Here is the saga of the success story of FIFA, successfully promoting soccer in USA. The world's premium soccer body always wanted to create a dent in a nation where Football meant less foot, more hand contact with an elliptical ball. But never to be dissuaded, FIFA came with an action plan and went beyond just lip service to promote it.
In 1974, stars like Pele, Franz Beckenbauer came to USA and played exhibition games. It was followed by establishment of soccer leagues, clinics and fields in school etc. Still the stubborn Americans refused to budge, hardly showing much interest in the game.
In the 1982 World Cup, FIFA extended its team format, from 16 to 24, precisely to give a boost to new teams. Yet, USA failed to qualify against Honduras and El Salvador, two minnows who represented North America in that World Cup. El Salvador, a team which made it from North America at he expense of USA, was defeated 10-0 in that tournament by Hungary. It showed that FIFA's effort was stillborn, rather than at infancy. USA again failed to qualify for 1986 World Cup, remembered as Maradona's World Cup.
Yet, it did not stop FIFA from awarding USA the privilege to host the World Cup in 1994. Granting a nation the status of hosting a major tournament, is a giant and pragmatic step in promoting a sports in that country. The dividends paid soon. USA managed to qualify for the 1990 World Cup in Rome, over the more fancied Mexico from North America quota.
Then came 1994 World Cup, where America being the host nation did not have to go through the rigors for qualification. It took advantage of its home advantage to reacg the elimination round, where it was expectedly defeated by Hagi's Romania. Though more Americans followed the news of the their Football star O J Simpson's trial than World Cup soccer on their soil, granting the nation the status of hosting it, proved a master stroke by FIFA. The dividends paid well and Soccer took its roots in America.
The moral of this non-fictional story is, with due diligence, persistent planning and effort can pay on the long run. FIFA's promotional effort was some real stuff, not just plain lip service, something to be emulated by other Sporting bodies in the world. No one expects America to win a FIFA World Cup anytime soon, but it has carved its niche, credit to FIFA. It's another matter that USA is a formidable force on the women's version of it, winning the just concluded Women's soccer world cup.
In 1974, stars like Pele, Franz Beckenbauer came to USA and played exhibition games. It was followed by establishment of soccer leagues, clinics and fields in school etc. Still the stubborn Americans refused to budge, hardly showing much interest in the game.
In the 1982 World Cup, FIFA extended its team format, from 16 to 24, precisely to give a boost to new teams. Yet, USA failed to qualify against Honduras and El Salvador, two minnows who represented North America in that World Cup. El Salvador, a team which made it from North America at he expense of USA, was defeated 10-0 in that tournament by Hungary. It showed that FIFA's effort was stillborn, rather than at infancy. USA again failed to qualify for 1986 World Cup, remembered as Maradona's World Cup.
Yet, it did not stop FIFA from awarding USA the privilege to host the World Cup in 1994. Granting a nation the status of hosting a major tournament, is a giant and pragmatic step in promoting a sports in that country. The dividends paid soon. USA managed to qualify for the 1990 World Cup in Rome, over the more fancied Mexico from North America quota.
Then came 1994 World Cup, where America being the host nation did not have to go through the rigors for qualification. It took advantage of its home advantage to reacg the elimination round, where it was expectedly defeated by Hagi's Romania. Though more Americans followed the news of the their Football star O J Simpson's trial than World Cup soccer on their soil, granting the nation the status of hosting it, proved a master stroke by FIFA. The dividends paid well and Soccer took its roots in America.
The moral of this non-fictional story is, with due diligence, persistent planning and effort can pay on the long run. FIFA's promotional effort was some real stuff, not just plain lip service, something to be emulated by other Sporting bodies in the world. No one expects America to win a FIFA World Cup anytime soon, but it has carved its niche, credit to FIFA. It's another matter that USA is a formidable force on the women's version of it, winning the just concluded Women's soccer world cup.
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