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

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Quite a lot of locals are supporting England, but like you, the fact that there is so much about them on the news is a bit offputting, and we feel no major affiliation for them in our house, even though if you loked at our birth certificates we were all born in England! (Me by accident in Liverpool 6 weeks early, when my Mum was waitng for the boat, D-d in North Tyneside where she spent the first six months of her life before we came home, and S2C's family are Borderers, from Berwick - which is neither Scotland or England! - and the debateable lands - so like many borderers he doesn't feel terribly English either.) We will cheer them on sometimes though!

The daughter has supported the Czechs since Euro 98 - I admired the fact that they had done so well then, having only just become a country such a short time before, and she just liked the look of them I think, possibly an early crush on Pavel Nedved - I mean blond hair and killer cheekbones.... She hopes to go to Prague to study or work sometime in the future. I think the fascination for the country came from supporting the team!

I wouldn't mind Spain or Germany winning - but please, please not Brazil or Argentina.