Standing near an RV in the infield at a NASCAR race, the subject of soccer and the World Cup came up, quite unexpectedly. "What's the World Cup?" asked race fan Rich Possinger.

OK, so he admitted he actually did know a thing about the world's biggest sporting event. But like many fellow Americans, Possinger was not setting aside time to watch the U.S. team, which took the field for its first game Monday.

"I'm waiting for the bug to bite," he said, "and it hasn't yet."

Might not happen anytime soon, either, given America's dispiriting 3-0 loss to the Czechs in the opener. Four years ago, the U.S. made a surprise run into the quarterfinals that sparked a bit of soccer madness back home.

Four years, however, is a long time to milk a couple of wins.

"Soccer is just a sport that's still not dominant in the United States," said Randy Chavez of Albuquerque, N.M. "I'd rather follow baseball, football or basketball, rather than what the rest of the world calls 'football.'"

Indeed, the world's most popular sport is big only around the fringes in the United States ¡ª played by plenty (mostly kids) but watched by few (mostly diehards).

The Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association said more than 17 million people played soccer at least once in 2006, third among team sports behind basketball and football, which has actually surpassed soccer in the past year.

"The NFL and baseball appeal to people who aren't even fans of the sport," said Tink Lim, also at Pocono Raceway to watch a NASCAR race. "It's a cultural thing."

Not surprisingly, early TV viewership has been modest. ABC reported overnight ratings for Saturday's England-Paraguay game and for Sunday's Mexico- Iran game at 2.7 ¡ª about 3 million households for each. Spanish-language network Univision was also televising the games. Figures for Monday's game involving the Americans won't be available until Tuesday.

By comparison, the French Open women's final, televised early Saturday on NBC, drew viewers in about 1.9 million households. Even on its worst nights, the Winter Olympics drew about 16 million viewers in February.

Meanwhile, in other countries, fans and governments put a high priority on the World Cup.

Through much of the Middle East, a satellite network is charging steep viewing fees, leading to some dramatic action. In Egypt, the head of the Nile Sports Channel asked for United Nations intervention. The king of Jordan ordered public TV screens be set up so low-income citizens could watch.

In Indonesia, not being able to watch the World Cup simply added to the trauma after last month's devastating earthquakes.

"Our sorrows are complete," a local named Kusumo said as he sifted through the rubble that was once his house.

Of course, the United States has pockets of hard-core soccer fans.

Games were on TVs all weekend in shops and bars around Manhattan. In Seattle's Ballard neighborhood, several people were wearing soccer jerseys, even though the big event there was a bike race. In Minneapolis, John Nahrgang went to a downtown bar called "The Local" to watch the game surrounded by other die-hards.

"I don't think I've ever anticipated a sporting event for so long," Nahrgang said.

He was the exception.

"Not a sport I'm interested in," said Jeff Ahern, while he took in a Boston Red Sox game over the weekend.

ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 are doing their best to hype the coverage.

They've got studio shows, a la "Baseball Tonight," to break down the action. They're televising all 64 games, even though the time change means they won't be on during prime time.

In fact, the U.S. started playing Monday around the time "The Price Is Right" was ending on the East Coast. And by the time Bob Barker was signing off, about five minutes into the game, the Americans were already down a goal.

"If they start off in the first few rounds making progress, then my interest will develop," said Mike McTernan, while watching a Little League T-ball game in Albuquerque. "If they get blown out in the first couple of rounds, then maybe not."

McTernan should know that in the last two World Cups, the only team to advance from the first round after losing its opener was Turkey, in 2002.

The Americans' next game is Saturday against Italy.