Neither Here Nor There

It was Portugal, I suppose, that restored order to the World Cup; “order” in the sense of teams fulfilling expectations, that is.  Not that there’s any logical reason to form expectations in the first place.  So what that FIFA ranks Spain a lofty #2 and Switzerland a lowly #24?  What makes footy such an exciting sport is its wildly unpredictable nature.  On the day, as they say, anything can happen and does, as often as not.

Portugal 7 – 0 North Korea was not a surprise, unless you were surprised that it wasn’t an upset, or even close.  Spain’s subsequent victory over Honduras is another reassuring sign that the powers of chaos are not on the ascendant.  Yes, we can count on the world footy powerhouses to progress to the next round and provide us the stunning displays of skill, invention, collaboration and individual brilliance their rank and past performances promised.

The match wasn’t a given, though.  It was hard fought and well-won, with a few flubs, uneven efforts (Villa’s missed penalty kick?  Spain’s casual approach to the game after that 2nd goal?) and Pique once more taking injuries to the head (smashed in the mouth this time, ouch — will this boy survive the tournament?).  I’m happy with their win, don’t get me wrong.  I’m just saying it would have been nice if el Niño could’ve converted his chances, if Villa hadn’t hit the crossbar, if luck had smiled on Ramos (who really deserved a goal).  Should’ve been 5-0, I’m saying, at least.

All things being equal, I tend to root for the underdog.  When Spain’s involved, I’m blatantly biased.  An immigrant nation, America is still young enough that most of us still strongly identify with the lands of our ancestors.  I haven’t a drop of Spanish blood myself, but my kids sure do, ’cause I married a Spaniard.  Half-Spaniard.  Whatever — ¡Viva España!

Hell, who am I kidding?  I’d be rooting for Spain, anyway.  With football and players that easy on the eye… por favor, give me more, more, more.

Both teams are to be congratulated.   A fine match, played in a slightly altered universe, thanks to the referee’s unusually strict adherence to the letter of the rulebook.

Many will say his calls were over the top.  I’m not sure – the jury’s not in.  Maybe dismissing Behrami was a bad call.  Or maybe he gave Behrami a straight red because the Swiss international actually struck not one, but two Chileans in the face in that single gallant attempt to get away with the ball.  One wayward hand, ok.  Two in a row?  A hard-line ref feels compelled to call it.

By putting them a man down about 30 minutes into the game, the ref enabled the Swiss to once again amaze.  They kept Chile at bay until 74 minutes in, snagging a WC record in the process – the most consecutive minutes played without conceding a goal, or some such.  They not only held off determined and highly skilled opposition and earned a place in the WC record book, the depleted squad mounted attacks and nearly equalized in the 89^th minute!  Thrilling stuff, boys.  Danke, merci, grazie.

Chile played some impressive football and won. 1-0.  Against 10 men.

Granted, it was against 10 tireless giant-men who played with power, synchronicity and superb organization.  Chile played with spunk, hope, passion, defiance and commitment.  The winning goal, struck superbly by my fave Chilean player, South African-born Mark Gonzales (I love that he had “home advantage”) was a truly triumphant moment.

Valdivia’s yellow for diving… not so much.  The right call, though, for me.  And the ref showed the card quick, calm, confident – same way he’d showed Behrami the red, in fact.  Controversial decisions, if you will, but decided fairly, doled out equally.  Everybody got the same treatment from a referee with a quick eye and a tight hold on the game.  It made for excellent football.

Hmmm… guess the jury’s in, after all.

Cheeky footwork, dancing Samba… not just looking for a win.  Looking to humiliate.  If you don’t play nice, your opponents may seek revenge.