Man Who? find it hard to conquer Yankee country

Welcome to America. Just last Monday, Rio Ferdinand went to Times Square. If the world’s most expensive defender at $48 million showed up in the main drag of any big European or Asian or South American city, he’d get a few hundred folks. In Times Square, he gets a few panhandlers. ‘‘It’s been so … relaxing,’’ Ferdinand said.

Not everyone is shooting them blank stares. Some 66,000 people watched Manchester United in Seattle on the first leg of the team’s four-game U.S. exhibition tour. More than 57,000 caught their act in L.A. But for the most part, a yawning U.S. has a question for Man U: Who are U?

‘‘We understand,’’ said Peter Draper, the team’s marketing director. ‘‘The traditions of basketball, American football and baseball are well established. To break through this environment is very difficult.’’

For those who don’t know, Manchester United is the Yankees, only with more stars and bigger spending habits. They basically paid for eight of the last 11 English Premier league titles. They’re adored by one out of every four kids in England, get 67,000 fans per game back home and have a worldwide following of around 53 million. That includes the two busloads from the United States.

Man U shouldn’t take it personally. It’s not who they are, it’s what they do.

Once again, big-time soccer is trying to kick itself into our consciousness. To paraphrase Andres Cantor, the popular soccer announcer: Noooooooooooo!

Pele couldn’t pull it off in the ’70s, nor the World Cup in 1994, not even Mia Hamm and the women. Remember those fleeting moments and the soccer-has-arrived proclamations that followed them? Around here, Manchester United will discover the ‘‘footie’’ audience is very passionate, very loyal, very vocal and yet, by global standards, very small.

At least Man U isn’t taking this too seriously; their being here is the same as the Jets playing in Tokyo this weekend. They know where they belong. ‘‘All this talk of us trying to crack America is nonsense,’’ Draper said.

‘‘We’re not over here to make a breakthrough in America. That’s a pop-star kind of thing. We see this as a chance to form long-term relationships. When we leave there will still be people in the Midwest who have never heard of Manchester United.’’

Soccer will take our temperature twice this year. In a few months the women’s World Cup returns, but don’t count on the mania. Even the organizers realize they’ll never capture lightning the way they did a few years ago when it was a novelty. The previous tournament also was held in the dead of summer with no competition for attention or tickets. This time it’s in September when football and school are in session.

Wisely, the women’s World Cup championship game on’t return to the Rose Bowl (where tickets were being scalped for the WWC in 1999), but a stadium in Los Angeles about two-thirds smaller.

Just a few months ago, the Shaquille O’Neal of soccer was in the US on a publicity tour.

David Beckham, the former Manchester United great, also brought his wife, Victoria, one of the Spice Girls.

They left a little disappointed. The most photographed couple outside this country found the competition was just too steep.

Over here, they were no match for Ben and J. Lo. (LA Times-Washington Post)