European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 25, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday june 25,1990 the stars and stripes a a Page 23 comments soccer fans done to know any better by Steve Twomey the Washington Post hey How a bout that Madcap group f in the world cup in the first round there were six games among the four group f teams the Netherlands England Egypt and Ireland. Two games ended 0-0, three ended la. The total number of goals scored a in 540 minutes of a a play during this the reputed greatest spectacle in sport a was seven. That a just about one goal every 90-minute game Amigos. Sneeze at the wrong time and you might As Well head Home to Amsterdam. Suddenly its All obvious soccer fans riot to stay awake. So i ask Why does the world insist we take this thing seriously Why does the world think indifference in the United states reflects some deep flaw in the Yankee character look i tried. For More than three years i lived in the Shadow of a principal soccer stadium in Paris. I went. I watched the French National leagues on to. And the evidence is in this is a sport bereft of the most Basic ingredients that make any sport enticing to a Spectator. Like for instance the Hope that something might a and will a happen. We go to sporting events to become deliciously tense to relax through nervousness. That Paradox is a product of possibility the Chance that whatever the situation is now it might change in the next two minutes. If your team is ahead it s that sense that its Lead is not Safe. If behind its that Hope that a comeback is imminent. The enjoyment is in the possibilities. In soccer the fan has Little Hope of such reversals. There is so Little scoring that the game has no possibilities. It is stripped of tension. And without tension it might As Well be cooking class. Take the results of the last world cup tournament in 1986. In 60 percent of the games two goals or fewer were scored in regulation. In fully one Quarter of the games a yup 25 percent a there was one goal or no goal at All. Nada. Zip. For the fan the Low scoring reality of soccer Means that if the opposing team scores first the Best one can Hope for is a tie. Here a Why the 1986 numbers suggest it is unlikely your team will score twice and win 2-1 because most games have no More than two goals. Further the Odds Are one in four that your team wont even get that one goal to come away with a tie. Talk about frustration. The Issue Here is not Victory. Its predictability. A soccer game that a 2-0 at the half is Over. An Ameri can football game that a 14-0 at the half is just getting started. Docs this reflect some american male hangup on scoring you bet. Scoring is what makes reversals of Fortune possible. Its the whole Point. The More reversals the More enjoyable the event. Soccer fails the mind too. T Here is Little for the fan to Analyse As the game progresses. One of the beauties of baseball is that it provides endless opportunities for the fan to play manager to decide what he or she would do in the situation at hand. The fan can Delight in the mounting tension and then watch what happens. Hut in soccer hardly any moment is More pregnant with possibilities than any other. What is the soccer equivalent of fourth and goal from the one so How come so Many billions adore this world cup thing easy. They done to know any better. Most countries done to have professional baseball football basketball or hockey. They just have soccer. Maybe too they re comfortable with a sport whose essence is the Lack of Opportunity. They like its hopelessness it feels like life. For 20 years now we be been told soccer was just around the Comer in the United states. So was musical chairs. A sport that limits Chance and Opportunity by god that ainu to american. Soccer Hasni to happened Here because life is Tough enough without paying for futility on a playing  Champion Argentina wins Turin Italy apr Diego Maradona came alive with nine minutes left sunday to carve the winning goal for Claudio Caniggia As defending Champion Argentina Defeated archrival Brazil 1-0 in a second round world cup match. Caniggia slate goal eliminated the brazilians who had dominated from the opening Kickoff and squandered dozens of scoring chances. Argentina earned a quarterfinal meeting with either Spain or Yugoslavia. Those teams play tuesday in Verona. Argentina scored its first win Over Brazil in seven years and its first Ever in world cup play. Maradona who had Little Impact for most of the match set up the decisive goal by beating the brazilian offside trap world cup �?T90 with a Clever through Ball. Caniggia ran at goalkeeper Claudio Taffarel rounded him and Side footed the Ball Home. Brazil dominated Possession for Long periods but the defensive pattern imposed by Trainer Sebastiao Lazaroni left the team without enough players up in support of strikers Sergio Muller and Areca. The less continued three time Champion brazils run of failures in recent world cup Toura ments. The South american champions have not won the world cup since 1970. Lazaroni a controversial tactics a switching the team to a european style defensive formation a backfired. Argentina played with similar caution but was Able to score when it mattered most. _ Brazil wasted a Superb Opportunity in the first minute. Areca beat two defenders to break Clear but then shot weakly to allow goalkeeper Sergio Goicoechea to smother the Ball. Midfielder Carlos Varri Rose High above the Argentine defense to meet a Cross from Branco in the 19th minute but his Clever header hit the goal Post. Alemao Areca and Muller All had shots that came close. The world champions looked almost helpless allowing Varri and Alemao an uncontested supremacy at Midfield. Brazilian play maker Valdo roamed at will from one Wing to the other sending Cross after Cross towards his forwards. Argentina a few attempts at moving the Ball broke Down after one or two passes. Completely isolated up front and in brazils Carlos Varri left Battles Argentina a Diego Maradona for the Ball in sundays first half world cop action. A Able to contend with the taller brazilian defenders on High balls Maradona and Caniggia might just As Well not have played for the first half hour. In the second half brazils assault continued although Argentine midfielders Pedro Troglio and Jorge Bun Chaga began to make their presence Felt. Maradona moving Back towards Midfield gave Argentina a Central Axis. Then came Maradona a masterful assist. Two minutes later Argentina s stopper Jose Basualdo broke through just Over Midfield and was tripped from behind by brazilian defender Ricardo Gomez who received a red card for the foul. With one minute left to play substitute brazilian midfielder Silas lofted a Cross from the right Wing towards the crowded Argentine area. Areca headed the Ball towards the onrushing Muller who was All alone in front of Goicoechea. But Muler thanked the bouncing Ball off his Shin sending it a meter wide of the net. Czechoslovakia 4, Costa Rica 1 Bari Italy a Costa Rica was ousted 4-1 by Czechoslovakia in a saturday night game. Tomas Skuhravy had a hat trick All on headers. Skuhravy edged ahead of Cameroon s Roger Milla and Spain a Michel for the tournament goal scoring Lead with five. Czechoslovakia also got a goal on a Beautiful curving free kick from Lubos rubik