U.S. Can’t Put Good Spin on World Cup Rotation
Will the World Cup return to the United States in our lifetime?
After last week’s decision by FIFA to seek a formula for rotating the quadrennial world championship among the six soccer-playing continents, the U.S. might be waiting a while.
Another 22 years, in fact.
That’s not what Alan Rothenberg had in mind after he oversaw the most financially successful and best-attended World Cup in history in 1994.
No sooner had the dust settled on that tournament than American soccer leaders were talking enthusiastically about applying to stage the event again in 2014.
The latest move by FIFA, world soccer’s governing body, could scuttle that hope.
If a rotation system is implemented, Africa, South America and Oceania each would take precedence over North America for the right to host upcoming tournaments. And if Europe is given what is expected to be preferential treatment when a formula finally is devised, the U.S. wait might be even longer.
Europe staged the most recent World Cup, in France in 1998. Asia will stage the next, in Japan and South Korea in 2002. Germany was selected as the host for 2006, in a controversial 12-11 vote over South Africa on July 6.
That vote is what started the row. Africa has never been home to the planet’s largest and most widely followed single-sport event. It is almost certain the World Cup will go to Africa in 2010.
Then comes 2014, and under the rotation system the options would be Oceania, which has never staged the World Cup and which, apart from Australia, really doesn’t have the ability to do so; South America, which hasn’t had the event since Argentina in 1978, and North America, the 1994 host. Odds are, South America gets it, probably Brazil.
Europe will demand 2018, having gone 12 years between tournaments. One rotation idea floated by FIFA executive committee member Chuck Blazer of New York suggests Europe will get it.
Blazer’s plan is that a continent that is awarded the World Cup not be allowed to bid for the next two.
“I think this is a fair and equitable system,” he told London-based reporter Andrew Warshaw of Sports.Com. “It makes far more sense than straight rotation among the continents because all that does is stifle competition.
“The effect of it may well be that Europe ends up staging the World Cup every third time, but it means confederations can’t repeat within a cycle of three.”
All of which leaves the U.S. waiting until 2022 to make a realistic bid.
It could still try for 2014, of course, but South America would be a sentimental favorite, especially if Brazil is a candidate. Brazil has won the World Cup four times, but hasn’t been the host since 1950.
Mexico, too, could stake a claim, even though it staged the 1970 and 1986 events.
It might come down to nothing more than greed. The USA ’94 World Cup filled FIFA’s coffers to the brim and was virtually free of problems. That makes the U.S. a tempting option.
But fair play seems to be in vogue at FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, these days, especially in the embarrassing aftermath of Africa losing the 2006 tournament.
The pendulum might swing the other way again, but right now it appears the U.S. is in for a long wait.
WINNING WAYS
The Sydney Olympic Games probably will signal the end of the international careers of more than a few U.S. women, but the legacy of success handed down by Michelle Akers, Carla Overbeck, Joy Fawcett and the rest of the world champions continues.
It received scant notice in the media last week, but the next generation of U.S. women stars won a major tournament in Germany, beating the host team in the final of the eight-nation Nordic Cup.
A 63rd-minute goal by Jena Kluegel of the University of North Carolina and some stellar defense was enough to earn the U.S. a 1-0 victory over Germany in the final of the Under-21 tournament at Weismain.
Earlier, the U.S. blanked Switzerland, 4-0; twice came from behind to tie Sweden, 2-2; and rolled over Finland, 5-0, to win its group and advance to the championship game.
UCLA women’s Coach Jillian Ellis, also coach of the U.S. Under-21 team and an assistant to Coach April Heinrich on the full national team, was delighted by her players’ performance.
“They overcame tremendous adversity in this tournament and showed exceptional mental toughness to play four draining games in seven days,” she said. “The final was the kind of match that prepares our players to step into the full national team environment. . . .
“Germany matched us all over the field. We have great respect for them and they have so many talented players. I think everyone saw an impressive show of how tough, strong and physical the women’s game can be, while at the same time being attractive and attacking.”
The U.S. also won the tournament in 1993, 1997 and 1999.
QUICK PASSES
Rejecting a bid of $44 million from AC Milan, Barcelona signed Brazilian midfielder Rivaldo to a new contract that will pay him $6.07 million a year. . . . Portugal named former national team coach Antonio Oliveira as its coach for the World Cup 2002 qualifying campaign. . . . Former FIFA world player of the year George Weah of Liberia left AC Milan and joined Manchester City on a two-year contract. Weah, 33, had earlier expressed a desire to play in Major League Soccer. . . . Also said to be going to Manchester City is Paulo Wanchope, the Costa Rican forward whose play was instrumental in Costa Rica’s World Cup qualifying victory over the U.S. last month. . . . Midfielder Aron Winter, who played in a record 84 games for the Netherlands, announced his retirement from international soccer.
