Soccer Versus Football: Sports and Sponsorship the American Way

There is a reason why Americans are disillusioned with what the rest of the world calls football. In addition to being a low-sometimes-no-scoring game, soccer lacks the level of aggression that so defines the American culture. The methodical focus and relative politeness of soccer makes matches monotone to American-breed sports senses.

Absent in soccer are the pretentious--even brass--players who know that part of the game involves putting on a good show for the viewing audience and sponsors. In football, cheerleaders and sometimes marching bands help maintain the pep for slow-moving games. In soccer, cheering and spontaneous sing-a-longs are solely fan driven. Also fan-driven is the sea of national pride displayed by each country and the camaraderie between teams and their players. In America, being from the same country rarely equates to unity between the States. Football is a competition not an opportunity to fraternize.

More interesting than the first hour and ten minutes of a soccer match are the fans and sometimes, the commercials. More interesting in the first hour and ten minutes of a football game is the game.

In many ways, the international soccer audience is very much like the brands that support them--self-promoting. In America, name brands plaster everything mobile and stationary but individuals tend to drive promotions through word of mouth. In an ad overdosed society, it takes much more to garner viewer attention and ultimately consumer loyalty than the “Because I said so,” approach so prominent in American sports—especially football. Soccer seems to carry an infectious, “Because we said so,” free-for-all. It makes a difference when an entire country calls a national holiday, stops civil wars, and postpones major elections for something they believe in. No American sport has that type of influence.

It will take a little more than World Cup 2006 to convince Americans that soccer is the premier game of choice. In addition to appeasing an international fan-base, sponsors must realize that Americans are often easier convinced to lead than to follow