Reflection

The in-class discussion of Franklin Foer’s book, “How Soccer Explains the World,” certainly prompted vigorous debate in class. Is the book actually about globalization or is the work a portrait of the effects of soccer (or, as it is known to the rest of the world, football)? What is Foer actually advocating when he notes the lack of nationalism for all-American teams? Can Foer actually be trusted to be an unbiased reporter, or does his intense fanaticism for the sport override any argument about globalization he could make?

To be perfectly honest, these questions stump me more often than not. None of these questions have easy answers. One of the questions posed toward the end of class was whether or not Foer advocated hooliganism as a form of nationalism for the US. On this point, I do not necessarily believe that this is what Foer is recommending. I think it is unfair to compare the structure of soccer leagues around the world with the structure of most American sports leagues. American leagues are decidedly that – American. European, South American, or Asian leagues encompass many different countries and frequently engage other these other countries. Just as someone may have fanatical support for the Boston Red Sox, another person may have equal support for the Spanish soccer team. Regular Americans will probably not show much support for American national teams because these teams rarely play anyplace other than the Olympics. America also has an incredibly amount of diversity among its population, which may account for a lack of national support behind just one team.

Because of so many opinions and perspectives in the “melting pot” of America, it may be difficult to find one element to unite behind. Is the reason that there is so little support for the national American soccer team because there are so many countries represented in America? These people may choose to support a country where they or their parents grew up, a country that might appreciate soccer more. Perhaps a lack of tolerance toward some members of society lead them to feel alienated, which may not lead them to support a national team. Or, the answer could just be that Americans just do not care about soccer the way the rest of the world does. It’s truly a complex question with many different possible answers.