Football.

[curiouswombat]

Well what a footballing day! We have the total tragedy - well in our house - of the Czechs being eliminated - the daughter has gone into mourning. She thinks she may have to join her friend who supports Argentina - but I don't think I can bring myself to do that - even if they were playing Brazil, who I like to see beaten I must say. (ArgentinavBrazil - hmm - it would be a tough call - how about if they both lost?)

But the Aussies - great stuff! But my goodness what a match - I mean really why DID the Australian coach play the AC Milan number 2 goalkeeper - who was originally a Croatian when there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with Mark Schwartzer? (Australia's usual goalkeeper, and Middlesborough's number one keeper - so plays in the Premiership week in, week out.) And the English referee was awful - I think his mother must have been scared by a koala or something - he missed a blatant hand-ball in the Croatian goal-mouth, denying the Aussies a penalty, then booked a Croatian twice, but forgot to send him off! What on earth would the situation be if that player had then scored? Thank goodness he didn't! Then he finished the match by booking the same guy for a third time - got to be one for A Question of Sport!

And well done the country of my in-laws! I think I'll be a Socceroo for the next round!

Comments

[verboseartistry.livejournal.com]

But the Aussies - great stuff! But my goodness what a match

Ah, yes, we Australians are quite proud of our Socceroos. And by quite proud I mean we pretend that we like soccer despite the fact that over 80% of our population doesn't know when the World Cup is until the News tells us our team has made it in. Then, of course, we're behind them 110% and have been for years, real soccer fans each and every one.

I assume our fervent support of the Socceroos is because they're doing well this time. We love winners down here but only if they're ours. It's why we love cricket and rugby and AFL, because we win all the time. Soccer is just one of those, "Well, we're winning this week so of course the sport is interesting" things.

Which, of course, I'm entirely behind. 110%. Have been for years. I'm a real soccer fan. And will have been until we get kicked out, in which case I go back to my usual indifference.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

The British have got rather that way about cricket! When there was a possibility of England winning the ashes people had suddenly been cricket supporters all their lives - till the next time the England team lost. Their current matches seem to be against Sri Lanka - I heard a one line mention at the end of a half hour sport programme to that effect a couple of nights ago. ;~)

I guess football/soccer has become somewhat more played in Australia since the arrival of former Yuguslavians in the 90s, as they wouldn't play any of the things Australians usually play - and then the Greek community would probably join in - and once you have enough of something to produce a reasonable team, others do show some interest.

Actually your team are enthusiastic, and fun to watch - and can now claim to be one of the best 16 of the 220+ nations with national teams - not bad eh?

Much more fun than watching England play cricket for sure!

[verboseartistry.livejournal.com]

Much more fun than watching England play cricket for sure!

I can't imagine a whole lot that isn't more fun than watching England play cricket.

Of course, we as a nation take pride in mocking those who sent us here on the convict ships. It's a perverse sort of pride that I understand oh so well.

Actually your team are enthusiastic, and fun to watch - and can now claim to be one of the best 16 of the 220+ nations with national teams - not bad eh?

We can say that about practically every sport there is, mainly because it's rare to have more than sixteen contenders for a sport. I do think that, purely from a statistical point of view, Australia is the greatest sporting nation in the world. Something to do with a twenty million population dominating an impressive number of popular sports. Of course, I'm hardly equipped to deal with this sort of discussion. My aversion to sport and beer make me a cultural outcast. Why, if I didn't drink bourbon I imagine I'd never get invited anywhere.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

We can say that about practically every sport there is,

Ah - no - football is probably the only game in which any team can be one of the best of 220 rather than best of 9 or 10! Your soccer players really are getting quite good.

Actually I think you are right about the Aussies being the world's greatest sporting nation - and now that you are even getting good at football you've got the world conquered. (Well apart from the sports only Americans play!!)