Dispatches From South Africa: So Far, World Cup 2010 Marked By Blunders
JOHANNESBURG - Perhaps it’s a little early to start assigning labels and attaching defining characteristics to World Cup 2010, which is just four days old, after all.
But jumping the gun is what journalists do. So, tally-ho! ...
Every World Cup gets branded in different ways. Many tournaments become the property of one particular individual. Think Zinedine Zidane in 1998, Diego Maradona in 1986, Johann Cruyff in 1974 and Pele in 1970, for instance.
Then, tournaments collectively take on their own distinctive personalities - sometimes for the good, sometimes not.
World Cup 1990 was known as a low-scoring bruiser, more barroom brawl more than eloquent ball. World Cup 1994 in the United States is remembered for its brutal heat in some spots. Plus, it was just an odd duck of a tournament, played in a land of marginal regard for the sport at the time. It was a little like being at a really kick-ass convention in a great city, like New York or Vegas; the convention rocks, but life in the town moves apace with little regard.
The first (and so far only) World Cup in Asia in 2002 was a tournament of upsets. And the last World Cup belonged to Germany in more ways than one. The host nation's surprising success became a great story, temporarily dislodging the German condition, allowing the good people there to feel OK about showing some national pride once again.
So, what of 2010?
It’s starting to look like a tournament of blunder and dunder.
Again, it’s awful early. Twelve teams have yet to kick a ball in anger, still paddling around in the wading pool, anxiously waiting their chance to dive in. But there’s evidence afoot to start attaching such a dubious moniker.
On opening day, Uruguay's Nicolas Lodeiro managed to become the first red card recipient, collecting two yellow cards. If that doesn't sound like much of an accomplishment, consider that he had only been brought in during the second half, so that is something of a feat. Besides, even if he hadn't already collected a yellow, the young Uruguayan probably would have been sent straight off for his butcher job on France's Bacary Sagna.
Two words: not smart.
Uruguay appeared the more dangerous team at that moment, with rampaging Diego Forlan looking barely containable. Everything changed upon Lodeiro's mad moment, and the South Americans were lucky to escape with the draw as France seized the initiative pressed for the winner from there.
Speaking of silly red cards, what could Algerian striker Abdelkader Ghezzal have possibly been thinking as he reached up to intentionally handle a long ball toward Slovenia's goal on Sunday? He had only recently come on for starter Rafik Djebbour, almost immediately collecting a yellow card for a reckless challenge. Again, two yellows for a sub? The man should do the honorable thing and immediately check out of the team hotel and go home. A team doesn't need to take any chances that such nincompoopery might be contagious.
The thing is, he looked like a real threat to score - until he became a menace to his own team, that is, upon his 77th minute goof. Red card. Slovenia soon scored. Algeria, having looked pretty good to that point, is now in a ditch.
Tim Cahill crushed any chances of an Aussie comeback Sunday with his late challenge on Germany's Bastian Schweinsteiger. The Everton man may not have been malicious, but it wasn't a necessary challenge.
“I have been through a lot of things in football but nothing this painful,” he said. “It’s hit me really hard. It’s the hardest thing I have ever had to deal with as a footballer; nothing comes close. I’ve trained so hard for this. It was my dream to play in the World Cup - something so special to play for my country.”
At least in Cahill’s case, the outcome surely wasn’t affected, as Germany was making Kangeroo pie of the opposition.
Two goalkeeper errors have, on the other hand, affected outcomes. And how.
Robert Green's fiasco for England has been well documented. And then there was the jayvee goalkeeping by Algerian goalkeeper Faouzi Chaouchi, who took the wrong approach and didn't get his hands or body behind Robert Koren's 30-yard shot for Slovenia.
Monday brought an own goal by Denmark, although that one can be written off as bad luck. Still, it’s an own goal. And we’re sure to see more, given players’ inability to properly gauge the flight of this flaky match ball.
Tourney of blunder and dunder? It’s too early to say ... but it sure is leaning that way.
