With the Olympics fast approaching, there is still plenty of uncertainty regarding the participation of some of the world's best players, and FIFA wouldn't have it any other way. Never mind diving or poor refereeing, for my money, this is the most annoying issue in the game today.
As expected, European clubs are putting up a major stink about releasing players for this tournament. And since FIFA couldn't care less about the Olympics and refuses to get involved, the likes of Kaká and Didier Drogba might not be in China after all.
The timing doesn't help, as the Beijing Games are taking a place a bit later in the summer than most Olympics and will conflict with the start of the 2008-09 season, but I suspect clubs would feel the same way no matter when the tournament was being held.
The disdain for international soccer has never been stronger. AC Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi claimed a couple of years back international soccer had "outlived its usefulness," and Arsenal's Arsene Wenger recently wondered how anyone could enjoy an international game over a club game. It seems only the World Cup and European Championships are off limits. Everything else is under attack.
For the time being, such a climate actually gives the U.S. a competitive advantage by weakening its rivals, but at some point Americans will start popping up on top European clubs, and worse yet, become indispensable players for these teams. U.S. coaches will then have a tougher time assembling their strongest squad. It will also cut down on practice time.
For people like me who still believe in the international game, but also think the clubs have a legitimate beef, the solution is simple. FIFA president Sepp Blatter needs to sacrifice a few dollars and come up with a calendar that makes more sense.
He can start by scrapping the Confederations Cup, which is a complete waste of time. All the continental championships (Gold Cup, Copa America, African Cup of Nations) should take place every four years in the same summer as the European Championships, effectively creating a bonanza of international soccer in-between World Cups.
As for the Olympics, Blatter should follow through on an idea he suggested a short time ago and make it an under-19 tournament, with no overage players allowed. The summer before and after a World Cup would be devoid of any international competitions, giving players a much needed rest. The club seasons before the international summers could also end earlier, affording national teams greater time to prepare.
In addition to being much more palatable for the clubs, the every-other-year system would actually raise the level of the international game by ensuring teams are always represented by the best possible players, something that certainly won't be the case in Beijing.
Ronaldo answers call
Not much left to say about the epic Champions League Final, but I would be remiss if I didn't mention Cristiano Ronaldo's performance. Following the second leg against Barcelona, I wrote, "it would be nice if he could turn in a great performance against a quality opponent one of these days before we anoint him the world's best player."
The penalty miss notwithstanding, Ronaldo was sensational against Chelsea. On a night when Manchester United weren't at their best, with Wayne Rooney in an absolute fog, the Portuguese star rose to the occasion. In addition to scoring yet another goal, with a clinical header, he danced around Chelsea defenders all night and could only be stopped with cynical fouls.
Had United lost in the shootout, Ronaldo might have been looked upon as the goat, but he would've been as undeserving of such a tag as John Terry was. Some might still prefer Lionel Messi or Kaká, but the case against Ronaldo certainly got a little weaker on Wednesday.
David Mosse
