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The A-Z of the World Cup

By Nimish Dubey (nimishsoccer@yahoo.co.in)
Tickle your senses with our alphabetical look at the World Cup. And of course, if you feel that you can contribute to it, just drop us an e-mail at nimishsoccer@yahoo.co.in and we will only be too glad to include your entry with your name. Just steer clear of names of countries and players or we could end up with a never-ending alphabet. Click on a letter to find out what it stands for as far as the World Cup goes.

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |

The continent is hosting the World Cup for the first time. With no fewer than four entries (Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia and China) the Asian contingent will be looking to improve what has so far been an abysmal record in the tournament – only two Asian teams have ever gone past the first round (North Korea in 1966 and UAE in 1994). This in spite of pumping millions of dollars into foreign coaches and assorted infrastructure. In fact, so poor has been the performance of the Asian teams that many countries felt that awarding the World Cup to the continent would dilute the quality of the football played. There have even been sinister whispers that Asia got the World Cup to ensure that Asian nations voted for Sepp Blatter in FIFA’s presidential elections but that is another story. Asian representatives will not have a better opportunity to silence the derogatory remarks aimed at them. Whether they will avail of it is of course another matter.

Every time the World Cup comes around, football manufacturers come up with a “revolutionary” football that makes play more entertaining. Of course, what it really does is confuse all the players (who have not had sufficient opportunity to practice with it) and make for some bewildering soccer. The “Fevernova” ball is Adidas’ contribution to the 2002 World Cup. The ball is supposed to possess “remarkable energy return properties and additional cushioning for enhanced control and accuracy” as well as a “three-layer knitted chassis” giving it “improved three-dimensional performance characteristics, allowing for a more precise and predictable flight path.” Makes one wonder whether it would not have been simpler to just make a fighter aircraft! Reviews of the ball have been mixed – the strikers don’t seem to mind it but the goalkeepers are far from happy. So brace yourselves for some amazing errors of judgement.

C is for Celebrations

There was a time when scoring a goal evoked little more than some applause from the stands and a pat on the back from one’s teammates. Not any more. These days, scoring a goal is generally the signal for all sorts of mayhem on the part of the successful player and team. Shirts come off, baring muscular torsos or vests bearing special messages; all the members of the team climb on to the goalscorer, kissing him in every (and I mean every) conceivable spot; players form a line and dance the Conga … and god alone knows what else. The World Cup inevitably sees more than its share of distinct celebrations. Mexican Negrete made taking off one’s shirt after scoring fashionable in the 1986 World Cup, Roger Milla charmed the world with his jig at the corner flag in 1990, Bebeto made it fashionable to dedicate goals to new-borns by rocking his hands after scoring in 1994 while Careca did aeroplane imitations in 1986. What will it be in 2002?

D is for Diving

Diving may be an Olympic sport but it has no place on the soccer pitch. Fed up with players throwing themselves on the ground at every opportunity to earn a free kick, FIFA has asked referees to instantly caution or even send off any player faking a fall. Given the modern footballer’s tendency to hit the turf at the slightest tickle, the referees will have their work cut out. If the rule is strictly implemented, we may have entire teams being sent off before the ninety minutes are over. Mind you, it would only be fair. And if you doubt this, spare a thought for poor Laurent Blanc who was sent off when a barely touched Croatian player writhed like Julius Caesar in his death spasms in the 1998 World Cup semi-finals. Blanc missed the World Cup final even though the Croatian later owned up to faking his injury.

E is for Entertainment

Let us face it – the World Cup may be one of the biggest sporting events in the world but of late, it has seldom provided the kind of entertainment the fans have come to associate with it. The tournament is inevitably held at the end of a gruelling domestic season, leaving most players injured or totally drained. And that results in soccer that hardly thrills the nerves. We haven’t seen a truly entertaining team since Brazil and Denmark in 1986. Most sides seem content to pack their defence and attack on the counter. This time, Argentina and France have the potential to deal out some thrilling soccer. Whether they will be able to overcome the fear of conceding a goal remains to be seen.

F is for Favourites

The World Cup gives fortune-tellers a great opportunity to peep into their crystal balls. Almost inevitably, certain teams are handed the “favourites” tag and more often than not, they book their seats home well before the tournament has ended. Favourites are inevitably predicted at three stages – before the tournament, in the early stages of the tournament (generally after the pre-tournament favourites have been thrashed) and towards the end of the tournament. The pre-tournament favourites inevitably include the defending champions and some eternal contenders like Brazil, Italy and Germany. Once the tournament gets underway, the scenario changes as some unheralded team hammers a better-known one and is suddenly crowned “the dark horse” or even “an outside favourite”. As the event draws to a close, the pundits inevitably fall back on the team that has performed most consistently so far – the only judgement based on logic!

F is for Formations

3-5-2, 4-3-3, 4-4-2…the World Cup sees armchair critics suddenly discover the joyful world of soccer formations. Suddenly every one is discussing the virtues of a “flat back four”, a” sweeper system”, “five in the middle”, and several other numerical formations. In fact, any formation seems acceptable as long as the numbers add up to ten and the first digit is equal to or greater than three. The really knowledgeable critics of course, use these formations to bamboozle the listener. Just sample this: Brazil line up in a 3-5-2 formation but actually plays a 4-3-3 as two players drop back. However, if they concede an early goal, they move into a 3-4-3 formation with one of the midfielders moving ahead to join the attack. Some venerable pundits have even added a new dimension to soccer formations by adding a fourth digit. So we now have formations that read 1-3-4-2 or 4-3-2-1. And you thought that football was a simple game?

G is for Goalkeepers

Few positions have been endowed with as much eccentricity as that of the goalkeeper. He gets to wear all kinds of flashy shirts, fancy gloves and more often than not sports a hairdo that looks like something out of a horror movie. And the World Cup seems to bring out the loony hidden inside most of them. Who can forget Rene Higuita’s insistence on joining the Colombian midfield in 1990 or the exceedingly error-prone Brazilian Felix in 1970 who perhaps is the worst goalkeeper ever to have been included in a World Cup winning side. And then of course, there is the irrepressible Toni Schumacher of Germany who shamelessly hacked down Patrick Battiston in the semi-final against France in 1982. An unconscious Battiston had to be carried off the fieldand Schumacher wasn’t even cautioned! That said, the goalkeeper occupies the most specialised position on the football field and is responsible for organising his defence when not blocking marauding forwards. But if you are one with a taste for eccentricity, keep a close eye on France’s Fabien Barthez!

H is for Hairdos

There was a time when all that covered a soccer player’s cranium was a crop of short hair. But all that changed in the seventies as fancy hairdos began to make their appearance. Germany’s Paul Brietner is perhaps the only player to have scored a goal in a World Cup final (in 1974) while sporting an Afro. Ruud Gullit made the dread locked look popular while Carlos Valderrama added a whole new dimension to hairdos by appearing in a get-up that looked as if his hair was on fire. Little wonder they called him Goldilocks. This World Cup is going to have its share of weird hairdos as well. Keep an eye on David Beckham – he changes his hairstyle from day to day. There is also Germany’s Christian Ziege with a multicoloured Mohawk hairdo. And there will be more, mark my words.

H is for Hairdos

There was a time when all that covered a soccer player’s cranium was a crop of short hair. But all that changed in the seventies as fancy hairdos began to make their appearance. Germany’s Paul Brietner is perhaps the only player to have scored a goal in a World Cup final (in 1974) while sporting an Afro. Ruud Gullit made the dread locked look popular while Carlos Valderrama added a whole new dimension to hairdos by appearing in a get-up that looked as if his hair was on fire. Little wonder they called him Goldilocks. This World Cup is going to have its share of weird hairdos as well. Keep an eye on David Beckham – he changes his hairstyle from day to day. There is also Germany’s Christian Ziege with a multicoloured Mohawk hairdo. And there will be more, mark my words.

I is for Injuries

Every World Cup brings with it a spate of injuries. These might be suffered on the pitch, prior to the tournament or maybe even off the pitch. Of course, there are players who become heroes by defying injury and playing on soaked in blood, sweat, toil and maybe even tears. England’s Mark Wright suffered a severe cut to his forehead in the match against Cameroon in 1990 but got the wound stitched up and came back to continue playing. Another Englishman, Terry Butcher wrote his name into soccer folklore when he continued playing with blood spilling out of a wound in his head in a crucial World Cup qualifier against Poland in 1990. Not so lucky was Argentine goalkeeper Neri Pumpido who suffered a broken leg in the match against Russia in 1990 when one of his defenders stepped on his foot! This time around, David Beckham, Kieron Dyer and Rivaldo are just among some of the stars who have come into the World Cup nursing injuries that may affect their performance. But spare a thought for poor Canizares. The poor Spanish goalkeeper missed out on a place in the squad because he spilt boiling hot tea on his foot!

No, we are not talking of the Aerosmith number. What we are referring to is the state of the players when they turn up for the World Cup. Why the World Cup is held at the end of a gruelling soccer season is one of those issues that defies logic. Most of the players in the tournament are coming off almost a year of non-stop football. Not surprisingly, many of them are carrying injuries and almost all are utterly fatigued. Expecting them to play well in the World Cup is a bit like asking a person to set a world record in the hundred metres sprint a few hours after having completed a marathon. Strange are the ways of those who set the schedules for the World Cup.

Well, that is what most of the game is about, isn’t it? And each team and each player brings with him a different manner of putting foot to ball. There are the caressing touches of the South Americans, the absolutely brutal booting from most of the Europeans and a neat blend of the two from the Africans. There are also various sections of the boot from which the ball is kicked – the instep, the toe and even the outside. The sports gear companies make the most out of this interest in booting the ball by inevitably coming out with shoes that they claim make kicking easier. As far as the spectators are concerned, they get their kicks out of watching the soccer on the pitch.

L is for Long Ball

No, we are not referring to a differently shaped ball. The long ball is in fact the tactic adopted by teams who lack the skill to play along the ground. First popularised by some of the English clubs in the eighties, it was perfected by the Irish who used it to good effect and reached the quarterfinals of the 1990 World Cup. It basically involves hitting the ball over a long distance to the forwards rather than passing it through the midfield. It makes for some boring football, as few spectators like seeing the ball being hoofed from one end of the field to the other. Hopefully not too many teams will use the strategy extensively this time around. If they do, then spectators should come prepared for a ninety-minute nap.

M is for Missing

Just because this is the World Cup does not mean that all the best players are participating. The likes of George Best, Ian Rush, Eric Cantona and Ryan Giggs never played in a World Cup as they belonged to teams that failed to qualify. This time too there are a number of notable absentees. Holland’s failure to qualify has robbed the tournament of some really big names. The absentees include Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Edgar Davids, Patrick Kluivert and Frank de Boer. There are also those who were simply not fit enough to make it. Robert Pires, Stephen Gerrard and Danny Murphy figure in this list. And to top matters off, there are the stars who the coaches just did not select in their teams or sent packing due to disciplinary problems. Steve McManaman, Javier Saviola and Roy Keane fall into this category. That said, the number of good players on the pitch more than outnumbers that of those not taking part. And that just suits us fine!

N is for Nil-Nil

The goalless draw is perhaps the least popular result in football. Observers will argue that there have been matches without goals that have had more than their share of thrills but the simple fact is that nothing generates as much excitement as a goal. Spectators will be hoping for lots of goals this time around. After all, who wants a match like the quarter-final between West Germany and Mexico in the 1986 World Cup final where both teams failed to score in full-time and extra-time. In fact, the Mexicans seemed to have forgotten the art of goal scoring altogether and proceeded to even miss three of their four penalties in the penalty shoot out that followed. We would not like an action replay of that one or similar ones this time around, thanks very much!

O is for Opportunists

Each World Cup brings with it players with exceptional skills. There are those who can dribble their way past any defence, those who slam in free kicks at will and those who tackle brilliantly. And then are those who specialise in simply being in the right place at the right time. They may not be the most skilled of footballers but few can match them when it comes to putting the ball in the net. England’s Gary Linekar, Scotland’s Denis Law, Germany’s Rudi Voeller – all of them specialised in getting that final touch that makes a goal. But perhaps the greatest of all goal scorers was German Gerd Muller, the top scorer of the 1970 World Cup. There was so little respect for his footballing skills that one competitor is believed to have exclaimed in disgust “He does nothing apart from scoring goals”. Be that as it may, most coaches would have parted with a significant part of their limbs to have Muller in their line up. Such is the value attached to the opportunist in soccer.

P is for Penalty Shoot-Outs

No event provides as much excitement in football as a penalty shoot out. And no method can be more unfair for deciding a match. Just imagine a game played for nearly two hours is decided on the basis of ten penalty kicks! Quite often the team that has dominated the match but has just failed to score finds itself losing out to a more defensive team thanks to this way of deciding matches. Argentina in 1990 highlighted the injustice of the system when they managed to reach the final after surviving two penalty shoot-outs against teams that totally outplayed them but failed to score a winning goal. Just for the record, the first penalty shoot-out in the World Cup took place in 1982 between France and Germany. The 1986 saw three matches being decided by penalties. This number went up to four in 1990, fell to two in 1994 but shot up to three again in 1998. While it would be too utopian to expect a World Cup without penalty shoot-outs, we can only hope that there will be not too many this time around.

Q is for Quotes

Football is a game that generates memorable quotes by the dozen. Who can forget Bill Shankly’s “Football is not a matter of life and death. It is more than that”? And the World Cup only seems to bring the best out of the masters of gab. English coach Alf Ramsey’s exhortation to his tired English team before extra-time in the 1966 final “You have beaten them once. Now go out there and bloody beat them again” has gone down into soccer folklore. So sit back and be ready to read some really juicy quotes as the World Cup progresses.

R is for Referees

Yea, spare a thought for those poor men in black whose job it is to supervise matches and be supervised in turn by the slow motion replay on television. The World Cup is littered with controversial refereeing decisions, the most famous being that famous goal by Geoff Hurst in the 1966 final against West Germany. Did the ball cross the goal-line? Well, they are still fighting over it in both nations. And then there was the famous hand of god goal by Maradona which was seen by everyone apart from the referee and his officials. Given the kind of attention that their mistakes attract, it is a wonder that people still choose to be referees. Indeed, some like Italian Colina have even become celebrities in their own right. Look out for him in this World Cup. He will be the huge-eyed, bald bloke officiating in the England-Argentina match.

Each World Cup comes with its own theme song. And these often make history. Ricky Martin shot to fame with his theme number for the 1998 World Cup “The Cup of Life”. Anastacia hasn’t exactly set the charts on fire with her “Boom” this time around but each World Cup puts plenty of football related music on the sales counters. And then of course, there are the songs that supporters sing to urge on their sides. While most of these are based on popular tunes and have lyrics liberally splattered with four letter words, some of them are worth more than a listen. So the next time a match is on in the World Cup, just listen carefully to what the spectators are chanting. You might just come across a football classic!

The number ten has a special place in football. Ever since Pele wore it for Brazil, it has become a tradition for the best player in the team to wear the number ten shirt. Of course, the number ten shirt is traditionally worn by the centre forward but that has been a custom long since relegated to history. Today, the best player simply wears the number ten shirt, irrespective of where he plays. Lothar Matthaus played in the midfield for Germany but wore number ten and so will French midfield maestro Zinedine Zidane this time around. So if you wish to sound informed about soccer, here is a handy tip. Just praise the player in the number ten jersey. The chances are that he will be the best player the team has.

U is for Unforgettable

Rare is the World Cup that does not throw up its share of unforgettable matches. People still talk of the nail-biting semi-final between Italy and Germany in 1970, of the stirring Battle of Berne between Hungary and Brazil in 1954 and the England-West Germany final of 1966. Even the dreary tournaments of 1986 and 1990 gave us gems like the clash between France and Brazil and Germany against Holland. Of course, with the advent of caution and the relegation of flamboyance to the backburner, great soccer matches are few and far between these days. But rest assured, sooner or later you will stumble across a match in the World Cup that will simply refuse to fade away. It may not be an important match, a final or a semi-final. For all you know, it might just be one of the preliminary group matches. Just remember that if you find yourself telling your grandchildren about it, you were witness to an unforgettable match.

V is for Vendetta

Vendetta or revenge may be an Italian concept but it is very much in evidence in the World Cup. Sparks inevitably fly when certain teams come face to face at a stage of the tournament. Traditional rivals include Germany-England, Brazil-Argentina, Holland –Argentina, Germany-France and of course, England-Argentina. These matches are about more than just football, they are about settling political and social grudges. Needless to say, these matches witness a high level of tension not just on the pitch but also in the stands. The extent to which things can deteriorate was seen when El Salvador and Honduras went to war over a football match! Some purists feel that such encounters are not really good for game as they only exacerbate tension and incite violence. While there is more than a grain of truth in this, the fact is that soccer would be poorer without the spice provided by these encounters.

W is for What’s His Name

Football is a game that abounds with nicknames. What you see a player’s shirt is what he is popularly known as. It might not be his real name. The most famous instance is of course that of Pele. His real name was Edson Arantes do Nascimento. Similarly Arthur Antunes Coimbra was better known as Zico. So the next time you look at a player’s name, just remember that he may actually have another one tucked away somewhere.

X is for X-rays

If you wish to make a killing, try providing X-ray equipment to teams on the eve of the World Cup. With rough tackles being the order of the day, almost every match is going to see its share of player hobbling off the pitch and being X-rayed for possible damage. Of course, most of these turn out to be false alarms. But owning an X-ray machine near a soccer stadium during the World Cup can be rather rewarding.

Y is for Young Guns

Almost every World Cup throws up its share of new stars. The most spectacular of these was undoubtedly the 17-year-old Pele who took the world by storm on his World Cup debut in 1958. In 1998, it was the turn of the 18-year-old Michael Owen to grab centre stage. Part of the success of these young players can be attributed to the fact that most of them are unknown elements who have not been noticed by the media. In most cases, the opposition just does not know what to expect. Who will it be this time around?

Z is for ZZZZZZ….

Sadly, not every match of the World Cup turns out to be an exciting one. There are several which could cure amnesiacs. Notable among these unworthies is the Mexico-Iraq encounter of 1986, the Ireland-Egypt clash of 1990 and the eminently forgettable match between England and Ireland in 1990. It is matches like these that make one understand why medieval English monarchs tried to ban the game. Hopefully, there will not be too many of these this time around.

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