Michael Olise And France Are Soccer’s Greatest Evangelists

Though the emotional appeal of soccer is immediate and visceral, especially in the shortcut-to-passion context of an international tournament like the World Cup, the real richness of the game is subtle. The uninitiated often find it difficult to access that depth. For better and for worse, the ball hypnotizes the novice eye. This is good, because what happens to the ball is what's most important. But it's also bad, because it's what happens around the ball that determines what happens to it. To paraphrase a famous line, if you watch the ball you'll see the plays, but it's by watching what happens off the ball that you truly see the game.

The World Cup is of course the main conversion event of the world's biggest (semi-)secular religion. As such, it's always good to help the legions of neophytes find their way into the sport's bottomless depth. Our very own Luis did just that before this World Cup started, writing a good guide for where to train your eyes in order to really read the game. I behoove anyone interested in scriptural analysis to read that post and watch a game the way Luis advises. This post, however, is about catching the Holy Ghost. And there's no better way to do that, to really feel the power of soccer, than by watching France play.

What stands out about this particular France team is that there is nothing subtle about it. They are so good in such an obvious way that even a total newcomer to the game can notice. All you have to do is look at the guy who has the ball, and he will do something to blow your mind.