Nothing quite like international soccer...my favorite 

Welcome aboard. 

Last night sure wasn't pretty.

I have grown to love soccer, even though I knew almost nothing about it until I had kids who were about 5. However, I still love football and appreciating soccer does not require liking other sports less.

One thing I LOVE most about watching soccer on TV versus other sports: No advertising other than half time. I have really gotten annoyed with the level of advertising in football and basketball games in the past few years. I'd love to see a content analysis of that. It seems like there is FAR more ads than there used to be. Advertising dictates way too much of the game. In my opinion, it's damaging the flow. How often you see a scenario like:
Fourth and goal
Timeout (advertising)
One play, touchdown and extra point,
(Advertising)
Kickoff
(Advertising)

The big problem about soccer in the US is that it's simply not competitive compared to the other Euro leagues.  We're use to having the best leagues for all of our sports (Football, basketball, hockey, baseball ect.), and the only way to become the best is to get more revenue in Major League Soccer, which most teams only make a meager amount.

There is a new club forming called New York FC that is backed by both the Yankees and Manchester City in the Premiere League, which has the potential to bring in some grade A athletes.  As far as seeing the MLS cup on ABC prime time anytime soon? Don't expect it.

I would recommend anyone who can to get tickets for the US v Mexico game this September at Crew Stadium.  I have been to 2 of the 3 games against Mexico that were held there and they were always amazing.  One of the few games that you will basically be standing the entire time.  The closest you can get to a college basketball style environment, except with way more drinking lol.

You know absolutely nothing about the popularity of soccer across the rest of the world do you?

My apologies, I did read it incorrectly, but I will still disagree with you on the point you are talking about.

Several countries have their own big time sport that is only really popular in a few countries.  Canada and ourselves are really the only countries with pro football leagues.  Baseball stays within North America and Japan. Hurling is massively popular in Ireland, but nowhere else.  Cricket is huge in the UK, India, Australia, and other former British Empire nations.  Rugby is very popular in several other European countries and South Africa.  Australia also has its own "Aussie Rules" Football, which I can't even begin to grasp.

The point I'm making is that many nations don't really see the appeal to football, much like we don't see the appeal to other sports like i mentioned above.  Soccer is a international phenomenon with almost every nation in the world having a men's national team.  Soccer in the US already has a pretty firm foothold with a passionate fan base that statistical data will show that it has steadily gained support over the past decade, whereas football isn't on the radar with any countries outside North America.

To make an incredibly long story short, there simply is not enough intrest from countries outside the US to even think about beginning a pro league in any other country outside of North America, which is a crucial step for a sport to grow in popularity.  While I don't think that soccer is going to surpass football, baseball, basketball, or hockey, it will definitely continue to steadily grow in the future.