Sunday, June 29, 2014

World Cup Update -- 13 Games to Go

Today's first game is Netherlands v. Mexico.  (In Britain, by the way, they call this game Holland v. Mexico.)

For a few weeks in 1974, Netherlands was the greatest soccer team in history.  The Dutch came to the 1974 World Cup in West Germany with a beautiful, flowing style of soccer known as "Total Football."   This strategy rested on the idea that any non-goalkeeper on the team should be able to take over the role of any other non-goalkeeper.  Defenders could become midfielders; midfielders could be forwards; forwards could be defenders; and so forth.  It was to soccer what the Princeton offense was to basketball in the 1980's; a dramatic and beautiful approach that looked unstoppable when it worked.  Using Total Football, Netherlands rolled through the first group stage:

06/15/74:  Uruguay 0 - 2 Netherlands
06/19/74:  Netherlands 0 - 0 Sweden
06/23/74:  Netherlands 4 - 1 Bulgaria

They were even better in the second group stage, crushing Argentina and Brazil with ease:

06/26/74:  Netherlands 4 - 0 Argentina
06/30/74:  E. Germany 0 - 2 Netherlands
07/03/74:  Netherlands 2 - 0 Brazil

In six World Cup games, Dutch Total Football had outscored opponents 14 to 1.  And in the final, against home-standing West Germany, the Dutch roared into a 1-0 lead after only 2 minutes.  However, as others have learned before and since, Germany has a power all its own.  The Germans stunned an all-conquering team from Hungary in the final of the 1954 World Cup, and they repeated the trick in 1974, coming from behind to beat the Dutch 2-1.

The events of that manic summer -- the sublime beauty of the first six games, and the crushing disappointment of the last -- have haunted Dutch soccer ever since.  For soccer fans, Total Football in 1974 was like Jimi Hendrix at Monterey, or Joe Namath in the AFL, or the 1978 Trail Blazers before Walton got hurt -- a spectacular beautiful legend that could only be fully appreciated by those who were there.  Ever since then, soccer fans around the world -- including the Dutch themselves -- have expected Dutch soccer to be beautiful, experimental, thrilling, and doomed.  Remarkably, the Dutch have pretty much lived up to this reputation.  This tiny nation has been the World Cup final two other times in 1978 and 2010, but has never taken the title.  (To be fair, however, in the 2010 final the Dutch appeared to be more interesting in kicking Spanish players than the ball.  So it's not all beauty.)

Naturally, therefore, the Netherlands' 5-1 victory over Spain was greeted with the sort of rapturous transport Springsteen fans used to feel whenever the Boss would announce another tour with the E Street Band.  The Dutch were back!  The beautiful game!  Maybe this will be the time!

And maybe it will be.

Meanwhile, in Mexico, the fans are hoping that this is finally the year their guys go deep into the tournament.  Mexico almost always makes the Sweet 16, and then almost always loses in the Sweet 16 -- despite having one of the largest populations of any major soccer-playing nation.  I've never really understood that, and I don't think the Mexican fans do either.

Tale of the Tape:

NETHERLANDS:
Population:  16.8 million (63d in the world)
2014 GDP (est.):  $838.0 billion (17th in the world)
Per capita GDP:  $49,765 (13th in the world)

MEXICO:
Population:  118.4 million (11th in the world)
2014 GDP (est.):  $1.33 trillion (14th in the world)
Per capita GDP:  $11,224 (62d in the world)

Here are the teams:

NETHERLANDS:

Goalkeeper:  Jasper Cillessen (Ajax) (Netherlands)

Defender:  Paul Verhaegh (Augsburg) (Germany)
Defender:  Ron Vlaar (Aston Villa) (England)
Defender:  Stefan de Vrij (Feyenoord) (Netherlands)
Defender:  Daley Blind (Ajax) (Netherlands)

Midfielder:  Nigel de Jong (AC Milan) (Italy)
Midfielder:  Giorginio Wijnaldum (PSV) (Netherlands)
Midfielder:  Wesley Sneijder (Galatasaray) (Turkey)

Forward:  Dirk Kuyt (Fenerbahce) (Turkey)
Forward:  Robin van Persie (Captain) (Manchester Utd) (England)
Forward:  Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich) (Germany)

MEXICO:
Goalkeeper:  Guillermo Ochoa (Free Agent)

Defender:  Francisco Javier Rodriguez (Cruz Azul) (Mexico)
Defender:  Carlos Salcido (Guadalajara) (Mexico)
Defender:  Rafael Marquez (Leon) (Mexico)
Defender:  Miguel Layun (America) (Mexico)
Defender:  Hector Moreno (Espanyol) (Spain)
Defender:  Andres Guardado (Bayer Leverkusen) (Germany)
Defender:  Paul Aguilar (America) (Mexico)

Midfielder:  Hector Herrera (Porto) (Portugal)

Forward:  Giovani dos Santos (Villareal) (Spain)
Forward:  Oribe Peralta (America) (Mexico)

Note:  These are the positions as they are listed in Wikipedia, but Google reports that Salcido and Guardado will be playing as midfielders.

28 comments:

  1. More classic uniforms: the Dutch are in their legendary orange shirts and orange shorts (they wear the exact same color as Tennessee). Mexico has their legendary green shirts and white shorts.

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  2. It is 84 degrees in Fortaleza, Brazil, where this game is being played. That may slow things up a bit.

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  3. People in Britain had never heard of the wave until they watched the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. So the British refer to it as "the Mexican wave."

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  4. 20 minutes:

    Netherlands 0 - 0 Mexico

    Mexico looks better so far.

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  5. Still 0-0 through 43 minutes. This game never should have been played in this place at this time. Fortaleza is in the northeastern corner of Brazil, almost on the equator. It's just too hot and humid for soccer, and the quality of play is suffering as a result.

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  6. Half Time:

    Netherlands 0 - 0 Mexico

    That was awful; very reminiscent of the 1994 World Cup, where too many games were played in dismal heat.

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  7. In the 48th minute, Giovanni dos Santos absolutely lashes a shot from just outside the penalty area -- and it soars into the net, just beyond the fingertips of the flailing goalkeeper. Suddenly, Mexico have control of the game.

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  8. 50 minutes:

    Netherlands 0 - 1 Mexico

    Now the Dutch have to try to do something, heat or not.

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  9. 55 minutes:

    Netherlands 0 - 1 Mexico

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  10. 60 minutes:

    Netherlands 0 - 1 Mexico

    The Dutch are going for it now. They would have scored a few minutes ago but for a spectacular save by the Mexican goalkeeper.

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  11. 65 minutes:

    Netherlands 0 - 1 Mexico

    Mexico still hanging on, as the Dutch continue to press for the equalizer.

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  12. 70 minutes:

    Netherlands 0 - 1 Mexico

    The Dutch are still pressing, but Mexico is holding firm.

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  13. The HP is my exclusive source for World Cup coverage.

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  14. 75 minutes:

    Netherlands 0 - 1 Mexico

    The game stops for a "cooling break," which lets the TV networks run a bunch of ads. Well played, FIFA. Well played.

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  15. 80 minutes:

    Netherlands 0 - 1 Mexico

    Mexico has never made the quarterfinals in a World Cup played outside of Mexico, but their chances are looking better and better.

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  16. 85 minutes:

    Netherlands 0 - 1 Mexico

    Not long now.

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  17. But there's the goal! In the 87th minute, with Mexico almost in the quarter-finals for the first time since 1986, the Netherlands takes yet another corner. (It seems like they've been taking corners for the last 40 minutes). The ball bounces clear to Wesley Sneijder, at the edge of the penalty box, and he HAMMERS the ball into the corner of the net. There was nothing that Mexico's goalkeeper could do there.

    Netherlands 1 - 1 Mexico

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  18. 90 minutes:

    Netherlands 1 - 1 Mexico

    There will be 6 minutes of extra time. For Mexico fans, it will seem like a lifetime.

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  19. And it's a penalty for the Dutch! Arjen Robben, the Dutch striker who has been tormenting Mexico throughout the half, goes down in the box. It looked weak to me, but the referee gives the Netherlands a penalty, which is basically the same as awarding them the game.

    Netherlands bang home the penalty and they are off to the quarter-finals.

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  20. Full Time:

    Netherlands 2 - 1 Mexico

    Netherlands advances to face the winner of Costa Rica/Greece. Mexico goes home heartbroken.

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  21. Huge disappointment for the Univision folks, who keep showing the penalty over and over with lots of commentary. I know exactly how they feel.

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  22. First time in the history of the World Cup that a team was eliminated in regulation after leading in the 88th minute.

    Sixth time in a row that Mexico has been beaten in the Round of 16:

    6/29/14: Netherlands 2 - 1 Mexico
    6/27/10: Argentina 3 - 1 Mexico
    6/24/06: Argentina 2 - 1 Mexico (after extra time)
    6/17/02: Mexico 0 - 2 United States
    6/29/98: Germany 2 - 1 Mexico
    7/5/94: Mexico 1 - 1 Bulgaria (Bulgaria win 3-1 on penalty kicks)

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  23. There will be no report on the Costa Rica/Greece game; too much other stuff going on.

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  24. Univision is doing their wrap-up on Mexico's appearance in the World Cup, they call it "Con el Frente en Alto" -- "With Head Held High." That sounds about right.

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