A commercial that aired during the 2006 World Cup showed a Caucasian man joining a group of locals in Dubai for a friendly game of football. It ended with a message that read: "We all speak one language. Football."
The United States, however, is excluded from this unity. For starters, "football" in the U.S. is an entirely different sport; Americans, unfortunately, do not speak this "common language."
The English Premier League is currently considering adding an extra game to its season that would be played in various countries around the world, including the United States.
Soccer is much more than a game, however. It might be the closest thing we have to establishing common ground in our world today. In the face of constant conflict, soccer unites.
This is true of most sports: over 90 million Americans tune in to watch the Super Bowl every year and 20 million watched the World Series in 2007. But soccer is something that has produced a sense of community on a worldwide scale. According to an article published by The Telegraph, the English Premier League is the most popular league in the world, boasting over half a billion viewers in 202 different countries. Popularity in Asia is particularly high: Five channels in Singapore regularly broadcast live matches, and matches attract between 100 million and 360 million viewers in China. Despite soccer's global esteem, however, it is different in America.
Common explanations for why America does not breed soccer hooligans are that the game is too slow and there isn't enough scoring. But 2006 World Cup statistics claim that interest in the sport is not a problem: 16.9 million Americans tuned in for the final. The potential for a widespread fan base certainly exists.
One problem is that Americans have very little access to live soccer matches. Finding live broadcasts from the EPL or Spain's La Liga is virtually impossible on cable TV, and even subscribing to Fox Soccer Channel does not guarantee a live feed. By promoting its league in the United States, the EPL could generate more U.S. interest and a demand for live coverage.
An increased interest in the sport would connect Americans to the outside world on a social and cultural level. My own Arsenal fanaticism has created bonds with people around the world; I once conversed with a Togolese merchant in South Africa about Togolese Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor and on another occasion exchanged views with Indonesian Manchester United fans in Bali.
Imagine if American football were huge in Iraq: The country had their own league, top coaches, perhaps even exchanged a couple players with America. Would this mend the nations' relationship? Probably not. But it would certainly affect the way the two countries interacted. America's relationship with Iraq is completely dominated by the current war -- understandably so. But without any other common points to bring the two countries together, how can we possibly foster understanding and cooperation? Granted, it takes a lot more for two countries to reach harmony, but our mutual attitudes could be greatly improved with one simple common interest.
Take, for example, the U.S."Japan relationship. Progress in relations between the two nations cannot be solely attributed to their common passion for baseball, but this shared interest certainly helps. An increase in player exchanges between the two countries and an acknowledgement of this shared cultural phenomenon helped establish the grounds for a budding friendship.
According to Jim Small, the vice president of International Market Development for the MLB, baseball "provides an excellent platform for teenagers from the two countries to learn about another culture." In a prime example of an exchange of cultures, David Oritiz and Daisuke Matsuzaka of the Boston Red Sox were filmed sharing a "secret" handshake -- four hand slaps followed by a traditional Japanese bow.
Just as baseball did for U.S."Japan relations, joining the universal interest in soccer would be an opportunity for the United States to create common ground with the rest of the world. The world speaks the language of football. I hope the States will join the clique soon.
