FIFA World Cup 2010: No Games Just Sports

As the FIFA world cup 2010 gets closer, its time for the routine lists of the World Cup’s Best XI , Greatest goals, Best Teams and players . All such lists will be debated passionately and endlessly. Ever goal scored will be recounted a no. of times. Close misses will be greeted by a collective sigh. While I personally believe that matches in the World Cups come nowhere near the skills exhibited in Premier league Matches when a ManU, Chelsea, Barca, Real Madrid and the likes take to the ground, nothing really can stand up to the nationalistic fervor that grips the entire planet during the WC. The zeal of the population supporting their respective sides makes the FIFA WC’s such a treat to watch. Every World Cup brings with it a mix of high and low, utopian excitement after a win, The heart break of loss, and unintended but religiously controversy too. The WC Tournament was and is a platform to showcase exquisite individual skills, team preparedness and strategies with a dash of patriotic touch. However Soccer also brings out the best and worst of human behavior, the Good and Ugly of mankind comes to the fore invariably. The distinction between a legend and a rogue gets blurred often. Don’t believe me?

Legend or Rogue. Or Simply a Genius with Flaws

Get an opinion on Maradona for his 1986 WC performance, especially against England in QF. Only this flawed genius could have come up with the unbelievable Goal of the Century and the devilish Hand of God goal in the same match. The English Press at least will never forget and neither let us forget the latter. Still many adore him as much as others revile him. Take your pick but one thing is sure the goals only expressed the extremes of his character. The thrill and joy of a goal, sublime pass, a bending free kick, a victory over a more fancied opponent subsides with time. It enters the realms of history to gather dust. But nothing cuts deeper than a victory denied by unfair means. A nation’s hopes being laid to rest under dubious circumstances sticks like a fishbone in the throat. It is not easily forgotten. The sting of being cheated of a win lasts forever. The grudge remains with an entire generation in collective psyche. Hostilities and emotions run strong. So if you are a football freak and also happen to support France, you will do well to keep off Ireland this summer and no under no circumstance wear your Tee with T. Henry engraved on it.

The Goal of the century

The normally calm Zizou lost his head this one time

Every World Cup right from the first edition has had its share of controversies. Players and their vociferous fans have been involved in acts which can only bring disgrace and nothing else. Unfortunately many on field and off it controversies have generated more news than the tournament itself.. Long after the final whistle has been blown, people remember the controversies and discuss it. Any Doubts? Well how many remember the No. of goals scored in last WC finals? Who scored the winning goal? Raking the brain still. Here’s the easy one. Who was sent off for Head Butting an Opponent?

But nothing, absolutely nothing beats these two matches in sheer controversy and magnificence of idiocy. These matches were played in another era but the embers still burn today.

Battle of Berne: Brazil vs Hungary , QF 1954 World Cup

The pleasantries were done away with immediately

Wiki defines this match as one of the 20^th’s Century most notorious premier games with its violent tactics, brutal challenges and spiteful petulance. Coming into the tournament the two teams were in Red Hot form. The match between these two super sides was billed as unofficial final by the press. Approx 60000 fans gathered to watch the match. In a match that started under driving rain Hungary stole Brazil’s thunder by going 2-0 within first seven minutes .Brazilians got desperate and Hungarians were themselves prepared to retaliate. Both teams engaged in brutal tackling and gamesmanship to stem the advance of other team. By the time match came to an end with score 4-2 in Hungary’s favour, the audience had witnessed 42 free-kicks, 2 penalties, 4 cautions and 3 sent offs. The excesses and tensions on the field continued unabated off of it. The Brazilians gave vent to frustration by having their fans, photographers, trainers, reserve players and coaches invade the pitch. But the worst was yet to come. The enraged Brazilians turned off the lights in the players’ tunnel and lay in wait for the Hungarians. They invaded the Hungarian dressing room where fists, bottles and boots flew in the darkness which ended with broken bones, severe bruises and cuts. And one thought such scenes happened only in Gangster movies. Ironically the press ended up terming the eagerly awaited match as Battle of Berne.

Battle of Santiago: Chile Vs Italy 1962

This was the story of the match

Now this is one match that has been discussed a million times. The black and white video footage of the game is still one of the popular videos on net. No surprise actually. It’s still bemusing to see the outrageous match which looks more of a martial art video than a soccer match. And not surprisingly the seed of the controversy was sowed by the Media. Two Italian Journalists in particular. In 1960 Chile had survived a massive earth quake to be ready for the WC which eventually was held pretty successfully. In build up to the event, the two Italian journalists Antonio Ghiredelli and Corrado Pizzinelli took a tour of Santiago which still was in wrecks in parts and sent back reports that portrayed Chile as a Poverty stricken country full of luscious women of low character. Chilean newspapers reproduced the articles where spice was added in translation. The anger was spilling over and a Argentinean scribe was roughed up when he was mistaken for one of the Italians.

Chile and Italy met at the league stages itself and immediately the gloves were off. Chileans had a reason to be angry but the Italians had come prepared for the slug fest as well. Their player Ferrini had to be dragged off the filed as he refused to go by himself after being sent off. When the game began again Chile’s Leonel Sanchez, the son of a professional boxer, irked by Mario David fouls, punched the Italian. As Referee Ken Aston did not punish Sanchez, David took retribution upon himself. He hit Sanchez in the neck, and was swiftly sent off. The two teams The two teams continued to engage in further scuffles resulting in the police having to intervene three more times. Eventually the 11 men Chile saw off 9 men Italy 2-0.

When the match was broadcast on British TV two days later it was famously introduced by David Coleman as “Good evening. The game you are about to see is the most stupid, appalling, disgusting and disgraceful exhibition of football, possibly in the history of the game.”

He also came up with some nuggets during the telecast “That’s one of the most cold-blooded and lethal tackles I think I have ever seen” and “I say, that was one of the neatest left hooks I’ve ever seen!”

Referee Ken Aston did not cover himself with glory by his below average officiating of the game. But he certainly made amends at later stages of his life by bringing in red and yellow cards after getting the idea from a traffic signal. He also introduced the substitute referee & number board for substitutes.

Mercifully it was before the time of Tweet Every Minute generation. If played today it will launch a virtual Third World War over the World Wide Web. As the WC starts in 35 days from now, it’s an ardent wish that the FIFA WC 2010 will be played with the best Sportsmen like conduct and remembered for the Quality of matches, mesmerizing performances , spectacular goals and rise of the African continent as sporting powerhouse. Amen

Mercifully it was before the time of Tweet a second generation. If played today it will launch a virtual Third World War over the World Wide Web.