<P> The largest category of soccer in the United States in terms of participation is boys' and girls' youth soccer . Soccer is one of the most played sports by children in the United States . In 2012, soccer was the #4 most played team sport by high school boys, and soccer overtook softball to become the #3 most played team sport by high school girls . As of 2006, the U.S. was the #1 country in the world for participation in youth soccer, with 3.9 million American youths (2.3 million boys and 1.6 million girls) registered with U.S. Soccer . Among girls, the U.S. has more registered players than all other countries combined . The number of high school soccer players more than doubled from 1990 to 2010, giving soccer the fastest growth rate among all major U.S. sports . In recent decades, more youth sports organizations have turned to soccer as a supplement to American football, and most American high schools offer both boys and girls soccer . Due to the rising number of youths playing, the term soccer mom is used in American social and political discourse to describe middle - or upper - middle class suburban women with school - age children . Americans between the ages of 12 and 24 rank professional soccer as their second favorite sport behind only American football . And in 2011, the FIFA video game ranked as the #2 most popular video game in the country, behind only Madden NFL . </P> <P> Though organized locally by organizations all over the United States, there are three main youth soccer club leagues working nationwide through affiliated local associations . The United States Youth Soccer Association boasts over three million players between the ages of five and 19, while American Youth Soccer Organization has more than 600,000 players between the ages of four and 19 . Finally, the USL offers a number of youth leagues, including the Super-20 League and the Super Y - League, which have almost 1,000 teams and tens of thousands of players from the ages of 13 to 20 . </P> <P> Also, the National Federation of State High School Associations features 800,000 soccer players . </P> <P> The professional first - division league in the United States is Major League Soccer (MLS), which currently has 19 teams in the U.S. and 3 in Canada . With careful cost controls and the construction of soccer - specific stadiums, some MLS clubs became profitable for the first time in the mid-2000s, and Forbes magazine found that three clubs were already valued at $40 million or more, with the Los Angeles Galaxy worth $100 million . The establishment of the Designated Player Rule in 2007 has led to the signings of international superstars such as David Beckham and Thierry Henry, and Cuauhtémoc Blanco . </P>

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