From Paul Svoboda
I played soccer once in high school. I was goalkeeper.
Playing for Centennial, we were at Brighton to face East Northumberland. Some guy for the Blue Dragons got a breakaway. I moved out and spread my arms. Wide.
He kicked the ball. Hard. And it hit me in the face.
The ball landed out of bounds. I dizzily accepted congratulations from my Chargers teammates. For stopping a breakaway. With my face.
That’s about the extent of my soccer career. Unless you count the two or three seasons I was ‘trainer’ for the Belleville Comets rep teams on which my daughters played.
Trainer was a stretch. My main job was keeping the water bottles filled. And having ice bags ready on hot summer days.
Another important part of my job was keeping our coach, Rob Terry, from getting ejected on those occasions when his interactions with the referee got perilously close to netting him a card. ‘Sir! Sir! He didn’t mean that!’
So asking me about the World Cup currently taking place in North America won’t necessarily get you an expert opinion. Oh sure, I’ve read the previews and have been religiously following our underdog Canadian team. And I have a pretty good handle on the two or three teams that actually have a chance to win this thing.
If I had to lay a bet right now, I’d be torn between France and Argentina. As a proud member of the Commonwealth, I’d like to include England in that mix, but I have a bad feeling that their 60-year World Cup drought will not end here.
Or, as a local minor soccer coach who grew up in England once told me: “I’ve cheered for England my whole life. And my whole life, I’ve been disappointed.”
Argentina are the defending World Cup champions and boast the incomparable Messi. France features the one-two punch of Mbappe and Dembele. Pick your poison.
Argentina beat France in the WC final four years ago in Qatar. France beat Croatia in the WC final four years before that in Moscow.
Argentina is attempting to become the first back-to-back champion since Brazil in 1958 and 1962. Messi retires after this year’s final, and maybe that’s enough to give the Argies an edge.
Don’t ask me. This is the guy whose one brief shining moment of soccer glory was stopping a breakaway. With his face.
