U.S. Puts Its Spin on Ball at Kickoff of World Cup : Soccer: Clinton joins German, Bolivian leaders at tourney’s Chicago opening. First Rose Bowl game today.
The United States put its star-spangled stamp on the world’s most popular sports event Friday, opening the World Cup soccer tournament in sizzling style under a broiling sun before a crowd of 63,117 that included President Clinton and an array of dignitaries.
The opening game, predicted to be a ho-hum blowout matching defending champion Germany--the powerhouse soccer nation--and Bolivia, was unexpectedly close. In a testament to the power the sport has to negate such matters as geography and economy, Germany barely beat Bolivia, 1-0, and it was even closer than the outcome would indicate.
Close calls and unpredictable results are the stuff international sport is made of, and the World Cup offers all that, as well as a healthy dash of nationalism and jingoism.
Today, the Rose Bowl in Pasadena will have its first game as Romania and Colombia play at 4:30 p.m.
This World Cup, held in the United States for the first time, is expected to inject an American freshness into what is for many in this country a sport with foreign traditions. The opening ceremony here Friday hinted that some pizazz was in the wings. Bedecked with ribbons and splashed with the colorful garb of soccer fans, even somber Soldier Field seemed cheerful and sparkling in the sun. The bowl-shaped stadium that sits beside Lake Michigan became a caldron of the emotion and passion that is so emblematic of soccer.
But before the game, spectacle intruded on sport. Clinton was greeted with a good-natured mixture of cheers and whistles--the usual irreverence of a sports crowd for politicians. The President spoke of soccer’s unifying effect, saying, “The love of soccer is a universal language that brings us together.”
He welcomed Bolivian President Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada and German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, all dressed formally in dark suits while temperatures were in the 90s.
Once the official portion of the festivities gave way to the pageantry, the restive crowd grew celebratory. The afternoon’s hostess, Oprah Winfrey, set up the day’s best unintentional pun when she said, “Chicago warmly welcomes you.” The comment drew attention to the blistering temperature and stifling humidity.
The weather was unable to put a damper on the parade of national flags and dances representing the tournament’s 24 teams. Bolivia and Germany were greeted loudly, as expected, but Mexico also drew marked cheers. The United States was introduced as a squad of spandex-clad dancers lunged around the stage.
It was all very festive, which was the anticipated reaction when, on July 4, 1988, the United States was awarded the right to play host to the 15th World Cup. Soccer officials hope that soccer can conquer North America, a region with a noted indifference to the sport.
More than 145 nations have spent the last 18 months in regional qualifying for the quadrennial event, regarded as the largest single sporting event in the world. The 24 qualified teams are playing 52 games in nine cities throughout the next four weeks.
The Los Angeles area will get a heavy dose of the World Cup--eight of the tournament’s games, including the final July 17 at the Rose Bowl.
A $3-million face lift has transformed the venerable 72-year-old Pasadena landmark into a colorful venue that will serve as “home” to the U.S. team, which plays there June 22 against Colombia and June 26 against Romania. The United States will play its first game today against Switzerland in the Silverdome at Pontiac, Mich.
The United States is playing in Group A; the tournament is organized into six groups of four teams. Each team plays three games in the first round, and the top 16 teams will advance to the next round. Three points are given for a victory and one for a tie.
* RELATED STORIES: B1, C1, C8-13, D1
