Confederations Cup Championship - U.S.A. v. Brazil!!

Here's something from our local rag.

U.S. gets its kicks ... for now

By Chris Ferrell - Express-News commentary The Tour de France begins Saturday, and most of us who care only do so because Lance Armstrong is back. We'll probably keep up with the race for as long as his 37-year-old legs keep up with the leaders.

Maybe we'll watch Wimbledon because of the Williams sisters or to see if Roger Federer can break Pete Sampras' record for career Grand Slam titles. Then we'll remember how much more interesting Centre Court seemed when Sampras and Andre Agassi were playing on it.

And does boxing even have a heavyweight champion anymore? I think I read about some Ukrainian guys who fight in Germany, but I could be mistaken.

Who cares anyway? Long live king soccer! Well, at least until NFL training camps open.

That's the way it is for sports that fly under the radar in the United States. There's only one way to find the spotlight: win.

If you don't, maybe we'll catch you at the Olympics, or check in next time insomnia hits and we're watching ESPN at 4 a.m. Have fun hanging out with guys named Magnus while they run 40-yard dashes with refrigerators strapped to their backs.

The Chicago Cubs can be lovable losers. Los Angeles Clippers and Detroit Lions fans will look at top draft picks through the holes cut into the brown paper bags over their heads and say “maybe next year.” NASCAR has reached the point in this country where people will buy anything you slap an “88” on, even if Dale Earnhardt Jr. finds his way to Victory Lane about as often as Halley's Comet makes an appearance.

But for the U.S. soccer team, which became the darlings of the American sports scene during the past week, there's no room for error. The 3.9 million people who tuned in to watch the Confederations Cup final against Brazil won't think twice about switching the channel if U.S. Soccer takes a step back.

That's the cold, hard truth. Not that it's news to the sport's leaders or devoted fans. They've spent their entire lives in the shadow of football, basketball and baseball. Not to mention NASCAR, golf and hockey.

Holding on to win Sunday would have been huge for soccer in America. But showing that the United States at least has a puncher's chance against the world's best was really big, too.

So maybe the United States' showing at the Confederations Cup will be the catalyst soccer needs to finally become a hit in this country. Sort of like David Beckham was going to be. Or Pelé before him. Or Brandi Chastain. Or the 1994 and 2002 World Cups.

Without a strong showing at next year's World Cup, though, the sport is sure to get pushed to the backburner again.

And the reality is even success in South Africa won't guarantee soccer anything more than time in the spotlight every so often. Sometimes, not even winning — or a superstar — is enough to help grab a foothold in mainstream America.

Michael Phelps was the biggest athlete on the planet 10 months ago, primed to give swimming the attention it craved. Quick, name something he's done since Beijing involving water that wasn't in a bong.

When 2012 rolls around, and Phelps wins more gold in London, swimming will again be king for a day in the United States.

That's probably not what Sam's Army fans want to hear, but it could be worse. They could be fans of cricket.