Since Bob Bradley’s boys shocked the world in South Africa taking down Spain this past Wednesday US Soccer has forced itself into the American sports mainstream media machine. It’s been nice seeing the Men’s National Team talked about on every radio and television show for once. No matter what anyone says the victory over the number one team in the world changes things for the US. ... You can check out my story about the game itself at theloveofsports.com (the article was quoted on Sportscenter's Blog Buzz feature). I’ve had number of things on my mind since the victory that I’d like to express generally related to US Soccer.

Attention, those still calling for Coach Bob Bradley’s head please just go back to your mother’s basements. Though some US fans would rather have a flashy name for a head coach, I’ve always liked Bradley as a coach. All that you hear from players past and present is love for the guy. On the pitch he has a Clint Eastwood-like stoneface demeanor completely focused at the task at hand. He hasn’t been perfect in his few years on the job, but in this tournament I think he has found a core group of players that can give us a good shot at next year’s World Cup. His son Michael Bradley who starts on the squad at center midfield is even fierier than the old man calling out the media in the states for not appreciating the Egypt win getting the squad to the semifinal. And for Christ’s sake they just beat the best team in the world 2-0.

Bradley’s strategy of not over committing on defense and taking advantage of the Spanish on the counterattack worked beautifully against La Roja. He needed his men to leave everything they had out on the field for his game plan to work and that’s exactly what they did. It reminded me of how Chelsea played Barcelona in the Champions League semifinal minus the brilliance of Iniesta spoiling the title for the London club (Thank God he wasn’t available for Spain in our match). There’s something about how the US squad just dug in and went to war in the trenches that’s completely American. Bradley has earned his chance to take our team to the World Cup next year so all the crazy talk about his job needs to end.

It was a mixed bag for US Soccer’s spin around the American mainstream media circuit after the colossal win. When the supposed “sports experts” on television are forced to talk about soccer instead of doing the research and keeping up with the team they resort typically negativity about how soccer doesn’t matter in this country and we’re barely mediocre at the international level. However, with such a historic win the majority of the coverage was pretty positive. Dan Patrick interviewed Landon Donovan on his radio show and convinced him to save his game jersey for the station’s studio. On Mike & Mike in the Morning, Mike Greenberg who talked extensively about how much he enjoyed watching the game even though he wasn’t a big soccer fan. When Dempsey scored the second goal he found himself alone on his Stairmaster screaming at the top of his lungs. On PTI, Wilbon and Kornhesier apologized for not being prepared when they questioned the Americans’ validity in advancing to semifinal after the Egypt game adopting the US Men’s Soccer as their new favorite team.

Not surprisingly Jim Rome first claimed he wouldn’t be negative about the US’s win, but then went on another dumb ass tangent about how soccer doesn’t matter in America and no one cares about it. Instead of showing clips of the game he mainly used images of soccer hooligans burning things. I’m amazed that someone as close minded, arrogant, and stupid has his own nationally syndicated show. Rome is an ass clown with a bad tan. But everyone already knew that. If anyone deserves to be out of work in this economy it’s him and his creepy goatee.

Those people like Rome who would love nothing more than soccer to fail in this country, who point to how the Women’s team winning the World Cup and David Beckham didn’t instantly turn America into a soccer nation don’t understand that soccer won’t become top sport overnight, but is a process that will take time. In recent years the sport has seen tremendous growth in the US. Say what you want about Beckham, but his worldwide exposure gave MLS some much needed publicity and won the league a lot of new soccer fans. The product MLS puts out on the field gets better every year as the teams are alluring better talent than it has in the past. Clubs like Toronto FC and the Seattle Sounders are selling out of season tickets without ever playing a game before. More and more the best American players are playing over in Europe’s top leagues. Did I mention the US just beat Spain? I still can’t get over it.

This past February’s US vs. Mexico game set TV ratings records for viewers. A pro-American crowd sold out Crew Stadium in Columbus as Michael Bradley scored two goals to defeat El Tri in the World Cup Qualifier. Viewership of the Champions League Final on ESPN was up some 30% from last year. ESPN has made serious strides in their soccer coverage with their MLS game of the week and national team coverage. Fox Soccer Channel has turned into a one-stop-shop in this country for soccer fans airing tons of European league games as well as producing nightly reports and the popular talk show “Fox Football Fone In”. FSC really needs to start televising their games in HD. It’s hard to watch game that’s not in HD anymore.

I’m a former shoulder pad toting soccer hater. But I went to Europe for a summer and realized that soccer really was the biggest game on earth and thought wouldn’t it be great if the US were the best in the world at it. Soccer is on the rise in America people. Can you dig it!?!