Landon Donovan's dramatic end-of-game goal in yesterday's USA vs Algeria game may have done more than just put the USA into the next round of the World Cup — some commentators are speculating that the team's newfound success on the global stage could propel soccer into the top-tier of American spectator sports, alongside baseball, football and basketball. Is that wishful thinking? (Watch an ESPN report about Team USA's heroics)
This terrific team could be the key to soccer's success: "The growth of soccer in America simply cannot be denied," says Ken Gude at the Huffington Post. "Tens of millions" of Americans now play it and ESPN has "dramatically boosted" its soccer coverage. A "deep run in the World Cup when everyone is watching" might just "catapult soccer into the broader American consciousness."
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