I admit it. I was underwhelmed by the Women's World Cup final. And I'm a soccer fan.

Yes, I did get a bit excited when Briana Scurry pushed aside Liu Ying's penalty kick. And, yes, I let loose a short yell when Brandi Chastain sealed the "victory" for the U.S. But here's the deal: Forever in the record books, the game goes down as a 0-0 tie. We tied China for the title. Penalty kicks are irrelevant. Yes, the kicks determined the championship, but the Cup was not won on the field of play. It was won at the craps table. China rolled snake eyes.

I was more excited with Kristine Lilly's amazing save in overtime. I was hollering when Akers and Chastain failed to get their feet to surefire goalscoring crosses. I cringed every time Sun Wen touched the ball.

Yes, we won. And we should be happy about it. The rest of the world keeps telling U.S. fans that it is the result that matters, not the game itself. Well, Brazil generally begs to differ (Pele christened the Brazilian style as "the beautiful game"), but most other folks will say that a win is a win is a win is a win. And we won.

In that same moment, I knew that I was losing what I really liked, which was watching the games themselves. But I'm lucky. I live in the Triangle region of North Carolina, which is probably the hottest spot in the world as far as women's soccer goes. University of North Carolina alumni always make up the largest contingent on the national team, the UNC team itself is an NCAA juggernaut and the Raleigh Wings have only lost one game in the entire two-year history of the W-League women's semipro soccer circuit. We have good women's teams, and we support them. Members of the U.S. team are scheduled to play an indoor exhibition against international stars here in November. Tickets are pricey, but they'll probably sell out.

I haven't been able to make any Wings games yet this year because of my screwed up late-night work schedule. I can only make do with what's on TV. And at this point, there's not much. And there won't be. In four years, when the Women's World Cup will be played most likely in Australia (there are no other countries bidding), the fervor will probably have subsided somewhat. The fact that the U.S. will only be one of many favorites along with China, Brazil and Nigeria (among others) will probably dim hopes somewhat, and the time differences will certainly diminish the TV ratings. Even with compelling story lines (Mia Hamm's last hurrah, defending the Cup, etc.), there will not be the same fervor surrounding that team. This year's mania was a freak occurrence. An enjoyable one, but freak nonetheless.

But I don't really care about those things. As long as someone will carry the game, I'll watch. And that's what will be missing from my life for a while. I'm gonna miss having the opportunity to watch first rate soccer on a regular basis. The last month, I have gorged. From Manchester United's miraculous treble, sealed at the end of May, through the entire Women's World Cup, there has been good soccer available for the asking many times a week. If certain cable companies were willing, we might have been treated to a pleasant encore of Copa America, which is taking place in Paraguay. Chile, Paraguay, Mexico and Brazil are the semifinalists, and a new champion will be crowned in a week or so. Unfortunately, all I've got are the slight AP reports on the matches. No visual poetry to make my heart sing.

So I'm bummed. I'm bummed that the U.S. (or China, for that matter) couldn't score in the final. I'm bummed that I may never see Michelle Akers play soccer every again. And I'm bummed that I won't see primo soccer on TV for a few months. Though I will be checking out the Wings in a couple weeks and the UNC, Duke and State game this fall.

Still, the cool thing about sport, any sport, is the eternal sense of hope. There's always something right around the corner. There's always another chance.

Not that that's a metaphor or anything.

Jon Worley had to work while watching the U.S.-China match, which may have contributed to his relatively downbeat feelings toward the occasion.