The fact is that we do care. Although there's less interest than in American football or baseball, soccer is still bigger than rugby, cricket and a host of other sports in America and its popularity continues to grow (unlike hockey, which was benched for a year and barely anyone seemed to notice). But, I'm the first to admit that it has a long way to go.
Maybe it was the new venue, maybe it was the beautiful weather and maybe it was the lack of interest in the opposing teams, but there were only about a dozen die-hards watching Sweden take on Trinidad & Tobago at the Carleton Grange on Saturday morning.
Interest was certainly higher on Sunday as Mexico walloped Iran, 3-1. The score, however, belies the fact that until Mexico sucked the air out of the Irani squad with goal number two in the 77th minute, the Iranians played as aggressively and passionately as the Mexican team. It was refreshing to see such a hard fought game also end up a pretty darn clean one, too. Only after it was over did I realize that barely any of the players writhed comedically on the ground after a minor collision or foul.
Today is when American interest will likely heat up as the U.S. battles the Czech side at 11 a.m. and Italy faces Ghana at 2 p.m. in Group E play.
You should go watch the game at Carleton Grange and have one of those chicken pesto sandwiches. As I told the waiter, it's strange to find that an English pub dishes up some of the best homemade pesto in town.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
