Team USA can clinch a World Cup birth next Saturday (Oct. 10) with a win at Honduras. Unfortunately for fans, the game will only be shown on closed-circuit TV at about 200 bars around the nation, says the New York Times. No Fox. No ESPN. Not even on pay-per-view.
“After unsuccessfully trying to sell the rights to ESPN and Fox Soccer Channel, Mediapro made a deal with Integrated Sports Media to do the game on closed circuit,” the paper writes. To make matter worse, “Soccer fans will probably be required to pay a cover charge to see the match. The setup is similar to the one used to deliver boxing matches in the 1970s and ’80s.”
If soccer is suppose to grow in this country, the US Soccer Federation should not have let this happen. That’s their job—to promote the sport. For a list of participating bars, check here throughout the week for updates. Kickoff is at 10 pm Eastern.
