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The enormous media attention surrounding the World Cup has seen it used for political ends in the past, with host countries and past champions alike taking advantage of the cultural celebration for their own purposes. With the 2010 final just days away, one thing is for certain – there will be a first-time world champion. Europe will equal South America’s record of 9 World Cups, a see-saw battle between the new and old worlds that has never seen either continent take a lead of more than one.

Scott Ferguson takes a look at the political context of select World Cups:

1930 – The first World Cup only had 13 participants, but host side Uruguay used it as a chance to showcase themselves to continental Europe and it’s football teams. The reigning Olympic champions Uruguay won the inaugural tournament on home soil, proving themselves as worthy world champions.

1934 and 1938 – Just as Adolf Hitler adopted of the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games as a celebration of his new regime, Italian ruler Benito Mussolini was able to spin Italy’s World Cup victories in 1934 and 1938 into a justification of his own Fascist reign. The 1934 triumph was on home soil while the 1938 side overcame opposition from Italian dissidents living in host nation France to bring home the trophy again just one year before full-scale war broke out.

1950 – The first post-war edition of the World Cup was meant to represent host country Brazil’s emergence on the world stage, announcing themselves as a developed nation in the post-World War II world order. Needing only a draw against Uruguay in the final round-robin match to secure the title, almost 200 000 packed the Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro to see their heroes complete the mere formality of victory. Alcides Ghiggia scored the goal that gave Uruguay one of the great upsets in World Cup history, however, handing Uruguay their second title and casting a shadow over the Brazilian national identity that has not been recovered from. The Maracanaço, which sent nearly everyone amongst the 170 000+ in attendance into a stunned silence, has been described as the country’s own Hiroshima, a defining moment of tragedy that shaped future sporting generations. 8 years later, a teenage Pele gave Brazil their first of five world championships, but until Sunday’s final the Seleção are still the only country to have won the World Cup but failed to win it on home soil at least once. The pressure on the 2014 side to deliver the trophy at revamped Maracanã will be absolutely immense.

1954 – “The Miracle of Bern” saw West Germany upset the heavily favoured Hungary in Switzerland to win their first World Cup title. Hungary, unbeaten in 5 years, had swept all before them in the tournament build-up, but it was the war-ravaged West Germany that took home the Jules Rimet trophy and the political capital to go with it. Germans were no longer ashamed to be proud of their country again, with the national anthem played in public after the victory for the first time since the war.

1966 – England, inventors of the sport, had been humiliated in previous World Cup outings, famously losing to the United States 1-0 in 1950 at the first tournament that the English FA had deigned to enter. The 1966 edition was to represent the national team’s crowning glory, finally winning the trophy at the sport’s spiritual home at Wembley. The final against West Germany was all too perfect, then, with unpleasant memories of the war still fresh in the English collective memory. Geoff Hurst’s hat-trick in somewhat controversial circumstances was enough for a 4-2 extra-time victory and allowed Bobby Moore to collect the trophy from Queen Elizabeth II.

1978 – Argentina hosted the World Cup under a ruling military junta, the armed forces having seized power in a coup following the death of popular leader Juan Perón earlier in the decade. The ruling party seized on the publicity surrounding the home side’s victory, their first ever World Cup, with the players and media carried along for the ride. One victorious squad member later boasted how, with the junta leadership preparing the meet the players after the final, he put his hand in his shorts and collected as much sweat as possible before shaking the hands of the visiting leaders.

1986 – Argentina’s second World Cup title, this one in Mexico, came with the 1980s Falkland Islands war between Argentina and the United Kingdom still fresh in the memory. The eventual champions’ quarter-final victory over England was seen as a win-at-all-costs scenario, and Diego Maradona took it to heart with a famous goal that saw him run the length of the pitch with the ball glued to his feet – and an infamous punched goal he later dubbed the “Hand of God”. Maradona’s actions were seen as necessary back in Argentina, and England were left red-faced and eliminated.

1990 – West Germany had lost to Argentina in the final four years earlier, but Franz Beckenbauer’s side won the 1990 edition in Italy to become the most successful World Cup nation ever (a title eventually claimed by Brazil in 2002). This was West Germany’s last World Cup before national reunification, but with communism falling across eastern Europe, the country’s victory represented a triumph for all of Germany.

1998 – France hosted the last World Cup of the century amidst heavy criticism at home having failed to qualify for the previous tournament in 1994. Right wing politicians like Jean-Marie le Pen railed against the racially mixed group, blaming their problems on what he perceived as a lack of Frenchness. Aimé Jacquet was quietly confident in his side, led by an Algerian with a Basque left-back and players tracing their heritage to Africa, the Caribbean, Armenia and even French Polynesia. By the time of the final against Brazil, all Frenchmen, regardless of colour, had united behind the squad, and the home side’s 3-0 victory in Paris was a victory for multiculturalism.

2006 – Italian football had been rocked in 2006 with the Calciopoli scandal, one of the periodic highly publicized cleansings of corruption from the sport in the peninsula. Juventus contributed a number of players to the Azzurri but were set to play in Serie B in the coming season, while the Milan contingent were only a year off the humiliating 3-3 comeback defeat to Liverpool in the 2005 Champions League final. Coach Marcello Lippi was able to foster a club-like atmosphere in the national team set-up, however, and the players seemed ready to die for each other in restoring the honour of their tarnished national game. The semifinal win over hosts Germany and shoot-out win over France in the final was redemption for the sport, putting Italy back at the top when their club sides had done everything to drag them down.

2010 – While from a political standpoint, the outcome of Sunday’s World Cup final will do little to alter the entire tournament’s legacy, the event itself has gone down as a celebration of African culture and a tribute to the organizing skills of the host nation. A tournament that was initially written off due to fears of crime and corruption has flourished, with the most talked-about problem not one of logistics but of vuvuzelas. A Spanish victory would cement their place as the greatest side in the world and finally shake off their reputation as choke artists on the big stage, silencing the critics who feel that club and regional divisions in the squad has kept them as perennial underachievers. For their part, a Dutch victory would finally put to rest the ghosts of the 1970s side that lost in two consecutive finals and launch a celebration in Johannesburg, a city that still bears the influence of early Dutch settlers. Like France in 1998, the Netherlands are currently witnessing the rise of anti-immigration political platforms, and a Dutch win on Sunday could have a powerful effect – the side’s captain is the ethnically Moluccan Giovanni van Bronckhorst, and the squad seems to be free from the racial divisions that hampered the great Dutch side of the 1990s. If van Bronckhorst manages to lift the trophy on Sunday, racial intolerance in his home country will not disappear overnight, but the Oranje will have proved a shining example of racial harmony to their countrymen.

With world leaders and protesters descending on the city during Saturday’s G20 summit, Toronto FC played out a 0-0 draw with visitors LA Galaxy as riots broke out just blocks away. Fans struggled to arrive in time for the 19:30 kick-off with public transit suspended and traffic at a stand-still.

Toronto boss Preki started with Julian de Guzman on the substitutes bench as he recovers from a hamstring strain, and with Sam Cronin having recently left for San Jose, Gambian youngster Amadou Sanyang started alongside Martin Saric in central midfield. It was the Galaxy’s Chris Birchall who had the best chance of the first half, however, firing high and wide from outside the area. The former Port Vale man was born in England but starred in Trinidad & Tobago’s World Cup 2006 qualifying campaign.

CONCACAF internationals such as Birchall have proved stars in MLS time after time, and Toronto’s own local lad-turned captain Dwayne De Rosario offered the Reds’ only real threat going forward as the game wore on. He had a number of long range drives, including one in each half that fizzed just past Jamaican international goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts’ far post.

De Guzman was joined by Gabe Gala as a second half substitute, but neither designated player nor Canadian youngster were able to make a serious impact on the game. Gala had a long range effort curl wide late on as LA seemed to settle for a point with Toronto offering little serious objection. For their part, the Galaxy were missing their own brand of Galacticos in David Beckham, Edson Buddle and Landon Donovan, with the latter two a part of the United States’ World Cup squad that fell to Ghana just hours earlier in South Africa.

Scattered attendance meant that Toronto’s vocal home support was noticeably subdued, while humidity in the first half gave way to rain in the second. The result ensures that both teams are still in with a shout at playoff contention, and while Toronto’s unbeaten home record stands, three consecutive 0-0 draws in all competitions at BMO Field have hardly inspired confidence from Toronto’s attack. The Reds will play the third of a four game home stand on Canada Day against Houston, with three points vital for Toronto to make the most of home comforts and stay in a playoff position.

Sam Cronin was traded to San Jose Earthquakes for allocation money earlier today, the American midfielder joining Canadian boss Frank Yallop at the California outfit in exchange for an undisclosed amount of allocation money. Cronin, a 2009 draft pick, played in six games for Toronto FC this season, recording one assist.

With the club’s depth at midfield following head coach Preki’s arrival in the off-season, Cronin was always unlikely to match the 27 appearances he recorded in his rookie season. The Wake Forest product was the second overall draft pick in 2009 and scored one goal for the Reds last season. Cronin has two caps for the American national team but was not called up to the 2010 World Cup squad.

Canada may not have qualified for this edition of the FIFA World Cup, but Toronto FC can yet claim alumni in South Africa this summer. While home-grown internationals like Julian de Guzman and Dwayne De Rosario will be watching the tournament at home, the club boasts at least a tenuous connection to football’s showpiece.

No one on the current roster was called up to the World Cup; the squad’s American contingent aren’t national team regulars while Stefan Frei may hope to break into Switzerland’s national team set-up in the future having been part of their youth international set-up. Looking through the 70+ players Toronto have fielded in their existence, however, yields more than one World Cup hopeful:

Maurice Edu – USA

As an expansion side, Toronto FC’s first draft pick in the 2007 MLS draft was always going to be crucial to their attempts to build a team. Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment chose California native Maurice Edu and were rewarded almost instantly from “the Franchise”, with his goal against Chicago Fire early in 2007 putting Toronto 3-1 up on their way to the team’s first ever win. A move to Europe was always going to be on the cards after a Rookie of the Year-winning performance in his debut season, and Scottish side Rangers came calling in 2008 to prise away Toronto’s talisman. Edu didn’t see the field during the US national team’s 1-1 draw with England, but impressed as a second-half substitute as the Stars and Stripes battled back from 2-0 down to pull level with Slovenia on Friday. Edu thought he had scored a late winner after turning in Landon Donovan’s free kick in the game’s dying stages, but the referee had prematurely – and controversially – blown his whistle as the set piece was being delivered. Edu may well have earned a starting spot in the crucial group C encounter with Algeria on Wednesday.

Andrew Boyens – New Zealand

One of the few bright spots on Toronto’s defence during the Reds’ misfiring 2007 season was Boyens, the New Zealand international who left the club early in 2008 to join New York. His heading was a threat at both ends of the field, and while he was hardly noted for his pace, the way the team fell apart in his absence during that inaugural season spoke volumes. He’ll look up to another product of MLS on the All-Whites’ back-line, fellow central defender Ryan Nelsen. Blackburn Rovers stopper Nelsen played for D.C. United for four seasons after graduating from Stanford in the United States. Boyens hasn’t played a minute of the Kiwis’ World Cup campaign as of yet, but merely being a part of the squad to have taken two historic points so far will prove a great experience for the NYRB defender.

Amado Guevara – Honduras (captain)

2004 Major League Soccer MVP Guevara was originally set to join Toronto FC in 2007, but the enigmatic playmaker, fresh from a falling-out with Chivas USA coach Preki, pulled out of the move and preferred to return to Honduras with Motagua instead. He eventually joined the Reds in 2008 and became a mainstay in attacking midfield, forming a potent partnership with De Rosario. Preki’s arrival on the Lakeshore never looked good for Guevara, who has since returned to Motagua – and incidentally will get his chance to play his old teammates in CONCACAF Champions League qualifying later this summer. The Honduras captain started both matches so far for his country in the World Cup, with the 34-year-old exiting the 1-0 loss to Chile after 66 minutes.

Edson Buddle – USA

American striker and Pele namesake Buddle had an all-too-brief spell with Toronto back in 2007, being traded to the club for expansion draft pick Tim Regan early in the Reds’ first season. Buddle provided the first ever Toronto FC assist for Danny Dichio’s goal in that 3-1 win over Chicago, but failed to find the net himself in ten appearances and left for Los Angeles in exchange for much-needed defensive cover in Tyrone Marshall. The Galaxy striker has thrived in LA and earned himself a spot on the US’ World Cup roster, coming off as a late substitute against England.

Danny Dichio – England
Dichio’s hat-trick against Algeria… only kidding. But could England really do worse with Dichio in place of Heskey up front?

While it would have been nice to see a member of Toronto’s squad at the World Cup, the presence of these World Cup-class internationals in the club’s history can only be a good thing. By 2014, the squad will want even more representatives – something that may depend on Canada qualifying.

TFC were able to hang onto a win in San Jose to register three points on the road for the first time this MLS season. Preki started the match with 2009 TFC MVP Dwayne De Rosario and Designated Player Julian de Guzman on the bench after they returned to The Reds following international duty with the Canadian Men’s National Team in Argentina earlier in the week.

The first half saw Chad Barrett notching his fifth of the season in the 31st minute when Stefan Frei placed a goal kick from the TFC end to the edge of the San Jose box. Jason Hernandez of San Jose made a poor attempt to head the ball back to Cannon his goalkeeper and Barrett was able to get the outside of his right foot onto the ball, resulting in first goal San Jose has surrendered at home since April 24. Barrett was also awarded a yellow card for his post goal celebration with the corner flag.

The play in the first half was not spectacular, but control of play was to the advantage of The Reds. San Jose Earthquakes did create opportunities in the 13, 23 and 35 minutes, but were unable to capitalize on these chances.

Both TFC and San Jose made changes at the half, with TFC bringing in De Rosario and de Guzman for O’Brian White and Martin Saric.

San Jose brought in Arturo Alvarez for Joey Gjertsen.

Early in the second half Stefan Frei confirmed why he is one of the best goal keepers in the league with a great save on Chris Wondolowski, resulting in a corner kick for San Jose. This proved to just the first of many missed opportunities for the Earthquake in the second half.

Dwayne De Rosario added to the TFC lead in the 66th minute by taking a long pass launched by Dan Gargan just inside the San Jose side of half and one touched it from the top of the box past Joe Cannon to make it 2-0 TFC. For De Rosario it was his 7th goal of the season which leads the eastern conference.

The two goal deficit seemed to create a sense of urgency for San Jose and for the remainder of the game they showed the pressure that they can put on opposing teams.

The lone San Jose goal came on a corner with Ramiro Corrales heading in a Bobby Convey cornerin the 76th minute. It appeared that Corrales and one other San Jose player were the only people on the pitch to go after the ball. This resulted in the Earthquake closing the gap with less than 15 minutes remaining in the match.

San Jose continued to put pressure on TFC for the remainder of the match and ended with 16 shots, 7 of those on goal, compared to TFC with 9 shots and 3 of those on goal.

In a half of play that saw no injuries, there was 3 minutes of stoppage time added and at 92 minutes Joe Cannon left his net to join in the San Jose attack on the Toronto goal.

This strategic decision was not successful and resulted in a clearing by Nick LaBrocca down the field to be captured by De Rosario to net his second of the game and finish the match at 3-1.

Next up for Toronto, a home match against the Vancouver Whitecaps on Wednesday June 2 at 8pm in the final match of the Nutrilite Canadian Championship, followed by a visit by the Kansas City Wizards for a 4pm start on Saturday June 5.

Scoring Summary
TOR – Chad Barrett (unassisted) 31
TOR – Dwayne De Rosario (Dan Gargan) 66
SJ — Ramiro Corrales (Bobby Convey) 76
TOR — Dwayne De Rosario (Nick LaBrocca) 94+

Lineups:

Toronto FC
Stefan Frei
Dan Gargan
Nana Attakora
Adrian Cann
Nick Garcia
Jacob Peterson
Nick LaBrocca
Amadou Sanyang
Martin Saric (Julian de Guzman 46)
Chad Barrett (Sam Cronin 82)
O’Brian White (Dwayne De Rosario 46).
Substitutes Not Used: Gabe Gala, Raivis Hscanovics, Maksim Usanov, Jon Conway.

San Jose Earthquakes
Joe Cannon
Chris Leitch (Scott Sealy 77)
Bobby Burling
Jason Hernandez
Ramiro Corrales
Brandon McDonald
Bobby Convey
Ryan Johnson
Chris Wondolowski
Joey Gjertsen (Arturo Alvarez 46)
Brad Ring (Cornell Glen 59)
Substitutes Not Used: Ramon Sanchez, Ike Opara, Steven Beitashour, Jon Busch

Saturday’s match against the San Jose Earthquake will be a great test to see how The Reds are able to perform when they have all of their squad reunited.

Dwayne De Rosario and Julian de Guzman will be returning from international duty, while Nana Attakora and Maksim Usanov should be prepared to return to duty on the pitch.

The Reds (4-4-1) have yet to register a victory on the road during the current MLS campaign, but the return of a full bench and a full weeks rest after playing 8 games 27 days could give TFC a boost for this road match.

The Earthquake (5-2-1) have won their last 3 home dates after starting the season with a loss and draw at Buck Shaw Stadium. It is also impressive that the last time they allowed the opposing team to find the back of the net was April 24.

Saturday will see the return of TFCs Nick Garcia to the San Jose pitch, where he was the team captain before being shipped off to BMO field, but he will need to be in top form to neutralize the Earthquake’s Chris Wondolski, who has 5 goals in his last 6 games.

This match is expected to be a defensive struggle, with Preki’s defense first approach and San Jose’s ability to shut down opposing offense.