You, like me, probably always wondered why, in the US, Soccer has not became the popular sport it is in almost all the rest of the world.

Like me, you probably heard many times the common explanations: TV channels don't invest in this sport because there are not enough breaks to insert commercials; Americans find it boring because very few goals are scored; A sport in which the best players are not always those who score goals makes no sense in a country used to see statistics as the explanation for everything, etc...

I don't find any of those explanations satisfying. I actually feel exactly the opposite: Soccer doesn't take off in this country because we are trying to sell it for what it is not: another international sport with worldwide celebrities and, as a consequence, a big money maker for promoters, TV channels and players.

Those of you who grew up in Europe with an inborn passion for "Football" know that, before being international, Soccer is a matter of Local Passion, Friendship and neighborhood rivalries! We love this sport because, when we were kids, we all played in the team of our village, small town or neighborhood, dreaming of raising the Distric's Cup or winning promotion to the upper regional division at the end of the season. Even those who never played remember their local team winning at least once against a bigger club in the first rounds of the National Cup, keeping hope alive of reaching the 7th or 9th round and play against a professional team.

True, the World Cup makes kids want to look like their national hero, but, except for a very limited, over talented few of them who will make it to the youth team of a professional club, it is only the local community's history which makes them deeply love this sport and feel as part of its big family.

We had the perfect example of this misunderstanding in San Francisco last summer with the California Victory.

I still think it was a great idea to have a professional team in San Francisco and Kezar Stadium was a perfect place to host this team. I am still sad that it didn't work out but I am not surprised: this team was playing in Golden Gate Park, next to the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood, two big symbols of San Francisco. So why not call this team, let say, "The Golden Gate Rangers" and communicate through local leagues, teams and pubs?

Instead, it was called "The California Victory" and the only media that talked about it was a national TV channel!

Unsurprisingly, 2 months after the USL season started, when I asked my teammates to come to Kezar with me to support the locals, half of them didn't even know there was a professional team in their city...And I would not be surprised if some of you learnt about their existence while reading this article!

This is too bad because I am sure there is a huge potential audience for a professional soccer team in San Francisco.

Besides, another professional team, their fans, numerous amateur leagues, passionate college and High School players and dedicated parents keep the passion alive. Some of you make a fantastic job, making it easier to play, support and live soccer...

...This website is about you!