Why isn St. Louis the soccer hotbed it was 30 years ago?
The lack of a soccer stadium is a big issue. You have to find a guy like [former Anheuser-Busch executive] Denny Long, who had an unbelievable influence on soccer here. It’s going to take someone like him to come forward, promote the game and give it financial backing. I have no doubt that Major League Soccer would be successful here. What do you expect from the U.S. team this month? We’ve got great players. St. Louisans Chris Klein and Taylor Twellman are in the mix, of course, but the good thing for soccer is that it’s as popular on the East Coast and in Florida as it is in St. Louis. The talent pool is so much broader now, and sometimes we think our players get overlooked, but it has really leveled. What really helped was when the women won the World Cup in 1999. That opened so many doors, and it put pressure on the men to succeed. That group, so far, has done more for soccer in this country than the men. get your kicks Want to throw a World Cup party? Better plan three, because the
