Growing up in Europe, Martin Korytkowski lives by the family World Cup rules.

“If you don’t watch your home country’s game,” Korytkowski said, “don’t show up.”

While that kind of soccer craze hasn’t totally hit the States just yet, the popularity of the month-long World Cup has been evident in some Lawrence bars.

That includes the Red Lyon Tavern, 944 Mass., which has opened its doors at 8 a.m. and offered donuts for patrons who come to watch World Cup play.

Known as one of the only Irish and British taverns in town, the bar had taken a special interest in soccer and especially the World Cup, bartender Chris Neverve said.

Over the last week, there have been Costa Rican, German and Dutch cheering parties at the tavern, along with an increased number of curious Americans.

“There’s definitely more interest,” Neverve said. “I know people all over town who don’t give a care about soccer asking me why we lost so bad the other day, because they don’t have a clue. I’d say there’s a huge general interest for sports fans.”

Kansas University students Martin Korytkowski, a graduate student from Lansing, England, left, and Nick Willis, a Topeka junior, watch the World Cup match between Ivory Coast and the Netherlands at the Red Lyon Tavern, 944 Mass. The bar is opening its doors at 8 a.m. to accomondate soccer fans interested in the tournament, which began last week and will continue through July 9.

Consider Korytkowski one of those. Along with friend Nick Willis, Korytkowski watched the Ivory Coast-Netherlands game in the tavern with tables full of other soccer fans.

After growing up in England, he’s used to a different atmosphere.

“When World Cup comes up, we don’t have school. We don’t work,” Korytkowski said. “They still want us to go to school, but they put TVs in the classrooms so you watch the game.”

Korytkowski said as a child he watched every game of the tournament with his family, even taping those that were at a bad time so he could view them later.

He still believes the emergence of soccer in America might not be as far off as some believe.

“It’s getting much better, if you look at all the high school kids playing soccer and the soccer moms,” Korytkowski said. “When those kids get to college level, there’s going to be a need to make soccer a college sport.”

Joshua Arce, Lawrence, checks out a World Cup group play schedule while also taking in a game at Henry T's Bar & Grill, 3520 W. 6th St.

Soccer fan Brent Piepergerdes attended Molly McGee’s, 2412 Iowa, for lunch to catch some of the action. After doing some of his college research in Italy, he has come to understand the significance of the tournament worldwide.

“It’s such an event because it’s every four years,” Piepergerdes said. “It’s the Olympics of soccer, except it captivates over 2 billion people.”

Though many of those 2 billion might not be in this country just yet, Piepergerdes said he looked forward to the day when the event had the pull that it did in other nations. This year’s games halted a civil war in Ivory Coast and also created national holidays in Trinidad and Tobago.

“If there was sort of a collectivity more around the nation – being behind a national team,” Piepergerdes said, “it would certainly be a dream for me as a huge soccer fan.”

Meanwhile, at Henry T’s Bar & Grill, 3520 W. 6th St., brothers Joshua Arce and Derrick White showed and wore their soccer spirit. White entered the restaurant with a Brazil jersey, while Arce brought a printout of the entire schedule so he could follow along.

Both played the sport growing up and have been hooked ever since.

“When you start playing at this level, it’s a completely different thing,” White said. “It’s so much more fast-paced, with so much more skill and tactic. You start seeing some of the actual tactics behind the game – formations and strategies.

“A lot of people don’t really understand that. There’s so much more behind it other than just kicking a ball back and forth.”

White said he believed the sport’s lack of popularity was caused by casual fans not understanding the beauty of the game.

“It’s pure athleticism – there’s nothing else about it,” White said. “You’re running, you’re jumping, you’re kicking, you’re throwing. It’s almost as endless as your imagination. You can do amazing things with a soccer ball.”

Though the pair would like for there to be more buzz locally, they have started plans to bring themselves to the action.

“It’d be great to be in a room full of people that are interested in it, but we want to be there,” Arce said. “We want to be in those stadiums watching those games live.”

Piepergerdes said much could weigh on the United States’ must-win game today against Italy. With a victory, an increasing number of casual fans could jump on the soccer bandwagon – one that’s been pretty empty in America for a long time.

“It’s the world’s most popular sport for a reason,” Piepergerdes said. “We’re a little behind on that sort of sentiment, but it is for many, many nations the ultimate sense of national unity.”