In golf, the world's best instructors recognize that the body cannot achieve what
the brain cannot conceive. To open up the mind to the concept of an achievable
perfect golf round-18 greens in regulation with 18 one putts-the term "Vision 54"
has been coined.
When you consider that France allowed only 2 goals over the whole of World
Cup '98, and then realize that Germany allowed only 1 goal going into the final of
World Cup '02, as did Italy going into the final of FIFA World Cup '06. I assure
you that the defenses and coaching staffs of the world's favorite teams all share
what I call "Vision Zero"...which is to say the dream of ZERO goals allowed in
route to winning a FIFA World Cup.
And while many purists might even call such an accomplishment the "perfect" World
Cup performance, such a happening would surely NOT be good for soccer. But it
may very well be what is required to spurn FIFA to take action...
...unless you consider that new and improved soccer balls of W/C '02 and 'W/C '06
an attempt to take action! As someone who lives in a wind plagued area of the world,
I don't regard a livelier ball as a plus.
But before you e-mail me on this, remember that little Columbia shut out
everyone en route to their domination of the 2001 COPA America, including
a 1-0 shut out of Mexico in the final. While I realize that the COPA isn't
the World Cup, this is Columbia we are talking about.
And the tournament clean sheet tradition continued a couple years
later as Mexico shut out everyone en route to their domination of
the CONCACAF Gold Cup of 2003, including the 1-0 overtime final.
Source: Associated Press/Dallas Morning News, July 28, 2003, P. 7c
The good news: You needn't contemplate "Vision Double Zero", which
is to say a World Cup Championship allowing Zero Goals Allowed, plus Zero
Shots On Goal. Only the father of 2 goalkeepers could ever envision such a
thing, probably due to the fact that I've heard the phrase:
"That shot would have not even been taken if the defender had simply stayed with his man!"
so many times, that I'm actually starting to believe it. (Fortunately, I'm told that
acknowledging the problem is the first step toward recovery.)
Finally, "Vision Triple Zero" -- that's zero goals, zero shots on goal, and zero shots,
may very well be the worse case scenario for a World Cup match. So you say
such a concept is delusional at best? Consider the NCAA Division I Women's
Tournament for 2002, which has yielded a match which will no doubt go down in
history as the NCAA's Tournament's ultimate defensive performance. Third ranked
UCLA dominated #4 ranked Texas A & M University to the tune of zero goals,
zero shots on goal, and yes, zero shots, allowed throughout regulation and overtime.
But a closer examination of the box score opens our eyes to the fact that game is
indeed an example of "Vision Quadruple Zero", because UCLA's defense allowed
ZERO corner kicks as well. Truly a perfect defensive performance.
For UCLA, this type of domination was no fluke, as earlier in the season they
had stymied Oregon, Arizona, Hawaii and USC each to 3 total shots and corner
kicks, and held San Diego, Oregon St., Washington St., and Cal. St. Northridge
each to 4 total shots and corner kicks, and subdued San Francisco, BYU, and
the Mexican Women's National Team each to just 5 total shots and corner kicks.
But getting back to UCLA's game against the Lady Aggies of Texas A & M, we
can call this game "Vision Quadruple Zero with a Twist", as the game played to a
0-0 final score, and then Texas A & M won the match in the shootout, after being
out shot and out corner kicked 29-0 by UCLA! Recaps for the match are at:
UCLA's recap or UCLA's box score page or Texas A & M's recap
"Vision Zero" -- it's on the way!
Mike "The Zippo Fighter" Kimbro
To Return, better to hit your BACK ARROW BUTTON,