AT YOUTH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, CROWDS TURN OUT TO BOO

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 005343

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/NGA; NEA/ENA; NEA/ARP; NEA/PPD; NEA/FO; CA;
DS/IP/NEA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL ASEC KPAO TC
SUBJECT: AT YOUTH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, CROWDS TURN OUT TO BOO
U.S. TEAM



1. SUMMARY AND COMMENT: AFTER BATTLING THEIR WAY THROUGH THE
FIRST ROUND OF THE FEDERATION DE INTERNATIONALE DE FOOTBALL
ASSOCIATION'S (FIFA) WORLD YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP (UNDER 20),THE
US TEAM LOST A HEARTBREAKER IN ABU DHABI TO REIGNING CHAMPION
ARGENTINA, 2 TO 1 IN SUDDEN DEATH. THE STORY OF THE GAMES,
HOWEVER, WAS NOT THE AMAZING PLAY OF THE US SIDE. WHILE
SUPPORT FROM THE UAE GOVERNMENT AND FIFA ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
WERE OUTSTANDING AS USUAL, CROWDS TURNED OUT TO JEER THE YOUNG
AMERICAN TEAM DURING THEIR LAST GAME, INCLUDING BOOING THE US
NATIONAL ANTHEM. END SUMMARY AND COMMENT.


2. THE UAE GOVERNMENT AND THE UAE'S FIFA ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
SUPPORTED THE US TEAM SUPERBLY THROUGHOUT THE GAMES. THIS
SUPPORT INCLUDED LODGING THE US TEAM AT THE EXTRAVAGANT UAE
OFFICERS CLUB, PROVIDING ADDITIONAL SECURITY FOR ALL US TEAM
EVENTS, AND FACILITATING A SEPARATE, POLICE-CORDONED SECTION
FOR AMERICANS AT THE US GAMES. THE TEAM ALSO APPRECIATED THE
TDY DS AGENT THAT DIPLOMATIC SECURITY PROVIDED TO ENSURE THE
TEAM'S PERSONAL SECURITY AT ALL TIMES. MOST SPECIAL TO THE
TEAM, HOWEVER, WAS THE PRIVATE BUT LAVISH TURKEY DINNER THE
OFFICERS CLUB PROVIDED PLAYERS AND COACHES ON THANKSGIVING.


3. THE FIFA WORLD YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP GOT UNDERWAY IN THE UAE
WITH A FESTIVE OPENING CEREMONY IN ABU DHABI ON NOVEMBER 27.
THE UAE'S WEALTHY ELITE PURCHASED TICKETS FOR ALL GAMES AND
GAVE THEM TO ALL WHO APPEARED, THUS ALLOWING ATTENDANCE BY
LARGE NUMBERS OF EXPAT LABORERS, MANY OF WHOM COULD NOT AFFORD
SIMILAR EVENTS. DESPITE A GROUP THAT INCLUDED GERMANY,
PARAGUAY, AND SOUTH KOREA, THE US TEAM WON TWO OF ITS THREE
FIRST-ROUND MATCHES IN ABU DHABI TO ADVANCE TO ROUND TWO.
THESE FIRST-ROUND MATCHES WERE RELATIVELY QUIET, ATTENDED
MOSTLY IN SMALL NUMBERS BY NATIONAL FANS OF THE COMPETING
TEAMS.


4. HOWEVER, THIS CHANGED WHEN THE US TEAM PLAYED THE HEAVILY
FAVORED ARGENTINE SQUAD IN ROUND TWO. IN THIS GAME, THE US
TEAM PLAYED A DEFENSIVE MATCH HIGHLIGHTED BY A NUMBER OF
ATTACKS TO THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE FIELD. AHEAD BY A SINGLE
GOAL, THE US DEFENSE HELD THE ARGENTINES SCORELESS NEARLY THE
ENTIRE GAME. HOWEVER, THE US SURRENDERED A GOAL IN THE FINAL
SECONDS OF STOPPAGE TIME TO SET UP OVERTIME. FOLLOWING A
DISPUTED CALL TO SET UP A PENALTY KICK, ARGENTINA SQUEAKED THE
WINNING GOAL OFF THE FINGERTIPS OF THE DIVING US GOALKEEPER.


5. COMMENT: APPROXIMATELY 20,000 SOCCER FANS, A MIXTURE OF
SOUTH ASIANS, ARABS, AND EMIRATIS, BOOED THE AMERICANS AT
EVERY POSSIBLE OPPORTUNITY. AFTER DROWNING OUT THE U.S.
NATIONAL ANTHEM WITH THEIR JEERS, THE FANS CHEERED EACH US
MISFORTUNE ON THE FIELD. THIS OPEN PUBLIC REACTION
DEMONSTRATES THAT TENSIONS AND ANTI-AMERICAN ATTITUDES STILL
RUN HOT, EVEN IN THE RELATIVELY CALM UAE.


6. ONE BRIGHT SPOT IN THIS UNFRIENDLY CROWD WAS THE NUMBER OF
IRAQIS WHO TURNED OUT FOR THE GAMES, SAT WITH AMERICANS, AND
CHEERED THE US TEAM. SEVERAL IRAQIS BROUGHT ALONG US AND NEW
IRAQI FLAGS TO THE US GAMES AGAINST ARGENTINA AND GERMANY.
DURING THE GAME, THEY PROUDLY WAVED BOTH IN FRONT OF THE
JEERING CROWDS. A PICTURE OF AN IRAQI FAMILY WAVING THEIR NEW
FLAG NEXT TO AN AMERICAN ONE AT THE ARGENTINE GAME APPEARED IN
THE UAE'S LOCAL ARABIC AND ENGLISH DAILIES ON DECEMBER 14.
END COMMENT.

WAHBA