Football Friday, golf Saturday

Day -433. WorldCup2018

Random thoughts on a random day in April.

I was about to say it was a random non-football Friday. Or at least a no major league football Friday. But I had to scratch hose thoughts because it's not just the Danish SAS-Ligaen that plays on Friday nowadays. (I hope my Danish readers are not offended by my insinuation that the Danish league is not a major European league. I hope I have Danish readers.) There was a match today in the top division in Germany, France, Portugal, Holland, Turkey and Spain. And it's not just Europe; I see results from Argentina, Mexico, Chile, Brazil, Paraguay, Japan and more. Weekend football starts on a Friday. And, of course, even the MLS have joined the trend. LA Galaxy and Montreal play later in what I'm sure has been billed as Super Soccer Friday in LA.

In England there was the one regular match from the Championship. Brighton and Hove Albion beat QPR to move very close to reaching the Premier League for the first time in their history. Brighton and Hove Albion. You just have to say the whole name, don't you? I couldn't even be bothered with writing out QPR.

As I heard another ad for what's coming up on today's evening news I thought, again, how odd it is that we are told what is coming up in the news. Maybe it's just on Canadian TV. With the constant battle between news channels, on TV and online, for who can get the news out first, this is like a step further: "we will tell you now what is going to happen and how we are going to report on it." I know, I know. That's not what is is. But it makes for a good thought. And as I sat at a red light listening to the ad on the car radio, I thought how can I make a joke on these lines for football. Couldn't think of one but I did think that with staged news, reality shows that I don't believe are at all real, I'm happy that I follow something that is completely real and a true result is reached on the pitch. No acting here. No pre-determined results. All real. Right?

I don't have much football to watch tomorrow on my Saturday morning of watching football. Golf, The Masters, takes precedence across four of my regular football screening channels. I'm ok with golf and I'll watch the majors, on the last day. But can't we just squeeze in a little football before the 13 hour coverage starts? All I will get is Stoke v Liverpool. I may even switch over to the golf. (I hope my readers who are Stoke fans are not offended by my insinuation that watching Stoke is not worth my time as a football fan. I hope I have some, one, reader who may be a Stoke fan.)
Aston Villa are going to beat Burton Albion tomorrow and the ridiculous toying with my emotions and raising false hopes that I refuse to believe (while at the same time believing it is actually possible) will continue for another week.

Happy football, golf, hockey, tennis, baseball weekend.

Football over wars

Day -434. WorldCup2018

To carry on with yesterday's theme, today was the day that the Americans fired over 50 missiles into Syria, apparently targeting the Syrian air base from where the recent chemical attack was launched.

In 1982 I was enthralled by the World Cup and the tension between the English and Argentinian fans because of the Falklands War wasn't something that really made sense to me in the way that it should have. It was just two sets of supporters who didn't like each other. Brazil were playing in the World Cup and even though I saw the news about the war, how could it really be more important than the World Cup to a 9 year old.

In April 1986 America launched air strikes against Libya. It was close to home and got even closer when Libya fired a missile towards the American base on the island of Lampedusa. As terrible as it seemed I looked forward to the World Cup in Mexico a couple of months later.

And today? For completely different reasons, and different emotions, I want Saturday to come and football to be back on tv. Because I don't care? No. Because I don't want to face up to this becoming anything bigger and football is an easy, thoughtless distraction. In 1982 and 1986 I didn't really get it. And do I now? It still doesn't make any sense. People are dying everyday and the politicians meet and talk about it. And then somebody else fires some more bombs. I may not completely get it, but it does hit me more than it did when I was 9.

I don't ignore. I don't downplay the seriousness of what is going on. But football is simpler.

Sad news, bad news, football news and lucky news

Day -435 WorldCup2018

A record of what was going in the football world, and beyond, over the 1000 days. That was one of my reasons for doing this. So what's important that's going on today that I will look back at when Russia 2018 starts and think: oh no; wow, really; that was surprising; I cant believe that happened.

The Colombian government ordered an inquiry into the devastating, desperately sad landslide that killed at least 290 people in the town of Mocoa. Over 300 people are still missing.

Russian police arrested six people in St. Petersburg suspected or being IS recruiters. This comes after the bombing of a subway train in St. Petersburg two days ago that killed 14 people. Russian investigators haven't said yet whether there is any evidence that the attack was the work of IS. The only suspect is a Russian man, born in Kyrgyzstan.

Today is the day after a horrible chemical weapons attack on rebel held town in Syria. The Syrian army and government said it was nothing to with them. Same from their allies, the Russians. The UN held an emergency meeting today to discuss it. While everybody argues, people die. And on it goes.....6, 7 years. And the Syrian government is happy that it's football team is still in the running to qualify for the World Cup.

President Trump said his views on President Assad have changed. Finally, will something happen.
President Trump today removed his controversial strategist, Steve Bannon, from the US National Security Council.

Pepsi withdrew an advert less than 24 hours after it was first aired after protests about it's content and message. The ad was said, by critics, to have trivialised street protests in America, protests against the excessive use of police against African Americans. i did not see the ad and I also know nothing about its' main character, reality TV start Kendall Jenner. I know about as much about Kendall Jenner as reality TV fans know about Gary Shaw.

A Canadian couple won money on the lottery for the third time. This was their biggest win, $8m. The man had one a share of $128,000 with four of his friends in 1989 and the couple won $100, 000 in 2010. Who says some people don't just have all the luck?

Aston Villa didn't win today, because they didn't play.

Tottenham looked to have practically handed the Premier League title to Chelsea when they were 1-0 down to Swansea in the 88th minute. By the 94th minute Spurs were up 3-1.

Jose Mourinho said (yesterday) that Manchester United's defender, Luke Shaw, who was supposed to become England's number one left back, played against Everton with his (Shaw's) body and Mourinho's brain. Mourinho maintained that he was on the touchline telling what Shaw to do constantly. This public shaming, we would like to believe, is Mourinho's form of a good kicking up the backside that he says Shaw needs.

Where will Shaw be in 435 days: in Russia or in Kansas, in between matches for Sporting Kansas City?

Aston Villa: they can't, can they?

Day -436. WorldCup2018

I'm going to keep this up because it keeps getting more ridiculous: Aston Villa won again today, that's seven out of the last eight, only one goal conceded and that was in the 1-0 defeat. It's ridiculous because I said after win number one that it didn't matter, and after two and three. Then they lost and it really didn't matter. The season was over. A win at this point of the season meant nothing, I kept saying it. But today they stand nine points out of the playoffs with six matches to go. It is near impossible, but possible.

Where will they be in 436 days, when the World Cup starts? Will the players be in their off-season, celebrating another year in the Premier League after winning promotion in May 2017? Will they be looking forward to life in the Premier League after winning promotion in May 2018, having done what most of their fans expect now: this strong end to the season is too late but it means they will be firing on all cylinders come next season.

Or will it be what I have always feared? These results mean absolutely nothing, not for this season when they realistically have nothing to play for and not as any sort of indication that they will be a sure bet for promotion next year.

We can all dream but this sequence of results is ridiculous.

A break

Day -437. WorldCup2018

Want more football? Course you do. The English Premier League is so obliging. It makes up for the useless friendlies and un-competitive European qualifiers last week, with a full program of matches over the next couple of days. Monday was rest day. Back at it tomorrow.

Super Sunday in Malta

Day -438. WorldCup2018

Stop reading now if Maltese football is not your cup of tea. But if small league football is, then carry on.

The Malta FA's PR department went into overdrive this week with its promotion of Super Sunday. The top two teams in the league, Balzan and Hibernians, played each other today followed by the derby between Valletta and Floriana. The difference between these back to back matches in Malta as opposed to a super Sunday in, for example, England is that these matches are taking place in the same stadium. If you, like I did in the past, enjoy sitting outside on a warm Sunday afternoon to watch live football for four hours, it really is a pretty super Sunday. This thought just struck me: how did I sit there for four hours with no phone, no social media to post silly observations on and have inane conversations with somebody across the world? I did. And I never got bored.

Back to the MFA's Super Sunday. It would be easy to laugh at it, at it's attempt to make an event out of something that few people care about. It almost smacks of desperation: please come watch, the football is not that bad and the stories of match-fixing are just stories, they are not true. The MFA even put on a big show with press conferences involving the four teams in the days leading up to today. I have an issue with useless press conferences. They are reported on every Friday in England, prior to the weekend's football and the informations coming out of the players and managers is absolute tripe.

So I could easily have ridiculed the MFA. But I say good for them, and good for the PR and communications departments. It's because most Maltese people don't care about local football because they think it's terrible, and that corruption is rife that the MFA are making an effort. They could just let it go on as it is, but they are trying. Now, it will take a bit more than some "Super Sundays" to quash people's negative perception of Maltese football but it is a start.

I read the newspaper reports of yesterday's Premier League matches in Malta and the attendances were listed as being around 250. Two hundred and fifty people going to watch a top division match. That's about the sum of each player's family going to watch, plus the team groupies (the guys who are always hanging around the training pitch and the team's Clubhouse bar), plus a handful more people like me who prefer live action to that on TV. Today's attendance was listed as 4,500. Hardly Super worthy, but there's a few more thousand people on top of the ones I mentioned above.

And in case you care, Hibernians beat Malta's Leicester, Balzan, and Floriana scored a last minute equaliser to leave the Hibs five points clear at the top. The MFA will be hoping that Hibs slip up soon. Otherwise it's going to a very empty stadium come the last couple of weeks of the season. Competition brings crowds, especially in a small league like Malta's.

Aston Villa: soon to be World Champions

Day -339 WorldCup2018

Aston Villa won, and didn't concede a goal, again today. That's six wins in the last seven matches, with only one goal conceded in the only defeat. That's World Cup winning form. Derek Henkle, the AFP video journalist, might be dispatched to Birmingham soon to look into this funny sounding soccer team who are winning as many matches as Brazil these days. "Do this 'Villa' team have a player like Pele?"

Speaking of World Cup winning teams, Bastian Schweinstieger had a pretty good start with his new team, the future World Champions, the Chicago Fire. He scored 17 minutes into his debut, almost scored a beautiful, first time volley second and played the full 90 minutes in the 2-2 draw. Mr. Henkle might be preparing for how he's going to shoot the parade in downtown Chicago with the World Cup trophy.

The joke may be getting old, but I just can't let it go.