Conservatives shouldn't hate soccer just because Europeans like it

2. Soccer has fewer barriers to entry.

Conservatives argue that regulations reduce competition. Well, the cost of regulation equipment for staging a serious baseball or football game is quite high.

In soccer, all you need are are shoes and shin-guards. The field preparations are easier – lines, two goals and four flags. No helmets, no pads, no dirt infields, no markers for every yard on the field, no outfield fences. Soccer fields can even vary in size to fit the space available – the perfect 100-yard square field and the rectangular 130-by-50 are both within official regulations. That makes the game more accessible, which makes pure talent more valuable.

3. Soccer is a strict meritocracy – almost.

In soccer, only the goalkeeper gets a special status – he can touch the ball with his hands on a small part of the field. Everywhere else, he’s just another player. And there is no offensive or defensive squad in soccer. To put it in football terms, every team plays “iron man.”