Psyman

Not me. I was supporting Ghana. At least you know that they are a country that gives a toss about football. We have a break room at work with cable tv and only one person bothered to turn it on to watch any of it, and it wasn't an American (even though I have a US passport). I will support them against Germany of course.

SultanOfSwing

The US gives a toss about football. Maybe not in Idaho, sadly, but down my way it's massive.

The more good results the US team can achieve in the World Cup, the better it will be in the long run for football here. I'm not sure if they can beat this German side, but the way Portugal played yesterday, they may be able to qualify second in the group.

Pulaski

FIFY

Psyman

It's definitely improving here, but I bet in Ghana you probably had 100 people round every tv trying to watch the game, as opposed to probably 1 in 1000 TV's in the US tuned to the game, and I'd love to see what success in a small poor country like that could do for the nation as a whole. I went to a Seattle Sounders game last year. Very odd experience with admittedly 40,000 people there, but it seemed like most people spent more time wandering around getting hot dogs and beer than watching the game. And at my local park its just the refugees that play footie (really nice blokes).

Bink

Isn't that the only reason to go to a baseball game?!

SultanOfSwing

I don't know what the viewing figures were to be honest but it does appear to be highly regional within the US.

There was a huge group watching the match on a big screen TV in Chicago. Also, there are loads of leagues around here ranging from recreational (like the one I play in) to really quite serious.

All I know from my own experience is that I am watching and playing more football now, since moving here, than I did back in the UK.

The Sounders are a footie team

Nutmegger

I agree. I've never seen as much World Cup coverage as there is this time around -- so as ESPN aren't going to waste their time on something no-one will watch, I believe that interest in the US has to be growing, and that it is fueled by immigrants like us. People will always follow the team of their country of origin, but they also now want to see how the US is doing, so it snowballs.

kimilseung

I had Sounders season tickets for a few years, admittedly behind the goal, so the atmosphere may be different, maybe you were in the prawn sandwich section?

Psyman

[QUOTE=Nutmegger;11305727]I agree. I've never seen as much World Cup coverage as there is this time around --


Except it's only on the free channels on the weekends, and then not every game.

Being at the Sounders game was a lot like being at a baseball game to be honest (with regard to the crowd). I was behind a goal, but at the other end from where the singing was going on. Not sure if that was the prawn sandwich seats, but it was a bit odd when some people insisted on standing up the whole game, to apparently appear as more authentic fans.

It would be nice if Americans (the whole country, not just in larger urban areas where it might be popular) had something to cheer about together and wave flags, and come to together for a common cause, other than fighting wars.

markonline1

Agree with this 100%. I saw on another forum that the US game got better viewing figures than the final NBA game. I think to say that the US doesn't care about football is totally wrong. If the US best Portugal, which I think now they have a great chance of doing, you're gonna see the enthusiasm really ramp up!

sir_eccles

They are doing watch parties as Sporting KC stadium. I'm sure the tickets sell well.

Pulaski

Well another one of those has just coming roaring over the horizon and is headed our way, apparently with the intention of making President Obama's unseemly rush to get US troops out of Iraq look more than a little foolish.

Still, it will give at least the USAAF and perhaps the Navy, an opportunity to market the latest high-tech weaponry .... play with their new toys deal quickly and effectively with the Islamic insurgents in Iraq.

hungryhorace

Last time I checked the US was doing sweet FA. Ironically it's the Iranian revolutionary guard that are going to go in and put a stop to this extremists.

Bink

You can understand my confusion - I mean who would eat a hotdog at a footie game?! That's just wrong.

Note to self - read before quoting!

Pulaski

Ah yes, Iran, the voice of calm, reason, and moderate Islam.

Iran doesn't have an airforce, at least not to speak of, other than some very well used F14's, and one second hand drone.

It appears quite possible that the USAAF will be providing "softening up" and ground cover services for the Revolutionary Guard, which has to be the most unlikely military partnership since Russia allowed the US to use its airbases to invade Afghanistan in 2001.