For decades interest in ‘soccer’ on the other side of the Atlantic was minimal to say the least, the sport was perceived as being something only for the rest of the world and those Americans who did show an inkling of passion for it were considered as outsiders and ‘weirdos’.

Indeed to a nation of people where the extreme physical contact associated with Gridiron and Ice Hockey is celebrated, football was judged with scepticism, a soft game more suited to those of the fairer sex.

But now attitudes have changed, no longer is football deemed not worth following in the States with a huge leap in fascination of the game a by-product of the rapid rise in performance of the national team combined with the lure of some of the sport’s biggest names to the MLS.

The suggestion that aside from the hosts the country with the biggest number of supporters at the World Cup would be those travelling from the States would have been met with incredulity in the past but this has now become fact, the growth in numbers of people declaring a passion for cheering on the men representing the stars and stripes has been immense.

We are all aware that despite its unpopularity amongst the vast majority of Americans football is actually the most participated sport in the country with school kids although those who follow this up pursuing a career as professionals has been extremely limited.

Now though a new pattern is developing, the demographics of the USA are altering a fast pace with those of a Hispanic origin very soon overtaking those whose forefathers emigrated from Europe as the dominant culture.

This great change can only see a continued growth of football in the States, good news for those who wish to promote it and for Jurgen Klinsmann’s successors who will reap the benefits allowing them greater opportunity to create a more successful team.

In the meantime support for Team USA has been simply phenomenal, generated by the heroics of them in this year’s tournament where they have pushed above their weight securing a berth in the last 16 following progression from the group of death which included Germany and Portugal.

To students of the world game this really should have not been deemed surprising, the USA have steadily been improving since reaching the Finals back in 1990 and in the progress overtaking Mexico as the leading football nation from the much derided Concacaf region.

And in Klinsmann they could not have asked for a more confident, enthusiastic character to lead them, the legendary German is helping revitalise the sport and attract more and more interest of those who for a long time would have scoffed at the very idea of taking any attention to football.

That repulsive right wing US political commentator Ann Coulter recently labelled football as being a ‘liberal conspiracy’, judging by the support for their national side this summer many of her fellow citizens are quite keen to indulge in love for this ridiculously labelled ‘conspiracy’ and long may that continue