The question has always been asked, “Why don’t Americans like Soccer?” It is a question with a two-part answer. Socceris easily the world’s favorite sport with the highest fan base and number of teams. The most common answer to the soccer question is that Americans already have enough sports, and there is no room for soccer to grow.

The U.S. is already home to baseball, basketball and football with massive fan bases. These sports regularly draw large crowds and millions of dollars in advertisements and endorsements and massive million-dollar paydays for the players.

Soccer in Europe draws the same sizes of crowds and also brings in millions of dollars in advertisements as well as million- dollar superstars, so why can that not be true in the U.S.? This is where the second part comes in.

Looking at the structure of American sports, games are fast-paced and high-scoring with a lot of in-your-face plays, hits and excitement. Conversely, soccer matches seem much longer, low-scoring and hard contact is strictly penalized. It is not unusual for soccer matches to end with a 0-0 score. Many Americans agree that soccer is boring. Both sides play furiously to get…nowhere. However, the Europeans have a certain method of energizing things.

The atmosphere around soccer in Europe is completely different from that of soccer in the U.S.. The best way to describe it is “electric.” European soccer fans rival the energy and excitement of American football fans. Fans are diehards, and the atmosphere of a stadium on a game day is incredible.

When you walk into the stands, the wall of sound hits you like a hammer. Everyone is in home colors, wearing the traditional team scarves—everyone wears a scarf in Europe—faces painted, and team songs!

Each soccer team has special songs that are sung by its fans and are very different depending on who the game is against. Perhaps the most famous team song hails from the fans of West Ham United, in the eastern side of London, with their song “I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles.” Team songs are often based on rhymes with lyrics aimed at insulting rival teams and their players.

Soccer in the U.S. does not have the fanatical following that energizes its teams like other sports. If you want an incredible soccer experience like those found in news reports and even Hollywood films, your best bet is this: head to Europe, grab a pint of beer and enjoy a great game.