Football / World Cup USA '94: OJ and the Knicks put the world's game in a twist: America at large has yet to be convinced. David Usborne reports from Washington

IT WAS the kind of headline World Cup organisers had been dreaming about. Three days into the competition, there it was in the Washington Post: 'World Cup Madness Grips Fans]'. Trouble was, it was buried deep inside the local city section. And the story was about football fever among European immigrants.

And that about sums it up. True, there are pockets of unbridled excitement about the tournament all over America. The Italian and Irish neighbourhoods of New York on Saturday evening, for example. The Hispanic communities of southern California and Florida are agape. But the Great American Public, so far at least, is yawning, if it is reacting at all.

Events have tended to conspire against an early ignition of public interest. How unlucky it was that the grand opening in Chicago on Friday should have coincided with one of the biggest American sporting stories: the stunning fall from grace of the former American football super-star O J Simpson.

There is no underestimating the O J factor. His flight from justice on Friday, and his eventual surrender to police after a two-hour car-chase along the California highways, have left most Americans drained. And most still cannot digest the awfulness of the murder charges levelled against him. There is only so much excitement a viewer can take in one weekend.

And there are still other sporting events with which the World Cup is having to compete. The day after the Chicago ceremony, the New York Times did carry three sports-related stories on its front page. None were about football. There was O J; the advance of the New York Knicks in the basketball finals; and coverage of the beginning in the city of the Gay Games.

Nor, so far, have the matches helped too much. Crucial to any hope of staring a football brush-fire in this country was the Saturday confrontation between the United States , the home team, and Switzerland. A win might have grabbed some attention and propelled the Americans into the next round. But it was not to be. Played in the dreadful, steambath, heat of the Pontiac Silverdome in Detroit, it was an unexciting game. Still, at least they drew.

Even finding the games on televisions is a challenge. ABC, one of the main networks, did carry the US-Switzerland game, but it was at 11.30 in the morning, hardly prime-time. In most of the country, anyone looking for any other game this weekend had to turn to sports cable broadcasters.

It is possible, of course, that the courting of the American viewing public just needs time. At least in the cities where the games are being played, not noticing the tournament will not be an option for the majority. Here in Washington, the banners welcoming the fans have been flying all across downtown for weeks. And the fans - royalty from Saudi Arabia and the Norwegian au pairs - are beginning to show their strength.

And there is some anecdotal evidence of gathering curiosity. My neighbours already invest hours of their lives watching American football, basketball and ice hockey and were sceptical about having to add football to their viewing schedule. But they would give it a try with Ireland vs Italy. Within seconds of the game ending, they were on the telephone to our house. 'My gosh, it's so athletic. . . it never stops. . . what does a yellow card mean? . . wasn't it meant to end at 90 minutes?' Bill and Linda are hooked.