In the spirit of the World Cup, First Things has unearthed an old article entitled “How Soccer is Ruining America.” Now this title is certainly (at least I hope…) hyperbolic. I can’t really imagine presidential candidates giving stump speeches about how the biggest problem facing our country today is the existence of soccer. Yet the premise is certainly worth examining. Sports certainly shape cultures in significant ways. So is soccer bad for America? Or, instead, does soccer reveal certain flaws about America?
Let me start with a disclaimer. There are lots of things wrong with soccer, from its prevalent racism to its corrupt governing bodies to its propensity toward violence and hooliganism. This is not a comprehensive defense of soccer and all that it entails. But to dismiss the sport altogether is a mistake. It is a mistake, not only because other sports also have their problems, but also because we can learn from soccer. We, like our sports, have our problems too.
First, Webb claims that soccer is “boring,” and he is certainly not alone in this. I could provide a lengthy argument for why this crass dismissal is misguided, but I won’t. And certainly, like other sports, it will never appeal to everyone. But I think labels like boring indicate the state of American attention spans more than anything else.
Second, soccer’s title as “the beautiful game” is not a misnomer. No other sport blends structure and improvisation together to create an effortless flow in the way that soccer does. Webb also criticizes soccer for establishing a uniform disability. Yet beauty often springs from similar “disabilities.” In writing a sonnet, for instance, one is constrained by the structure of that medium. Beauty comes from interacting with that framework in new ways and sometimes even transcending it. Restrictions don’t always make end products worse. Similarly, a soccer match can produce almost sublime beauty seemingly out of nowhere. In this, I believe we can learn from Europe. Our more pragmatic bent tends to neglect instances like these. While we certainly don’t want to import the nihilism and deconstructionism of Europe—and in this I agree with Webb—we would benefit from the unique nature of soccer and its beauty.
Webb concludes on a more nuanced, almost utilitarian note. Basically, he hates soccer, but recognizes how useful it can be. Even in this, we can see a hint of America’s pragmatic tendencies. Soccer, as he concedes, is a good sport for keeping kids healthy and away from screens. We should add these things to the pros column. Plus, it’s always better when your home team wins.
