The neat thing about soccer is that, by and large, we don’t quite get it. For some reason, that’s always been intimidating to people I know who don’t watch the game. I think it should be accommodating.

There’s a Seinfeld episode where George is interviewing kids for a scholarship through his dead fiancee Susan’s foundation. George asks one impressive applicant about his favorite chess player and the kid mumbles something unintelligible. George doesn’t know any better and simply plays along as if the kid had named someone real.

Soccer is like that. It’s easy to play along in the stands. There’s really only one rule — offsides — and you can quickly find yourself participating even though you may not know what’s happening. You mutter about an offsides call or demand a yellow card. Next thing you know, a daisy-cutter from 30 yards out is skipping just past the woodwork and you’re yelling, “Ambitious!”

My wife and I went to a WVU game a few weeks back and she bemoaned the way “misplaced kicks” were hurting the Mountaineers. I laughed and when I was about to explain there was no such thing, I realized I was very wrong. There are misplaced kicks.

My point? I fear people are missing out on WVU’s men’s team because they just don’t get it. Simply said, these kids are fun.

My sample is limited — 2-0 loss to No. 16 Santa Barbara, 1-0 win Friday against No. 3 South Florida — but I study. First, I think there’s hope for a bandwagon here. The crowds at both games I’ve seen have been fantastic — school-record 2,938 for UCSB, 1,574 on Friday — and remarkably hostile.  Second, there’s something really cool about this team. I got that when I saw the chaotic/enthusiastic celebration after Friday’s game-winner.

You can tell they’re well-coached and organized and they seem to have a plan for where to take the ball and what to do when it gets there. You also have to like a squad with guys named Gift and Shadow. They’re really young, too. The Mountaineers have just three seniors — all very good — but at least theoretically they shouldn’t be winning the type of games they’re playing. Perhaps they’re a little ahead of schedule in beating ranked teams.

They’ll be very good in the future, but soccer has always seemed like one sport where freshmen can be really significant parts of the team right away. And WVU has a few good ones. People will talk about Shadow Sebele, and for good reason. I’m partial to this Travis Pittman. I’m serious, if I could find one somewhere, I might own a No. 6 jersey now. Both times I’ve watched I thought he was something else. Just a force in the middle of the field.

They took him out late in the second half Friday and I was legitimately concerned … until I was told he could re-enter. I did not know you could do that in soccer. He ended up scoring Sunday.

The hair is a factor, I’m sure. I’m not calling it a pony tail. Maybe a man mane. He’s also from Manassas, Va., and I’m a hat trick away from going to him and Brandon Hogan and insisting we hang out. Maybe form a cool 1980s style wrestling stable. Manassassins?