We're a soccer nation, after all

This was a great post on DailySoccerFix by Steve Davis, describing the soccer fever that is sweeping our country this summer.

I tell people all the time that there are plenty of soccer fans in this country. It’s just that only a relatively small percentage like MLS. But since that’s the country’s most visible soccer property, it’s irresistibly convenient to use as a barometer.

See, all across this great land there are people who love them some Mexican soccer. Others go gaga for English Premier League. Those networks aren’t scrappin’ for the EPL TV rights for nothing. And we have scattered pockets of amore for Serie A, La Liga, Bundesliga, Campeonato Brasileiro, etc.

At World Cup time, TV ratings go all super-sized, adding more punch to my hunch that we really are a land of soccer lovers.

So when you assemble good events with name brand clubs and rosters stacked with quality players, people get in their little cars and drive on out, money in hand. Imagine that.

A crowd of 81,224 locked elbows inside the Rose Bowl for this week’s Chelsea-Inter Milan match. The Home Depot Center was full (27,000) two nights before that for the Galaxy-AC Milan (where David Beckham so unwisely chose to challenge the booing fans – about the worst ideas since sandpaper toilet paper. And a night prior to that, more than 65,000 packed Qwest Field for the Seattle Sounders-Chelsea friendly.

A crowd of 50,306 in the Georgia Dome watched Mexico City’s Club America upset AC Milan. (Did you see the first goal? Que Paso, Gooch? I’ve been worried that this move to AC Milan had more of a downside than people realize for big U.S. international Oguchi Onyewu. Damnit! Right again.)

And more than 82,000 green-shirted Mexican fans turned up in suburban Dallas for the Gold Cup quarterfinal featuring Mexico.

Chelsea’s match against AC Milan set for Friday at M&T Bank Stadium (capacity: 71,000) in Baltimore is already sold out. And you can expect more to come. I’d wager a Cristiano Ronaldo bobblehead that FedEx will be full for the D.C. United-Real Madrid friendly coming up in a couple of weeks.

Look at us! We’re a soccer nation, after all.