The United States Mens Soccer team was knocked out of the World Cup by Belgium on Monday, and it became clear that the talent level between America and the rest of the world is greatly different. Many efforts have been made to make the sport more popular in the United States with starts like Pele, David Beckham, and Lionel Messi being brought in to play here but the key to more popularity could be another player who more aligns with American sporting styles. Curtis Sliwa and Larry Mendte in the Morning spoke about the player they think is they key to American’s getting more interested in soccer, Erling Haaland.
“He has hit America with the Vikings, all the Norsemen pretending to row their viking ships; he who went to Chicago Bears training camp to learn the secrets in the past of Dick Butkus, Mike Singletary, Brian Urlacher,” Sliwa said to co host Mendte. “he is the only soccer player out there who knocks people down, who actually seems to revel in physically intimidating everybody the way an American smash mouth football player would.”
Mendte believes Haaland has the looks for stardom in America too: “He’s 6’5” and he’s fast so everyone around him looks tiny…he’s got long blonder hair, he looks like a Viking; its almost like Hollywood made him for the sport, and I encourage you to go on YouTube and watch some of him.”
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