SEATTLE – Jurgen Klinsmann believes the United States’ dramatic run to the semifinals of the Copa America can provide a significant boost to the growth of soccer’s popularity.
Klinsmann, the USA head coach for the past five years, said he sensed the team’s successful revival following a difficult start to the tournament has captured widespread national buzz that could be sustained into the future.
“The locomotive for interest is always the national team because it is obviously televised throughout the country and that is what people want to see,” Klinsmann said. “That learning curve is now coming through. People understand it more and more. This is big time.”
Victory over Ecuador in Thursday’s quarterfinal in Seattle completed an impressive nine-day run encapsulating three wins for Klinsmann’s squad. The USA will next take on either Argentina or Venezuela in Houston on Tuesday, with a spot in the final up for grabs.
With five of the top ten teams in the world participating in Copa America, the originally stated goal of a top four finish seemed optimistic, and its fulfillment is worthy of satisfaction even if the dream ends the next time out.
With Game Seven of the NBA Finals scheduled for Sunday the USA’s has now survived into a part of the summer where there is no real competition from other major sports except for Major League Baseball, offering the chance to dominate the news cycle, albeit briefly.
“We are not trying to displace the NBA’s Game Seven,” US Soccer president Sunil Gulati said. “But you will see through this tournament that the ratings will be very good compared to World Cup, compared to the European Championship. That is a sign of the growth of the game for sure. That is a big plus.”
The noisy atmosphere at CenturyLink Field on Thursday was a major lift and the American camp will hope for something similar at Houston’s Reliant Stadium on Tuesday.
If world No.1 Argentina gets past Venezuela it would come in as an overwhelming favorite, though having an extra two days of rest could help narrow the gulf in quality and lift the Americans.
“The atmosphere was amazing inside the stadium (on Thursday) and the fans pushed us on in an big way,” midfielder Michael Bradley said. “We certainly hope that getting to a semifinal against (a big team) means people will really pay attention and really watch us in what is, aside from a World Cup, the biggest possible stage.
“The fans can make the difference for us. When the game gets turned on its head a bit and we have to suffer and be willing to do whatever it takes to walk off winners, the atmosphere really pushes us in a big way.”
Klinsmann’s reputation with USA fans has risen along with his squad’s improved performance as the tournament has progressed. His interaction with the supporters was animated on the night of the Ecuador clash, regularly pumping his fists and raising his arms to demand more noise and greater intensity.
“I think it is just wonderful to see how people jump on soccer here in this country,” Klinsmann added. “Sometimes you have got to give them a little push. We want them to hang in there and have a little more energy coming from the fans and they do it.”
