you should see how the rest of the world is so passionate about soccer.
i was watching a documentary on soccer in Argentina and riots start every time boca faces river plate.

but i thought about it for half and hour and i think think its so unpopular in the us is because there is no money involed in it. the only commercials in a soccer game are at half time (and they mostly suck anyways). also because of the "slowness" of teh game. americans consider the game slow and boaring when it really isnt. just look at baseball. 20 minutes of action packed into 4 hours.

the point is that americans are too preocupied with basketball baseball and football to even care about soccer. most americans play soccer until age 15 because there parents put them in a house league to exert their energy on the field and not in wal mart.

basketaball baseball and football were all made in north america, which is going to make north americans play it and like it. soccer is well, its a sport that has been played for hundreds of years, in many different countries.

What kind of viewer rating does soccer get in the US?

Less than a 1.3 for the world cup semis and such.

The biggest game ever? US-Italy had a 4.4 awhile back.

Americans really, really, really, just don't like to watch soccer on TV, even if they play it. Other low-scoring games like Hockey are the same thing. We are a fast, visual society and we like sports with large numbers: basketball, nascar, American Football.

Having said this, I don't understand why Americans don't like Rugby more than they do. I've seen a few matches before on TV, and it's beautiful (like our American football).

And yes, many Americans play soccer, but guess where the good soccer players go? Football. They recruit good soccer players to become punters and kickers for teams....Which could explain some of the train on talented US soccer players.

And for my personal opinion: I hope to God that soccer never becomes a mainstay of US sports. I'll kill myself if that happens. I don't want a 0-1 or 2-1 game with no contact. You can bash American football, or whatever we like, but I'd rather watch 2 semi-crappy College football teams than the world cup. They kick a goal into a net, who really gives a crap? They play 90-ish minutes with absolutely no, or very little scoring. The rest of the world can have that crap.

Bark - as for Basketball and NASCAR:

People (Americans) like basketball because atleast there is some action, thanks to the shot clock. Although many games have wayyy too many fouls, atleast the teams actually score, and there is alot of do-or-die play going on, rather than 100 missed shots, and 1-2 scores.

As for NASCAR (which I don't get myself): it's the thrill of possibly wrecking, and the elegance of 2 cars speeding at 200 miles an hour, using cars similar to the one outside in your garage, speeding within inches of eachother. It's also the fights (ever watch UFC? That's becoming popular stuff), and again, the wrecks.

I wonder why americans don't like handball, it's fast paced, brutal (especially the women .. that's just a massacre) with much action and many goals.

 you say you dont like soccer because it takes them so long to score and its very low scoring. when a team scores, do you see how happy the fans get? tehy jump up take their shirts off etc. just watch a match of manchester united and liverpool. example: when arsenal scored 2 late goals vs milan me and my brother jumped up and down and ran through the house almost knocking over my moms fruit bowl.

 i watch soccer because its exciting. many my disagree with me here, but it really is. you have pl;ayers running down the wings at full speed, strikers almost scoring, midfielders blasting the ball, keepers making good saves. 

 i just watched a soccer game, Arsenal vs Wigan. Arsenal is currently 1st and Wigan is close to the bottom. the score was 0-0. but guess what. it was the most exciting game this whole week, other than ac milan vs arsenal. 

also in sports like baeball, football, basketball, you have teams that are really good and always end up getting to the super bowl or the nba finals teh playoffs. or w/e. soccer you have usually 2 teams gunning for that number 1 spot which means a league championship, 3 teams gunning for that 3rd or 4th place spot which means champions league next season, 7 teams aiming for a spot of 5th to 9th which means UEFA cup competition next season, and 4 teams fighting not to get relegated, which means getting sent back to a lower league if they finsih in the bottom 3.

also tehy have two cups which is a seperate tournament that runs through the season and follows a knockout format. not to mention the screaming fans and those songs you have em singing.

and yes i admit soccer is sometimes boaring when you have like 2 shots on goal  and you have a very defensive team playing ( West Ham United). so you see there is plenty excitement in soccer. i wish i could go to a premier league match in england. my cousin lives 5 mins away from the emirites stadium so i might go watch an arsenal game even though i hate em.

Don't you think that the excitement from Man U and Liverpool is huge because it's Man U and Liverpool? Go watch a video of Ohio State versus Michigan in any of the last meetings since coach Tressel came on board.

I can say the same thing about any sport: it's great watching Wide Recievers running great routs, and burning the defenders. Tailbacks almost scoring, middle linebackers blasting the QB/TB with the ball, cornerbacks making good saves.

Do you see I just turned your whole soccer argument into an American Football argument? Different strokes for different folks. Difference is that in soccer, typically what matters is 4-5 players on a given second, doing what they do. With football is every one of the 22 players doing what they do: if one screws up, the entire game is over. Can you say the same for soccer for EVERY second of the game?

If one person screws up a play in American football the whole game is not over... Please show me any video, article, anything of that happening mrstickball.

@capt preferences
"i just watched a soccer game, Arsenal vs Wigan. Arsenal is currently 1st and Wigan is close to the bottom. the score was 0-0. but guess what. it was the most exciting game this whole week, other than ac milan vs arsenal."

0-0 is not a game, its an exhibition. games have winners and losers.

and you know why people go crazy when thier team scores, its all that saved up excitement - the other 99% is boring - so by God when you team scores you go CRAZY!!!!!

lol dude. if fans were saving 99 % of their excitement for when their team scores, then why do they make gasps when a shot strolls by the bar or why do they chant songs for their team? ive never seen a quiet soccer game

what if a team scores 3 goals? that isnt saved up excitement.

edit: a drawn game is a game. not an exibition. thats complete bullshit if you think its an exibition. i checked teh scedule for the english premier league and for example Arsenal vs Blackburn Rovers is listed as a game not an exibition or pre season match. 

maybe theres no point of even arguing with americans about soccer vs w/e. it will never ever become popular.

have you read any of the posts? it IS popular in the US, just not as a spectator sport.