O.C. Takes a Growing Interest in Soccer : Quality Club, Youth and Semi-Pro Leagues Form Base to Build on for Future Tourneys
Orange County may have to wait awhile to learn whether announced plans for developing Sportstown in Anaheim will pay off in the big-time sporting scene for football and baseball. But in the meantime, the county can savor more modest pleasures derived from the participation of Anaheim Stadium in hosting matches in recent weeks for the prestigious Gold Cup, which is described as the biggest international soccer event in this hemisphere since the 1994 World Cup.
Alas, there have been some disappointing crowds at various venues including Anaheim, and grumbling about shortcomings in marketing strategies. But even the problems have suggested developing levels of interest for soccer within our area.
Although there was a small crowd on hand when the U.S. team defeated Trinidad and Tobago, fans of the Caribbean team played musical instruments, sang pep songs and danced in the stands. U.S. fans provided their own enthusiasm, led by a group calling itself Sam’s Army, whose troops waved flags and sang Irish soccer songs. The coach of the U.S. team, Steve Sampson, suggested that a better promotional effort, especially involving youth programs, would have brought out more fans.
Several professional outdoor soccer teams have started up and folded in Orange County in the past 15 years, but the spirit of grass-roots enthusiasm for the sport has inspired former Olympian and North American Soccer league player Rick Davis to another try. He plans to have a new team based in South County in operation next year. His assessment is that Orange County is “one of the best soccer markets in the country.” And for that, he cites the presence of good quality club, youth and semi-pro leagues as a base. It may be, as some suggest, that soccer must scale down expectations about the size of the stadiums it needs. But prospects remain positive. The Saddleback Valley, in particular, is viewed by experts as a spawning ground for a quality soccer environment.
There is no reason why “small” can’t also be good. More and more, it seems, the resumes of movers and shakers include a line under “hobbies” that pays tribute to the joys of “watching my son/daughter play soccer.” Autumn Saturdays in Orange County are a colorful spectacle of uniformed kids spilling out of minivans at various parks, with mom and dad bringing up the rear.
The Gold Cup competition winds up today. The attendant hoopla has been a reminder that soccer has become a spirited and welcome fixture.
