*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).

Share:
More In Sports
Under Armour Stomps on Nike's College Football Turf
The College Football Playoff hasn't even kicked off, but Under Armour is already a winner. For the first time since the final four-structured championship began in 2014, a non-Nike brand is sponsoring one of the teams that made the playoffs.
Overwatch Expansion Team Runway and Rastakhan's Rumble Preview - Cheddar Sports 12/3/18
DreamHack Winter 2018 recap and ESL Season 8 Finals preview, Ninja's new mouse partnership with Finalmouse, and Panda wins Tekken World Tour finals. We rate the Overwatch Expansions teams' logos and colors and get cozy at a Hearthstone Fireside event for the release of Rastakhan's Rumble. Featuring Andrew Coonrad of Logitech G on the Logitech G Pro Wireless mouse.
Ahman Green on Bringing His NFL Experience to Esports
For NFL player Ahman Green, 2003 was a year for the record books: He set the Green Bay Packers franchise record for rushing yards and touchdowns, and became the first and only player in NFL history to record at least 1,850 rushing yards, average 5.0 yards per carry, score 20 touchdowns, and catch 50 passes in a single season.
Load More