From bars to the set of the hit television show Friends, many people have seen the level of excitement that foosball can bring.
The question is how many people realize that this popular game is a mirror image of soccer.
When you look down on the foosball game, you see that you have the players dressed in their soccer strip standing over a green field.
Both of the goal holes that you are trying to knock the ball into, resemble the goals you find in soccer and even the tiny white ball looks like a soccer ball.
With these popular tables found in so many places and even popular tournaments in the United States, the question is why don't more people get into soccer? Well, the answer isn't as easy as you might like to believe.
American Football, Baseball and Basketball are the three most popular games in the United States.
In fact, they are so popular that advertisers spend billions of dollars in advertising each year.
These games draw in audiences that are in the multimillion ranges and there are sports channels that are devoted to them.
Each of these popular sports draws in unique crowds.
For example, many families tend to take their young children to baseball.
This sport has been established as the great American past time for generations.
This is one of the reasons that it has become so popular.
Football in turn is a highly competitive sport in the United States.
From high school sports to college and even professional, many people have a direct connection with either playing the sport, or being close to someone that does.
Basketball in turn is very similar.
This direct link to the childhoods and familiarity has quickly made these three sports standout for so many people.
Since they span across the entire year, there is no break available for a new sport to join in the realm.
This is one of the reasons why soccer hasn't increased in popularity.
In connection with this, the lack of popularity has also stemmed too little to no television time being directed towards this sport.
Since a majority of US based teams play their season during the fall, they are up against the football juggernaut.
Since this is a big drive for sports networks, soccer again is put to the bottom of the stack and other areas are focused on instead.
With all this in mind, foosball can be played at any point and time.
This table unit doesn't take away from watching the big game on the screen.
Instead, it is a low impact time passer that we can use to challenge our friends and enjoy a couple of beers playing at a bar.
Of course, with recent changes in time, soccer is slowly getting the notice it deserves in the United States.
More and more people are tuning into the World Cup and other important events.
In the years to come, it is very likely more Americans will begin enjoying this high impact sport and giving it the fair attention that it deserves.