Why the U.S. Men Will Never Win the World Cup: A Historical and Cultural Reality Check

October 10, 2017. The U.S. men’s soccer team loses in Trinidad and Tobago, and fails to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. Winning soccer’s greatest prize never seemed more distant. Immediate fixes—a new coach, a revamped professional league, a commitment to coaching education—won’t put the USA in the global elite. The nation is too fractious, too litigious, too wrapped up in other sports, and too late to the game. In Why the U.S. Men Will Never Win the World Cup: A Historical and Cultural Reality Check, Beau Dure shows what American soccer is really up against. Using hundreds of sources to trace more than 100 years of history, Dure delves into the culture that only recently lost its disdain for the global game and still doesn’t have the depth of soccer insight and passion that much of the world has had for generations. The difficulty isn’t any single thing—the mismanagement of failed leagues, the inability to agree on a path forward, the lawsuits that stem from an inability to agree, or the unique American culture that treasures its homegrown sports. It’s everything. And yet, Why the U.S. Men Will Never Win the World Cup is ultimately optimistic. Dure argues that with the right long-term changes, the U.S. can build a soccer environment that consistently produces quality players, strong results, and a lot more fun on the international stage. Soccer fans and skeptics alike will find this a fascinating examination of America’s past, present, and future in the beautiful game.

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgments Introduction: It’s OK to Embrace a Lost Cause 1: We Play Too Many Other Sports 2: We Watch Too Many Other Soccer Leagues to Focus on Our Own 3: We’re Too Insecure in Our Identities 4: We Can’t Agree on Anything 5: We Can’t Stop Suing Each Other 6: We Fell Behind by 100 Years 7: We’re Obsessed with the Quick Fix 8: We’re Too Serious to Succeed at a Sport Built on Joy 9: But Will the Women Keep Winning? Conclusion: Keep Trying! Notes Bibliography Index About the Author

About the Author :
Beau Dure has covered soccer for two decades, writing three books and hundreds of stories for USA TODAY, The Guardian, ESPN, FourFourTwo, Soccer America, SoccerWire, Fox Soccer, and other sports sites. He’s the host of the Ranting Soccer Dad podcast, drawing from his experiences as a journalist, soccer coach, and soccer referee. He lives in Vienna, VA.

Review :
Dure delivers a clever look at the history and current state of American soccer. Dure covers the historical debates as to why soccer did not become one of the Big Three professional sports . . . [noting] that this was not inevitable, as the “U.S. sports landscape of the nineteenth century was wide open,” and soccer had been played in America before 1900. Dure has two decades of experience writing about soccer for premier publications, and he's also been a soccer coach and referee. His premise is that men’s soccer in the U.S. has been in disarray for more than 100 years, during which more than 36 soccer leagues have failed. . . . American soccer fans won't be able to stop reading this painful exposé, but at least American women's soccer offers balm. An exhaustively researched look at more than a century of well-meaning disorganization. Author of three books and hundreds of articles on soccer, Dure knows this sport inside and out. For him, America’s surprisingly successful quarterfinals finish in the 2002 World Cup tournament was the anomaly. Failing to qualify or getting knocked out early is the rule. In this spritely narrative Dure explores the reasons: most importantly, US men’s soccer is in competition with more popular home-grown sports.” For those expecting more of Dure’s courageous independence, Why the U.S. Men Will Never Win the World Cup will not disappoint. He pays off his promise to educate and inform in fun spirit “despite the depressing premise,” presenting valuable historical information and reasonable perspective, leavened with sometimes illuminating, sometimes curious analogies and pop culture references. The effect builds his argument while keeping the pages turning, a skillful aid for casual fans, those more familiar with the game, and all who are eager for introduction to American soccer history and knowing awareness of matters beyond the field. Those seeking even-handed coverage of significant matters affecting the health of the sport will find a knowledgeable aggregation of journalism and media opinion. . . .a well-researched text that is both engaging and thought-provoking . . . This book is good for anyone in soccer, whether you are a newbie looking for an approachable entry point into the game or an absolute fanatic who spends day and night talking soccer. It’s a great read because it requires you to think, rethink, and reconsider. American soccer fans who can’t take a punch should avoid this book. Beau Dure systematically demolishes the argument that soccer is “the sport of the future” in our nation as it stands. His prescriptions to fix the American game should be required reading for fans and administrators everywhere. Beau Dure meticulously connects the dots on the growth—sometimes encouraging, sometimes staggered, sometimes controversial—of the game in the U.S. as he makes a compelling argument as to why the American men will never win the World Cup. It is about evolution and not revolution. Why the U.S. Men Will Never Win the World Cup is a refreshing take on the obstacles and abilities unique to American soccer's history and culture. Beau Dure lays out compelling evidence to back the title's thesis as well as describing paths to success. Anyone who wants to see the U.S. men achieve international soccer success needs to read this to understand the soccer landscape in the U.S. This book lays out the challenge and outlines the path to the promised land—a World Cup victory for the U.S. men! The title may be right....if we don't heed Beau's advice! Beau Dure was one of the most diligent and responsible journalists who covered the 2018 U.S. Soccer presidential campaign, and here too in Why the U.S. Men Will Never Win the World Cup, Beau has left no stone unturned. I do not agree with all of Beau’s provocative theses expressed in this book, but I am nonetheless (as always) impressed with his thorough research and interesting ideas. Anyone who is interested in the history of U.S. Soccer and/or its future will find this book a most informative read.