Brews and Views Essay Series: Why American Soccer?

Today we're excited to announce a new series on the Free Beer Movement. It's called "Brews and Views" and we pose a question or topic to various prominent soccer persons and, well, they give us their view on it.

We've got loads of get people that have already responded to our call for essay submissions and each week we'll feature a unique perspective on the current topic/question at hand. Kicking it off (pun intended) we're asking our respondents the question, "Why American soccer?".

As inhabitants of the U.S. of A we've got loads of soccer viewing options and limited amount of time. We want our panel of essayists to make their case as to why the American version of the world's game is the one we should all invest in.

Regularly readers know where we stand on this issue. Buy American. It's ours. Build and shape it so it ranks as one of the premier leagues in the world.

The series will include such diverse voices as former U.S. Men's National Team player Alexi Lalas, The Shin Guardian, MatchFit USA's Jason Davis, Church of Soccer, Nutmeg Radio, FutFanatico, MLS Insider, and many more.

Interested in submitting your own answer to the question, "Why American soccer?", then send us an email with your response. Please keep your submission to under 1000 words (that's like 2.5 pages typed!) and include a picture that you feel goes well with your response. Send it to freebeermovement(at)gmail.com.

Our first contribution comes from Jeremiah Oshan. While you may not necessarily know his name, he's the editing engine behind the network of American soccer, team-specific blogs at SB Nation.

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Photo Credit: Erika Schultz, The Seattle Times

There are few questions easier for me to answer than "Why American soccer?" Simply put, it's there.

Like so many people, what has always attracted me about soccer is not as simple as watching crisp passing, gorgeous goals and acrobatic saves. Soccer, more than almost any other sport, is about community.

Whether that community is in the stands, in the pubs or or even on-line, the sense that we're all in this together is palpable, especially when the team is a local one.

Admittedly, I only really fell in love with American soccer after moving to Seattle. I was in a new city, was out of school, out of work and needed some way to meet other people. After going to the local soccer pub to watch a game, I was immediately drawn to the Sounders in a way that was entirely new to me. I could feel the energy. I could feel the heartache. I could feel the life.

Eventually, I found Sounder at Heart and my love for the domestic game went to an entirely different level. I found a community that wanted to dig deeper into the game, but didn't want to skimp on the passion. We found a team that embraced our curiosity.

The gameday experience takes it all to another level. The pubs around CenturyLink Field are packed with Rave Green. The streets around the stadium are teeming with energy. The March to Match is an almost religious experience for big games.

It is, very much, a shared experience.

I do not pretend that American soccer is on as high a level as it is in Europe. I refuse to apologize for this fact. I have fallen in love with a team and formed a community with its fans. I'll take that trade-off any day.

Jeremiah Oshan lives and breathes American soccer. He is the MLS editor at SBNation/Soccer, the managing editor at Sounder at Heart and co-host of the podcast Nos Audietis. You can also follow him at @jeremiahoshan.


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GRAPHIC - United States of GOOD Beer

While we're not quite there when it comes to world-class soccer there's no doubt that the suds coming from America are some of the best of the bunch.

The folks at GOOD put together a map of the United States based on their readers' responses to their favorite brewers in each of the 50 states (although Idaho doesn't have one... we just had something from there... Laughing Dog Brewery).

What are your thoughts for your state's (or other's) pick? Got something else to suggest?


Credit: http://www.good.is/


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INdecision 2010: Five (Random) Reasons The U.S. Will Host the 2022 World Cup

Give it to us straight, Jon.

By lunchtime Thursday everyone (at least everyone that cares to know) will know the host nations of the 2018 and the 2022 World Cups. Certainly know which European nation will host the latter tournament is important to those with a horse in the race, but for the sake of American soccer we're watching the 2022 announcement with great anticipation.

Having bailed on their 2018 ambitions the United States has put all of its faith in their quest to host the 2022 World Cup. Landing the World Cup in 12 years time will become the next watershed moment for soccer in America. The 1994 Cup launched soccer in this nation from out from behind the shadows, launched our domestic league, Major League Soccer, and put our National Teams on their path to the success they've seen today (although the women's Nats already have one world champions under their belt by then).

Hosting the 2022 World Cup will be the perfect bookend for this story of America's growing love affair with the global game. What began 16 years ago as a massively successful debut for top-flight soccer will come full-circle to show that the sport in the United States has grown by leaps and bounds.

Here are our top five (random) reasons why the United States should another World Cup in 2022. 

Note: We're only looking at the top three bidding nations, the U.S., Australia, and Qatar. South Korea and Japan can both suck an egg because they just had the Cup in 2002. Greedy bastards.

1) Celebrities

USA? We've have the greatest voice over in the history of time on our side, a serial adulterer former President writing columns in Sports Illustrated on our behalf, and loads of other VIPs holding scarves and what-not (Miley Cyrus, Kings of Leon, etc, etc) for the great GoUSABid process.

Australia? Some "netball" player endorsed the bid! You know how you get your countrymen and women fired up for the WC? Find someone who plays an even more obscure sport than soccer to join in and you've got star power!

Qatar? We're pretty sure the Middle Eastern nation gave former French international Zinedine Zidane an oil field for his birthday to get his blessing for the Qatar 2022 big. Not fair. We probably would've just given Zizzou a spot on the New York Red Bulls with Thierry Henry.

Advantage? USA! USA! USA!

2) Petition Signatures

USA? 1,180,000 

Australia? 327,000

Qatar? 0 (No counter. Probably afraid no one would sign it!) 

Advantage? USA! USA! USA!

3) Awesome NFL Stadiums

USA? Umm.... we've got 32 of em! Including a brand-spanking-new one in Dallas that will make your eye bulge out like the wolf checking out the pretty girl in those Warner Brothers cartoons!

Australia? No NFL stadiums.

Qatar? No NFL stadiums. Although they want to air condition their stadiums to shield fans from their 130-degree weather and probably build and underwater stadium, too, and that's just stupid.

Advantage? USA! USA! USA!

4) Beer

USA? Yeah, OK, you kinda got us there with Budweiser, one of FIFA's biggest sponsors, but think of all the delicious beer you could drink before and after the games! The games will be a "water" break.

Australia? Fosters. Seriously? Just because you have those giant, novelty cans doesn't mean it's any good.

Qatar? Alcohol is banned because Qatar is a Muslim country. Although, Qatar has said it would open up alcohol sale for the month of the Cup which means they'd basically sell their religion down the river (if they have any) to host this thing. Not very trust-worthy if you ask us.

Advantage? USA! USA! USA!

5) Military

USA? 1,477,896 active duty personnel. 145,026,374 people available for military service. A $692 billion budget.

Australia? 57,500 active duty personnel. 9,870,031 people available for military service. $26 billion budget (Australian dollars)

Qatar? 11,800 active duty pesonnnel. 551,051 people available for military service. A $810 million budget.

Advantage? USA! USA! USA!

So what's it going to be FIFA? We've got star power, petition power, NFL power, beer power, and military power.

We think the choice is pretty clear. Unless you want about $6 million of our military budget to visit you in Zurich? There's the government support you were whining about. 

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Sign the Petition to Bring the World Cup to the United States!

From the GoUSABid website:

No nation embodies the values and spirit of the FIFA World Cup™ quite like the United States.

Whether you choose to call it soccer, football, or futbol, it is a game that, in so many ways, tells our nation's story.

It is a game where individuals shine through participation, talent and creativity—but team success results from hard work, sacrifice and dedication to a common cause.

It is a democratic game that requires nothing more than a ball, a patch of ground and the passion to play.

It is the world's game, and America, with its rich diversity, is a uniquely globalized nation. We are the world's melting pot, and we have brought the game with us from every corner of the earth.

This is why the game has captured the imaginations of so many Americans and continues to grow at an astonishing pace. It is in our schoolyards and stadiums, our church parking lots and cornfields, our back alleys and beachfronts, pulsing through our cities and suburbs and countryside alike.

The game has grown and never before has there been an opportunity to unify all the diverse passions that live within our borders.

The game is everywhere. The game is in US. We are Americans and we are ready to welcome a FIFA World Cup™ that makes the game part of the everyday social consciousness of our country.

Sign the Petition TODAY to help bring the World Cup to the United States. There will never be a bigger Free Beer Movement opportunity like this!




Source: GoUSABid.com

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Bubba Likes Free Beer: Free Beer Movement in Action

We hate to dredge up any lingering bad memories of the USMNT's run in South Africa (Ghana? Whaaaa?) so we'll turn the ol' memory machine a bit further back to the epic Algeria match and the post-game euphoria that transpired.

None other than former President Bill Clinton was in attendance at the match and took the opportunity to visit with the boys in the locker room.

Clinton, a soccer newbie, declared his relative ignorance of the sport, but admitted that he's really enjoying it:

"I'm still learning. … I knew nothing about soccer until I went to school in England," he said, referring to his days at Oxford from 1968 to 1970, then adding, "I've fallen in love with soccer at my very advanced age."

Enter USMNT captain, and all-around hunk, Carlos Bocanegra to do the Free Beer Movement's legwork.

Clinton, again:

“They said, ‘Hang around until we finish all this and drink a beer with us. Nobody ever does that.’ And so I said O.K. So I stayed for like an hour-and-a-half or something. It was amazing.”

For Bocanegra it was a pretty big moment:

“Former President Clinton came in the locker room afterwards and had a few beers with us. And that was probably the highlight of my life. I’m not gonna lie. That was pretty sweet.”

And, as we've proven time and time again, free beer works as President Clinton re-arranged his schedule to stick around in South Africa to catch the (ultimately) heart-breaking Ghana match.

He even brought his own guest, FBM-style.


Former President Bill Clinton....probably our highest profile convert yet!

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