Day 7: Ecuador? Si, Si.
16 June 2006, 10:15
Readers of the Newsletter may be familiar with my Ecuador shirt, which I mentioned in my Group A preview. During the last few years, I can probably count on one hand the number of times I’ve worn that bright-yellow jersey. I’ve thought it about it occasionally, but it never seemed to be the right fashion choice. Finally, it is.
Yesterday I stepped out onto the streets of Park Slope (yes, I do occasionally leave the house) proudly sporting my 2002 La Tri replica. And what a response! Not far from my house, I heard my first shout, “Ecuador!” I gave a thumbs-up. Then, through the open window of a pizza restaurant, someone yelled, “Ecuador, arriba!” “Si, Si.” I said, trying to sound Ecuadorian. The cries of recognition went on and on. Everywhere, these days, there is an Ecuador fan. A well-dressed old man, sitting on a stoop, nodded at me. “They win again today. No?” Yes, sir, they did.
Ecuador won, and they won in style, beating Costa Rica 3-0. They passed the ball calmly and incisively. The striker who (nearly) shares my name, Augustin Delgaldo, put in a heroic effort, creating chances and taking them. His goal, the second of the game, in which he played a little one-two with a teammate in a tight space, then took the ball off his chest and fired it into the near side of the goal, was fantastic. By the time, Ivan Kaviedes scored the third and pulled a yellow Spider-man mask out of his shorts, the game was over. Ecuador had advanced to the next round. In my preview I also mentioned that this group was Ecuador’s to lose. Now it really is. They only need a draw against Germany to finish on top of group A.
Poor Trinidad & Tobago. They held up against the English colonizers for 82 minutes yesterday, almost scoring twice. Finally, they collapsed. The impermeable defender Brent Sancho was out-jumped, at last, by Peter Crouch, and England broke through. The Univision announcers call Crouch “Mr. Roboto” because of his robot celebration. They call David Beckham “Spice Boy” and make fun of him endlessly. Beckham was stilted throughout the game, running little and passing poorly. But it was his cross that Crouch headed in to break the deadlock. England fans will be happy for the victory and happy for Wayne Rooney’s first (unremarkable) appearance. They will relish little else.
In Berlin, Sweden met Paraguay. Which of these teams is more annoying? Neither of them seems to know what to do with the ball in the attacking third. I had been excited by Paraguay before the tournament, but after the fortieth time one of their midfielders stopped forty yards out and floated the ball over everyone, I wanted to pull my hair out. Sweden has a similarly frustrating style. They go, go, go. But where? I was intrigued by Wilhelmsson, more for his Jedi-Knight look than anything. With his braided rattail and weird facial hair, he’s a poor man’s Liam Neeson. And while we’re on the subject, Paraguay’s promising striker Nelson Valdez really needs to shave that peculiar facial hair. Sweden finally scored, and sent the Paraguayans packing (Sorry, Ben) 1-0.
I went out last night to see a friend’s band at the Bowery Poetry Club. I wasn’t sure whether to wear my Ecuador shirt. Would the poetic youth understand? Besides, it was beginning to smell. But this kind of chance only comes once every four years. I took it. Poets and hygiene be damned.
Comments
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Well said Austin – Sweden and Paraguay are very annoying – frankly they just irritate me.
-Jeff B
— · 16 June 2006, 14:04 · #
Did anyone see the photo of Peter Crouch pulling T&T defender Sancho’s hair in scoring his goal? While “Croughing Fouler, Hidden Grabber” is catchy, it should have been, more crudely, “Crouch Grabber”. Check the link:
http://england.worldcupblog.org/1/crouching-fouler-hidden-grabber.html
— Joe · 16 June 2006, 14:58 · #
Watch Italy or Portugal defend and try to keep and I on what they are grabbing. Luckily, it was Peter Crouch and not Vincenzo Jones!
— EJ · 16 June 2006, 16:08 · #
Sorry, I meant eye not I. Aye.
— EJ · 16 June 2006, 16:10 · #
My Trinidadian friend sent me a video of it
— Austin · 16 June 2006, 16:12 · #
Hair of Jah goal.
— Marshall · 16 June 2006, 16:49 · #
I love your story. I have sported my Brazil jersey on the streets of Bed-Stuyvesant a few times during the World Cup and have been acknowledged many times. It’s nice for people to finally yell and shout hello when you walk by them everyday when they never said anything to me before.
— Pamela · 17 June 2006, 00:11 · #