Howe In The World column, July 2, 2015
Oh, the agony of defeat.
Anyone of my generation can remember the beginning of “ABC’s Wide World Of Sports” and the image of Yugoslavia’s Vinko Bogataj falling from a ski jump ramp in 1970. (Relax, I had to look it up. It’s still safe to play trivia games with me.)
The agony of defeat torch has been passed once again, and at this moment it’s possessed, quite involuntarily, by England’s Laura Bassett.
It’s possible her name will go down in English sports history the way Bill Buckner, Scott Norwood and countless others are remembered. After a lifetime of practice (“training” in the case of soccer players) there is a infamous list of athletes who experienced failure on a stage most of us cannot imagine.
Long story short, Bassett was in the middle of the penalty box, defending one last Japanese rush toward the goal. The ball came her way, and she intended to kick the ball over the end line. It would have given Japan a corner kick, but allowed the English women to set up a defense.
Instead, Bassett’s kick hit the crossbar above the goalie and had enough backspin to put the ball in the goal her team was defending with less than a minute to go in regulation of the Women’s World Cup semifinal, giving Japan a 2-1 win.
Another inch higher, and the ball comes right back at her; two inches higher, or maybe a foot to the right, and she accomplishes her mission of the moment. It was that close.
Had Bassett been able to complete her defense as intended, Japan would likely have been given the corner kick, and after England clears the ball the game would have gone to a 30-minute overtime and most Americans have no idea who Laura Bassett is this morning.
Most of us cannot imagine her point of view. I hesitate to use the term “tragic,” in any sports scenario, but this may be as close as it gets.
Thanks to social media, the outpouring of support for Bassett has come from far and wide. Any soccer fan or player can at least relate to what she’s going through.
I’m not sure I’d even wish this on a Missouri Tiger student-athlete. While teams will take wins any way they can get them, the Japanese team has to know it wasn’t so much that they won the opportunity to play the U.S.A. in Sunday’s final as much as England lost its chance. It’s possible Japan is now a team of destiny, but as an American I hope not, and as a casual but learning soccer fan, I don’t think so.
Maybe the good news is England has a third-place contest with Germany on Saturday. Has the term “consolation game” ever been more accurate?
While I won’t maintain a rooting interest, I’ll follow the game and believe Bassett, with the help of her teammates, will find some sort of redemption. Sadly, the English are left to dwell forever on what could have been.
Oh, the agony of defeat.
Anyone of my generation can remember the beginning of “ABC’s Wide World Of Sports” and the image of Yugoslavia’s Vinko Bogataj falling from a ski jump ramp in 1970. (Relax, I had to look it up. It’s still safe to play trivia games with me.)
The agony of defeat torch has been passed once again, and at this moment it’s possessed, quite involuntarily, by England’s Laura Bassett.
It’s possible her name will go down in English sports history the way Bill Buckner, Scott Norwood and countless others are remembered. After a lifetime of practice (“training” in the case of soccer players) there is a infamous list of athletes who experienced failure on a stage most of us cannot imagine.
Long story short, Bassett was in the middle of the penalty box, defending one last Japanese rush toward the goal. The ball came her way, and she intended to kick the ball over the end line. It would have given Japan a corner kick, but allowed the English women to set up a defense.
Instead, Bassett’s kick hit the crossbar above the goalie and had enough backspin to put the ball in the goal her team was defending with less than a minute to go in regulation of the Women’s World Cup semifinal, giving Japan a 2-1 win.
Another inch higher, and the ball comes right back at her; two inches higher, or maybe a foot to the right, and she accomplishes her mission of the moment. It was that close.
Had Bassett been able to complete her defense as intended, Japan would likely have been given the corner kick, and after England clears the ball the game would have gone to a 30-minute overtime and most Americans have no idea who Laura Bassett is this morning.
Most of us cannot imagine her point of view. I hesitate to use the term “tragic,” in any sports scenario, but this may be as close as it gets.
Thanks to social media, the outpouring of support for Bassett has come from far and wide. Any soccer fan or player can at least relate to what she’s going through.
I’m not sure I’d even wish this on a Missouri Tiger student-athlete. While teams will take wins any way they can get them, the Japanese team has to know it wasn’t so much that they won the opportunity to play the U.S.A. in Sunday’s final as much as England lost its chance. It’s possible Japan is now a team of destiny, but as an American I hope not, and as a casual but learning soccer fan, I don’t think so.
Maybe the good news is England has a third-place contest with Germany on Saturday. Has the term “consolation game” ever been more accurate?
While I won’t maintain a rooting interest, I’ll follow the game and believe Bassett, with the help of her teammates, will find some sort of redemption. Sadly, the English are left to dwell forever on what could have been.