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Canales Corner: USA Media Gave Harkes Escape Terry Doesn't Have
For years, former USA captain John Harkes lived as a soccer hero - well, as much as one can be in a country where the sport is still struggling to raise its profile. Yet that same environment also allowed a secret to remain hidden for years.
Feb 3, 2010 3:17:00 AM
By Andrea Canales
The current media firestorm in England has burned so hot that it has singed people an ocean away.
After the press in Britain successfully fought to deny John Terry an injunction against the damaging information that he'd had an affair with the ex-girlfriend of Wayne Bridge, echos stirred across the pond of a similar situation years ago.
In some ways, the alleged affair in 1998 of USA captain John Harkes was even worse than Terry's situation. There's no slight remove of ex-girlfriend in the situation, or the cushion of Bridge's relatively minor status on the England team.
Eric Wynalda was a star first-choice player for his national team, who would retire as the country's leading goalscorer (a record since eclipsed by Landon Donovan).
Harkes' leadership of the American team was considered so crucial that his then-coach Steve Sampson elevated him to the rather ridiculous title of "Captain for Life."
Yet what both Sampson and Wynalda have publically said now in statements to the Associated Press, is that Harkes had an affair with Wynalda's wife.
Imagine a coach's agonizing choices at that moment in 1998, realizing that the truth of this sordid story meant it was too much to expect two of his top players to perform at their best together. Which star to drop, who to tell the truth to, and who to protect? After all, Harkes and Wynalda both had young children at the time and chose to remain with their respective spouses, though Wynalda obtained a divorce around five years later.
Sampson cut Harkes from the USA team, telling the majority of the squad that it was for petty 'leadership' issues. He took most of the heat for the move upsetting the team just before the 1998 World Cup. The USA played abysmally, only scoring a single goal and finishing statistically dead last in the competition.
USSF President Alan Rothenberg, who told the AP that he didn't remember Sampson telling him about the affair, fired Sampson, paving the way for Bruce Arena's eight-year coaching tenure.
Though rumors circulated for years, there was never a public scandal, though, partly because the U.S. media simply weren't aggressive in pursuing the story. Soccer wasn't a top sport, and that also contributed to the situation. The incentive to sell a seamy story was low when the celebrity wattage of the participants was low.
So there was little to stop Harkes from taking advantage of this information gap and playing the martyr role to the hilt after he was left off the World Cup team. He excoriated Sampson in an autobiography, denying the affair and absolving himself of the 1998 team's failure. After all, it wasn't his fault he wasn't there to help, was it?
Except, it absolutely was.
Of course affairs are a private matter, but when teammates' actions affect a team, that can't be ignored.
One is left wondering how things might have been different if more of the story had emerged earlier. Would people have championed Harkes as unfairly marginalized by Sampson if they knew the real reason why that happened? If Harkes' selfish choices that put team unity at such great risk had been known, would he have enjoyed the esteem of so many, even in retirement? Harkes landed a plum broadcasting job that may never have been offered if he was associated with disrupting his national squad before the biggest team competition in the world.
No wonder that Harkes' statement on the revelations by Sampson and Wynalda were that he did not want to "rehash the past."
Many USA stars have looked longingly at the fervid soccer passion in Europe. Yet for Harkes, his relative anonymity had one huge advantage, no matter how alluring the trappings of Terry's superstardom might be otherwise. Out of the spotlight, and under the radar, Harkes was able to hide the truth for many years. The media in Britain wouldn't let Terry get away with that.
Perhaps it was relating to what Bridge might be feeling that helped prompt Wynalda to break his silence.
"I've suffered quite a bit through this whole process,"Wynalda told AP. "My healing is over, so I'm OK to talk about it."
Andrea Canales is Chief Editor of Goal.com North America
For the latest news and updates from Goal.com, follow our Twitter account
After the press in Britain successfully fought to deny John Terry an injunction against the damaging information that he'd had an affair with the ex-girlfriend of Wayne Bridge, echos stirred across the pond of a similar situation years ago.
In some ways, the alleged affair in 1998 of USA captain John Harkes was even worse than Terry's situation. There's no slight remove of ex-girlfriend in the situation, or the cushion of Bridge's relatively minor status on the England team.
Eric Wynalda was a star first-choice player for his national team, who would retire as the country's leading goalscorer (a record since eclipsed by Landon Donovan).
Harkes' leadership of the American team was considered so crucial that his then-coach Steve Sampson elevated him to the rather ridiculous title of "Captain for Life."
Yet what both Sampson and Wynalda have publically said now in statements to the Associated Press, is that Harkes had an affair with Wynalda's wife.
Imagine a coach's agonizing choices at that moment in 1998, realizing that the truth of this sordid story meant it was too much to expect two of his top players to perform at their best together. Which star to drop, who to tell the truth to, and who to protect? After all, Harkes and Wynalda both had young children at the time and chose to remain with their respective spouses, though Wynalda obtained a divorce around five years later.
Sampson cut Harkes from the USA team, telling the majority of the squad that it was for petty 'leadership' issues. He took most of the heat for the move upsetting the team just before the 1998 World Cup. The USA played abysmally, only scoring a single goal and finishing statistically dead last in the competition.
USSF President Alan Rothenberg, who told the AP that he didn't remember Sampson telling him about the affair, fired Sampson, paving the way for Bruce Arena's eight-year coaching tenure.
Though rumors circulated for years, there was never a public scandal, though, partly because the U.S. media simply weren't aggressive in pursuing the story. Soccer wasn't a top sport, and that also contributed to the situation. The incentive to sell a seamy story was low when the celebrity wattage of the participants was low.
So there was little to stop Harkes from taking advantage of this information gap and playing the martyr role to the hilt after he was left off the World Cup team. He excoriated Sampson in an autobiography, denying the affair and absolving himself of the 1998 team's failure. After all, it wasn't his fault he wasn't there to help, was it?
Except, it absolutely was.
Of course affairs are a private matter, but when teammates' actions affect a team, that can't be ignored.
One is left wondering how things might have been different if more of the story had emerged earlier. Would people have championed Harkes as unfairly marginalized by Sampson if they knew the real reason why that happened? If Harkes' selfish choices that put team unity at such great risk had been known, would he have enjoyed the esteem of so many, even in retirement? Harkes landed a plum broadcasting job that may never have been offered if he was associated with disrupting his national squad before the biggest team competition in the world.
No wonder that Harkes' statement on the revelations by Sampson and Wynalda were that he did not want to "rehash the past."
Many USA stars have looked longingly at the fervid soccer passion in Europe. Yet for Harkes, his relative anonymity had one huge advantage, no matter how alluring the trappings of Terry's superstardom might be otherwise. Out of the spotlight, and under the radar, Harkes was able to hide the truth for many years. The media in Britain wouldn't let Terry get away with that.
Perhaps it was relating to what Bridge might be feeling that helped prompt Wynalda to break his silence.
"I've suffered quite a bit through this whole process,"Wynalda told AP. "My healing is over, so I'm OK to talk about it."
Andrea Canales is Chief Editor of Goal.com North America
For the latest news and updates from Goal.com, follow our Twitter account
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