In the United states we have the three major sports football, baseball and basketball. Many people enjoy all three sports but it is very rare to find someone who religiously follows more than one. As the European Championships go on, it is easy to recognize the role sport plays in Germany. By sport I mean purely soccer. That alone creates the difference between the role of sports in Germany and the US. Every single person loves soccer or they don’t like sports in general. From talking to my host family, teachers at the language school and other peers, I have not found a German whom enjoys sports but not soccer. Keeping this idea in mind makes it easy to see why soccer becomes such a huge part of the culture, a common ground for near all.
As for soccer in the US, I was following the Copa America. I am a fan of almost every sport but as I said before many people are fans but don’t follow it religiously. Of course I wanted the US to win but I was not affected when they lost. Here in Germany, soccer seems to affect daily life. Everything stops when there is a game. Roads are empty, restaurants are full and many faces are painted. This creates an atmosphere for every single game that you can only find a couple times a year in the US in games like the Superbowl.