World Cup fever hits the States!!!

**Seanie** · 21/06/2002, 5:06 PM

I don't think you can quite call it World Cup fever over here: most people were aware that the US were doing really well, but few are actually following it - having heard that the US went out this morning, a guy at work asked me how Ireland were getting on! Also I had to tell my boss the result of the Mexico game on Monday

**pete** · 21/06/2002, 8:01 PM

Dispite the germans marching on......

"In a sign of increased interest in the United States, ABC's "Good Morning America'' cut live to parts of the first half. It was the first live English-language network coverage of the tournament in the United States, which previously had this year's World Cup only on ESPN, ESPN2 and Spanish-language Univision."

(espn.com)

**Colm** · 21/06/2002, 8:40 PM

I heard that 7 million people watched the Mexico-USA game on tv. Apparentley, that is a very good figure considering it was on at about 3am.

**pete** · 21/06/2002, 8:52 PM

I would guess that on the spanish station Univision cos of the large hispanic population...?

**Macarthur** · 24/06/2002, 10:04 AM

Yep it was on a Spanish station.

Of course if the US wasn't playing we'd have been without the 'Foul of the Tournement'.

Is anyone going to top Rafael Marquez's red carded 'Arsekick Headbutt Super Combo' commited on Kobi Jones? I can't see it myself.

**pete** · 24/06/2002, 10:35 AM

Originally posted by Macarthur
Is anyone going to top Rafael Marquez's red carded 'Arsekick Headbutt Super Combo' commited on Kobi Jones? I can't see it myself.

The last 10mins of that game were freaky. Mexicans did everything they could to "get" Cobi Jones during his 10 minutes as a sub. Clearly some bad blood from a previous game as i think he got chopped down a couple of times, studs on back of his calf (freekick to Mexico) & of course the studs on his ass & head butt which lead to the sending off.

**leesider** · 24/06/2002, 2:53 PM

http://www.time.com/time/columnist/s...260792,00.html

This is what some Americans appear to think of the World Cup - their superior attitude is a bit sickening!!

**Macarthur** · 24/06/2002, 7:43 PM

Originally posted by leesider
http://www.time.com/time/columnist/s...260792,00.html

This is what some Americans appear to think of the World Cup - their superior attitude is a bit sickening!!

Christ on a bike! It reads like an 1930's Times of London Editorial.

**MikeW** · 24/06/2002, 8:15 PM

I'd say its written tongue-in-cheek, at least i hope it is. Some of it sounds like the bloke is serious, but then other bits make it seem that its meant to be humorous. I think America's real problem with football is that they didn't invent it plus it doesn't have a strong professional leage like baseball, American football etc - I don't understand why some of them feel the need to knock the game just because it isn't "theirs". Most of their own games are pretty decent once you get into them, I suppose there's not a whole lot of room left for football to make an impression

**Seanie** · 24/06/2002, 9:32 PM

The amount of Americans over the weekend that have confessed to being happy that the US were out was amazing - it appears that knowing they can't win it is enough for them.

**pete** · 25/06/2002, 9:37 AM

That article is totally tongue in cheek & i wouldn't take it too seriously.

The guy who wrote is correct in some respects about the rest of the world thing. Read a piece last week saying america didn't have room for soccer as yankie sports overlap to cover whole calendar year & soccer should learn to be happy as a minority sport. Yankie footie, Basketball & Baseball dominate & soccer isn't the only sport over the years unable to muscle in on their territory.

Its fine letting them get to the quarter finals but be a joke if they won the WC & no one back home even cared. WC doesn't need the US.

**wiseman** · 25/06/2002, 1:57 PM

U mean like Spain. Their national terrestial channel only showed Spain's games.The Sat tv station showing the whole WC has only 17% of viewing audience

**pete** · 25/06/2002, 2:30 PM

Yup, Spanish football support is probably so focused on the big clubs that natinal team ain't seen as too important. 175 ain't too bad anyway.

I'd guess RTE one of the few national broadcasters to show all the games anyway. They probably only manage in the Uk cos split between the 2 stations.

**Seanie** · 25/06/2002, 4:33 PM

A local newspaper over here reported that the US v Germany was the most tuned into soccer game in US history - a whopping 4.4million viewers, breaking the 4.3 millions viewers for the US v Columbia game at the 1994 WC!!!!