We now have the semi-final line up for the FIFA WC 2010, and I think I know most of the teams in there. No, I don't really follow Football, but then, when it's the greatest show (and sound!) on Earth, I guess one shouldn't totally miss it!
I've seen a few games, some brilliant goals, but mostly, for me, the FWC has been a disappointment.
Here's why.
Technically, there's very little compared to cricket. No pitch reports, no seam versus spin, no mongoose bats, no worrying about lights. No one even bends it like Beckham any more. Pre and post game discussions talk more about injuries and lack of goals, instead of team strategies and techniques.
Messi, Rooney, Ronaldo, Kaka, Mama, Maushi... sexy names, waxed chests, multi-millions dollar deals. But where are the results? My favourite of the tournament, by the way - David Villa, Spain.
When you watch ninety minutes of twenty three players running around on the field, you expect more than 1-0 or 0-4. When the ball passes up and down, back and forth for so long, you wonder why life couldnt be made a little more interesting. And it irritates the hell out of me when players feign falls and injuries, when cheating is blatant and ends up being called the hand of god, when referees are not allowed the option of resorting to TV replays, when the whole world sees unfair play being rewarded and FIFA defends it with lame excuses. Mexico lost to a lacklustre Argentina, France made it to SA, Uruguay beat Ghana, and none of these results were meant to be.
Yesterday's game between Uruguay and Ghana provided some excitement - back to back penalties on opposite goals, a brilliant save, a goal, then goal denied, huge refereeing errors and inconsistencies. The hand of god denying Ghana yet another goal, the resulting penalty kick resultless.
What kind of a game is it when the best teams lose to unfair play, and cheaters become demigods?
2 comments:
Ray, I got your comment notification, but for some reason, cannot see it - am posting it on your behalf though :)
Ray said:
The lack of technicality(in layman terms)is what makes it so popular among people. Everyday we are bombarded with stats from all fields so this makes for a welcome change.
The WC would seem as a disappointment because the big guns fell quite early this time. So the hype around lesser teams has not been much.
Sometimes 1-0 or 0-0 games are also exciting if there are continuous attempts at scoring.
Agree with you on the Ghana-Uruguay game. The morality of the entire issue - when you put the hand across , the other team is awarded on a spot kick, which introduces just that degree of uncertainty. There was absolutely nothing that was going to stop that goal and Ghana should have immediately been awarded that game. There is absolutely no harm in using technology. FIFA continues to defend itself with the "slowing down the game" excuse. Pretty idiotic.
The semis are interesting matchups with the selfless approach of Germans vs the star powered talent of the Spaniards.
Go Deutchland !
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