Day -804. WorldCup2018.
New Fifa, but same old Fifa. Below is a statement from Fifa today in response to the report by Amnesty International about the deplorable working conditions of the construction workers hired to build the Qatar 2002 facilities.
One would expect, with a new president and a new approach and all that, that there would at least be a little bit of a sense of outrage from Fifa, that people are being exploited while working on Fifa's showcase event. This is not just a little smoke: it's a never ending cloud of smoke, with which there must be a huge fire. The statement, if you bother to read it, is a terrible example of political nothingness.
"FIFA is fully aware of the risks facing construction workers in Qatar....". The risks? Fifa acknowledges that there are risks? Yes, construction can be a dangerous occupation but this is not what Fifa is referring to when they say "risks".
"We remain convinced that the unique attraction and visibility of the
FIFA World Cup™ globally is a strong catalyst for significant change." Fifa, you are shooting yourself in each foot, multiple times. This is exactly the point. Make a change. Show the Qatari government that they cannot treat people like this. You are encouraging slave labour in order to have your World Cup in an Arab country.
The rest of the statement is all about, well, nothing. Nothing is going to be done because Fifa does, and will, "closely monitor developments and address issues through our regular contact with the Supreme Committee". Fifa is working with the Qatari government and other stakeholders to ensure that conditions are improved and expected standards adhered to. In other words they are going to believe what they are told by the Qataris and be happy with that.
It is time to take a stand, Fifa. You can be the "strong catalyst for significant change." If you don't then, maybe, it is time for the players to stand up to this; the players without whom the World Cup would not be what it is.
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/news/y=2016/m=3/news=fifa-statement-on-latest-amnesty-international-report-on-qatar-2773473.html?intcmp=fifacom_hp_module_news
Thursday 31 March 2016
Wednesday 30 March 2016
Fifa, do something about Qatar
Day -805. WorldCup2018.
This is not about Russia 2018. This is a horrible, repeated allegation about what is going on in Qatar and its' preperations for 2022. It is hard to believe that there is no truth in it. The Qatari governent and Fifa have said in the past that they would do something about the workers' appalling conditions. I hope that finally something will be done. A person's life and dignity is worth a lot more than this football tournament.
www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-35931031
This is not about Russia 2018. This is a horrible, repeated allegation about what is going on in Qatar and its' preperations for 2022. It is hard to believe that there is no truth in it. The Qatari governent and Fifa have said in the past that they would do something about the workers' appalling conditions. I hope that finally something will be done. A person's life and dignity is worth a lot more than this football tournament.
www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-35931031
Tuesday 29 March 2016
Late Edition UPDATE: Of Redknapp, Syria, Tehran, Brazil and the USMNT
Day -806. WorldCup2018
With reference to my James Lawton of the Daily Express mention the other day, here I am writing about World Cup qualifiers while matches in the CONCACAF and CONMEBOL regions are going on right now. The USMNT (read back a few days) are comfortably making up for their surprise defeat to Guatemala last Friday. They are 3-0 up, well into the second half. At the same time Trinidad and Tobago are winning 4-0 against St. Vincent and the Grenadines. There's no real significance to that match other than I wonder if it makes for the most space taken up on a scoreboard in an international match. In South America, Argentina are beating Bolivia 2-0. The man-who-is-not-Maradona, the player who goes walkabout at World Cups or most times he plays for Argentina, has scored a penalty. In an attempt to play up his super-stardom, I can already see the headlines in England tomorrow: "Messi inspires Argentina to crucial World Cup win". He scored a penalty against Bolivia.
The more interesting, or amusing to the cynics, story of the day is that it seems Harry Redknapp's three hour stint as manager of Jordan has come to an end. The former manager of almost every team in the English Premier League battling relegation, or in need of redemption in the English Championship, agreed to take on the manager's job in Jordan for their last 2 matches in this round of Asian qualifying. After an emphatic 8-0 win against Bangladesh in his debut/penultimate match, his team were brought back down to earth by a 36 year old player who spent a lot of his career in England at a club in a stronger position than most of Redknapp's teams. Tim Cahill scored twice in Australia's 5-1 win which left Jordan to rely on other results to see whether they would move on to the next phase of qualifying. It was not to be and it looks like Redknapp's dream of metaphorically (or actually doing it) sticking two fingers up at the English FA for not giving him the England job a few years ago by leading another team to the World Cup is over. So his second match was also his farewell. I wonder if Prince Ali, President of the Jordanian FA and a friend of Redknapp's, held off on organising a welcome party for his new manager and is now going to combine it with the farewell party. Redknapp can return to England safe in the knowledge that he has a secure position as adviser to the Derby County manager; a position created by the club when they realised that sacking an experienced former Real Madrid assistant manager and replacing him with the former Academy Director of Derby County was maybe not their best move, especially as they expect to be promoted the Premier League. Good luck, Harry. Club chairman desperate for the riches of the Premier League, or a rich FA President with no fear of a lack of riches? I wonder who he would rather work for.
The Syria World Cup story carried on today. Despite losing 5-0 to Japan they secured their spot in the final round of qualifying. Regardless of the internal and international political disputes over Syria, it is quite amazing that their football team has manged to come together and be this close to qualifying for their first ever World Cup. It is going to get very tough from now on. Out of the twelve teams remaining only 4 are guaranteed a spot in the finals.
Harry Redknapp might have added some colour to today's qualifying and Syria a touch of the near miraculous, but the quirkiest events of the day must have been what happened in Iran. I will let somebody else check the history books (or google) to find out if this was a first. Tehran hosted not only Iran's match against Oman today but also 2 other qualifiers played in three different Tehran stadiums; Iraq-Vietnam, Afghanistan-Singapore were the other two matches. Three World Cup qualifiers, six different countries in one city in one day. Sadly, it is a reflection of the environment in which teams from these countries have to compete. And what they go through to be able to play a football match.
And as I end, so have a couple of the qualifiers. The USMNT won 4-0, and the T&T beat SVG 6-0. Brazil are losing 2-0 early in the second half in Paraguay and as it stands are 7th in the qualifying table, out of which 4 teams qualify and the 5th team goes into an inter-continental play-off. I'll say it again: it is not beyond belief that Brazil may not qualify. Colombia, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay are all ahead of them, Ecuador are top and with this win Paraguay are also in a stronger position. This is going to be interesting.
From the Late Night Desk: Paraguay-Brazil 2-2. Equalizer in stoppage time. Does it change my last paragraph? Barely. Brazil still 6th.
With reference to my James Lawton of the Daily Express mention the other day, here I am writing about World Cup qualifiers while matches in the CONCACAF and CONMEBOL regions are going on right now. The USMNT (read back a few days) are comfortably making up for their surprise defeat to Guatemala last Friday. They are 3-0 up, well into the second half. At the same time Trinidad and Tobago are winning 4-0 against St. Vincent and the Grenadines. There's no real significance to that match other than I wonder if it makes for the most space taken up on a scoreboard in an international match. In South America, Argentina are beating Bolivia 2-0. The man-who-is-not-Maradona, the player who goes walkabout at World Cups or most times he plays for Argentina, has scored a penalty. In an attempt to play up his super-stardom, I can already see the headlines in England tomorrow: "Messi inspires Argentina to crucial World Cup win". He scored a penalty against Bolivia.
The more interesting, or amusing to the cynics, story of the day is that it seems Harry Redknapp's three hour stint as manager of Jordan has come to an end. The former manager of almost every team in the English Premier League battling relegation, or in need of redemption in the English Championship, agreed to take on the manager's job in Jordan for their last 2 matches in this round of Asian qualifying. After an emphatic 8-0 win against Bangladesh in his debut/penultimate match, his team were brought back down to earth by a 36 year old player who spent a lot of his career in England at a club in a stronger position than most of Redknapp's teams. Tim Cahill scored twice in Australia's 5-1 win which left Jordan to rely on other results to see whether they would move on to the next phase of qualifying. It was not to be and it looks like Redknapp's dream of metaphorically (or actually doing it) sticking two fingers up at the English FA for not giving him the England job a few years ago by leading another team to the World Cup is over. So his second match was also his farewell. I wonder if Prince Ali, President of the Jordanian FA and a friend of Redknapp's, held off on organising a welcome party for his new manager and is now going to combine it with the farewell party. Redknapp can return to England safe in the knowledge that he has a secure position as adviser to the Derby County manager; a position created by the club when they realised that sacking an experienced former Real Madrid assistant manager and replacing him with the former Academy Director of Derby County was maybe not their best move, especially as they expect to be promoted the Premier League. Good luck, Harry. Club chairman desperate for the riches of the Premier League, or a rich FA President with no fear of a lack of riches? I wonder who he would rather work for.
The Syria World Cup story carried on today. Despite losing 5-0 to Japan they secured their spot in the final round of qualifying. Regardless of the internal and international political disputes over Syria, it is quite amazing that their football team has manged to come together and be this close to qualifying for their first ever World Cup. It is going to get very tough from now on. Out of the twelve teams remaining only 4 are guaranteed a spot in the finals.
Harry Redknapp might have added some colour to today's qualifying and Syria a touch of the near miraculous, but the quirkiest events of the day must have been what happened in Iran. I will let somebody else check the history books (or google) to find out if this was a first. Tehran hosted not only Iran's match against Oman today but also 2 other qualifiers played in three different Tehran stadiums; Iraq-Vietnam, Afghanistan-Singapore were the other two matches. Three World Cup qualifiers, six different countries in one city in one day. Sadly, it is a reflection of the environment in which teams from these countries have to compete. And what they go through to be able to play a football match.
And as I end, so have a couple of the qualifiers. The USMNT won 4-0, and the T&T beat SVG 6-0. Brazil are losing 2-0 early in the second half in Paraguay and as it stands are 7th in the qualifying table, out of which 4 teams qualify and the 5th team goes into an inter-continental play-off. I'll say it again: it is not beyond belief that Brazil may not qualify. Colombia, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay are all ahead of them, Ecuador are top and with this win Paraguay are also in a stronger position. This is going to be interesting.
From the Late Night Desk: Paraguay-Brazil 2-2. Equalizer in stoppage time. Does it change my last paragraph? Barely. Brazil still 6th.
Monday 28 March 2016
Chad: a sad story
Day -807. WorldCup2018.
I'm surprised this story doesn't happen more often in world football. There are countries where people struggle to eat, where governments cannot provide for their citizens, yet their national football team travels around their respective continents playing World Cup or continental championship qualifiers. Where does the money come from, I wonder. Does Fifa provide more than the World Bank, donor countries or UN agencies?
Chad has withdrawn from the African Cup of Nations qualifiers due to "financial constraints" brought about by the country being "badly affected by the global economic conditions." They were due to play in Tanzania on Monday, but informed their opponents that they would not make it. In this desperate time for the Chadian Football Association their message to the Tanzanian Association seems even more touching.
"We wish you all the best and we apologise for this situation which is basically unavoidable and out of our control."
It's sad, not only because the footballers have lost the opportunity to do what they love and young players may have lost something to aspire to. Chad have already been eliminated from World Cup 2018 qualifying. Now the African Cup of Nations 2017 is over for them and as a punishment the African Confederation (CAF) have suspended them from the 2019 edition. It is also a tragedy because for many, and maybe more in a poor country like this, football, and indeed any sport, is a distraction and something that can bring joy to the country's people.
And if ever Chad needed a sympathetic shoulder to cry on from it's football parents and guardians (CAF), when the country is so desperately poor and now even football had been taken away from them, this would be it. But what did CAF do? They stuck to their poxy, heartless rules and stuck the knife in even further: the Chadian Association has been fined US$20,000.
I'm surprised this story doesn't happen more often in world football. There are countries where people struggle to eat, where governments cannot provide for their citizens, yet their national football team travels around their respective continents playing World Cup or continental championship qualifiers. Where does the money come from, I wonder. Does Fifa provide more than the World Bank, donor countries or UN agencies?
Chad has withdrawn from the African Cup of Nations qualifiers due to "financial constraints" brought about by the country being "badly affected by the global economic conditions." They were due to play in Tanzania on Monday, but informed their opponents that they would not make it. In this desperate time for the Chadian Football Association their message to the Tanzanian Association seems even more touching.
"We wish you all the best and we apologise for this situation which is basically unavoidable and out of our control."
It's sad, not only because the footballers have lost the opportunity to do what they love and young players may have lost something to aspire to. Chad have already been eliminated from World Cup 2018 qualifying. Now the African Cup of Nations 2017 is over for them and as a punishment the African Confederation (CAF) have suspended them from the 2019 edition. It is also a tragedy because for many, and maybe more in a poor country like this, football, and indeed any sport, is a distraction and something that can bring joy to the country's people.
And if ever Chad needed a sympathetic shoulder to cry on from it's football parents and guardians (CAF), when the country is so desperately poor and now even football had been taken away from them, this would be it. But what did CAF do? They stuck to their poxy, heartless rules and stuck the knife in even further: the Chadian Association has been fined US$20,000.
Sunday 27 March 2016
The Americans.
Day -808. WorldCup2018.
To make up for my little dig at the Americans yesterday here's my Sunday funny memory for this week. I remember this match well. The USA had been terrible in France four years earlier and came to this World Cup with some reputation repairing needed, as a team wanting to be taken seriously as a football nation. They beat Portugal in the opening group match, and beat their rivals Mexico 2-0 in the second round. But they were not expected to be any match for the Germans in the quarter final. By the end Germany must have wondered how they won and the Americans were equally dumbfounded at how they were not in the semi finals. Their star player, Landon Donovan, was outstanding and the whole team made Germany look like the underdogs, who scored one goal and held on with their dear life to that lead.
In a World Cup of controversies, there was a big moment in this match where the USA should easily have had a penalty. The argument of whether the German player moved his hand or not seems immaterial when the ball was definitely going into the net had it not hit his hand.
How is it funny? Just watch the video. I always like finding footage recorded with the commentary in the language of the team involved. And here it is, in American, with accompanying dramatic music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bg3psAYfOv8
To make up for my little dig at the Americans yesterday here's my Sunday funny memory for this week. I remember this match well. The USA had been terrible in France four years earlier and came to this World Cup with some reputation repairing needed, as a team wanting to be taken seriously as a football nation. They beat Portugal in the opening group match, and beat their rivals Mexico 2-0 in the second round. But they were not expected to be any match for the Germans in the quarter final. By the end Germany must have wondered how they won and the Americans were equally dumbfounded at how they were not in the semi finals. Their star player, Landon Donovan, was outstanding and the whole team made Germany look like the underdogs, who scored one goal and held on with their dear life to that lead.
In a World Cup of controversies, there was a big moment in this match where the USA should easily have had a penalty. The argument of whether the German player moved his hand or not seems immaterial when the ball was definitely going into the net had it not hit his hand.
How is it funny? Just watch the video. I always like finding footage recorded with the commentary in the language of the team involved. And here it is, in American, with accompanying dramatic music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bg3psAYfOv8
Saturday 26 March 2016
The American Way
Day -809. WorldCup2018.
Only in America! How many times have we from our oh-so-sensible countries said that to poke fun at the way we see things differently in the USA. Except that in Malta, "only in Malta" is heard a lot as a way to humorously deal with matters that we should despair at. And I'm sure Malta's not the only place. But we are still united, at times, in the belief that in America there is a way, which is not the way of much of the rest of the world.
And that's my long intro into the football happenings in the USA this weekend. While the post mortem into the American National Team's surprise loss to Guatemala went on today, fans of a few teams in the American/Canadian league, the MLS , were off to support their team in regular league matches. No matter, to the league, that these teams were missing a few players on international duty (American and Central American mostly): the league must carry on, stadiums need to be filled and TV contracts adhered to. FC Dallas were missing 7 players from their squad. Maybe it was an inspiration to them in their comfortable 3-0 win. Of course the teams that suffer the most are those that have put together stronger squads, filled with players who are good enough to play for their country. Because there were only a few MLS matches this weekend, there is another un-fairness factor. Take Toronto FC, for example. They would have been without their 3 biggest stars this weekend, Giovinco, Bradley, Altidore. Yet Toronto are not playing and therefore didn't have to play a weakened team, unlike Dallas.
Back to the subject of the USMNT. And there's another endearing fact about the Americans, which the Canadians have now adopted (copied?). No, unlike, England or Germany or any other country, whose teams are, just plainly, England or Germany they can't just be USA, or Canada. They are the twitter friendly, catchy US Men's National Team and similar for Canada, the CANMNT. What is worrying for supporters of the USMNT is the fact that they expect to pretty much sail through this phase of qualifying, before some potentially tougher matches in the next round. But failure to qualify is not a thought and a loss to Guatemala was definitely not expected. Furthermore, the manager (head coach, maybe) Jurgen Klinsmann said a couple of years ago that his target for the USMNT was the semifinals in 2018. For the less knowledgeable fans that goal looks a little ridiculous now. "We can't even beat Guatemala, for Christ's sake!" Of course, with a win on Tuesday in the return match and a return to a comfortable lead in the standings all may be forgotten. Except of course for the promise of a semifinal spot in Russia. No pressure there Jurgen! USA! USA!
Only in America! How many times have we from our oh-so-sensible countries said that to poke fun at the way we see things differently in the USA. Except that in Malta, "only in Malta" is heard a lot as a way to humorously deal with matters that we should despair at. And I'm sure Malta's not the only place. But we are still united, at times, in the belief that in America there is a way, which is not the way of much of the rest of the world.
And that's my long intro into the football happenings in the USA this weekend. While the post mortem into the American National Team's surprise loss to Guatemala went on today, fans of a few teams in the American/Canadian league, the MLS , were off to support their team in regular league matches. No matter, to the league, that these teams were missing a few players on international duty (American and Central American mostly): the league must carry on, stadiums need to be filled and TV contracts adhered to. FC Dallas were missing 7 players from their squad. Maybe it was an inspiration to them in their comfortable 3-0 win. Of course the teams that suffer the most are those that have put together stronger squads, filled with players who are good enough to play for their country. Because there were only a few MLS matches this weekend, there is another un-fairness factor. Take Toronto FC, for example. They would have been without their 3 biggest stars this weekend, Giovinco, Bradley, Altidore. Yet Toronto are not playing and therefore didn't have to play a weakened team, unlike Dallas.
Back to the subject of the USMNT. And there's another endearing fact about the Americans, which the Canadians have now adopted (copied?). No, unlike, England or Germany or any other country, whose teams are, just plainly, England or Germany they can't just be USA, or Canada. They are the twitter friendly, catchy US Men's National Team and similar for Canada, the CANMNT. What is worrying for supporters of the USMNT is the fact that they expect to pretty much sail through this phase of qualifying, before some potentially tougher matches in the next round. But failure to qualify is not a thought and a loss to Guatemala was definitely not expected. Furthermore, the manager (head coach, maybe) Jurgen Klinsmann said a couple of years ago that his target for the USMNT was the semifinals in 2018. For the less knowledgeable fans that goal looks a little ridiculous now. "We can't even beat Guatemala, for Christ's sake!" Of course, with a win on Tuesday in the return match and a return to a comfortable lead in the standings all may be forgotten. Except of course for the promise of a semifinal spot in Russia. No pressure there Jurgen! USA! USA!
Friday 25 March 2016
Daily Express-early edition
Day -810. WorldCup2018.
Back in the day, my day, we would get the early edition London newspapers in Malta. Even though they only got to the newsagent's after 5pm (later if the plane was delayed and the truck driver got stuck in traffic, or maybe he stopped for dinner because the plane was late) it was still the edition that went to print the previous evening, before the night's football matches had finished. If my memory serves me well, I read numerous match reports that only covered the first half. I always found it fascinating that the reporter at the stadium would call in the report for half a match, just so there could be a story in the paper. It must have made for interesting reading when I was reading a report of a boring first half when I knew (though the news on the radio or TV) that it was a completely different second half. The Daily Express was the paper of choice in our house and I actually didn't really mind if I was reading James Lawton. Even a half match report from him was worth the read.
That came to mind as I write this at half-time of two World Cup qualifiers: Canada and USA are losing 2-0 to Mexico and Guatemala respectively. The Canada score, despite the upbeat nature of most Canadian fans in the build-up, is not too much of a surprise. But Guatemala? I'd better not say anything because I could be writing a completely different story for the late edition.
The half-match report also happened in reverse this evening. Due to technical issues and my error in calculating time differences between Toronto and Recife, I only started watching Brazil-Uruguay at the beginning of the second half. Whoever watched the first half would probably not share my upcoming opinion. Brazil were up 2-0 after 26 minutes but early in the second half it was 2-2. The second goal was scored by Luis Suarez, playing for the first time for Uruguay after his mammoth international ban for biting Giorgio Chellini at the last World Cup. Yesterday, there were three last minute goals in the South American qualifiers and I was ready to eat my words from a few weeks ago about the anti-climactic feel of most of the South American matches. Brazil-Uruguay, 2-2, early in the second half. This will be good, I thought. No. Terrible. Boring. The ball went back and forth in the middle half of the pitch, only getting into the end quarters through a long punt or a cross. Brazil were especially bad. Maybe it's all relative because I can never get 1982 out of my head. But it is frustratingly sad that they do not have the players to get through a well organised defence. The tactic was go down the wings and send in a useless cross, useless because they don't have a Hulk (sorry!) of a centre forward to attack the crosses. Even sadder was the how they deliberately looked to win free-kicks outside the Uruguayan penalty area. What their game has come to that they see a set-piece as a way to get the ball into the box. In the last 5 minutes or so, there was a hint of excitement as Uruguay realised that they were playing against the defence marshalled by the same David Luiz who was a useless nervous wreck against Germany on that infamous night in 2014. They ran at Luiz and Suarez should have scored to give Uruguay the win. Watching Brazil (second half edition) it struck me that it is not inconceivable that they may not qualify for Russia.
It finished 2-2 and I was left to wonder, if I was that Daily Express reporter, what I would have been writing about if I'd had to send my report to London after the first half hour.
The other things about tonight's football watching were: I still can't get into this watching online business, sitting in front of my computer in an uncomfortable chair watching a stream that keeps freezing (a legitimate stream with decent internet speed); and I have to keep reminding myself that a 10pm (7pm Vancouver time, they don't play that late) kick-off in North America means sometime around 10pm-the "show' starts at 10pm, then the players parade out to music, line-up for national anthems, throw in a few more commercials and then, "OK, Bob, we're good to go".
And this has taken me away from the second halves. Canada are now 3-0 down and Guatemala are still winning 2-0. Ah well, at least no re-write is required.
Back in the day, my day, we would get the early edition London newspapers in Malta. Even though they only got to the newsagent's after 5pm (later if the plane was delayed and the truck driver got stuck in traffic, or maybe he stopped for dinner because the plane was late) it was still the edition that went to print the previous evening, before the night's football matches had finished. If my memory serves me well, I read numerous match reports that only covered the first half. I always found it fascinating that the reporter at the stadium would call in the report for half a match, just so there could be a story in the paper. It must have made for interesting reading when I was reading a report of a boring first half when I knew (though the news on the radio or TV) that it was a completely different second half. The Daily Express was the paper of choice in our house and I actually didn't really mind if I was reading James Lawton. Even a half match report from him was worth the read.
That came to mind as I write this at half-time of two World Cup qualifiers: Canada and USA are losing 2-0 to Mexico and Guatemala respectively. The Canada score, despite the upbeat nature of most Canadian fans in the build-up, is not too much of a surprise. But Guatemala? I'd better not say anything because I could be writing a completely different story for the late edition.
The half-match report also happened in reverse this evening. Due to technical issues and my error in calculating time differences between Toronto and Recife, I only started watching Brazil-Uruguay at the beginning of the second half. Whoever watched the first half would probably not share my upcoming opinion. Brazil were up 2-0 after 26 minutes but early in the second half it was 2-2. The second goal was scored by Luis Suarez, playing for the first time for Uruguay after his mammoth international ban for biting Giorgio Chellini at the last World Cup. Yesterday, there were three last minute goals in the South American qualifiers and I was ready to eat my words from a few weeks ago about the anti-climactic feel of most of the South American matches. Brazil-Uruguay, 2-2, early in the second half. This will be good, I thought. No. Terrible. Boring. The ball went back and forth in the middle half of the pitch, only getting into the end quarters through a long punt or a cross. Brazil were especially bad. Maybe it's all relative because I can never get 1982 out of my head. But it is frustratingly sad that they do not have the players to get through a well organised defence. The tactic was go down the wings and send in a useless cross, useless because they don't have a Hulk (sorry!) of a centre forward to attack the crosses. Even sadder was the how they deliberately looked to win free-kicks outside the Uruguayan penalty area. What their game has come to that they see a set-piece as a way to get the ball into the box. In the last 5 minutes or so, there was a hint of excitement as Uruguay realised that they were playing against the defence marshalled by the same David Luiz who was a useless nervous wreck against Germany on that infamous night in 2014. They ran at Luiz and Suarez should have scored to give Uruguay the win. Watching Brazil (second half edition) it struck me that it is not inconceivable that they may not qualify for Russia.
It finished 2-2 and I was left to wonder, if I was that Daily Express reporter, what I would have been writing about if I'd had to send my report to London after the first half hour.
The other things about tonight's football watching were: I still can't get into this watching online business, sitting in front of my computer in an uncomfortable chair watching a stream that keeps freezing (a legitimate stream with decent internet speed); and I have to keep reminding myself that a 10pm (7pm Vancouver time, they don't play that late) kick-off in North America means sometime around 10pm-the "show' starts at 10pm, then the players parade out to music, line-up for national anthems, throw in a few more commercials and then, "OK, Bob, we're good to go".
And this has taken me away from the second halves. Canada are now 3-0 down and Guatemala are still winning 2-0. Ah well, at least no re-write is required.
Thursday 24 March 2016
The legend, Johan Cruyff
Day -811. WorldCup2018.
"Johan Cruyff painted the chapel, and Barcelona coaches since merely restore or improve it". (Pep Guardiola, on what Cruyff did for Barcelona).
I will not write any flowing tribute full of wonderful memories of my childhood watching the mastery of Johan Cruyff. His time was too early for me, for my conscious football memories. His only World Cup was 1974 and, sadly, Holland were not part of my first World Cup, in 1982, and the next one in 1986. Soon after that Cruyff, the player, became Cruyff, the manager, and it was his time at Barcelona that would have the biggest impact on me in later years and set the foundations for what would become the most beautiful club football team to watch. As their manager he led Barcelona to 4 consecutive Spanish league titles. With football on TV not being as readily available as it is now it was only in watching them win the 1992 European Cup (for the first time) that I was able to witness their exhilarating, different style of football. Cruyff had started something. His unique ability as a player, to be mesmerising all over the pitch, his leading role as part of the Ajax and Dutch teams that brought us Total Football, transferred into his further development of this stunningly simple, free-flowing football method into the tika-tika style that has made Barcelona probably the best club team of all time. And not just the best, but also probably the neutrals' all time favourite team to watch. No football fan can be a lover of football if they don't admit to appreciating what Cryuff's legacy at Barcelona has done to raise the beautiful game to another level of beauty.
So influential was Cruyff in Spain that the Spanish national team not only started to resemble Barcelona's tika-tika teams, but they also became similarly invincible. At the 2010 World Cup when Cruyff was so deluded with the anti-Dutch Holland team that reached the final against Spain, he is said to have supported Spain. The irony of course was that it was his style that Spain had adopted that highlighted how far Holland were from the beautiful way.
There is one memory of Cruyff and Holland from 1974. As my love for the game grew in the early 1980s I watched footage of the '74 final. The opening minute was fascinating. Holland kept possession, West Germany did not have a touch and after Cruyff burst into the penalty area and was fouled, Holland took the lead. The Germans' first touch was their goalkeeper picking the ball out of the net. In the end the graft and determination of the Germans won over the artistry of the Dutch. But that first minute was a joy to watch. And while Holland, especially that Holland, are known as the best team ever to not win the World Cup, Cruyff is surely the best player ever to never win the World Cup.
There was a way about Dutch football, a thinking, a method, which was so wonderfully unique. And, as I recommend reading the many a great tribute written about Cruyff today by those with better words than me, this is also a good time to strongly suggest reading David Winner's fantastic book, Brilliant Orange: The Neurotic Genius of Dutch Soccer. Winner describes the Dutch people's way of thinking and their unique appreciation and use of space and how Dutch football relates to this.
The final word goes to Barcelona where the legend Cruyff was manifested in my eyes and memories. The first reaction from the club was a simple one: "We will always love you Johan. Rest in peace".
"Johan Cruyff painted the chapel, and Barcelona coaches since merely restore or improve it". (Pep Guardiola, on what Cruyff did for Barcelona).
I will not write any flowing tribute full of wonderful memories of my childhood watching the mastery of Johan Cruyff. His time was too early for me, for my conscious football memories. His only World Cup was 1974 and, sadly, Holland were not part of my first World Cup, in 1982, and the next one in 1986. Soon after that Cruyff, the player, became Cruyff, the manager, and it was his time at Barcelona that would have the biggest impact on me in later years and set the foundations for what would become the most beautiful club football team to watch. As their manager he led Barcelona to 4 consecutive Spanish league titles. With football on TV not being as readily available as it is now it was only in watching them win the 1992 European Cup (for the first time) that I was able to witness their exhilarating, different style of football. Cruyff had started something. His unique ability as a player, to be mesmerising all over the pitch, his leading role as part of the Ajax and Dutch teams that brought us Total Football, transferred into his further development of this stunningly simple, free-flowing football method into the tika-tika style that has made Barcelona probably the best club team of all time. And not just the best, but also probably the neutrals' all time favourite team to watch. No football fan can be a lover of football if they don't admit to appreciating what Cryuff's legacy at Barcelona has done to raise the beautiful game to another level of beauty.
So influential was Cruyff in Spain that the Spanish national team not only started to resemble Barcelona's tika-tika teams, but they also became similarly invincible. At the 2010 World Cup when Cruyff was so deluded with the anti-Dutch Holland team that reached the final against Spain, he is said to have supported Spain. The irony of course was that it was his style that Spain had adopted that highlighted how far Holland were from the beautiful way.
There is one memory of Cruyff and Holland from 1974. As my love for the game grew in the early 1980s I watched footage of the '74 final. The opening minute was fascinating. Holland kept possession, West Germany did not have a touch and after Cruyff burst into the penalty area and was fouled, Holland took the lead. The Germans' first touch was their goalkeeper picking the ball out of the net. In the end the graft and determination of the Germans won over the artistry of the Dutch. But that first minute was a joy to watch. And while Holland, especially that Holland, are known as the best team ever to not win the World Cup, Cruyff is surely the best player ever to never win the World Cup.
There was a way about Dutch football, a thinking, a method, which was so wonderfully unique. And, as I recommend reading the many a great tribute written about Cruyff today by those with better words than me, this is also a good time to strongly suggest reading David Winner's fantastic book, Brilliant Orange: The Neurotic Genius of Dutch Soccer. Winner describes the Dutch people's way of thinking and their unique appreciation and use of space and how Dutch football relates to this.
The final word goes to Barcelona where the legend Cruyff was manifested in my eyes and memories. The first reaction from the club was a simple one: "We will always love you Johan. Rest in peace".
Wednesday 23 March 2016
Belgium, my tribute, my way
Day -812. WorldCup2018
This may not be the time or place. What it is, just like I felt compelled to do about Turkey last weekend, is a tribute to Belgium in a way I know how to.
Belgium was part of my early football education. In the first World Cup in my memory they were the mysterious team with exotic names like Erwin Vandenbergh, the scorer of the winning goal in the opening match against Argentina. Argentina were the defending champions and this was a huge surprise and this made Belgium very interesting for me. My first World Cup and I loved them as underdogs already. Maybe they were pretty good and had a history of good football, but I was just going on what my fresh World Cup mind heard. Vandenbergh had scored the first goal at the 1982 World Cup and Belgium had beaten the world champions. Belgium. I even liked the sound of that country.
In later years, I was always struck by players like the flamboyant goalkeeper Jean-Marie Pfaff, the solid defender and captain Eric Gerets, the classy "continental" (when he played in Newcastle) defender Philippe Albert, the silky skillful Enzo Scifo, and the almost-world-class-stars Marc Degryse and Luc Nilis. There was something about these Belgian players that gave them more appeal, for me anyway. They were great to watch, great proponents of the cliched "beautiful game". But they somehow weren't stars like their peers: Platini, Zico, Van Basten, Gullit, Baggio, Lineker. They all managed to be amazingly talented players in a very talented Belgian team who all didn't have the stardom factor. And maybe they were happy with that. Maybe it was the low key Belgian way.
In 1994 Belgium and Holland played one of the most enjoyable matches I have ever watched at a World Cup. It was end to end, it was clean, fast and spectacular without being overly so. Two neighbouring countries playing without the wasted energy of playing like bitter rivals. And that sleek defender Phillipe Albert scored the winning goal.
In the 1986 World Cup one of Belgium's notches in fooball history (the other being that here they were in a World Cup semi-final) was that they were the team that was ripped apart by two magical Diego Maradona moments in his World Cup.
But here's the happier memory for Belgians (together with ecstatic Belgian commentator) and where Belgium entered my conscience.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1LVA64E2o8
This may not be the time or place. What it is, just like I felt compelled to do about Turkey last weekend, is a tribute to Belgium in a way I know how to.
Belgium was part of my early football education. In the first World Cup in my memory they were the mysterious team with exotic names like Erwin Vandenbergh, the scorer of the winning goal in the opening match against Argentina. Argentina were the defending champions and this was a huge surprise and this made Belgium very interesting for me. My first World Cup and I loved them as underdogs already. Maybe they were pretty good and had a history of good football, but I was just going on what my fresh World Cup mind heard. Vandenbergh had scored the first goal at the 1982 World Cup and Belgium had beaten the world champions. Belgium. I even liked the sound of that country.
In later years, I was always struck by players like the flamboyant goalkeeper Jean-Marie Pfaff, the solid defender and captain Eric Gerets, the classy "continental" (when he played in Newcastle) defender Philippe Albert, the silky skillful Enzo Scifo, and the almost-world-class-stars Marc Degryse and Luc Nilis. There was something about these Belgian players that gave them more appeal, for me anyway. They were great to watch, great proponents of the cliched "beautiful game". But they somehow weren't stars like their peers: Platini, Zico, Van Basten, Gullit, Baggio, Lineker. They all managed to be amazingly talented players in a very talented Belgian team who all didn't have the stardom factor. And maybe they were happy with that. Maybe it was the low key Belgian way.
In 1994 Belgium and Holland played one of the most enjoyable matches I have ever watched at a World Cup. It was end to end, it was clean, fast and spectacular without being overly so. Two neighbouring countries playing without the wasted energy of playing like bitter rivals. And that sleek defender Phillipe Albert scored the winning goal.
In the 1986 World Cup one of Belgium's notches in fooball history (the other being that here they were in a World Cup semi-final) was that they were the team that was ripped apart by two magical Diego Maradona moments in his World Cup.
But here's the happier memory for Belgians (together with ecstatic Belgian commentator) and where Belgium entered my conscience.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1LVA64E2o8
Tuesday 22 March 2016
Brussels, Belgium
Day -813. WorldCup2018.
When I titled yesterday's post an "in-between day" it was in hindsight today, a sad and unintentional choice of words. The day before I had mourned for Turkey and its' victims of terrorism. Today I mourn for Belgium.
The Belgian football team cancelled their training session today. As the tweet from the official team twitter account said: "Football is not important today".
When I titled yesterday's post an "in-between day" it was in hindsight today, a sad and unintentional choice of words. The day before I had mourned for Turkey and its' victims of terrorism. Today I mourn for Belgium.
The Belgian football team cancelled their training session today. As the tweet from the official team twitter account said: "Football is not important today".
Monday 21 March 2016
Sunday 20 March 2016
Ode to Turkey
Day -815 WorldCup2018
Yesterday I posed the the question, the thought, as to whether the fans of Galatasary and Fenerbache, the two rival football teams in Istanbul would care much about the local derby today after yesterday's suicide bombing in the city. They never got the opportunity to give us an answer in the stadium. The match was called off for security concerns not long before kick-off with many fans already in the stadium. But the fact that they were prepared to go anyway shows that they still intended to carry on with the fanatical support of their team despite the tragic events. Attendance at a sporting event, with football being one of the biggest ones, very often becomes a stage for people to come together emotionally and also a demonstration of the strength of the affected local citizens, a strength in numbers against those responsible for the tragedy.
The Istanbul derby is one of the most passionate in the world. This passion from the supporters is often terrifying, yet at the same time it is a demonstration of awe-inspiring support for a football team. The Turkish government was determined that it's citizens would carry on with life as normal today. But as impressive of a show this derby being played today would have been, it has to be countered with the frightening reality of thousands of people gathered in one place under the possible threat of a terrorist attack. Favouring safety over a determination to not be intimidated had to be the smart and safe decision.
I usually look for a humorous World Cup memory on Sunday. Today, in honour of Turkey, I recall their greatest World Cup performance ever. In 2002 they reached the semi-finals after this golden goal win over Senegal. The video below has it all: the commentator going wild in the language of the winning team, the coach in his suit running across the pitch and the golden goal. Why was the golden goal rule so short-lived?
Turkey, we hope to see you in Russia.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cf70uWXYcU
Yesterday I posed the the question, the thought, as to whether the fans of Galatasary and Fenerbache, the two rival football teams in Istanbul would care much about the local derby today after yesterday's suicide bombing in the city. They never got the opportunity to give us an answer in the stadium. The match was called off for security concerns not long before kick-off with many fans already in the stadium. But the fact that they were prepared to go anyway shows that they still intended to carry on with the fanatical support of their team despite the tragic events. Attendance at a sporting event, with football being one of the biggest ones, very often becomes a stage for people to come together emotionally and also a demonstration of the strength of the affected local citizens, a strength in numbers against those responsible for the tragedy.
The Istanbul derby is one of the most passionate in the world. This passion from the supporters is often terrifying, yet at the same time it is a demonstration of awe-inspiring support for a football team. The Turkish government was determined that it's citizens would carry on with life as normal today. But as impressive of a show this derby being played today would have been, it has to be countered with the frightening reality of thousands of people gathered in one place under the possible threat of a terrorist attack. Favouring safety over a determination to not be intimidated had to be the smart and safe decision.
I usually look for a humorous World Cup memory on Sunday. Today, in honour of Turkey, I recall their greatest World Cup performance ever. In 2002 they reached the semi-finals after this golden goal win over Senegal. The video below has it all: the commentator going wild in the language of the winning team, the coach in his suit running across the pitch and the golden goal. Why was the golden goal rule so short-lived?
Turkey, we hope to see you in Russia.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cf70uWXYcU
Saturday 19 March 2016
Turkey
Day -816. #WorldCup2018
Yesterday I needed inspiration to come up with something. And I did. Today is a little harder. I always hope (romantically and probably unrealistically) that by the time I get to day -1 the problems in the world today will be resolved and we can all enjoy the football. The latest tragically sad ongoing story is Turkey. The three way battle between the government, the Kurds and Isis is claiming far too many lives; civilians or military, Turks or tourists is immaterial, they are still people. Another suicide bombing in Istanbul today left 5 dead. Turks love their football. The support for the big teams is some of the craziest, passionate in the world. Will those football supporters care tomorrow whether Galatasaray or Fenerbache win the huge lstanbul derby? I'd guess the answer would be yes because sport and football is the almost pretend alternative world we need to disappear into when tragedy strikes. But here's to hoping for a safer happier Turkey long before we get to day -1.
Yesterday I needed inspiration to come up with something. And I did. Today is a little harder. I always hope (romantically and probably unrealistically) that by the time I get to day -1 the problems in the world today will be resolved and we can all enjoy the football. The latest tragically sad ongoing story is Turkey. The three way battle between the government, the Kurds and Isis is claiming far too many lives; civilians or military, Turks or tourists is immaterial, they are still people. Another suicide bombing in Istanbul today left 5 dead. Turks love their football. The support for the big teams is some of the craziest, passionate in the world. Will those football supporters care tomorrow whether Galatasaray or Fenerbache win the huge lstanbul derby? I'd guess the answer would be yes because sport and football is the almost pretend alternative world we need to disappear into when tragedy strikes. But here's to hoping for a safer happier Turkey long before we get to day -1.
Friday 18 March 2016
The Transformer
Day -817. WorldCup2018
You know that feeling when you've been writing something daily for 182 days about an event happening in 817 days and on the 183rd day have no idea what to write about? Well that's when you revert back to the Welcome 2018 website the "World Cup Tourist Portal" for inspiration. The tourist friendly site happily provides a story about the new "transformer" hotel at the Kazan Arena stadium. The hotel rooms are going to be built into one of the stands. What a great idea. But hold on. Apparently the hotel rooms will be transformed (hence the name) into VIP sky boxes for matches. OK, maybe this is still good. I book a room at this hotel and I am guaranteed a perfect seat. Hotel room/VIP box, still my room, no? Maybe not.
"So the hotel won’t prevent spectators from enjoying the games, and it will provide lodging on off days."
In other words I could book a room in the Kazan Arena Transformer Hotel (can we call it the Iron Man hotel? Star Wars hotel?) as I have tickets for the match being played at The Transformers Arena. But on the day of the match I go from having secured a hotel room as close as possible to the stadium without actually being in the stadium (no, no...change that: "with actually being IN the stadium) to having to look for another hotel room because my room is needed for spectators who have tickets to come watch a match in my hotel room. But what if I checked out at noon on matchday, asked the hotel staff (or are they now stadium staff?) to store my luggage in the luggage storage room (now the changing room?) for the night, went out for lunch and a stroll, came back to the Transformed Arena for the match, watched the match, went to a bar and another and another to celebrate my team's win, showed up for breakfast at the almost-hotel-still-stadium and booked a room for that night at the Hotel Re-Transformed? And where do I book my match tickets and hotel room? Ticketmasterexpedia?
I think this might work. Hotel Transformer Kazan Arena, the hotel within a stadium which isn't a hotel when it's a stadium. And when it's a hotel....well, you're in a big empty stadium.
You know that feeling when you've been writing something daily for 182 days about an event happening in 817 days and on the 183rd day have no idea what to write about? Well that's when you revert back to the Welcome 2018 website the "World Cup Tourist Portal" for inspiration. The tourist friendly site happily provides a story about the new "transformer" hotel at the Kazan Arena stadium. The hotel rooms are going to be built into one of the stands. What a great idea. But hold on. Apparently the hotel rooms will be transformed (hence the name) into VIP sky boxes for matches. OK, maybe this is still good. I book a room at this hotel and I am guaranteed a perfect seat. Hotel room/VIP box, still my room, no? Maybe not.
"So the hotel won’t prevent spectators from enjoying the games, and it will provide lodging on off days."
In other words I could book a room in the Kazan Arena Transformer Hotel (can we call it the Iron Man hotel? Star Wars hotel?) as I have tickets for the match being played at The Transformers Arena. But on the day of the match I go from having secured a hotel room as close as possible to the stadium without actually being in the stadium (no, no...change that: "with actually being IN the stadium) to having to look for another hotel room because my room is needed for spectators who have tickets to come watch a match in my hotel room. But what if I checked out at noon on matchday, asked the hotel staff (or are they now stadium staff?) to store my luggage in the luggage storage room (now the changing room?) for the night, went out for lunch and a stroll, came back to the Transformed Arena for the match, watched the match, went to a bar and another and another to celebrate my team's win, showed up for breakfast at the almost-hotel-still-stadium and booked a room for that night at the Hotel Re-Transformed? And where do I book my match tickets and hotel room? Ticketmasterexpedia?
I think this might work. Hotel Transformer Kazan Arena, the hotel within a stadium which isn't a hotel when it's a stadium. And when it's a hotel....well, you're in a big empty stadium.
Thursday 17 March 2016
Go Canada, go!
Day -818. WorldCup2018.
Of all the qualifiers happening next week one I will be following closely is Canada-Mexico. Unfortunately it is being played on the other side of the country in Vancouver. It's becoming a bit of an event before it actually happens. Canada have had a decent start to this round of qualifying with a win and a draw and there is a much more positive feeling about the team's chances this time after some pretty embarrassing qualifying campaigns. And the supporters are showing their, well, support in numbers. It is normal for football matches at the 54,000 capacity BC Place in Vancouver that the upper bowl is closed off. But as the number of tickets sold kept rising, the Canadian Soccer Association, has opened it up. More than 40,000 tickets have been sold and this is already a record for a World Cup qualifying match in Canada. The target now is to reach 54,000 with one week to go.
Football has come a long way in Canada. It has had the numbers among young players for a long time. In 2008 I came across participation statistics that showed that more children in Canada played football than hockey. This was always countered by naysayers who said, "yes, but where do they all go after the age of 13 or 14?". Well, a lot of them joined big clubs in Europe, facilitated through the clubs in Canada who were part of an improving Canadian system. These relationships with European clubs also resulted in them sending coaches to Canada. And now the quality is there. And with all the European football on television there is more enthusiasm and excitement about football.
And to think that I remember very clearly in the early 2000s when Malta beat Canada in a friendly. Not only did nobody in Canada really care or know about it, but the win didn't really generate much excitement in Malta. And that said a lot, about Canada.
Of all the qualifiers happening next week one I will be following closely is Canada-Mexico. Unfortunately it is being played on the other side of the country in Vancouver. It's becoming a bit of an event before it actually happens. Canada have had a decent start to this round of qualifying with a win and a draw and there is a much more positive feeling about the team's chances this time after some pretty embarrassing qualifying campaigns. And the supporters are showing their, well, support in numbers. It is normal for football matches at the 54,000 capacity BC Place in Vancouver that the upper bowl is closed off. But as the number of tickets sold kept rising, the Canadian Soccer Association, has opened it up. More than 40,000 tickets have been sold and this is already a record for a World Cup qualifying match in Canada. The target now is to reach 54,000 with one week to go.
Football has come a long way in Canada. It has had the numbers among young players for a long time. In 2008 I came across participation statistics that showed that more children in Canada played football than hockey. This was always countered by naysayers who said, "yes, but where do they all go after the age of 13 or 14?". Well, a lot of them joined big clubs in Europe, facilitated through the clubs in Canada who were part of an improving Canadian system. These relationships with European clubs also resulted in them sending coaches to Canada. And now the quality is there. And with all the European football on television there is more enthusiasm and excitement about football.
And to think that I remember very clearly in the early 2000s when Malta beat Canada in a friendly. Not only did nobody in Canada really care or know about it, but the win didn't really generate much excitement in Malta. And that said a lot, about Canada.
Wednesday 16 March 2016
England-Italy, part 2
Day -819. WorldCup2018.
The sequel to the England-Italy qualifier that I described yesterday was that despite Italy's win, England went to Rome for the last qualifying match in the stronger position to qualify. Italy dropped points (I remember a 0-0 draw against Georgia) while England played the rest of their qualifiers quite a little bit better than the one I witnessed at Wembley.
So in October 1997 England only needed a draw to qualify while Italy needed a win to avoid having to go through the play-offs. I remember a tense much and not much else, except for Ian Wright rounding the Italian goalkeeper towards the end and...and...hitting the post! England qualified but there was almost a sense of disappointment (I'm sure not just from me) that Wright didn't score and England didn’t avenge the 1-0 defeat at Wembley.
But again, just like at Wembley, my strongest memory of the whole incredibly tense evening was not what happened in the 90 minutes but a silly part of the build up to the match. I say silly but it is actually a recurring dilemma for many a football fan. While I was attempting to round up a few of my closest football watching friends to share the fun, the I can't bear to watch kind of fun, of watching England in this must-draw encounter one of my my wise, good friends hesitated. He questioned where it would be best to watch: at home where he could concentrate on every move, every near miss from each team; or in a bar where, invariably, there would be a lot of part-time, jump on the bandwagon kind of fans who would shout out things like offside when there was definitely a defender keeping the centre forward onside when the ball was played forward. I mean, really! In the end he was convinced to join us and it was a wonderful night of little conversation and occasional groans at the TVs. What a night! Entertainment has a different meaning for football supporters.
Italy did eventually qualify by beating Russia in the play-offs. England stuttered through the group phase at France '98. In the second round, Michael Owen's bursting on to the scene performance did not prevent another heroic defeat, this time to Argentina. But just getting there was a big part of the fun.
The sequel to the England-Italy qualifier that I described yesterday was that despite Italy's win, England went to Rome for the last qualifying match in the stronger position to qualify. Italy dropped points (I remember a 0-0 draw against Georgia) while England played the rest of their qualifiers quite a little bit better than the one I witnessed at Wembley.
So in October 1997 England only needed a draw to qualify while Italy needed a win to avoid having to go through the play-offs. I remember a tense much and not much else, except for Ian Wright rounding the Italian goalkeeper towards the end and...and...hitting the post! England qualified but there was almost a sense of disappointment (I'm sure not just from me) that Wright didn't score and England didn’t avenge the 1-0 defeat at Wembley.
But again, just like at Wembley, my strongest memory of the whole incredibly tense evening was not what happened in the 90 minutes but a silly part of the build up to the match. I say silly but it is actually a recurring dilemma for many a football fan. While I was attempting to round up a few of my closest football watching friends to share the fun, the I can't bear to watch kind of fun, of watching England in this must-draw encounter one of my my wise, good friends hesitated. He questioned where it would be best to watch: at home where he could concentrate on every move, every near miss from each team; or in a bar where, invariably, there would be a lot of part-time, jump on the bandwagon kind of fans who would shout out things like offside when there was definitely a defender keeping the centre forward onside when the ball was played forward. I mean, really! In the end he was convinced to join us and it was a wonderful night of little conversation and occasional groans at the TVs. What a night! Entertainment has a different meaning for football supporters.
Italy did eventually qualify by beating Russia in the play-offs. England stuttered through the group phase at France '98. In the second round, Michael Owen's bursting on to the scene performance did not prevent another heroic defeat, this time to Argentina. But just getting there was a big part of the fun.
Tuesday 15 March 2016
England-Italy 1997
Day -820. WorldCup2018.
One thing I could probably throw in here occasionally is a personal World Cup memory. Yes, there are numerous from watching on TV, but no live ones. I could probably go through quite the memory bank of qualifying matches that Malta played and I was at. But were they "big" matches? For me at the time, yes. But of interest to anybody else? Well, you may get me reliving them anyway. But there is one World Cup qualifying match which I was present for and which would definitely classify as "big". And I realised that over the course of my 2014 World Cup countdown and all during that World Cup and the past 179 days I have never mentioned it. Strange, because it was a huge match. So here goes.
In February 1997 I went to England, from Malta, for one night to watch England play Italy at Wembley in the qualifying for France 1998. Wembley Stadium. England against Italy. Huge. I could write a book about the sociology of growing up in Malta, a country divided between supporting each of the two countries and my own allegiance switching in my early football-supporting life. But, that morning as I got to the airport in Malta my only thought was about the enormity of being at Wembley to watch England. At Wembley Stadium to watch England play Italy. After that there should be a rush of memories, right? No.
England lost 1-0. Gianfranco Zola scored the only goal right in front of me. Matt Le Tissier, the incredibly talented player who everybody wanted to be great for England but wasn't, missed a couple of chances and Alan Shearer was injured. But those memories are quite cloudy. I even had to look up who scored, just to be sure. Instead, there are two incidents that stand out clearly. To understand why they stand out may need a study in the workings of not the human brain in general, but the differences between different brains. What do we store and why?
Before the match I arranged to meet my brother somewhere in London. He wasn't going but was excited for me that I was. As I waited for him on a street corner, across from a pub where a large number of supporters had gathered, I took in the pre-match atmosphere created by the legendary (good or bad) English fans. The singing was continuous, loud, crude, with the IRA a regular target of the abuse. Whether those fans, fuelled by whatever it was they enjoyed, really had any true understanding of the politics of England and IRA to have genuine hatred requires yet another sociological study. To put this situation into perspective you have to put yourself in the shoes of a football lover from Malta, in his early twenties, who's experience of fanatical football supporters had mostly involved sitting at a half empty stadium in Malta watching supporters from rival teams trade insults about the village saint, to the amusement of anybody else sitting outside the areas designated to the respective teams' fans.
Back to that street corner in London. As the fans drank and sang, and entertained, a bus drove past and, it being a busy intersection, did so quite slowly. Why it happened, I'm not quite sure and wasn't close enough to know, but suddenly the bus was a target for a barrage of beer glasses and bottles, and maybe more. Maybe because it was terrifying, it raised the level of entertainment. Naivety was an innocent and useful weapon back then.
Fast forward to me walking to the underground station at the end of the match. As I walked amongst the mass of disappointment, I noticed one of the despondent fans on his cellphone, this before it was abnormal to be one of a few not on a phone soon after leaving an event like this. At about the same time somebody else noticed the phone talker. I do not remember the exact words but non-phone talker yelled across to man on phone, "Oi! If that's Glenn tell 'im thanks from all of us for f**king up another World Cup." With a few disgruntled acknowledging moans and a few resigned smiles the crowd moved on. Glenn Hoddle was the manager at the time and he hadn't endeared himself to the fans by picking Le Tissier, seen as a bit of a Harlem Globetrotter, than a real make-a-difference-to-the-team kind of player.
And that was that. Malta to England one morning, big football match that night, back to Malta the next morning. And the two things that stood out for me didn't even take place inside Wembley.
Maybe it's time for a remedy, time to watch Canada in its qualifying campaign and build some new memories.
One thing I could probably throw in here occasionally is a personal World Cup memory. Yes, there are numerous from watching on TV, but no live ones. I could probably go through quite the memory bank of qualifying matches that Malta played and I was at. But were they "big" matches? For me at the time, yes. But of interest to anybody else? Well, you may get me reliving them anyway. But there is one World Cup qualifying match which I was present for and which would definitely classify as "big". And I realised that over the course of my 2014 World Cup countdown and all during that World Cup and the past 179 days I have never mentioned it. Strange, because it was a huge match. So here goes.
In February 1997 I went to England, from Malta, for one night to watch England play Italy at Wembley in the qualifying for France 1998. Wembley Stadium. England against Italy. Huge. I could write a book about the sociology of growing up in Malta, a country divided between supporting each of the two countries and my own allegiance switching in my early football-supporting life. But, that morning as I got to the airport in Malta my only thought was about the enormity of being at Wembley to watch England. At Wembley Stadium to watch England play Italy. After that there should be a rush of memories, right? No.
England lost 1-0. Gianfranco Zola scored the only goal right in front of me. Matt Le Tissier, the incredibly talented player who everybody wanted to be great for England but wasn't, missed a couple of chances and Alan Shearer was injured. But those memories are quite cloudy. I even had to look up who scored, just to be sure. Instead, there are two incidents that stand out clearly. To understand why they stand out may need a study in the workings of not the human brain in general, but the differences between different brains. What do we store and why?
Before the match I arranged to meet my brother somewhere in London. He wasn't going but was excited for me that I was. As I waited for him on a street corner, across from a pub where a large number of supporters had gathered, I took in the pre-match atmosphere created by the legendary (good or bad) English fans. The singing was continuous, loud, crude, with the IRA a regular target of the abuse. Whether those fans, fuelled by whatever it was they enjoyed, really had any true understanding of the politics of England and IRA to have genuine hatred requires yet another sociological study. To put this situation into perspective you have to put yourself in the shoes of a football lover from Malta, in his early twenties, who's experience of fanatical football supporters had mostly involved sitting at a half empty stadium in Malta watching supporters from rival teams trade insults about the village saint, to the amusement of anybody else sitting outside the areas designated to the respective teams' fans.
Back to that street corner in London. As the fans drank and sang, and entertained, a bus drove past and, it being a busy intersection, did so quite slowly. Why it happened, I'm not quite sure and wasn't close enough to know, but suddenly the bus was a target for a barrage of beer glasses and bottles, and maybe more. Maybe because it was terrifying, it raised the level of entertainment. Naivety was an innocent and useful weapon back then.
Fast forward to me walking to the underground station at the end of the match. As I walked amongst the mass of disappointment, I noticed one of the despondent fans on his cellphone, this before it was abnormal to be one of a few not on a phone soon after leaving an event like this. At about the same time somebody else noticed the phone talker. I do not remember the exact words but non-phone talker yelled across to man on phone, "Oi! If that's Glenn tell 'im thanks from all of us for f**king up another World Cup." With a few disgruntled acknowledging moans and a few resigned smiles the crowd moved on. Glenn Hoddle was the manager at the time and he hadn't endeared himself to the fans by picking Le Tissier, seen as a bit of a Harlem Globetrotter, than a real make-a-difference-to-the-team kind of player.
And that was that. Malta to England one morning, big football match that night, back to Malta the next morning. And the two things that stood out for me didn't even take place inside Wembley.
Maybe it's time for a remedy, time to watch Canada in its qualifying campaign and build some new memories.
Monday 14 March 2016
Holiday , day #3
Day -821. WorldCup2018.
Another "on holiday" post, not because I have nothing to write but because I am on holiday so not wanting to spend too much time on this. Qualifying starts again next week. Then I'll be off holiday even if I was "on holiday".
Another "on holiday" post, not because I have nothing to write but because I am on holiday so not wanting to spend too much time on this. Qualifying starts again next week. Then I'll be off holiday even if I was "on holiday".
Sunday 13 March 2016
Holiday, day #2
Day -822. WorldCup2018.
I'm not going to miss a day. So I'll say I'm taking a short holiday. If you want a happy Sunday memory, a simple heart warming story in these days of politics and politicians intruding in football, just google Toto Schillaci, Italia '90. Oh, and listen to Pavarotti's anthem of that World Cup. Even better find a youtube video that has Pavarotti singing while Toto scores.
I'm not going to miss a day. So I'll say I'm taking a short holiday. If you want a happy Sunday memory, a simple heart warming story in these days of politics and politicians intruding in football, just google Toto Schillaci, Italia '90. Oh, and listen to Pavarotti's anthem of that World Cup. Even better find a youtube video that has Pavarotti singing while Toto scores.
Saturday 12 March 2016
Holiday.
Day -823. WorldCup2018.
And on the seventh day he rested. Or, in my case, the 177th. Back tomorrow.
And on the seventh day he rested. Or, in my case, the 177th. Back tomorrow.
Friday 11 March 2016
Ode to Japan
Day -824. WorldCup2018.
Today marks 5 years since the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan and killed, or left missing, more than 18,000 people. The enormity of the tragedy is beyond comprehension to most of us even though we watched video after video of waves sweeping through villages destroying everything in their path. For the survivors, the live witnesses of what we watched on our TVs on the other side of the world must be a memory that will never leave them. And they are still dealing with life changing consequences.
And so how do I mark such a day? In one of the only ways I know how, through something that is easier for me to understand and marks a happier day for Japan: the 2002 World Cup which Japan co-hosted with South Korea. Both countries were proud to be the first Asian hosts of the World Cup and the pride showed through in the massive passionate support in all the matches they played in.
On June 9th 2002, after an opening 2-2 draw with Belgium, Japan played Russia. A win against one of the stronger, yet admittedly unpredictable, World Cup teams would put Japan in a very strong position to make it into the second round for the first time, in only their second World Cup. A goal early in the second half gave them that win and they followed it up with another win against Tunisia to send the country into World Cup heaven.
Do the tragic events of five years ago put football, and sport, into perspective. Should we, can we, celebrate sport when faced with memories of tragedies like this? I cannot really provide a justifiable answer. So, instead, I will quote from Simon Barnes, for many years the chief sportswriter at the The Times (of London). This was his reaction when he was in New York for the U.S. Open tennis, and happened to come across the events marking the third anniversary of September 11. He had the same dilemma and and answered it thus (in hindsight after later that day he watched Tim Henman get "killed" by Roger Federer, "who did not, of course, die at all"):
"And no, it didn't put sport in perspective. Sport is already in perspective. I don't claim any privileged insight in saying this: everybody in the world who watches sport has sport in perspective. If sport wasn't in perspective it would be meaningless. Sport is not supposed to be real life: it is something different."
(The Meaning of Sport, Simon Barnes, 2006)
Today marks 5 years since the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan and killed, or left missing, more than 18,000 people. The enormity of the tragedy is beyond comprehension to most of us even though we watched video after video of waves sweeping through villages destroying everything in their path. For the survivors, the live witnesses of what we watched on our TVs on the other side of the world must be a memory that will never leave them. And they are still dealing with life changing consequences.
And so how do I mark such a day? In one of the only ways I know how, through something that is easier for me to understand and marks a happier day for Japan: the 2002 World Cup which Japan co-hosted with South Korea. Both countries were proud to be the first Asian hosts of the World Cup and the pride showed through in the massive passionate support in all the matches they played in.
On June 9th 2002, after an opening 2-2 draw with Belgium, Japan played Russia. A win against one of the stronger, yet admittedly unpredictable, World Cup teams would put Japan in a very strong position to make it into the second round for the first time, in only their second World Cup. A goal early in the second half gave them that win and they followed it up with another win against Tunisia to send the country into World Cup heaven.
Do the tragic events of five years ago put football, and sport, into perspective. Should we, can we, celebrate sport when faced with memories of tragedies like this? I cannot really provide a justifiable answer. So, instead, I will quote from Simon Barnes, for many years the chief sportswriter at the The Times (of London). This was his reaction when he was in New York for the U.S. Open tennis, and happened to come across the events marking the third anniversary of September 11. He had the same dilemma and and answered it thus (in hindsight after later that day he watched Tim Henman get "killed" by Roger Federer, "who did not, of course, die at all"):
"And no, it didn't put sport in perspective. Sport is already in perspective. I don't claim any privileged insight in saying this: everybody in the world who watches sport has sport in perspective. If sport wasn't in perspective it would be meaningless. Sport is not supposed to be real life: it is something different."
(The Meaning of Sport, Simon Barnes, 2006)
Thursday 10 March 2016
Tokyo Sexwale: the postscript
Day -825. WorldCup2018.
One of the most entertaining features of the recent Fifa election was Tokyo Sexwale, with his name causing much giggling like little children on the whole social media platform thingy. He lived up to his entertainment value with an off the cuff speech when all the candidates were making their final pleas just before voting took place. And in that speech he announced he was stepping down as a candidate.
But that wasn't that. He, or more appropriately his loyal supporters who were equally entertaining with their tweeting, reappeared today for one, maybe last, reminder of the great Tokyo. They followed me on Twitter and I thought I had finally been recognised for all my mentions of him. But maybe it was because they have something to sell, a little bit of Tokyo:
"You always wanted to be Tokyo Sexwale? Thats easy. Buy the domain :-) http://tokyosexwale.com "
So Tokyo, the man will slip back into his life as a very successful South African businessman, but the name will live on. As for the fans, well, they seem to be confirming my suspicion that this was all a big joke, at poor Tokyo's expense. They have now found a new angle, a new victim and have taken to re-tweeting tweets such as:
"First there was Tokyo Sexwale, now Dick Pound ... *even more giggles*"
And you see what I said.....just like giggling schoolchildren.
One of the most entertaining features of the recent Fifa election was Tokyo Sexwale, with his name causing much giggling like little children on the whole social media platform thingy. He lived up to his entertainment value with an off the cuff speech when all the candidates were making their final pleas just before voting took place. And in that speech he announced he was stepping down as a candidate.
But that wasn't that. He, or more appropriately his loyal supporters who were equally entertaining with their tweeting, reappeared today for one, maybe last, reminder of the great Tokyo. They followed me on Twitter and I thought I had finally been recognised for all my mentions of him. But maybe it was because they have something to sell, a little bit of Tokyo:
"You always wanted to be Tokyo Sexwale? Thats easy. Buy the domain :-) http://tokyosexwale.com "
So Tokyo, the man will slip back into his life as a very successful South African businessman, but the name will live on. As for the fans, well, they seem to be confirming my suspicion that this was all a big joke, at poor Tokyo's expense. They have now found a new angle, a new victim and have taken to re-tweeting tweets such as:
"First there was Tokyo Sexwale, now Dick Pound ... *even more giggles*"
And you see what I said.....just like giggling schoolchildren.
Wednesday 9 March 2016
Bring on the Romanians.
Day -826. WorldCup2018.
My post yesterday about Maria Sharapova and her banned drug use led to my memory of the greatest footballer ever (let the arguments begin), Diego Maradona and him being kicked out of 1994 World Cup. From Sharapova to Maradona, via Lance Armstong, that's quite the collection of sports starts with questionable methods of achieving their success. But that wasn't the end of that train of thought. It led to a happier memory.
At that 1994 World Cup, after Maradona was sent home, or somewhere other than where football was being played in the U.S., Argentina limped into the second round and faced Romania, a team with not much of a World Cup pedigree. Argentina would normally have been overwhelming favourites, but this was a team going through the trauma and distraction of losing it's legendary player. And there opponents were the Romania of Hagi, Dumitrescu, Popescu, Petrescu....the Brazilians of Europe.
It was a classic World Cup match and an especially strong personal memory. This is why I love the World Cup to see a team with an undeniable amount of skill, but still the underdogs, come together to put in a performance that was so much fun to watch for all the quick football, the perfect demonstration of slick counter attacking.
Excuse the Romanian commentary, which sounds very South American, but if you have 4 minutes watch and enjoy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMUoHQuGZYA
My post yesterday about Maria Sharapova and her banned drug use led to my memory of the greatest footballer ever (let the arguments begin), Diego Maradona and him being kicked out of 1994 World Cup. From Sharapova to Maradona, via Lance Armstong, that's quite the collection of sports starts with questionable methods of achieving their success. But that wasn't the end of that train of thought. It led to a happier memory.
At that 1994 World Cup, after Maradona was sent home, or somewhere other than where football was being played in the U.S., Argentina limped into the second round and faced Romania, a team with not much of a World Cup pedigree. Argentina would normally have been overwhelming favourites, but this was a team going through the trauma and distraction of losing it's legendary player. And there opponents were the Romania of Hagi, Dumitrescu, Popescu, Petrescu....the Brazilians of Europe.
It was a classic World Cup match and an especially strong personal memory. This is why I love the World Cup to see a team with an undeniable amount of skill, but still the underdogs, come together to put in a performance that was so much fun to watch for all the quick football, the perfect demonstration of slick counter attacking.
Excuse the Romanian commentary, which sounds very South American, but if you have 4 minutes watch and enjoy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMUoHQuGZYA
Tuesday 8 March 2016
Fifa and doping
Day -827. WorldCup2018
As of yesterday Maria Sharapova is known as the drug-cheat, the tennis player that took performance enhancing drugs, or the one player who was finally caught. When the Lance Armstrong scandal broke, it became apparent how rife doping in cycling was, more than just the annual positive tests at the Tour de France. Then last year we listened in awe as news of the widespread drug use in Russian track and field was broken. Now tennis. As with the cyclists before Armstrong, was she just not smart enough to avoid being caught? Questions will be asked of tennis as a whole, the debate will start.
And football? There have been a few cases of players testing positive for recreational drugs, cocaine, marijauna. These were players who were not looking for any competitive advantage but maybe ways to deal with the stress of being more of a celebrity in the public eye than an athlete, or the disappointment of an injury. The most famous footballer playing under the influence of quite the cocktail of drugs was of course the one and only, the legend Diego Maradona. As a role model, there is no doubt that him being kicked out of the 1994 World Cup for being so obviously high that he was on a different planet was not a particularly good example to set. If you have not seen it watch his crazy-eyes celebration after his goal against Greece. But, and I am definitely not in any way condoning this kind of drug use, whereas with Armstong I felt he was competing on a level playing field and he was the best of all the dopers, when I watched Maradona, in hindsight, it is amazing what he could do when he was probably so out of it for many years.
And he was always better than Messi.
I have listened to arguments for allowable, or legalised, or controlled "doping" and it makes a lot of sense. It is very sad what has become of Maradona after his career ended, probably because of the incredible amount of chemicals that entered his body over a number of years. But if athletes take supplements that you and I can legally ingest that will help their bodies cope with the stresses of high level competition and these supplements do no harm, then why not?
After cycling, track and field and now tennis, football's time may come. Just as the International Tennis Federation maintains that it is very strict about testing and that there is no problem despite suggestions from the top players that this is not completely true, so does Fifa say that it does a great job of self-monitoring. But read this great opinion in the New York Times. It's almost 2 years old and concerned the 2014 World Cup, but is still very relevant.
Maradona, in 1994, was probably very easy to catch. He was a target as he had a history having been banned in 1991 for 15 months. And he had a problem. Fifa had better make sure it gets in line with drug testing and we don't face yet another football scandal at Russia 2018, as well as the risk of any more players going down the Maradona post playing career self-destruction.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/21/sports/worldcup/no-doping-at-the-world-cup-thats-what-fifa-says.html?_r=0
As of yesterday Maria Sharapova is known as the drug-cheat, the tennis player that took performance enhancing drugs, or the one player who was finally caught. When the Lance Armstrong scandal broke, it became apparent how rife doping in cycling was, more than just the annual positive tests at the Tour de France. Then last year we listened in awe as news of the widespread drug use in Russian track and field was broken. Now tennis. As with the cyclists before Armstrong, was she just not smart enough to avoid being caught? Questions will be asked of tennis as a whole, the debate will start.
And football? There have been a few cases of players testing positive for recreational drugs, cocaine, marijauna. These were players who were not looking for any competitive advantage but maybe ways to deal with the stress of being more of a celebrity in the public eye than an athlete, or the disappointment of an injury. The most famous footballer playing under the influence of quite the cocktail of drugs was of course the one and only, the legend Diego Maradona. As a role model, there is no doubt that him being kicked out of the 1994 World Cup for being so obviously high that he was on a different planet was not a particularly good example to set. If you have not seen it watch his crazy-eyes celebration after his goal against Greece. But, and I am definitely not in any way condoning this kind of drug use, whereas with Armstong I felt he was competing on a level playing field and he was the best of all the dopers, when I watched Maradona, in hindsight, it is amazing what he could do when he was probably so out of it for many years.
And he was always better than Messi.
I have listened to arguments for allowable, or legalised, or controlled "doping" and it makes a lot of sense. It is very sad what has become of Maradona after his career ended, probably because of the incredible amount of chemicals that entered his body over a number of years. But if athletes take supplements that you and I can legally ingest that will help their bodies cope with the stresses of high level competition and these supplements do no harm, then why not?
After cycling, track and field and now tennis, football's time may come. Just as the International Tennis Federation maintains that it is very strict about testing and that there is no problem despite suggestions from the top players that this is not completely true, so does Fifa say that it does a great job of self-monitoring. But read this great opinion in the New York Times. It's almost 2 years old and concerned the 2014 World Cup, but is still very relevant.
Maradona, in 1994, was probably very easy to catch. He was a target as he had a history having been banned in 1991 for 15 months. And he had a problem. Fifa had better make sure it gets in line with drug testing and we don't face yet another football scandal at Russia 2018, as well as the risk of any more players going down the Maradona post playing career self-destruction.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/21/sports/worldcup/no-doping-at-the-world-cup-thats-what-fifa-says.html?_r=0
Monday 7 March 2016
Ronaldo vs. Messi
Dy -828. WorldCup2018.
This will be easier in 2 weeks when the football (of the World Cup qualifying type) starts again. Ah well, until then. No, no. I won't miss a day. I will find something to write about. And it will be happier than this.
http://m.bbc.com/sport/football/35744036
This will be easier in 2 weeks when the football (of the World Cup qualifying type) starts again. Ah well, until then. No, no. I won't miss a day. I will find something to write about. And it will be happier than this.
http://m.bbc.com/sport/football/35744036
Sunday 6 March 2016
Six, Didier Six
Day -829. WorldCup2018.
With Aston Villa languishing at the bottom of the English Premier League, doing their best to play the part of the worst team to ever grace the league, my excitement at the prospect of watching them on TV on a Saturday or Sunday morning has greatly diminished, or more accurately, completely evaporated. The team's woes have been the subject of much discussion this season. But no matter how big of a club they may be, their great history will not save them from the present predicament. Selling off their best players and using the money generated to buy a motley crew of young players, mostly from France, is a recipe for disaster, or at least relegation which may only be the beginning of the disaster.
But this is about the World Cup and, it being Sunday, it's time for another memory with a comical twist. The memory came to me while I tried to ignore Aston Villa's current plight. Attempting to keep them out of my head may have subconsciously brought up more deeply buried memories of a happier time.
In 1984, a few months after France's magical team had won the European Championships, Villa signed the a considerably more successfully French player than the current crop, winger Didier Six. In October 1984 he made his debut against Manchester United. Before live English football in Malta, we all looked forward to Big League Soccer with Brian Moore on Tuesday evening. I had heard about Didier Six and his impressive debut but watching it after already knowing the result didn't take away from the excitement of watching what this exotic foreign (and French at that) player could do. He set up the first goal for Peter Withe and Villa had a new hero. In the early 1990's when Jurgen Klinsmann signed for Tottenham it was big news to have a hugely accomplished foreigner play in England. So in 1984 to have a player who was a part of that incredible French team come to Villa was a massive coup. Sadly, the rest of the season kind of fizzled out for him, as did Villa's season. He played 16 times, scored two goals and moved on at the end of the season.
The link to a World Cup is coming. Six playing for Villa led me to think back to Spain 1982.
In the 1982 World Cup, Six scored a goal of quite incredible technical ability for France against Kuwait. The video is below. This goal then reminded me of one of the most bizarre World Cup moments.
France were 3-1 up against Kuwait when Alain Giresse scored number four. But the Kuwaiti players didn't like it because they said they stopped when they heard a whistle, possibly from the crowd but definitely not from the referee. The President of the Kuwaiti FA, Prince Fahid, was even more upset by the goal than the players. From his seat in the stands he signalled to his players to leave the pitch. He then left the stands and reappeared on the touch line arguing with the referee. When all the commotion had died down (and it went on for a while) the Prince left the pitch applauding (himself maybe or the referee) and the referee signalled that play would re-start with a drop-ball as the goal had been disallowed. The French were furious but got on with the game as there didn't seem to be any French prince to battle in their corner. They settled the argument in a more flamboyant French way by scoring a 4th goal, again.
I re-watched footage of Prince Fahid leaving the pitch amongst a throng of police officers and officials and within the crush of bodies I noticed somebody holding up a briefcase. My conspiracy theory brain wondered what was in that briefcase and why somebody would be carrying it around at time like that. Was the holder part of the Prince's entourage? I couldn't tell.
In the aftermath, the referee was banned by Fifa and Prince Fahid fined $11,000. Watching all this unfold as a young boy not long into my first World Cup was fascinating. What was Kuwait? Where was Kuwait? I seem to remember my brother making some comment about them bringing camels on to the pitch next. Didier Six in England was still to come. For now Kuwait, princes and the thought of camels all seemed very exotic.
There is footage of the whole incident and all the goals from the match. But as I wish this to be a happy football memory and it all started because of the joy Didier Six's appearance for Villa brought to me for a brief Big League Soccer moment, I have here his glorious goal.
Next week I may have to keep up this train of thought (and memories) with the story of another big European star who signed for Villa in 2000. Sadly, the Belgian striker Luc Nilis had a career-ending injury in his third match in England and we will never know if he would have been Villa's greatest signing.
With Aston Villa languishing at the bottom of the English Premier League, doing their best to play the part of the worst team to ever grace the league, my excitement at the prospect of watching them on TV on a Saturday or Sunday morning has greatly diminished, or more accurately, completely evaporated. The team's woes have been the subject of much discussion this season. But no matter how big of a club they may be, their great history will not save them from the present predicament. Selling off their best players and using the money generated to buy a motley crew of young players, mostly from France, is a recipe for disaster, or at least relegation which may only be the beginning of the disaster.
But this is about the World Cup and, it being Sunday, it's time for another memory with a comical twist. The memory came to me while I tried to ignore Aston Villa's current plight. Attempting to keep them out of my head may have subconsciously brought up more deeply buried memories of a happier time.
In 1984, a few months after France's magical team had won the European Championships, Villa signed the a considerably more successfully French player than the current crop, winger Didier Six. In October 1984 he made his debut against Manchester United. Before live English football in Malta, we all looked forward to Big League Soccer with Brian Moore on Tuesday evening. I had heard about Didier Six and his impressive debut but watching it after already knowing the result didn't take away from the excitement of watching what this exotic foreign (and French at that) player could do. He set up the first goal for Peter Withe and Villa had a new hero. In the early 1990's when Jurgen Klinsmann signed for Tottenham it was big news to have a hugely accomplished foreigner play in England. So in 1984 to have a player who was a part of that incredible French team come to Villa was a massive coup. Sadly, the rest of the season kind of fizzled out for him, as did Villa's season. He played 16 times, scored two goals and moved on at the end of the season.
The link to a World Cup is coming. Six playing for Villa led me to think back to Spain 1982.
In the 1982 World Cup, Six scored a goal of quite incredible technical ability for France against Kuwait. The video is below. This goal then reminded me of one of the most bizarre World Cup moments.
France were 3-1 up against Kuwait when Alain Giresse scored number four. But the Kuwaiti players didn't like it because they said they stopped when they heard a whistle, possibly from the crowd but definitely not from the referee. The President of the Kuwaiti FA, Prince Fahid, was even more upset by the goal than the players. From his seat in the stands he signalled to his players to leave the pitch. He then left the stands and reappeared on the touch line arguing with the referee. When all the commotion had died down (and it went on for a while) the Prince left the pitch applauding (himself maybe or the referee) and the referee signalled that play would re-start with a drop-ball as the goal had been disallowed. The French were furious but got on with the game as there didn't seem to be any French prince to battle in their corner. They settled the argument in a more flamboyant French way by scoring a 4th goal, again.
I re-watched footage of Prince Fahid leaving the pitch amongst a throng of police officers and officials and within the crush of bodies I noticed somebody holding up a briefcase. My conspiracy theory brain wondered what was in that briefcase and why somebody would be carrying it around at time like that. Was the holder part of the Prince's entourage? I couldn't tell.
In the aftermath, the referee was banned by Fifa and Prince Fahid fined $11,000. Watching all this unfold as a young boy not long into my first World Cup was fascinating. What was Kuwait? Where was Kuwait? I seem to remember my brother making some comment about them bringing camels on to the pitch next. Didier Six in England was still to come. For now Kuwait, princes and the thought of camels all seemed very exotic.
There is footage of the whole incident and all the goals from the match. But as I wish this to be a happy football memory and it all started because of the joy Didier Six's appearance for Villa brought to me for a brief Big League Soccer moment, I have here his glorious goal.
Next week I may have to keep up this train of thought (and memories) with the story of another big European star who signed for Villa in 2000. Sadly, the Belgian striker Luc Nilis had a career-ending injury in his third match in England and we will never know if he would have been Villa's greatest signing.
Saturday 5 March 2016
Clive Thomas re-visited
Day -830. WorldCup2018.
Clive Thomas would have been proud of Trevor Kettle today. Kettle was the referee in the League Two match in England in which Accrington Stanley thought they had scored on the stroke of half-time against AFC Wimbledon. They did have the ball in the Wimbledon net but Kettle whistled for half-time as the ball was in the air on the way into the net. Despite the Accrington players' protests at the ridiculousness of it the referee stood by his decision and the match eventually finished 0-0.
This brought back memories of one of the most (in)famous World Cup moments presided over by Welsh referee Clive Thomas. But before getting to that one, which is only became known to me after it happened, there was another similar incident which I did watch. Iraq had a goal disallowed on the stroke of half-time in the 1986 World Cup against Paraguay. Iraq had a corner and sometime between the ball coming into the penalty area and an Iraqi player heading it into the net the referee blew for half-time. I can't remember the exact moment when the referee whistled and it's hard to find good video of it, but it was harsh on the Iraqis who were 1-0 down at the time and eventually lost by that score.
Clive Thomas' incident is more blatant and rather than going against the minnows of Iraq, his strict to the second timing denied Brazil victory over Sweden. It was 1-1 when Brazil had a corner. They took a bit of time over it and Thomas said later that this is where they used up the remaining time. From the corner the ball was headed into the net by Zico, but just as it nestled in the back of the net Thomas blew for full time. It may be the bad sound on the video but he definitely seemed to whistle after the ball crossed the line. Thomas was proud of his reputation as a stickler to the rules. His watch said 90 minutes, so that was it.
There is a curious twist for the conspiracy theorists. Watch the video and notice that just as the corner is about to be taken. Thomas goes up to the Swedish goalkeeper and seems to whisper something to him. Did Thomas tell the goalkeeper that time was up so not to worry about playing on after the corner was taken?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0JFuWqwFg4
Clive Thomas would have been proud of Trevor Kettle today. Kettle was the referee in the League Two match in England in which Accrington Stanley thought they had scored on the stroke of half-time against AFC Wimbledon. They did have the ball in the Wimbledon net but Kettle whistled for half-time as the ball was in the air on the way into the net. Despite the Accrington players' protests at the ridiculousness of it the referee stood by his decision and the match eventually finished 0-0.
This brought back memories of one of the most (in)famous World Cup moments presided over by Welsh referee Clive Thomas. But before getting to that one, which is only became known to me after it happened, there was another similar incident which I did watch. Iraq had a goal disallowed on the stroke of half-time in the 1986 World Cup against Paraguay. Iraq had a corner and sometime between the ball coming into the penalty area and an Iraqi player heading it into the net the referee blew for half-time. I can't remember the exact moment when the referee whistled and it's hard to find good video of it, but it was harsh on the Iraqis who were 1-0 down at the time and eventually lost by that score.
Clive Thomas' incident is more blatant and rather than going against the minnows of Iraq, his strict to the second timing denied Brazil victory over Sweden. It was 1-1 when Brazil had a corner. They took a bit of time over it and Thomas said later that this is where they used up the remaining time. From the corner the ball was headed into the net by Zico, but just as it nestled in the back of the net Thomas blew for full time. It may be the bad sound on the video but he definitely seemed to whistle after the ball crossed the line. Thomas was proud of his reputation as a stickler to the rules. His watch said 90 minutes, so that was it.
There is a curious twist for the conspiracy theorists. Watch the video and notice that just as the corner is about to be taken. Thomas goes up to the Swedish goalkeeper and seems to whisper something to him. Did Thomas tell the goalkeeper that time was up so not to worry about playing on after the corner was taken?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0JFuWqwFg4
Friday 4 March 2016
Asia qualifying.
Day -831. WorldCup2018.
Meanwhile in Asia the qualifying campaign, which started in March 2015, picks up again in a few weeks with quite a way to go before the four (and a half) teams that make it to Russia are determined. Qatar have already made it to Round 3 and South Korea are very close.
But again, I wonder, 46 associations in Asia and over three years of qualifying compared to the one year for the 53 European teams. A more detailed analysis is needed. Coming soon.
One of the highlights of the nest round of matches coming up, on March 24th is Syria-Cambodia. It may not sound like a huge match but a win for Syria and they may be, miraculously, closer to a spot in Round 3. It's one to follow.
Sadly the Guam dream looks like it's over. I had high hopes.
Meanwhile in Asia the qualifying campaign, which started in March 2015, picks up again in a few weeks with quite a way to go before the four (and a half) teams that make it to Russia are determined. Qatar have already made it to Round 3 and South Korea are very close.
But again, I wonder, 46 associations in Asia and over three years of qualifying compared to the one year for the 53 European teams. A more detailed analysis is needed. Coming soon.
One of the highlights of the nest round of matches coming up, on March 24th is Syria-Cambodia. It may not sound like a huge match but a win for Syria and they may be, miraculously, closer to a spot in Round 3. It's one to follow.
Sadly the Guam dream looks like it's over. I had high hopes.
Thursday 3 March 2016
Oceania qualifying.
Day -832. WorldCup2018.
Yesterday I lamented how the 10 teams in the South American confederation go though a 2 year qualifying process to end up with four and a half qualifiers. Meanwhile, the 11 Oceania teams play qualifying rounds for over two years to end up with half a spot; that is the winning team in Oceania plays against the team finishing 5th in South America.
And again, the 53 European teams get it all done in a year. What makes the Oceania process even more drawn out is that there was a preliminary round, starting last August, for the 4 weakest teams, from which one moved on. So by September 2015 they were down to eight teams. In May round 2 starts after which the 8 teams are whittled down to....6, And so on we go to Round 3, and end up with 2 teams who play off to earn the top spot in Oceania.
In their defence these teams don't get to play much football and so the qualifying has to be set up in such a way as to allow for the maximum amount for matches. So while we may chuckle at Papua New Guniea playing New Caledonia on May 28th, for those 2 countries it is a huge event and, as I have mentioned before the qualifying is their World Cup. I come from a small footballing country. I know what it's like.
Yesterday I lamented how the 10 teams in the South American confederation go though a 2 year qualifying process to end up with four and a half qualifiers. Meanwhile, the 11 Oceania teams play qualifying rounds for over two years to end up with half a spot; that is the winning team in Oceania plays against the team finishing 5th in South America.
And again, the 53 European teams get it all done in a year. What makes the Oceania process even more drawn out is that there was a preliminary round, starting last August, for the 4 weakest teams, from which one moved on. So by September 2015 they were down to eight teams. In May round 2 starts after which the 8 teams are whittled down to....6, And so on we go to Round 3, and end up with 2 teams who play off to earn the top spot in Oceania.
In their defence these teams don't get to play much football and so the qualifying has to be set up in such a way as to allow for the maximum amount for matches. So while we may chuckle at Papua New Guniea playing New Caledonia on May 28th, for those 2 countries it is a huge event and, as I have mentioned before the qualifying is their World Cup. I come from a small footballing country. I know what it's like.
Wednesday 2 March 2016
South America
Day -833. WorldCup2018
I'm looking ahead (because it's supposed to be better than the reminiscing I've been doing recently, right?) to the next round of World Cup qualifying in South America, starting March 24th. And it looks like there's some pretty good matches. But here's my thing about South American qualifying. There's two thing really. One is that there are 10 teams. Qualifying takes two years. 10 teams, two years. There are 53 associations in Europe. Qualifying starts a year after South America. 53 teams, 1 year.
My other thing is more emotional than logistical. I look at the matches in March and two stand out right away: Chile-Argentina and Brazil-Uruguay. What a treat for the neutral viewer, you would think. Messi vs. Sanchez, Neymar vs. Suarez. Time and time again I get excited by these South American matches, the talented players, the passion from the crowd and the players, the highly charged atmosphere. And then I watch them and it reminds me of many a New Year's Eve. The party's lined up, the excitement builds in the days and hours leading up to it,the drinks are chilled. And then you (or is it just me, uh oh!) have a couple of drinks, realise the party has kind of fallen flat and you wished you'd stayed home with a few drinks and New Year's Eve specials on TV. Is this just me? Hmmm.
I've watched many a Brazil-Argentina, Chile-Colombia where the free flowing, highly technical football you expect doesn't happen. Instead they are cagey matches with lots of niggly fouls and no flow to the game. The crowd gets excited about an over the top tackle and the obligatory retaliation and coming together of most of the teams, but there isn't much happening in front of the goal. Last year's Copa America final between Chile and Argentina was a perfect example. What a prospect. I hadn't been that excited about a football match for a long time. I think I remember one shot on goal in 120 minutes, before the unsurprising penalties to decide a winner.
And again, maybe it's just me But I'll say this. I'm sure there is no more exciting stadium in the world to be than then the one where Chile are playing Argentina. Those supporters are probably some of the most fanatical in the world and the atmosphere (as seen on TV) seems to be second to none. Maybe what I need is to be there one day.
And maybe, this qualifying campaign will be lit up by team doing a Colombia to Argentina and repeating one of the most amazing qualifying performances ever. That 5-0 win in 1993, in Argentina, will be hard to beat. And, who knows, we could finally see the Lionel Messi who looks like a world beater in his star studded Barcelona team actually doing some work and making a difference for Argentina.
Maybe, on March 24th I'll be happily proven wrong.
I'm looking ahead (because it's supposed to be better than the reminiscing I've been doing recently, right?) to the next round of World Cup qualifying in South America, starting March 24th. And it looks like there's some pretty good matches. But here's my thing about South American qualifying. There's two thing really. One is that there are 10 teams. Qualifying takes two years. 10 teams, two years. There are 53 associations in Europe. Qualifying starts a year after South America. 53 teams, 1 year.
My other thing is more emotional than logistical. I look at the matches in March and two stand out right away: Chile-Argentina and Brazil-Uruguay. What a treat for the neutral viewer, you would think. Messi vs. Sanchez, Neymar vs. Suarez. Time and time again I get excited by these South American matches, the talented players, the passion from the crowd and the players, the highly charged atmosphere. And then I watch them and it reminds me of many a New Year's Eve. The party's lined up, the excitement builds in the days and hours leading up to it,the drinks are chilled. And then you (or is it just me, uh oh!) have a couple of drinks, realise the party has kind of fallen flat and you wished you'd stayed home with a few drinks and New Year's Eve specials on TV. Is this just me? Hmmm.
I've watched many a Brazil-Argentina, Chile-Colombia where the free flowing, highly technical football you expect doesn't happen. Instead they are cagey matches with lots of niggly fouls and no flow to the game. The crowd gets excited about an over the top tackle and the obligatory retaliation and coming together of most of the teams, but there isn't much happening in front of the goal. Last year's Copa America final between Chile and Argentina was a perfect example. What a prospect. I hadn't been that excited about a football match for a long time. I think I remember one shot on goal in 120 minutes, before the unsurprising penalties to decide a winner.
And again, maybe it's just me But I'll say this. I'm sure there is no more exciting stadium in the world to be than then the one where Chile are playing Argentina. Those supporters are probably some of the most fanatical in the world and the atmosphere (as seen on TV) seems to be second to none. Maybe what I need is to be there one day.
And maybe, this qualifying campaign will be lit up by team doing a Colombia to Argentina and repeating one of the most amazing qualifying performances ever. That 5-0 win in 1993, in Argentina, will be hard to beat. And, who knows, we could finally see the Lionel Messi who looks like a world beater in his star studded Barcelona team actually doing some work and making a difference for Argentina.
Maybe, on March 24th I'll be happily proven wrong.
Tuesday 1 March 2016
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