Every four years, people around the world tune in to the most widely viewed sporting event in the world: the FIFA World Cup.
In the United States, however, the event merely has the distinction of making soccer slightly more relevant than usual. Wednesday's victory by the U.S. soccer team over Algeria was one for the record books.
With just minutes remaining, Landon Donovan — arguably the United States' best known player — shot the match-winning goal. The U.S. won its group for the first time since 1930 and now advances to the round of 16.
This year, the team seems to be finally getting a bit of much deserved attention from its home country. However, unless the team goes on to shock the world and make it to the finals, the attention to soccer in the United States will likely fade after U.S. soccer makes its exit from the World Cup.
The biggest reason for the attention doesn't seem to be the sport itself, but the draw of internaional competition. I'm not one to turn away from an international game of any type; I'd probably watch a hopscotch tournament if it were played on the international level (hey, don't be surprised if you see it in ESPN's programming lineup — they've shown worse).
It's great to stand behind a team that's representing your country to the entire world, but the draw of watching soccer should go beyond a dose of patriotism. Regardless of how the Cup plays out for the United States, Wednesday's game should prove once and for all that soccer can get any sports fan's adrenaline pumping.
Yes, soccer may seem boring once in a while ... well, it is. But show me a sport that doesn't have its yawn-inducing moments, and don't try to tell me you've never once found yourself bored by an NFL game. Soccer offers moments of excitement that rival any of America's popular sports.
Show a clip of yesterday's fans celebrating the goal and you'll see the same joy that comes from watching your team win the Super Bowl.
So ignore any predispositions and take in some soccer matches. "The beautiful game" is the world's most popular for a reason.
Sam Turley can be contacted at turley60@marshall.edu.
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