Sometimes one goal can change destinies in the world's sport
06/23/2002
A ball strikes a net. Passionate soccer fans nearly come out of their
shoes.
Players appear to drown in their own joy. Fans' imaginations are lit
aflame. Dreams soar.
Non-soccer types shake their head. They can't understand what all the
fuss is about.
But can it be that after a successful U.S. push deep into World Cup
2002, America at large is starting to figure out why the goal – one
singular tally on the score sheet – matters so much?
Soccer's seemingly overly joyous goal celebration is the subject of
domestic commercials. Non-soccer types poke fun at the suddenly unhinged
exuberance that washes over fans and players, Tasmanian Devil-like, at
the sight of a goal.
But not just the goal. It's not just the last few seconds shown on the
10 p.m. news. It's the anticipation of a goal. America at large may be
discovering that the buildup isn't such an empty calorie after all.
Indeed, it's soccer's main course.
At the end of the day, here's the secret to why a singular goal is so
imperative:
It's all about relevance.
The outcome that hinges on the goal has to matter.
Soccer's incorporation into mainstream Americana has been on a slow boat
for three decades. The pace of the game is often blamed. But soccer fans
scoff at such notions from a country that treasures leisurely paced
baseball.
The truth, of course, is that any sport seems hopelessly inactive if
fans await the big moment with disregard for everything in between.
Come to a soccer game looking for a highlight package of goals – bulges
in the old onion bag as Irish-folksy ESPN analyst Tommy Smyth says – and
you're probably in for disappointment.
But what if the outcome truly concerns you? What if the 22 men on the
field aren't just nameless jersey numbers milling about? What if you are
consumed by faces and their stories, which are more obsession than
passing interest?
What if your beloved team needs a win (or a tie, or a certain margin of
victory)? What if you're a slave to an outcome that matters so much
you'll wake up at 1:30 a.m to watch? On a Monday morning?
Suddenly, soccer isn't so slow. Just like a 1-0 baseball game in late
innings isn't slow to the man or woman who breathlessly leans forward
for every pitch, knowing each toss could be the one that changes
fortunes.
Same for soccer. Suddenly, every shot is seen with eyes wide open. Every
tackle becomes an opportunity to start the telling attack. Every lost
challenge between two players is an opportunity lost – and a possession
gained by the opposition.
Every errant pass or wayward trap becomes maddening. Every sure-handed
grab by your team's goalkeeper is a chance to breathe easy momentarily.
(Inside info: One of the soccer fans' biggest complaints with American
TV coverage is that highlight packages show only the finish, the final
strike of the ball. Soccer fans covet the entire sequence: how
possession was gained, who made the early pass that took two midfielders
out of the play, which defender missed a chance to squash the offensive.)
When a ball does squeeze into the 24 x 8 frame, to soccer fans, it isn't
just a flash in time. It's progress.
When U.S. midfielder John O'Brien slammed in a rebound early against
Portugal, it wasn't just a nice finish. It meant an early lead against a
heavily favored foe. It meant that a stunning ambush into the World Cup
quarterfinals had commenced.
Were U.S. soccer fans excited? You bet.
South Korea's late quarterfinal strike against Italy sent two nations
into absolute tizzies. One goal. Italy went packing. Conspiracy theories
erupted. The co-hosts, with once-fuzzy visions of ultimate glory dancing
ever closer into focus, plowed forward and continued to dream.
All of that from one goal, which can change destinies. Every soccer fan
has a story about a goal that crushed, or delighted deliriously.
On Oct. 7, 2001, the United States played Jamaica in a World Cup
qualifier in Foxboro, Mass. Three World Cup spots remained up for grabs
among six teams. The United States needed a win.
Joe-Max Moore broke a nervous 1-1 tie by converting an 81st-minute
penalty kick. That one right-footed strike launched the United States
into a historic World Cup. It led to a berth in the quarterfinals (in
which Team USA gave the Germans everything they wanted and more).
Did U.S. soccer fans celebrate that goal with a passionate lack of
restraint? You bet.
Here's betting even more will next time.
