World Cup Journey

World Cup Journey
by Vance Macdonald

I have experienced an interesting arc during this World Cup. I started this article toward the end of the group stage, because I was so enthralled. Sure, I got mildly caught up in the 1994 hype, and about equally so in the two successive World Cups. But this year was different for some reason for this soccer neophyte. And it had nothing whatsoever to do with the USA's inflated world ranking.

I was drawn in by the high drama, by the high definition picture exposing details I had never seen before, and, mostly, by the skill and tactics (which have always been there, I'm sure, but I just hadn't noticed). I believe the skill is what could eventually win over the American audience. We are slowly losing the emphasis on skill in most of the major US sports, as most of the trending is toward merely bigger, stronger, faster (sparing you a rant on performance enhancing drugs for the time being).

The NBA playoffs are the perfect example of this, with Shaq and Dwayne Wade. Shaq is nearly indefensible, and yet that is almost entirely due to his size/strength -- and the way the game is officiated these days. His traditional basketball skills (passing, dribbling, rebounding, shooting, shot blocking, etc) compare miserably, in my opinion, to the other great NBA centers past, and even present. And while Wade certainly possesses phenomenal skills, did we really get to see that muchof them during the playoffs? Especially in the Finals, he quickly realized (sparing you a rant on David Stern) that all he had to do was drive toward the basket and get within the general vicinity of a Dallas defender, and he would be going to the free throw line. Yawn.

During that first group stage of the World Cup, I did not see a single grotesque cartoon body bulked up on HGH and horse 'roids. No enormous head, no jutting jaw lines, no Ben Johson yellow eyes, and no Barry Bonds complete body transformations. Oh, I do not doubt that soccer has its share of drug users, but at least the emphasis is still squarely on skill.

Some of the most effective players in the tournament are the shortest and/or skinniest—because the game has not evolved beyond its most basic attribute: ball control. And I love that. It means we are treated to acrobatics being done with feet, heads, and bodies that are truly remarkable. And it means, more than other sports I think, that sheer practice is the single most significant determinant of a players success. Not access to performance enhancing drugs, specialized equipment, or elite high-tech training facilities. Soccer is the great equalizer, and I hope it stays that way.

On a less obvious front, the tactics of soccer became evident to me for the first time (and you are right Dileep, that was in no part due to the American commentators). I cannot really pinpoint the catalyst, but it was almost an epiphany. I still have only a rudimentary grasp, but it was with great delight that I became aware of teams' tactics, both big picture (overall strategy) and small (actual set plays). Since America's love affair with the NFL is due, at least in some small part, to an understanding of the X's and O's, is there hope for soccer in the US? Then again, maybe the tactical aspect of soccer is too subtle for a nation that prefers its movie plot lines spelled out—almost literally in subtitles.

Okay, so I was on a soccer high coming out of the group stage. I could finally see soccer making some inroads into the US market. And I still can, but then I hit a bit of turbulence in the knockout stages. First, they got off to an ominous start as the two teams I was pulling for most (Ecuador and England) were slated to face off in the first round, meaning my rooting interests were guaranteed to be cut in half. But more importantly, I started to become painfully aware of the affect "theater" was having on the game's pace...and outcome. And by theater, of course, I mean the ridiculous and pathetic act of pretending you just got hit by a speeding Hummer anytime you are grazed by an opponent. This one disturbing aspect managed to pull me down off my soccer high, and at its nadir—the Portugal v. England match—I scrapped my original article altogether and started writing one exclusively on this heinous facet of the game. In the past week, however, there have been a multitude of said articles, so while my writing bubble was burst a bit, I am at least pleased to find that I am hardly alone in this outrage.

I do not think the significance of this seemingly trivial aspect can be overstated. It is the one factor that has given WC 2006, and soccer in general, a black eye. And a black eye with potentially enormous implications, because not only has it disgusted soccer fans, but I can imagine many non-fans tuning in and saying "see, we aren't missing anything that the WWE doesn't already do a lot better." While the blame seems to fall pretty uniformly over everyone (players, officials, FIFA, everyone), the answer seems to be in holding the offending players accountable. The best suggestion I've read thus far is slapping a yellow or red card on any player who pulls an egregious bluff (furthmore, slapping a card on any player who whines, uh I mean, petitions the official for a call in support of a teammate). The Portugal v. England farce not only magnified the theatrics problem, but it also guaranteed a final four that made it almost impossible for me to pull for anyone. Ordinarily I would be cheering on the underdog team, but it would have been hard to cheer Portugul while simultaneously hoping half their team received broken legs.

Despite the aforementioned atrocity, I do think the stars are finally aligning for soccer to start making a significant surge in popularity here in the states. Here is what I would like to see in hopes of making that happen:

A quick and decisive resolution to the theatrics issue. Nip it, nip it in the bud! I would like to say that I am hopeful, but I was also hopeful that the NBA was moving away from "star treatment" and other bogus officiating.
As has been increasingly rumored, the aging stars of the top Euro leagues (Zidane, Beckham, Ronaldo) need to come to the states (MLS) and play the last couple years of their career. Nothing adds juice to a sport like the top talent and name recognition. The direct and indirect benefits here are incalculable.
A major TV contract for MLS with a high definition channel. Like hockey, the games simply must be in high definition. During the England v. Portugal match, the local ABC station was pulling a minor "Heidi Game" by running a huge promo at the bottom of the screen repeatedly during OT and Penalty kicks. The promo contained the critical message "Hey kids, stay tuned for Spongebob right after the game!" The promo not only took up the bottom third of the screen(!), but more importantly, the mechanism for running the promo meant that the signal switched to non-high-definition during the promo. The difference was astounding—precisely like putting wax paper over your TV screen.
Echoing Dileep's previous sentiments, we need a team of top commentators. And more than that, I think we need to go high tech in illustrating the X's and O's of soccer strategy. Everyone can appreciate the amazing skills, but until new fans can visualize the nuances and complexities, the game will continue to seem slow to them—in probably the same way as an NFL widow who is coaxed into watching a Monday Night Football game can appreciate some individual plays, but really never becomes engaged in the game.
Resist all urges to tart up the game. It doesn't need a smaller field with larger goals and relaxed offsides rules in order to increase scoring for American tastes. Red white and blue balls are right out.
Make Dick Cheney a fan. Within the year, he will have successfully discredited most other sports as un-American and invaded South Africa so that we can host the World Cup in 2010.

I am excited. Am I excited enough to attend a Los Angeles Galaxy match? There is the critical question, and I think #2 above will be the tipping point for many potential fans.

Vance can be reached at vance@babblog.com.