Soccer has truly come to Toronto.
The day has been filled with talk and analysis about the “incident” last night involving Chilean players and Toronto Police Services. Following a rough and rugged loss in the semi-final to Argentina, a match that simply slipped away from the referee, the Chilean players took part in a “dog fight” with police officers.
You can see footage of this fight all over the internet.
So, there you have it. Footage of international soccer players being led away by police in handcuffs. A FIFA dream come true. Just what this tournament needed. Not even Zidane’s infamous head-butt has so overshadowed a soccer game.
How on earth did this happen? Did police overreact, as Chilean officials allege? Was it just a case of immature young men blowing off a little steam that got out of hand?
Or… is it just because soccer breeds violence?
I mean, face it. You can’t think about soccer without thinking about hooligans, punch-ups, stampedes and riots. It’s synonymous with this sort of unruly, mob-like behaviour and thuggery.
Christ… it’s almost as bad as hockey!
This is what I find most interesting about today’s discussion. True, this incident was a blight on an otherwise successful tournament. Canada sold more tickets than any other nation in Under-20 history. We have shown the world what we are capable of, particularly in our city of many nations that Toronto has grown to be. Now, sadly, this is the story.
When people speak of the 2007 tournament, they’ll remember it as the one that saw players bloodied and in hand cuffs. On Sunday, after the final whistle blows and the victor raises the cup, images like these will be on everyone’s mind.It’s the kind of story that doesn’t go away.
But it’s not an original story, and it’s not particular to soccer. If this story involved hockey players, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation. Much worse altercations happen between players on the ice during every NHL game played. Players get their penalties, and we all say, virtually in unison, “Hey, fighting is just part of the game.”
We not only advocate violence in hockey, we celebrate it.
After winning the Stanley Cup in 1993, fans of the Montreal Canadians tore their city apart.
Similarly, in Edmonton of all places, when the Oilers won, cars were turned over and fires burned on the street.
In 2004, a brawl between Detroit Piston basketball players and fans prompted CBC to list their top ten sporting violence incidents that involved players and fans.
None of them involved soccer.
But of course we’re inundated with stories from Europe about riots and hooliganism, so we are quick to make the beautiful game look ugly.
That’s not to say that there is not a problem. The Chilean tantrum was so out-of-line and ridiculous, it’s pathetic. The boys had their toys taken away, so they kicked up a storm to retaliate.
Regardless of the poor officiating, or taunting from the Argentinian fans, there was no call for this.
Interestingly, I’ve heard CBC commentator Craig Forest, more than once, note that South American teams have a reputation for unsportsman like behaviour, particularly when they lose. He said it during the post-game altercation that took place between U.S. players and those of Uruguay. He suggested this sort of thing is par for the course in South America, as though being sore-losers is sort of “part of their game”.
So it seems to me that there is a problem worth addressing. It’s systemic and it breeds a habitual response to a negative result. The problem, I would say, is at the core. Only there can it be fixed. The bottom line is… it’s just a game, and players need to be taught this from the start.
It’s one thing to be passionate and emotionally involved, but it’s not worth ripping apart your bus from the inside.
And… it sure as hell is not worth punching someone for.
But then, I could say the same thing about hockey.
Where would that get me?
Probably a punch in the face. (And two minutes for instigating).
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