Footballing Around the Globe, American Style

Look down and slightly to the right across this page for just a moment. Read the snippet of a game story on the Italy-England World Cup qualifying game that was played last night.

That's OK, I'll wait.

Finished? Good. Now, consider: What you have just read is similar in content to stories which will appear in newspapers this morning in virtually every nation that has newspapers. And most of those stories will be much, much larger than this one, no matter whether they are read in Italian, English, Urdu or Swahili.

It is a ceaseless wonder to me, especially after having spent my junior year abroad in Scotland, that a game can power a culture the way soccer--"football" to the rest of the United Nations--can, and does.

Tomorrow morning, millions of Englishmen will be anguishing over manager Glenn Hoddle's preference to Matt Le Tissier in his starting line-up over Paul Merson or Les Ferdinand; thousands of Chelsea fans will be torn between club and country on account of Gianfranco Zola's well-taken strike.

Contrary to popular belief in this country, the 1998 World Cup doesn't begin in Paris next June; it has already begun, and many fingernails will have been bitten twice and thrice over to the core around the world between now and the wrap-up of qualifying this December. And the United States faces a crucial series of games which begins on March 2 against Jamaica--no longer being the host nation, unlike last time, the U.S. must now struggle along with everyone else to earn a place on the world's grandest sporting stage.

Major League Soccer and the 1994 World Cup Finals have given Americans but the briefest taste of soccer's power. If you're looking for a little bit more, however, here's an eclectic listing of some unconventional sources of enlightenment.

Tuck in--it's all pretty good stuff. Tell'em Roadkill sent you.

Books to Read

* Fever Pitch, by Nick Hornby. Actually, this book should be read by anyone with a pulse, not just soccer fans. Hornby chronicles the relationship between sport and life through the lens of his own obsessive relationship with Arsenal Football Club; off-beat, thoughtful and often gutbustingly funny, it makes for an easy, quick read that might change the way you look at sport.

* Football Against the Enemy, by Simon Kuper. From Scotland to Soweto, Kuper analyzes the socio-political ramifications of soccer in nations throughout the world. How did Person try to use soccer to his advantage in Argentinian politics? How are Eastern European clubs linked with organized crime? Fascinating questions like these are revealed, and then answered, in very readable style.

* All Played Out, by Pete Davies. The story of the 1990 World Cup, from the perspective of the ultimate semifinalists, Team England. Davies, a novelist, was given the kinds of behind-the-scenes access that even John Feinstein might have found envious. And the results are breathtaking, whether he's analyzing the sweeper system or chronicling England's problems with hooliganism.

(Note--All of the above can be found in Widener Library. Check on the third floor of Pusey, call letters starting with GV943.)

Websites to Consult

* (www.dailysoccer.com) "The Daily Soccer." Great for up-to-date news and results from every country around the globe.

* (www.soccerTV.com) "Soccer on US TV." You want to watch it on television? Oliver Tse's web page will have the time and channel for you--including listings for satellite transmissions in all sorts of goofy languages.

* (www.wsc.co.uk) "When Saturday Comes." An online version of a British magazine known for representing the fan's voice in the game...and for being extremely funny. Takes some getting used to.

Channels/Places to Watch

* Univison/WUNI (Worcester). Home of Andreas (iGOOOOOOL!) Cantor and a significant variety of matches from Latin America. Check for Sunday's Mexican Game of the Week.

* RTPi--Radio Televiso Portugal internacional. Channel 69 on your local Cablevision directory...club matches pop up from time to time between stylish clubs like Benfica, Porto and Sporting Lisbon, broadcast in the lovely Portugese language (a kind of cross between Spanish and Russian).

* The Plough and Stars Pub. A quick (10 minutes from the Square) walk to 912 Massachusetts Avenue brings you Saturday and Sunday afternoon coverage of the English Premiership in a friendly atmosphere. The pub is Irish (and the Guinness half-decent), but expect lots of English expats cheering their favorite clubs from Arsenal to Liverpool.