World Cup Update: British Goalkeeper “Most hated man in Britain”
The international sports press had rated the United States as under-dog in yesterday’s contest with England, and some British odds-makers had given the Brits as much as a three-goal advantage in the match. Although football pundits agreed the United States would make a match of it, and some even grudgingly characterized the Americans as an “upset threat,” most willingly wagered their pounds sterling on the English—with about the same result as betting on the Brits in the American war for independence.
In the early going, England easily scored, looking stronger and more in-synch than the nervous Americans. The “yankee doodles,” however, found their composure, and American goalkeeper Tim Howard sealed the net like it was secured in Saran Wrap. In fact, Howard’s brilliant performance, complicated by seriously bruised, probably broken ribs, earned him Player of the Game honours.
At approximately mid-game, the pivotal moment seemed more slapstick than dramatic. American Clint Dempsey took an uninspired shot toward the British goal, the kind goalkeepers normally manage as if they were scrimmaging with an American Youth Soccer Association squad. As expected, British goalkeeper Robert Green handled it…and then bobbled it, letting it slide slothfully right into the corner of the net for a point. The point gave the upstart yanks a draw in the game—a finish the American sports community regarded as an “upset.”
Robert Green’s spectacular misplay immediately installed him among the World Cup legends, earning his miscue the title “one of the most infamous goalkeeping mistakes in World Cup history.” Green awakened Sunday morning hung with the moniker “The Most Hated Man in Britain.” Of course, the British press served-up scathing commentary, one headline alluding to another British World Cup tragedy—“The Hand of Clod,” it read, hearkening back to Diego Maradona’s goal against the English in 1986 World Cup play. In that incident, Maradona’s shot was said to be guided by the hand of God.
