John Bennett: Slowly but surely you could tell that the World Cup was capturing the imagination in New York.
I went to an event for football fans in Harlem in week one of the tournament and it was packed with people who lived in the USA but were originally from one of the World Cup nations or had family history from one of the teams taking part.
It brought home how big a part diaspora fans were going to play in the tournament and how much excitement and atmosphere that was going to create in the stadiums and the streets.
I remember walking to an interview through Greenwich village and I saw a group of construction workers and businessmen who’d stopped on the pavement outside a bar because something had caught their eye on one of the TV screens inside. What was it? The final stages of Cape Verde’s heroic 0-0 draw with Spain. World Cup fever was here.
Ian Dennis: It changed for me when I went to Atlanta. That’s when it felt more like a World Cup with supporters from different countries mingling together with a vibrant fan fest at the heart of downtown Atlanta.
What also struck me inside the stadium in Atlanta is American fans following a country but they’re not actual supporters. For instance, the majority of the crowd wore red when Spain played Saudi Arabia but they were not Spanish and as a result the atmosphere was lacking.
Liz Conway: My opinion has completely changed. World Cup fever has well and truly arrived in the United States. Everywhere I’ve travelled, I’ve been really impressed by the fan zones, the number of friendly volunteers and the overall enthusiasm surrounding the tournament.
Even some of the fans I’ve spoken to, who admitted they don’t usually watch football, have been genuinely excited to get behind the World Cup and learn more about the game. It’s been fantastic to see.
Sam Harris: A few weeks later, that view has completely changed. Some of my favourite moments have come away from the pitch, from tailgating with Brazilian fans in Philadelphia to Cape Verdeans turning Boston into one big street party.
The World Cup is only as good as its fans. You can host it anywhere, but without supporters bringing their songs, food, flags, and culture, it loses its heartbeat.
It also helps when the home team starts doing well. The US men’s team have gone on a run, Americans have really got behind them, and they’ve even come up with a few chants that are … actually pretty decent, at least those coming from fans in a small bar in Philadelphia.
Neil Johnston, BBC Sport journalist:
I have been to eight games in New Jersey, Philadelphia, Toronto, Boston and Miami. All the grounds I have visited have looked full, so fears that games could see empty seats have not materialised as far as I have witnessed.
Alex Howell: In Kansas City, the World Cup has been adopted by pretty much all of the people I have spoken to and the local businesses.
Gary Rose: Massively. Someone told me that Americans don’t really do build up to sporting events but once they are underway they go all in. That has been the case.
Over the weeks I’ve seen shirts of all different countries wandering around the tourist spots of Los Angeles. Every single bar and even most shops have the games on television, even some beachside shops and cafes in Santa Monica had rolled TVs out on to the paths and passers-by were stopping to watch.