USA Soccer

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If you look at USA soccer from a historical perspective, you'll notice that it had a very weird fluctuation, unlike soccer in other countries that slowly but surely rose in popularity. Actually, you might notice there are two "eras" in US soccer, with a huge gap between them.

Taking a peak at the first era, we notice that the USA soccer team was one of the first to be created, with only two national teams being older, namely the English and Scottish one.

They also participated to 4 consecutive World Cups spanning from 1930 (where US soccer had its best performance, reaching the semifinals and getting the bronze medal in the tournament) to 1950.

After a 40 year gap, American soccer was back on track in the 90s, with a spectacular revival on both national team and club levels.

The first World Cup hosted by USA in 1994 would also mark another important even for soccer in US, namely the birth of the Major League Soccer, a national club division similar to England's Premiership, Italy's Serie A or Spain's La Liga.

What made this revival possible? Factors range from the increase in popularity that soccer in US got after qualifying for the 1990 World Cup in Italy, the fact that more American youngsters started taking up this sport and the success the women's national soccer team had over the last two decades.

In addition, a stream of famous American players, from the men and women's national sides, helped popularize the sport, encouraging youngsters to focus on it.