Posted on 06/30/2014 12:03:51 AM PDT by Berlin_Freeper
SAO PAULO – Lost amid all the talk about the World Cup making soccer grow in popularity within the United States is one very real and unexpected development taking place right here in Brazil.
The United States is growing in popularity within soccer.
Don't look now, U.S. men's national team, but you are increasingly becoming the second favorite team for a lot of folks from other countries, including the host nation.
"Brazil is falling in love with the U.S.," said Brazilian businessman Mario Ribiero, who partied with American supporters in Recife last week. "It is seen as something new and exciting and surprising. We love the team because it is an underdog. And we love the fans."
(Excerpt) Read more at sports.yahoo.com ...
Please do not use url shorteners. Just provide the direct link. Thanks.
I think that analogy makes Steve Sampson Gary Kubiak.
"Most of the players weren't even born then and something which took place over 30 years ago is not really a relevant subject," said Loew on Sunday.
World Cup German goal against U.S. triggers ‘Nazi’ tweets
When Germany's Thomas Muller scored the only goal of the match against the U.S. in the World Cup, it threatened to knock the American team out of the competition.
And it also prompted a mass of "Nazi" tweets on Twitter.
Analysis showed that 3.4 "Nazis" per second were tweeted during Germany's win over the U.S.
finally a muslim that DOESN’T want to yammer on about islam.
Costa Rica is going down against the Dutch if they play like they did last night against Greece. Scoring seems to be a problem for them...
I didn’t see last night - the Greeks had a full team defense though so I wouldn’t take that as a definitive performance by Costa Rica!
'If it's a penalty, it's a penalty. It's a foul, it's a foul. If it's a goal, it's a goal. And thing are starting to get weird here.
'My players are a little tense with everything that is going on. Everyone has been saying - coaches, players - that it's always Brazil that's wrong.
A lot of wishful thinking in that reply. The real reason they are liking the UNITED STATES in Brazil is because of the money the US fans are spending.
I think the Men of Orange will win it all..
This is BS. The USA is hated all around the world.
The game I as at in Manaus, Italy vs. England, had lots of English and Italian fans, but there were plenty of Brazilians there from Manaus as well. I'm not saying that this published poll is wrong, but that it may vary a bit from venue to venue. That said, the Brazilian government would have done well to have put aside tickets for lower prices. IMHO.
Regarding those fans from other countries, I saw fans from all over at the Sao Paulo airport, including a ton of really excited Costa Rican fans. However, clearly with airfare being what it is, it is by definition going to be those who can afford it making the trip. This is the same with the Olympics, and every world sporting venue I would guess.
Rich is a relative term. Most of the people I saw didn't strike me as being from the ‘Thurston Howell’ crowd.
I actually enjoy soccer, always have. And, I have not agreed with Ann Coulter much lately but she had some good points about soccer.
“That’s the difference between us and them. We’re always dwelling on our last defeat. They’re always looking for their next win (and they usually find it, too).”
Great quote.
You are absolutely correct. The large contingent of American soccer fans is helping the economies of any site where the American team is playing. This is especially true now that fans of England, Italy and Spain have pretty much left Brazil after their disappointing showings in the Group stage.
Berlin Freeper
Despite some of the comments here about this article being “BS” or “wishful thinking,” it rings true with my experience. Whenever I travel abroad, I gravitate to soccer events at bars or where ever. Other fans know our Men’s team is rapidly improving. This is about the third straight World Cup we have been in the so-called “Group of Death.”
The reason is because we are the best of the unseeded teams. That means that two seeded teams have to get past us and the fourth team, too. This time, Ghana had played well to get to the Cup and was a troubling team for anyone.
Thus, the “Group of Death” moniker and bye bye Portugal.
The Ticos have great fans and their guys are classy. US fans pull for them. You can be sure that in any game between the US and Mexico, the Ticos are overwhelmingly all in for the US. Ditto most other teams in CONCACAF (maybe the Panamanians are not too happy right now since we helped Mexico slide into “their” spot.)
Oldplayer
We are getting along well in Brazil because our team has won respect, because US soccer fans are not as obnoxious and combative as European and South American soccer fans, and because Brazilians have a generally positive opinion of the US.
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