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

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.”

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