I'm well aware of the popularity of soccer in the South, but there's also a strong anti-soccer sentiment. Just check the twitter responses for ATL United's beat writers last night. There are people who hate the sport with the ferocity of a TU faculty member discussing our football team. You also have to consider that this isn't some Man City/Chivas exhibition, it's a domestic league game featuring a team that didn't even exist 2 years ago. It's a big deal.
It sounds like you think I disagree with you. I don’t. But for the sake of discussion, not argument, It’s a good thing to see such success. I just don’t think it is a huge big deal like the MLS fan boys and the broadcast make it out to be. It wasn’t a surprise.
First, Americans will watch two guys install dual sinks in a master bedroom if there is a winner to be declared and they can identify with the winner. You know this to be true if you are old enough to remember the Soviet chess matches on national television. More over, ATL is a notorious bandwagon town.
Second, the interest in Southern soccer isn’t that recent. Chattanooga of all places was getting sell out crowds in excess of 10,000 in effing July a few years ago. Now that raised eyebrows.
Third, the casual fans, and there were plenty of them last night, are there because of the new venue and low prices. You don’t to look farther than the Braves and NASCAR in the same town to see a crappy venue and high prices will keep folks at home. So I’m afraid you are going to have to wait 10 years before anyone declares Atlanta a soccer town.
after the paint dries, given them a couple of losing seasons on aging turf, and check the attendance in July. Then we will talk about the popularity of soccer in the South.
Right now we are just talking about the hot new ticket in town in a cool new venue enjoying a playoff run because of investor spending sprees on managers and players for the first couple of years — with MLS approving the transfers to hopefully perpetuate the belief you’ve cited.