SOCCER'S THE NATIONAL SPORT ... JUST NOT HERE

SOCCER, WHILE extremely popular around the world, has never achieved a mass audience in the United States. Anyone at the Gold Cup quarterfinals at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field on July 19 could see that.

The doubleheader, featuring Canada vs. Honduras and Panama vs. the U.S., drew only 31,087 fans, less than half what the stadium's current tenants, the Philadelphia Eagles, attract on game day. Compare that with Old Trafford, home of Manchester United, which drew more than 75,000 fans each game during the 2008-2009 campaign in a stadium that holds 76,000.

Major League Soccer (MLS) has trouble selling tickets to their games. According to ESPN.com, of 15 teams only four - Toronto FC, Chivas USA, Colorado and San Jose - this year came within 5,000 seats of selling out their venues.

So, why, after a terrific and unexpected performance in the Confederations Cup by the U.S. team, is there so little support for American soccer?

In the national team's case, it might be because its stars, like Landon Donovan and Tim Howard, are currently playing with their MLS teams or foreign clubs, which has prompted sport journalists to refer to the Gold Cup roster as America's "B-team." Or maybe it's just that soccer has never really caught on in American culture like it has in other nations.

Frank Bertucci, sports copy editor for the Daily News, blames the variety of other sports in America and the lack of a specific season for soccer for this lack of interest. In the United States, soccer is forced to take a back seat to other professional sports - football, baseball, hockey, basketball. And international soccer is played throughout the year, unlike professional sports in the U.S. that have distinct seasons. This makes it hard for soccer to compete for the attention of fans, said Bertucci.

Julie Foudy, a member of the 1995 and 1999 U.S. Women's World Cup champion roster and founder of the Julie Foudy Sports Leadership Academy, agrees with Bertucci. "I do think it is a challenge," said Foudy.

And America likes winners. In recent years, the U.S. soccer team has not been successful, as showcased by its 0-2-1 showing in the 2006 World Cup. Even in its improbable run in the Confederations Cup it faltered, going 1-2 (its only win against Egypt, 3-0) and catching a lucky break when Brazil defeated Italy 3-0, which vaulted them into the semifinals.

MLS, like the U.S. national team, has tried to build an audience, but has mostly failed. It even signed David Beckham, one of the most recognizable soccer players in the world, only to have him become the face of an experiment gone awry.

In a recent article in Sports Illustrated, "How Beckham Blew It," Grant Wahl wrote about the chance for Beckham to be the salvation of MLS, and how he destroyed it by creating tension with his teammates (particularly Landon Donovan) and handpicking the new coach, Ruud Gullit, who resigned only a year later after a disappointing 9-14-7 season.

Daily News columnist John Smallwood reported that Lincoln Financial Field is one of 18 possible U.S. venues for the 2018 or 2022 World Cup.

This could be a real boost for soccer, said Mark Levinstein, an outside counsel for the U.S. National soccer team.

"When we get an event like the 1994 World Cup . . . people have a great time, learn about soccer and connect with players," said Levinstein.

Bertucci believes that a World Cup appearance in Philadelphia would spark interest only briefly, with most sports fans in Philadelphia paying to see only one game, just out of curiosity.

If this bid becomes a reality, it is unclear what kind of energy it will bring with it. But if the U.S. team falls out of the competition, look for this city to turn its attention back to the ball club swinging the bats just across the street from the Linc. *