by Rod Hughes
Ah, sportswriters are a bitter class, are they not?
While the Costa Rican under-20-year-old All Star team held its own against a strong Nigerian side in the world soccer championship tourney for young players yesterday, the sportswriter for the daily paper Al Dia told his readers this morning that the nude man who invaded the field during the second half stole the show!
So let’s get our nudist out of the way. While the Tico players stood aghast, the bare man jumped the barrier at Royal Athletic Park stadium in Victoria, Canada, and ran across the field. Then he lay down in a show of passive resistence until police carted him off. Big deal!
Does that have anything to do with Nigeria’s Brown Ideye getting past the Tico defense and planting a goal between the uprights five minutes later? Somehow we rather doubt it.
Well, it is true that excellent young goalie Alfonso Quesada saved the Ticos from two sure goals more, but that’s part of the game. And that coach Geovanni Alfaro admits that the midfield play left a great deal to be desired during the first half. But that deficiency was corrected before the second.
Next, the Ticos face a strong Japanese side who have taken their style from the South Americans.
And, sportwriters, lighten up and let these young players show what they can do, eh?