New Kids in the World Cup by Adam Elder

Author:Adam Elder [Elder, Adam]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: SPO040000 SPORTS & RECREATION / Soccer, SPO019000 SPORTS & RECREATION / History
Publisher: Nebraska

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Meanwhile, back in the United States, the saxophone theme music of ESPN’s SportsCenter blares, as there’s a long shot of anchor Bob Ley shuffling papers. Ley, a lifelong soccer fan; former New York Cosmos PA announcer; an ESPN employee since its third day on air, who for much of his career couldn’t beg, borrow, or steal to get soccer on his sports network, is about to make soccer the lead story on tonight’s show.

In five . . . four . . . three . . . two . . . one . . .

“And welcome to SportsCenter, I’m Bob Ley. Minutes from now, NFL Primetime with a little National Football League news. We’ve got football news—we call it soccer! The rest of the world calls it football, and the entire world was watching today as the USA visited Port of Spain, Trinidad, to contest the last spot in the field of twenty-four for the 1990 World Cup in Italy . . .”

He’s talking about as fast as “Motormouth” John Moschitta.

“It was quite simply the most important soccer match the U.S. has played for the last two generations. A win and only a win would put the national team into the elite field for next year’s World Cup.”

He then goes to the highlights . . . soccer highlights leading the show on SportsCenter! Ley recaps a chance or two for Trinidad, and then, there it is again: Cal’s interstellar goal.

“This game may have been a well-kept secret in the States, but the loss for Trinidad and Tobago, a national tragedy. The U.S. is going to Italy! We will host the ’94 Cup and get a bid automatically. This bid was earned—congratulations to Bob Gansler and his team, who were given a snowball’s chance in Tobago of winning today.”

The scoreline even flashes on-screen—something that ESPN wouldn’t allow for much of the ’80s!

The ratings for the game are microscopic: approximately 432,000 TV sets in America were tuned in to the match. But for those who did watch, a realization struck: the U.S. is in the World Cup for the first time in many American soccer fans’ lives. They’ll finally be seen in the World Cup not in black-and-white but in color.

Back in Trinidad, the players and the entire delegation are getting ready to board the busses back to the upside-down Hilton. John Doyle is one of the first to walk outside. There’s no one around except him and a parking lot attendant, who looks gutted. It’s mostly empty, as if the country has retreated in the loss. No one in red. No dancing, no whistles, no drums, no one singing, “T&T, we wanna goal!” Trinidad created an intimidating atmosphere to drop into, but as hosts, they’ve been classy and gracious by CONCACAF standards.

“Hey man . . . sorry about that,” J.D. says sheepishly.

“Ah well, worse things could’ve happened,” the attendant replies.

The rest of the players then board the bus, and it lurches forward. But now that players are sitting, they’re calm, and the bus is moving, it’s making Brian Bliss nauseous.

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