US fans look on as Landon Donovan scores a goal against Ghana (AP)ABC/ESPN is reporting that viewership for the US vs. Ghana game on Saturday was up 10% compared to the US vs. England game two weeks ago.
While this may be all well and good for the quadrennial soccer bandwagon and flag waving fans, what does it mean in terms of the long-term viability of the sport? It's one thing to draw in the casual fans who will cheer for anything if it has the American flag on it and another thing entirely to turn them into fans of the sport. A large number of Americans will watch the Olympics once every four years, but it's not like they're chomping at the bit for skating or gymnastics during the other three, you know what I mean?
But the outlook is looking good. Some reports have this season's overall MLS attendance to date up 10% compared to this time last year. More people are going to see their local team in person. And even though this year's numbers to date include the numbers for Philadelphia's two home games at PPL park with an average attendance of more than 29,000, they remain promising. More people are joining in the culture of American soccer. The sport isn't growing everywhere (that same report has attendance for New England and San Jose down by double digits), but it's growing. And I count that as a win.
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