Day -127 WorldCup2018
On the injured list. No sub. Back tomorrow.
On the injured list. No sub. Back tomorrow.
Wednesday, 7 February 2018
Tuesday, 6 February 2018
Argentina: history of old-style football
Day -128 WorldCup2018
I'm a few days into a great book which I had been determined to find the time to read for a while: "Angels with Dirty Faces: The footballing history of Argentina" by Jonathan Wilson.
I'm slowly moving into the 1940s and the great River plate team of that decade. Before that I was reminded of how in the 1920s and 30s, Brazil were not the great South American football nation. The team that Argentina always strived to beat and battled with for dominance was Uruguay, who won gold at the 1924 and 1928 Olympics, and the inaugural World Cup in 1930. In the last two Argentina were the runners up.
Pancho Varallo played for Argentina in that 1930 final and in 2010, at the age of 100, he was still lamenting how Argentina managed to lose that match when they were ip 2-1 at halftime and comfortably in control.
But it is something else that Varallo said about his time with Boca Juniors that amused and fascinated me and, without needing to sound like a naysayer of modern football, is a very poignant and then truthful opinion.
What Varallo enjoyed the most was "the sportsmanship that existed, the deep sense of being team-mates, friends and colleagues. I don't get why they kick opponents so much [in the modern game], the constant friction that is seen in every action, at corners or free-kicks. It's a different football.....they run so much. Sometimes I wonder why they run so much and think so little."
I'm a few days into a great book which I had been determined to find the time to read for a while: "Angels with Dirty Faces: The footballing history of Argentina" by Jonathan Wilson.
I'm slowly moving into the 1940s and the great River plate team of that decade. Before that I was reminded of how in the 1920s and 30s, Brazil were not the great South American football nation. The team that Argentina always strived to beat and battled with for dominance was Uruguay, who won gold at the 1924 and 1928 Olympics, and the inaugural World Cup in 1930. In the last two Argentina were the runners up.
Pancho Varallo played for Argentina in that 1930 final and in 2010, at the age of 100, he was still lamenting how Argentina managed to lose that match when they were ip 2-1 at halftime and comfortably in control.
But it is something else that Varallo said about his time with Boca Juniors that amused and fascinated me and, without needing to sound like a naysayer of modern football, is a very poignant and then truthful opinion.
What Varallo enjoyed the most was "the sportsmanship that existed, the deep sense of being team-mates, friends and colleagues. I don't get why they kick opponents so much [in the modern game], the constant friction that is seen in every action, at corners or free-kicks. It's a different football.....they run so much. Sometimes I wonder why they run so much and think so little."
Monday, 5 February 2018
Conte: going, going.....
Day -129 WorldCup2018
Antonio Conte didn't get the public backing statement from Chelsea that he asked for. So what did he do today for Chelsea's match at Watford? He didn't pick his new centre forward, bought to fill Chelsea's void in that position, when his other centre forward is out injured and the other one was loaned out to Borussia Dortmund.
Spain played without a centre forward a few years ago when they were so good that the football world would have let them do anything and marvelled at how innovative their manager was. But Chelsea? They lost their last match 3-0, to Bournemouth. The innovation they needed was a striker, maybe two, who can score goals.
Watford, who haven't won a match, it seems, in forever (fact checker: they've won one of their last 12) beat Chelsea 4-1. Conte might get that vote of confidence tomorrow, the one that is usually followed by a sacking a few days later.
Antonio Conte didn't get the public backing statement from Chelsea that he asked for. So what did he do today for Chelsea's match at Watford? He didn't pick his new centre forward, bought to fill Chelsea's void in that position, when his other centre forward is out injured and the other one was loaned out to Borussia Dortmund.
Spain played without a centre forward a few years ago when they were so good that the football world would have let them do anything and marvelled at how innovative their manager was. But Chelsea? They lost their last match 3-0, to Bournemouth. The innovation they needed was a striker, maybe two, who can score goals.
Watford, who haven't won a match, it seems, in forever (fact checker: they've won one of their last 12) beat Chelsea 4-1. Conte might get that vote of confidence tomorrow, the one that is usually followed by a sacking a few days later.
Sunday, 4 February 2018
Klopp: Pakistani footballs
Day -130 WorldCup2018
Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp, does not only coach one of the most entertaining teams in the world right now. He is also one of the most entertaining managers around, especially in post match interviews when he doesn't agree with a referee's decision. Mind you, there were many viewers all over the world today who thought the referee had been hoodwinked by Spurs' Erik Lamela into awarding a 94th minute penalty. This came only minutes after Klopp had celebrated manically when Mo Salah scored what he thought was the 91st minute winner for Liverpool. Klopp, Mourinho, Pep, Conte. There really is no better place for manager-watching than England.
It's too bad Conte may very well be off come the end of this season. Today he asked for the powers that be at Chelsea to give him public vote of confidence. "Appreciate me, or I'm off." To Real Madrid or back to coaching the Italian national team? Bets, anybody?
The footballs that are going to be used at this year's World Cup are being made in Pakistan, by Forward Sports on the outskirts of the city of Sialkot. The company is a company contracted to making balls for Adidas. Pakistan is quite the hotbed of football production. Ten million footballs will be exported from the country this year.
Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp, does not only coach one of the most entertaining teams in the world right now. He is also one of the most entertaining managers around, especially in post match interviews when he doesn't agree with a referee's decision. Mind you, there were many viewers all over the world today who thought the referee had been hoodwinked by Spurs' Erik Lamela into awarding a 94th minute penalty. This came only minutes after Klopp had celebrated manically when Mo Salah scored what he thought was the 91st minute winner for Liverpool. Klopp, Mourinho, Pep, Conte. There really is no better place for manager-watching than England.
It's too bad Conte may very well be off come the end of this season. Today he asked for the powers that be at Chelsea to give him public vote of confidence. "Appreciate me, or I'm off." To Real Madrid or back to coaching the Italian national team? Bets, anybody?
The footballs that are going to be used at this year's World Cup are being made in Pakistan, by Forward Sports on the outskirts of the city of Sialkot. The company is a company contracted to making balls for Adidas. Pakistan is quite the hotbed of football production. Ten million footballs will be exported from the country this year.
Saturday, 3 February 2018
Pep; Russia, Turkey, Syria
Day -131 WorldCup2018
If only all the news in the world today was as entertaining as watching Pep Guardiola in a post-match interview. And this in no way dismisses the importance and sadness of what was the real news today which I get to later. It's again just the reality of what is in front of me and easier to comprehend.
We may mock footballer managers and their many cliche responses but I have forever had lots of sympathy for them and the number of questions they have to face. And because of their obligations to the league and media they have to answer these questions over and over again.
After today's 1-1 draw with Burnley, I saw at least three post match interviews with Pep and that was then followed by the official press conference. The first reporter started off with a real gem:
"So, Pep, in the end how would you see this result?"
Pep: "1-1". (Smile.....irritated laugh...now ask me something else look)
Later, different interview (I paraphrase):
"Your goal came from a corner where the players passed the ball outside the penalty area, rather than crossing it in. Why?"
Pep: "Because there are more of their players in the penalty box than outside....and they are taller than our players."
"So is this something you worked on for a long time on the training ground?"
Pep: (Smile) "Not really."
I used to want to play football like Gary Shaw. Now I just want to be like Pep. Not a football manager, just cool like Pep.
That was happening at the same time as reports came in about a Russian fighter jet downed in Syria. And later there was more news about seven Turkish army members being killed in the operation in Syria to drive Kurdish militias out of northern Syria, not far from where the Russian pilot was killed.
It's a messy, messy situation over there, with the complex web of rebels, some US backed, others with links to Al Qaeda, fighting the Russian-backed Syrian government. It's so complicated that my mind wanders to the simplicity of the political background this provides for the World Cup. Russia, Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, all involved here and in Russia 2018.
Football is easier, but the life of one Russian pilot with a family left behind is more significant.
If only all the news in the world today was as entertaining as watching Pep Guardiola in a post-match interview. And this in no way dismisses the importance and sadness of what was the real news today which I get to later. It's again just the reality of what is in front of me and easier to comprehend.
We may mock footballer managers and their many cliche responses but I have forever had lots of sympathy for them and the number of questions they have to face. And because of their obligations to the league and media they have to answer these questions over and over again.
After today's 1-1 draw with Burnley, I saw at least three post match interviews with Pep and that was then followed by the official press conference. The first reporter started off with a real gem:
"So, Pep, in the end how would you see this result?"
Pep: "1-1". (Smile.....irritated laugh...now ask me something else look)
Later, different interview (I paraphrase):
"Your goal came from a corner where the players passed the ball outside the penalty area, rather than crossing it in. Why?"
Pep: "Because there are more of their players in the penalty box than outside....and they are taller than our players."
"So is this something you worked on for a long time on the training ground?"
Pep: (Smile) "Not really."
I used to want to play football like Gary Shaw. Now I just want to be like Pep. Not a football manager, just cool like Pep.
That was happening at the same time as reports came in about a Russian fighter jet downed in Syria. And later there was more news about seven Turkish army members being killed in the operation in Syria to drive Kurdish militias out of northern Syria, not far from where the Russian pilot was killed.
It's a messy, messy situation over there, with the complex web of rebels, some US backed, others with links to Al Qaeda, fighting the Russian-backed Syrian government. It's so complicated that my mind wanders to the simplicity of the political background this provides for the World Cup. Russia, Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, all involved here and in Russia 2018.
Football is easier, but the life of one Russian pilot with a family left behind is more significant.
Friday, 2 February 2018
Russia goes green
Day -132 WorldCup2018
Busy with other business so am cutting a few corners today and called in my assistants, 'Copy' and 'Paste' to do the work.
From Fifa's website: the Luzhniki Stadium, in Moscow, where the opening match and final will be played, "has received a final certificate of pass from international green standard BREEAM."
What makes it "green"? More from Fifa:
The Luzhniki follows two other stadiums, Spartak Stadium and Kazan Arena, which received a "good" and "silver" certification.
So there you have it: not only new, fancy stadiums in Russia but also environmental ones.
Busy with other business so am cutting a few corners today and called in my assistants, 'Copy' and 'Paste' to do the work.
From Fifa's website: the Luzhniki Stadium, in Moscow, where the opening match and final will be played, "has received a final certificate of pass from international green standard BREEAM."
What makes it "green"? More from Fifa:
- "Energy conservation at the Luzhniki Stadium is achieved through modern heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems, as well as bringing together all essential utilities into one automated central system. This will allow complete monitoring and control of how much energy the building is consuming.
- Using LED-based lamps instead of incandescent lights will save a significant amount of electricity. The lighting outside of the venue was also installed using electricity-saving strategies.
- Water-saving technology at the stadium will allow hundreds of thousands of litres to be saved during a match at full operational capacity.
- Large green spaces and a high number of trees already present on the surrounding territory were preserved during the reconstruction, while even more greenery was also added. According to the stadium managers, 1,050 trees and bushes were planted, and 15,700 squared metres of flower beds were laid down."
The Luzhniki follows two other stadiums, Spartak Stadium and Kazan Arena, which received a "good" and "silver" certification.
So there you have it: not only new, fancy stadiums in Russia but also environmental ones.
Thursday, 1 February 2018
The locusts are coming, or are they?
Day -133 WorldCup2018
Thank you Richard Kory for sharing the "Locust-gate: Russia 2018" news with me.
Swarms of locusts are going to ruin the World Cup pitches this summer, according to Russian Agriculture Ministry official Pyotr Chekmarev.
"We took this statement in good jest. Locusts pose no threat to the football pitches. It is very short grass, and further to that it has been specially worked on," said Alexey Sorokin, head of the organizing committee. He later chuckled and coughed, "fake news", but quickly released another statement (amid unconfirmed reports that President Putin had been on the phone) that the Russia 2018 organizing committee does not wish to be associated in any way with a trend and a term initiated by the President of the big country that Russia is currently having some questionable relationships with.
Even later, video footage emerged of Sorokin with his old buddy Vitaly Mutko (former organizing committee head) laughing as they watched reports of the CAS overturning the lifetime bans imposed by the IOC on 28 Russian athletes. "Ha! We fooled them all, Lifetime bans? Bah? All we needed were some good lawyers. Locusts? Seriously? Who's that guy at the Ministry who thinks we can't talk our way out of a locust threat. By the way Alexey, how are you going to deal with those damn locusts?"
Thank you Richard Kory for sharing the "Locust-gate: Russia 2018" news with me.
Swarms of locusts are going to ruin the World Cup pitches this summer, according to Russian Agriculture Ministry official Pyotr Chekmarev.
"We took this statement in good jest. Locusts pose no threat to the football pitches. It is very short grass, and further to that it has been specially worked on," said Alexey Sorokin, head of the organizing committee. He later chuckled and coughed, "fake news", but quickly released another statement (amid unconfirmed reports that President Putin had been on the phone) that the Russia 2018 organizing committee does not wish to be associated in any way with a trend and a term initiated by the President of the big country that Russia is currently having some questionable relationships with.
Even later, video footage emerged of Sorokin with his old buddy Vitaly Mutko (former organizing committee head) laughing as they watched reports of the CAS overturning the lifetime bans imposed by the IOC on 28 Russian athletes. "Ha! We fooled them all, Lifetime bans? Bah? All we needed were some good lawyers. Locusts? Seriously? Who's that guy at the Ministry who thinks we can't talk our way out of a locust threat. By the way Alexey, how are you going to deal with those damn locusts?"
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