Sport's Defining Moments 1: World Cup Finals
I've watched all the World Cup Finals since 1986 but, since that first one, the classic Maradona-defined 5-goal thriller between Argentina and Germany, they haven't really been a great bunch.
1990 was an ugly shocker between the same sides, '94 a boring shocker between Italy and Brazil decided by penalties, 2010 another ugly shocker where Howard Webb had far too much to do.
Being the biggest match for the biggest sport in the world, it's rather a shame that it usually doesn't live up to expectation.
At least the sequence of finals from 1998 through 2002 to 2006, though none of them great matches in themselves, provide a fascinating narrative which is, fittingly, all about the two greatest players of that era, as the World Cup Final should be.
And 1998 and 2006, those were event finals. They contained stories which people will always remember, though neither was captured by the camera, at least not instantly.
1998's final is remembered for Ronaldo, the magnificent Brazilian Ronaldo, being in, then out, then in Brazil's starting line-up, then being a ghost of himself in the match. It transpired he'd had a seizure. His inability to perform affected the whole team - France cruised to the win 3-0, with two almost identical headed goals by Zinedine Zidane. It's remembered as Zidane's tournament, though it might not have been - he'd been sent off for kicking out in a group game against Saudi Arabia and served a suspension.
Which brings us to 2006, perhaps an even more shocking moment - "le headbutt". I still remember my bafflement at why Zidane had been sent off, then the replays finding it, and the speculation as to what that sly dog Marco Materazzi might have said. What a singular, extraordinary act it was by Zidane, and how he cost his side the World Cup!
Which, frankly is a negative. I never agree with the notion that if you take the beast out of brilliant players with a temper, you subdue their genius. The headbutt was not part of Zidane's brilliance, just like Cantona's kicking Eric Simmonds wasn't part of his. In the ledger sheet defining sporting greatness, just grandly selfish fucking up is entirely negative.
France has already beaten Brazil in the quarter-finals of 2006, so in a sense Zizou won the series against his Real Madrid team mate Ronnie. But I'd still put the goofster on a higher pedestal somehow.
The all time top goal scorer in World Cups, Ronaldo came through huge adversity, not just the seizure but three almost career-ending knee injuries and hyperthyroidism. People mocked him for being goofy and fat, and sure there was the odd racial gaffe and encounter with transvestite prostitutes, but he was a marvel, that Ronaldo.
Though the 2002 final was far less dramatic than 1998 and 2006, it's my favourite. It was simply the best player in the best team of the world having his pure moment of triumph. Both goals in a 2-0 win over Germany, 8 in total for the tournament. Brazil made that an undramatic tournament with their simple superiority. Their toughest game was actually against England, that was England's best chance to win a World Cup since 1990, but, ah, David Seaman and Ronaldinho.
So if you want a moment out of all this, I guess it's the headbutt, as that's the one that will be talked about most in years to come, indeed celebrated in art. Check this out, up in Qatar for a while before being removed after complaints!
But my favourite is Ronaldo's triumph. He was the best player between Maradona and Messi, I'd say, and he could have been ever better but for horrible luck.
Is the World Cup Final the biggest event in sport? Depends how you measure it, but personally I think it's got to be. Quite often they don't live up to expectation, but we're due a classic this time, so how about Portugal vs Argentina, C. Ronaldo vs Messi, winner takes all. And no headbutting allowed.
1990 was an ugly shocker between the same sides, '94 a boring shocker between Italy and Brazil decided by penalties, 2010 another ugly shocker where Howard Webb had far too much to do.
Being the biggest match for the biggest sport in the world, it's rather a shame that it usually doesn't live up to expectation.
At least the sequence of finals from 1998 through 2002 to 2006, though none of them great matches in themselves, provide a fascinating narrative which is, fittingly, all about the two greatest players of that era, as the World Cup Final should be.
And 1998 and 2006, those were event finals. They contained stories which people will always remember, though neither was captured by the camera, at least not instantly.
1998's final is remembered for Ronaldo, the magnificent Brazilian Ronaldo, being in, then out, then in Brazil's starting line-up, then being a ghost of himself in the match. It transpired he'd had a seizure. His inability to perform affected the whole team - France cruised to the win 3-0, with two almost identical headed goals by Zinedine Zidane. It's remembered as Zidane's tournament, though it might not have been - he'd been sent off for kicking out in a group game against Saudi Arabia and served a suspension.
Which brings us to 2006, perhaps an even more shocking moment - "le headbutt". I still remember my bafflement at why Zidane had been sent off, then the replays finding it, and the speculation as to what that sly dog Marco Materazzi might have said. What a singular, extraordinary act it was by Zidane, and how he cost his side the World Cup!
Which, frankly is a negative. I never agree with the notion that if you take the beast out of brilliant players with a temper, you subdue their genius. The headbutt was not part of Zidane's brilliance, just like Cantona's kicking Eric Simmonds wasn't part of his. In the ledger sheet defining sporting greatness, just grandly selfish fucking up is entirely negative.
France has already beaten Brazil in the quarter-finals of 2006, so in a sense Zizou won the series against his Real Madrid team mate Ronnie. But I'd still put the goofster on a higher pedestal somehow.
The all time top goal scorer in World Cups, Ronaldo came through huge adversity, not just the seizure but three almost career-ending knee injuries and hyperthyroidism. People mocked him for being goofy and fat, and sure there was the odd racial gaffe and encounter with transvestite prostitutes, but he was a marvel, that Ronaldo.
Though the 2002 final was far less dramatic than 1998 and 2006, it's my favourite. It was simply the best player in the best team of the world having his pure moment of triumph. Both goals in a 2-0 win over Germany, 8 in total for the tournament. Brazil made that an undramatic tournament with their simple superiority. Their toughest game was actually against England, that was England's best chance to win a World Cup since 1990, but, ah, David Seaman and Ronaldinho.
So if you want a moment out of all this, I guess it's the headbutt, as that's the one that will be talked about most in years to come, indeed celebrated in art. Check this out, up in Qatar for a while before being removed after complaints!
Is the World Cup Final the biggest event in sport? Depends how you measure it, but personally I think it's got to be. Quite often they don't live up to expectation, but we're due a classic this time, so how about Portugal vs Argentina, C. Ronaldo vs Messi, winner takes all. And no headbutting allowed.
Comments
Post a Comment