OTL "Soccer" is growing quite large in the US right. I'm Irish, and yet I'm finding the MLS enjoyable to follow now that it's entered the "MLS 3.0 era" as it's referred to.
MLS 1.0 was the 90s era of the MLS, when the MLS tried to build off the World Cup being hosted in Atlanta in 1994. It was a very amateur era for the MLS.
MLS 2.0 began roughly in the 00s when David Beckham was signed to the LA Galaxy, kick starting the "designated player" era of the MLS, where the clubs were allowed make one major signing outside of the limits normally enforced by the league on wages. This era would be the era of much better infrastructure being introduced into the league, and star international players joining MLS teams for short spells.
We're now in MLS 3.0
MLS 3.0 is this wonderful new era of the MLS, where the teams are now highly professional, well staffed, and have awesome facilities and stadiums. What the MLS has discovered through it's history is that a proper stadium really makes a massive difference to potential fans, and it's now essentially a requirement for any team joining the MLS to have a large, modern stadium that's SPECIFICALLY built for soccer/football, and not shared with other sports, as was often down in the early days.
MLS 3.0 is noted for having better players and more support than ever before, particularly teams such as Orlando SC (owned in part by none other than a returning David Beckham), the Portland Timbers, and the newly founded Atlanta United, who in their very first game had an incredible attendance of 50,000 people (the 3rd highest attended football/soccer match that week anywhere in the world).
The MLS enjoys high popularity with middle class millennials who do not have long standing ties to NFL teams, and Hispanic communities, who continue to grow quite large in numerous states across the US. What I've been hearing in many cases, now that the MLS is quite professional, many young people who are new to an area love to get behind expansion teams that begin in their new home, as it helps them integrate into the community. So for example I'm hearing anecdotically Atlanta United has huge support amongst those who now live in ATL, but were not born in the city.
But besides the rapidly growing success of the MLS, I've been noting now for many years as a European the growing interest Americans have in the US men's national team. Again, soccer seems to quite appeal to young demographics, as I witnessed during the lass world cup via the internet. I was blown away by the support the USMNT had on the internet, particularly the support for goalkeeper Tim Howard. What I observed is that Americans seemed really, really intrigued by the international competition provided by the World Cup, which typically they don't get with domestic sports such as the NFL. They really liked the concept of an American team going up against the likes of England, France, Germany etc. It was a new, thrilling experience for them.
New Media really, really seem to open their eyes up to soccer/football in a way where old media might be reluctant to. New media, especially during the World Cup, brought a lot of raw excitement about the USMNT, whereas I sense old media is reluctant to be as unabashed about it.
Personally I'm very curious about the cultural/anthropological effect of soccer/football on American culture in the next 20 years. In particular I'm SUPER curious about Atlanta United. The fact that ATL UTD is so popular already in the South, which once upon a time (and still is) would be been very, very steeped in American football, is so interesting. ATL UTD is owned by Arthur Blank, owner of the Atlanta Falcon, and United share the Falcon team colours, which is rare and wonder moment of unity in American sports. My personal view is that if the MLS can plant a team as popular as ATL UTD seems in the south, they can do it anywhere in America.
I personally will be monitoring American responses to World Cup 2018 with intensity, because I really do feel the combination of the internet and the MLS' growing professionalism has really opened the door to success in the States.