World Cup Corner

Performance
anxiety

by JASON BOGDANERIS

Back before the days of slow motion video technology, the word replay had a whole other meaning. Games which remained tied after extra time were actually replayed from scratch the next day. Some contests even took three or four attempts to get it right.
Sound crazy? It’s no worse than the carnival-like penalty kick competitions that exist now and is surely less cruel. Pity the poor players selected to take that lonely walk to the penalty spot burdened with the knowledge they’re supposed to score. Yet so many don’t.

This World Cup has seen some of the world’s best offer feeble attempts that would make a Sunday league player blush. Anyone who has ever been one of the chosen five can only imagine the exponentially increased pressure in a World Cup setting. Suddenly the gaping net you’ve known all your life has been shrunk unrecognizably as if reflected in a funhouse mirror, and the natural act of kicking the ball feels as unfamiliar as a foreign language. Stuttering towards the spot, Spain’s Joaquin looked more amateur dancer than professional footballer.

When in doubt though, power can compensate for wayward aim. My dad’s advice regarding penalty kicks was simple but effective. “Lean over the ball and shoot it through the goalie’s eyes!”

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As the dust starts to settle and the last of the footballing minnows heads home, the question is “Was it all a fluke?” Is the change in soccer climate a freakish El Niño phenomenon or is there an inevitable global warming on the horizon in soccer’s hinterlands?

The jury’s still out on the long-awaited American soccer revolution, which now takes its place in line behind NHL hockey and socialized medicine as the Next Big Thing. Korea though, is a different story. Although their fans’ knowledge of the game was so limited that some of them left at the end of regulation time against Spain, apparently unaware the match wasn’t over, the depth of passion for the Red Devils seems like more than just a fad. Unlike U.S. interest, which felt like lustfull flirtation, the Koreans seem to have fallen in love with the game. But you wonder how far they can go next time around without the comforts of home and the guidance of Wondercoach Guus Hiddink.

The Dutchman should get some kind of award for guiding two such disparate nations to consecutive semi-finals. Four years ago he brought an ego-heavy team of Dutch superstars to the brink; without him, they became impotent witnesses to a footballing coup d’état. No matter what the lasting effect of this tournament, one thing seems certain: the concept of an easy draw is looking as dated as the checkered ball.

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World Cup finals have a long tradition of crowning the wrong team, and several unanimous choice best squads in the world have failed at the final hurdle. The Brazil team of 1950 actually celebrated their victory before their decisive match against Uruguay, which they lost. The 1954 Magnificent Magyar team from Hungary was shocked by Germany, and the revolutionary “Total Football” squads of Holland were bridesmaids twice in the ’70s.
While the beautiful losers change with each era, unpopular winners always seem to be named Fritz, Jürgen and Wolfgang. Let’s hope that win or lose, the words of past great Beckenbauer inspires some creativity from Rudi’s boys this time round. As for Brazil, their Ronaldo soap opera robbed the world of a truly competitive match four years ago but they’ve been given a rare second chance to get it right this time. Their wizardry should prove a worthy test for Germany’s brand of anti-football. :