Philadelphia, PA - Is there medication for post World Cup withdrawal disorder?
I don't believe the New England Journal of Medicine has officially taken notice of this somewhat new and somewhat make believe disorder... but it should. Because after a month of watching soccer from the friendly confines of my office, which by the way is where I lived during the entire World Cup, I've found myself feeling lonely, afraid and confused.
It's been a long time since I've turned on my TV to ESPN only to see or hear no sign of Eric Wynalda's criticisms, a U2 song set to soccer highlights or video of England fans dressed up as knights.
Instead, ESPN is broadcasting coverage of this thing called the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, which apparently is made up of the country's finest baseball players. For now, one can only assume that when the TV coverage goes away, soccer goes away, at least partially here in the United States.
We of course have Major League Soccer, which has quietly been progressing in the shadows of the world's biggest and best tournament, but as far as the average sports fan is concerned, MLS is a simple footnote to soccer on the international stage.
However, traces of the World Cup still linger, and will probably be around for weeks to come after the triumphant, bizarre, exciting and intense final match of the tournament. In 120 plus minutes of soccer, fans from around the world were treated to head butting, penalty kicks, shot after shot after shot on goal from the French, superb goalkeeping and finally a celebration fit for a king.
And fortunately, the news has continued, despite the final whistle being blown in the World Cup final. In the days and weeks to come, soccer fans can ponder the FIFA investigation into Zinedine Zidane's red card in extra time, his Golden Ball award, the odd officiating this past month and the U.S. team's future for manager Bruce Arena.
Beyond the exciting play in the World Cup final, most of the world appears to be still unable to forget the now infamous head butt that took place in the second half of extra time.
With a 1-1 tie and penalties just around the corner, Zidane, the French captain and 2006 hero entering the final, knocked Italy's Marco Materazzi flat on his back courtesy of a viscus head butt. The incident looked awful on television, and one can only imagine what it felt like for Materazzi on the field.
But despite the foul, which is a nice way to describe the captain's actions, Zidane was still awarded the tournament's Golden Ball award, which celebrates the tournament's best player. According to FIFA, more than 700 votes from journalists covering the event were cast, deeming Zidane the best in '06.
A day after, FIFA announced it would launch an investigation into the incident.
Zidane was a hero in France and the rest of the world for children and adults alike. He came back from retirement, and powered France to the final match in '06 after a dreadful 2002 that saw the team eliminated in the first round.
However, France left the field on a poor note that really had very little to do with the team losing the final match. Instead of remembering the country's triumphant return to soccer dominance, we are all remembering the 'incident.'
Since then, we've all been glued to our televisions, waiting for highlights of the head butt that sent Materazzi flying, the red card that ended Zidane's career prematurely and the stunned look of fans and players alike that followed when their hero was sent off for a disgraceful foul.
Perhaps Materazzi's reported insult was in fact awful, but that doesn't automatically redeem Zidane of all fault. Players in any sport, world wide experience the worst of insults, chants, flags and signs, all of which meant to make the duration of a sporting event an awful experience. Yes, racial insults, spitting even easily qualify as crossing the line, but unfortunately, it's the actions of the person who has been insulted that we always remember the most.
But just like everyone else, as hard as it is, players, fans, coaches and everyone in attendance has a responsibility of restraint. Unfortunately, Zidane failed to do that. So, remember him for his incredible play, his leadership and ability to bring a team together, but also remember him for Sunday's incident, his temper and his red card that should not be forgotten at the end of the legend's international career.
THE FUTURE OF SOCCER'S REFEREES
It's not fair to blame all of the negative aspects of this tournament on poor refereeing. Among the tournament's 64 matches, the Portugal-Netherlands match appeared to be the worst as far as officiating is concerned. In that match, a record 16 cautions and four red cards were issued by referee Valentin Ivanov.
It was an awful 90 minutes of soccer that had the potential to be one of the tournament's best. But as I've mentioned before, the results in that match should not fall solely on the shoulders of Ivanov. In fact, the ambush of red and yellow cards shown in this tournament should not be blamed just on the referees.
Instead, the blame should also fall on the shoulders of the players, the coaches and FIFA, who desperately needs to defend any and all of its referees.
Unfortunately, for Ivanov, FIFA did not offer any sort of public defense to its battered official.
In 2010, this needs to change. FIFA needs to stand by the decisions made by its referees, its employees. The league also must find a way to deal with diving, which continues to insult and ruin the continuity and integrity of the sport.
I'm not for installing instant replay into a match, which is a wild theory that has been mentioned as a solution. Using any sort of video technology inside of a soccer match would ultimately ruin the sport's continuous pace, a large factor that makes soccer so unique.
But perhaps there is a way to deal with a dive after the match by disciplining a player for their actions with a suspension or fine, another theory that has been raised recently.
Whatever decision is made, it should not be one that hurts or compromises the referees, who were just doing their jobs throughout the month of soccer. Yes, there is always room for improvement, but that doesn't mean the referees should receive the automatic blame.
SOCCER IN ITALY
The Italian victory was triumphant and exciting to watch, as a team that seemed forgotten throughout much of the tournament became the one we were unable to forget at the tournament's end.
Italy put together a superb defense with strong goalkeeping under the shadows of Brazil, Germany and Argentina. The results: possession of the sport's most sought after trophy and a title that will last forever.
However, the pride of Italian soccer has taken an unfortunate hit, one that even a World Cup championship can never overshadow. The match-fixing scandal was something that was unforgotten in the tournament, and something that will be unforgotten in the weeks, months and years to follow.
Just as Major League Baseball hasn't forgotten about the Black Sox scandal, Serie A, Italy's top division, will be unable to forget about the match-fixing scandal, which allegedly has included the country's top club teams and some of the world's top players.
But at the very least, Italy's fan base can remember a return to glory in 2006, something that also will never be forgotten.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The World Cup offered further proof to anyone unwilling to believe that soccer is by far the world's most popular and loved sport. The players are some of the world's finest athletes, as they are put to an ultimate fitness test in a game that is won based on constant jogging and bouts of sprinting that officially doesn't end until the 45th or 90th minutes.
Yes, we will remember 2006 for its negative aspects, but we will also remember 2006 for its great competition and even greater stories. We'll remember Mexican goalkeeper Oswaldo Sanchez receiving flowers from the Iranian team after the passing of his father.
We will remember the tears from David Beckham after the England great resigned his captaincy following the country's elimination from the tournament. We'll also remember Brazilian great Ronaldo earning his spot on the world's list of World Cup greats.
But most importantly, we'll remember watching soccer with friends, strangers and family, knowing that the sport has the ability to bring anyone and everyone together.
© 2006 The Sports Network
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