U.S Soccer

How U.S Soccer Developed

An examination of soccer in the United States, how it developed as a sport and the issues of class throughout it's history.

The Falls River Rovers in 1917 taking a photo with the National Challenge Cup and the Times Cup

Research on how the sport developed in the United States, and the intersections with class it had throughout it's growth.

Different sections of this topic are broken up into pages on this site. They are intended to bring you the history and background of United States soccer, examining the intersections of class throughout. Examining the history can explain how U.S soccer developed the way it did will be showcased in different important time periods making connections with the current state of soccer in the U.S and the issues of class the sport continues to face. Soccer in the United States has a certain suburban, middle class culture that tags along with it. My research in this project examines how and why that middle class culture has become so prevalent in U.S soccer. Why did soccer fail to take off in America?

So, why does this matter?

Studying sports history tells us about the broader history at play. Sports are a distinct place where culture, politics, and class plays out. Through research of soccer, we can make connections to larger historical events at play. In this case, soccer is a part of the story of the immigration wave of the late industrial period of the U.S, the Great Depression, and development of the middle class. The ultimate demise of soccer's popularity in the United States was during the Great Depression and after WW2 soccer leagues continued with financial issues. Leagues were riddled with financial troubles during the Depression, and star soccer players were enlisted into military service. Soccer has a special place in class as it was home to immigrant workers, and lots of early players were factory workers as well. Soccer is a glimpse into the early class history of the United States.

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