Trying to Make Sense, For History's Sake

HOME. This past week, I had the unbelievable fortune of watching three pulsating football matches between Cape Town and Joburg. Spain vs Portugal on Tuesday in Greenpoint, Ghana vs Uruguay on Friday at Soccer City and Spain vs Paraguay on Saturday at Ellis Park. 

Over this period, my understanding of how this tournament was going to unfold was rocked to the ground by Holland’s unlikely defeat of Brazil and the Germans one two three four punch out, knock out of Argentina in Cape Town.

When we planned this trip, snapping up tickets from the opening ticketing rounds when were still choosing lots before the main draw, we never mapped out who would play who in the quarter finals and were happy to have the two Johannesburg quarters, inevitably missing what became the marquee Port Elizabeth and Cape Town matches of Brazil v Holland and Argentina v Germany. 

World Cup history would be made with these matches and the tournament turned on its head. Having said that, it was the Ghana v Uruguay match which we really wanted to be at, and ultimately for me despite the result, proving to be the match of the tournament. But I am getting a head of myself.

Working backwards, it was fascinating to sit with the peanut gallery of friends on Saturday evening at Wish Restaurant in Melville following the Spain Paraguay match, all with opinions, opinions that became less well formulated and expressed more loudly as the alcohol continued to flow, as we sought to come to grips with the weekend’s events and the consequences of another World Cup dominated by European semi finalists. 

The vast majority of soccer lovers and tournament followers here in South Africa were devastated by Ghana’s seemingly unfair departure on penalty kicks against Uruguay. One of the major talking points at Wish was the significance of Suarez’ handball on the line denying Steven Appiah’s apparent match winning goal at the end of stoppage time.

By way of comparison, talk soon shifted to other famous discretions such as Maradona’s hand of god, the Zidane headbutt and Thierry Henry’s hand ball against the Irish leading to a goal denying the further Irish participation in 2010. How did these infamous incidents compare to what Suarez did? 

Despite feeling that Ghana should have won the match, I couldn’t help feeling that in the end, for his team, Suarez did the ‘right’ thing. Having been a slow defender later in my career including being given a red card for denying a goal scoring opportunity, with our keeper later saving the spot kick, I can’t help thinking that Suarez did the best thing for his team and with his red card dismissal, including the fact that he will not play again in the tournament, he paid the consequences for his indiscretion, and Gyan should have converted his spot kick.

Football is one of the few sports where the rules of the game, the rule of law if you like, can apply itself but there is still a strong sense that justice is not done. There is a great deal of animosity directed towards Suarez, but compared to Maradona cynical attempt to conceal his hand ball ‘goal’ in 1986 or the fact that Henry went unpunished for his handball, I think the rule of law functioned perfectly well in the case of Ghana v Uruguay, however, with Gyan missing his penalty, there is a strong sense that justice was not done. Ghana had their golden goal chance and as the match went to penalties, there was an impending feeling that Uruguay would prevail – leaving 80,000 plus devastated and the few more thousand Uruguayans in ecstasy.

Despite Ghana’s exit, the manner in which they captured the general imagination of South Africans across the colour line makes their contribution to the tournament significant. South Africa in general, and minority groups in particular, have had an uneasy relationship to identifying with a broader Pan-Africanist consciousness. Too often, particularly in the cultural realm, there is a Eurocentrism which dominates cultural discourse and production, leaving all things African on the margins. Somehow, and it remains to be seen where the dust will settle after the World Cup, the support given the Black Stars has shifted this state of affairs. It will be interesting to observe if in fact there is any legacy to all of this good will having a broader impact on how South Africans see themselves and engage with the rest of the continent.

As for the Spanish on Saturday night, for me, while pre-tournament favorites and European Champions, they remained a somewhat unfancied side, having always underwhelmed at the World Cup. It would seem now, that Del Bosque, having knitted together a unit comprised almost entirely of Real Madrid and Barcelona players has a squad which is more than capable of winning the World Cup, with their brand of patient, possession, 1-0 football. While the Spanish almost conceded to Paraguay, gave up a soft penalty and previously gave up a soft goal to Switzerland in their opening match, they no doubt have immense quality around the pitch and are a difficult unit to break down. In David Villa, they have arguably the player of the tournament who given the whiff of goal will concert his chance and see his team progress, just ask Portugal and Paraguay.

It is interesting to think about what the Spanish team represents at this moment in history. In many ways, the Spanish have significantly less colonial baggage than the rest of the European contingent in the tournament and given the familiarity of their players to the masses of South African soccer fans, find themselves as the likely fan favorites going into the semi-finals. For me, Spanish success would fulfill the requirement of a new World Cup champion, but beyond that, I doubt the value of what Spanish success means for world history. Simply stated, what Spanish success represents is the achievement of national integration between Castilian and Catalan, Real and Barca. Beyond this articulation of Spanish nationalism, the victory of the Spanish has limited significance for me.

German success on the other hand, despite being the last team standing, again, amongst the World Cup’s elite teams of the past, may mean something more significant. With players of Ghanaian and Tunisian descent, not to mention the Turks and the Poles and all the other countries represented in the German side, it is in fact that German team that can make the best claim to being Africa’s remaining representative in the tournament. From a world historical point of view, as a team of immigrant players, like the France 1998 team, it is ironically, those old Germans, Ze Germans, who represent something different and a more progressive historical narrative in 2010. As they also seem to be playing the most attractive football and are comprised of a team of youngsters, there are good reasons for neutrals to be humming that Uber Alles song all the way to the finals, again. I for one, despite understanding the logic in my head, will not be joining the German bandwagon.

Which brings me to the Dutch. How rich in significance would it be for the Dutch, to finally achieve World Cup success here in South Africa. Space is too limited to go on a long track about the Dutch legacy in South Africa, but with Ghana being dispatched and Bafana Bafana a distant memory, certainly it remains to be the Dutch to whom South African have the greatest connection both historically and culturally. The question remains, how can the Dutch legacy be reclaimed, understanding the contributions they made towards development in Southern Africa, without it being an apology for colonialism or the later atrocities committed in the name of separate development, which had a Dutch name, but which the modern Dutch nation had nothing to do with?

Leaving world history aside to focus on footballing history, the Dutch for certain, going back to their defeated finalist teams of 1974 and 1978, are arguably one of the greatest nations never to win the World Cup. Perhaps the knock against the current Dutch side, certainly in comparison to Germany and Spain, is that they simply do not play an attractive brand of total football advocated by former greats likes Johan Cryuff. While the Brazil match descended into a farce, it appeared that that orange tide turned the match only when the Dutch started to really kick Brazil, disrupt their samba rhythm and began to roll around themselves in the face of increased Brazilian aggression.

Given the Dutch influence recently in the German Bundaliga, with Coach Van Gaal, Arjen Robben and Mark Van Bommel all at Bayern Munich some have even noted that there has been a reversal of styles between Dutch and German football. Historically, the Germans have been noted for the brutish and at times cynical play while the Dutch were meant to be slick and stylish and attractive, particularly in attack. Well, on current form, it would appear like the Germans are playing like the Dutch and the Dutch more like the Germans. For those of us who grew up in the 1970s, the prospect of the 1974 rematch is simply mouthwatering.

Going into Wednesday’s semi final, the Germans would have to be installed as the favorites on two indices – tournament form and historical form. Having said that, if 2006 is at all a guide, where Brazil and Argentina were also dispatched in the quarters, German, as host, failed at this stage being knocked out by eventual winners Italy. Perhaps Spain is on the cards for a similar turn of fortune. However, knowing my history and having watched both Spain and Germany three times in this tournament, I would never bet against the Germans getting to another final.

As for Uruguay, that small nation of just over 3 million, you have to feel for them as the team that none of the neutrals here in South Africa can bring themselves to support. I believe the animosity directed towards them is somewhat unfair as it simply comes as a result of the fact that they knocked out Bafana Bafana and Ghana. I think there are a tenacious and battling side with flair and good organization in attack and they cannot be slighted for the manner in which they have gone about their business, Suarez’s indiscretion aside. They deserve credit for returning from the footballing wilderness to achieve their first semi final in 60 years. Now we have given them their due, despite being a nation of the South, I hope the Dutch overturn them in the semis and set up a historic final – be that with Germany or Spain. As far as Uruguay is concerned I find it difficult to come to grips with anything world historical that their continued success could bring to the narrative of this tournament.

So next stop Durban. It would appear the elusive semi final ticket which I never had has arrived courtesy once again of some great friends. Germany v Spain and back to Moses Mahbida. May it be epic!