The "EPL" in the USA - some initial observations

Since I've arrived in New York, I've heard more talk of soccer than any of America's so-called 'Big Four' sports. Perhaps it's because I'm English and so conversation naturally leans towards our national sport, but it seems as though everyone here follows a team in what they call "the EPL".

In a strange coincidence, the first Premier League game I watched with American company was Arsenal's visit to Leicester. Seeing my university's local team on television from NYC was a peculiar experience, but not quite as strange as hearing my new American flat-mates refer to the place as "Lie-chester". I let it slide once or twice before I had to correct them.

The impression I've got in the week since that game is that 'soccer' has grown in popularity not just since the USA's impressive showing at this summer's World Cup, but for a while before that too. David Beckham's presence in Los Angeles has been mentioned without prompting on numerous occasions, emphasising the influence he had on the game in this country.

That said, it is not the MLS that captures the imagination of the locals but our Premier League. I have heard only one mention of Thierry Henry's New York Red Bulls since I've been in the States, and even that was born out of a conversation about Arsenal.

Thierry Henry: one of the many Premier League stars that have graced the MLS in recent years

The Gunners are surprisingly popular in these parts (perhaps a measure of Henry's star quality) and apparently share the affection of the locals with - less surprisingly - Manchester City. One Chilean I came across professed his love for both sides: Arsenal for their signing of Alexis Sanchez, and City for the Manuel Pellegrini connection. I asked him what the Chilean word was for loyalty but I'm not sure he got the joke.

Similarly, a Manchester United fan in my flat has lamented the decline in support for his side over the last twelve months - confirmation of the apparently fickle nature of Premier League 'support' in these parts. Americans may appreciate the quality of our league, but they have found it harder to understand what it really means to be a fan of English football.

Perhaps I am expecting too much or being too protective of the English game, but there is a lot to be said for the idea that they won't be able to fully appreciate our game until they become familiar with the history, rivalries and loyalties involved. Over here, there is an emphasis upon individual talent, big-money transfers and NBC's bloated Premier League schedule. But then, some would argue that England is heading the same way...

It's fair to say that Americans have been well exposed to football, but exposure doesn't necessarily equate to understanding. On more than one occasion when people have asked who I follow and I tell them about non-league St. Albans City, I've been met with blank faces and the response: "Ok, but who's your EPL team?"

Although there's a naivety about the American interest in the English game, it's still serious enough to suggest that the Premier League is here to stay - in this part of the country at least. Even our visit to Seth Meyers involved the Late Night host (a West Ham fan himself, incidentally) asking my Manchester-based friend if he was "City or United?" - an indication of the way our game is becoming indelibly stamped upon the American sporting consciousness.