Both US Soccer Teams are Balling Right Now and We Should All Be Watching
Never in this lifetime would I say that US Soccer is actually performing like a world-class team on two huge international stages. It is hard to imagine the US being successful in a sport that Americans regard as foreign. This summer is proving that American soccer is changing for the best, and we as a country should be supporting them.
Let's start with the Women's team, possibly the best women's international team in the world and the most successful since the Women's World Cup started in 1991. Since the formation of this tournament, the USWNT has captured three World Cups, most recently in 2015. They have produced exemplarily talent such as Mia Hamm, Abby Wambach, Carli Lloyd, Tobin Heath, and of course, Alex Morgan. Ever since the US girls won their first title in 1991, they have been a major force in women's football and have done wonders for promoting US soccer across the country and bringing recognition to the sport. The USWNT has rarely had a worse finish in an international competition than third place, including Olympic contests, CONCACAF tournaments, and World Cups. The knockout stage in France begins this week, and following their 2-0 win over Sweden, the US ladies look poised to go on another deep run in this tourney. Alex Morgan and Tobin Heath have been exceptional, scoring unreal goals and routing opposing goalies with ease. Though they were criticized (wrongfully, in my opinion) for the 13-0 blowout of Thailand in the group stage, the US is playing a beautiful game on the biggest stage. Normally, the World Cup would have a European team like France or England as the favorites, but in this instance, the United States are the Goliaths looking to be dethroned. Their performances are captivating audiences. I recently listened to a Bleacher Report Football podcast that praised the US women's team for being so strong. Can you imagine, English commentators praising American soccer stars? It is almost impossible to believe, but this is happening. With this exposure on the world stage comes more attention to the women's club game. Many US ladies play for top European women's club teams like Juventus (Italy), Arsenal (England), Lyon (France), and Barcelona (Spain). If that does not impress you, I'm afraid nothing will. The ladies are heading into the knockout stage against a strong Spanish team.
Let's start with the Women's team, possibly the best women's international team in the world and the most successful since the Women's World Cup started in 1991. Since the formation of this tournament, the USWNT has captured three World Cups, most recently in 2015. They have produced exemplarily talent such as Mia Hamm, Abby Wambach, Carli Lloyd, Tobin Heath, and of course, Alex Morgan. Ever since the US girls won their first title in 1991, they have been a major force in women's football and have done wonders for promoting US soccer across the country and bringing recognition to the sport. The USWNT has rarely had a worse finish in an international competition than third place, including Olympic contests, CONCACAF tournaments, and World Cups. The knockout stage in France begins this week, and following their 2-0 win over Sweden, the US ladies look poised to go on another deep run in this tourney. Alex Morgan and Tobin Heath have been exceptional, scoring unreal goals and routing opposing goalies with ease. Though they were criticized (wrongfully, in my opinion) for the 13-0 blowout of Thailand in the group stage, the US is playing a beautiful game on the biggest stage. Normally, the World Cup would have a European team like France or England as the favorites, but in this instance, the United States are the Goliaths looking to be dethroned. Their performances are captivating audiences. I recently listened to a Bleacher Report Football podcast that praised the US women's team for being so strong. Can you imagine, English commentators praising American soccer stars? It is almost impossible to believe, but this is happening. With this exposure on the world stage comes more attention to the women's club game. Many US ladies play for top European women's club teams like Juventus (Italy), Arsenal (England), Lyon (France), and Barcelona (Spain). If that does not impress you, I'm afraid nothing will. The ladies are heading into the knockout stage against a strong Spanish team.
Shifting to the Men's team, they are also having a great summer with two strong wins in the Gold Cup. First came the 4-0 rout of Guyana, then the "revenge" game against Trinidad-Tobago, the team the stopped them from qualifying for the World Cup last year. The Trinidad-Tobago game was another rout, 6-0. The boys have been putting on clinics against their CONCACAF opponents. Christian Pulisic, Paul Arriola, Gyasi Zardes, and Tyler Boyd have been amazing with their goal
scoring. The US men's team has become more offensive after previous years of playing a defensive-style. Gregg Behrhalter is getting the most out of his young stars, many of which play overseas for clubs like Chelsea (England), Schlake 04 (Germany), and Manchester City (England). Also, MLS stars are proving that their league is way more competitive than the "retirement league" the soccer media paints it out to be. As the men's team prepares for their next group stage match against Panama, the excitement continues to grow around the men's team.
As both US soccer teams perform well on the international stage, we should all be tuning in to watch them play their hearts out. During summer, I often feel there is a lull in sports, as the NBA/NHL seasons come to a close, American football is still a few months away, and baseball takes over as the sport of the season. But to those who find baseball boring or uninteresting (which is a growing number of Americans), some find more entertainment in the MLS and international soccer. With both US teams playing well, we should all be tuning in to watch our lads and ladies. Soccer is growing in popularity and if the US teams can capture the trophies they are seeking, there will be a rise in popularity. As a nation, we should be supporting our teams. Soccer should not be viewed as the sport the US sucks at, because that is no longer the case. American participation in club and country play is only growing; more American players are being scouted to play abroad and domestic leagues are rising in popularity. So we should all watch the excitement of the international game because both of our teams are killing it right now.
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