Yeah. Would I be this chipper, practically spritely,
if the USA had lost to Ghana as it had in their previous two first round World
Cup encounters? Let's put it this way, is a bear Catholic? Does the Pope-nevermind, it was rhetorical anyway.
Every four years, I'm reminded
that the biggest difference between living in Germany and living here remains
soccer and devotion to the sport played at its highest level.
The (West and now Ganz) German Team always qualified for the
World Cup-perhaps it was a FIFA by-law that they had to be there, I don't
really know. But when they played, everything stopped. Everything.
And not just for Germany in Germany. Italians, Dutch,
Spaniards, Brits...sing the It's a Small World song, and you've grasped the
point. Funny how that soccer ball isn't much bigger than the world feels during
the World Cup. Coincidence? I think not.
Here, while there are many who closely follow the
tournament, I've seen published reports suggesting that upwards of 80% of those
polled don't know who's playing, why or when (the where is a given). It's hard
to maintain world-class momentum for a program when your potential fan base is doing
the Big Yawn instead of The Wave.
And then there’s this: a fortnight or so ago, there was
buzz about “our” Landon (Donovan) being ‘left off’ the national team. Nope-not
what happened. Each squad can take up to 23 players. For a variety of reasons
that someday he, himself, will concede are/were valid, there were at least 23
players who were better than Donovan. They got on the plane he got to wave
goodbye from the departure lounge.
Soccer isn’t the NBA, with millionaires in their
underwear, five at a time running up and down the hardwood court but rather ten
field players and a keeper on a piece of pitch so big when you’re attacking or
defending it, and often doing both within the same breath, you think you’re in Montana. That whole it
takes a village thing-give the volk short pants and cleats. Now, Go Team.
England has Rooney. Portugal has Ronaldo. Germany has
Muller.
With my apologies to Lloyd Bentson scolding Dan Quayle,
Landon, you’re none of those guys. So all this you’re being such a good sport
about your snub, and yeah, loved
the commercial, put it in your diddy bag and stay on the couch in your
robe.
Before the next World Cup I’m going to learn Spanish so I
can skip announcers on places like ESPN who purport to be native English
speakers ruining my language. Monday night as Team USA held service so to speak
against Ghana as time ticked down one of the announcers described the US
back line ‘defending like banshees.’
Oh? Now I know how urban kids must feel when they see swarms of white bread suburbanites wearing FUBU and ECKO. Not sure what descriptive William
Wordsworth Taylor Twellman was looking for, but Banshee ain’t it, Siouxie (or
should I say Susie).
At least if I were watching Univision this Sunday
at six, I would still be able to understand that something exciting and
perhaps life-altering had just happened.
-bill kenny
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