Now for something completely different - Soccer

Now that the US elections have ended, I wish to blog about something non-political. I love football - the real football, known as soccer in the States and Australia. The beautiful game as it is called, is the most popular sport in the world. Its popularity in the States however, is limited and ranks behind American football, baseball, basketball, ice hockey, golf, tennis, ice skating, softball, volleyball, poker, nascar racing, bowling, cheerleading and ballroom dancing. Many reasons have been put forth as to its lack of popularity in the States. One of the major reasons was that success-minded Americans cannot tolerate losing to anyone in anything. This is partly true as evidenced by the fact that while the rest of the world was watching live table tennis or badminton in the Olympics, Americans were watching women's softball or 3rd reruns of Michael Phelps winning his umpteenth gold medal.


Another reason for American indifference to soccer is that they can't appreciate how one can be so fanatical about a game where two teams try to put a ball into a net for 90 minutes. Most importantly, the teams are unsuccessful in this endeavor 99% of the time. Contrast that to basketball or baseball where a significant outcome of some sort occurs every few seconds. In American football, an outcome of some sort occurs on every down. If the offense doesn't move forward, then it has lost a down, if it does then the offensive position has altered. For soccer fans, the constant stopping of the game is extremely annoying.

Soccer is not just a sport. In Europe, South America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East, soccer is part of life. During the season, the fans support their favorite teams with a fervor that is unparaleled in any other sport. Sometimes a little too much fervor as evidenced by the many reports of fans who have had heart attacks while watching important matches. On the other hand, soccer can be an outlet for life's miseries. Take for instance when Iraq played the United States in the soccer World Cup, of 2002 just a few short months after American troops had invaded. In that surreal game when sport and life collided, two well taken goals by an inspired Iraqi team shocked the Americans.

American audiences simply don't understand the game. The intricate nuances of passing, movement off the ball, dribbling and most importantly the dramatic moments of pure joy when a goal is scored. Soccer is more like life than any other game. It is filled with mundane moments and the players have to work hard, often without reward. But in some games there are moments of sublime beauty. Just like many important occurrences in life one can always remember where you were when you witnessed it. For me it was around 11 pm on a Sunday evening of 1988, Holland were playing Russia in the final of the European championships. Holland were leading 1-0 but the game was still in doubt. A Dutch midfielder floated the ball wide right 10 yards into the penalty area. The commentator with an air of disappointment said,"Oh! Its too wide." Just as the words left his lips, the ball was in its downward trajectory, sailing hopelessly wide towards the goal line, when all of a sudden the great Dutch striker Marco Van Basten leaped forward and struck the ball on the volley. The Russian goalkeeper didn't move as the ball flew into the opposite side of his goal. That moment is simply called "The Goal". Speak to any European of any descent about European international soccer and they will know precisely what you mean and where they were when they witnessed The Goal. It was magic.

There simply isn't another sport which is itself such a universal language. It is a pity that most Americans simply don't understand it.