Why is soccer so popular with U.S. tweens&teens, but not as a college/pro sport?

[Yookeroo]

@Justin_Bailey

It’s been said multiple times in this very thread.

Where?

@Justin_Bailey

And here are three articles from the first page of a Google search for “soccer popularity us”

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/worldcup/2006-07-06-soccer-in-the-us_x.htm

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1566893/why_is_soccer_not_popular_in_the_united.html

Sports comments: Soccer will soon be popular American sport | PennLive.com

Where in any of these articles is the claim that soccer will become the biggest sport in the country?

[Justin_Bailey]

@Yookeroo

Where?

All of these posts mention soccer’s pending popularity spike (or a claim thereof):

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=10215725&postcount=28

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=10215897&postcount=30

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=10222710&postcount=70

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=10225873&postcount=85

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=12578117&postcount=94

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=12578117&postcount=95

@Yookeroo

Where in any of these articles is the claim that soccer will become the biggest sport in the country?

Most of them are one page. If you can’t be bothered to read something that short and would rather play gotcha, I can’t help you.

[Snarky_Kong]

@Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party

Why would any of them make it? If you’re playing football at university, you’ve missed the boat. Professional players start playing for clubs at 16, 17, 18 etc.

A bit late on this response, but not in the US they don’t.

Of the US starting 11: Onyewu, Demerit, Bocanegra, Dempsey, Edu (I think he’ll start, but Clark too), and Findley played in college.