No more excuses: World Cup pressure is on for host USA
'We can no longer have low expectations,' said Alexi Lalas, who became one of the unlikely faces of the 1994 World Cup (PATRICK HERTZOG) The last time the United States hosted the World Cup, Bill Clinton was in the White House, Nirvana was on the radio, and most Americans couldn't name a single player on their national team. Thirty-two years later, the tournament is back -- co-hosted with Mexico and Canada -- and so is the question that has haunted American soccer ever since: is this finally the moment the sport breaks through? The short answer, according to nearly everyone inside the game, is: it had better be.
"We can no longer have low expectations," said Alexi Lalas, the red-bearded defender who became one of the unlikely faces of the 1994 tournament and is now a TV commentator. "The opportunities and the infrastructure we've built since 1994 have gone into producing better soccer players -- anything less than the round of 16 is ultimately a failure. " The USA take the next step towards the World Cup when they face Belgium in a friendly on Saturday.
Speaking at the South by Southwest conference in Austin, players, executives and broadcasters painted a picture of a sport at an inflection point. Much has changed in three decades. When FIFA awarded the 1994 World Cup to the United States, it came with a condition: the Americans had to establish a top-tier professional league.
It was, at the time, a leap of faith. That faith has been rewarded — slowly, and then all at once. Major League Soccer has attracted superstars like Lionel Messi and has better average attendance than many leagues in Europe.
"It's actually the third most popular sport in the US -- it beats baseball," said Bettina Garibaldi, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer for the FIFA World Cup 26 New York New Jersey Host Committee. "That officially came out as of January. So you can see how much the sport, in and of itself, is growing.
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