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.
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