San Francisco Chronicle TV critic Tim Goodman writes that watching the 2010 World Cup got him hooked on soccer. He watched some of the 2006 World Cup, but after four years of a lot more exposure to the game via youth soccer and various discoveries of European leagues on television, he made an effort to watch every game of this summer's World Cup.

Goodman believes the impressive and extensive coverage of the World Cup by ESPN could get more people looking for European soccer "or even, gasp, our very own Major League Soccer," although conversions come slowly.

Goodman said that HD makes soccer an improved viewing experience, as does the fact that soccer isn't interrupted by commercials.

"The next time I watch American football ... it's going to be painful. And I watch a lot of football. Timeout, commercial break. Penalty - play under review; commercial break. Player hurt - commercial break. Ugh.