Now that ESPN’s broadcast of The Kobe Show (aka their coverage of the NBA Finals) is over, the American sports world can turn their eyes to the World Cup.  I know that most of my readers really don’t care about soccer, but I’ve seen a change in the way people look at the game in recent years.  There’s a long way to go, but I really think that Americans are getting more and more interested.  Or at least they’re thinking about it.

It’s understandable why soccer doesn’t really get people going here.  It’s different.  For one, It’s straightforward.  The object, of course is simple, but the way things are approached are free of unnecessary trappings.  You just can’t touch the ball with your hand and you can’t take the ball while offside (for advanced fans only).  We’ve put many silly rules into American sports, and as fans, we have an encyclopedic knowledge of them.  See: the Three Second Rule in basketball, or anything the NFL invents during the offseason to make the next version of Madden more than just a roster update.

Another thing that I love about the game is the way things flow.  It’s very similar to baseball in the respect that when you go to or watch a soccer match,  you are in for an experience that requires you to see it from beginning to end.  It’s like a play or a movie.  You’ve got the first act, an intermission, and then a second act.  You have no real stoppages; the clock is always ticking (upwards, mind you) so you know that there’s an actual 90 or so minutes to be played, without breaks.  It makes American sports look like clip shows.  I’m not saying soccer is superior or something, I’m just saying… it’s different.  And that’s part of why I love it.

Donovan: Stylin on you.

Donovan: Stylin' on you.

So here in the World Cup, you’ve got the American team fighting for more than just respect.  Watching Team USA play so far this tournament I’ve seen a team that is fully capable of going deep in the knockout stages.  Their tactics are sound, they take risks that end up paying off, and they trust one another.  Barring bad luck calls here and there (the recalled goals against Slovenia and Algeria, primarily), they’ve actually played better than most teams in the tournament.

The great thing about all of this is that it shows that the United States Soccer Federation’s hard work is paying off.  In 1994, when we hosted the World Cup, the USSF kicked off a plan that would theoretically culminate in the US winning the World Cup in 2010.  On the way, the MLS was created, soccer academies sprung up across the nation, and a few recognized world-class players have emerged.  Last summer, we defeated the European champions from Spain and nearly defeated Brazil in the Confederations Cup.  The face of the American program, Landon Donovan, has finally settled into his role as the leader and sparkplug of the team.  Look no further than yesterday’s emotional game and group winning goal to see how far we’ve come.  I’m getting a feeling like this is the 1980 Olympic hockey team all over again.

And one more thing… the finalists in the last World Cup, France and Italy, have not qualified for the Round of 16.  With that and the fact that England and Germany play one another right out of the gate, the new Impossible Dream could indeed come true.