Now that you have time to reminisce, what is etched in your mind as you recover from four weeks of World Cup competition? Here are a few of thoughts I conjured up as I restarted my normal training routine. There are so many memories but only so much paper.
Bullfighting in Berlin?
The grand spectacle of the World Cup and the reputation of one of the world’s top players over the last decade were tarnished by a single, uncontrolled moment by France’s captain and maestro, Zinedine Zidane.
Like a bull who eyes the red cape, Zizou eyed his enemy’s blue jersey, put his head down and drove his shaven head into the chest of Italian defender Marco Materazzi.
With over 5.9 billion watching, Zidane sent a message: He put self-interest ahead of national and team interest. All because of Materazzi’s playground insult of Zizou’s family – a common practice in all sports whether it be the NBA hard court, the frozen tundra of the NFL or the diamond of major league baseball. Materazzi dropped the red cape and Zidane bit.
It was a freakish moment. Like Tyson biting Holyfield’s ear. Unfortunately for Zidane and unfortunately for his French patriots, like the bull, Zidane lost and France lost. And then, unfortunately for the rest of the world and unfortunately for the young soccer player who is searching for a world-class star to emulate, the media voted Zizou the player of the World Cup.
In the end, the 2006 World Cup Final will be remembered for the actions of the bull as opposed to the beauty of the game.
Anemic USA Performance
So much was expected from the American boys. The success of Team USA’s 2002 World Cup quarterfinal appearance had everyone expecting great things. The 2002 result catapulted soccer to new heights.
Over a thirty day period, world-wide respect of our players and of our professional league, Major League Soccer, was earned. Then, the referee blew the first whistle of the American team’s lifeless 2006 cup. In three games, Team USA was listless, anemic and void of passion.
After three games, the work of the 2002 team was forgotten. Although drawn in the “Group of Death,” the USA never played as though it was alive.
What should have been an opportunity to solidify America as a round-ball footballing nation only fueled the minds of skeptics with pictures of the “other” football.
Rejuvenating a Nation
For four weeks, Deutschland was alive. The hearts and souls of the host nation were touched by 23 players and a coach, Juergen Klinsmann. A commuter coach. A coach who lives in Los Angeles. A coach who, before the Cup, was resoundingly chastised for living in the States and for trying “American coaching techniques” to prepare his young squad.
After the German’s surprise third place finish, “Klinsmania” was more popular than Octoberfest. The World Cup and the new-style German team reinstalled patriotism and a sense of country into a land that had seemingly forgotten nationalistic ideals. The power of soccer. Or better yet, the power of “fussball.”
An American Soccer
Culture?
Americans and soccer? No. Americans watching soccer? No, no! So what happened? Americans tuned in, in record numbers, to catch a glimpse of the world’s game. No, it couldn’t be.
It must have been all the French and Italian immigrants who now call America home! Almost 12 million soccer moms, soccer dads, and soccer players turned their televisions to ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 to watch the Final clash between Les Bleus and the Azzurri. Another 5 million watched the game on Spanish-language network Univision.
For ABC, this translated into a 152 percent leap in viewership from the 2002 World Cup Final. Is the World’s Game making inroads into the sporting culture dominated by baseball, basketball and football or are these numbers a fluke? Time will tell. But, soccer is here to stay.
Take that NBA. The Final was seen by more Americans than Game 6 of the NBA finals. Hey, baseball, American’s so-called “past-time.” The Italy/France final drew as many eyes to it as the Chicago White Sox and Houston Astros did for the final game of the 2005 World Series. Soccer may not be in our blood as of yet but it is on our television. Now, it may take four more years to find it.
Wherefore out thou?
Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Rooney, van Nistelrooy. Names of a few players that became synonymous with the Beautiful Game leading up to the World Cup. These men were to be the guardians of the game’s skill, technique and magic.
However, they were virtually non-existent during the cup. Spectators and teammates patiently awaited their moment, or their acts of brilliance.
Instead, fans were left with memories of Ronaldo’s extra twenty pounds, Rooney’s stomping on the groin of a hapless Portuguese opponent, two-time FIFA World Player of the Year Ronaldinho seldom touching the ball and van Nistelrooy warming-up but never getting the call by the Dutch coach. However, not all is lost.
Enter the new guard. Our own Clint Dempsey whose energy, swagger and powerful runs brought life and hope to the U.S. squad.
Argentina’s 19-year old prodigy Lionel Messi is also on deck. The youngster made his Cup debut exhibiting crafty pace and displaying a bag of tricks beyond his years. Let’s not forget Portugal’s creative son, midfielder Cristiano Ronaldo.
When the ball is at his feet, you can’t keep track of it because his feet are constantly moving all around to feign defenders.
The Third Team
As the tournament pressures increased on the teams, the focus on the Referee Team also amplified. Teams, players and the media heaped their frustrations on the work of the referees. The decisions of the men in black became the “flavor of the tournament.”
By the time the Cup concluded, there were a record number of yellow and red cards and several games decided by last-minute referee decisions. More attention was being paid to the performance of the officials than was being paid to the performance of the teams.
Actors or Players?
The German version of the Cup will be remembered for the pictures of overly-dramatic players flopping to the ground, begging for a referee’s whistle.
With an average of only 2.3 goals scored per game, players looked for any means possible to influence referee decisions. The result, acting ability surpassed technical ability. Players became card-holding members of the Actors Guild instead of elite competitors.
Final Farewell
Thank you for following the Cup with me. Although our World Cup journey has come to an end, each of us has been touched by the passion of the Beautiful Game.
You don’t have to be a soccer aficionado to understand why the world’s game has such a nationalistic affect. Now, you have four years to dream and to prepare your personal schedule so you can feel every kick as the 2010 World Cup graces South Africa.
