“Cricket, soccer, tennis – Our world is in sporting heaven!”

Jun 29, 2014 Sports

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Colin E. H. croft
At times last week, especially last Thursday, I was very positive, while being also sure that I was still fully alive and kicking, that my entire sporting life was being levitated upwards way past purgatory!

Last Thursday saw FIFA World Cup football featuring USA v Germany, Ghana v Portugal, Belgium v South Korea and Russia v Algeria, final games of initial Group Stage of 2014’s competition, all relevant games, as teams either wanted to win to avoid others, or to qualify for the knock-out stage.
It was also Day 1 of the crucial 3rd, final Test under revamped ICC overseen series, featuring West Indies and New Zealand, at Kensington Oval, Barbados, 50th Test there, with WI again doing spectacularly well, dismissing the Kiwis for 293 before close of Day 1, after the visitors, winning the toss, had batted first.
Fighting for television recognition and visual importance too this World Cup season was perhaps the best tennis tournament around, LTA’s 2014 tennis competition at Wimbledon, England.
This must be the closest anyone alive could have come to whatever they would call “sporting heaven!”
I am also sure that you would know that I had said repeatedly that in the wide world of sports, I enjoy football (soccer), boxing, athletics, cricket, cycling and grid-iron football, in that exact six-pack order.
I even had to hear that my favorite sporting lady of all time, Serena Williams, had done similarly well in London last Thursday, as I had no time to spare to see her, not wanting to miss any football or cricket!
FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 has been sensational, and we have had only two weeks of competition.  The next two weeks could be totally out of this world, but less adventurous, considering qualifying teams for round of 16, and remembering too that, onwards, it is simply win or go home!
Everyone, especially progressing players, all of us too, needed that rest day last Friday, to catch our collective breaths.  Amazingly, there were 136 goals in 48 games from initial stage in Brazil.  Whew!
I started FIFA World Cup 2014 thinking that Germany would win it all in Brazil, with outside bets on Portugal and Italy, but with hopes that Germany would meet Argentina in the final come July 13.
Italy and Portugal are gone, but Orange Brigade – Holland; Yellow Band – Brazil; surprising Blues – France; plus flying, tough Chileans, Columbians, Uruguayans, Costa Ricans and Mexicans, and more gritty and mature Swiss, Germans, Belgians and Argentinians, are still around, looking for more glory!
USA, along with first-time-to-this-2nd-round-stage highest FIFA-ranked African nation Algeria, another African nation, Nigeria, and Greece; four probable spoilers; had also qualified for the knock-out stage.  Look out for all sorts of fireworks, caginess and upsets this coming week, starting yesterday, Saturday!
BTW:  On Luis Suarez’s “biting” situation, I reiterate.  As suggested when he bit Chelsea player Branislav Ivanovic in 2013, I am sure that if Suarez was playing against the WI team that I played in, and he, Suarez, bit anyone, then I guarantee that he would have no more “problem” after that.
He would never have bitten anyone, nor anything, again after that, since, if not dead, he certainly would have been badly wounded, and toothless!
Anyway, it is extremely pleasant, sobering even, to understand and appreciate how well CONCACAF has done, with Costa Rica, USA and Mexico still representing us to better things.  Only Honduras failed!
No-one will say it now, perhaps never, as we in these parts forget quickly, but most of that opportunity for an added team of CONCACAF is thanks to that extra half-place made possible by former FIFA Vice President, Mr. Austin “Jack” Warner!
When Germany played USA, I was not, like President Obama, viewing the game from Air Force 1, but Trotters Sports Bar in Port of Spain provided similar ambiance for this adopted son of USA.
I expected Germany, so vastly superior, to win, but also hoped that USA would qualify.  So it emerged!
Great empathy for Ghana’s elimination, after they had salvaged a massive draw v Germany, best game of the tournament so far, while being aggrieved at not being paid.  If only Ghana could have had the same commitment, passion, and fitness, against an improved Portugal.
Maybe, Ghana was just mentally spent, but one wonders how could Ghana’s soccer administrators be so inept and self-centered, not realizing that their guys represented 25 million Ghanaians?
With no trust for their administrators, it is little wonder that Ghanaian players demanded their US$3 million payments owed to them in cash!
Meantime, at Kensington, lanky Sulieman Benn bowled his heart out, again, for WI, taking five NZ 1st innings wickets, for 93 runs, from 26.2 probing overs.
Fast bowler Jerome Taylor looked stale, but opening bowling partner Kemar Roach operated much better, at least keeping most deliveries up, inviting drives, thus getting 4-61 from 18 creditable overs.
By the time you read this, WI should have a sizable lead over NZ, looking for that series win, while Brazil and Uruguay could have been eliminated too.  Anything is possible in Brazil and Barbados.  Enjoy!

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