Acrtually it's not just the USA that hasn't taken to Soccer as the preferred code of football. Outside England and Scotland it's never really caught on in other English speaking nations, which tend to prefer some other variety of football. Ireland isn't an exception, it's just that there are enough good players in the English clubs from Irish backgrounds to make a great teams, and that's given it a lift back home.

Why that has happened I don't know - maybe it is something to do with symbolic independence. But what I find strange about the US situation is that, while it's predominently English speaking, it's not overwhelmingly made up of people descended from emigrants from England. I'd have thought that the main strength of the game in the USA would have been from people whose roots were in places like Latin America and Italy.

Anyway, the thing is, for one reason or another it's become the world game. Gaelic Football and Aussie REules Football are maybe more exciting to watch, Rugby is maybe more exhilerating to play, while American Football appears to appeal to many American to watch, though not so many to actually play - but the only game that actually has the ability to focus attention globally is soccer.

I hope that there won't be too many Americans who go thinking there's something unpatriotic about their fellow citizens who are going to be cheering Mexico on, and celebrating if they win.