Essentially, yes … but only because no American women (that I am aware of) have played in any of the top-level European/Latin American professional leagues.
In fairness, Knorf is right that Mia Hamm is the most renowned American football player. Is she the best? Well no but she is probably the best woman player.
Absolutely … completely agree.
Depends how you parse that. She sure ain’t the most famous player of American football.
But, yeah, if you asked me, an American, to name a famous American soccer player, hers is the only name I could come up with. None of the other names in this thread mean anything to me. Of course, I don’t follow soccer—and I’m not untypical of Americans in this respect.
Clearly you don’t follow football (which is what most fans call it) but that’s ok, we’ll forgive you.
To emerge from my lurking . . .
Most people in this thread are assuming the United States has little history when it comes to soccer. Google the name Billy Gonsalves, or American Soccer History Archives, to learn about the man most people consider to be the best American footballer ever.
In the modern era, I would definately go with Claudio Reyna, Brad Fridel, or Kasey Keller.
Lochdale, more than being a midfielder for Sunderland and Manchester City, Reyna had a pretty distinguished career in Germany and at Rangers.
Saorise, I suggest you watch a MLS game, and take a look at how the quality has improved in the past few years. Most American teams would not be too out of place at the top of the Championship or towards the bottom of the Prem.
So there weren’t any GIs who stayed over here and played for Bolton Wanderers or whatever after the war? I was kind of hoping for some American players from the old days.
Ricky Davis?
Completely agree. No doubts about it!
What about Ethan Zohn? Okay, admittedly he didn’t get famous for playing soccer.
As for Hamm, my understanding is that if you wrote a list of the best female soccer players in the world, Americans would dominate it. While the United States is a lightweight in men’s soccer, we’re the powerhouse of women’s soccer.