The EPL is back and America is loving it

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It's here. England's Barclays Premier League began this weekend with high expectations amongst American fans. NBC Sports Network had it on and so did Mun2. Social media was alive and Manchester United faithful were upset on both sides of the Atlantic.

If we start with big names like Manchester United and Arsenal, then you're likely to have heard of them even if you don't watch the sport. Why?

Take the summer friendlies. Manchester United sold out football stadiums in Washington DC and Ann Arbor. Ann Arbor? Ok, so Real Madrid was playing too, but Ann Arbor?

And here's why. Manchester United has flexed its considerable marketing muscle in a country that is easily swayed by the market. Throw in the fact that they also have Mexico's Chicharito Hernandez and it's a perfect potion for soccer madness.

Take the International Champions Cup friendly in Washington between Manchester United and Inter Milan. Over 60,000 fans, most dressed in red. All around me there were Manchester United chants in the stands, English accents, cheering for Wayne Rooney. 

And then it got more interesting.  The chants morphed into "I Believe That We Will Win!" Sound familiar? It should, because that was the US National Team's game chant at the World Cup. And then there's the fact that Chicharito came in as a sub and the stadium exploded. In front of me I had a large contingent of fans cheering only for Chicharito.

The Premier League has broken into the mainstream networks. You will see NBC carrying prominent matches on a Sunday morning slot. You will also see Frank Lampard, former Chelsea man, suiting up for New York City FC next year.

And it doesn't stop there. Premier League teams know American marketability. Arsene Wenger chose to play 17-year old Geidon Zelalem in a friendly versus the New York Red Bulls possibly because he knows American fans are keen on the youngster choosing to play for Team USA instead of Germany in the near future. Tottenham Hotspur just signed World Cup breakout star DeAndre Yedlin from Seattle. It's no secret  that the Spurs are trying to build a fan base on this side of the Atlantic. Yedlin is a pathway for that.

Americans love drama, English accents and big money. The EPL gives you all three. Oh, and the game is pretty intense too. I've gotten comments from family members like this "I notice that it's faster and more fluid in England than in MLS." Good observation. Perhaps our folks still have some work to do.

American Legend: Donovan Retires

                             

It came out of nowhere. Today, US Men's National Team fans were going about their daily chores when they saw a shocking headline: Landon Donovan is retiring. The leading MLS and USMNT will exit from professional soccer at the end of the season at age 32.

We lose a star, a constant, a dream. His retirement came as swift as his movement through the pitch. Always faster than the rest, always looking for the goal.

We remember the many moments that made him a legend. We recall his goal in 2002 versus Mexico in the round of 16. It made the score 2-0, forever coining the "Dos a Cero." There was his hat trick versus Ecuador in 2007 and again versus Scotland in 2012. And of course, clinchers like the goal versus Algeria to win the group in South Africa 2010 and versus Mexico in 2013 for another "Dos a Cero," this time cementing the Americans' entrance into Brazil 2010 and leaving Mexico to hope for a playoff spot versus New Zealand.

There was the San Jose Earthquakes and LA Galaxy, of course. Two trophies for the Quakes, three for the Galaxians. 137 goals in MLS. His performances with Everton in 2010 and the sublime goals he scored will always be remembered. He was on top of the world in 2010 and it showed at the World Cup.

We could write interminable accolades for Mr Donovan, so I will leave this simple. When Donovan chose soccer as a little boy, he did so because he saw the great stars playing the game and he wanted to be like them. A true origin story for our best American player in history. So who's to say that the next great star is not out there, having watched Landon Donovan light up the league and the international stage. That is, perhaps, his greatest gift, for now a small American boy need not look abroad for soccer idols. He has Landon Donovan. Our American Soccer Legend.