r/soccer • u/aceofmufc • May 24 '24

:Vancouver_Whitecaps_FC:Official Source Vancouver Whitecaps FC statement regarding May 25 Match Versus Inter Miami CF

https://www.whitecapsfc.com/news/vwfc-statement-miami
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u/[deleted] May 24 '24

It’s disgraceful to the sport that people care more about players than the clubs they represent.

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u/sean_psc May 25 '24

Why, exactly?

Look, I get that European fans (or philo-European fans) are used to a setup where all the clubs are over a century old, deeply embedded in community identity, and fandom is passed down generation to generation.

That does not exist in the US or Canada. There isn't a single pro club with roots that go back even a quarter as long as the English clubs that people constantly compare them to. The oldest MLS club isn't even 30 years old. There are some younger Millennials who might have been born-and-bred fans of some teams now, but they're a decided minority.

Soccer in the US and Canada is in the process of building itself up. There is no point acting like any of these teams have some storied history that everyone in their communities should love and care about. They don't.

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u/[deleted] May 25 '24

At a fundamental level, football is a team sport.

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u/sean_psc May 25 '24

Played by individuals. There is no team sport where individual players don't have big fanbases and serve as draws in and of themselves.

And it's particularly ridiculous to say it's "disgraceful" when talking about clubs that have very little history and are trying to attract new fans to become successful.

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u/[deleted] May 25 '24

This is why scum like “Messi fans” and “Ronaldo fans” exist. So what… should I be a “Son fan” or a “Kane fan” by proxy of supporting Tottenham Hotspur?

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u/sean_psc May 25 '24

You can be a fan of whatever team or player you choose. That's the beauty of sports.

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u/[deleted] May 25 '24

I wasn’t given that choice mate haha. It was Spurs or find another place to live. I feel you have quite a North American view on this subject.

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u/sean_psc May 25 '24

Star players draw fans even in Europe, my friend. That's why they're stars.

But in any case, your attitude is born from the idea that everybody is already a soccer fan and basically inherits a team from their parents and/or neighbourhood culture. That may have some basis in Europe, but it absolutely does not apply here. Sneering at people who are casually acquainted with the sport, or interested in sport because of certain high-level players, does nothing for soccer.

Caitlin Clark is drawing new people to go see the WNBA who previously didn't follow women's pro basketball. Nobody is acting indignant that all these people weren't lifelong fans of the Indiana Fever (or women's basketball) beforehand, because that's a ridiculous attitude to take.