WORLD CUP USA ’94 / THE FIRST ROUND : SPOTLIGHT : ENGLAND TRIES TO CONVERT THE HEATHEN

England, the self-proclaimed birthplace of soccer, does not have a team in the World Cup finals, and so its journalists seem to be on a three-fold mission: to root home Ireland, its neighbor to the north; to take the Cup from Germany, no matter who wins; and to make sure Americans know what they are missing when they resist embracing the sport.

From Hugh Davies, in the Sunday Telegraph:

“Americans are beginning to get a kick out of the Cup. . . . The reason is simple. The U.S. soccer team has won its first Cup match since a surprise 1-0 defeat of England in Brazil in 1950 and a couch-potato audience is beginning to build.

“Whether this will mean anything in the long run in a land addicted to the native gridiron football only time will tell. The feeling is that once the U.S. is knocked out, the interest will die despite efforts to launch a major soccer league next year.”

And from Harry Richie in the Sunday Times:

“The first week of the World Cup has been superb. Just great. The lads have all done brilliant. . . .

“Not that the first week of the tournament hasn’t produced its nonsenses. An allegedly light ball has resulted in crosses ballooning into Row 20 of the stand. Draconian referees have been sending players off for visibly minor offenses. Ignorant enthusiasm has led American television directors to concentrate their ill-timed ‘slo-mo’ replays on tackles and injuries. . . .

“If the Americans aren’t converted by this World Cup, it serves them right. Let them languish in heathen worship of fat men playing rounders, freaks of nature mucking about at glorified netball or the tedious travesty of rugby league that is American football. We are witnessing a prolonged epiphany of the one true sport. Now let us pray for a final in which (Germany’s Juergen) Klinsmann is sent off for cheating. But only after Romario has given Brazil a 7-0 lead.”