Reviews

Will Americans Have to Walk Alone?

2/3/2017

We always remember the first time. Somehow or other, I had never witnessed the live pre-game ritual of Liverpool fans singing “You’ll Never Walk Alone” -- until last Tuesday.

Real soccer fans have witnessed it dozens of times, but I must be slow. Bummed by winter, a nasty bug, and the toxic new regime in my country, I tried to lose myself in a match -- starting with two minutes of Anfield stadium performing “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” with perfect timing, perfect enunciation.

(I’d seen it and heard it, of course, but never live, right before a match.)

This beautiful song is from “Carousel,” by Rodgers and Hammerstein in 1945, at the end of a war that almost took the world down. I still get teary when I see the Gordon Macrae-Shirley Jones movie, set in coastal Maine.

From what I read, “You’ll Never Walk Alone” became an anthem in Liverpool in 1963 when fans poured their hearts into a pre-game pop song on the loudspeaker – and immediately elevated it into the team’s greatest tradition. You can read about it here:

http://wrti.org/post/youll-never-walk-alone-story-behind-rodgers-and-hammersteins-beloved-song-hope

Soccer once again served as a diversion this week. And who doesn’t need at least a momentary diversion in these scary times? After the group singalong – red and white scarves waving -- I watched powerful Chelsea hold off the home team in a 1-1 draw.

Rory Smith, the very knowledgeable Brit who is covering Euro football for the New York Times, was underwhelmed by the match, but I was intrigued by the mischievous free kick goal by David Luiz of Chelsea when he spotted the Liverpool keeper dawdling and stepped past his teammate Willian to let one fly.

(The keeper’s cock-up, from “Howler:”)

https://whatahowler.com/what-went-wrong-for-simon-mignolet-on-david-luizs-sneaky-free-kick-6d830f297dee#.fk9gbxh0w

Mediocre the game may have been – but at the extremely high level that Americans can only dream about for our stadiums.

Soccer continued Wednesday with a desperate Hull, facing relegation, gritting out a 0-0 draw with underperforming Manchester United – at Old Trafford. As a fan with no dog in the Premiership, I admit I enjoy seeing Man U humbled at home.

Speaking of big dogs, the United States is in big trouble for qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia – no points in the first two qualifiers. The federation recently brought back Bruce Arena to try to rescue the four-year effort, before a pair of two “friendly” matches, but the first match was a thoroughly humiliating 0-0 draw with a third-string team from Serbia.

In the break between the two friendlies, Captain Michael Bradley – a hard competitor who usually keeps his thoughts to himself -- gave a typically neutral response to a question about Trump’s willy-nilly attempted ban on travel by people from seven mostly Muslim countries. But after deliberating, Bradley sent out an Instagram of depth and thought, including:

“The part I left out is how sad and embarrassed I am. When Trump was elected, I only hoped that ... President Trump would be different than the campaigner Trump. That the xenophobic, misogynistic and narcissistic rhetoric would be replaced with a more humble and measured approach to leading our country. I was wrong. And the Muslim ban is just the latest example of someone who couldn’t be more out of touch with our country and the right way to move forward.”

Bradley seemed to represent athletes who compete against opponents of all races and religions – far different from the white citizens’ council assembled in DC.

After taking his stand, Bradley was rested for most of the tepid 1-0 victory over a reconstituted Jamaica squad Friday night. Most of the American regulars were otherwise engaged in European leagues, so the game served as a tryout for a few spots on the 2018 squad – if it gets to Russia.

The match also served as diversion, even while a Washington judge reminded the office-temp President that this remains a nation of laws -- and acceptance.

Earlier in the week, I got to hear a live rendition of “You’ll Never Walk Alone.” I can only hope this erratic new “government” does not force the U.S. to walk alone.

Brian Savin

2/4/2017 08:25:33 pm

George, that song has meaning to me, but not a good one. Back in the late sixties, one of my suite-mates (four bedrooms with a common living room and large bath), who was our student government President, was entertaining his fiancé from Washington. (Her father was the union leader of the GE workers). Most of us were in the glee club but our buddy was too busy. He started singing that song at our party, but his girl shouted out, "Why do you sing such dramatic and uninteresting songs? That is atrocious"! I tend to agree with her.

To my mind, the song of sport is the All Blacks Haka. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_CaSu-fnGg

Now that's the political culture we are in, ourselves, I suspect.Enjoy your trip!
Best
Brian

George Vecsey

2/6/2017 06:11:36 pm

Brian I agree, it is highly dramatic. Its time of genesis seems to explain that (1945) -- and what are musicals if not overly dramatic?
The adaption of the song to a pre-match ritual seems to have been an organic event, not foisted on fans, but their impulse to sing.(Lot of Irish and Welsh in Liverpool crowd, I am told. I can attest that Welsh love to sing.)
Haka is great. I've seen a bunch of them. It flourishes in the former Empire nation that has done the most to incorporate indigenous ways and greetings into national culture.
Kia ora -- one to one greeting - gets smile from Maori pedestrian.
GV

George Vecsey

2/6/2017 06:17:11 pm

adaptation, not adaption

bruce

2/6/2017 02:13:58 pm

george,

i've seen it before. i always associate it with the gerry and the pacemakers and the british invasion.

they were part, as you know, of the merseybeat in liverpool. their first three songs all reached #1. nobody, not even the beatles, did that.

just about to go for a walk, but i delayed to watch your great, fantastic potus address his troops for the first time.

i'm really worried that with god blessing america so much that he won't have any time blessing the other few hundred countries in the world.

makes it hard for me to sleep at night to think that we could be smote here in the land that doesn't have god's ear.

we'd be proud to be even 1% as great as etc etc etc.

feels like that supporter of radical islamic terrorism left a long long time ago....not 2 1/2 weeks.

sheesh.

bruce

George Vecsey

2/6/2017 06:15:48 pm

Bruce, speaking of former Empire nations....Could you please show a little more respect to your bumptious neighbor to the south?
Your guy takes off his shirt. Our guy wears Johnny Cash's overcoat to cover up his Diamond Jim Brady look.
God better bless us, in the sense of babies wandering into the lions' cage and drunks crossing the eight-lane highway.
But you're far away -- dozens of miles from the border Relax.
GV

bruce

2/6/2017 06:28:22 pm

george,

miles?

what are these miles you talk aboot?

bruce

George

2/6/2017 07:27:06 pm

Bruce, funny, I dropped a k distance in conversation out west, 25 years ago, Edmonton or Calgary, and a local laughed at the weenie back-east foolishness. Can't you folks get United, like us? GV

bruce

2/6/2017 07:44:11 pm

george,

well, as i've said alberta is known at the 51st state here in the land of non rugged individualists using that napoleon inspired metric nonsense.

that's why youse guys are free and we're suffering under the yoke of socialism albeit with a life span a few years longer which, of course, has nothing to do with a national single payer health care system.

i grew up with the imperial system, but trudeau1 brought in metric--to much gnashing of teeth--in the mid 70s or so.

as a result we're a mish mash of both.

my kids grew up with it. they talk kph, not mph and km not miles for distance. but height an weight are feet, inches and pounds. not unusual.

on a completely unrelated topic, i've noticed in the last year or two that commenters in various forms seem to be messing up loose and lose.

bruce

Andy Tansey

2/7/2017 09:54:28 pm

George:
I had to watch a recording of the game. Best possible result for this Tottenham supporter, as both competitors near the top "dropped points." However, so did Spurs, to bottom-of-the-table Sunderland - a "nil-nil draw"! (Was it you or another Times writer several years ago who seemed cheekily to chide - not the low-scoring nature of the game - but, rather, new American soccer fans about their obsequious adoption of the term?)

But back to the match: Good entertainment, but why? The Sunderland-Spurs match was testimony to relative parity of the English Premier League. My wife prefers La Liga, where Barcelona and Real Madrid rise so far above the rest and demonstrate great beauty. The English play fast and hard. It wouldn't surprise me to learn that there's a secret order to keep the ball in play and keep the action moving. It is scintillating.

But back to the match: Great entertainment, but why? Credit where it's due: Adrian Healey and Lee Dixon are phenomenal commentators. Fellow Spurs supporters may send me off, but Dixon's insight and wit greatly enhance the program.

But back to the match: Good show, but why? Mark Clattenburg played a part - too much for the taste of this former LI Jr. Soccer League ref. A ref should be invisible. Mark puts on a good show, including a signal to a 'keeper that he is permitted to handle a back-pass - not the ref's role - but a good watch.

But back to the match: Interesting talking point: two keepers from Belgium, a national side that has recently been ranked right up there, and #2 Mignolet makes the key save on Costa's penalty. Will Die-go to China?

Most important of all: Thank you for quoting Michael Bradley. We need to explore every leverage point possible to build momentum and spread the word to make the incumbent a lame duck until he leaves the White House. It is good to see that soccer has the potential to be a voice of conscience in this Arena. I hope Sunil Gulati will continue to speak out, and even more forcefully. We may even have to be kind to El Tri!

Thanks for good thought provocation!
Andy

Alan Rubin link

2/9/2017 02:18:36 pm

Andy

I gained the utmost respect for referees when I taught an adult education course a few years ago on “Understanding Soccer”. It was mainly to help grandparents understand and appreciate the game that their grandchildren were playing.

My friend’s son was a professional soccer referee and he did an hour and a half session of refereeing. He was a physician at the Merchant Marine Academy in CT as most referees have other jobs.

Jeff was qualified to ref level A games and assist at professional games. He elected not to qualify for FIFA as he would have to retire a few years later at 45. FIFA has just announced that the rule would be relaxed for international refs and they would be evaluated yearly after age 45.

Now when I watch a soccer game, I see three teams on the field.

Jeff indicated that communication with the players, both visually and verbally, helps keep a game under control. Check out the picture of the famous Italian ref Pierwigi Collina. His stare was notorious.

http://www.understandingsoccer.com/law-5-the-referee.html

I see nothing wrong, rules or not, with refs having communication with goalkeepers. They did not have the pass back law when I played, but there were other problems.

Goalkeepers were allowed three dribbles and four steps to the dribble. Technically, you were supposed to touch the ball to the ground which signaled you were going to take four steps. Usually, they let you just bounce the ball. There was enough to worry about without having to count both steps and bounces.

Occasionally, a ref would warn that I was cutting it close but they would never call it unless you pushed it too far.

I always asked the ref before a game if he would call out direct or indirect on free kicks. It was never a problem. Since players become known around the league, a few refs would tell me before the game that they would do it without my asking..

Another crazy rule, at least in college, was that sideline kick-ins rather than throw-ins. They were indirect and it was common for shots into the 18 from past mid-field.

Late in a game with the sun ground level and directly in my eyes, there was a shot from three quarter field directly on goal.

Goalkeepers dislike long shots as it gives them too much time to think and for the ball to move. After considering the high probability of mishandling the ball, I stepped aside at the last second and allowed the ball to go in.

I cannot repeat what my coach yelled at me. However, the ref was nearby and said as he waved off the goal-good play.

This was back in the days of only one ref. Today, all the youth and high school games have two refs. It is not an easy job and a few get caught up in their power.

The ones I talk to love working with the kids and often explain things during the game. Many will indicate why they called a foul and warn them of the danger of their action.

Now for Chelsea-Liverpool video clip. I had heard about the goal, but did not see it until George's post.

I used it as a teaching tool with my keepers at training that Saturday. I always emphasize that mistakes are made at the highest levels of play and they are being trained the same as the pros, only appropriate for their age and skill level.

Key among the many things emphasized is: never take your eye off the ball no matter where it is, always get into the set position and focus on footwork.

Simon Mignolet violated all three. He was unprepared, facing the wrong direction and not in his set position. Even facing away from the ball, he might have been able to react from a set position.

One ten year old did not even watch the video on my iPhone. He had seen the game and pointed out everything that Mignolet had done wrong.

I do not like the “soccer goalkeeper’s biggest blunders” videos as they are disrespectful. However, I have a file of goalkeeper errors that I use for teaching. The students find this helpful.

One example of never taking your eye off the ball is when a goalkeeper placed the ball on the six for a goal kick. He did not notice the attacker behind him who promptly scored.

I tend to follow the underdogs. I’m hoping that Leicester City can avoid regulation. Last year may have been a fluke, but it was a hard earned one.

I follow Atletico de Madrid as I like their team culture. We were also in the Basque region a few times.

My friend's daughter spend a college year studying in Madrid. She joined the Atletico fan club, attended all the home games and had a ball.

A fun book is “Bloody Confused: A Clueless American Sports Writer Seeks Solace in English Soccer” by Chuck Culpepper. He follows a team facing relegation.

As I sign off I'm looking out the window at the picturesque result of about 12" and counting.

Andy Tansey

2/10/2017 07:01:48 am

Alan:

Thanks for the nice commentary.

I once reffed a game at Harbor Links in Port Washington, where the fields are maintained more like the associated golf course than just about any other; grass too short in my estimation; very smooth, but bouncy. ~15-year-old boys. Attacker takes a long throw-in towards defenders' goal. It takes one bounce, high, towards the goal. The 'keeper jumps and tries to bat it away, brushes it with his fingers and it goes in. The 'keeper rushes out and yells, "I didn't touch it!" I was very impressed with his belated quick thinking. He knew the law, but was applying alternative facts. Goal allowed. (It would not have counted had it gone in directly.)

Now a ref is supposed to signal an indirect free kick by holding up a hand until the ball is touched a second time (or goes out of play). I see this honored in the breech on TV.

I envy your teaching of 10-year olds; minds like sponges and generally an agreeable lot.

Great to see David Luis show disrespect for the now all too common building of the wall (an expression American Outlaws were discouraged from using in the last qualifier v. El Tri). A modified quick restart! It seems now that refs at the highest level automatically set up what we called "ceremonial restarts" or seem to set them up at the DEFENDERS' request - "Wait for my whistle" signal - vanishing spray - set the wall at 10 ya- - er, 9 meters! - forcing the victim of the foul to wait until the defense is ready. In the youth game, refs can apply a purer form of justice by letting the victimized team to start when ready; I would always wait to be asked before halting the proceedings and marching off the 9 meters, and gladly warn any youngster from the defense who did not retreat promptly. I replayed the replays a few times to see when Clattenburg whistled to allow the restart. L'pool was 10 yards away but not ready - whistle - Luis burns them - perfect! I still despise Chelsea, but with L'pool close enough to Spurs' heals, 2 points dropped each was OK!

As a contrast to blunders, I remember when Timmy Howard scored - perhaps wind- and bounce-aided. His humility in the moment and after the match were a testament to a man whom one might try (unsuccessfully) to tempt to try and dunk on Bill Russell.

Someday, I'll ask you whether 'keepers are entitled to special protection - i.e., a 50/50 ball, 'keeper and striker both competing for it; both jump toward the ball; 'keeper reaching up, striker hands at side; they collide; foul on . . . .

A debate for another day. Nice to read your thoughts.

George Vecsey

2/8/2017 03:20:11 pm

Andy, always good to hear from you.
I never knew Clattenburg or any ref could or did signal the goalie about the status of a back pass. As a ref, do you think FIFA or the FA has any thoughts about that?
I truly have trouble telling the British broadcasters apart -- which is a compliment, meaning they do not get in the way (or I have a bad ear for British accents, which may be more the case)
Bradley's comment came from second thoughts, which is all the more meaningful, since he did not just spit it out. Of course, I agree with him -- so that colors my reaction. What would I say (what would you say) if he felt 180 degrees opposite? I guess I'd say he has the right to voice his opinion. I guess.
Always good to hear from you,
GV

Andy Tansey

2/8/2017 03:37:59 pm

As a grade 7 recreational soccer ref, I did not plumb that deeply into guidance for referees, but in the most general terms, that type of signaling was discouraged. I have also seen EPL refs apply advantage and signal "play-on" - hands at side moved forward from behind hips to front of body - for offside infractions when nothing of consequence happened. However, the Laws of the Game are very clear that advantage is to be applied only for infractions of Law 12, Fouls and Misconduct (not Law 11, Offside). (Being a lawyer fit well with being a ref.)

I trust any grandchildren's playing careers have been fun and that they are nice to refs.

I also neglected to mention that, to me, the best singing is always at Anfield. That made sense, as my family are Beatlemaniacs. However, raised on early media as a Man. U supporter before seeing the light of Tottenham, I also learned to root against Liverpool.

George Vecsey

2/8/2017 05:11:31 pm

Andy, that's the thing, it's so tangled. I understand one pal whose family worked in the arsenal. As you know, Tottenham has the reputation of being a "Jewish" team. Regional loyalties, of course. But how do Yanks latch on to a team? I had a rainy night epiphany at West Ham, 2003 -- late goal by DaFoe, people singing "I'm Forevr Blowing Bubbles." Cute. But WH never in the hunt. Me mum was born in Liverpool. (She insisted, "We were really from Southampton" -- which they were.) So I really don't have a team near the top of the table, or at all.
Team I liked best was AC Milan of Baresi-Maldini-Gullitt-Rjkaard-Van Basten. And I despised the Trumpian owner. So go figure. Let's go Mets...tribal. GV

John McDermott

2/16/2017 02:19:55 am

The song's meaning took on a far greater meaning to Liverpool fans after the Hillsborough disaster in 1989. And yes, Trump is isolating us and Americans will find themselves increasingly "walking alone" in this greater world we live in. Here's a NYT Goal Blog I was asked to write in 2009...https://goal.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/17/ultimate-xi-singing-their-own-songs/comment-page-1/?_r=0

Happy New Year 2018 link

3/1/2017 03:41:02 am

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Will Americans Have to Walk Alone?

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