I don't give the U.S. much chance in tomorrow's highly-anticipated showdown with England in its opening match of World Cup 2010. I would of course love nothing more than a major upset, and even a point from a draw would be a fairly significant accomplishment.
But what would a victory mean for soccer in the U.S. as a whole? Would a win whip up enough pride and excitement to get soccer truly on the map in America? Probably not. For right now, no one game will have a significant, long-term effect on U.S. soccer, unless of course that one game involves the U.S. winning the World Cup.
Similar to the Olympics, the World Cup simply does not sustain lasting momentum for soccer in America after its conclusion. Europeans watch European football on Saturday or Sunday, Americans watch American football on Saturday and Sunday. South American kids play pickup soccer, American kids play pickup basketball. Soccer simply cannot compete with the tradition of baseball, ruggedness of football, or swagger of basketball.
That said, soccer in the U.S. will get there. Sam's Army, the die-hard group of U.S. National Team supporters, is growing. MLS is gaining increasing airtime on ESPN, and more American fans are following their favorite players in foreign leagues, especially the English Premiership. I'm not sure it will ever become the most popular sport in the country, but as the Latino population continues to grow, my guess is that soccer will eventually nudge out hockey as the fourth biggest sport in America.
My prediction: England wins 3-1
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