French soccer star Zinedine Zidane (pictured here) will not be playing in either Havanna, Cuba, or Yerevan, Armenia, today, but the results of two World Cup-qualifying soccer games could have major political implications that go far beyond the soccer stadium.
(Pictured: Turkish soccer player Tanju who was a star in the Turkish Super League some 15 years ago).
The first game will be between Turkey and Armenia and it will kick off around noon (U.S. East Coast time) at Hirazdan Stadium. Anyone familiar with history or politics will undoubtedly understand what is involved. The two sides (full disclosure: I am half-Turkish) have been bickering for generations over what happend in eastern Turkey 83 years ago when many Armenians living in that area died.
The Armenians state that the events of 1915 were a deliberate effort by Turkish authorities to exterminate them, which is why they refer to this period as the Armenian Genocide, which Turkey does not recognize.
The Turks state that there were mutual attrocities on both sides due to ethnic fighting, and that the numbers of Armenian casualties were inflated due to famines and harsh conditions that were brought on by the exodus of Armenians that resulted from the hostilities.
(For the sake of objectivity, I refuse to divulge my opinions on this matter here though I have previously clashed with both Turkish and Armenian nationalists over the intensely toxic issue for reasons which are too complicated to explain here.)
The dispute is the ultimate "Rashomon Nightmare" and tomorrow's game is not likely to resolve the spat.
But, it can possibly improve nonexistent diplomatic ties between Ankara and Yerevan, which are further complicated because Turkey is closely allied with Azerbaijan- a country which is involved in territorial disputes with Armenia.
(Pictured Pele and English soccer legend Alan Moore).
The day's other major game is between The United States and Cuba, and it will be the first time that an American soccer game has ventured to Cuban soil for a match in 46 years. There is surprisingly little about the game that will be broadcast on ESPN Classics on the net, perhaps because of concerns that a possible incoming hurricane could cancel the game, slated for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff.
There will be a soccer party at Momo's in Northwest Washington, DC, for the USA-Cuba game, and one has to expect that both "The Miami Herald" and the right-leaning Cuban-American blogger community (one such blog praised the convention speech by dubious Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin in Minnesota) will be discussing the game in depth after it has been played.
The Cuban-American community in Florida, which became one of America's most fervent arch-conservative voting blocks after the failed Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba by the Kennedy administration, is frequently cited as being responsible for the election of George W. Bush in 2000.
As for the Turkish-Armenian match, perhaps the following statement on a Reuters blog sums it up best:
"For the two countries divided over a wartime slaughter that occured early in the last century, it will be a historic moment, fraught with perils."
One has to credit Turkish president Abdullah Gul and his counterpart Serzh Sarkisian for agreeing to meet each other. They are likely to sit beside each other, against the wishes of fervent nationalists on both sides (quite a few of whom are genuinely insane- lemme tell you!), during the game.
In an article in "The Turkish Daily News," Sarkisian said the following:
"Gul's visit to our country is highly important. We, Armenians, suffered a lot in the past," the Armenian president said. ""It is not possible to forget about all those pains. But, now we should look to the future."
The same article also discussed the frustration that residents of Yerevan feel because Turkish fans are minimal in number even though the Armenian government lifted the visa requirements for Turkish citizens to see the game in the Armenian capital.
"The significance of political relations can not be denied," said Yerevan resident Hayk Vartanyan. "But close contacts between the two peoples of two countries are more important."
There were also local concerns that there would be anti-Turkish riots in Yerevan, but none have surfaced as of yet, according to the "TDN" article. And, I would imagine there are similar worries in Istanbul where there is a considerable Armenian population.
As for the USA-Cuba soccer game, regardless if it is played or not, the rematch is scheduled for RFK Stadium in Washington, DC, on Oct. 11.
One can expect that a fair number of soccer fans will be watching satellite tv in Glendale, Calif., and Patterson, NJ, respectively on Saturday afternoon.
The Los Angeles suburb of Glendale, which is the burial place of famed comedian W.C. Fields (not of Armenian heritage), is believed to be the zip code with the largest Armenian-American population in America.
Conversely, Patterson, which looks like a host of New Jersey cities that one would see in the opening credits of the HBO series "The Sopranos," reportedly has the largest Turkish community in the country.
The results for both games (presuming the one in Havanna is played) will be posted here at some juncture this weekend. As for the off-the-field results, pardon the cliche, but only time will tell.
Useful Links:
http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr
http://reviewofcuban-americanblogs.blogspot.com *
(*Not an endorsement)
UPDATE: Turkey won the game in Armenia 2-0. There were apparently some protests before the match, but the event was otherwise civil in nature. The game is also the subject of an article in "Time" and a report which aired on CBS News. The Turkish newspaper "Hurriyet" is reporting that President Abdullah Gul returned to Ankara after watching the game with Armenian president Serzh Sarkisian.
UPDATE TWO: Another win for the road team, as the USA soccer defeated Cuba in front of a large crowd by 1-0 count thanks to a first-half goal from Clint Dempsey. The game was reportedly sloppily played, and the American team greeted the Cuban fans by cheering them for coming out to the game.
CORRECTION: The game was the first time an American soccer team had visited Cuba in 61 years, not 47 years. The visit was in 1947 which caused some of the confusion.
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