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Article: Soccer kicks it up a notch or two in U.S. The World Cup starts this week, and the game's following in the American sports scene is gaining steadily. But that's still a far cry from the passion felt in the rest of the world.(NEWS)
- Article from:
- Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN)
- Article date:
- June 5, 2006
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2006 Star Tribune Co. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: Bill Ward; Staff Writer
At the 1998 World Cup, the United States' men's soccer team finished 32nd out of 32 teams. Friday, the American team enters the tournament ranked fifth in the world.
Off the field, soccer also has made progress - but more in the "slowly but surely" vein:
For the first time, all 64 World Cup games will be telecast on a major outlet, whether ESPN, ESPN2 or ABC. Attendance at professional games is on the rise. Twin Cities soccer fields are filled with players of all ages and ethnicities. Most importantly, soccer has become far and away the nation's most popular youth sport. "In recent years the crowds at our games ...