-america--lionel-messi-184040363.html

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/lionel-messi-set-host-star-155600469--sow.html

picture: http://www.thisisct.net/2005/08/usa-win-1-0-over-trinidad-tobago-at_17.html