Kyle Martino is on the verge of offering Fox Soccer Channel and the newly-found American soccer fans something that this sport desperately needs to keep them interested in “The Beautiful Game.”
News Corporation’s Fox Entertainment Group, which owns Fox Soccer Channel, now comprehends what will attract more Americans to watch their shows – Americans want an American product.
Martino, a former member of the United States Men’s National Team, has decided to leave ESPN and to join FSC and host their new show, Soccer Talk Live.
Fox Soccer Channel has decided that this is the perfect time to cash in on the success of the 2010 FIFA World Cup by producing a show purely dedicated to the American game – and not the other “bigger” European or South American leagues.
This proves to be a bit of brilliance by Fox Soccer, because they are bringing a young, bright individual who understands the American point of view.
Martino, who had a six year stint in Major League Soccer, comes across as a hearty, grass-root-American that has played on every level of soccer that this country has to offer.
Whether it was the youth and high School soccer in Connecticut, collegiate soccer at the University of Virginia, or professional level with MLS he will be able to connect to each and every player on those different levels.
This is not to slate Nick Webster or Eric Wynalda, who co-hosted the now-canceled Fox Football Fone-in, in anyway, but having a someone like Martino who has played at each level in the States offers something completely different to their first-time viewers.
Like Wynalda, Martino will offer honest opinions, but he does it in a way that most Americans soccer fans can and will relate to.
However, there is nothing more a proud American dislikes than a cocky Englishman, which Wynalda acted like, and his predecessor, Steven Cohen, clearly was – but that is what the producers wanted back then – not now!Fox Soccer Channel needs to have British commentators and critics, but for the new soccer fans here, they cannot are not able to relate to them with their different terminology like someone born in Connecticut would offer.
However, being an American does not necessarily mean that you will strike a relationship with the adoring soccer fans and two prime examples of this were Max Bretos and Allen Hopkins, who both could not leave the Los Angeles-based company quick enough for ESPN, or as Dan Patrick refers to it, The Evil Mothership.
Of course, Bretos and Hopkins both appreciate soccer, but their selfish demeanor was very easy to read, and to a growing sport, that is the exact opposite thing that they need and fans were turned off by it.
With one of the major networks, News Corporation’s Fox Entertainment Group, now completely on board, soccer should start becoming one of the major sports here in the United States.
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