“Success is no accident.” 
Pelé

Some call the game football, not to be confused with American football. Others prefer to call it fútbol. I grew up calling it soccer. Whatever one might want to call it, this game is the most popular sport in the world. According to the World Atlas, soccer has 3.5 billion fans as of 2025. That billion, with a b. And the numbers two, three, and four most popular sports in the world? One might be surprised to learn that they are 2. Cricket, 3. (Field) Hockey, and 4. Tennis. Basketball ranks #7 and Baseball #8. American football didn’t make the top ten.

I was in third grade when my Dad took me down to South Sunset Playground one foggy afternoon to watch a group of kids running around the field kicking a brown ball. (The iconic soccer ball with the black and white pattern of hexagons and pentagons was not introduced until 1970 when it was used to make the ball more visible for television viewers watching the World Cup matches being played in Mexico.) A coach was instructing the kids on the field at the playground about how to play the game. I watched from a distance for a while before Dad asked if I would be interested in playing the game. I responded with an enthusiastic yes. At the conclusion of the practice, we approached the coach and my Dad introduced himself and me. The coach was Ernie Feibusch, a former professional soccer player from Germany and founder of the San Francisco Vikings Youth Soccer Program. This organization introduced thousands of Bay Area kids to the game of soccer. I am grateful to have been one of them. 

I played for the Vikings for five years. In those days, soccer had not gained the popularity on the West Coast that it enjoys today. In fact, on several occasions, Coach would take two dozen players by charter bus to places like Petaluma, Sonoma, and Sebastopol to play demonstration matches in front of city officials, recreation leaders, parents, and kids to introduce those communities to the game of soccer. After each match, the host city would have a barbecue for everyone and the kids got to meet those of us who had played in the game. We were treated like celebrities. Now, 60 years later, soccer is well-established throughout California and across the United States. 

In August 2023, the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) published a report on participation in sports by high school students in the state. Soccer was ranked #2 for boys (behind only American football), while it was ranked #1 for girls (followed by volleyball.) The CIF estimates that just under 100,000 high school students play soccer for their school teams each year.

The steady growth of participation in soccer has led to a nation of soccer fans. Today, there are 30 professional men’s soccer clubs, including the San José Earthquakes. There is also a National Women’s Soccer League, featuring 14 clubs, one of those being Bay FC, the Bay Area’s first professional women’s team. It is clear that soccer is alive and well in the Santa Clara Valley.

Last night, I had the opportunity to attend a match at PayPal Park between the San José Earthquakes and the Houston Dynamos. Houston, wearing bright orange jerseys, jumped out to a 2-0 halftime lead, despite the fact that the Quakes had controlled the ball through most of the first 45 minutes. The second half was a different story. San José scored three goals to take a 3-2 lead late in the game. Sadly, the Dynamos scored a tying goal in stoppage time, resulting in the final score of 3-3. With six goals, exceptional ball control by both teams, a number of quality saves by the goalkeepers, and incredible athleticism and effort displayed by the players, it was the most exciting soccer match I’ve ever attended. The feeling in the stadium was electric.

I’m grateful to my friend, Terry, a season ticket holder for more than twenty years, for inviting me to the game.