Category Archives: USA)

Cole PCQ 1/15/2014 European Nationalism and Football since the 1970s

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European Nationalism and Football since the 1970s

The rebirth that the Dutch football team went through for the 2006 World Cup is interesting because instead of looking to the outside to help fix the team, the Dutch federation selected in-house talent.  They decided that their team was going to become the best by being entirely Dutch instead of the now traditional model of having players and coaches from different countries form a national team.  The joint commitment the team expressed about their “way of playing is more important than the result is” is an interesting philosophy in sports, especially for a team who was trying to return to their global dominance in the World Cup.  The Netherlands wanted to be able to have a sense of nationalism and feeling of true Dutch unity.  By using only in-house players and coaching, they sought to bring back a Dutch identity and answer the “who are we?” question.

After their loss in the finals of the 1974 World Cup to Germany, the Dutch team did not return home as losers but were welcomed home as champions.  By defeating traditional powerhouse teams like Argentina and Brazil and making it to the finals with Germany showed the people of the Netherlands that their tiny country could compete on the world stage with the best of them.  The 1974 team became a symbol of what the Netherlands could really do.   Continue reading →

Soccer: Fighting for a spot at the table PCQ 5

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In his article Buffington reveals the multitude of problems that face soccer in the United States. One of the aspect he touches on briefly is soccer’s ‘newcomer’ status as a sport in America. Buffington argues that America’s sports were already decided and established in the late 19th century. As such soccer did not have the chance to develop and entrench itself as one of America’s key sports. In order for soccer to thrive in America it must compete with these already fiercely beloved sports. Continue reading →

Cole PCQ 1/14/2014 US and Them

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America’s Soccer Identity

In his article, Buffington describes what makes America unique in the area of soccer and defining the idea of a national culture.  One passage that seemed spot on to my thinking about now different nations have different playing styles.

“This involves representing national teams (and their individual members) as having distinctive habits of play, tactical affinities, or skill sets that influence how they perform on the field.”

He also brings up an interesting point about how highly industrialized nations were brought together under a unified sporting culture all around the 1870s and 1930s.  In America though, this was when baseball, basketball, and American football were gaining traction.  By having these three sports all hitting their high points during this time period, it left little room for the growth of soccer from its position as a youth sport your mom drove you to and from.  The idea of a “soccer mom” is an exclusively American idea and helps keep soccer as a youth sport.

Questions:

  • Would soccer be a big time sport here in the US if we did not have basketball or one of the other “American” sports emerging during the 1870s and 1930s?
  • What is an explanation of the growth in popularity soccer is experiencing now in the US?

TIFO: “Bradley on Verge of Leaving Roma for Toronto FC” – by Mac Daly

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My TIFO discusses the possible transfer of a top young American player who could potentially transfer from AS Roma to Toronto FC. This would be absurd 3-4 years ago, now after Clint Dempsey transferred to MLS last year for $36 Million it seems the next step of MLS making money by brining in young and American talent.