Little did I know when the World Cup started last month that Seattle is the most soccer-crazed city in the U.S.

Photo by Xoque (Flickr Creative Commons)

But it all became abundantly clear when the front page of the Seattle Times ran a photo of fans packed into the George & Dragon for the first USA game against England. It looked like Chickie & Pete’s when the Eagles made the playoffs (sorry, I come from a place where football means….football. The kind where players smash into each other a lot and fans throw snowballs at Santa). Bars have regularly opened their doors at 4:30 a.m. for the most rabid fans and outdoor screens have been provided for the most competitive games.

Photo by kenudigit (Flickr Creative Commons)

As the games have worn on, I’ve learned more about the city’s affinity for the world’s most popular sport. Seattle’s major league soccer team, the Sounders, sells out the majority of its home games. No one is quite sure why soccer has caught on here, although the Times article speculated that Seattle’s international population, bookish tendencies and global viewpoint may come into play. Others I’ve talked to say it’s because the NBA team, the Sonics, left in 2008.

My workplace, which draws employees from around the world. has played into World Cup mania. The games are shown on a large screen team in our cafeteria, which has also sold thematic food choices during the various games. The Brazilians were a particularly passionate group. They not only wore their jerseys en masse when the games were on, they brought in a large samba drum, which is about the only instrument that can drown out a vuvuzela.

I haven’t followed the matches too closely, but I have enjoyed having a window into the sport that rivets global attention. I love how it’s led many people in the U.S. who may not even know where Ghana is to become slightly more curious about the rest of the world. And I definitely like seeing how fans in different companies react to sports.

I may find a bar on Sunday to watch the final between Spain and the Netherlands. I have a feeling that in this town, most will be crowded.

Are you going to watch Sunday’s game? Or is your World Cup fever played out?