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Soccer is boring. There's no hitting or loud noises, aside from the broadcasters. And the players are scared babies.
These are just a few excuses people give to justify their hatred of soccer, and I'll be honest, I used to be one of them.
For about 10 years, I hated soccer. Maybe it was the running part or the fact that a two-goal lead was indestructible. I would rather do a billion different things than lace up the soccer cleats and strap on the shin guards.
Then my 20th birthday came and everything changed.
I was in Italy at a Juventus soccer game, and I finally saw what the world's fuss was about.
The game was precise, quiet and rhythmic. It wasn't in-your-face, it was poetry in sport form.
Maybe it was the atmosphere.
Stadio Olimpico was filled with Italians of all sizes, waving banners and making sure the opposing team knew where they were. It was a sight.
And I was caught up in it all. I couldn't help but scream and chant with the passionate crowd. They cared to such an extreme, I was infused by it.
For the first time since I wore my Tracy Youth League Soccer uniform 10 years earlier, I actually cared about soccer.
Even though it's the most popular sport in the world, soccer is foreign to Americans. The belief is that David Beckham is a soccer god - he isn't. Try Ronaldinho, Messi or any other player who goes by just one name.
It's not America's citizens' fault, though. The country is pumped full of football, basketball and baseball. They are our sports, and they are the only things advertisers know how to promote.
When was the last time you saw a soccer ad? Without Beckham? Yeah, probably never.
The opportunity to find soccer love is here in California. The San Jose Earthquakes is one of the better teams in Major League Soccer - though the league itself isn't very good.
At Chico State, our soccer teams are very good. The women's team came into the year expecting to win the California Collegiate Athletic Association Championship, and under new head coach Felipe Restrepo, the men's team is resurrected and has started the season with an 8-1 record.
Don't write off soccer just yet, it's the most popular sport in the world for a reason - I'm glad I found it again.
Connor can be reached at sportseditor@theorion.com
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