John Smallwood: International soccer serves up best home-cooking
AS ANY heartbroken Eagles fan can tell you, home field does not always provide the stepping-stone to victory that you hoped it would.
Of the Eagles' four NFC Championship Game losses, two unfolded in front of bewildered eyes in the friendly confines of South Philadelphia.
That doesn't seem to be the case in international soccer, where a matchup between two equal teams almost always seems to come down to who is playing on home soil.
On Wednesday, the United States continued one of the most futile strings in sports by losing, 2-1, to Mexico in a World Cup qualifier in Mexico City.
The loss dropped the USA's record to 0-23-1 in games against Mexico in Mexico.
"It's hard to play here, man," U.S. midfielder Landon Donovan said.
Still, you'd think the USA could have broken through once, simply based on the law of averages.
From 1934 to 1999, Mexico posted a 27-5-9 record against the USA, routinely winning south or north of the Rio Grande.
The United States was so far behind Mexico during the 20th century, it was difficult to win anywhere, much less in Mexico.
But things changed in this century. Over the previous 8 years, the USA passed Mexico as the top team in the CONCACAF region by going 9-2-2 against its southern neighbor. Both losses were in Mexico City.
Mexico couldn't find a way to beat the United States in 10 games in America and one at a World Cup in South Korea, yet successfully defended its home turf.
Mexico ended its 21st century winless streak against the USA in America in the Gold Cup Championship Game last month at Giants Stadium.
If this were just a USA/Mexico thing, it could be dismissed as an aberration. But soccer is filled with home-turf quirks.
It might have started at the first World Cup in 1930, when Uruguay, the host nation, defeated South American rival Argentina in the final.
In 1934, Italy, which did not participate in the first World Cup, hosted and won the first of its four titles by beating Czechoslovakia.
England, which is credited with establishing soccer's rules, did not participate in the World Cup until 1950 because of a dispute with FIFA. It never even reached the World Cup semifinal until 1966, when it hosted the tournament for the first time and beat West Germany for its only World Cup title.
In all, only seven nations have claimed a World Cup title.
Uruguay, Italy and Argentina won their first titles while being host nations, while England and France, which stunned heavily favored Brazil in 1998, won their only titles at home.
West Germany won the second of its three titles playing on home turf.
Brazil, which holds the record with five World Cup titles, finished runner-up to Uruguay when it hosted in 1950. The Canarinho - Little Canary - will get a chance to make the home crowd happy by hosting in 2014.
Even beyond the finals, home crowds have inspired host nations to accomplishments beyond expectations.
In 1994, the United States was considered such a "minnow" in world soccer that many questioned why it was allowed to hold a World Cup. It was widely believed that the Americans would become the first host nation not to advance out of round-robin play.
But the USA shocked then No. 1-ranked Colombia while moving out of pool play and had a respectable, 1-0 loss to eventual champion Brazil in the round-of-16.
Sweden made its only World Cup final in 1958 as the host nation, losing to Brazil.
Chile won the third-place match at home in 1962.
South Korea beat European powers Portugal, Italy and Spain along the way to becoming the first team from Asia to reach a World Cup semifinal while acting as co-host with Japan in 2002.
Despite holding nine of the 18 World Cup titles, no European nation has won a World Cup off the continent.
Brazil's title in Sweden is the only one by a South American team in Europe. Argentina in 1990 in Italy and Brazil in 1998 in France are the only other times South American teams have reach a final in Europe.
All of which could mean everything or nothing to South Africa, which will host the 2010 World Cup next summer. Quarterfinal appearances by Cameroon in 1990 and Senegal in 2002 are the best finishes by African nations.
But 2010 will be the first time an African nation will play on home soil. *
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