I used to enjoy trolling people who loved soccer, but then I realised I was being a gigantic fuckwit. I still don’t like the game. But so what? Billions of people love it and it’s a tiny little dick move to troll them for their love.
I will admit, however, to enjoying one aspect of the World Cup. The perennial delusion that Australia matters. In soccer terms, we are the America of world cup cricket. We make up the numbers. We are the practice ball for real teams like France to kick around.
There’s always this fun couple of weeks where everyone tries desperately to pretend otherwise. It’s characterised by dozens of feel-good human interest stories around the Socceroos. My fave this week has been their ‘secret weapon’.
A barista who made a decent coffee at the team hotel. That was the secret weapon.
Oh boy, those other teams better watch out because we are really good at drinking coffee.
And then reality hits.
Hard to say how much I enjoyed this. Not because I’m mean. Just because, you know…
Look if the barista was a bit more like Putin's "chef" Yevgeny Prigozhin then maybe i'd sit up and take notice, and maybe suggest he be arrested. But based on the results, somebody sack that barista right now!
I didn't know about his speech to the team in Qatar, I'm going to watch it now. Michael's zest, enthusiasm and charity work, are an inspiration to people who are trying to cope with these sad times.
I have included a link to a YouTube video of him reciting Dylan Thomas's Do not go gentle into that good night. To watch a Welshman, with a Welsh lilt in his voice, recite a classic poem by the great bard, brings a tear to an ex-pat taffies eyes.
Australian soccer tends to be a nursery, come kindergarten, for players with above-average talent, who hope that soon they will be whisked off to Europe, and play in the big time.
Why wouldn't you? Ronaldo pockets a million a month, plus perks and perks with benefits if you know what I mean. Nudge, Nudge, Wink, Wink, Say no more!
Soccer has come a long way since they used to kick a pig's bladder around, they even had perks in those days, they got to eat the rest of the pig and get stuck into the mead after full-time.
In Afghanistan, they get to kick around the beheaded head of an apostate, after all, there's not much else to do on a Saturday arvo in Helmand Province.
If you think Australians are minnows in a big lake, spare a thought for us Welshmen, or is that Welshpersonages? We tend to be treated as medieval jesters, in the warm-up for the big match.
Don't forget Richard Burton and Anthony Hopkins. Anthony did something that no other Welshman will ever do again, Mt Snowden, the largest massive in Wales, was in private ownership, even though it was in the Snowdonia National Park. He bought the mountain and donated it to the people of Wales. No Welshman is ever going to upstage that one!
I didn't know that about Anthony Hopkins - that's great. But I was thinking specifically of Sheen's inspirational speech to the Welsh football team. Didn't help against Iran, but it was good.
To be fair, I love football and still shuffle my old man bones around the pitch in a very low quality local comp. So Qatar. Yeah. And yet I still want to see the best players in the world play.
Australia is not going to win this World Cup. To be fair, nor are 30 other teams. Some of them are going to go home in couple of weeks. Some will go a bit later. I think it's unfair to think of Aus as making up the numbers. Italy didn't even make it in.
I like my soccer as much as the next tragic (Tottenham / Bayern). But really Qatar? A twat with the surname of Infantino? and this newly introduced rule where the players "shoulder" can be adjudged offside? It's called FOOTball fuckit! (and yes, we are at best an incubator for the European leagues ...)
I don’t mind soccer, I played it throughout school, but I am much more a devotee of rugby. It helps being a kiwi, I guess. As for articles pumping their tyres, the same goes for the Wallabies. It’s bullshite. The Socceroos lose because they play shit soccer. As soon as they realise it’s about how many goals you score and not how many passes you can string together, then they might be worth watching too. This is all against being torn about wanting to watch some games but, you know, Qatar.
Bringing back memories of Saturday mornings watching my niece play soccer. From about 6 yrs in to 13 or so . Every game ending 0-0 or 0-1 . Usually because of a mistaken goal scored against their own keeper. Watching parents shriek at their little Peles stumbling around for an hour mostly running the wrong direction. Got better as she got older but it’s mostly a mind numbing exercise of counting the minutes and sneaking off for a smoke.
The America of world cup cricket is a little harsh - maybe the Netherlands.
And er, ahem Matildas anyone?
Naah America is about right. Funny though that non sports like cricket and rugby have such a following ;-) https://www.youtube.com/embed/E_6d3JBBo4s
Look if the barista was a bit more like Putin's "chef" Yevgeny Prigozhin then maybe i'd sit up and take notice, and maybe suggest he be arrested. But based on the results, somebody sack that barista right now!
I didn't know about his speech to the team in Qatar, I'm going to watch it now. Michael's zest, enthusiasm and charity work, are an inspiration to people who are trying to cope with these sad times.
I have included a link to a YouTube video of him reciting Dylan Thomas's Do not go gentle into that good night. To watch a Welshman, with a Welsh lilt in his voice, recite a classic poem by the great bard, brings a tear to an ex-pat taffies eyes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-sM-t1KI_Y
Australian soccer tends to be a nursery, come kindergarten, for players with above-average talent, who hope that soon they will be whisked off to Europe, and play in the big time.
Why wouldn't you? Ronaldo pockets a million a month, plus perks and perks with benefits if you know what I mean. Nudge, Nudge, Wink, Wink, Say no more!
Soccer has come a long way since they used to kick a pig's bladder around, they even had perks in those days, they got to eat the rest of the pig and get stuck into the mead after full-time.
In Afghanistan, they get to kick around the beheaded head of an apostate, after all, there's not much else to do on a Saturday arvo in Helmand Province.
If you think Australians are minnows in a big lake, spare a thought for us Welshmen, or is that Welshpersonages? We tend to be treated as medieval jesters, in the warm-up for the big match.
Yes, but at least we've got Michael Sheen.
Don't forget Richard Burton and Anthony Hopkins. Anthony did something that no other Welshman will ever do again, Mt Snowden, the largest massive in Wales, was in private ownership, even though it was in the Snowdonia National Park. He bought the mountain and donated it to the people of Wales. No Welshman is ever going to upstage that one!
I didn't know that about Anthony Hopkins - that's great. But I was thinking specifically of Sheen's inspirational speech to the Welsh football team. Didn't help against Iran, but it was good.
Whilst I am happy for people to enjoy soccer I don't have the first idea how it works
I feel triggered by this.
To be fair, I love football and still shuffle my old man bones around the pitch in a very low quality local comp. So Qatar. Yeah. And yet I still want to see the best players in the world play.
Australia is not going to win this World Cup. To be fair, nor are 30 other teams. Some of them are going to go home in couple of weeks. Some will go a bit later. I think it's unfair to think of Aus as making up the numbers. Italy didn't even make it in.
I like my soccer as much as the next tragic (Tottenham / Bayern). But really Qatar? A twat with the surname of Infantino? and this newly introduced rule where the players "shoulder" can be adjudged offside? It's called FOOTball fuckit! (and yes, we are at best an incubator for the European leagues ...)
I've often thought it strange that the qualifiers to get Australia into the FIFA WC seem to just be "look, let them play, okay?"
Also, coming up against the team that woman the WC last time would be a tall ask for any side one would think...
I don’t mind soccer, I played it throughout school, but I am much more a devotee of rugby. It helps being a kiwi, I guess. As for articles pumping their tyres, the same goes for the Wallabies. It’s bullshite. The Socceroos lose because they play shit soccer. As soon as they realise it’s about how many goals you score and not how many passes you can string together, then they might be worth watching too. This is all against being torn about wanting to watch some games but, you know, Qatar.
Bringing back memories of Saturday mornings watching my niece play soccer. From about 6 yrs in to 13 or so . Every game ending 0-0 or 0-1 . Usually because of a mistaken goal scored against their own keeper. Watching parents shriek at their little Peles stumbling around for an hour mostly running the wrong direction. Got better as she got older but it’s mostly a mind numbing exercise of counting the minutes and sneaking off for a smoke.