Icelandic Volcano Erupts, Casualties in Panama CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying - 15 October 2013 |
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It was May of 1999.
Business travel had my staying in Frankfurt the night before returning to the US.
Manchester United and Bayern Munich were playing the 1998-99 Champions League Final.
In order to soak up some of the culture of European soccer, I opted to watch the match in the hotel bar rather than in my room.
Bayern Munich leads 1-0 at the end of regulation. The mostly German crowd is happy. Then, in stoppage time, following a David Beckham corner kick, ManU's Teddy Sheringham finds the back of the net to level the score. The German fans are now less happy. Less than a minute later, following another Beckham corner, the wonderfully named Ole Gunnar Solsksjaer finds the back of the net again for ManU, and their one goal deficit becomes a one goal lead. Time expires. The German fans are decidedly unhappy. History having shown that good things don't always result when Germans are unhappy, I quietly retreat to my room. (No, I didn't remember the details--thank you, Wikipedia). Flash forward to October of 2013. The US leads the 6-team group (the "Hex") by an insurmountable 4 points on the final day of CONCACAF qualifying. Their 2014 ticket to Brazil is booked. But drama remains. The Hex will send 3 teams to Brazil, and perhaps a 4th. (The 4th place team will play a 2-match home-and-home set with New Zealand with a World Cup Berth on the line.) The standings going into the days games are as follows.
Honduras, Mexico, and Panama all have something to play for. In Honduras' case, they'd like to avoid dropping to 4th and the play-in contests with New Zealand. Mexico wants to at least hold onto the 4th spot, and perhaps climb to 3rd. Panama clings to hopes of climbing to 4th. Honduras needs to avoid a loss, a Mexico win, and a 3-goal swing. They never trail Jamaica, end up with a draw, and retain their 3rd place finish. Their ticket to Brazil is assured. For Mexico and Panama, the evening won't be as calm. Mexico will hold onto 4th with any outcome other than a loss and a Panama win over the US. To avoid gamesmanship, the 3 matches start at the same time. With each goal in any of the matches, beIN Sport displays updated standings reflecting the current scores.
I end the evening with the following lightly edited email exchange with high school friend and fellow soccer nut Dan S. JEFF: I can't believe I'm pissed we came from behind to win with 2 stoppage time goals. DAN: Ha - well, we never gave up. JEFF: I was out at a sports bar watching with friends (because, you know, who the hell gets beIN at home?!). Several US fans. A dozen or so Mexican fans. And as many Panamanian fans, which surprised the hell out of me, because I've never knowingly seen anyone from Panama other than John McCain. Panama scores to take a 2-1 lead, and the Panamanians literally erupted, figuratively speaking. The Mexican group, not so much. Then, Dempsey or Donovan or Wynalda or whomever scores [note: it was Graham Zusi], and the Mexican fans start chanting "U.S.A. U.S.A. U.S.A. ..." The Panamanians, meanwhile, are now on suicide watch. [US goalkeeper Brad] Guzan makes an easy save. So I'm willing him to turn around and heave the ball into his own net [to send Mexico packing]. But he doesn't! He gets the ball up field and before you can say "Eyjafjallajökull" it's in the back of the net. [The goal is scored by Icelandic-American Aron Johansson.] The Mexican fans restart the "U.S.A." chant. The Panamanian fans look as devastated as their team. And I'm pissed that the US has tied its best ever point total in the Hex [because Mexico is still alive]. At least Panama doesn't have to endure that long flight to NZ. I hope [Mexican striker] Chicharito can't sleep on airplanes. DAN: Somehow, I have actually managed to arrange some combination of channels that gives me beIN Sport at home. It surprised the hell out of me when one day it just showed up there. So the only celebrations going on in my house were mine along with some very confused looks from my dogs. The bar sounds a lot more fun. And yeah, I think pretty much the entire nation of Panama is probably on suicide watch tonight. JEFF: If they kill themselves, we get the Canal, right? DAN: I have never even acknowledged that we ever gave it up. JEFF: If I recall my history correctly, that was during the War of Northern Aggression. [Dan, hardly a Southerner, nonetheless lives there.] DAN: [Brandywine High School history teachers] Mr. Bogdan and Mr. Thompson are quietly weeping somewhere. |
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