Saturday, July 01, 2006

Western Europe's World Cup


Thierry Henry nets the game winner for France/AP



Four short years after Soccer proved to be more of worldwide game than many Europeans would give credit for, thanks to the Quarterfinal runs of Senegal and USA as well as the semifinal appearances of Turkey and South Korea, the football world has been turned back right side up. This World Cup, every nation that has reached the semifinals is a Western European nation, and suprisingly both England and Holland were not among the final four. Winning matches on European soil if you are not a European nation continues to be elusive. For all the hopes of other nations and some guilty fans in western Europe, this was not the World Cup for the breakthrough of a developing football nation be it an African power (such as Ghana or the Ivory Coast both of whom seemed to have boatloads of talent), the United States (whose disgraceful performance has been much discussed on this website) or South Korea. A World Cup on European soil is once again a European Championship two years early.

These European sides are different though incorporating the best of world football in their teams. Portugal has an unmistakable Brazilian influence, Germany has two African born players as well a manager who takes his knowledge of American sports and implements them on his squad, and France has far more black players than white players, as well as an attacking philosophy that bears little resemblance to the great French teams prior to the 1990s. France's team also incorporates the influence of its neighbors since France's top players make a living all over the continent in different leagues. National teams in so many ways are no longer simply products of the domestic environment.

But as has been the case so many times in the games history, Europe is impregnable as a force in the World Cup. The best of the game worldwide gravitate to play in Europe not just for the money but also for the experience. Germany 2006 has reinforced the European dominace of international football and has made a loud statement to aspiring nations, such as our own United States that our time has not yet come.

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a total pity. We have been denied passgae due to the argentine referee and his silly call against Rooney as well as missing an obvious penalty.

Sven deserves his fate for benching young Aaron Lennon who had given us quite a spark in favor of an idiot like Jamie Carragher. I'm a merseysider myself but am tired of Carragher foolish mistakes at the back and his overall quality. Both Liverpool and England can do better.

Anonymous said...

The Argentine offical who sought to refight the Falkland War today must be banned from further work with FIFA. This match was total rubbish.

Hernandez said...

Wait until next world cup in south Africa. Both USA and Mexico under new coaches will make runs and do CONCACAF proud.

Anonymous said...

Rooney didn't do anything terribly foolish. The referee looking to get even with England for our recent dominace of Argentina went to his pocket and pulled red instead of yellow.

Anonymous said...

Ronaldo should be suspended for the rest of the World Cup. He initiated the incident with Rooney and then sweet talked the Argentine ref who was looking for a way to cause England the game into pulling out a red card. Ronaldo is a disgrace to the game and when he returns to Man Yoo we should all give him a serenade he shall never forget.

Anonymous said...

Sven must take the blame:


http://www.football365.com/opinion/f365_opinion/story_187970.shtml

Anonymous said...

Ronaldo a disgrace to Football:

http://www.football365.com/news/story_187979.shtml

Anonymous said...

Youri Djorkaeff has left his side in the American minor league to watch France in the World Cup. Evidently he is unhappy with the firing of Mo Johnston, the former Scot star and his replacement by some american manager. Djorkaeff had claimed he had an ill family member to care for but turned up watching his former mates Zidane and Vierra beat Brazil! He has given up on your minor league, and so should you.

Anonymous said...

I nominate Rio Ferdinand to be the new captain of England. His fierry play at the back means he's material to be our skipper. Becks did a credible job but just got tired of the tabloids and the hooligans not appreaciating his skills.

Anonymous said...

The final word on this world cup:

England 10 pts
USA 1 pt


England 6 goals
USA 1 goal

England 2 goals conceded
USA 6 goals conceded

Anonymous said...

Rooney, Rooney, a thug and a Goon!

Kartik said...

Owen Hargreaves who was the best player for England in this World Cup actually plays for Bayern Munich. Perhaps you need to get some of your players out of the EPL and beyond Real Madrid for them to devlop the savvy needed to compete with different styles of play. England was fortunate quarterfinalist and major dissapointment for the Football world.

Poor Frank Lampard probably will need a confidence boost when he returns to the lions of Chelsea.

I feel bad for Shaun Wright Phillips and Jermain Defoe both left off the squad by Sven. I think both could have helped England with sort of pace and finishing ability sorely lacking from everyone excepting Gerrard on the squad.

Anonymous said...

We have been robbed. We can all agree on that, and no life does not go on. This was our best chance to win the cup, and just like the every other world cup and the euros we fall short on penalties or by some fluke. We have a better team than France, Italy and Portugal. Germany is playing at home but we smashed them the last time we faced them.

So many people in the international football community do not want England to win because of the so-called Hoolignaism and the knowledge that our nation is more advanced in football and more passionate in so many ways. It is convenient for them to exchange the championship between Brazil and a continental side excluding England for political purposes.

Sven's tactical blunderss didn't help either. Let us hope McLaren does better, or dare I say has better luck.

Anonymous said...

Our manager really hurt our chances of passage into the later rounds by choosing a squad with so many unfit players and others who were too young to make an impact. He ignored several experienced players that could have made a difference and we have paid the price. The referee did not help us either, but that is a whole seperate issue.

Anonymous said...

Carragher is a horror! One good Champions league campaign doesn't make a great defender or penalty taker. Thank you Sven for causing our glory to go down the tubes.

Anonymous said...

england was robbed by the argentine ref.

Anonymous said...

that argentine ref should be banned! politics and football daaao not mix

Anonymous said...

england ought to be given the world cup because the refs were all cheating.

Kartik said...

Boy you Brits need to get a grip. Considering England hasn't been to a final of a major competetion since 1966 you folks better look at how the FA does business and how you prepare for major events. England has far too much Football talent, more football talent than the 4 nations left in the World Cup to be constantly on the outside looking in. It has become fashionable in the UK media to bash Sven for everything from his player selection to tactics and to training routine, but the English Football player has a mindset issue that has hobbled him for several generations now. England's long ball style doesn't work anymore on the global stage and you guys aren't structured or discipline enough to play a good team game through midfield. England needs to take a good long hard look at its FA before Euro 2008.

Anonymous said...

Germany is going to have trouble without Frings. I like Italy to upset them.

Anonymous said...

Italy wins today since Frings is suspended.

He would have the responsibility of marking Totti.

Anonymous said...

Sven cost us dearly. i wish him on your ignorant yanks who do not understand football.

Anonymous said...

Lamm has had a bad first half, but Germany has still created some opportunities. What has Ballack been doing?

Anonymous said...

The fact that we basically beat Italy should not be lost on anybody. The people on this website who attack US Soccer, the MLS and all our players should now realize we can beat anybody in the world. We are an elite team as demonstrated by the mere fact that Italy's toughest game was against the USA.

Kartik said...

Sams.......You are just looney. I wish I could be as delusional as you but somehow I and the vast majority of other USA fans cannot be.