Show Josh Collins Contributing Writer Is America ready to finally accept soccer For the American unfamiliar with the sport soccer soccer soccer soc soc- is that sport where the players chase a black and white spotted ball around a field trying to kick it into a large net Ok so almost everyone knows what soccer is but sports fans in America place soccer near the bottom of their list of favorites American sports fans raised on the big four football football football foot foot- ball the American kind basketball baseball and hockey might find it hard to spend time watching soccer Here in Salt Lake professional soccer is only a year old Despite a poor record in its debut Real Salt Lake fans came out in record numbers and had the second largest attendance in Major League Soccer last year Still the crowd sizes pale in comparison comparison comparison com com- parison to soccer in just about every other country in the world Recent problems with drug abuse in baseball and the gangster image of the have driven many fans out of the arenas and lowered TV ratings Even college basketball has taken damage from a tarnished image The recent mens men's basketball basketball basketball basket basket- ball tournament championship game received one of the lowest ratings in the tournaments tournament's history Last season the cancelled an entire season due to a player strike and many experts predicted that it was the end of professional hockey in America The NFL hasn't suffered much as far as popularity goes and football remains king of American sports With the upcoming FIFA world cup in Germany this summer not many American sports fans have found a place in their heart for soc soc- soc soc- I While some soccer players like David Beckham s i in I and and n Ronaldo have become household names others others others oth oth- oth- oth ers such as Gigi Buff Buffon on Clint Mathis and Jason Kreis might not be commonplace across America Mathis and Kreis both played for in its inaugural inaugural inaugural gural season Mathis holds the record for goals scored in a game 5 and Kreis holds the record for most goals in a career Major League Soccer is in its eleventh season and the league is growing Two vo teams were added last year Real Salt Lake and Chivas USA and more may come Pl Plans ns for the new soccer stadium stadium stadium sta sta- sta- sta in Sandy are under way and ground is expected expect expect- ed to be broken sometime this year The stadium is projected to be finished in 2008 has several other specific soccer-specific stadiums under way throughout through through- out the country and the stadium for the Chicago Fire is expected to be finished this summer By the amount of money being spent on new stadiums stadiums stadiums sta sta- sta- sta and franchises seemingly hopes to stay around obviously hopes that the fans will stick around too |