by Patrick ‘Rey’ Reynell
A championship run can be the result of many factors effectively employed by coach and players. Some coaches are key motivators. Others, tactical savants whose genius becomes the more apparent during a golden run. But the one mitigating factor that no coach, general manager or player has control over is injury.
An injury can occur at anytime, in any form, and on the most innocuous athletic circumstance. Prevention, however, should come with some logical preparation.
Maybe the logistics of Didier Drogba’s situation is lost on an American soccer fan. This past Friday, one week from the start of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the Ivory Coast striker suffered a broken elbow. Not in training, not in a freak accident. No – Drogba suffered the injury during a friendly match against Japan as a final warm up for the World Cup.
A friendly match, an athletic euphuism if there ever was one, may only apply to the game’s exhibition-like final result. Athletes will compete no matter the stakes. And that’s just what Japan’s Marcus Tulio Tanaka did when he came in for a challenge with his right knee soaring across the pride of the Ivory Coast. Drogba immediately grabbed his arm then winced in pain and with him, millions of Ivoronians winced as well.
The thirty-two year old remains the country’s best hope to advance out of a brutally difficult group. Ivory Coast and North Korea are expected to be looking up at the international favorites Brazil and Portugal in order to reach the knockout stage. Drogba, fresh off of another English Premier League championship and golden boot award for his twenty-nine goals, remains hopeful after surgery that he can help Les Éléphants advance on their home continent.
Considering the importance of Ivory Coast’s all-time leading scorer and the magnitude of the event, shouldn’t this situation have been handled with logistics of supply-and-demand in mind?
Why did Ivory Coast coach Sven-Göran Eriksson even allow his best offensive supply to suit up in game where the endeavor did not demand it? Though this may not be uncommon in the soccer world, it seems like from a logistical standpoint a coach would want his best player to avoid competition before a championship tournament. The Ivory Coast’s most important player suffered a possible World Cup-ending injury in a game where the supply needed to be shelved for a more important demand.
If even a mild sprain would take a couple of weeks to strengthen, then where is the necessity of playing Drogba just one week before the World Cup? It seems like the preferred style of sports preparation has become the game itself.
Though soccer is not as violent, its American counterpart, football, never plays a game outside of its season schedule and even dresses its most important position in a brightly colored jersey during practice so as to avoid any contact (Should my American brethren suggest that soccer possesses no violence in its competitions, then please take a gander during a 50-50 ball this World Cup). Logistics management in sports takes precedence because the supply chain, if not analyzed carefully, could trump a team’s value of time and player utility.
The World Cup comes around once every four years. Great players like Drogba only have a select few years of their playing careers to capitalize on their prime and compete on the world’s biggest stage. Drogba will be thirty-six for the next World Cup and his prime will remain here in 2010. And for what?
Ivory Coast ended up defeating Japan 2-0 yet at quite a cost. Perhaps if Eriksson took some time to evaluate his team’s situation, he could have shelved Drogba as a precautionary measure. A week before the country’s biggest competition, would anyone have questioned him?
Now, he must reanalyze that warehouse of talent for the Ivory Coast and figure out a way to finish second in Group G. A considerable demand for a country that just lost its best supply.
It was a matter of time before something like this happened. The number of games these guys play is crazy. They are competing for so many different titles: League crowns, Champions, Euro, FA, etc… How do they distinguish when to play and when not to? Then you get to friendly, and Drogba is probably thinking it was a chance to get some rhythm going with his teammates. And this happens. It’s too bad. That being said. I am not a Drogba fan.
Some have been critical of the Japanese player for coming in too hard since it was a friendly so near the World Cup.
He’s having surgery and still thinks there is a chance he can play, but Ivory Coast will check with Chelsea first to see if they’ll okay it. That always kills. The club teams control the players and international games are like some second-rate affair. Why not leave it up to Drogba. It’s his arm, not his achilles.
“Friendly” is a relative term. I have watched “friendlies.” It’s definitely not like watching the NHL or NBA all-star game or the Pro Bowl. Seriously, how do those guys shut it off – the competitive juices anyway. I would not be a good person to include in a “friendly.”
I wonder if they borrowed that term from “friendly fire.” Though not intended to do any hamr, could be violent and detrimental.
Exactly! Unless you are shooting blanks, it ain’t friendly. Come to think of it. There has to some pain involved getting hit with a blank.
Well, blanks can kill you, just ask Jason Lee.
As far as the injury, it’s too bad, but that’s the way it goes. Although I will say a broken arm is the last thing I thought I would hear about a soccer injury. Maybe if there was more than one ref they could police things better, but it’s hard to tell with soccer, since so many players go down crying it’s like watching a WWF event at times.
Come on, Bill – it’s “WWE” now. Please do some research before commenting so we can keep the discussion on the Pine scholarly.
Sorry Rey, I suppose I should be nailed to the cross after missing something like that. Well, after a sleeper hold, of course.
Was able to watch the last period of France and Uruguay match. It’s funny that the first two matches were tie. Wondering about the next matches results.
Drogba has been cleared to play against Portugal. He’ll wear a small cast on his broken arm.
This WorldCup is keeping me completely riveted. As now a total of 48 hat-tricks have been scored in the history of the Football World Cup I’m wondering who will follow Gonzalo Higuain to up that this year.