sports // 20

theotherpress.ca

Cup 20

Eric Wilkins
Sports Editor
4 Misports

5

@theotherpress.ca

s of this publishing the
World Cup is still very
much under way. However,

event not yet being at its
conclusion, there are more
than a handful of plots to talk
about.

Soccer is a game filled
with scandal: match-fixing
and theatrical dives on the
pitch are simply part of the
game. It’s only natural when
every country on the face of
the planet plays that there
will be a few bad eggs. It’s
due to the sport’s often seedy
underhanded dealings that we
find ourselves praising actions
that really never need be
pointed out.

One such moment came
about thanks to the tight
standings in Group G. Heading
into the third and final match
of the opening stage, Germany
and the US were leading the
group with four points each;

mere one point. It so happened
that for the last game Germany
and the USA were facing each
other. Both squads needing
only a point to guarantee a
ticket to the knockout stage,
there were whisperings of
the countries playing to an
intentional draw. It wasn’t
out of the question, seeing as
Germany (as West Germany)
had been there before.

In the 1982 World Cup,
West Germany took on
Austria in the third group
match—a one- or two-goal
win for West Germany would
see both squads go through.
West Germany scored in
the 10th minute and then

» A peek at a few talking

t

 

: advanced due to the results of
: the Ghana-Portugal match),

: it was somewhat amusing to

: give them a standing ovation

: for nothing more than doing

: what any decent human being
: should do.

An article by John Doyle

: in the Globe and Mail slagged
despite the world’s top sporting : Wayne Rooney a few weeks
: ago when it likened his lack

: of development with all that

: is wrong in English soccer.

: The piece noted that he never

: progressed beyond that raw

: talent he possessed as a youth

: and has failed to become more
: than a “brilliant amateur.”

: A key beginning point for

: the writer as he became lost

: in his increasingly flowery,

: disparaging comments was

: that Rooney’s first World Cup

: goal came this year. It’s quite

: remarkable what some people

: can write from the depths

: of a closet. If Rooney is a

: brilliant amateur then there are
: precious few “professionals” in

: the world.

Rooney’s 200-plus goals in

: club play speak for themselves,
: and there is no doubt that the
: Manchester United star will
Ghana and Portugal both had a : go down in Premier League
: history as one of the greatest

: strikers to ever play the game.
: As to his low goal total at the

: World Cup, every soccer fan

: with a head of any kind of

: substance atop their shoulders
: knows that there is infinitely

: more to the beautiful game

: than goals; any who disagree

: can look to Lionel Messi’s

: stats—the Argentinian had

: only one goal himself prior to

: the 2014 tournament.

And a last note on English

: soccer, though their results

: were lacking this year due

: toa handful of unfortunate

: breakdowns, their overall

: play was a massive step up

: from previous English squads.

proceeded to pass the ball
about its defenders for the
duration of the game. Both
advanced. And so, this year
when Germany and the USA
played a real game (Germany
winning 1-0, though both still

: There was creativity. Flare. P }

: Excitement. Flow. Rooney’s fi aeolian iN . ois a f fe

: role with England may be ators] h. antennae aoe aa ay erie per ped tM

: lessened in the future, but : = i es sieap tad Hg us pe Mia tg snc /
: the country itself is definitely . ;

: headed in the right direction.

 

Wayne Rooney // By www.fansshare.com