Valley key for Cards I’m not going to lie: If it weren’t for this job, I probably would never see one ball‑bounce of competitive soccer. It’s not that I don’t like it. There’s only so much time I can devote to following a sport. It’s kind of like my theory of watching TV shows. I don’t regularly watch any series–other than Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show”–because I don’t want to have to put in the commitment to learn all the nuances of the programs. However, my avoidance of soccer and my lack of TV commitment get blown out of the water for that one month every four years when the World Cup takes center stage. Because once the tournament begins, I rearrange my schedule to watch some matches, or avoid hearing scores to watch other games later. It is the one month when I can’t get enough of the fans, the celebrations, the foreign‑sounding announcers, and, dare I say it, riots.

Perhaps I’m not the only closet World Cup fan who normally lays low until that checkered ball decides international bragging rights for the next four years. Of course, I may be the only closet World Cup fan here in the North Valley.

With the area turning into a soccer hotbed, chances are local soccer nuts are already following this stuff 24/7. Youth soccer continues to be popular and is growing in leaps and bounds in Anthem. And Cactus Shadows High School has forged itself into one of Arizona’s best soccer programs in the 4A.

Cactus Shadows’ boys coach Mat Evans is from England, a place that has some importance to me as my father is from there, too. On my last trip over New Year’s, I heard my family talk about the excitement when England won the 1966 Cup and the angst at Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God” non‑call in the 1986 quarterfinals.

My 9‑year‑old son even agreed that a U.S.‑England matchup in an elimination game would be an amazing dream.

I won’t go that far to predict the Americans will duplicate their quarterfinal finish from 2002, but it won’t shock the world if the U.S. is playing for it all in three weeks. But for a total random guess at who will win it all: I’m going with The Netherlands–not for any more reason than I’ve recently been there and I expect a new champion to emerge this time.

So, give me a call in the first week of July. I’ll be busy until then.

If you would like to reach the reporter, or submit a local sports item of interest, send an e‑mail to jason@thedesertadvocate.com, call (480) 488‑1204 or visit the office at 6528 E. Cave Creek Road.