Sawt Falasteen - World Cup struggles to ignite US excitement

The co-hosts play Friday against Paraguay in Los Angeles but it is an opening match that many Americans -- including Donald Trump -- will likely snub.

The US president will not be at the game, and is instead represented by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Asked recently about ticket prices, deemed exorbitant by many fans, Trump said he would not pay the more than $1,000 required for the first match if he were an ordinary supporter.

Arvin Baines, a 26-year-old England fan from London who spoke to AFP in Washington, agreed that ticket prices were a major barrier.

He and his friends booked flights to the United States before the matches went on sale and are now gambling on finding last-minute resale seats as official prices exceed their budget.

"A lot of fans we know decided not to travel just because of the cost," Baines said.

- 'For the fans' -

Another fan traveling from Britain was Thomas Shaw, 40, and his 10-year-old son, who will attend Scotland's first match in Boston on Saturday.

They bought their tickets with loyalty points earned through a supporters' group, but they said it was too expensive to go to more games.

"I've got friends who applied for tickets through the ballots, didn't get them, and some paid fortunes in the resale market, which I think is a scandal as well," he told AFP in New Jersey.

"I don't think that's right. I mean, football's supposed to be for the fans."

Meanwhile, Ivory Coast and Senegal will be playing without official fan delegations for the first time due to US visa denials.

"The supporters have cancelled the trip because the US government does not want to see supporters from certain countries, including Ivory Coast, on its soil," said Julien Kouadio Adonis, president of Ivory Coast's National Committee of Elephants Supporters.

- No buzz, yet -

While the 1994 World Cup hosted by the United States was a popular success, Americans do not seem particularly engaged with this tournament.

That is clearest in New York where Knicks jerseys -- the city basketball team battling for a historic NBA title -- are far more common than soccer shirts.

"I think the Knicks have just taken away a lot of the excitement right now," said Vanessa Whalen, owner of an English-style pub in Brooklyn, the Black Bull.

But the US team could progress into the knockout stages, and she predicts the buzz will pick up: "I think it's gonna go crazy in New York."

Excitement levels in co-hosts Mexico and Canada appear to be higher, with Mexico City engulfed by enthusiast fans for their opening game on Thursday.

In the Westport district of Kansas City, base camp for Argentina and England, the World Cup has drawn little interest from regulars in the Tin Roof bar -- yet.

"We don't usually get soccer on TV but we expect a lot more than the usual number of customers for the next few weeks," said waitress Gabrielle McLoughlin. "We'll have plenty of special nights."

X.AbuJaber--SF-PST