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Forget Boom, Soccer Continues Slow Climb
Published: 7/18/2011 11:10 AM
Last Modified: 7/18/2011 11:10 AM

The U.S. Women’s soccer team was heavily favored to win the FIFA Women’s World CUP, pretty much outplayed the Japanese for much of the match but did not win.
Japan, the world’s sentimental favorite, won in a penalty shot shootout after twice coming back from one-goal deficits.
It was a dramatic end for the U.S. team but the match should be lift to soccer in the United States.
It has been proven in the past that success by U.S. teams in major interntional competitions, such as the World Cup, do give a boost to the sport in this country.
However, growth in soccer has been a slow and steady climb over the last 30 years.
Perhaps, it is time we quit worrying about when the soccer boom is going to hit.
Just enjoy it and watch soccer continue to get more important on U.S. soil - no matter how slow the growth.



Reader Comments 2 Total
sportswriter (last year)
Soccer is "booming." Check out the attendance figures of Major League Soccer. Both new franchises - Vancouver and Portland - are drawing sell-out crowds. 53,000 plus watch game at Seattle last week; 47,000 at Los Angeles; That coming with at least 4 matches on national TV each week. Record number of cable/satellite systems now carrying Fox Soccer Channel.
amron warrior (last year)
Youth soccer has been booming for many years. The general boom has been growing for many years, but the media, that have been dominated by writers who only are familiar with the traditional US sports, have ignored it.

Indoor soccer, a great spectator sport, has dwindled in interest after booming in the '70s and early '80s. One of the reasons for its demise was being ignored by the media.

Except for NASCAR and to a slight degree, Indy Car, auto racing is also ignored. Open wheeled racing on dirt is extremely popular in the country, but the media give it short shrift. Except for the Chili Bowl, this type of racing is totally ignored.
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Klein's Korner

Tulsa World senior sports columnist John Klein is in his fourth decade of covering sports. He started his newspaper career at The Daily Ardmoreite in 1977 and moved to the Tulsa World in 1978. He served 10 years as sports editor for the Tulsa World before being named to his current position in 2005. He also spent five years as the Southwest Conference beat writer for the Houston Post. He has won many writing awards and is a former Oklahoma Sports Writer of the Year.

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