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U.S. Soccer: Exponential Growth

As the governing body of soccer in all its forms in the United States, U.S. Soccer has played an integral part in charting the course for the sport in the USA for almost 100 years. In that time, the Federation's mission statement has been clear and simple: to make soccer, in all its forms, a preeminent sport in the United States and to continue the development of soccer at all recreational and competitive levels.

To that end, the sports exponential growth in the past two decades in the United States has been nothing short of remarkable, especially when one considers where the sport was a mere 20 years ago.

In 1989, the U.S. Men's National Team hadn't played in a World Cup in 40 years and the U.S. Women's program was just four-years old. U.S. Soccer was playing games in small stadiums that were rarely filled to capacity. There were few games being televised (and none without commercials during play). There were no soccer-specific stadiums, and there were no high-level professional outdoor leagues of which to speak.

Since that time, the state of U.S. Soccer has evolved significantly. The U.S. MNT has qualified for six consecutive World Cups (one of only seven teams to accomplish that feat), and advanced to the quarterfinals at the 2002 event. U.S. Soccer is a world leader in women's soccer at every level, and the team has won two Women's World Cups, along with three Olympic Gold Medals. The United States has also hosted three World Cups with the support of its members and strong organizational abilities.

Professionally, Major League Soccer continues to grow in popularity and prestige, with the 2009 season welcoming the Seattle Sounders and their impressive legion of fans that set a regular season average attendance record of 31,203 per match. On the women's side, Women's Professional Soccer had a successful inaugural season in 2009 to again provide the best female players a top tier professional league, and will expand with two more clubs for a total of nine for the upcoming season. Perhaps most importantly of all, though, no fewer than half a dozen major soccer specific stadiums are in place now coast-to-coast with more facilities en route.

Multiple soccer specific stadiums have opened their doors to resounding success, and new stadiums around the country are being planned and built. The National Training Center in Carson, Calif., is entering its eighth year of existence, and since that time stadiums have been built in or near the cities of Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Real Salt Lake and Toronto, with more to come in other cities such as New York and Philadelphia. Of the 16 teams that will begin play in 2010, more than half will be playing their home games in a soccer-specific stadium.

Coaching continues to get bigger in the United States, and with more classes being offered around the country, the number of licensed, well-educated trainers and managers is larger than ever. As soccer continues to grow, the education level amongst coaches has been tailored to match the expanding pool of talent in the United States, and in 2006 the U.S. Soccer offered its first ever Goalkeeper Coaching License.

In 2007, four full-time officials were hired for the first time in the federation's history, and more programs are being planned as U.S. Soccer continues to set positive trends for referees in CONCACAF to help improve referee development across the spectrum of grades and at all ages.

For more information on all U.S. soccer programs, visit the official organization website at ussoccer.com.

U.S. SOCCER FEDERATION - History

Throughout the almost 100-year history of U.S. Soccer, the organization has been known by three different names:

• U.S. Football Association - 1913-1944
• U.S. Soccer Football Association - 1945-1973
• U.S. Soccer Federation - 1974-Current