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.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.


Get the NEW Free Beer Movement "Pint Glass" shirt! Only from Objectivo.com