'Kids know Lamine as well as they know LeBron': World Cup excitement builds in the US

'Kids know Lamine as well as they know LeBron': World Cup excitement builds in the US Ahead of the first US World Cup game with Paraguay, CNA's Matthew Mohan is in Los Angeles to speak to fans about the growth of football in the country. LOS ANGELES, California: Growing up in Miami, Mr Thomas Guzman was the odd one out when it came to the sport and the team he loved. “When I was a kid in school, nobody liked soccer,” recalled the US men’s national soccer team supporter. “It’s very Venezuelan, very Cuban, a lot of baseball.” Fast forward two decades, and things have changed. “When I would tell my friends I’m a US fan, they would look at me shocked. But I’ve had the same friends now for like 20 years, and they are now big US soccer fans because of me. The game is growing.” Speaking to CNA on Thursday (Jun 11) at a fan festival in Los Angeles that was screening Mexico’s opening World Cup game with South Africa, Mr Guzman stood out in a sea of green. He travelled from Florida to catch the US’ opener with Paraguay, but also wanted to be at the event for Mexico's match. “There’s hype. I talked to my friends, my family – they're excited. Everyone’s excited,” he said. “When I got here, people were on the aeroplane with soccer jerseys.” "IT’S JUST EXPENSIVE" In a country dominated by other sports, there has been growing excitement for the World Cup. Spain's arrival in Chattanooga, Tennessee, has generated much buzz among the community, many of whom were eager to catch a glimpse of the team and teen phenom Lamine Yamal. Several states away in St Louis, Missouri, fans swarmed the streets for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s friendly with Panama. In the city of Auburn, Alabama, a massive crowd of 88,000 watched Argentina beat Iceland 3-0 in a pre-tournament friendly. Speaking to CNA, Mr Gerald Foston, head of Sammers SC – a US supporter group – said excitement will kick in for members of the group this week as they start packing for games. “Most of us attending the matches do not live on the West Coast and we are planning for an extended stay,” he added. Veteran journalist Steven Goff, who has spent decades covering US football, told CNA that there is excitement in the World Cup host cities. “The high prices and general bad image of FIFA have cast a negative light on the tournament. A strong start by the host teams, particularly the US, would help elevate things.” FIFA's pricing of tickets has come under heavy criticism from supporters who have argued that the cost of attending matches has become prohibitive. Many other cities in the US have been in the headlines for expensive transport offerings to get fans to and from games. “Like all fans, we are disgusted about the FIFA money grab as well as some transportation costs in various cities,” said Mr Foston. “Members who cannot make the matches either due to cost or unsuccessful lottery results will watch matches at their local pubs or fan fests.” At a coffee stand in downtown LA on Tuesday, barista Lee was sporting a faded Bayern Munich jersey. He supports the Netherlands, but said he would be open to going to any game if ticket prices are reasonable. "It's definitely a bit pricier than it should be, but hopefully the prices do drop to make it reasonable for the fans." At the fan festival was football fan Dany Fuentes, who echoed similar sentiments. “The plans are there, the desire is there, the hope is there, the money is not,” he said. “We do want to go (to the US games). But you know how it is, it’s just expensive.” PART OF THE CULTURE The last time the US hosted the World Cup was in 1994, and much has changed since then. “The perception and growth of the sport has improved steadily over the decades. Soccer is part of the culture in many parts of the country,” said Mr Goff. There is now a 30-team men’s first-division league, multiple lower-division leagues, as well as a growing women’s league, he added. In addition, the sport is “more visible than ever”, with every major European league on TV and streams. “It’s not uncommon to see large groups gather at bars or parties to watch an Arsenal or Barcelona match, then attend a game in person. Kids know Lamine (Yamal) as well as they know LeBron (James).” This interest in the sport stateside is translating into growth in other areas, such as collectables. "Trading cards around the world are starting to get more popular, and sports cards are like the biggest part of that. And the sport they care about around the world is soccer," Danny Leserman, owner and CEO of Culver Collectibles in Los Angeles, told CNA. "You see it growing in interest even without the World Cup." Over the past few months, interest in football cards globally has exploded, he added. "The World Cup is bringing all sorts of interest that you probably would have never had. The World Cup is definitely bringing a lot of good business." There is “cautious optimism” surrounding Mauricio Pochettino’s US side. “They’ve shown flashes of excellence, such as the 5-1 win over Uruguay last fall and the first half vs Senegal … but they’ve yet to prove they can beat a major opponent,” said Mr Goff. In their most recent friendlies, the US fell 1-2 to Germany and beat Senegal 3-2. They lost to Portugal 0-2 and Belgium 2-5 in March. “Based on the last two friendlies, I believe there is a positive attitude towards the team, and the expectation is to win at least one knockout round match,” said Mr Foston. The last time the Americans made it to the quarter-finals was at the 2002 World Cup, with a squad boasting the likes of Landon Donovan, Brad Friedel and Brian McBride, but they fell 0-1 to Germany. “On paper, given the club/league affiliations of many players, the US at home, should be a team capable of finally getting beyond the round of 16,” said Mr Goff. “They’ve haven’t reached the quarterfinals since 2002. Realistically, the round of 16 will mark the end. We shall see.”