Many years from now, June 24, 2009 could be remembered as a turning point in the long, hard push to make professional soccer a beloved sport across the U.S.

In the afternoon hours, ESPN and Univision aired an upset - the 2-0 shutdown of the mighty Spanish squad by the U.S. national soccer team in the FIFA Confederations Cup. The U.S. now faces Brazil in the final, set for Sunday afternoon. ESPN2 and Univision will air the match live.

At a downtown Atlanta sports bar a stone's throw away from the Georgia Dome, Soccer United Marketing president Doug Quinn, executive vice president in charge of sponsorships Kathy Carter and vice president of partnership marketing David Wright were among a large crowd of sports business professionals cheering loudly for the U.S. team.

For those in attendance, a victory by the U.S. national team was a win for professional soccer in a nation where the NFL, Major League Baseball and the NBA still command the most attention.

The group was right - ESPN's SportsCenter devoted lots of attention to Spain's defeat. Fox Sports Radio commentator Jim Rome, who's not a big soccer fan, even devoted air time to the U.S. team's win.

A few hours later in Atlanta, a crowd of more than 51,000 would jam the Georgia Dome for a friendly duel between the Mexican national team and Venezuela's squad.

Down the street at Turner Field, a rare regular-season appearance by the New York Yankees at the Atlanta Braves' home ballpark was expected to bring out fans of the Bronx Bombers in droves.

According to official attendance figures, 42,315 attended the baseball game.

"What you saw in Atlanta is very, very typical of what you see at a Mexican national team event," says Wright, who notes that SUM was extremely excited about bringing "El Tri" to Atlanta for a long time.

For a marketer, a brand alignment with the Mexican national team can make a powerful statement with the sport fan that is willing to try your brand as a result of a sponsorship.

"There is arguably no more powerful brand than the Mexican national team," Wright says. "Obviously there is a cultural tie to the team among those who come from Mexico. But the passion for this team is absolutely incredible."

And with events like the pre-game Fútbol Fiesta, Wright says the opportunity for one-on-one consumer activation is unparalleled. "Such activity can extend a brand beyond the game, to a six-hour time period that starts well before the game," Wright says.

A sports sponsorship can also directly drive traffic into a retailer, Wright adds. With this week's Mexico-Venezuela match, the results were outstanding across the board. A June 21 autograph signing by Cuauhtémoc Blanco at The Home Depot in Duluth, Georgia attracted 1,200 people, Wright says. NAPA events drew hundreds of fans (see related story in this week's HispanicSportsBusiness).

With the Mexico-Venezuela match now concluded, Wright and his team are busily preparing for what SUM hopes will be a repeat of what was seen at the Georgia Dome. On June 28, El Tri will face Guatemala's national team in a friendly match set for Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego.

Fútbol Fiesta will be staged in the mid-afternoon hours, with the start of the game set for 5PM Pacific.

More than 60,000 fans are expected to attend the San Diego match.

"What we are seeing is clearly a sign that the U.S. is becoming a soccer nation," says Wright. "Regardless of the market, we are seeing a significant pulse for the sport."

While big soccer crowds in California aren't too surprising to marketers, it's the large attendance in Atlanta and a fan base of nearly 70,000 seen in 2008 for a Mexico-China at Qwest Field in Seattle that Wright hopes will finally open their eyes to the dollars that can be had by targeting these fans with culturally relevant consumer messages.

Mexico-Venezuela, By The Numbers