Why do European and American sportcasters treat collective nouns differently? I

Question:

Why do European and American sportcasters treat collective nouns differently? Is one correct?

This is true especially in soccer play by play. Teams names are always followed by a plural verb. For instance, "Barcelona are winning." American usage typically treats team names as singular, unless the name itself is plural, like "the Yankees" or "The Red Sox". Is this colloquial or is one right and the other wrong? Does the plurality of the name matter, like "Notre Dame" or "Chelsea"?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

Technically thinking, one would think the singular form should be used when referring to a team unless the team name itself is in the plural. In other words, "Boston is winning" or "the Red Sox are winning," but not "Boston are winning" or "the Red Sox is winning."