Argentina-Netherlands [1998]: The Leviathan

Narrated account of why an iconic soccer-matchup reveals man's natural imagination regarding orchestrated dimensions.

A fun sports-fable 'diorama' comparing the nature-treatise Leviathan (Hobbes) to the exciting/symbolic World Cup 1998 matchup between rivals Argentina and the Netherlands. Hope you like it, 

----

====

Of man's nature concerns this treatise of the intersecting nexus of war and games. Do sports reflect peaceful competitiveness or war itself? Surely, our plethora of adventure films feature 'toy-guns' re-presenting ideas of the intersections between war and games. Of man's nature concerns this treatise of the highlighting of war-consciousness and competition-consciousness in a reflective/symbolic World Cup game between two nations, perhaps representing two minds, serving as comments on the quality of human imagination...regarding advanced operations.

I'm the narrator/writer of this treatise on the 'Leviathan' and calling myself the Scarecrow. I'm nameless, and I'm simply the Scarecrow...your narrator! I'm referencing the Hobbes work Leviathan in this exposition on the contours of human nature highlighted by the 1998 World Cup match-up between the two foil-nations (in terms of soccer aesthetics of style-of-play) --- the libertine and talent-zoning Argentina and the swift and controlled organized forms of the Netherlands. As the Scarecrow, I seek to be your basic drawer.

I'm using a hypothetical 'silver-typewriter' for this exposition on the lines-parallels between the 'Leviathan' (a thorough concept regarding man's natural conceptualizations and imaginations regarding governance pyramids, ruling authorities, natural rebelliousness, and the development of the tides of thinking during competition and negotiation --- as Hobbes might relate!) and the 1998 World Cup matchup (Argentina-Netherlands). This 'silver-typewriter' represents my intention as the Scarecrow (your narrator/drawer) to relay this Argentina-Netherlands matchup in the 1998 World Cup quarterfinals as a totem of the civilization orientation towards undeniable dreams.

• “The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part; the essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well" (Pierre de Coubertin).
• 
  

From Coubertin's ideal quote about competitive/symbolic sports highlighted in the Olympics Games (Summer/Winter!), we might reveal some important 'grid-lines' regarding the evolution of the 'aesthetics-lines' of competitive activities, games, and yes, sports! We might relate the iconic/symbolic 1998 World Cup matchup between Argentina and the Netherlands as a distinct line-grid created between racing competitors re-presenting opposite 'axes' on the 'matrix' of competitive imagination.

The 1998 World Cup was hosted by France who eventually won the tournament, stunning everyone by downing the favorite Brazil (led by the wild-and-uncanny Ronaldo!) in the Final. France was marshaled by the indomitable Zidane who'd go onto become a celebrity in world soccer. France 1998 (World Cup soccer) produced incredible moments of soccer greatness and thrills for fans in the stadium and those at home watching on modern TV.

Ronaldo's Brazil was one of the highlights in France 1998 (World Cup soccer) and expected to bring home the trophy. However, there were other mentionable stars/teams such as Batistuta's Argentina, Bergkamp's Netherlands, and Zidane's France.

England too had a strong team to boast and anticipated an upstart challenge to the ladder of the dominators (e.g., Brazil) by producing diligent/ambitious play in the last World Cup of the 20th Century.

"We were a family who had come from nothing and now we had respect from French people of all sorts" (Zidane).

The 1998 World Cup quarterfinal match is the subject of our treatise on the Leviathan. The fans came out to see the 4th of July soccer-game in France, and they're in proud national colors. Argentina and Netherlands had both boasted historically rich and storied soccer traditions from the 1970s-1980s.

SPORTS-WRITER: Many consider the Argentina-Netherlands 'axis' of soccer the ideal foil of opposites!

Netherlands scored first in the 12th minute of the 90-minute game separated into two halves of 45 minutes each. It was the Dutch striker Kluivert who delivered that first goal. Argentina followed quickly 5 minutes later with the next score, evening the score at 1-1, and the fans were seeing what they'd expected --- a close one. However, this close-as-hell tie wouldn't be broken (1-1) until the 90th minute, proving to you now that this was a game worthy of being likened to the Leviathan, as reference by Hobbes' work on the nature of man's indomitable imagination regarding competition-driven governance-fantasies!

Who scored that 90th-minute final goal, and for the Netherlands side? It was the Dutch star, the cool-headed Bergkamp. The Dutch fans roared as that deadly-and-close 1-1 tie was finally broken and the Netherlands would take home the victory to face red-hot Brazil (Ronaldo!) in the Semifinal. The Netherlands prevailed and avenged their 1978 World Cup Final loss to Argentina (3-1!) with this 2-1 1998 Quarterfinal triumph. Bergkamp couldn't be happier. What made this close match likened to the Leviathan? Let's explore.

As your narrator/drawer the Scarecrow(!), I don't want to miss any valuable element of this iconic/symbolic matchup between Argentina and the Netherlands. Argentina's style of soccer is one of liberal and zone-orchestrating offensive passing and scoring and defensive overall composure and dependability. Netherlands, in diametric opposite, functions as an intentional entire-field operating 'zone' human drumline, producing streaks of strikers/headers and diagonal short-and-long passes signifying a distinct focus on the overall machine-like beauty of soccer, or what it can be really! It's no surprise it was such a close match (2-1), with the Dutch star Bergkamp delivering the anticipated winning goal in that final 90th minute.

Who doesn't want to see such polar opposites in such a tight and final-minutes nail-biting World Cup soccer game? War is hell, and capitalism creates competition intuition and constructs the 'Leviathan' of human nature and its movements towards orchestrated primal reactions to teamwork and profit and success as well as creative resistance! Argentina-Netherlands captured the 'Leviathan' of man's nature to embrace the 'dark priesthood' of competition-dance and war-like ballet. The 2-1 tight-score re-presented humanity's metaphysical imagination regarding the 'facial lines' of organized demonstrative opposing styles of almost religious diarism. God bless the sport.

SCARECROW: Argentina-Netherlands '98 was a toast to man's natural swiftness.

DRAGON: As your 'Devil's Advocate' and adversary, I contest it was a symbol of irresolvable war.

SCARECROW: The tight 2-1 score re-presents our imagination regarding organized intelligence.

DRAGON: The rivalry produced by Argentina-Netherlands symbolizes civilization inventiveness.

SCARECROW: This soccer-rivalry it seems to me is a totem of constructed dreams.

DRAGON: As your Devil's Advocate, I contend it's also a 'diadem' of organized ambition.

Bergkamp of the Netherlands had proven that the Dutch had earned the Quarterfinal victory over rival Argentina. However, this revenge-victory for the Netherlands (following their swallowing-loss to Argentina in the 1978 World Cup Final!) also shows us why world-soccer is a reflection of man's nature to use games and socialized competitiveness as re-presentations of constructed/organized ambitious democracy.

As your narrator/drawer the Scarecrow, I humbly must admit this matchup between Argentina and rival Netherlands in the 1998 World Cup Quarterfinals on the 4th/July in France re-presents an orchestrated 'image' of the potential of using organized 'games' to cast competition (and war itself perhaps!) as designs of human dash.

====

"Money is everything" (Ecclesiastes)