Soccer: An American Game

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Euro 2008 will reach a record audience in the U.S. this year. Ever louder exclamations of joy and despair will resonate not only from European immigrants but from their second-, third- and fourth-generation offspring, augmented by a growing Hispanic audience. For the first time, ESPN is televising every game. The final will be shown on a big broadcast network, ABC, and the ratings could top the National Hockey League's finals — unthinkable even 10 years ago. "There's a big fan base for each team here. And U.S. fans love big events: they love something where the excitement builds," says Russell Wolfe, head of ESPN International.

Assimilating, yet staying connected to the motherland, is an essential part of the immigrant experience in the U.S. At least on the football field, Europe, too, has learned that diversity can have its rewards. The great Zinedine Zidane is the son of an Algerian; Florent Malouda, born in French Guiana, and Congo-born Claude Makelele will feature for France this year. Turkey once exported guest workers to Switzerland and Germany, and is now seeing a return. Several of its team, including Hamit Altintop and Hakan Balta, are German-born. Germany itself reflects Europe's now swirling populace. Two strikers, Miroslav Klose and Lukas Poldowski, are ethnic Poles, and striker Kevin Kuranyi was born in Brazil. An intriguing newcomer, Stuttgart striker Mario Gomez, is a Spanish-German blend whose subtle southern touch made him the Bundesliga's second-best striker behind Bayern Munich and Luca Toni of Italy.

Germany will be a favorite; it always is. "The Germans just find a way," says Kasey Keller, who played with Borussia Mönchengladbach. Keller remembers the mediocre German team that reached the World Cup final in 2002 and controversially beat the U.S. 1-0 in the quarters. "I could put you on the phone with some of those guys: how they got to [the final], they have no idea; they don't know how they did it, but they did it." This summer, the German team is more talented up front, and rock solid as ever at the back. "You're looking at a team with five or six guys that are 6 ft. 3 in., 6 ft. 4 in.," says Keller. "They can still be mechanical — we are going to win a free kick — then there's going to be five monsters flying into the box." Pencil in the monsters for the semis.

Do not pencil in the Spanish for the semis. Just hope they get there. "Spain is the anti-Germany," says Keller, who played in La Liga for Rayo Vallecano. "Spain will do everything possible to not get into the final." The problem, says Reyna, is that Spain would rather win a 5-3 goal fest than grind it out 1-0 like the Italians. Yet Spain's game, says Keller, "is the style of game that everybody wants to see. Everybody has respect for Sweden. But what do you want to watch?" As a goalkeeper, Keller doesn't want to watch Cristiano Ronaldo standing over a free kick, or Ruud van Nistelrooy anywhere near the box. "You don't even know he's there," he says of the Dutch striker. "You turn around and the ball's in the back of the net." And Van Nistelrooy will have Real Madrid teammates Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder in support, along with Arsenal's Robin van Persie.

Ronaldo, who has had a brilliant season for Manchester United, doesn't seem to need much support. If his Portuguese team can keep its head, it could yet win — and you could then expect Providence, R.I., and New Bedford, Mass., to celebrate a victory that has been agonizingly long in coming. Portugal will have much to do before such a result, of course. Germany could easily stand in their way. In his preparations for Euro 2008, German coach Joachim Loew has run his team through basketball drills to improve its defense. That's an original American game, of course, and we're more than happy to share it with him. After all, German immigrants helped establish football in America. It's good to return the favor.