Soccer fans in Jakarta mark the 2002 World Cup finals, April 2002. Devotees of the game worldwide display their fandom in varied ways. (Corbis)

Soccer sociology

Writers have used soccer as the key to understanding everything from Thatcherite England to Dutch design sense to the sweep of globalization. But if soccer explains the world, does it matter that Americans don't understand soccer?

By Eric Weinberger

June 27, 2004

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THERE IS ONLY one week left in the world's third most popular sporting event (after the World Cup and Summer Olympics), and most Americans do not even know it is happening. But as soccer's European Championship heads toward its July 4 finale, those paying attention include an interestingly split segment of the population: on the one hand, the educated, transatlantic ... (Full Article: 1768 Words)