I wouldn't really call myself a soccer fan but I casually follow the World Cup the same way I would follow the Olympics. I like international competitions. I think it's kind of funny how happy the "fans" are here that we beat Ghana. Ghana is a country we SHOULD beat every time. However I realize that we still aren't considered real contenders. Americans play basketball, baseball, and football mainly. Despite it's growing popularity, I still consider soccer a fringe sport. Similar to hockey. It's just not that popular here.
I can't deny though that it's popularity is growing. The success of MLS proves that.