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Overview
A guide to the biggest sporting event in the world-for those who like their soccer with a side of kick-ass.
The teams, the fans, the goals, the saves, the divas, the divers, the myths, the madness-they're all part of the world-wide spectacle that is soccer's ultimate tournament, and they're all here in this turbocharged guide. Packed with trivia, tall tales, stats, quizzes, and photos, The Glorious World Cup gives readers:
• Famous player profiles
• Villains, hero's, hooligans, and hard men
• On-field glory and off-field indiscretions
• Underdogs, overachievers, maniacs, and miracles
• Commentary from famous fans-including Irvine Welsh, Po Bronson, and Simon Kuper
• A look back at the greatest World Cup finals
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780451230201 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Penguin Publishing Group |
| Publication date: | 05/04/2010 |
| Pages: | 144 |
| Product dimensions: | 5.50(w) x 8.35(h) x 0.42(d) |
| Age Range: | 18 Years |
About the Author
David Henry Sterry is an author, performer, educator, activist, book doctor and a man who hasn’t worn matching socks in 20 years. David is the author of 11 books, the first of which was published in 2001. Prior to becoming an author, David was a professional actor, screenwriter, standup comic, and center fullback/hatchet man.
Read an Excerpt
USA and the World Cup
Uruguay 1930
Although hardly anyone knows this, USA stood the worldon its ear in the very first World Cup. Granted, the United Statesteam fielded zero US-born players. But they opened several cansof whupass on Belgium and Paraguay, winning their group witha 6-0 aggregate. In the semifinals a cold Argentine slap of realitybrought the US plummeting back to Earth. First the gauchosbroke American center half Raphael Tracey’s leg in the tenth minute.Then they just kept pouring salt in the wound and when thedust settled, it was 6-1.
Italy 1934
In the 1934 World Cup, Team USA traveled to the boot of Europeand got a severe kicking. The haughty Italians lopped off their manhoodso viciously, USA soccer went into hiding for thirteen years.The tournament started well enough with a solid qualifying win overMexico, strongman Aldo “Buff ” Donelli bagging four goals. But in the first round tie against Italy at Mussolini’s Fascist Party stadium inRome, the Italians savaged the Americans 7-1, sending them away.
Brazil 1950
Finally, the USA poked its head out from underneath the blanket,and made its way to the Finals in the Southern hemisphere. And theEnglish were waiting for them. No one gave the States any hope.Only one US journalist was on hand to presumably cover the loss.His editor back home believed he had misreported the score,assuming England had won by a single goal — a huge shock in itself,as England had been pegged to put at least ten goals past US goalieFrank Borghi. But the famous victory over the colonial granddad(see page 28) was not enough to see the USA progress. Losses toSpain and Chile booked the early berth home, back to hiding underthe blanket, this time for forty years.
Italy 1990
In that forty-year hiatus, soccer rolled through the seventiescraziness of the North American Soccer League (NASL) with itswacky uniforms and fading stars. The game became a novelty toyand was finally smashed to pieces in 1984 when the NASL folded. ARenaissance was due. Rumor has it that FIFA was desperate to havethe United States host the World Cup in 1994. But everyone knew,for that to happen, they had to at least compete in Italy in World Cup1990. There followed some dark chicanery that intensified the bitterhatred of the United States by Mexico, one of America’s chief rivalsfor a spot in the Finals. Suddenly, our neighbor to the south wasgiven a mysterious red card, disqualified from World Cup 1990 forusing overage players at the 1989 World Youth Cup. Foul was cried,in Spanish, from Guadalajara to Tijuana. Conspiracy freaks screamedMexico was reamed but as usual FIFA left no trace of its burglary.
Even with a stacked deck, Team USA had a miserable 1989, asthey tried desperately to qualify for Italy ’90. They were unorganized,sluglike and in general completely useless. When they were playingCosta Rica in St. Louis, a soccer hotbed, the announcer begged thefans to cheer. They steadfastly refused. It all came down to a finalgame against Trinidad and Tobago. With their backs to the wall, ina nail-biter of the highest order, Paul Caligiuri scored aspectacular goal that won the game for the USA, 1-0. It wasmassive. Team USA was back on the world soccer stage.
Their first game in World Cup 1990 was against anexcellent Czechoslovakia squad. Team USA got theirasses handed to them, 5-1. The team was “humiliatedto the point of embarrassment” according to the New York Times.The television coverage was rubbish, the commentators explainingthe rules through a basketball prism, and cutting away to a live interviewwith US goalie Tony Meola’s mom, in the stands during thematch. In the final two games, the team weren’t horrible against hostItaly, or against Austria, but that didn’t change the fact that they werethree and done. Back home, few seemed to care.
USA 1994
FIFA got its way. The United States was selected to host the 1994World Cup, and the beautiful game came to the USA, whether shewanted it or not. The powers that be were hungry for the Yankeedollar, even though a survey taken before the tournament indicatedthat almost 75 percent of Americans did not even know what theWorld Cup was, and of those that did, 94 percent didn’t give a flyingf***. While the whole thing did make money, there were manycomplaints about $500 press passes, and outrageous fees for everything.And the opening ceremony was a joke. Sadly, America wasthe butt. Oprah Winfrey’s was at the bottom of it, acting as emcee.Adding injury to insult, another soccer icon, Diana Ross, made anappearance. She attempted to kick the ball, and made a completemockery of herself, and her country. But on the field, Team USAmercifully acquitted itself quite well, tying Switzerland 1-1, and puttinga tremendous scare into eventual champions Brazil. But itis their second game that will always be remembered. They beatColombia but at a terrible price. The winning score was an own goalby Colombian defender Andrés Escobar, who was tragically murderedas a result. (See page 52.)Even though the US didn’t advance, and despite the fact thatmost Americans seemed to vacillate between shrugging their shoulderswith indifference, and lashing out in anger at the beautiful game, theseeds for development were sewn, and Major League Soccer was born.
France 1998
The United States finished last, including a loss to Iran. ’Nuff said.
Korea/Japan 2002
During the bleak 1998 campaign, one tiny light flickered. Hisname was Brian McBride. By Korea/Japan ’02, he was part of a brightconstellation of stars, including Reyna, Donovan and Friedel. Usingthrusting wing play, the USA shot down Portugal, and then bombedMexico out of the tournament, to reach the last eight. Germany committedthe robbery in the quarterfinal, aided by a blind referee whomissed a blatant penalty, a German handball on the goal line. Homeagain early but this time America had made its mark, and countrieseverywhere knew that the USA were a team to be reckoned with.
Germany 2006
After the success of 2002, there were huge expectations in theStates for a repeat performance, but anticlimax is the curse of soccerand Team USA flapped around like a wet squib on a cold barbecue.The game’s popularity in the US was exploding, and millions tunedin to be disappointed. The Czechs booked their way to an easy winover the US, and Ghana added another scar. Consolation came ina tie with eventual winners Italy. In some ways, the humdrum exitwas progress as it stopped the swing from the highs to the extremelows of previous tournaments. Balance had set on American expectations.And this has helped the team settle and mature through asolid performance in the Confederations Cup in 2009.
Player Profiles
LANDON DONOVAN
Landon Donovan has become the face of American soccer.An ace striker with an uncanny knack of being in the right place atthe right time. A patriot’s player, he’ll fight to the end for the red,white and blue. And he’s not shy about his opinions. Last year, hecalled out David Beckham publicly, accusing the man who marriedPosh Spice of being a whining, malignant ingrate. Many agreed andadmired him for his honesty.
JOZY ALTIDORE
Josmer Volmy Altidore to be exact. Could he be the real deal? Many have been called, but few have been chosen, in America’srelentless search for an international world-class goal scorer. OnApril Fools Day, 2009, the Jersey-born striker became the youngestAmerican to score an international hat trick, when he got all jiggyagainst Trinidad and Tobago. His magnificent combination of brutestrength and artiste touch carries him over defenders. A major threatto foreign defenses in South Africa 2010.
CLINT DEMPSEY
From a Texas trailer parkto the dizzying heights ofworld soccer, Clint Dempseyhas earned a reputation as onecool customer. After beingnamed MLS Rookie of theYear, he flirted with Dutchgiants Feyenoord, before signingwith English squad Fulham,for the biggest transfer fee anyAmerican had ever procured.He has not disappointed, becominga local hero at the West London club. In addition to scoringthe quickest goal in US national team history, when he netted againstBarbados fifty-three seconds into a game, he ran riot in the ConfederationsCup, first scoring the historic goal that sent Team USA intoits first-ever FIFA final, then shocking mighty mighty Brazil with aspectacular opening goal. He was awarded the Bronze Ball. Aninspirational player. Top drawer.
NATIONAL TEAM COACH: BOB BRADLEY
Yet another product of the soccer machine that is New Jersey,he began his coaching career as a wunderkind, taking over OhioUniversity at the ripe old age of twenty-two. From there, he wassnapped up by the University of Virginia by a man who wouldbecome instrumental in his rise to the top of American soccer:Bruce Arena.
After a brief stintat his alma mater,Princeton, Bruce camecalling again, and Bobjoined him at DCUnited. After WorldCu p 2 0 0 6 , Br u c eArena handed overthe reins of the nationalteam to his protégé.Leading the USAto the Final of theConfederations Cupin 2009, proved hisleadership mettle.His son Michael is aregular on the USnational team, andpaid tribute to Dadby scoring a goal onFather’s Day duringthe tournament.
OGUCHALUCHIJIOKEONYEWU
Nigerian parents,citizen of both Belgium and the United States, and the tallest outfieldplayer in the history of Team USA, Gooch, as he is known,has become the rock in America’s defense. He stepped into the largeredheaded shoes of US soccer legend Alexi Lalas, when he becamethe second American to play in Italy’s prestigious Serie A, signingwith AC Milan. Solid in the tackle, and brilliant in the air, expectGooch to provide the backbone for success in South Africa.
CARLOS BOCANEGRA
After being named MLS Rookie of the Year, and two-timeDefender of the Year, Bocanegra bolted to that sanctuary for Yankeesin the English Premier League, Fulham, where Brian McBridemade his bones. This led to a transfer to Rennes, where he playedwith style and panache, scoring a classic UEFA Cup goal while hewas at it. He has become a mainstay for Team USA, and even servedas captain during the historic ass kicking America gave to Europeanchampions Spain in South Africa in 2009.