Day -451. WorldCup2018
England play Germany in a friendly on Wednesday. It sounds like a big deal, the traditional rivals up against each other again. But with all this football happening these days (too much?) do we really need a meaningless, non-competitive match?
The result of this friendly, and the many others happening over this international break, is about as significant as Southampton's results from now until the end of the season: they really won't make a difference in the end. Anybody really caring about a win for England or Germany is similar to somebody caring about (my favourite example) Aston Villa winning again this season: there is no consequence to a victory at this point, they might as well lose.
Being asked, by Fifa or the English or German FA, to invest any emotional energy in this match is almost insulting to the real football fan. We've got our club teams in their domestic leagues playing for championships or promotion or relegation, or Champions League or Europa League spots. And then our national teams playing for a World Cup spot. And when these international weeks happen we (if you are like me) look forward to the competitive matches played for potential World Cup qualification. But then we are given these "glamour friendlies". All the players are together, the domestic leagues have stopped, why not play two qualifiers like they did in November? Why not have them play two now, when the players are fully into their competitive stride, rather than in September when the season is just starting?
That's my rant over. I never really get friendlies and see them as money making wastes of time. I'll be more excited about England-Lithuania and Malta-Slovakia this weekend then the supposedly big England-Germany clash. Give me a competitive match to cheer for any day. (But not everyday, it's too much.)
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