Like every cliche, there more than a modicum of truth in the idea that taking part matters more than winning. Not everyone can be the fastest man on the planet, but that won't stop thousands from trying. Being the best in the world at anything is such a lofty ambition it cannot simply begin with that kind of supposition alone. Seeing how far the human body is willing to push itself is not only great drama but endears us to one another for the notion of simply trying. Triumph may be the ultimate goal but before anyone can test the limits of humankind they must first find out where their own breaking point lies. Sport captivates us not because of how naturally gifted a person may be but what they will do to make up for in spite of it. Over the last twenty years heroes have been made based not on their individual talent but their willingness not to give up. It is that indelible spirit that helps defy humanity. That Olympic spirit.
As a game rather than merely athletic competition, team sports may be less of a pure contest but they are no less enthralling. Reliant on so many different people and actions, in no other discipline can so many mistakes still lead to success or so much talent lead to failure. It's for precisely this reason that football is loved the world over. Legends can be brought down by the actions of those around them and that a team of otherwise pedestrian players could collectively rise above themselves and achieve the impossible. Unlike athletics, football also gives someone the chance at redemption. A momentary lapse in concentration for a runner may cost him everything he's worked his entire life for. So long as there's still time on the clock, anything is possible. Even coming from three goals down in a European Cup final.
A quarter of a century after the first ever international match, football was represented at the 1900 Olympic games held in Paris. To say it was a modest affair would be an understatement. It was comprised of just three teams - each nation represented by a chosen side - and was eventually won by Upton Park FC (Great Britian). In 1904 there were again three teams, this time representing just two nations. Slow to start with, both the games themselves and the place of football within them would continue to grow. Twenty two teams took place in 1924 - which an emerging Uruguay side would eventually win - but football was at crossroads. Having gone professional in some places over the world, though a gold medal was seen as claiming your place as the best team in the world, it was strictly an amateur competition. Disputes over whether teams had indeed paid their players as compensation for "lost time from work" led to Britain's withdrawal from the 1924 games and it was then dropped altogether in 1932, due to it's lack of popularity in the United States. By then something else had grabbed a hold of the footballing masses, something which has never let go. The World Cup.
Following on from World War II, the Great Britain football team continued to participate in the Olympics, handcuffed by the fact that it's now flourishing league system could not be utilised - with it's players counting as professionals. With that in place, the gap between the England amateur team - from which the basis of the squad was picked - and the rest of Europe shortened, to the point where they did not even qualify for the main tournament for another twelve years. At this point the FA decided that there would be no distinction between amateur and professional and that they would all be "players" instead. Since then, with a football team from these shores not taking part in the Olympics there has been very little of a connection or emphasis on it and Liverpool Football Club.
Even after the rules were changed to include professional players, Great Britain declined the chance to take part - even though twice Scotland and once England were both given qualifying berths based on their European Under 21 Championship performance. This may have seen a greater opportunity to LFC players throughout the nineties to have a chance of winning a medal but as it was it would not be until 2008 until a Liverpool player would take part in an Olympic games, with Lucas Leiva, Javier Mascherano and Ryan Babel becoming the first men ever to take part while at the club (Arthur Berry, Joseph Dines & Tom Armstrong represented Britain in 1912 and would all later go on to play for the Liverpool).
Having dipped their toe into the competition last time around, Liverpool will again be represented in London. Craig Bellamy, Sebastian Coates and Luis Suarez will all be doing their part to get their hands on a medal. It's unclear as to how much of a role Bellamy will have within Stuart Pearce's side and there will still be a concern over his fitness, especially in the latter stages of the tournament when the games come thick and fast. Having said that this represents Bellamy's best and only chance of ever being able to grasp something on the international stage and he will be chomping at the bit in order to do so. As one of the elder members, it's both a sign and a test of Craig's growing maturity that he will be be given a paternal role in the squad. With regard to his place in the pecking order at Liverpool, there's no doubt he has the ability but both his injuries and lack of consistency over the last year mean that while he will be missed, his place in the starting eleven is far from certain.
It seems that barely a tournament goes by without a player from Anfield taking centre stage. From the Spanish contingent that came via of Melwood in 2008 and 2010 to Suarez lighting up the Copa America last year, success and Liverpool go hand in hand as ever. Impressed heavily during Uruguay's triumphant campaign in Argentina last year, Sebastian Coates will be hoping to pick up where he left off. Having tasted nothing but success so far in his short career, the man who could just as easily played for Scotland has everything going for him right now. His talent is raw but obvious and any experience for him at a major tournament can only be good for both he and Liverpool. With playing time again likely restricted to League Cup and Europa League games, he may miss an early opportunity to impress Rodgers but it's a chance he will almost certainly have again. As influential a figure as one can be, especially in an area in which is so vital as Liverpool failed in that respect so spectacularly last season, it's fortunate enough in that Luis Suarez will potentially miss no league games. The final takes place a week before the curtain falls on the opening day of the Premier League season and with the tournament being on home soil, barring injury all those taking part will only miss Europa League qualifiers. Following the tournament in 2008, however Javier Mascherano took a long time in getting back to full form and fitness, missing four out of the next seven league games in the league after the tournament had finished. Having finally had a summer break after a couple of years, Suarez will report for international duty with a team tipped to go far if not quite all the way. He is unlikely to be home early, although Brendan Rodgers may be secretly rooting for it.
Because of it's four year cycle so few get more than one shot at glory, to the point where Mascherano is currently joint top of Argentina's all time gold medal winners. Players from all over the world may go on to challenge for further glory and London 2012 may be just the springboard that set their career into motion but for some this tournament is all they are ever going to get. Footballers the world over will forever hunger for success and trophies, athletes and sportsmen crave nothing more than to have that gold medal draped around their neck. This is a unique occasion in which a lucky few get the chance to represent their country as well as showcasing the sport itself. When the tournament is all over, Suarez, Coates or Bellamy may have written a new chapter in Olympic folklore. Brendan Rodgers will be waiting, ready for them to make history with Liverpool as well.
No comments:
Post a Comment