#soccer war

[sjvllsblog]

[halehollowell]

That is, unless you had family that was part of it. Enjoy.

[acrossthepondsoccer]

Politics, Diplomacy, and the Beautiful Game

As I mentioned last week, I’m currently writing for The Soccer Desk, a website that covers every aspect of the game with recaps, analysis, and opinions. We’ll be officially launching the site early next month, and we have some great content in the works. I'm currently preparing a piece that looks back at Ivory Coast’s qualification to the 2006 World Cup, the country’s first-ever World Cup appearance. More importantly—and amazingly—the team’s qualification managed to halt a fierce civil war that had gripped the nation since 2002. Moments like these are what make soccer a world-changing sport—influencing global politics and, in the case of the Elephants, bringing civil wars to a stand-still.

However, not all of soccer’s effects are positive—the sport can start wars in addition to ending them. The Ivorian team’s accomplishment led me to consider other examples of soccer’s effect on the world, and there’s a mixture of positive and negative scenarios. Here are a few moments where the sport became more than just 22 players, two goals, and one ball. This is how soccer can change the world and affect global diplomacy, for better and for worse.

1. The Football War

U.S. fans will know that playing World Cup qualifier matches in El Salvador and Honduras is often a daunting task. Both countries have rabid fans and perhaps the best home field advantages in CONCACAF (barring Mexico and Estadio Azteca). Given their fierce passion, it’s no surprise that Salvadoran and Honduran fans rioted during a qualifying game for the 1970 World Cup, but no one expected the riots to turn into a full-blown border war.

In 1969, tensions were already high in both countries due to political conflicts and issues surrounding immigration between the two nations. There was also the rivalry on the pitch: both countries had won prior qualifying games over the other with heavy fan violence occurring on each occasion. By the time a June play-off match was scheduled for Mexico City, the blood was already boiling.

The play-off game was strongly-contested with El Salvador prevailing in extra time, 3-2. However, the fighting between fans overshadowed the result, and the Salvadoran government dissolved all ties with Honduras following the game. This led to a border war that lasted roughly four days, causing about 900 Salvadoran casualties and over 2,000 Honduran casualties. Over 300,000 Salvadorans were also displaced by the brief conflict, leading to refugee camps, overpopulation, and extreme poverty. Tensions still remain in present-day Central America, and both fan bases contest soccer matches as fiercely as they ever have. While the 1969 play-off match wasn’t a direct cause of the border war, it certainly acted as the tipping point for both countries to launch attacks.

2. Algerian Independence and the FLN

An Algerian player on the late 1950s FLN team takes a shot at goal. (La-Croix.com)

Although admittedly less dramatic than the Soccer War, a renegade group of Algerian players helped prompt the nation’s independence from France between 1958 and 1962. Algeria’s independence coalition, Front Liberation Nationale (FLN), sought to create a soccer team and spread the country’s liberation efforts through sport. In 1957, they recruited Algerian players who had previously played for the French national team and formed an FLN side. These players sacrificed their salaries, their freedom—several players were arrested while leaving France—and their footballing careers in some cases, but they all believed in supporting the liberation of their home nation.

Over the next few years, the FLN side toured the world and won 65 matches, gaining attention for their mission back home and beating powerful teams like Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia along the way. This publicity for the FLN helped lead to negotiations between French President Charles de Gaulle and Algeria’s political factions for the country’s full independence in 1962. After Algeria became a free nation, the FLN side was able to take the field as its official national team, proudly sporting the country’s red, green, and white.

3. Germany’s 2006 World Cup and “Partyotism”

German flags fly during the 2006 World Cup as the country rediscovers its patriotism and national pride. (Learngermannola.com)

A more recent example: with their hosting of the 2006 World Cup, Germany was finally able to express its patriotism unashamedly and put behind the divides of the past. The tremendously successful tournament allowed the host nation to open itself up to the rest of the world, displaying a citizenry that defied the harsh, rigid, and humorless stereotypes of old. Over the course of the tournament, we saw a face-painting, flag-waving, and fun-loving nation that came together to support its team on a run to the semi-finals.

German journalists actually coined the term “partyotism” to define this phenomenon that swept the nation. There was a lot of celebrating, especially in public gathering spaces, and I’m sure the beer was flowing—a little Dunkel ale never hurt a celebration.  Despite their team’s exit at the hands of Italy, the German people proudly showed their renewed patriotism and certainly had the most fun for the entire tournament.

For more examples like this, check out this CNN piece article on soccer and politics or Soccer Politics, a website with pieces written by Duke students. Top quality stuff!       

[penamerican]

The Soccer War: July 14, 1969

Today marks 33 years since the conflict between El Salvador and Honduras erupted during the so-called Soccer War.For an excellent portrayal of the four-day war, check out Ryszard Kapuscinski's book of the same name. It is actually a collection of reportage by the late Polish journalist, and the title piece is phenomenal.

via keepinitrealsports