The world’s most popular sport is played by more than 12 million young people in the United States alone, and more than 5 million adults. In fact, the Central Florida Strikers, a new professional women’s team, recently formed here. Local girls and women who play the “most popular” sport now have a hometown-team to support and aspire to play for.

Didn’t hear about that? Was the announcement of the new team overshadowed by other sporting events, like maybe by the National Basketball Association Finals?

The sport in reference, the world’s most popular sport, is “football,” unless one lives in the United States. Here, the sport is called soccer.

Surprised?

It may be more surprising to know that Orlando has impacted the professional soccer world in a few ways.

Michelle Akers, who grew up in Orlando and graduated from the University of Central Florida, is the U.S. Women’s National Team all-time leading scorer, and she was a member of the gold-medal winning team that competed in the 1996 Olympics.

The Los Angeles Galaxy, a Major League Soccer team, recently promoted former Southwest resident Tom Payne to assistant general manager. Payne previously was the sales manager for Disney’s Wide World of Sports complex. He also created the Disney’s Soccer Showcase, which is now the top-ranked youth and college soccer showcase in the country.

Additionally, local resident Sergei Raad played for the Central Florida Kraze, the 2004 Premier Development League National Champions, before being drafted by the MLS Kansas City Wizards.

Admittedly, it is not hometown-loyalty that recently peaked the Southwest Orlando Bulletin Roving Reporter’s interest in soccer.

A fan of the sport since she was a wee young thing (she even played for numerous years), it is the 2006 Fédération Internationale de Football Association — which prefers to go by its acronym, FIFA. The World Cup has renewed her interest in the game.

The World Cup features the best players from around the world, and with them, some of the most dedicated fans.

Watch a World Cup game and try to find a fan who is not wearing team colors and face paint, or screaming and chanting after a hard-earned goal is scored. (Or sometimes easily earned, which really makes opposing fans angry.)

In Orlando, where soccer is played by many and watched by few, dedicated fans head to Cricketers Arms English Pub & Eatery on International Drive to watch the World Cup games live.

If anyone entertains thoughts of watching an England game, he better arrive early — very early — or risk standing outside in the heat, or worse, being turned away completely.

Southwest Orlando residents, and albeit some tourists, come out in droves to cheer on their favorite teams, with the United States and England (the Roving Reporter loves to watch David Beckham) drawing the largest crowds.

Phil Coppen, a Bay Hill resident and owner of Cricketers, seems to be having the time of his life, and he is constantly in the center of a rowdy group of fans.

A native of England and huge Chelsea Football Club fan, Coppen is optimistic, but realistic, about England’s chances for a World Cup win, and grudgingly admits a championship is most likely not in the cards for his home-country team.

However, with the acquisition of an exact replica of the World Cup trophy — one of only nine — Cricketers is able to infuse plenty of English and American spirit into every game, when fans wait eagerly to hold the trophy, wishing in that moment that their dreams were a reality.

Among those enthusiastic fans supporting their teams are Bay Hill residents Allison Pearce and Suzanne Graffham, who have been seen cheering for England, and Isleworth resident Les Cullen, who got to hold the replica trophy.

Southwest residents have been dedicated about visiting the pub, with crowds getting larger as the tournament goes on.

So, this Sunday, July 9, at 2 p.m., during the World Cup final, it’s a good bet the Roving Reporter will have been there for hours, claiming her seat and wearing one of the final teams’ colors — please, be red and white — cheering and getting rowdy with the rest of the crowd. For those who fear being reported on, don’t worry — she’ll be off-duty.

Keep your eyes open. You never know where the Roving Reporter will show up next.

Article by: Diana Curtis
Article from Southwest Orlando Bulletin.    www.southwestorlandobulletin.com