THE end of the World Cup inevitably leaves a void in the life of every football fan. So much energy and thinking time is expended on the greatest show on earth, it is natural that we suffer a big let down once the spectacle is over.

But for fans in the United States, there is no break. Instead, they are catapulted straight into the International Champions Cup (ICC) with 12 high-profile European clubs playing two or three matches each on American soil.

The ICC has become a summer staple in this country. The tournament takes a detour through other venues this year in Austria, Singapore, France, Ireland, England, Portugal, Italy and Spain. But the main object of the exercise is to make an impression amongst American fans, a much coveted market. Some will already be supporters of particular super clubs, others are there to be won over.

Borussia Dortmund, who opened the tournament on Friday night in Chicago against Manchester City are particularly keen to play catch-up with their global rivals in this part of the world. Of Dortmund’s 1.5 million worldwide followers on social media, 6 per cent are resident in the US.

After placing the emphasis on the Asian market these past few years, the Schwarzgelben feel it is time to reconnect with the US. Predictably, their own American star Christian Pulisic has been handed a twin role as player-ambassador and seems to be fully embracing it. Dortmund have even had one of their buses weave its way across various American cities with the goal of building interest in the club. Whatever it takes. The club except to turn a €5 million profit from their involvement in the Manchester City match, plus the meetings with Liverpool today in Charlotte and Benfica on Wednesday in Pittsburgh.

Granted, team preparation considerations come first and it is undeniable that the state of the art facilities at the disposal of Borussia Dortmund, Manchester United, Liverpool and the rest, represent a big draw.

The International Champions might not be everyone’s Cup of tea but it does serve a purpose in quenching the thirst of supporters who avidly follow these clubs in a far flung part of the world.

Now I realise there will be a few people reading this mentally mocking the idea of serious spectator interest in what amounts to pre-season friendlies. I had some empathy with this view while living in the United Kingdom. But don’t forget this is the US and it is a vast country.

Last year while covering the Manchester derby in Houston, I ran into families who had driven for six hours, from Oklahoma, Louisiana and other points on the map, just to see their chosen side in person. It mattered not a jot that it was to all intents and purposes an exhibition game and that there would be multiple substitutions involving players likely to be sent swiftly on loan to other teams.

It will be of little concern to the majority going to ICC games this year, that teams will be shorn of players who represented their countries at the business end of the World Cup.

Charlie Stillitano and his colleagues at Relevent Sports, who organise the ICC, are well versed in world football and even more significantly, have the right contacts at top clubs. It has become the norm for Barcelona, Real Madrid, Juventus and Tottenham to spend time gearing up for the new campaign over here.

Celtic have taken part in the fairly recent past but those days are more or less numbered given the necessity and importance of Champions League qualifying in July. Regrettably, Scottish football is not even on the map when it comes to the average American fan trying to broaden his or her knowledge of European football. It is hard to see that situation changing given the visibility of the Premier League in particular.

Not everyone is thrilled with the ICC in the US, mind you. Many MLS torch carriers wish it would go away, given that it technically amounts to competition for TV viewers as well as in stadium spectators.

Personally, I think there is room for both to co-exist in a country with so many different football factions. One can legitimately feed off the other.

So next time it occurs to bash these summer matches in the US, imagine you’re a faraway NFL fan, without any direct access to the best the sport has to offer. Yet the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles pitch up in Glasgow for an exhibition. You’ll move heaven and earth to go.

The same applies to round-ball fans in the US.

EVERY World Cup carries with it a new trend and fresh tactical thinking. It will be interesting to track how many national teams and club sides seek to emulate France’s way.

Under Didier Deschamps, Les Bleus demonstrated that possession is no longer the most significant piece of the puzzle. Counter-attacking, hitting on the break, used to be a synonym for defensive tactics. We’ve seen it in Scotland countless times in recent years, with visiting sides at Celtic Park favouring such an approach, for example.

But France have shown that by countering to devastating effect, as part of an overall plan, you can also create more chances than your opponent. Sweden, albeit in a different way, succeeded despite limited ownership of the ball. Their method was about winning the ball back proactively and three or four passes later, finding the net.

In working in Germany covering the Bundesliga, I have often enjoyed teams who deliberately cede possession to the other side, feeling they do their best work without the ball and then breaking at a rapid pace on the back of an aggressive, high press.

Leverkusen, when Roger Schmidt was in charge, come to mind as well as Leipzig in their maiden top flight season, 2016-2017, coached by Ralph Hasenhuttl. It is easier said than done though and takes hours and hours of training ground work.

One thing is certain. Football philosophies are constantly changing and thank goodness. Nothing should stay the same for ever.