WHY YOU SHOULD BE WATCHING WORLD CUP SOCCER

Although growing in popularity, soccer is still not a big sport in the United States, I think it's fair to say. American sports fans, raised on the fast pace of Basketball and the excitement of football, find the game too slow. They don't like spending an hour and a half of their time to watch a game that might end 0-0. And American television networks and broadcasters don't like soccer because there's only one break (half-time) where they can show advertisements. And what's the point in having big audiences unless you can sell them a new car or a cable subscription, right ?

Having watched some Major League Soccer (MLS), I can see the problem. While there are a few outstanding soccer players plying their trade in the MLS (Josh Wolff and Freddy Adu spring to mind), the overall standard of play is..well, let's just say, that the leading European leagues are significantly better. Nevertheless, with the United States qualifying for the World Cup Finals with ease, this summer is the time that you...yes, you...should be watching soccer.

Held this year in Germany, the World Cup Finals features the best of the best soccer stars competing for that sport's ultimate prize. Combine this with the passion and pride you feel because you're backing your own country and the appeal of soccer at this level starts to become clear.

The level of skill exhibited in the World Cup is far above anything you'll see at club level as the likes of Brazil's World Player of the Year - Ronaldinho - will be competing with the best defences in soccer. And, again, unlike club soccer, there is no real tactical advantage to playing safe. If you want to win the World Cup, you've got to win your games. It's that simple.

This results in exciting, skillful, attacking soccer. Make no mistake, these are games that will have goals. The top goalscorers in the world will all be there, competing on behalf of their teams and competing with each other to get the coveted Golden Boot award for top goalscorer of the tournament. Michael Owen of England, Holland's Ruud Van Nistelroy, Spain's Fernando Torres, Andriy Shevchenko of Ukraine - strikers of this calibre are guaranteed to get goals.

Not convinced yet ? Still think soccer is boring and that you would rather be out fishing or fixing up your car or even at work ?

OK, how about this. For a soccer player, appearing at a World Cup Finals is the pinnacle of his career. Everything else - the money, the fame, the lifestyle - fades into the background. Everyone who has ever played the game dreams of playing at a World Cup and you can see that in the matches themselves. This is not just another round of games...the World Cup means everything to every one of those players and they will all give their best. For the fan - or even the casual observer - this means they will be watching passionate and absorbing matches. In sport, as in life, passion is everything.

Even better, the initial group stage has thrown up some intriguing encounters. One group even has three of the best 10 or 12 teams in the world - Czech Republic, Italy and, yes, the United States. There's no doubt that these are going to be fiercely competitive and thrilling matches and it's quite possible that - as they did in the 2002 Finals - the USA will progress to the Round of 16 and further.

My tip for the winners this time round is (somewhat unsurprisingly) the mighty Brazil, but there will be some thrills and spills along the way. So, when your loved ones ask you what you are doing this June, tell them you're going to be watching World Cup soccer.