June 7, 2008
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Euro Cup 2008
For those of you who are soccer fans please visit my client’s site Goal.com…it is in 11 languages so I am sure no matter where you are you will find a version that has the teams you are interested in in the language that you feel comfortable with.
I launched a Japan version on a large portal site here in Tokyo called Excite.jp.The growth has been tremendous and I think soccer’s popularity is still growing especially in the USA. Actually there are more active soccer players in the USA than any other country other than Indonesia…hard to believe but true!
Media experts estimate that there are 50 million people following soccer in the USA now with 18.7 million players with the player’s average age hovering around 16 years of age.
These players clearly represent the so-called “New Media Generation.” Forty Eight percent of the players are teen-aged girls who could be considered the most influential and active consumers in the country now.
Comments (4)
My oldest son went over to Europe when he was a Junior in HS to play soccer (it was with the American Soccer Ambassadors) and he had a wonderful time. He really was surprised that they did not do too badly considering that at that time soccer was just starting here in the US…for the most part. We love soccer in this family. I hope that soccer continues to grow in the US. I would love to see it rival football…okay…that might be pushing it! Just a thought! I am going to visit your client’s website.
Oh..it is very impressive (goal.com) and I have sent it on to my sons. They will be thrilled to see it. So much info on one website. Exciting stuff!
Great site…will pass on to my son. We are very familiar with a couple of the players on the site, one in particular … Jozy Altidore. My boys played against him and his team from South Florida, Boca Juniors, for the under-14 Florida state boys championship a few years back. What an incredible player … always has been. My one son’s claim to fame that year as a keeper playing against him was that he stopped one of Jozy’s shots on goal to help us win the game. Must note here as well that Jozy’s Altidore is true sportsman …he showed true grace and sportsmanship after his team lost to us by coming up to my sons and several of our players and congratulating them when the rest of his team walked away in disbelief and anger. He was 14 at the time and mature beyond his years in that respect. I’m happy to see him doing so incredibly well!
…you have affiliations with goal.com?
I use it on a daily basis. Love that site.
In future the US should be a driving force in the football industry. Like you said, still a lot of growth potential, and I think investors will soon truely realise that.
Particularly, we’ve seen the take-over of many English based clubs by US business persons (the Glazers at Manchester United, Lerner at Aston Villa, and Gillet and Hicks at Liverpool), the ‘real’ spending should soon commence your side of the pond in a few years from now.