Let's get things straight: I have never really been a soccer fan by any means.
Like most other Americans, I grew up playing the game but gave it up as I got older for the U.S. version of football.
However, my thoughts toward the sport have drastically changed this year and not just because of the World Cup earlier this summer — the University of Wisconsin men's soccer team's hot start to the 2006 season, even despite its recent 2-0 loss at Ohio State, has sparked my interest in soccer.
Not since Nick Van Sicklen — who is currently under contract with Canterbury United of the New Zealand Football Championship — was collecting multi-goal games for the Badgers have I even cared about Wisconsin soccer, but even then it was just a passing notice for an outstanding player.
But this year's team just has something special about it.
At 7-4-2, Wisconsin has earned its first national ranking in four years, cracking the polls at No. 22 and has established itself as the better football team on campus.
It may not be the most talented team, but it certainly is one of the toughest and most exciting to watch. Yes, I said it: soccer is exciting, contrary to my prior beliefs.
McClimon Soccer Complex isn't exactly the best place to catch a match — being far from most student housing with below-par seating and the chilly breeze of Lake Mendota repels potential spectators, resulting in a last place Big Ten standing in attendance (a paltry 486 headcount per game average) — but head coach Jeff Rohrman's squad makes up for most of the field's drawbacks.
Wisconsin's offense is not the most polished, but its gritty style of play helps it control time of possession, allowing it to be atop of the conference in points, goals and assists.
Plus with senior Jake Settle back in goal, Wisconsin's offense can afford to be somewhat rough.
Settle is one of the best goalies in the conference. He has saved everything shot his way so far, as evident by his first place standing in goals against average and save percentage in the Big Ten.
Even more impressive was the shutout streak Settle had going — 464 minutes, 11 seconds of not allowing a goal since Sept. 20 — which ended Sunday in the loss to Ohio State.
One of the more interesting storylines for the Badgers' soccer team this year, though, has been what sophomore Victor Diaz and freshman Pablo Delgado Inglada have brought to the team.
The passion for the game these two front-line Spanish stars, former teammates back in Madrid for Las Rozas' U-18 team, display has been unprecedented. Yet, it must be frustrating for the two to come from soccer-Mecca, a city with arguably one of the best professional teams in the World (Real Madrid) to a college town where soccer is largely ignored and a nation where professional soccer is much of an afterthought.
There's no arguing soccer is the most popular sport worldwide, but in the United States it is at the bottom of the popularity list. Of course sports like football and baseball, which aren't national sports in nearly as many countries across the globe as soccer is, are extremely popular in the States, putting soccer in a hard-to-notice shadow.
But that's just the nature of our sports society, and nothing can really be done about it. The university could do more to promote its team, even move its field to a more favorable location — possibly to its practice field right behind Camp Randall as has been rumored in the past — but how much would it really help?
Not much, if at all; it's too bad, because soccer really does deserve more.
Michael is a senior double majoring in journalism and communication arts. If you'd like to catch a soccer match with him sometime, e-mail him at [email protected].
