What? Soccer? But nobody cares about soccer!
Au contraire.
Since David Beckham's arrival in the States, soccer- and more specifically, Major League Soccer- has been getting some long overdue press.
The League's inaugural season was in 1996 and attendance levels at games are back at an all time high. Soccer-specific stadiums are popping up all over the country and are still being built to house different cities’ major league teams. The League has shifted a bit, adding teams in Houston, another team in Los Angeles (the Galaxy's ugly step-sister, Chivas USA), a team in Salt Lake City, and even in Toronto, Canada. There was a team in San Jose, CA, which ended up being transplanted to Houston, but the League will be expanded again next season to bring a team back to the bay area city. Seattle will soon host a Major League Soccer team of its own as well, as the League looks to possibly expand to Philadelphia and St. Louis.
The League has become exceedingly more competitive. Houston won the League's Cup Championship in the team's first year of existence. After a home-and-away series based on aggregate goals in round one of playoffs, Houston prevailed. Dallas defeated Houston 1-0 in Big D, and then went on to drive the stake deeper as they were first to score during game two of the series in Houston. With Robertson Stadium brimming with a sold out, standing-room-only crowd, Houston bounced back to win the game 2-1, tying the number of aggregate goals 2-2. The game went into thirty minutes complete overtime, in which Houston scored not one, but TWO goals during those final heart-stopping minutes, ending the aggregate series at 4-2. In the western conference championship game, the Dynamo defeated the Kansas City Wizards, who boasts an Austinite midfielder, A.J. Godbolt. The Dynamo was later crowned the Cup Champions after a battle against the New England Revolution for the second year in a row.
So why didn’t Austin catch wind of this?
While soccer is growing in Austin and its surrounding areas, something is lacking. Even the long shot of Michael Dell purchasing Austin’s own major league team, it would still fall short of the real possibility of bringing Major League Soccer to Austin. Why not support the two Texas major league teams then? Perhaps because most people don’t know they’re out there.
With a championship team a short drive away and another competitive team just up I-35, more awareness should be brought to the heart of Texas. During the Dynamo’s first year as a team, they put on an exhibition game right here in Austin against Real Salt Lake. The game had an excellent turn out, despite the lack of coverage and advertisement. The Austin American-Statesman itself rarely, if ever, prints box scores for the League's games, much less feature stories. Maybe inviting the Dynamo or F.C. Dallas back to Austin to play another exhibition game (this time keeping up with the coverage) could expand the fan base here.
The Texas teams' players might be equally excited about playing exhibition games in other cities, like Austin. Just ask Stuart Holden, outside midfielder for the Dynamo. "As far as exhibition games and camps in surrounding cities such as Austin, this only helps spread the popularity and awareness for the Dynamo and the MLS. I personally loved playing in Austin, because it gives a chance for fans of the Dynamo to come and see us a little closer than a 3.5 hour drive!" Holden says.
Other teams in the League always put on soccer camps in their local and surrounding areas. Why not invite them to host a camp in Austin? Zack Pope of Round Rock, and more recently, a graduate of Duke University, where he was an outside midfielder for four years, is looking to make the big leagues when he makes an appearance at the player combine for Major League Soccer. And would he consider putting on his own camp for his home crowd here in Austin? "Definitely! For younger kids, that's probably best thing you can really do. It's one thing to sit around and watch a soccer game on TV or live, but to have hands on experience with players in the league would be awesome," Pope says. And his hometown is rooting for him to earn a position on a team in the League.
Some teams, such as the L.A. Galaxy, have put on fantasy camps for adults in their home cities that are widely popular. What grown man or woman wouldn't want to pretend to be a part of the team for just a few days? The Dynamo itself has put on a camp like the one the Galaxy puts on. "I have been involved with a couple Soccer events similar to that [of the Galaxy] put on by the Dynamo, including a Soccer 101 event for women that was extremely successful," Holden explains. And of course the League's players love putting on these events because it gives them a chance to get even more in touch with their fans. Pope is also in agreement that camps like these would definitely be popular here in Austin. "It's not that people aren't passionate about soccer, but they don't necessarily have the opportunity to show it," he says. This would give adults and children alike the perfect opportunity to do exactly that.
Soccer nights at the Irish pubs around Austin always have rowdy crowds. More publicity for these events could raise awareness about America's version of the Beautiful Game. Supporters’ chapters throughout Texas always bring in more fans, so why not start one here?
While the likelihood of Austin getting any major league sports team is wafer thin, the city is on the cusp of bursting with soccer pride. Teams like the Cowboys and the Spurs get loads of support here; now the city needs to cater to the soccer fan’s needs.
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