Tomorrow's Koller

Few people want to say it out loud, but there might be a causal relationship between corruption in league soccer and the CR's early elimination from Euro 2008. Even less talked about is how far down the chain this corruption goes. Bribing referees is one thing, but perhaps even more significant is the nepotism, favoritism and corruption in deciding who makes the team and gets to play in the youth leagues that are supposed to produce tomorrow's stars. Because even the most lead-footed offspring of coaches and current and past stars usually have a guaranteed spot on the team (as do the sons of businessmen with deep pockets), children with good potential but no connections are being sent home. And because of the varying speeds at which young players develop, it's reasonable to expect that at least a few of these kids would, if given the chance, go on to become the next Jan Koller. Instead, they're at home - like Koller - watching Turkey play against Germany.