European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 8, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 32 the stars and stripes sports wednesday june 8,1994 a a a a a i a or ii a a a a a a a a i a. I a. _ _. A a Don t expect world cup to be Boring a by Johnette Howard lets say you re not among the 75 percent of american adults who admitted in a february Harris poll that they did no to know the world cup is a soccer even Tor the 80 percent who said they had no idea the world a a a states. Cup was even coming to the United you can say with surety that Pele to not a new scent from Ralph Lauren. You know the month Long world cup begins june 17. And frankly you be already been thinking weighty thoughts like a does this mean longer lines at the ethnic restaurants a. And a can we get Spike Lee deported before he shows at the americans must win opener and Hacks off the Swiss by calling them All Heidi a Leeds dimwitted idea of referring to Indiana guard Reggie Miller by his Sisters name Cheryl backfired into Millers 39-Point demolition Job on the kicks wednesday. That led to a front Page headline in the new York daily news Friday that blared a thanks a lot Spike a the nagging question americans really want answered about the world cup is Why anyone would think wed part the drapes to watch a soccer game even if it is in our own front Yard. The reflexive answer because the balls juiced. In a not making this up. A new Aero dynamically Superior Ball is being used in world cup play this year. Its supposed to Fly through the air faster which should Lead to More goals which should explain Why All the goalies from the really soccer Dirtad nations Are hitting . Soil asking for a Good real estate agent. Just incas you know. The thoughtful answer for Why the world cup will work Here is because americans Are transfixed by anything that a big eccentric passionate and enthusiastically done. Lets face it we re saps. We have no compunction commentary about jumping on bandwagons and once aboard we have no shame. We boldly assume foreigners will find our ignorance enchanting once we join the soccer crowd. We americans will also usually try anything once. The Media covered the raucous Cross country skiing Competition at the Lillehammer olympics for gods Sake. I bet you never thought you a see that in your lifetime either. Besides As Well be told a zillion times Between now and the july 17 world cup final this quadrennial tournament is the most rabidly followed most colourfully played sporting event on Earth. Fifa soccer a world governing body has 179 member nations. Only 24 teams survived qualifying rounds to get Here yet half the worlds population is expected to watch on to sadly missing missing Are the kuwaitis whose sometime Mascot is a live Camel and the Al salvadorans whose fans have been known to throw dead cats and iguanas onto the Field and the English whose Hooligan fens like to attend local club games to chant charming things from cheap seats like a no one likes us a we done to care. A or to a Large boy spotted in the visitors cheering Section at Northampton a you fat expletive a you fat expletive a you ate All the pies a now granted Many americans have the same knee Jerk reaction to soccer. They say its too Boring a rap soccer fans can torpedo with a simple retort and baseball a not the world cup May be a lot of tilings but it will hot be Boring. Colombians Faustino Asprilla turns cartwheels after he scores mexican goalkeeper Jorge Campos baits foes by straying 25, 30, even 35 Yards from the goal Mouth to join his team s attack and one of the most buzzed about soccer controversies this year has been whether Swiss coach Roy Hodgson will completely abandon his no sex decree for his players during tournament play. Hodgson caught flak and has since backpedal a saying his players just can to have sex the Day before games. Another reason the world cup wont be Boring is the pressure every National team is under to do Well. Italian dictator Benito Mussolini once sent a Cable to the 1938 world cup team saying a win or die a Twenty six years later the disappointing 1966 italian team returned Home in the dead of night to find angry fans waiting at the Airport to hurl Rotten fruit. One sign read a Italy vomits on you a this years favourites Are Brazil Germany and Argentina. The . Team will be devastated if it fails to make the second round. A few . Players have also admitted some chafing at being called the Green card team just because Thomas Dooley was born in Germany and All right All right Roy Wegerle was born in South Africa and Well granted Hugo Perez hails from Al. Salvador and Frank Klopacs was bom in Greece and Tab Ramos and Fernando Clavijo did their first headers into bassinets located in Uruguay. If it helps serbian born Bora Milutinovic has said he a feels like an american after three years As our National team coach following career stops in Mexico Costa Rica France Switzerland and Monaco. But you have to wonder if Milutinovich a wanderlust wont kick in again. Asked recently to name the Best Eart of the world cup finals expanding to 32 teams y 1998, Milutinovic gleefully said a weight More jobs my Friend a. The Washington Poat Ion can repeat by the associated press a confident German team left Frankfurt on monday for Canada to begin a final week of preparation before starting the defense of its world cup title. A it will be a Long and Lough tournament and it won t be easy to retain the title a Germany Captain Lothar Matthaeus said. A Many teams have improved a lot and there Are no great differences Between teams. But we will do our Best we want to come Back Here in july As the world champions several Hundred fans came to bid Farewell to the 22-Man squad led by coach Berti Vogts As it took off for Toronto where it will play Canada on wednesday in its last exhibition game before the tournament. Germany will move on to Hinsdale 111, on june 13 and play the tournament opener against Bolivia at Chicago four Days later. A we be prepared Well and we Are ready a new Midfield Star Mario easier said. At Dublin More than 7,000 fans blocked roads and squeezed into the Dublin Airport to see off Roland s team a a it a a wonderful Send off typical of the Irish fans a Forward Tony Cascarino said As the players went through crowds for their flight to Orlando a. Neither the players spirits nor the fans enthusiasm was dampened by Ireland a 3-1 loss to the czech Republic on sunday in an exhibition game. A a done to read too much into that a coach Jack Charlton said. A this result does not matter. Well have a go out in America and Well be difficult to beat. We have a Tut of a a defending world cup Champion Germany runs through a Quick workout after arriving in Toronto on monday Ireland plays Italy at East Rutherford ., in its world cup opener on june 18, a a in a just say to the fans done to take it too seriously a Charlton said. Quot world cups get far too serious. It is a Lovely one to win but lets not get too carried away because by next year its Only a memory. Just relax out there and enjoy it a at Rome the italian team met with prime minister Soivio Berlusconi on the Day before the Azzurri depart for their world cup base in Somerset Berlusconi also cans a Milan the european Champion and three time italian league Champion. Berlusconi whose forza italia lets go Italy Oarth look its name from the traditional cry of italian Ltd r soccer ians gae team members commemorative Silver medals and took them on a tour of his offices a if we play in the finals then i will also be there a Berlusconi said. Berlusconi wished the players Luck and called soccer a a metaphor for life and the players a heroes that All can then he bid them Farewell with a Tongue in Cheek warning a if you lose i will Cut up your passports and you will not be Able to return at Santa Clara calif., Brazil was try ing to rebound from a 1-1 tie with Canada on sunday at Edmonton Alberta. A that Wasny tour style of play a coach Carlos Alberto Parreira said. A i confess i expected More from the
