Every couple of years, we hear that soccer will become “the next major U.S. sport”. And every single time, I am proven right when I say it will never, ever happen. Soccer is one of those games where all of its fun is in actually playing it. Watching it on tv is as much fun as getting a root canal procedure done.
How interested are you in watching baseball if you are not vested in the teams playing? Soccer is no different than any other sport....once you learn the teams, the traditions and the players and vest yourself in a squad, it is a great sport to watch, throughout the course of a season. I got hooked on the EPL several years ago, and must admit, I follow it now even more than I do the NFL......the relegation battles, and the battle to qualify for Europe, the Cup Competitions, Champions League....having multiple competitions going on concurrently make it a fun sport to follow.....some games themselves are boring, but then again, I saw a lot of boring 9-6 Field Goal Fests in the NFL as well.
Here we get back to the main reason most Americans shun soccer...the lack of action. In that, I mean purposeful action and not just kicking the ball back and forth. I know there's strategy involved in the game, but when the non-soccer fan by chance tunes in a game, what he or she sees is a shot taken what seems like every other week.
In short, there are simply not enough shots taken. Of course, more shots on goal would mean more scoring. Take three players away from soccer, and it would be an interesting sport (keep the goalie). Plus, shorten the field and get rid of that offside rule. Those changes will never happen, but I can't see Americans watching the sport until they do.
Watching it works better than Ambien for me.