Cries of match-fixing or player payoffs are emanating from Mexico and from
its significant fan pockets in Dallas after the United States' 2-0 upset
in the second round.
That's nothing new in world soccer, where a nation's citizens pour out
their hearts for their team and often attach too much national worth to
the fortunes of their beloved soccer heroes.
But could the United States really fix a game? The acidic sarcasm of
U.S. coach Bruce Arena, familiar to soccer watchers but just now being
discovered by America at large, once offered his view on the subject.
The topic was the draw for the 1996 Olympic Soccer Tournament, held in
and around Atlanta. The Brooklyn-born Arena coached that team, which
didn't receive a favorable first-round draw. Afterward, he thought he
was off the record when he said Americans are "too stupid to fix a draw."
Diplomacy has never been an Arena strength. Right before the World Cup,
English Premier League club Fulham refused to release midfielder Eddie
Lewis for World Cup preparations – even though Lewis had not played for
Fulham all year.
Arena was incensed. Speaking of Fulham coach Jean Tigana, the U.S. coach
said, "That guy is a complete jerk."
