How can a sport be popular in one country and practically non-existent in another? How can an athlete garner millions in endorsement deals but travel across an ocean and find himself obsolete?
As we watch the continual rise of soccer (aka football everywhere else) in European and Latin American countries, we can't help but wonder why the sport can't score on U.S. soil. There's no denying that its popularity has increased a bit domestically since Team USA's impressive performance in the 2014 World Cup, however, it's still light years away from the sort of presence it holds around the world.
Go90's new mockumentary series,The 5th Quarter, seeks to explain this phenomena. The latest episode focuses on the history of soccer in America and the story of one fictional player who single-handedly brought the sport to prominence and obsolescence.
Chris Parnell plays Buddy Brogan, a former British soccer player who moves to America to find fame after a failed career on his home turf. Because Americans had never seen soccer, Brogan could re-write the rule book and play to his strengths. Using his hands throughout the game, Buddy achieved fame, glory and the honor of making soccer popular in America.
It only takes a few years and an embarrassing World Cup loss for the Americans to realize that Buddy has not brought a legitimate game over. It's this embarrassment and shame that leads to soccer's tarnished reputation and continued disinterest in the U.S. Check out the full episode for yourself in the clip above.
For more fake sports stories, check out other episodes of The 5th Quarter, featuring Blake Griffin, Metta World Peace and Jerry O'Connell, among others on go90.
