America is quietly preparing for its fourth consecutive appearance in the World Cup finals.
Quietly, because not much is being said in the United States about the world's biggest sporting tournament.
The apathy of the American public is discouraging, and somewhat surprising, because it would seem that the US national side has never been better.
After all, the US are one of only nine nations competing in their fourth finals on the trot.
The people of the US have yet to get behind their team though.
News of the World Cup has been buried deep in the sports section of most US
newspapers, behind the basketball, baseball and ice hockey headlines.
Several factors have contributed to the event's low profile in the States, not
least of which is the timing of the event.
It could not be coming at a worse
time of the year.
The NBA finals and NHL finals both take place during the first few weeks of the World Cup.
This will assure that the football happenings will remain in
the background of the American sports scene.
In addition to the unfortunate time of the year during which
the World Cup is taking place, the time of day the actual matches occur is
just as bad.
Most games begin sometime between two o' clock and seven o' clock in the morning.
Getting Americans to watch football is difficult enough. Asking them to go
out of their way to do so is virtually impossible.
Lack of tradition
Maybe their 1998 World Cup performance has something to do with the lack of enthusiasm for this year's finals.
After a good display as hosts in 1994, expectations were high for the national side as they travelled to France four years later.
But it was a disastrous outcome, as the Americans lost all three of their
games.
Statistically speaking, the US finished at the very bottom of the World
Cup standings.
That result seemed to drain whatever excitement remained from the 1994 World
Cup.
It also reminded America just how far there is to go to legitimately compete with the world's best football nations.
It seems the only way this World Cup will become a popular event in the States is if the national side makes some kind of Cinderella run into the later stages.
That is a possibility, as the US has received a fairly favourable draw, but it remains a long shot.
Until that occurs, American televisions will remain dark in the middle of the World Cup nights.
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