The Hindu : After the shocks, the earthquake?

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 20, 2002

Sport

Sport - Football

After the shocks, the earthquake?

BARE FACTS: Jubilant Turkish players strip down to essentials after a victory in the World Cup. A first time quarterfinalist, Turkey faces the debutant quarterfinalist Senegal on Friday. — AFP

YOKOHAMA June 19. The succession of shocks that have sent tremors rippling through soccer's established order at the World Cup may turn into an earthquake when the tournament enters its closing stages on Friday.

The quarterfinals may start with a traditional classic — England vs Brazil — but any search for the tournament's epicentre should look in the direction of the four rank outsiders defying all odds to stay in contention for sport's greatest prize.

If soccer's earth moves, how will it be for South Korea, Senegal, Turkey and the United States, all so unaccustomed to the dizzy heights to which they have soared?

As the so-called lesser lights of world football continue to cut swathes through the tournament, the unthinkable — can one of them actually win it? — is starting to germinate in the mind as something other than a wild fantasy.

One team at least will take a step closer as Senegal and Turkey, both already further in the tournament than they had dared hope, meet each other with a semifinal place at stake.

South Korea must feel like a host who has gatecrashed its own party. Like the other co-host Japan, it was supposed to have bowed out graciously by now and left the guests to enjoy their hospitality unhindered by its presence.

But the Koreans have revelled as never before. Having seen off Portugal, Poland and Italy, unleashing a tidal wave of patriotic fervour in the process, why should they not usher their next opponents Spain out of the door?

The doorkeepers may be checking out the United States' invitation too. While the other guests are whispering `what on earth are they doing here?', the relatively muted reaction to their success from across the Pacific Ocean suggests few Americans were even aware the team had left home. That would doubtless change if it went on to beat Germany, a result that would have a seismic effect on world football.

The countdown to the final in Yokohama on June 30 starts on Friday in Shizuoka when England faces Brazil in a match guaranteed to generate cliches like `there's no tomorrow'. It can start with `Latin fantasy vs British realism' and the `irresistible force meeting the immovable object'.

Brazil has flourished at the tournament by returning to the artistry that has long endeared it to all lovers of the game. With Ronaldo and Rivaldo conjuring their magic, and each scoring in every game so far, it has been pure delight.

The Brazilians, four times World Cup winners and seeking a place in their third successive final, have scored 13 times, more than any other team in the tournament.

They have never lost to England in the World Cup and have gone on to win the title every time they have played the English in the past — in 1958, 1962 and 1970.

But this time they face a dogged England team who have conceded just one goal in four games and none in the last three and who have in Rio Ferdinand one of the tournament's outstanding defenders.

Brazil's defence looked vulnerable against Belgium in the second round and England has world class players in David Beckham and Michael Owen who could do some damage.

Logic says the winner of this encounter should win the World Cup but logic left the tournament with defending champion France and pre-tournament favourite Argentina in the first round.

The winner of this game would play Senegal or Turkey, who meet on Friday in Osaka. The Senegalese, gracing their first World Cup with joyously uninhibited attacking football, could become the first African team ever to reach the semifinals if they can overcome a resilient Turkish side who have flair players of their own.

Whether Spain can quell South Korea's momentum and the force of will of 48 million Koreans clad in red may depend, prosaically enough, on the state of striker Raul's groin. If Raul gets over his strain and plays in Kwangju on Saturday, his finishing touches may silence the drumbeats and put paid to the Korean dream.

Germany, the third former World Cup winner still standing, goes to Ulsan on Friday for what would have seemed a mismatch before the tournament started.

But the U.S. team, shrewdly coached by Bruce Arena, has played a neat counter-attacking game that has proved successful so far. The Americans are athletic, hard-working and well-drilled and are unlikely to let Germany roll over them.

In normal times, one might expect Brazil, Senegal, Spain and Germany in the last four. But the tectonic plates under the surface of world football are shifting. So don't be surprised if it's England, Turkey, South Korea and the U.S. — Reuters.

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