Football Snobs: Here We Come!

For someone who considers himself not only a football enthusiast, but also a rabid student of the game, I have found it humbling to be an American visiting England.

In most cases, we (as Americans) are looked down upon as 2nd class citizens. Between unpopular ownership at Manchester United and Liverpool, to offering a perceived 'holiday' to David Beckham within Major League Soccer, American soccer is more of a punchline to Brits than a worthy adversary.

Jere Longman of the New York Times write of how the football snobs in Great Britain look at the American game, as well as the prospects of our first round match-up in the FIFA World Cup.

When England drew the United States, Slovenia and Algeria at the coming World Cup, The Sun tabloid ran a headline that said “EASY,” and added, “best English group since the Beatles.”

The British actor Hugh Grant then appeared in New York on “The Daily Show” and told the host, Jon Stewart: “I’m always surprised you have a male football team. It’s a female game here.”

As inventors of the sport, the British can be condescending and uninformed about the game in the United States, viewing American soccer with the same smugness that the United States might view English baseball.

Not everyone is so dismissive. Actually, the view of American soccer here is nuanced and complicated. There is an appreciation for the Americans who play in the English Premier League, a respectful regard for the national team, widespread indifference to Major League Soccer, wariness of American businessmen who own some of the biggest E.P.L. teams and a belief that the second-tier United States can become a global soccer power.

“Where there was once 30 percent respect for the national team and soccer in the U.S. and 70 percent who were totally ignorant, I think it’s now 60 percent respect,” said John Harkes, who in 1990 became one of the first Americans to play professionally in England.

Jonathan Spector, an American defender at West Ham United, senses respect for the United States national team “when we are playing any team apart from England.”

He added: “It doesn’t make a great deal of sense. Now that we’re playing England, it’s supposed to be a walk in the park for them.”

This may stem from national pride and defensiveness, Spector said, given the economic, cultural and political standing of the United States as a world superpower.

Soccer “is the one thing they have left that they think they can beat us in,” Spector said.

It would be unfair to stereotype all Englishmen as 'football snobs' towards Americans, much as it would be for those in Great Britain to associate all Americans in the game as novice. I visited in Birmingham, England two years ago and found their city very welcoming to Americans in the game. Having a welcomed and beloved American owner in Randy Lerner, as well as the best goalkeeper in the English Premier League in Brad Friedel, has made it en vogue to support Americans.

It had taken the US 40 years to go from defeating England in the 1950 World Cup to return to another World Cup in 1990...perhaps 40 years from now, after a US victory over England in the World Cup this summer, we will finally get our just due - not only in world football, but in Great Britain.