To say that Grant Wahl knows his sports is an understatement along the lines of saying that Steve Jobs knows his gadgets. This is a guy who, among other things in his 14-year career with Sports Illustrated, wrote about LeBron James before the king even left high school. Since 2000, Grant has been SI’s senior soccer writer and recently oversaw a massive world cup preview which comes out June 7th. By the look of it, this will be one of the magazine’s most ambitious soccer features ever.
As I’m not a big magazine reader, I first encountered Grant as a guest on World Football Daily. I was struck by both his knowledge of the game and his passion, especially when it came to the sport in America. He’s pragmatic when talking about the state of MLS and other U.S. soccer institutions, but is also an undeniable leader in spreading the footy gospel. Though a Jayhawk by birth, Grant has lived in Baltimore for a couple years now, and our sporting community is definitely the better for it. I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say he’s the best sports journalist this town has seen since the departure of Tim Kurkjian.
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When the World Cup draw came out, there was huge hype over the USA’s first game against England. Now that the European seasons are over and the WC squads are out, how are things actually shaping up?
There’s still just as much excitement as when the game was announced. The hype is slowly building, and I think were’ going to go to a fever pitch here soon. They’re probably the two best teams in the group, and, thankfully, everyone appears healthy. There’s a little doubt about Oguchi Onyewu, but he says he’ll be ready. Wayne Rooney, one of the best strikers in the world, has dealt with groin issues, but he should be ready. I think we’ll see the best of both sides. The last time these guys played in the world cup, in 1950, the U.S. upset England, and it’s still counted as one of the biggest upsets in history. Plus, there’s [political] history between the two countries. I think it’ll be a fun game to watch.
What games during the group stages would you recommend to a soccer novice?
Any of the games in the group with Brazil, Ivory Coast, and Portugal [Group G]. Those are three of the top teams in the tournament and one of them is not going to get out. The game between Brazil and Ivory Coast, especially, I think will be an important one for them. Also the group with Serbia, Germany, Ghana, and Australia [Group D]. Any of those teams are capable of getting out. And of course, Germany is dealing with the loss of their captain, Michael Ballack. The group with the home country is always one to watch [Group A]. The home team has never failed to get out of the group, but you’ve got two former champions in France and Uruguay that South Africa will have to get by. Overall, I don’t think we’ll see too many stinkers.
Soccer is definitely on the rise in the U.S. There seems to be an increasing number of fans as well as a growing interest from overseas. What do you think is driving the surge?
The European clubs see the last great untapped soccer market here in America. If they can make it here, they can make it anywhere in the world. Some of the interest is driven by marketing too. The companies that make shirts and shoes want soccer to do well here. There’s also a real interest here in the highest quality leagues, whether it’s people watching the English Premiere league or Serie A or La Liga, or even MLS. I think the bigger clubs see that. You know, there’s never going to be one thing that makes soccer huge in America, but there’s a lot of things going on that contribute to the growth of the game in this country. When I compare the interest now to 12, 10, or even 4 years ago, the growth has just been tremendous.
How is the U.S. Men’s National Team perceived by other countries heading into the tournament?
All these teams do a lot of intense scouting and I don’t think any of them view America as a lightweight anymore. I just interviewed Fabio Capello, the England manager, and he is very aware of the team’s potential. They’re a squad that plays well together and there aren’t really a lot of divisions within the team. Then you’ve also go individuals like Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey who are known qualities in England now. Teams watched the U.S. beat Spain in the Confederations Cup, and they’re the only team to beat Spain recently. They also gave Brazil a really good game in the final. There is definitely a lot of respect for what the United States can do.
If you had a friend coming into town for a single day, what one thing would you tell them not to miss? Why?
I like going up to Springfield Farm, north of the city, where you can go out and walk on the farm, and get some organic steaks or lamb or pork or milk. It’s fun to take friends there, meet the animals and have a good trip. It’s just cool. After that, I would take them to either Jack’s Bistro or Salt, but there are a lot of good restaurants around town.
Bonus Question #6…Who wins the World Cup?
Spain. They just look like a team that’s ready to make that kind of breakthrough. Winning Euro ’08 was very helpful, and they’re just fun to watch, even more so than Brazil right now. Spain beats you with passing and raw talent, and that’s hard to stop.
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“5 Questions with…” is an occasional feature on The Running Bowline which picks the brains of local people doing interesting things. If there’s someone you’d like to see featured please let me know!
