*By Conor White*
With 10 days to go before the start of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, soccer is having a moment in the United States, despite the American men's failure to qualify for the tournament for the first time in 32 years.
The appeal of the sport, and the enthusiasm for the World Cup, could bode well for the U.S. team, said the World Cup veteran and U.S. under-20 national team coach Tab Ramos.
"I'm very bullish on the young players we have in this country," Ramos said Monday in an interview with Cheddar. "There's a lot of investment, a lot of Major League Soccer clubs investing in their youth academies, and I think we're starting to see the results of that, and I think our future is bright."
Ramos, who played in the 1990, 1994, and 1998 World Cups for the United States, said the appeal of the sport is universal, and the tournament will capture the attention of new fans with each kick.
"Some of the sports we grew up watching, NFL or Major League Baseball, have sort of rested on their laurels a little bit and have continued with an older audience that now is over 45, over 50, and soccer has gone after a whole new generation of people," Ramos said.
That generation of fans will be watching the tournament in Russia, where Ramos will be working as a World Cup analyst for Telemundo Deportes.
"It's a unique world event in the way that people identify with the sport in each country," he said. "It's sort of the people's sport."
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/soccer-legend-tab-ramos-previews-2018-world-cup).
Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White says the mixed martial arts league's five-year deal with ESPN puts it in a position to go the distance despite declining linear television trends. "Everything is going digital. Cord cutting is real. It's happening and we see it in all aspects of the business, whether it's pay-per-view or television," White said in an interview with Cheddar Thursday.
Two-time Call of Duty World Champ JKap talked with Cheddar Sports about why he's so excited to play with his new team, eUnited, and his thoughts going into Black Ops 4's first major, CWL Las Vegas.
A group of former NFL stars is launching an alternative professional football league for the offseason that will give players and fans a financial stake in their team's success. “We looked for markets where there was not a professional team, but a big enough market to support a team,” Ricky Williams, former two-time All American and one of the founders, told Cheddar in an interview on Tuesday.
We journeyed to Las Vegas this weekend for two huge events: CWL Las Vegas and LoL All-Stars. Featuring interviews with Optic's Scump, Dashy, Karma, Crimsix, and CEO Hector Rodriguez, G2's Blazt, Flyquest midlaner Pobelter, Vitality midlaner Jiizuke, and journalist Travis Gafford.
We cover the Game Awards from the red carpet, Smash Ultimate releases, Black Ops 4's first tournament starts in Vegas, and Zane takes on the rest of the Cheddar Sports team in a Smash Ultimate 1v3 showdown. Featuring IMT, MIBR, and LA Valiant CEO Noah Whinston, CLG COO Nick Allen, and interviews with Dominique 'SonicFox' McLean, Imane 'Pokimane' Anys, Lia 'SSSniperWolf' Shelesh, and OWL commissioner Nate Nanzer.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2018.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Monday, Dec. 10, 2018.
Riot expands its collegiate efforts, Overwatch League hits the road, Fortnite Season 7 drops, and we open a whole lotta Rastakhan's Rumble packs. Featuring Esports Awards Broadcaster of the Year Clint 'Maven' Evans and Logitech G Esports Business Development Head Andreas Schicker.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Friday, Dec. 6, 2018.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018.
