During football season, on any given weekend, you millions of people combined attending HS / college / and NFL games, not to mention the millions viewing it on TV. Same with basketball, basreball, and hockey.
Soccer? Where? ESPN? ABC? 100,00K stadiums?
People have been spinning the "soccer is cathing up" for years!
I was in HS in the late 70's in the Bay Area, and heard the same thing.
5th place in the USA is probably the ceiling for that freaking boring sport!