The EPL is back and America is loving it

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It's here. England's Barclays Premier League began this weekend with high expectations amongst American fans. NBC Sports Network had it on and so did Mun2. Social media was alive and Manchester United faithful were upset on both sides of the Atlantic.

If we start with big names like Manchester United and Arsenal, then you're likely to have heard of them even if you don't watch the sport. Why?

Take the summer friendlies. Manchester United sold out football stadiums in Washington DC and Ann Arbor. Ann Arbor? Ok, so Real Madrid was playing too, but Ann Arbor?

And here's why. Manchester United has flexed its considerable marketing muscle in a country that is easily swayed by the market. Throw in the fact that they also have Mexico's Chicharito Hernandez and it's a perfect potion for soccer madness.

Take the International Champions Cup friendly in Washington between Manchester United and Inter Milan. Over 60,000 fans, most dressed in red. All around me there were Manchester United chants in the stands, English accents, cheering for Wayne Rooney. 

And then it got more interesting.  The chants morphed into "I Believe That We Will Win!" Sound familiar? It should, because that was the US National Team's game chant at the World Cup. And then there's the fact that Chicharito came in as a sub and the stadium exploded. In front of me I had a large contingent of fans cheering only for Chicharito.

The Premier League has broken into the mainstream networks. You will see NBC carrying prominent matches on a Sunday morning slot. You will also see Frank Lampard, former Chelsea man, suiting up for New York City FC next year.

And it doesn't stop there. Premier League teams know American marketability. Arsene Wenger chose to play 17-year old Geidon Zelalem in a friendly versus the New York Red Bulls possibly because he knows American fans are keen on the youngster choosing to play for Team USA instead of Germany in the near future. Tottenham Hotspur just signed World Cup breakout star DeAndre Yedlin from Seattle. It's no secret  that the Spurs are trying to build a fan base on this side of the Atlantic. Yedlin is a pathway for that.

Americans love drama, English accents and big money. The EPL gives you all three. Oh, and the game is pretty intense too. I've gotten comments from family members like this "I notice that it's faster and more fluid in England than in MLS." Good observation. Perhaps our folks still have some work to do.

Who is Zelalem?

Photo credit: Arsenal FC

 

Move over, Julian Green. Here comes the next you. That's right, Klinsmann and his crew are at it again and this time they may have just added another highly-rated prospect in Gedion Zelalem.

Zelalem plays for Arsenal's U-21 squad, was born in Germany and is of Ethiopian descent, meaning he could play for either of those countries. The youngster did play for the Germany youth squads U-15 and U-17 but never in an official tournament. This opened the possibility for him to choose the US National Team once he had his citizenship; he is in the process of acquiring it.

As was the case with Julian Green when he became a household name for USA fans, Zelalem has made one official appearance for the senior Arsenal team--in the FA Cup. Green debuted for Bayern Munich in garbage time of a Champions League match.

So how is the capture of Zelalem important? It means that the US recruiting system is in full gear and working like it never has in the past. There is no more losing players like Neven Subotic or Giuseppe Rossi. It also means more pressure on local talent, however.

How do American soccer youngsters react to inclusion of players like Green and possibly Zelalem? This is uncertain. While older players welcomed Green with open arms in training prior to the Mexico friendly in April, we don't know how the average American prospect feels about the inclusion of double nationals.

It is likely that the effects of double nationals is minimal, although far less than insignificant. Already we have Jermaine Jones, Fabian Johnson, Aron Johannsson and Terrence Boyd as likely call-ups for the final 23 to participate in Brazil 2014. That's one fifth of the team. If players like John Brooks, Daniel Williams and Julian Green are also added, this could make it up to a third of the team.

In the end, national team business is about competition. About getting the best possible available players ready for competition. It is not too dissimilar from how club teams behave in transfer cycles. It is a reality of the sport.

Right now, Zelalem is a prospect. It is still up to him if he wants to join the US. He will not go to the World Cup but could be in for the Olympics. He would also enter what's fast becoming a more impressive group of players that could compete in the Russia 2018 World Cup. The soccer planet continues to turn, and Zelalem is a welcome part of the process.