The Widening Gyre
07 July 2006, 15:38
History repeats itself. In the Euro 2000 semifinal, France beat Portugal. Zinédine Zidane scored the winning goal, a penalty, after the referee called a questionable handball. In Wednesday’s World Cup semifinal, Zidane again doomed the Portuguese from the penalty spot. There wasn’t too much question about Ricardo Carvalho’s tackle in the area, which set up the goal, but the result was the same.
France’s final opponent is the same as well. In 2000, they beat Italy 2-1 in extra time to take the European title (France also beat Italy in the 1986 and 1998 World Cups). On Sunday Les Bleus face the Azzurri for the first time since the 2000 match. They look to complete the déjà vu.
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Iberian players take the stage
05 July 2006, 11:27
When France played Portugal in the semifinals of Euro 2000, there was a bench-clearing melee. Portugal had started strongly and looked the better team at first. Nuno Gomes opened the scoring. After the half, though, the French came roaring back. Thierry Henry equalized and sent the match into overtime. Twenty-seven minutes into the extra period, the referee awarded a penalty to France for a questionable handball. The Portuguese erupted in anger. The game stopped for several minutes. Then Zidane scored. France went on to win the tournament.
They meet today in an even bigger semifinal. If you ask my cousin E.J., Portugal deserves to lose. He is an England fan, you see, and he can’t abide all that Iberian complaining and rolling around. He prefers red-faced balls-kicking Brits to the thespians with the slick hair and maroon shirts.
It’s true that Portugal has a lot of characters. Luis Figo may be called a ‘matinee idol’ for his dramatic dives, not for his looks. Deco seems to laugh and cry in succession. Cristiano Ronaldo, with his superfluous dribbling flair and his baby face, has a tragic air about him. My friend Steve calls him Paris.
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Day 15: My secret identity
23 June 2006, 18:49
Fifty-four minutes into France’s game against Togo, Patrick Vieira had had enough. He’d seen his teammates score only one goal in their last five World Cup matches. They kept running left and right, missing each other and the target. They seemed out of synch and unsure how to proceed. Vieira got up a head of steam and charged into the Togolese defense. When Vieira gets going, it’s an unmistakable sight. He is 6’5” but looks taller. He has elephantine limbs and an immense stride. As he got to the top of the area, the ball was elsewhere, but all eyes focused on him. He barged through, found some space, and turned his back to goal. He was ten yards out when he got the ball. He spun around and curled a perfectly placed shot into the corner.
As soon as he kicked it, he knew it was in. Without celebrating he jogged back toward the center circle and looked at his teammates as if to say, “That’s all there is to it, men. Let’s go.” A few minutes later he headed to Henry, who turned and shot. Goal number two. The French had advanced.
Vieira was born in Senegal, but he is French. I was born in America, but I am Spanish. Actually, that’s not true…
Day 15 Preview: Go Switzerland, seriously
23 June 2006, 06:34
Switzerland and South Korea meet in Hanover today, If you’re supporting the Koreans, shout, “Dae-han Minguk.” Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap. This is the cheer performed by thousands of Koreans in unison. If it’s the Swiss you love, remember, “It’s Swiss O’clock!” This is the slogan that’s emblazoned on their team bus.
These are different soccer cultures. South Korea, the emerging Asian power, has developed a fervent fan base that performs in choreographed frenzy. It’s like a massive nationwide drill team. The Swiss, stereotypically at least, are less excitable and less unified. I have been trying to find a place in New York where the Swiss get together to watch the games. When I called the consulate, they said, “just about any place shows the games.” But is there any Swiss gathering? “Well, the Swiss are very spread out.”
Over in Europe, the Swiss tourist board is trying to capitalize on the dispassion. They put out a series of ads this year inviting “World Cup widows” (women who are ignored by the menfolk during the tournament) to come to Switzerland, where the men spend less time on football and more time on you.
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Day 11: Contest alert!
19 June 2006, 20:06
Cesc Fabregas turned 19 in May. He is not an imposing looking young man, but he is imposing. When he came into Spain’s match against Tunisia in the second half Monday, his team was down 1-0. When the whistle blew, Spain had earned a 3-1 victory. The first goal was scored when Fabregas fired a wicked shot at the keeper who parried it away. Raul pounced on the rebound. The second was scored when Fabregas played a perfectly weighted ball onto the feet of Fernando Torres who sprinted toward the keeper and shot into the corner. Fabregas once said, “Football is like a rope.” Whatever that means, it must be true….
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Day 10: The last waltz
19 June 2006, 18:17
I had forgotten about the Korean fans. I have a South Korean supporters’ T-shirt from the last World Cup that is bright red. For me, the shirt evokes both a Coca-Cola ad and a communist party uniform. It says (in English), “Be the reds.” What does this mean?
9:00 Togo v. Switzerland
18 June 2006, 22:48
Follow my match commentary on the Times blog.
3:00 France v South Korea
18 June 2006, 11:20
I’m doing live commentary about the South Korea-France match on the Times blog.
Group G Preview
09 June 2006, 09:58
Legendary French midfielder Zinedine Zidane retired from international soccer a few years ago. Then, he had a vision at three o’clock in the morning. “I woke up suddenly and then, I talked to someone,” he said. “It’s a mystery… I can’t explain that encounter myself. That person really exists but it all comes from very far.” Zidane promptly came back to the French team. “An irrepressible force seized me then. I had to obey that voice that was giving me advice.” When the celestial Theirry Henry heard the news, he announced, “God is back.” God, however, is getting old. So is the whole French team. They are loaded with skill and experience, but will they repeat the championship of 1998 or go out winless like they did last time? God only knows.
As for the rest of the group, Korea hopes to repeat their improbable semi-final run. It will be harder without home-field advantage. They run like crazy, but they will have to find an in-form goal scorer. Switzerland was a surprise qualifier, and many people are picking them as a dark horse.
Togo is not the best team in Africa, but they have great fans and a lot of style. The players had recently confronted the military leaders (who also run the football federation) who, they thought, were withholding money. The team may not win, but they might start a coup.