MLS fans may brawl but Americans will always be second-class hooligans

From the nationwide enthusiasm for the 2014 and 2015 World Cup teams to the growing attendance and TV ratings enjoyed by MLS, soccer culture in the United States is inching ever closer to what is found throughout the rest of the world.

But there is still one vital area in which America is lagging far behind other soccer nations: hooliganism.

The soccer hooligans of Europe and South America are far more advanced in their tactics, violence and hatred than the upstart stateside hooligan community.

This harsh reality was laid bare for all the world to see on Sunday in Newark, New Jersey, when, before the Red Bulls-New York FC match kicked off, a brawl broke out between supporters of the two sides.

However, as the New York Daily News noted, “audio from the scene included chants consistent in tone with soccer supporter groups.” Red Bulls and New York City FC fans come to blows America likes to think it is the best at everything, but the fact is that the United States may not be capable of developing a world class hooligan class.

You can be a “diehard” fan of each team in your town, but to back all four teams to a hooligan level, necessitating violence, destruction of property and blinding hatred of rival clubs year-round? America’s gun culture may also contribute to the nation’s lack of hooligan culture.

The US has the world’s best women’s soccer team.