Soccer & The Average American Sports Fan

by Bryan on 5/31/2002 at 3:13 PM in Sports

In the first game of the 2002 World Cup, Senegal upset France, the defending World Cup Champs.

I am not a big soccer fan, but I do watch games that involve the US from time to time, and I definitely watch during the World Cup. I also watch the title game - usually. In this regard, I would guess that I am close to the typical American sports fans as far as soccer is concerned.

This morning, I found myself drawn into the final 20 minutes of the opening game, but only after noticing the France was trailing 1-0. I just wonder if this is the sort of game that is needed to boost viewership in the U.S. You know we always love the underdog, as long as the underdog isn't playing our team. Big name teams getting beat create excitement in fans of lesser teams and the mindset that anything is possible.

A few more upsets wouldn't hurt to test this theory.