The World Cup is about to stop being boring for first-time fans

The World Cup is about to stop being boring for first-time US fans

For spectators new to the game, the most anticipated event on the soccer calendar has been dragging a bit.

There have been 4 scoreless draws so far in group stage. Excluding Spain and England’s respective routs, there was an average of 1.89 goals across the first 20 matches.

Armchair fans, particularly first-timers and US fans used to more twists and turns (and less used to ties) in sporting contests, could be forgiven for thinking about turning off.

Lowlights:

• England playing out a generally drab 0–0 with the USA
• Mexico determined to play for a draw vs. Argentina
• Favored nations trying to do ‘just enough’ against lower-ranked teams then being caught out and dropping points (KSA v ARG, JPN v GER, BEL v MAR)

Things are about to get spicy

As we’ve already seen glimpses of, when tournament survival is on the line games open up.

• Canada going out in a blaze of glory
  Cameroon and Serbia treating us to a 6-goal thriller
  Korea and Ghana in a festival of goals

Here’s how you can max the levels of spice in your spectating life:

Choose your matches with careful strategy

Choosing games to watch becomes tricky from Tuesday onward, with the final round of group games required to be played simultaneously. Focus on what’s on the line rather than watching the superstars of world football play,

Instead of watching Harry Kane and England labor to avoid defeat against Wales, watch Iran and USA go at it with everything on the line. Instead of watching Brazil edge into the next round trying to any avoid further injury against Cameroon, watch Serbia and Switzerland slug it out for a do-or-die shot at making the last 16.

The joy continues into the knockout phase but the ghosts of dryness past may return to haunt us in the end

This excitement will continue in the knockout phases where it’s death or cake all the way, and the end of having to choose between simultaneous games. Some of the best matches in World Cup history come at the quarter-final stage where the in-form titans of the game begin to clash.

Typically, however, the World Cup final is a tense affair where having come so far in the tournament, players become more haunted again by the fear of losing than the glory of winning.

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