Quotes of the Day
Over the past year we've been painfully reminded that the clash of cultures can be horrific. Hindus and Muslims slaughtering one another on the subcontinent. Jews and Palestinians locked in a death grip on the Levant. Extremist Muslims declaring jihad on America and destroying cherished symbols of that country's might. The hackneyed metaphor, deployed in countless books about the sport, is that football is war. But now that we have again seen the very real violence and despair of battle, we have to affirm that no, football is not war. Rather, it is a game of uncommon, life-affirming beauty. When Christian Vieri takes the ball at pace on the outside of his left foot and drives it home with exquisite precision, or when Hidetoshi Nakata dribbles past five defenders and launches a perfect cross that leaves the opposition's entire back line flat-footed, we see in a glorious instant the wondrous capabilities of the world's finest athletes. The game, we are reminded, is an act of creation, not destruction.
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In the first few weeks of the last World Cup, France reverberated with hundreds of thousands of excited football supporters. Kilted, blue-faced Scotsmen roared merrily along the Champs Elysées, and expatriate Iranians descending on Lyons could barely contain their pride at making the finals. Orange-draped Dutchmen in full march and samba-stepping Brazilians in canary yellow clashed only in tempos and hues as they passed one another, each figuring they were on the way to victory.
Only the French seemed bored by the event?until, that is, France beat Italy to arrive in the semifinals. Perhaps the nation was merely expecting inevitable disappointment, as had befallen the superb French team of 1986. But the 1998 équipe de France proved unbeatably special. A defense without a chink, and a midfield without peer, led by the incomparable Zinedine Zidane.
This time, in the first World Cup ever held in Asia, the French will have millions of fervent supporters back home. And France, led again by Zidane, are 4 to 1 favorites to win. But an almost desperate Argentine team figures to challenge, as does Brazil, eager to avenge its 3-0 humiliation by France in '98. Among the Europeans, Italy's rejuvenated attack makes them a threat. But the smarter bet may be Portugal?brilliant in midfield, and efficient enough elsewhere to stand a real chance of reaching the final four. As for the Eastern Europeans: Croatia's too old; Slovenia's too young; Poland's come on too fast; and Russia's too hard to figure. Meanwhile, Asian fans can expect a rough?and most likely short?ride for Japan, South Korea and China, which is appearing in the World Cup finals for the first time.
This Cup will be different on two counts: Japan and Korea. Here we have cultures that seem perpetually in collision serving as the first ever co-hosts?a compromise brokered amid epic politicking among FIFA's 24-man executive committee. So far, there's been little co-anything between these two longtime nemeses. They have bickered about whose name should be first. (It's Korea.) They have bickered about the names of the mascots Ato, Nik and Kaz?too Japanese, say the Koreans. They have bickered about the shape of the goal. For Japan's sapped economy and bruised ego, there's a lot at stake. The Japanese have laid out $4.5 billion for new facilities, three times what France spent for the whole show. Sure, the Nikkei is lower than a striker who just shanked a penalty, but football has nearly ousted yakyu (baseball) as Japan's national pastime, and the country boasts more players in the premier European leagues than any other Asian nation. South Korea, too, is out to prove it belongs on football's greatest stage. A five-time participant in the finals, South Korea has never made it past the first round and tends toward a dogged, defensive style that has won over few fans. The country is extending a gregarious welcome, however, with 10 spanking-new arenas, ultra-sanitized public restrooms, and stadium-side dog-tasting booths sponsored by the National Dog Meat Restaurants Association. All cultural and culinary traits, apparently, will be celebrated during the games.
Of course, the World Cup arrives in Asia at a time of intense turmoil. While U.S., British and German forces hunt the remnants of al-Qaeda elsewhere in Asia, their football teams will duke it out in the Cup against Muslim countries such as Senegal and Saudi Arabia. Although each host country has pronounced itself ready for anything from bioterrorism to drunken Brits, the prospect of calamity lingers. "Our forces are trained for all kinds of attacks," says Kim Kwang Soo of Korea's National Police Agency Planning Group. To emphasize the point, Korean police have adopted the inspiring slogan "Orderly World Cup, Safe World Cup."
Japanese officials insist that security will be exceptionally tight at the stadiums. But a TIME reporter who was hired as a security agent for a warm-up match between Japan and Costa Rica discovered that absolute chaos ruled at the event. Charged mainly with keeping canned drinks and bottles out of the stadium, the freshly minted guards at Yokahama stadium?most aged under 20?stood dumbly by as crowds of fans stormed past the checkpoints. And what would the World Cup be without a ticket scandal? Japan's organizing committee decided not to sell to travel agents, no doubt remembering how Japanese fans in France were fleeced by crooked tour operators. But plans to hawk individual tickets online proved disastrous, with potential buyers unable to get onto the website. Other irate fans have complained that they still haven't received tickets they paid for months ago. A bum deal, apparently, transcends all cultural barriers.
France won't have the luxury of the home field this time but neither will the other favored teams. And the French team has only got better since '98. It still features largely the same defense that ran roughshod over Brazil in the final plus a mature front line that has now been battle-tested in England's Premiership and Italy's Serie A. Fullbacks Marcel Desailly, Lilian Thuram and Bixente Lizarazu can pick up where they left off, augmented by Roma's superb left back Vincent Candela. They should make up for goalkeeper Fabian Barthez' propensity to lose his mind.
This year, France can score from anywhere. Thierry Henry's finishing ability is now a match for his frightening speed. And in David Trézéguet?fondly known as Trézégoal?France boasts the highest scoring player in the Italian league. And running the whole show is the maestro, Zidane, fresh from his victory with Real Madrid in the final of the Champions League. One danger: opposing teams may resort to the hatchet to shred French rhythm, if not limbs. "It's becoming clear that this is the kind of physical, even rough treatment the French team is going to have to expect," lamented Desailly, following a brutal "friendly" game against Australia last November. "What are you going to do?most teams don't have the technical abilities we do and contact is one way they cut our advantage." They'll have to hope for staunch protection from FIFA's referees, who issued a record 22 red cards during the '98 Cup.
If Argentina's economy were as richly endowed as its football team, the country could rename itself South Switzerland. With the nation's banks melting down and the currency as porous as the Faroe Islands' defense, victory on the playing field could be the only joy for Argentines for the next four years. Their hopes rest on stars like Lazio's lethal strike pair of Hernan Crespo and Claudio Lopez. Juan Sebastian Veron is capable of finding them anywhere on the pitch, and behind him is formidable Romanista Walter "the Wall" Samuel. Argentina easily won its qualifying group in South America, but now finds itself in the so-called Group of Death with England, Nigeria and Sweden. As Argentina boasts some of football's most ruthless butchers, it is well armed for the fight.
Certainly, England will provide one. Forget the Falklands War. England's grudge against Argentina runs much deeper. First, Argentina knocked England out of the Cup in 1986 when Diego Maradona shoved the ball into the goal with what he modestly called "the hand of God." Then, in 1998, Argentina defeated England again after midfield star David Beckham was sent off for a dumb but arguably minor foul. This time, wonder boy Beckham is again the story. Six weeks ago, Deportivo La Coruña's Argentine midfielder Aldo Duscher felled Beckham in a game against Manchester United, breaking a bone in the Englishman's foot. Nonetheless, Beckham expects to be fit when England confronts Argentina June 7. In the Group of Death any team could play solidly and still lose three games. Sven-Göran Eriksson has England playing exceedingly well, including its historic 5-1 shellacking of Germany in qualifying. But England has a problem. Beyond Beckham and speed merchant Michael Owen, the team lacks world-class talent. Sweden, meanwhile, could be out of luck. It's a low-wattage squad that coach Tommy Soderberg says will rely on teamwork and spirit. "In Sweden we want a team that can work without a hierarchy, a team that is based on the dialogue between the players." This is easier when half your team is named Andersson (Daniel, Patrik, Andreas) or Svensson (Anders, Magnus, Michael).
What ever happened to Africa? Weren't African teams set to challenge for supremacy after their breakout performances in 1990 and 1994? Nigeria showed a whiff of promise in dismissing Spain in 1998 but stumbled in the second round. This year the Nigerians are in worse shape. The team was torn by internal dissent that plagued their African Nations Cup performance. And, in a country that seems to suffer one political or social trauma after another, last week the team had to cope with the death of Sports Minister Ishaya Mark Aku in a plane crash. Despite the likes of Arsenal's Nwankowo Kanu and Chelsea's Celestine Babayaro, the Super Eagles also look poised to crash. Still, no one can chance taking this team lightly: should Argentina choose to play rough when the two meet on June 2, it could well regret it. The stretcher bearers should be at the ready.
The class of the African teams will be Senegal, playing in Group A with France, Uruguay and Denmark. The Senegalese are Africa's new lions, having beaten Algeria, Morocco and Egypt to reach the Orient. France is likely to lead the group, meaning Senegal would need to oust Uruguay and Denmark. The Danes play the most spirited football in Scandinavia (O.K., so that's not saying much). It's not enough to win, says assistant manager Michael Laudrup: "The other goal is to play an attractive style of football that will entertain fans around the world."
That used to be Brazil's job, until the team went wacko. First it was just Ronaldo, whose breakdown/seizure/panic attack before the '98 final has never been explained. In its torturous qualifying round, Brazil lacked magic, and the local media have been merciless. Brazilian coach "Big Phil" Scolari was mobbed after neglecting to name onetime hero Romario to the squad. Scolari, who took over 11 months ago when Brazil was in danger of not qualifying, knows that anything short of a fifth world title will be dubbed a failure. "If I don't win," he said, "I'm dead meat."
This may be the most vulnerable Brazilian team in years. The health of Rivaldo, Barcelona's midfielder, is suspect. And Ronaldo, who returned to the lineup in just the past few weeks, has yet to impress. Ronaldinho and Emerson cannot guarantee ball possession, and Roberto Carlos treats his left back position as a forwarding address. Then again, this is Brazil we're talking about, and the team is in one of the Cup's weakest groups. Its opponents?Turkey, China and Costa Rica?pose little danger. China is here on a pass?it didn't have to play South Korea or Japan to qualify. If China possesses a secret weapon it's enigmatic coach Bora Milutinovic, who in the past has helped to qualify Costa Rica, Mexico, Nigeria and the U.S. for the finals.
There's little doubt that Italy should cruise into the second round, but with the Italians there's always a chance for dramatics. Playing in Group G against Ecuador, Croatia and Mexico, Italy's attack will feature Christian Vieri, "il Mostro," Inter's 1.93-m giant. Roma's fabulous Francesco Totti, the linchpin of the team, will play behind the front runners?that is, when he isn't driving defenses crazy by himself. The Italian defense will again be superb, providing a combination lock of skill and experience that will be hard to pick. If there's any weakness it's in the four-man midfield, where imagination is sadly lacking.
That shouldn't be a problem in the first round. Croatia, whose technique and style lit up France '98, is an aging team, and it has already lost one star in Igor Tudor. But even Croatia's second best should be enough to topple Mexico and tourist-class Ecuador, ensuring that it advances along with Italy. Germany is another side that has seen better days. It spent the qualifying games struggling to find its feet, and it's still trying to figure out what to do with them. Coach Rudy VOller has lost Jens Nowotny to injury, but at least he'll have Michael Ballack and Dietmar Hamann to run the creaking German machine. Saudi Arabia, a perennial qualifier, isn't a threat to Germany, but Cameroon's Indomitable Lions are another story. They are the reigning Olympic and African champions. Still, Cameroon is looking long in the tooth. The other team in this group is Ireland, which ran through the first round in '98 undefeated, and last year knocked the Netherlands out of the Cup. Mick McCarthy's men are made of stern stuff, and indefatigable captain Roy Keane is always capable of something inspiring.
Playing in Group B, Spain could sleepwalk its way to the next round. With quality players like Raul Gonzalez Blanco, Luis Enrique Martinez Garcia and Gaizka Mendieta, the Spaniards should cream Paraguay, as well as Slovenia, the smallest country to qualify; and South Africa is hopelessly out of its depth with striker Sean Bartlett lost despite Benni McCarthy's recent run of form. Spain as ever oozes class. The only question seems to be: Will the Spaniards choke in the quarters this year or wait until the semis?
As for the co-hosts, their chances of glory are limited. That said, the J. League, now in its 10th year, has vastly improved the quality of Japanese football, and the national team has progressed impressively under famed French coach Philippe "the White Witch Doctor" Troussier. In a recent friendly, Japan beat Poland. Shinji Ono, who transferred from the J. League to Holland's Feyenoord, is a hugely promising young talent, and AC Parma midfielder Hidetoshi Nakata is world-class. The team will need others to step up, though, if they are to beat Belgium or Russia in the first round. The Belgians and Russians aren't flashy but they're hard as nails. South Korea has a big-time coach in Dutchman Guus Hiddink, yet none of the players are in the same class as the man in charge. "Do you want me to play myself," an exasperated Hiddink yelled at reporters after a loss to Costa Rica. Playing in Group D with Poland, Portugal and the U.S., Korea will probably have to beat or tie the Americans to advance, a task that eluded them in a friendly earlier this year. The Yanks aren't going anywhere. The team can claim only one great field player in Sunderland midfielder Claudio Reyna. The U.S. might have the tournament's best goalkeepers, though, in Kasey Keller and Brad Freidel, who both play in England's Premiership. They'll be much needed. Poland, the first European team to qualify, may be one of the first out unless it improves its recent form.
The class of this group is clearly Portugal?a side ready to retake its place at the top of the game. As midfielder Luis Figo points out, the core of the team has played together since their under-19 days. And following Portugal's controversial exit against France in Euro 2000, they are aching to prove they are as good as the French. Portugal has a case. The midfield tandem of scary-fast Figo and cunning Rui Costa is as powerful a combo as any in the game. Although perfectly able to score themselves, each can also dish with pleasure to the team's true finishers Nuno Gomes and Pedro Pauleta. Figo's gimpy ankle is a worry, but if he's healthy, so are Portugal's hopes.
So let a month of 64 games begin?5,760 minutes of the best football in the history of the world. And in the intensity of those goals and saves, tackles and passes, take a moment to admire not just the matches and the beauty of play, but also to feel the passion you harbor for your side and your nation. Savor that conviction that you come from the greatest country on earth and the most imaginative culture and the finest people and, my God, Allah be praised, dios mio, hontoni ne, isn't it apparent by how your people play the game? Remember that these cultures?our cultures?can coexist. Peacefully. Harmoniously. When we play a game.
And what a game it is.
- BILL SAPORITO
- In this time of turmoil, one sport brings us all together