Word: soccers
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...matching the spirit of the World Cup. The Olympics may garner the attention of more global leaders and media outlets, but its myriad competitions and choreographed pageantry can never generate the unifying, almost cosmic passion that envelops the World Cup. As David Goldblatt asks in his definitive history of soccer, The Ball Is Round, "Is there any cultural practice more global than football?" It has more followers than any one religion and is more universal than any one language. Even Americans - some of whom still sniff at the sport's low-scoring games - are coming around: they are among...
...French soccer player Thierry Henry has always been known as a gentleman. His anti-racism work and sense of fair play have earned him accolades and awards for years, including an appearance in TIME's 2005 European Heroes list. As of Nov. 19, however, many in the soccer world are calling Henry a heel rather than a hero, after his illegal play - apparently deliberate - allowed France to claim one of the final spots in next year's World...
...Soccer's governing body, FIFA, is unlikely to rush into action over the incident. The game will surely not be replayed - to do so would be to invite replays of any number of controversy-marred matches from the past (though Ireland's football association has now asked FIFA for a replay). But because FIFA has spent the past few years promoting the idea of fair play above all, it will be hard to ignore this altogether. "Winning is without value if victory has been achieved unfairly or dishonestly," reads the body's Code of Conduct. "Cheating is easy but brings...
...cricket, rugby and tennis. Since video has vastly reduced officiating errors in these sports - just last month, the first video review in baseball World Series history was used to turn a double by the New York Yankees' Alex Rodriguez into a two-run homer - it could do so in soccer, right? (See pictures of the old Yankee Stadium...
...number of fans say yes. But both FIFA and its European pillar, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), have repeatedly rejected using video. Both bodies have threatened European pro leagues with dire consequences if they even test the use of replay. FIFA officials and the UEFA president, former French soccer great Michel Platini, advance a slim list of unconvincing reasons for slapping video down. The cost of such technology, they argue, would mean leagues in poorer countries wouldn't be able to use video, dividing soccer into haves and have-nots. They also claim that the time taken...