US embassy cable - 03ABUDHABI5343

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