Saturday Soccer Sojourn

 Photo: John Dorton/isiphotos.com

Our occasional fascination with the sport of soccer reached its 2022 apex today.

Then came reality.

Netherlands 3, U.S.A. 1.

The World Cup is over for the United States and it ended at the feet of the Dutch.

It was a good match, though I'm willing to guess many fans don't feel that way. It was competitive and fascinating but the Netherlands had the answers that the Americans couldn't find.

I'm no soccer expert nor am I here to demean the sport but the thud around the American sports world was deafening after the match was over. If anything, I'm further engaged in the sport and that's grown as time has gone on. My broadcasting experience, combined with watching and learning, has helped immensely.

Look, my expectation was that the Netherlands would give the U.S. fits. Obviously, I wasn't alone in that assessment. They made plays and converted opportunities. At times in the first half, the United States had some very good chances, with one showing up in the first ten minutes. The Dutch scored not long after.

Even when the U.S. did cut the deficit to 2-1 the Netherlands responded and it was too much to overcome.

Pelé (10) launches a header at Yankee Stadium

Soccer has been a bit of a thing around these parts since the late 70s. Pelé and the New York Cosmos were the first time I remember soccer in this country and the team even played in Yankee Stadium at one point. They'd eventually settle at Giants Stadium and, at one point, they were a popular draw.

Pelé's retirement in 1977 brought on a loss of interest in the North American Soccer League and the league would fold in 1985.

Since then we've seen the occasional soccer rush, mostly fueled by the World Cup. Certainly Major League Soccer has had success and we also see soccer in the Olympics do well.

But it's the World Cup that usually creates the most buzz for the soccer revolution that many push for. Of course there's also a push back against those who casual fans or simply want to watch anything with the American team.

Of course, we could just all chill out and accept that there are casual fans as there are with every sport. How many people do you know that literally only pay attention to the Super Bowl?

With the loss today, many of the U.S. casual fans will head to something else. I'll personally remain interested but it's not unfair to say I won't be as dialed in.

I made a point of being in front of the TV this morning to watch the match before going to Brunswick for basketball.

But, like it or not, we'll keep seeing bursts of popularity. There was the 1999 women's World Cup and their subsequent success. We've seen good moments with the men's team as well with the Landon Donovan goal against Algeria in 2010 the most famous of them.

This run was fun also but it ended this morning.

And while soccer doesn't have to be one of the "big four" sports I think it's in a pretty good place in this country. 

It's a sport so many in this country will just apparently never understand.

Like hockey.

Lacrosse.

Today wasn't the end of the world. It was merely the end of the soccer casuals.

They'll be back.