Futbol, Soccer, Futbol, Soccer... Let's Call the Whole Thing Off

So I've been taking care of a dog recently for a neighbor and they have Direct TV. I do not have any form of cable, and I have never had any form of cable. I stick to the basics, 2, 4, 5, 9, 11, 30, and sometimes 46 when the mood strikes me. But at this house, they have literally every channel known to mankind. And last night, I may have discovered channels that no one else knew existed. The only problem is is that there is a lock on shows that are rated higher than TV-PG because they have a son in elementary school. So I have been forced to watch exclusively sports, which is fine, that is what I would prefer to watch anyway (I'm not bitter). But last night I got to watch a lot of different soccer matches. I watch Chicago take on Los Angeles in the Women's Professional Soccer league. I learned that St. Louis has a WPS team as well, and we are pretty darn good! I also watched the final seconds of the Peace Cup, and I got to watch Arsenal play a team called the Rangers (who are apparently from Glascow? I always thought they were from Texas...)

Anyway, the point of the tale is that I got a lot of soccer time. My friends at school are really into soccer so within the last calendar year my knowledge and appreciation of futbol has grown exponentially. I usually considered it dry and a novelty at best. But after watching it regularly with people who understand and are truly passionate about the sport, I see why so many people around the globe love it.

I hope that soccer takes some roots in the American sports marketplace. It would be nice to field a team that could compete with the world. After watching Brazil narrowly defeat the US in recent match, I am now hungry for US glory at the 2010 World Cup. So, let's keep our baseball, basketball, hockey, and football close, but how about we invite in those crazy soccer kids?