Weston McKennie of Schalke controls the ball during a Bundesliga match. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Bundesliga/DFL via Getty Images )
The United States has proved difficult for soccer to break into. While Major League Soccer continues to see growth, it still trails the U.S. market’s four biggest sports: hockey, basketball, baseball, and football. Yet MLS attendance grew by 104 percent between 2008 and 2017, a greater increase than for any of the top four sports leagues, which highlights the untapped potential of soccer in the US. This, along with the success of current American players in Germany, such as Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, John Anthony Brooks, and Josh Sargent—five players who are leading the USMNT in qualification for the 2022 World Cup—presents a great opportunity for the Bundesliga to grow the league within the American market.