Michael Bradley, right, of the united states celebrates after scoring against Slovenia in the Americans’ 2-2 tie last Friday in Johannesburg. Josh Wolff, a forward for the Kansas City Wizards, played for Bradley’s father, Bob, with the Chicago Fire and remembers Michael as a 10-year-old.

Neither a keen knowledge of soccer nor a knack for playing the global game are requirements for enjoying the World Cup.

It’s all about people-watching because people watching the World Cup, even looking up at TV screens in local pubs, tend to get infected with passion for the event and really let loose.

As enjoyable as watching people watch the World Cup is, it must be incredible to play in it. To find out just what a kick that must be, I called Josh Wolff, a forward for the Kansas City Wizards, who play their home games at Community America Ballpark, 30 minutes from Lawrence.

Michael Bradley, second right, is congratulated by Jozy Altidore, right, after scoring against Slovenia last Friday.

Wolff’s experience playing for the USA national team includes the 2000 Olympics and the 2002 and 2006 World Cups. He’s the 14th-leading goal scorer in Major League Soccer history and ranks seventh among active players.

So, Josh, what is it like to play in the World Cup?

“We experience the Olympics here and it’s a really, really big deal because of the passion and the energy that comes with that,” Wolff said. “The World Cup takes it up a notch or two. It truly is the global sport for fans, players and coaches.”

There you have it: A notch or two up from the Olympics.

This World Cup has had enough story lines to pull in curiosity seekers without a background in the sport known elsewhere as football.

First, the U.S. received a gift from the latest in a long line of beleaguered goalies from England, getting a tie out of what would have been a loss. Next, after coming back from two goals down against Slovenia to tie it, a third U.S. goal was disallowed by a referee’s call that was so bad that everybody acknowledged he blew it.

Since a tie is worth one point and a victory worth three, the U.S. is one point in arrears in the luck department.

A third story line: The Bradley family. Bob is Team USA’s coach. His son Michael is one of the team’s stars. Bob’s brother and Michael’s uncle, Jeff, is a sportswriter who works for ESPN The Magazine and espn.com. He, too, is in South Africa, covering the World Cup. Bob’s brother, Scott, a catcher, played seven of his nine seasons in the major leagues with the Seattle Mariners. Scott now is Princeton University’s baseball coach.

When with the Chicago Fire, Wolff played for Bradley.

“I remember Michael hanging around when he was about 10 years old,” Wolff said. “It’s been exciting watching him grow as a soccer player and a person. I’m really excited by the achievements of both Bob and Michael.”

Wolff said the success of players such as midfielder Michael Bradley, forward Landon Donovan and goalkeeper Tim Howard has helped the U.S. to garner worldwide respect.

Still, many countries have deeper talent pools than ours. America, Wolff has noticed, earns its respect for intangibles.

“This team has unbelievable resilience,” Wolff said. “That’s the spirit U.S. players have always carried. The standard of our players has gone up and will continue to go up, but I think first and foremost when other countries look at what we’re about, it’s the energy, fitness and competitiveness that American players bring that is a staple fairly unrivaled from most other countries. That’s what makes us able to compete with the best and most talented in the world.”

Wolff said he, many teammates and their families will watch this morning’s 9 a.m. match between Team USA and Algeria at the Kansas City Power and Light District’s “big open area.”

“I’ll bring my family and we’ll be watching it with a few thousand other people,” Wolff said.

Told about the game-like atmospheres in Lawrence at the Red Lyon, the town’s unofficial World Cup headquarters, Wolff loved the sound of that.

“It’s contagious, the energy for the World Cup,” Wolff said. “It’s great to hear that.”

Red Lyon doors open at 8:30, first pour at 9 a.m. If you happen to notice a line snaking up Mass Street this morning, it will be an impatient soccer crowd, that’s all.

A victory advances U.S. to the knockout round, a single-elimination tournament in which 16 teams vie for the World Cup. A tie might do it as well, depending on the outcome of the England-Slovenia match.