2014 FIFA World Cup: A to Z

A is for Argentina

Argentina needs to go far. They haven’t gone past the quarters since 1990. They’ve lost back-to-back QFs against Germany, losing first in penalties in Germany and then getting hammered 4-0 in South Africa. Those are bad results for a country who has been this talented. They have the best player in the world, and a good core of players around him that all play in Europe. They need to do something. They’ve been given a laughable group (Iran, Bosnia, Nigeria) and one of the weaker groups to draw in the Round of 16 (France, Switzerland, Ecuador, Honduras). They should reach the Quarters but the problems could start there. If Germany struggles in their Group of Death, they could even end up drawing Germany again. Other than the team to come next, there is no team under more pressure than Argentina.

B is for Brazil

Speaking of pressure, here’s a team that has been disappointing in the last two World Cups, losing to the eventual runner-up in 2006 and 2010, and is now playing a World Cup at home. Here is the good news for Brazil: they haven’t lost a game at home since 2002. They strolled to the Confederations Cup at home last year, including dissecting a full-bodied Spain 3-0 in the Final. They have one of the best players in the World in Neymar, who is a rare player who so far has played better for country than club, and a young team that can play both ways. The bad news: this team will be under more pressure than any team in a long, long, long time in a World Cup. They have to win this at home. They have to. There is no other alternative really.

C is for Coming Home

I decried the South African World Cup in 2010. It was awesome that Africa got the chance to host one, and the stadiums were beautiful, but it just felt weird. These weren’t traditional Football Stadiums, with tight, cramped corners, and seemed more sprawling like the NFL. The fans blew Vuvuzelas and the tapestry of a normal World Cup was gone. After going to Cape Town and seeing that beautiful stadium empty and wasting money, it hurt even more. Now, Brazil spent a giant amount of money, but this is a footballing country. This is a return to what we had in 2006, with great stadium atmospheres, awesome crowds and a country that knows how to host a party.

D is for Deadly Groups

There is no one real Group of Death in this World Cup. Most American’s believe it is their Group, Group G, that features Germany (always a lock to reach at least the Quarters), Portugal (who have the world’s best current player) and Ghana (who has made it out of the Group Stage of the last two World Cups). America seems like a pick to go 4^th. I totally disagree. First, we are overrating Portugal, a country who outside Cr7 is past their prime or not yet there (and now Cr7 might be gimpy), and more so Ghana. American fans hate Ghana as they knocked the US out of the World Cup in 2006 and 2010, but this Ghana team is not as good as those Ghana teams. Germany is awesome, but the rest of the Group isn’t. Also, there are other groups that are as great. Group D, with England, Italy, Uruguay and Costa Rica, who is no pushover in a South American World Cup, is right there with Group G. Group B has Spain, Netherlands and Chile. There are a lot of tough groups right now, which should make for an even better tournament.

E is for England?

This England team is unlike any other in recent World Cups. The ‘Golden Generation’ of Beckham, Terry, Lampard, the brothers Cole and others are basically gone, ceding the English team to a whole cast of young characters. Rooney is still there, but so is Sturridge and Welbeck and Sterling and a bunch of young blokes who can run and play attacking football. They have more youth than anyone realizes but they are in the wrong group for youth. They have to compete against the team that is the opposite of youth in Italy and one of the popular darkhorses in Uruguay. There is a realistic chance that England is by far the 3^rd most talented team in their own group. Even if they get knocked out before the knockout round, it will be a very interesting road to get there.

F is for Franck

Just like that, France’s World Cup hopes went right out the door. Last week France announced that Franck Ribery will miss the World Cup. He is France’s best player and while they themselves are going through a youth movement, Ribery was the key. France is in a tough group but still could advance, but will it matter? Will a token Round of 16 game matter for a country that has at best played token games since Zinedine Zidane retired? Ribery was great as an up-and-comer in the 2006 World Cup, and then fell victim to being ‘the next Zidane’ in 2010. He has upped his game over the last four years and this could have been a great showcase. Instead, it is a showcase of how much they might miss him.

G is for Golden Goal… as in Please Come Back

This will be the third straight World Cup since they removed the Golden Goal, and I’m so against it. Sure, it may not be fair, but let’s be real, how many times do both teams actually score in our non-Golden Goal World Cup? The famous example is a Italy vs. Germany game back in the day that went to Extra Time tied at 1-1, and ended 4-3. Well, that was 42 years ago. What’s more likely is the ridiculous way the Champions League Final ended, with Real winning 4-1 after entering Extra Time 1-1. The positive aspects of the Golden Goal are too much to avoid. The Golden Goal in hockey is one of the best part of NHL Playoff’s overtime periods, that terribly awesome feeling that at any moment it could all be over. Soccer isn’t like that as much since the buildup to goals in generally longer, but man were some of the famous Golden Goal’s back in 2002 great. Please bring it back, FIFA.

 

H is for (the) Hand Ball Redemption

Luis Suarez was pretty unknown heading into the 2010 World Cup, and while his teammate Diego Forlan ended up winning the Golden Ball (player of the tournament), Suarez cemented his place in World Cup infamy with his handball at the end of the Ghana game. Personally, I never had any problem with it. It isn’t like he got away with it. He was punished, banished out of a potential World Cup Semifinal and Final, and if Ghana makes the penalty no one cares. Instead, Ghana missed, Uruguay won, and this was added as most people’s starting point when discussing Suarez’s other let’s say odd behavior… like biting Branislav Ivanovic, or being racist towards Patrice Evra, or diving a lot. Suarez just completed one of the most dominant seasons for a striker in EPL history. His team is one of the five favorites. He has a chance to redeem himself well in this World Cup near his home country.

I is for International Stakes

The World Cup isn’t the best football showcase in the World. No, that is the Champions League, where you get deeper teams that play together all the time, that know each other better. You get a higher quality there. What the World Cup is, is the best football spectacle. There is nothing better than the atmosphere of a World Cup game, with the fans’ patriotic displays, the unbelievable Nationalism, the party-like atmosphere all over the host country. Nothing brings the World together like this tournament. Civil Wars in Africa stopped in 2006 and 2010 for the World Cup. Business around the world goes to shit during the World Cup. Everyone loves the World Cup. There is truly nothing like it.

J is for Jogo Bonito?

Jogo Bonito is most associated with the flair and artistry that Brazil plays with, especially back in the Pele, ZIco, Garrincha, Carlos Alberto, Tostao days. The terms is still associated with Brazil after their glorious run form 1994-2002. The term didn’t transfer, but the idea of beautiful soccer did, to Spain from 2006-2012. Well, who has it now? After two years of Barcelona falling back to earth and at times getting beaten soundly, and Pep going to Bayern and getting embarrassed by Real Madrid, and counterattacking teams becoming more successful, what is the beautiful game right now? There is something pleasing to watching Spain’s passing triangles still, but it gets boring. The speed and power of the German counterattack is fun. Maybe it will be Brazil? Who knows, but soccer is at an interesting time stylistically.

K is for K(C)ards

Ok, I'm cheating here. Cards obviously starts with a 'C' and not a 'K', but I couldn't think of anything for K. Not much really starts with the letter 'K' really. Anyway, cards will play a role, they always do. They played a role in 2002, when a dubious yellow to Michael Ballack put him out of the final. They played a massive role in 2006 with the infamous red to Zidane. They played a big role in 2010 when loads of players had to miss the Final, and the ref of the final, the one and only Howard Webb, didn't give out nearly enough cards. Cards will happen in this tournament, they'll effect games. Bad yellows knocking players out of huge games. Bad reds putting teams at huge disadvantages. There is always refereeing controversies, and cards are usually the reason.

L is for Landon Donovan

He won’t be at the World Cup, unceremoniously cut when the roster was whittled down to 23. Still, his presence, or more accurately lacking presence, will be felt. Jurgen Klinsmann has largely been left alone to do what he sees fit with the US National Team since his appointment, but questions will be asked if he fails here. Honestly, if they do as badly as they did in 2006 when placed in a similarly tough group (eventual World Cup Winner Italy, Ghana and the Czech Republic that time) he might get canned. This is a decision that was met mostly with round criticism, to just jettison the heart and soul of the USMNT, but it does make some sense with a team that tries to get younger every four years. Still, Jurgen Klinsmann’s honeymoon is over, and Donovan could be the catalyst for a divorce.

M is for Messi

This is it really for Leo Messi. He’s squarely in his prime, and given the miles on his body, his injury history the past two seasons, and his declining goal scoring rate (going from ridiculously awesome to just awesome), this is Messi’s time to be the best player in the World. All the Greats had their World Cup. Maradona had 1986. Cruyff had 1974. Ronaldo had 2002. Zidane had two, but one squarely in his prime in 1998. Messi did nothing in the 2010 World Cup. He will be over 30 come 2018 and I can’t see him playing too well in Russia if he can’t do it near his homeland. I have to think he comes out and plays well against some bad teams in the Group Stage.

N is for Nationalism

There is nothing quite like the Nationalism and Patriotism of the World Cup. It’s even more interesting a dynamic in a cultural melting pot like the United States, where most soccer fans (or once-every-four-years World Cup fans) will root for the USMNT, but also take up their own country that they are ethnically aligned with, be it France, Germany, England, Portugal, Brazil, Italy (especially, Italy) or wherever it may be. The other interesting angle with the Nationalism in the World Cup is all the World History present. When Germany plays anyone the lasting memory of the warring of the 20^th Century is still present. When England plays a former colony, when any European team plays an African team. There is more than just sport involved in these games, there is legacy, country and pride.

O is for Oscar Tabarez

Coaching generally isn’t a huge factor in World Cups. The teams aren’t really together enough for a coach to have that much of an impact. Sure, it may mean something that the last two World Cup winners were coached by people who had tons of success at the club level as well (Vicente Del Bosque with Real Madrid and Marcello Lippi with Juventus and AC Milan), but that’s generally not the case (Hello Raymond Domenech). Oscar Tabarez of Uruguay may be the exception. His work with the 2010 team was amazing, creating a structured team environment that could play defense extremely well but still push forward. They have the same thing going for them this time. Suarez is a great player. Edinson Cavani is a great player. The whole roster has good players, but Tabarez makes them go.

P is for Patriotism

Let's talk about the USMNT for a bit. I already talked about them when bringing up the Group of Death and Landon Donovan's exclusion, but let's talk about the team right now. The team is still quite good and while it wouldn't be a shock if they didn't make it out of a really tough group, I wouldn't be surprised if they made it. They train better than most teams in the World in terms of physical and endurance training which should serve them well playing in many different places. They are definitely a team that should, over time, make it out of the Group Stage more often than not. They have a lot of players who either play in Europe or are good enough to but don't since MLS is getting (somewhat) better. The future of the USMNT is still bright. They'll never be as good as the European powers, but they can be a Uruguay.

Q is for Qatar

It probably won’t be mentioned much during the 2014 World Cup, and it is still 8 years away, but the 2022 World Cup being in Qatar will be a major story over the next four years. Already we’ve had Sepp Blatter saying he regretted the selection, albeit primarily due to the heat in Qatar necessitating the tournament to be held in winter. We’ve had a massive bribing scandal uncovered, though the people involved haven’t really said much since. We’ve also had the problem with Qatar itself, as the stadiums need to be built and people are dying literally by the hundreds and eventually thousands in trying to build them, with the migrant workers living in conditions that are almost worse than slums. I won’t be surprised if Qatar is essentially stripped of the World Cup, but before we bash them too much, let’s be honest for a minute. The chances of them being the only nation that did some bribing and side payments in the leadup to the 2018 and 2022 hosting decisions are really low.

R is for (la) Roja Furia

Spain has won the last three major International Tournaments they have played in, winning the Euro 2008 and 2012, being the bread to the meat of the sandwich that was the 2010 World Cup. They broke all types of streaks in 2010, of course becoming the first Spanish team to win a World Cup, and then becoming the first European team to win a World Cup outside of Europe. Even with all their pedigree, their still loaded roster, Spain is slightly under the radar. Most of their core from 2008-12 is aging, and they’re depending on a lot of, admittedly really talented, players to pick up the slack. Take David Silva, who was a starter and integral part of the 2008 side, then was pushed aside for the Barca contingent in 2010-12 and is now back in favor. It’s guys like him, Juan Mata, and Diego Costa who will have to step up. After winning the last three tournaments with essentially the combined Real Madrid and Barca rosters (minus Messi and Cr7), Spain is looking to other sides to win.

S is for South America

A big theme of the early stages of the 2010 World Cup was the success of South America. No South American team lost to anyone other than other South American teams through the Group Stages. Then, they all fell like flies and we were left with just one remaining in the Semifinals (after Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil lost to three European teams). Well, now we are physically in South America. They will have more fans. They will be used to the weather. They have the advantage. Historically only South American teams have won World Cups in the Western Hemisphere. I think a lot are people are counting on that, on the South American teams playing well. I mean, if the Chile/Colombia/Ecuador’s play well, that makes those groups more competitive. If South America does well, the World Cup does well, and if the World Cup does well, the fans do really well.

T is for Thomas Muller

I had to bring up Germany sometime, and stupidly used 'Golden Goal' for G, so I have to shoehorn it here. With the late injury to Marco Reus, and questions regarding the health of Bastian Schweinsteiger and the form of Mesut Ozil, the once co-favorites really need their most sturdy player to step up. Muller was a breakout star in the 2010 World Cup, and has been a clutch player for Bayern for years. See his 3 goals in the 2013 UCL Semi against Barca. See his goal in the 2012 UCL Final. He hasn't fit perfectly in Pep's system, but he's free from that now and needs to pick up the slack. Somehow, despite being Semifinalists at the 2006 and 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012, and the Finalist in Euro 2008, the German National Team is stacked, but injury makes them less stacked and they'll need Mr. Reliable more than ever.

V is for Vuvuzelas Are Gone

The scourge of the earth of the 2010 World Cup, other than the average level of drama in the games, was the Vuvuzela, that loud, buzzing, awful horn that ruined the game day atmosphere. You couldn’t hear the awesome chanting and singing that is so often the highlight of World Cup games. Those awesome crowds will be back in Brazil, and the buzzing will be gone. Replaced by beautiful, beautiful singing and chanting and dancing. Personally, I can’t wait for the first time I sit down and watch Brazil play Croatia and not have to deal with the sound of that idiotic horn.

W is for Winter

One of the more interesting aspects of Southern Hemisphere World Cups is that they take place in winter in the host country. Now, since the Southern Hemishpere doesn’t stretch as far South and the Northern does North, winter’s generally aren’t as bad in the Southern Hemisphere, assuming no World Cup is played in the Andes. That said, Brazil is a giant country, with very disparate weather across it’s plains. There are host cities that will be really cold. There are host cities that will be really warm. This World Cup will really test the fitness but also the adaptability of the teams. Who can adapt best to very different weather conditions, and can European players, who aren’t used to playing in cold in June and July, adapt if they have a big game in a cold place?

X is for Xavi and Xabi

I’m pretty sure I used the same two guys for the ‘X’ in 2010. Back then, they were the heart and soul of the Spanish side. Now, they are the aging hangers-on, but Spain will need them. There are many legendary players in this world Cup, but these are the two leading ones who almost certainly won’t be around when we all meet again in Russia in 2018 (Andrea Pirlo being another big one). Xavi and Xabi are perfect players, but injuries and age slowed them down in recent times. It will be interesting to see how much they play in a stacked midfield. Vicente del Bosque has been loathe to go away from the Golden Guys from ’08-’12, but he might need to change and pass it along to someone else.

Y is for Young Stars

In 2002, it was Ronaldinho. In 2006, it was Lionel Messi. In 2010, it was Luis Suarez. For the past three World Cups, one bright young star who wasn't yet at his prime announced himself to the World. Ronaldinho, despite his wonder goal against England, wasn't really the biggest part of the Brazil team that won. Messi scored just one goal, but the at-the-time 19 year old showed flashes of what will come. Luis Suarez was relatively unknown until Uruguay's surprise run to the SFs. Who will it be in 2014? Maybe one of the non-Neymar Brazilian players, or one of the new Spaniards, or maybe even a non-Messi player from Argentina. Someone will step up and announce himself as a major presence for the next 4 years. Who will 2014 break out?

Z is for Zidane

Just like last time, we close with Zizou. This isn’t as much about Zizou, as now we’re a full 8 years from when he set the world on fire in 2006, but this is about the legacies at stake here. Zidane is a Top-10 player all time, and what helps cement that case is what he did for France. He scored the two goals that opened the 1998 World Cup Final in France (the last team to win at home), and then was the best player in the world during the 2006 World Cup despite being 34. He achieved his Legend status by playing brilliantly in World Cups as well as his awesome performances at Juve and Real Madrid. Well, that’s what is available for both Messi and Ronaldo here. Both have been underwhelming in their careers internationally, despite being on loaded teams, despite having ample opportunities. They’ve combined to not score a single goal in knockout rounds of World Cups. That needs to change. This is their time.

Rafa Nadal - Reaching the Highest of Expectations

Maybe it was around 2007, when Nadal won his third French Open without much fuss against Roger Federer, beating Fed for the 2^nd straight time in a Final, 3^rd straight time at the French Open, and doing it rather easily. Nadal did lose a set, his first in the tournament, but unlike in the 2006 Final, when Fed blitzed Nadal 6-1 in the opening set, this was more a momentary lapse of concentration by Nadal. It was around this time that the question was beginning to be asked – just how many French Opens can Rafa Nadal actually win? The wildest guesses at the time were probably 10. It made some sense. Nadal had just turned 21. Federer seemed to be the world’s 2^nd best clay court player, and he wasn’t close to Nadal. Why not 10? Somehow, that may have been an underestimate.

Rafael Nadal, without playing his best tennis, just won his 9^th French Open. It already seems a little absurd. People may have wondered and dreamed Nadal would do this, but Rafa actually did. Nadal won his 9^th French Open Title, and in all but one run (2010) he had to either beat Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic. He beat both three times (’06-’08). Nadal has played in a very competitive time in tennis. He’s also dominated this particular surface, and more importantly, that particular tournament so much the competition doesn’t matter. Rafael Nadal is calling his shot at Roland Garros. It has become increasingly likely he’ll win as many as he wants, competition be damned.

It didn’t always look like this. Nadal was a perfect clay court player from 2005-2008, his first run of dominance. That was the period he was wearing sleeveless shirts and cargo pants, and ran faster and harder than anyone, and hit looping defensive shots and pounded Federer’s backhand like it was a punching bag. That style was ruthlessly effective. Thing is, Rafa Nadal has now changed his game, gotten older, and become even more dominant at the tournament. He responded to his first, and still only, loss at the French Open to rededicate his game to offense, to shorter points, to dictating with the forehand instead of staying with the tried and true of pounding away at backhands. He did it all to make himself more viable at the other tournaments really, and to save his legs on hardcourt. Strange thing happened, though, it didn’t make him any worse at the French.

Watching yesterday’s match against Novak Djokovic, there were a couple immediate takeaways. The first is still no one can attack Nadal’s forehand with their backhand like Djokovic, a relative advantage that will likely never have the effect it had in Djokovic’s incredible 2011 season, but still be effective. The other is that it takes a superhuman effort to get just a set of Nadal. Rafa didn’t play very well in the first set and Novak did. Then, almost literally like a swtich, Nadal turned it on in the 2^nd and then didn’t only outplay Novak, he out-attacked him. Nadal ended up with more winners, fewer unforced errors, dominated Djokovic’s 2^nd serve and won most of his own 2^nd serve points. Only a surprising mental dip cost him an easy 4^th set, but he won anyway. By the end, Novak looked broken, far more so than in previous losses to Nadal. Even last year’s epic 5-set loss, a loss that ended a tournament in which he dedicated to his first coach who had recently died, Novak didn’t seem as down as he did this time.

In a way, that makes sense. Last year, Nadal entered the French with just two losses on the season. One was to Djokovic at Monte Carlo, but Nadal was dominant in the French coming into that semifinal. He also, quietly, wildly outplayed Djokovic in that match. He had 15 more winners and fewer unforced errors. He won dominant sets while Djokovic pulled his two sets out of thin air. Novak did come close to winning, but he didn’t play well enough to really deserve it. In a way, it was the opposite of the classic 6-hour 2012 Australian Open Final, which Djokovic nearly blew despite playing reasonably better. Last year’s 5-set semifinal also continued the 5-match trend of Djokovic getting closer and closer. His first matchup against Nadal at the French was in 2006, and Djokovic retired after losing the first two sets. The next two years he lost in straight sets in the Semifinals. In 2012, he played the Final against Nadal and won a set against him for the first time at the French but lost. Then was last year. Now, for the first time, the trend reversed itself.

Nadal was beatable this year. He had been rusty all season ever since his at-the-time shocking loss to Stan Wawrinka in the Australian Open. He had won just one tournament all year long, the Madrid Masters, where he didn’t have the toughest path. He lost to Djokovic rather meekly in the Rome Final. He lost early at clay events. For the first time since 2005, Nadal was not the bettors favorite heading into the tournament, Novak was. All that, and he was further away to winning this year than last. The Nadal hurdle must seem gigantic to Djokovic right now, somewhat where it was for Federer back in 2008.

Federer ended up winning a French Open, completing his career slam, the next year. Of course, he didn’t have to go through Nadal. Maybe Djokovic gets that lucky, maybe someone else takes out Rafa next year. Maybe Rafa’s knees act up, but it is becoming less likely not more. Since returning to the tour after seven months off last February, Nadal hasn’t expressed any issues ever with his knees. He seems to be physically in the best shape he has been since 2010-11. He looks healthy and confident. He’s changed his game to play even shorter points. It was odd to see Rafa have such a healthy edge in winning short points but losing the longer rallies to Novak. Nadal wants to play these shorter points now, he wants to attack. It will keep his career going longer and also keep him winning.

The one cause for concern with the ‘Nadal will win 10 French Opens!’ crowd back in 2007 was his physical style of play could end his career early. While those fears were definitely not unfounded, as he’s missed more time than the other big stars (save for Del Potro) since he first injured his knees in 2009, he seems fine now. I think the Rafa detractors back in 2007 didn’t think he would be this good in 2014. He just turned 28 during the French Open, and seems fine. Now, Roger Federer also won his 14^th major at 28 and has won just three since, but when Federer was 28, Nadal and DJokovic were squarely in their primes. Right now, there are no up-and-coming guys Nadal has to be all that worried about. The biggest worry is still Novak.

Djokovic will likely never reach the level he had in 2011 again. That said, he still continues to beat Nadal consistently, especially in best of three matches. His problem now is best of 5. In a way, that is everyone’s problem with Nadal. Nadal has won his last four Grand Slam matches against Djokovic, including three straight in Finals. In fact, one of the most impressive stats of Nadal’s career is his record in Grand Slam matches against the other big three. He is now 9-3 against Djokovic to go along with a 9-2 mark against Federer and a 7-2 against Murray. Overall, that is a tidy 25-7 in Grand Slams, and even if you remove the French Open he’s 12-7, with at least a .500 record against all three. Rafael Nadal may not get to Federer’s 17 slams, and he won’t touch some of the records Federer put up, like winning three majors four times, or making 23 straight semifinals. Heck, even Novak DJokovic has gotten to the Semifinals of a Slam more times given the amount Nadal has lost to injury. That said, Rafael Nadal has the edge over basically everyone head-to-head. He has a winning record against everyone in the Top-25. And he has that 25-7 mark against the Big 3.

Rafael Nadal is definitely not underappreciated. The only people that decry his achievement are rather obvious trolls. They still call him a defensive one-trick pony who can only win on clay, despite his three slam wins on Hard Court and two on Grass. Nadal, though, has lived up to everyone’s best expectations of him. He’s dominated the French Open in the way most hoped he could, winning 9 of ten, winning 197 sets and dropping just 20 in his 67 French Open matches. He’s changed and adjusted his game to become an all-around force and a great player on every surface. Rafael Nadal is one of the Top-5 Players ever, but his achievements and consistency on clay is still stunning. He never gets tired of the surface, never drops in intensity, he reacted to winning his 9^th French Open like he did his 2^nd, and the emotion he showed when the National Anthem of Spain was playing was real.

He might be done winning French Opens. You never know what will happen when a tennis player gets closer and closer to 30. You never know with his medical history. You never know when someone’s desire will finally fade. That all said, if anyone’s desire will last it is Nadal’s. No one is a harder competitor. No one makes the most of every point more than him. One last stat before Rafa and the Tennis World heads off to Wimbledon (where Rafa, ironically enough, will try to end a 2-game losing streak), Nadal has won his last 12 Semifinals at majors. Now, there’s a caveat that he’s lost before the semis three times in that streak, but the 12-consecutive wins in the Semifinal Round is longer than any streak Fed had (10) and Novak’s longest is four. For his career, Nadal is 20-3 in the Semifinals of a major, which blows away Federer’s 24-10 mark, or Novak’s 13-9 mark. If you are going to beat Nadal it will have to be because you outplay him at the very end, and he’s made himself about as hard to outplay as possible, and impossible to on clay.

Where it all began, one Champion to another back in 2005

Maria Sharapova, the Underrated Champion

Today Maria Sharapova won her 2nd French Open in the last three years (she lost in the Final last year). She won her 5th career Grand Slam. This was the 40th Grand Slam played since she stormed onto teh scene winning Wimbledon in 2004. Back then she was just 17 and knocked off an in-her-absolute-physical-prime Serena Williams in straight sets. She was extremely young, but extremely good. She was poised to be the next big thing in tennis. It didn't hurt that was a tall, beautiful, blonde girl from Russia. She was anointed that day.

Where it all started, winning the '04 Wimbledon at 17

40 slams later, Sharapova has, stunningly a little under-the-radar, pretty much fullfilled the promise she showed that day at Wimbledon. She's changed her game, changed her attitude, changed her preparation, and given her awesome results on clay the last few years, changed her favored service. She did all that, added four more majors, won the career slam, and somehow never really got the credit she deserved. We may think she should have done more, but she's done a whole lot, and more than anything, she was a true tennis player.

When she burst onto the scene the comparisons to Anna Kournikova were immediate, but also very complimentary. She was thought of as everything Kournikova wasn't, someone committed to tennis, with a bunch of prodigous skill. She accomplished at 17 something Anna famously never did, win a major. She kept to those standards for the first four years of her career. Competing with a prime Serena Williams, a still great Venus Williams, and both the primes of Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin, from Wimbledon 2004 through the 2008 Australian Open, a period of 15 majors, she won three slams, made another final, and made the semis 6 other times. She truly was Anna Kournikova with far more talent. Then injury struck.

Cementing her early legacy, winning the 2008 Australian Open

After winning that 2008 Australian Open, Sharapova started on a three year drought that included three different bouts with shoulder injuries, and just one trip past the Round of 16 at any majors. This was a lean time in Women's Tennis as well, and Sharapova did nothing. Suddenly, the Kournikova comparisons came back: was Maria tired of tennis? Did she care more about modeling? Was she too concerned with off the court ambitions? A lot of her poor results were explained by that balky shoulder, but maybe she wasn't long for the tennis world.

Women's tennis, especially since 2000, is a strange world where people come and go all the time. Justin Henin and Kim Clisjters retired, then unretired, then retired again. Younger players like Ana Ivanovic, Dinara Safina, Vera Zvonareva were great players one year and gone two years later (Ivanovic has returned to Top-20 status consistently it should be noted). Sharapova straying away from tennis was an easy storyline to write because it seemed possible. All the elements were there. Here was this woman who was essentially perfect to market outside tennis. She was a tall, beautiful blonde, who spoke excellent English, who was a Champion athlete. She was a marketers dream. It was easy for her to stray away from tennis after battling injury and already accomplishing a lot. Problem was Maria cared more about tennis than anyone gave her credit.

The Nadir of her career, a shocking 6-2 6-1 loss in the 1st round of '10 Australian Open

Off the court, Maria Sharapova seems the furthest thing from a fighter, a tennis lifer, as any Champion tennis player could be. But if you just watch her on the court, the evidence is all there. Start with one of the most controversial aspects of Maria's game, her loud grunt after every stroke. It started as a joke, than a point of issue, but beyond the ridiculous volume lies the energy she expends on each shot. When Rafa or Novak do the same thing (admittedly, not as loudly and distracting) people agree it is because how much they give on each shot. For Maria it is the same, the most outward example of how much she loves competition and the sport.

Her father gave up everything in Russia to bring her to the US when Maria was 9 to train in Florida. He worked scores of bad, low-paying jobs so Maria could train for years before being accepted into the IMG academy. Maria has that same work ethic, and it showed. Through the battles with shoulder injuries. Through the years of falling short in majors early way too often. Through the years of modeling agencies and outward interests trying to drag her away, she stayed committed. She stayed in the game, working on getting better. Realizing she couldn't pound her way to wins, she became even more fit, a better defensive player, a better counterpuncher. She changed the way she played, and the results have been amazing.

The Ultimate Redemption, winning the Career Slam at the '12 French Open

Her career almost reads like Kurt Warner's, a fast start with three major wins and loads of deep runs in majors from her age 17 season to age 21 season. Then, like Warner in New York and early in Arizona, Maria went through her down period. Finally, like Warner from 2007-2009, Maria fought back. Starting from teh 2011 French Open, over the next 17 majors, she's won two more, reached three other finals, and three other semifinals. She's remained interested in her off the court avenues, as she remains one of the msot marketable women athletes in teh world, but I hope she is finally getting the recognition she deserves as a tennis player.

Obviously, the model for any up and coming tennis player, the best case scenario, would be Serena, someone so gifted they can fly through the sport winning majors in buckets. But that is really unattainable, in teh same way being the next Federer or Nadal is. No, the real model should be Maria Sharapova. She's had a Hall of Fame career by staying in the sport. She didn't take the easy way out. She wasn't flighty and not dedicated enough. She didn't burn out too quickly as so many women tennis players have, sadly, done. No, she fought through everything. She's a Champion five times over. Her personality may resemble the beautiful woman she is, but her career resembles the grunter who scrambles and plays defense but still hits through the court. And the tennis world has been better off for it.

Re-Post: RTW Trip: The A-B-C's, Pt. 2

The Conclusion of my A-B-C's for my Round-the-World Trip.

N is for New Meats

My second day in Cape Town I had crocodile ribs. That opened the pandora's box of strange, new meats to try out. Crocodile became Ostrich, which became Warthog, which became another dose of Crocodile, which became Gembok (an antelope like thing), and all of this was just South Africa. Africa as a continent has some really unique fauna, and I tasted most of them (I don't think they eat Elephant or Hippo or Giraffe), but my tour of meats didn't end there. The most bizarre meat was still to come, and that happened my last day in Cambodia, where I went to one place that is notable for a crawling little appetizer. When I first saw turantula on the menu, I was excited. When they brought those 8-legged things to me, I was disappointed at how small they were. When I tasted them I was excited at how good they were. I finished off this tour in Australia with Kangaroo, another tender, red meat that I wish we could have in the US.


O is for the Oxford Art Factory

This is the only entry about a night spot, mainly because there was a witness to what happened that night anyway, in my cousin who was in Sydney at the time. We left an already decent bar near the Sydney waterfront that had lively music, a livelier crowd and view of the harbor on a beautiful night. I was a little skeptical of this place on Oxford Street being as good, and although I'm not one to leave a good thing too easily, since he was paying, I left without too much of a fight. The entrance to the Oxford Art Gallery gave off a really 'club' vibe, and a large area of the place was a nightclub, but that was closed off to ticketed guests only because some DJ was playing there. Instead, we had to hang at the bar, which had a dance floor, a giant projection screen playing music videos (that weren't the same songs as the ones playing out loud), a long bar and a ton of young people. It was an interesting night out with my cousin, and I learned a lot, like how seriously they take trying to keep out people without a ticket from the many side entrances to the club, to the fact that in Australia, they might not know what an 'Irish Car Bomb' is, and instead charge you for Guinness and Jameson separately. It was a long night, but a damn fun one.


P is for Phang Nga Bay

I was sick for each of my first two days in Phuket, but our last day there, I braved my still pulsating stomach illness to join my Mom on a boat tour of Phang Nga Bay. We ended up going for a nicer (in terms of price) tour than originally planned because instead of two tours we were just doing one, and while we did miss out on the other tour, I can't say that this tour was anything but incredible. The view of the small rock islands jutting out of the crystal-clear blue water, the winding caves that we were taken in by kayak, made to duck to avoid the glistening limestone formations on the ceilings, the umpteen photo opportunities. Everything combined for a memorable day out in the Andaman Bay. Somehow, despite all that was excellent with this tour, my most lasting memory is having to pass over the free, ice-cold coke bottles that the rest of the people on the tour boat were gulping down as an antidote against the oppressive heat because of my stomach.


Q is for Quality Family Time (yeah, I know, boring)

Obviously, the main attraction, in terms of getting to spend time with family, is to visit my long lost family in Australia. I had met them all before eons ago, and met my cousin Lisa in the US two years previously, but this would be meeting them on their turf; spending time at their home. I would also get to spend some time with the part of my family that is trapped in India (I kid about the 'trapped' thing). What I didn't expect was to meet another cousin who lives in the US in Sydney, or meet cousins of my parents in Sydney, Singapore, Mumbai and other places. The height of this history lesson came at a party in Bangalore at my Mom's cousin's house for his daughter's communion, where my Uncle Anthony basically pointed out each person and told me how they were connected to me. Because of how Mangalore worked, all of my 2nd cousins on that side of the family (My Mom's paternal family) are basically my Mom's age, so that added to the confusion. The last family members I met on my trip were my Aunt and cousin who used to live in Boston, one last reminder of the family I left behind in the US and the long litany of them I had met on my voyage.


R is for Rendang and Roti (Canai)

I wanted to go to Malaysia mainly for the food. I would say the cuisine encompassed about 75% of my reasoning to go to Malaysia. My favorite part of the cuisine experience in Malaysia was probably the seafood in the night markets in Penang, the stalls that sold fish, squid, clams, scallops adn shrimp by the ounce with any sauce you want, delivered to your table as you sip a Tiger Beer listening to the music. That's life. But this is about Rending and Roti Canai, my two mainstay Malaysian dishes I eat in the US. Roti Canai was a little hard to find since it is a breakfast food there, but I was able to get it at a Muslim eatery across our hotel in KL that stayed open all night. Rendang was more plentiful, and although none of the Rendangs we sampled were what we have in the US, we tried a few of them and all were quite good. Some were more spicy, some were more saucy, some were just totally different, but the various versions of Rendang was almost the connecting line for our time in Malaysia. I went to Malaysia for food, and if I go back, it will be for food. I'm sure there are more authentic restaurants serving Rendang that we didn't try out last time.


S is for Sushi!!

From one food to another. I didn't only go to Japan to eat sushi, but it just so happened that I eat a metric ton of sushi.I had expected the sushi in Japan to be good and to also be expensive, but only half of that statement turned out to be true. Of course, there is very expensive sushi, and I would classify one place I went to as moderately expensive, but the scores of 'Kaiten Sushi' places, with their conveyor belt, generally gave me good bang for my buck. The best of those places served all their different types of sushi, which encompassed most of the ones anyone would generally want, for 126 yen (about $1.25). Another had most for 115 yen, and then a few in the 165, 199, 250, and 450 yen categories. I ate at these places too many times that by the end I was able to request what I wanted to the sushi chef (by yelling at him, which is what everyone does) in Japanese. Although the real revelation in Japanese cuisine was the Japanese Korean BBQ, sushi was what really sustained me. Sushi became a part of me.


T is for Table Mountain

Table Mountain has the distinction of being one of the Top 10 tourist attractions worldwide according to Tripadvisor. I knew this going in, so my expectations were damn high for Table Mountain. My Uncle also told me it was the best tourist attraction in Cape Town, one of the best tourist spots in the world, so my expectations were a little higher. Somehow, Table Mountain exceeded them. The view on the cable car up to Table Mountain was incredible,, but that was merely an appetizer for what was on top. Table Mountain is situated directly behind Cape Town, creating a perfect view of the entire city. There is also the view of the Western Cape down South of Cape Town. The best part may be the size of the 'Table' top, making Table Mountain a perfect place to get some exercise walking up and down the rocks. I haven't seen enough of the world to say if it really is one of the 10 best tourist attractions, but I can't see how anyone could possibly be disappointed with spending some time atop of Table Mountain.


U is for the United MileagePlus Program

When I first started researching the logistics of how this trip would work, I found that each of the three major alliances gave round-the-world tickets. Of course, those came with about a $6,000 price, so those were quickly forgotten about. Then, I found that United offered a round-the-world mileage ticket for 180,000 miles, but the amount of stipulations on that were about three pages of text, and nearly every itinerary I wanted was not allowed for one reason or another. I finally settled on two seperated mileage tickets, and then the fun began. United and its Star Alliance partners can basically connect any two places in the world, but the fun is maximizing the stopovers, layovers, airlines and airports. I was able to get everything I wanted. Somehow, despite Johannesburg creating a nearly perfect triangle with New York and Ho Chi Minh, it was acceptable to use it as a stopover, making Cape Town fall into my lap. The amount of iterations and mock-itineraries I made on United.com's MileagePlus page; the amount of combinations and permutations of airlines and airports from Melbourne to Tokyo to Bangalore. I finally settled on getting a flight on All Nippon, because why not try All Nippon. United MileagePlus gave me 12 and 16 hour layovers in Singapore. It gave me everything I wanted. You rarely get a chance to say this to an American airline (and you rarely want to), but thank you United Airlines, for making your Mileage program a joy to use.


V is for the Victoria & Albert Waterfront

The Victoria and Albert (V&A) Waterfront in Cape Town was basically my city center during my stay on the Western Cape. It helped that it was a beautiful 15-20 minute walk away from my hostel. The Waterfront encapsulated everything I loved about Cape Town in one smaller than you would think area. There was great food with interesting meats, especially at City Grill, a place that gave me the royal treatment when I decided to go a second straight day. There was a mix of interesting people with awesome South African accents. There was great beer (Milk & Honey - which was so good it deserved its own letter). There was an incredible view of Table Mountain off in the distance, and there was the nervousness of leaving the place at night in fear of being attacked. If I had to do Cape Town again, I might stay closer to Long Street, but staying near the V&A Waterfront gave me an incredible start for my trip, energizing everything that had to come.


W is for Wine Tastings  

I'm not really a wine fan. I choose to drink beer, or scotch, or mostly anything over wine. But going to two of the more exotic wine producing countries, it was hard to avoid the lure of taking a lazy trip into Wine Country. My first experience was a tour to the Stellenbosch wine region of Cape Town. Given the nature of the trip (me and about 10 other mostly 40+ year old folks), that day was more about the odd entertainment of conversing with older married folk who joked in German, Danish and (for my sake) English. The other trip was near Melbourne, it a more picturesque area, with rolling hills of wineries, glowing under a purely sunny day. I still remember the names of the Melbourne wineries. There was De Botoli, there was Helen Hills, where we had lunch and I had one of the meatiest lamb legs I've ever had, and then Chandon, which was as nice as you would think, given the brand. Even after all the wine tasting, I'm still not the largest wine fan, but at least I enjoyed them enough that I can see me doing an adequate amount of wine tasting with my future wife at some point. My interest in wine will grow greater with age, much like the wine itself, but these trips to the wine regions of South Africa and Melbourne were a nice catalyst to get this process going.


X is for Xacuti

This trip to Goa was a slight disappointment, mainly because of where we chose to stay. Instead of staying at the more active North Goa, where we stayed in January 2011, we stayed in South Goa, which is quieter, but supposedly more beautiful. That may or may not be true, but if I go to Goa again, I'm definitely staying in North Goa. Anyway, back to South Goa. Because getting shack food was a little tougher and demanded driving some distance, I had more normal Goan food this time. Xacuti, a Goan curry used to cook beef, lamb, prawn and everything else in, represents those authentic Goan flavors. It took a while to get into the groove in Goa, but the food helped. Shack food was and still is great, but having Goan curries, headlined with Xacuti, on the beach with a beer, all for around 5 dollars, is still about as good as it gets in India.


Y is for Youth Hostels

You may be asking where did I stay when I was alone. You probably aren't, but you could be. And the answer, for every place where I was alone and didn't have family living there, was Youth Hostels, courtesy of Hostels.com or HostelWorld.com, or Booking.com. I had certain rules for any place I stayed. Firstmost, was to be in my own room. I lived through a 10-bed dorm-style room in Madrid in Spring 2010, and I was never going to do repeat that harrowing experience. My second requirement was air conditioning, because staying in Cambodia or Vietnam without it would have meant certain death. The final one was Wi-Fi, which most hostels give for free. All of these qualifications were met in a lot of places that were a lot nicer than what many would expect from the term 'Youth Hostel'. My hostel in Siem Reap (The Lotus Lodge) was actually a beautiful hotel, with giant rooms, a beautifully decorated pool with a bar and lodge area near it. The ones in Japan were modern, devilishly clean buildings. The best part, though, of Youth Hostels are the youth; the people there to meet. I would have never known how fun Colombians are, or never hung out with Brisbane-ites, or never met scores of other people if not for youth hostels.


Z is for Zero Regrets

When I left JFK on February 25th, on South African Airlines flight SA204, aboard a beautiful Airbus A340-600, with three seats all to myself, I was excited, obviously, but also extremely nervous. It was daunting to be away from the US for so long, especially since I was going to be alone for about half the trip. Since these are the 2010s, with Wi-Fi everywhere, I wasn't really alone, but what if I didn't make friends at the hostel? What if I got sick? What if I got injured? What if I didn't plan this well? Luckily, other than the sick part, none of those fears were realized. Only my dreams were. This trip was a great gift from a dad who I gifted with not having to pay for an 8th term at NYU. But more than that it was a chance for me to do a trip that I would never really have the chance to do again at an age where I don't have mortgages or car leases or any other real 'adult' strings holding me back. This was an opportunity to experience three continents, nine countries and countless cities. It was a chance to do anything I wanted, within the bounds of the law of course, and eat anything I wanted, and drink anything I wanted. When I left I was dreaming of eating a black pepper at Jumbo Seafood and then telling the cab driver 'Changi Airport' while telling myself 'Home'. But when I reached Jumbo Seafood on June 7th, and finished my black pepper crab, I instead of wanting to go home, wanted to start it all over again. You only get one chance to do this sort of trip, and I had my chance. Thank God I loved every part of it.