Read Sports Geek’s argument that U.S. soccer is overrated, and Bleacher Fan’s opinion that it’s not.
Let’s flash back to July 10, 1999 (wow, the ten year anniversary of that date is coming up really quickly!). The United States just defeated China at the Rose Bowl – in an exciting overtime penalty kick shootout – to win the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup, with Brandi Chastain scoring the winning kick. As you well know, Chastain ripped off her jersey in the aftermath, showing off her sports bra, and giving whole new meaning to the word “celebration.” If you don’t recall the image, here it is. This was sure to take American soccer to a whole new level, right?
Now let’s fast forward nearly ten years.
The United States national soccer team, fresh on the heels of a monumental upset over Spain in the Fifa Confederations Cup semifinals, suffered a heartbreaking 3-2 defeat to Brazil after leading 2-0 at the half on Sunday.
The game received good television ratings, drawing a 2.7 rating, with 2.1 million viewers. While small compared to the ratings of other sports in the U.S., those ratings reflect an exceptional score for soccer in a country that doesn’t celebrate the sport with the same enthusiasm seen in other countries.
Now the question we here at The Sports Debates want to discus: What’s next? Will soccer grow in this county or is it still not on the same level as other international competitors? Is this recent run by the Americans enough to build momentum for soccer as we go into the next decade?
Sports Geek will argue that this recent run of US soccer notoriety will do nothing to help the country embrace soccer. In fact, Sports Geek will argue that US soccer is, in fact, overrated.
On the contrary, Bleacher Fan will argue that the United States soccer team should be commended for this accomplishment and that it could be a stepping stone for the popularity of soccer.
I hope readers enjoy this debate. Feel free to leave comments to help persuade the judge!
