News Watch: Soccer Photography, More Good News for US Soccer, MLS grows with ESPN Deportes, and Go USA Bid's Boost

A few Ameri-centric soccer posts working their way around the Inter-Web-O-Sphere:

* Soccer in America - A Photographic Journey

This is great stuff. The FBM sent in one of our pictures from a recent Austin Aztex game and it was there first picture in the feature! Some of the other ones have been pretty good as well (I'm thinking the Tony Danza Army). This is a great way to document the growing influence American soccer has on each of our lives. Check out all the photos in their growing archive. Send in your own if you have any, too.

* Columbus Dispatch: Soccer's Footprint in U.S. is Expanding

"Just when I thought you couldn't possibly be any dumber, you go and do something like this... and totally redeem yourself!" (The Dispatch was on our shit list for their bad mouthing of our man, Frankie Hejduk). Now all is well again with last week's feature on the growth of the game in the U.S. including wise words from Mr. Hejduk.

* ESPN reports "significant growth" of Major League Soccer on Deportes

'Nuf said. This is good news as any upward moving for MLS tells the suits in Bristol, Conn. to hold on to their undies because soccer in growing in American. Pull the cameras out of the national jump roping competition and rock, paper, scissor playoffs; there's a new sheriff in town. (Notice how even after we said "nuf said" we still rambled? We have a bad habit of doing that.)

And,

* Go USA Bid gets boost from Seattle Sounder's owner Drew Carey on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson:

Tried to check and see if the sticker was still on Craig's desk later. Results: inconclusive. And when I said "tried to check" I didn't actually because 1) I don't have a TV (pirated Internet streams!) and 2) I would never stay up late enough to catch such hilarity.

Did we mention that Carey "tweeted" us and said he wanted to do a FBM event sometime? No? Well he did. Seriously.

The Movement: What YOU Can Do

"Ask not what the Free Beer Movement can do for you, but what you can do for the Free Beer Movement." - President John F. Kennedy, 1960

We're pretty sure the quote went something like that, although we may have mixed up a word or two. Either way the essence of the quote is intact.... yeah.

The Free Beer Movement site exist as a promoter of the idea that free beer can help increase the profile of American soccer. It also exists as a documenter of the culture of American soccer.

What we need from you, faithful supporters and members of the FBM, is to take the idea of the Movement and practice what we preach.

We would love to buy every person who has not been exposed to the beauty of the American game a nice cold beer, but there's not enough money in the FBM coffers to do such a thing.

It it incumbent upon our followers to expose American soccer to the under-exposed. It has to come from your love of the game and it has to come from your pocketbook.

I'm sure you're asking, "What kind of half-ass deal is this?"

The kind where you do exactly what you've already been doing (going to games, talking other peoples' ears off about the sport, and drinking beer), but now doing it all at once.

The Free Beer Movement is not asking you to fund a 50 person party with free beer before the next US international or MLS weekend match, we are asking you to invite at least one more person that usual to the next game (on TV or at the stadium), buy them a beer or two or three or more if the generous mood suits you (tell them sorry, but the ticket is on them), and show off our sport.

Finally, when you've done so... tell us. We want to hear your successes and failures. We want to see your pictures from the games. We want to know which beers you toasted with the new guy (or girl) as another barrier of soccer ignorance is broken down.

Loving soccer is really easy. We've got a million and one reasons why we support the sport. What is more difficult is passing that passion onto another and selling it to them.

That's why we and the idea of free beer is here.

Share your passion. Tell us your stories.

Today's The Day...

Today's the day the US National Team takes the field in World Cup Qualification.

Today's the day they face El Salvador in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Today's the day we will miss Mr. Frankie Hejduk.

Today's the day we take three points and move a step closer to booking our tickets to South Africa.

Today's the day that Howard will shine, Landon will lead, goals will be scored, and timely tackles will be made.

Today's the day we sit down with friends and fellow soccer fans and cheer on the home team.

Today's the day we invite someone new to come along and experience the power of a soccer match.

Today's the day they'll get a free cold one to enjoy while watching the sport we so desperately love and the team we'd follow to the ends of the earth (or South Africa!).

Today's the day we ask a non-soccer fan to join our footballing family.

The Free Beer Movement is about spreading the love of American soccer to all corners of the nation and no day is better than today. Today, the pride and joy of our nation's game takes the field in order to continue its push towards the greatest sporting spectacle of all-time, the World Cup.

The past, present, and future of American soccer all take the field today to join in one cause, to win, and to move on to the next level.

It is days like this we, as American soccer fans embrace, as our national team fights for our country's continued respect on the international stage and to stake a claim as the best team in North and Central America.

Games like today are bigger than any game; bigger than any MLS game, and bigger than your son or daughter's kick around in the park.

Our local colors blend. There are no more yellow and black of the Columbus Crew or orange and white of the Houston Dynamo or the black and red of DC United; today there is only RED, WHITE, and BLUE.

These are the days that our nation's best and brightest shine on the field for 90 minutes. For themselves, for soccer, but mostly for you... the American.

These are the days that you have to get up as a soccer fan in America.

So grab you friends, grab those soccer fans, grab those ones you want to become soccer fans, and most importantly grab some really cold beers because today's the day we support our National Team and our national game we love so much.

News Watch: Soccer Without Borders, Grant Wahl Continues on the Beckham Beat, and LD Going Abroad?

If you get a chance check out "Soccer Without Borders," a US-based soccer aid agency. Their focus is using soccer to reach children in need abroad, and I think most importantly and often overlooked, in the U.S.

Here's a brief video of their efforts with poor immigrants in the Los Angeles area.

25 Players, 12 Countries, 6 Languages, One Sport:

Soccer Without Borders: 25+12+6=1 from Clare Major on Vimeo.

Other American soccer news:

Grant Wahl's latest column for SI.com focuses on the surging LA Galaxy and the Rodman-esqe David Beckham

Landon Donovan's on-again-off-again-on-again love affair with European soccer continues. Soccer365 reports that Donovan's agent said "many European teams" are interested in the LA Galaxy's leading scorer. If LD heads back to Europe it could be rough times ahead for the Galaxy and MLS. With LD gone and Beckham doing his best to sabotage his remaining days in LA, the league will struggle without a marketable poster boy.

"Soccer; its the new American sport."

So says Steven Colbert and I'll take him at his word.

In late June, the United States National Team was coming off its stunning performance in the Confederations Cup and Steven Colbert posed the questions: "Is It Time to Care About Soccer?"

Anytime Colbert gives you a shout out then you've probably made the big time and soccer's mention on the show, while tongue-in-cheek, meant that perhaps the sport was moving off the back burner.

Many of you have probably seen this already, but we weren't around back then and we're throwing it out there now.

First clip is Colbert's rant on soccer and the second clip is his interview with Alexi Lalas, former LA Galaxy General Manager and ESPN personality.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Is It Time To Care About Soccer?
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Protests

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Is It Time To Care About Soccer? - Alexi Lalas
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Protests

I think we owe Mr. Colbert a game and a beer.

News Watch: The American Outlaws.... a real supporter's group

The Journal-Star of Lincoln, Nebraska recently did a profile piece on "The American Outlaws," a US National Team supporters' group:

"You might think that the majority of U.S. soccer fans are only in big markets such as Chicago and Los Angeles. But the soccer fan base is expanding nationwide thanks to the efforts of a few local fans."

The "American Outlaws" were started only two years ago through the efforts of Justin Brunken and Korey Donahoo two Cornhusker students in search of a vibrant and energentic US National Team supporters' group. If you're a follower of the Nats and have been around for awhile you'll recall that for a number of years "Sam's Army" has had a corner on the supporters' group market. While one never wants to split up a limited fan base Sam's Army appears to be taking us (as US soccer fans) in the wrong direction.

Think of the supporters of other soccer clubs and national teams and one can conjure up the rabid supporters. Sam's Army does not conjure up any of those images.

The American Outlaws adds an element of intensity that is lacking in the "Army." They bring a more militant appearance (while not at all looking like an ultras group) than the family-friendly Army. Their signature is a stars-and-stripes bandanna and, unlike Sam's Army, do not require a certain color to be worn.

This has always been my major hang up with Sam's Army. They have push that all members/sitters in their section wear the color red to distinguish themselves as a supporters' group. This is flawed thinking. Number one; the US Nats do not even have a red jersey so the average (or above average) fan is cannot (or is strongly discouraged) from wearing the ACTUAL jersey of the team they are there to support. To comply with this when I have sat in their section I have worn by Liverpool jersey (red) instead of one of my four US Nats jerseys. Duh!

This almost OCD focus on color and the lack of a true identity has led Sam's to become a tame alternative to the more active Outlaws. Even their web presence is more striking. Sam's Army's site looks as though it was developed in a high school computers class in 1996 whereas the Outlaws has clearly been done by a professional. If you get a chance and take a look at the "songs" on Sam's site and try to convince me this isn't the wussiest fan club in the world.

It's not that I just have a problem with their red-requirement, but I have a problem in general when the game on the field pits one team against the other in epic battle where the supporters' group appears as a non-factor singing sissy songs.

So when Justin and Korey said they didn't see a true supporters' group for the Nats they would be absolutely correct. American soccer needs a loud, proud, and maybe a bit more forceful presences at its games and around the U.S. of A. The American Outlaws is here to fill that void and make a name for the supporters of the "Red, White, and Blue"

- Dan

Link: The American Outlaws webpage

The Game Is In US

The United States World Cup Bid Committee just launched it's new website to gather support in bringing the 2018 or 2022 World Cups to the land of the red, white, and blue. Visit GoUSABid.com to sign the petition and voice your support.

While you're at it check out their trailer too. A bit cheesy, but a start:



As unabashed supporters of American soccer it is absolutely imperative that the United States land the World Cup again. In 1994 we should the world that we were not disinterested fans of the game by breaking and (and to this day) maintaining single game and total tournament records for attendance.

Since that summer of soccer love, Americans have been supporting the sport and home (with a growing domestic league) and abroad (growing TV ratings for international soccer leagues). We deserve another chance to prove that we have embraced the world's sport in total.

Besides this might be the only chance that you have to buy your friend a beer at a World Cup game. And it's only one!

Soccer in the US: News Watch

The FBM is more than just about the intersection of beer and soccer, but about the culture of soccer in the United States as well. We are just as concerned about creating new fans of the game as documenting the growth of the game. From time to time we'll feature articles about said culture, everything from fans, teams, stadiums... anything to knowledge of soccer in this country.

Today, some links from various media outlets around the country:

USA Today and the Seattle Sounders Success

Chivas USA struggles to create its own identity

ESPN's "Outside the Lines" follows the United States Men's National Team this summer from Costa Rica to South Africa to Mexico City

The Wall Street Journal asks if the US is becoming a soccer nation

Stay tuned for exclusive "culture content" along with more news and views on American soccer.