Psycho-analysis of US Soccer fans

Have you ever been on a message board where there wasn't 'squabbling'...what would the point be? If everyone agreed on everything it would get kind of boring.

Now IF the squabbling was on the field or between the coaches and players, then you have problem.

What people argue about on Big Soccer has almost 0 relevancy to the real world and US Soccer.

 

BS in a nutshell, at least what I have seen in my time here.

 

I as much as anyone would like our fanbase to be more familial. I do think that trying to compare us to college football fans is a bit unrealistic as they are the king of sporting fanbases in this country.

As these boards confirm theres without a doubt a good amount of passionate USMNT supporters, but I think we sometimes forget that we live in large dense nation where we as USMNT fans are fragmented all over the country.

Aside from the WC, we get what? like 2 or so opportunities to come together every few months and unite as a fanbase in the flesh whether it be at the actual game or a bar.

Also I feel that in order for fans to be more familial we have to surround ourselves with like-minded individuals, how many of us can honestly say that we're surrounded by USMNT fans on a regular basis.

Believe me i'd be thrilled to be able strike a conversation w/ some random person about US soccer at a time not during the WC that'd be awesome, but i'd say its a bit delusional to see that happening anytime soon.

I mean how many of us actually know someone personally (BS friends don't count) that we can actually have a knowledgable conversation about the USMNT who:

-we didn't convert to a USMNT fan ourselves
-we didn't meet at some kind of USMNT event

I myself am fortunate to know two people. Atleast for now i'd say its a bit of a reach to have that unity and communal feeling as other sports teams fanbases have on day-to-day basis.

 

I was so happy that I was able to talk to one of my new coworkers about soccer. Now mind you, he was a new soccer fan from the World Cup, so he was still learning some things. But he seemed really excited about it.

 

I've met fans in every sport who would rather be proven right than see their team win, only a championship changes their mind.

I am/was against Bradley getting re-hired but I am not going to cheer against the team because of that.

 

Mississippi State fan and alumni in the building!

<---------------

 

i agree with your post 100 % . no one thinks that these posts have any bearing on anything except to spread negative vibes. it is to bad so many posters feel they know more than anyone and sound like they actually root against us

 

In the USA, in this sport, some people try to distinguish themselves as experts rather than fans. And some think that they two are mutually exclusive. On your Arkansas board, everyone has a common perspective in that they are all fans of the university. So even if they know more x's and o's, they have that emotional baseline to agree on. Plus, most people have a base level of football knowledge because it is on so often and people have watched it so long.

Here, we have some folks who are "above all that fanboy stuff" vs. some who are pure fans and not as x's and o's focused. This creates a lot of arguments, IMO. The ones in the middle are often left exasperated (me).

Since soccer is still a niche sport here, there can be a wide gap in knowledge, or at least perceived knowledge. I think the range of types of posters here, along with geographical stylistic preferences for playing style, etc., breeds plenty of conflict.

 

I'd like to think that there is a great deal of camaraderie between USMNT fans (due mostly to soccer's status in this country).

One weekend I was visiting New York City. I was waiting for a bus when a stranger wearing a USMNT shirt caught my eye (I was wearing one as well). We both acknowledged each other's presence and gave each other a nod and smile. The experience was very brief, but I felt as though both of us had a moment of mutual understanding.

Because of the relative scarcity of USMNT fans, when two meet on the street it is a much more powerful, meaningful encounter.

 

@ the OP. I too wish we were more close-knit as a fanbase I really do, I just think atleast for now we need to not necessarily accept, but to acknowledge what the status quo of the USMNT fanbase is and build from there.

We will continue to unite when our boys are playing, unfortunately thats only a handful of times during the calendar year, but hey the USMNT schedule is what it is.

For now lets just keep trying to spread the passion of the USMNT to anyone we know or meet that has an open mind or the least bit of interest in the beautiful game.

Perhaps someday, it won't be such a rare occurrence to see some random person on the street wearing USMNT gear.... someday.

 

I think you are looking at this wrong. You are using the internet as a basis to see if we treat each other as a family. I am not sure how many games you been to especially the games where you have to travel to but thats where you see US soccer fans acting like a family. 2005 C'bus, 2006 world cup: before that Czech game and seeing the Germans in shock that there was so many US soccer fans even hearing a US guy explaing in German why there was so many US fans, walking into that plaza and seeing hundreds and hundreds of US fans chanting, singing, and singing the anthem; the Italy game seeing US fans turn into hooligans yelling at refs, throwing bottles onto the field, cursing Bruce Arena for not bringing EDDIE Johnson into the game, After the Ghana US fans packing onto the train and talking about the WC loss, and 2009 Tampa trip and Philly trip. Tampa trip was all about meeting fans from all over the US at McDintons. I was asking everyone how they became a fan and if they were going to the WC. Great time. Philly was awesome. Tailgating and seeing 50K for USA game.
Anyway my point is when you get out there, travel to a game, go to the designated bar the night before the game, you will meet some really awesome US soccer fans. Trust me if you invest all this time into US soccer its a very rewarding experience.

 

The Psycho analysis of US Soccer Fans:
Extreme highs and extreme lows, consistency be damned.

 

true dat. emotional roller coasters galore. never a dull moment.

 

I think there is more of a close knit feeling among US soccer fans out in the real world, then there is amongst any other group of fans.

On here there are a few different factors. It is the internet. It is a message board, wherein most view the entire purpose is to disagree and then lastly Bradley.

The extreme disagreements about, around and relating to Bradley have poisoned almost every discussion, even those that would have no immediate connection.

 

Because in the end it's us vs. the world vs. at least half our own country

 

...Because nothing says you're a real fan like firebombing someone's car.

 

My analysis: Never happy about anything.

 

I would offer that we are the only consistent fan base for ANY US team, including basketball, baseball and hockey. Some of these fan bases show up every couple of years, but since these teams rarely play friendlies(not an exhibition) We are a beacon for US support and nationalism in US sports. We could show the US hockey, baseball(haha) and basketball fans how to chant, sing and be a fan instead of someone going to a game to get entertained. I would love to take a grop of US supporters to a US hockey game, based on their support in Buffalo they need some help.
It was a great and frustrating year for us fans, but a year no other US sport fan could understand. We stand together!
The fans in the US are based around their clubs and not their country.

 

So true. I enjoy Big Soccer, but for the most part I completely avoid the U.S. section at BS for this exact reason. It is just so negative and anger-driven that it is no fun whatsoever to read and contribute.

Thankfully the real world is different.

 

I like to see these boards as a collective research effort and that seems to be more often the case than before. Although, IMHO, collective reasearch is practically useless to the USMNT and more effective in the analysis of MLS because people become a lot more objective when money is involved.
Objectivity and so many points of view are useful until emotions, ego, and pride ruin it. I love seeing the mods shutdown a thread when useful data turns into a boring dick-swinging contest.
Also, there are definitely useful threads such as the Yanks-Abroad list, and "I'm from Country X and Want to Play Soccer in the USA"

Obviously, BS posters/lurkers are a good portion of the more hardcore supporters. The casual fans just love seeing our team win, especially against good oppononents and especiallt when it matters.

I like it when posters provide streams to games, and links to websites, highlights, and articles.

It would be naive for USSF and journalists not to consider some of the points on these message boards, especially, in cases that the majority of posters support a certain viewpoint.

1. Some of these posters are 'educators' to the less-involved fanbase.
2. Some good ideas have shown up on these boards before their implementation.
3. How do you think most people invest their money? They gather enough evidence to make a judgement before taking a risk. The mere fact that these dickswinging contests even take place is evidence upon the expansion of the fanbase.
4. I guarantee you, collective ignorance has been cleared a few times by people who really know what their talking about.

You know some important people/players/coaches/journalists/certain parents (Max Cream's father comes to mind) lurk/post here. Some of the posts that show up are just plain mean, disrespectful, rude, and unfairly directed toward players/coaches who are very hard-working and good at what they do.

 

US soccer fans compared to other fans--especially American football fans--remind me of the Democratic Party compared to the Republicans. Even if the Republicans hate each other, they will stick together come election time. Democrats get into power for the first time in years and turn on each other instantly, while the Republicans smirk. I just came off an NFL blog where there were 140 comments. Almost everyone was slamming the blogger and very little internecine dissing. AND, of course, there were two posts on the first page deriding soccer for influencing NFL players to flop which is not right for a "man's game".

Don't forget, as much as we may disagree with each other, the majority of this country disagree with us even more. In fact, they wish we would just go away, and you know what? Ain't gonna happen. In fact, 50 years from now, those NFL stadiums will be over flowing with REAL football fans. The games will be dangerous. There will be riots. No doubt people will unfortunately die and it still won't be a man's game... simply the WORLD'S game, and everyone on BS is a part of it. We will be old, if we survive, and forums like these will have evolved into the most intelligent, complex public discourse of any sport in the history of this here country. If anything, be proud you took part in that very necessary evolution. P & B to everyone and F Argentina!

 

There was a Slovenian fan who basically boycotted his team and (country to a lesser extent) because their current coach was hired. As much as I dislike Bradley I'm not going to give up on my team and while I won't agree with every post here, it is a message board so the correct langauge is not heard and some take it more personally than others. On other boards their tends to be a non-spoken language of understanding with regional pockets of geography while here on the boards their is none because of just how spread out we are.