Another World Cup Group Wrap-Up

This has been such an interesting World Cup. It hasn’t been the most exciting, nor the most dramatic, but it has been one of complete intrigue.

I’m sure anyone who is reading this has read a million post-group stage reviews but I’m doing one anyway.

I also apologise for the lack of formality and lack of writing style with my World Cup articles. When the Cup is over I will start writing more serious, less sweary and more coherent pieces. As well as that, hopefully more often and on more subjects.

Until then the World Cup is all consuming.

So group by group I’m going to talk about some highs and lows on and off the pitch.

Group A.
South Africa became the first host national to never progress past the group stage but the country can still hold their head high. For me one of the games of the tournament was the opening game against Mexico, it wasn’t brilliant football but it was dreadfully entertaining. For a team so far out of their depth in an international tournament they performed admirably and with high spirits, only being denied a pass to the knockout stages due to goal difference. Being the host nation probably meant they played better then normal but you can’t deny them anything.

Uruguay look impressive and have been one of the stand out teams for me. Their group turned out to be pretty bloody easy due to the complete clusterfuck of the French, but they have played well as a squad and will only improve in the round of 16 as they adapt to a higher level of football.

Mexico are only in the next round because of France. France… What a monumentally slapstick pantomime performance they put on. A group of Gallic morons lead by the dimwitted and disgustingly behaved manager Raymond Domenech. Petulant continentals…
Complete justification for their qualification thievery, it would have been a better World Cup if Ireland had rightfully been given their place. How dare that astrological cock-jockey try to lecture and refuse to shake hands with Mexican manager Aguirre after their match.

If I rant anymore about the French I’m going to end up chopping someones head off in a guillotine and shoving a baguette down their neck.

Group B.
My god Argentina look the business… What an impressive display of attacking football, their 7 goals could have been 20. Messi has created, Higuain has been scoring for fun and their passing has been complete through the midfield. The only concern I have is their defence which might be found wanting when it counts in the final stages. That and you can’t rely on Maradona not to do something stupid like run on the field and pull someone’s pants down.

I just don’t see them mucking this one up…though its always on the cards with the Argentinians.

I love the South Korean side. They work hard and their dogged (I wasn’t going for a Korea and Dog eating pun but I did it somehow) determination is reminiscent of when they shocked the World in 2002, albeit actually conceding goals this time.

Nigeria will prefacing all talk about this World Cup for years to come with “If only”. After a good showing against Argentina in their opening game they somehow lost to the disgrace to the beautiful game that is the Greek team and only drew with the Koreans. They had the skill during their games and it showed, but deliver on it they did not.

I’m not even going bother talking about Greece.

Group C.
Credit where credit is due, The United States of America are starting to look formidable. Helped by an abject English side, they ended up topping the group and now face an easier path through to the knockout stages. In the end, the two teams who should have got through did. It’s amazing to see how the USA are reacting to the World Cup. They seem to have got on board with the global game but as we know, they’ll probably lose all interest soon after an inevitable defeat down the track. Perhaps though, just perhaps, this may cause a revolution in American Soccer and it could be a catalyst for future success in a sport they have every ability in which to dominate. Not likely though.

England. I’m sorry but what the fuck? You know who England are, that ultra smart but lazy kid in school who had the ability to be whatever they want but instead they dont care, skip school and smoke bongs behind the sheds. I don’t buy this whole weight of expectation bullshit and pressure from the tabloid press. Get your head out of your arse and play football the way you should. Absolutely zero excuses.

Slovenia and Algeria… Meh.

Group D.
What a group this turned out to be and that’s not down to the bias I hold for Australia. Germany managed to get through only losing one of their games and got off to a good start against the Socceroos.

I love the fact Ghana are through. It is a shame that they are the only African team to progress and it’s damn important they do well for the game in that continent.

Serbia were a let down, tons of raw potential not gelling together when it counted. Credit to the Socceroos for coming back from the massive thrashing they succumbed to against the Germans and harsh sending off’s to Cahill and Kewell, two incredibly key players. The loss of two goal scorers made the final difference after being knocked out on goal difference.

In the end the two teams who should gone through have and it’s good for football that an African team made it.

Group E.
The Netherlands are as big a tease in World Football as the Amsterdam prostitutes in street windows which make the country famous. We’ve seen this before. The Dutch are notorious for doing what the French have done in this World Cup, implode. Like they did at Euro 2008, they impressed in the group stage and showed signs of getting it together. I’m not falling for it again. Oh screw it, with an easy draw in the knockout stage I’m on the band wagon! I’ll be let down I’m sure. Stupid Dutch.

It was sad to see Cameroon do so badly, with so much hope of progression to lose all 3 games was not fantastic. Japan on the other hand fully deserve second spot in the group after the neurotic performances of the Danes.

This was the only group to have no draws in a tournament which has so far had nearly nothing but.

Group F.
The most exciting team in group F was undoubtably the New Zealanders, 3 games and 3 draws, each of which they had a great chance of winning if they had a bit more to their squad.

Italy were shown for the aging pretenders they are with a pathetic display of soullessness.

Paraguay need to go up a gear if they want to make an impact in the next round even though they showed the World how good they can be. Plus I’d like to see them go through because of the players names which are fun to say out loud with rolling R’s and bravado. Slovakia basically are in the next round by default.

Group F had 2 games with winning results. Enough said really.

Group G.
Brazil and Portugal are the two teams through over Ivory Coast and North Korea. I would have loved to seen Ivory Coast go further then what they did but it was a tough group and they were a rightful third. North Korea … well … lets just say it’s Kim Jong il media lockdown time in North Korea. After a gallant effort against an still undercooked Brazil side in the first game they were exposed by Portugal and Ivory Coast.

People are having a go at Brazil for not playing the attacking football that has made them so admired and famous. Dunga is copping slack for playing a different type of formation, but you know what, don’t listen to it. This Brazilian side is very different to previous ones and they have a style of play that is physical and direct and I think it will help them go all the way.

The last game of the group was Brazil v Portugal with pundits talking it up as a cracker, but it turned out to be a real turgent affair. What did people expect from Brazil after already qualifying? Some in the press have slammed them for it but Portugal were the real disgrace. They had a chance to top the group but they just sat back and accepted a draw. Christiano Ronaldo needs to stand up and be counted. 80 million quid? Prove it.

Group H.
Shock of the tournament so far is undoubtably the Swiss beating the favourites Spain. Spain did recover however to top the group fairly comfortably followed by the amazing team of Chile.
Even at 10 men in their final group game they made the favoured Spain look silly at times. Spain are not at top gear yet but then again neither are Chile. Both sides look like going far in the Cup.

Switzerland and Honduras? See Algeria and Slovenia in group c.

Highlights:

South Africa as a host. Things haven’t gone perfectly, they were never going to, but it has definitely been an unqualified success for the nation and continent regardless of how many teams from Africa have progressed.
South America. Making Europe look like a relic since 2010. The USA. The propaganda moment of the tournament with the North Korean crying during the national anthem was amazing. The Socceroos. Argentina. Chile. Relatively full stadiums. The England fan getting into the dressing room and giving their overpaid prima donnas a spray. Twitter.

Lowlights:
Vuvu-motherfucking-zelas, The 9:30pm-6am time slot for games here in Australia; I’m losing my mind. Diving, Feigning injury. France. Italy. Bad referee’s. Draws. Timid football. Cagey attacks. Twitter.

The Knockout Stage.
A tasty menu of games is on the menu in the round of 16 with the highlights being USA v Ghana, England v Germany, Spain v Portugal and Brazil v Chile.

I’m not going to predict any of them except I hope we see an incredibly high standard of jaw dropping beauty.

Probably not though, what a fucking pessimist I am….

I’ll be back with more after the round of 16.

My little World Cup post.

I’ve got my wall chart, free flag, posters, scarf’s, clothing, magazine guides and even a panini sticker book. I’m a sucker, I know.

The World Cup is full of ridiculous build-up and hype with any company trying to jump on the bandwagon with merchandise and advertising.

Finally the tournament is about to begin and the game is set to take centre stage.

Trying to predict who is going to win and what is going to happen is a fool’s game. Even if it is jolly good fun. Nut-cases like me spend hours sitting in front of a wall chart trying to predict every possible outcome in the group stages and who will meet who. It’s sad.

The World Cup is the most wonderful spectacle. The passion it creates around the world, only the Olympics can rival it.

So what I’m going to do is just list a few things I’m looking forward to as a lover of the game.

Beautiful Football.

This is tricky to say what beautiful football is. When you’ve got the greatest players in the World in one place it’s safe to say there will be moments of jaw-dropping splendor. I hope and pray for some Messi magic. I really hope Argentina get it together and produce the kind of quality we all know they can. For me it’s not just Messi, their little general, that is going to set them apart from the rest. Higuain had an amazing season scoring goal after goal for Real Madrid and seeing him fire on all cylinders, coupled with an easy group should see easy progression. The tough hard working mongrel looking Tevez, Maxi Rodriguez, Aguero… The only weak link for me is the most gifted player of all time and their Manager Diego Maradona. (For the record… For all those shouting the word Pele. Pele was the greatest because of what he achieved but for god given ability and skill Maradona is the best)
He’s not stable, not proven as a manager and just that little bit fucking crazy to balls something up. 
Other beautiful football I can’t wait for is the Spanish team (tipped by many to win) with their awesome midfield led by Fabregas. 
Brazil are always amazing to watch but I expect them not to play the samba style football that has made them the high emperors of the beautiful game but a more direct attacking and tough game. It will still be spectacular to see.



The revolution of African football.

Do not for one second underestimate the importance of this World Cup taking place in Africa. It is going to change Football globally. Football in Africa is as old and in some regards older then in Europe. Natural athlete’s with unlimited skills have always been subjected to poor management and internal crises. Now we have the attention of the world being shined on the continent that continually provides the best players to the top teams of the world. The injection of money into South Africa will hopefully trickle down (or up if you want to be geographical about it) to the rest of the nations making up Africa.

I would love to see teams like the Ivory Coast, Cameroon and Ghana (while not knocking out Australia!) progress through to the round of 16 or heaven forbid a quarter final or semi final. 



Parties.

Football creates communities. I cannot wait to be at pubs, parties, public venues singing, cheering and being part of such a fun atmosphere. It’s going to be electrifying.



Gritty Football.

Let me just call this English Football. I want England to do something. I don’t want to see penalties. I want the England who pulls together and pulls off a great escape. I want hard running to the byline, I want hard tackling, I want pressure football. I want to see something similar to that wonderful moment where David Beckham stood in the middle of the pitch when they were playing Greece in 2001 where he yelled at his players that they were better then the opposition and then took a free kick in extra time to win the match. I want to see that. I want to see Rooney make history. I don’t know of any player who loves football as much, who works as hard as Rooney can. 
Gerrard is a more natural leader of men then Ferdinand is and for me it could be an unexpected benefit. They will miss him but with Gerrard being captain he could be that little bit more inspiration in extra time to get them over the line. 



The USA.

I think they will be a force to be reckoned with in the next few years, they have woken up to the fact that this game is something they could dominate. Unlimited resources, pools of talent; it’s all there for them. Don’t be surprised if they upset England in the first group game. It seems unlikely but it could very easily happen.



Just the vibe…


The atmosphere in South Africa is going to be electric. Africans celebrate football. Hopefully it will be a nothing but positive affair that will give us memories that will linger in the minds of football lovers worldwide.



The Socceroos.

I want to see this nation turn into soccer nuts, I want the A-League to be the best league in Asia and I want it to compete next year along side the big sports. Not likely but when you look at the fact more kids play football then AFL, Rugby Union or League when they grow up, the potential is there. 
It’s not going to happen of course. But maybe, just maybe.


So yeah, nothing special about this entry. I’m really writing this because at the moment I’m stuck in Ballarat for 2 weeks and no one here cares the slightest about the World Cup. I did a voxpop on the street for a radio piece and over 10 people were interviewed, no one gave a fuck. Some of them didn’t even know it was happening. I put that down to some of them living under rocks and having 6 fingers though.

What I’m not looking forward to? Penalty Shootouts to determine the Final, Referee’s making mistakes that cost teams matches, violence in any manner and vuvuzela’s.

Anyway thats enough from me… The most uninspired post I’ve ever done but I’m disheartened by the pathetic World Cup atmosphere that surrounds me, it will drastically improve come kick off in the opening game tomorrow night when I’m back in Melbourne at a party.

Terrorism at the World Cup.

Terrorism stems, not from a misguided fervor and devotion to a god, but from the true root of evil called poverty. The leaders of terrorist groups mainly carry out and plan attacks based on their own power struggles and recruit the destitute, poor and helpless. This is to create a foundation and following that tries to give a sense of credibility and reason to their completely illogical fight.

Like the catholic church in centuries past and other groups around the world do everyday, religion is the easiest and best way for these assholes to brainwash, indoctrinate and fuel sensationalist hatred based on bigotry and ignorance.

On a side note… Can we just reach a consensus in the community and in particular the media and just call these people arseholes? I mean I understand journalistic impartiality, integrity, objectivity etc but come on, they are arseholes. Fact.

I know this is a blog on sport and here it comes: It was reported today that an al-Qaida group in Algeria has made a statement that it is planning to detonate an explosive at the South African 2010 World Cup. Specifically it aims to do so when the English and United States football teams clash at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium, just outside of Johannesburg.

The statement, which was posted on an online jihadist magazine said, “How amazing could the match between the United States and England be if, during a live broadcast with a stadium packed with spectators, the sound of an explosion rumbles through the stands, the whole stadium is turned upside down and the numbers of dead bodies are in their dozens and hundreds, God willing.”

Sporting events are an obvious choice for a terrorist attack. When the eyes of the world are placed on something like the Olympic Games or a World Cup, full attention is paid to actions on and off the field.

There haven’t been too many attacks on athlete’s during events; The Munich Olympics and the recent attack on the Togo national Football team at the Africa Cup of Nations tournament spring to mind as some of the worst. However many terrorist attacks have been perpetrated in the lead up to events and heavily influenced the mood and way things have unfolded.

Terrorism doesn’t work in the long run, it can achieve short-term aims and create fear in it’s targets but never will it be victorious.

I remember last year when the Sri Lankan cricket team were targeted on their team bus in Pakistan.

In the subcontinent, Cricket has the sort of following and devotion that a terrorist organisation would dream of. The seriousness of the game to a population of billions, means that even the slightest imbalance brought to a test match can cause unprecedented rioting and uproar in the street. It’s hard to comprehend this in most countries; I mean we Australian’s love our sport but there is just no comparing.

In many parts of Pakistan and India, the West is loathed and hated. Yet still, players have visited from countries like England and Australia, countries which have supported ventures like the War on Terrorism. I’m not saying they are totally immune from terrorism but they are not generally a target that terrorists are interested in.

The reason for this is simple. They aren’t politicians, they aren’t armies. The players are treated as gods. While the rivalries between teams have reached fever pitch in the past, Crickets such as Shane Warne, Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting are held in such high esteem. They are followed around where ever they go and adored by lovers of the game. Whenever they play in a country like Pakistan the whole nation stops and watches.

For the poorest and most poverty stricken citizens, the distraction of a test match can lift spirits and morale. So for a terrorist organisation to inexplicably attack a touring test nation (and therefore render any match to be cancelled) is baffling. If the aim of a terrorist organisation is to gain support through it’s actions then attacking though the peaceful and neutral medium of sport makes absolutely no sense.

It means nothing that the nation was Sri Lanka and not Australia targetted, the terrorists made the nation of Pakistan the black sheep of the international cricketing community and isolated themselves from the sporting world.

If the same thing was to happen at the World Cup then the reaction would be even stronger because it’s one of the truly global events after the Olympics.

Football is truly the world game. Football is empowering. You don’t have to be talented and you don’t have to have much money to partake and enjoy it. In Football it doesn’t matter what your race, colour or creed is. It is truly the world game with the highest amount participants and followers of any sport; all you need is a ball and a few people.

It gives people a sense of identity in a community. You can be in any city in the world, walk into any pub and if there is a game of football on a TV you have something to talk about. You can be in situations where you are hugging and cheering with complete strangers just because you share the love of the sport.

Thats why terrorism won’t stop the World Cup. Give up.

Will they win Melbourne’s Heart?

Melbourne Heart FC. New kids on the block.

Last month the A-League climaxed with Sydney FC winning the title over the Melbourne Victory in a tense Grand Final. Next season it might be a different Melbourne side facing a similar predicament, with a new club set to enter the competition. The Melbourne Heart FC will become a part of the A-League in 2010/11 expand the championship to 11 sides.

There is no questioning the success of the A-League; Australia’s premier football fixture. With it’s inception in 2005, it emerged from the murky shadows of the previous competition, the National Soccer League.

With Australia having a strong ethnic population, many migrants rallied around teams that consisted of fellow expatriates and created club cultures based around their motherlands. Unfortunately, after starting with good intentions, the NSL became comprised with clubs harboring strong nationalistic overtones.

In the mid 90‘s the league tried to mainstream the competition from ethnically based support which had alienated much of the footballing population. The media over scrutinised the racial tensions that existed between clubs, which while existing, didn’t overrun the league. This coupled with mismanagement, bad television rights deals and lack of sponsorship lead to it’s ultimate demise.
The sport governing body Soccer Australia (now Football Federation Australia) got it right when they decided to overhaul the competition and started over with the new A-League. A new charter was written which decided to ban any nationalism and racial characteristics to the new A-League and make it inclusive of all people. Coupled with the qualification for the World Cup in 2006, it revolutionised football in Australia and no where more then in Melbourne. The team Melbourne Victory FC was born. Many clubs which made up the NSL and other club competitions of that era still exist in state leagues but the Victory stands alone at the front of the pack.
Melbourne is a wonderfully diverse place, however it was also where most of the tensions in the NSL came from. The effort made by the FFA and the people of Melbourne has assured success with the Victory. With the nations biggest supporter group, the largest stadium and weekly attendance levels, best administration and greatest on field performances it is the example for all other clubs.

One club for all the football loving people of Melbourne to get behind regardless of heritage, class or belief; that was the idea and it’s worked a Sunday treat.

As of the 2010/11 season, the city controlled by the Victory name will have a second club to contend with. The Victory, as with all foundation clubs, had a 5-year exclusivity clause to protect itself from competition and when the time was up, 2 groups (Melbourne Heart FC and Southern Cross FC) bid to become the second Melbourne club.

In the end Melbourne Heart FC won the right to the new license created to expand the competition. It had the more professional bid and the greater financial security to succeed.

Regardless of all this the question remains is Melbourne ready for a second team?

The A-League seems to think so. Melbourne is the sporting capital of Australia and has enough facilities and a new stadium to support two clubs. It’s not a matter of logistics, the real problem standing in the way of success lies with where the fans will come from.
Who will the Melbourne Heart target to become members? The majority of passionate football fans in Melbourne flocked to the Victory five years ago when the competition started. It’s unlikely to be current Victory supports; who would be disgruntled with how the team is going?

Placing both teams under the one banner of Melbourne is going to be arduous. How can two teams represent one place?

It seems the Heart are going after casual A-League followers or people who were hesitant at the beginning of the competition. Also, by making the administrative and training base in the ever expanding northern and eastern suburbs of Melbourne, they can target a large section of the public not represented by major sporting teams.

The Heart are promising a different kind of football club to that of the Victory. They have already signed big names such as Sydney FC Trio John Aloisi, Clint Bolton and Simon Colosimo. The Heart are also promising ‘beautiful’ football by signing John van ‘t Schip. As a former Holland international and flamboyant player with Ajax, he promises to be a refreshing change to the more direct and generally rougher style played in the A-League.

If, however, they don’t get the punters through the turnstile and the money keep it in existance, it won’t succeed. While good results on the field will more then likely attract more fans, the Heart must be aggressive off it. Vigorous campaigning and creating a strong rivalry between the Victory will cause more media attention. So far the Heart have done well by releasing more information about the club every now and then to keep it in the sporting pages consistently.

Something I find the Victory haven’t done much of, and what the Heart could capitalise on, is going grassroots. Creating partnerships with existing local clubs like the Melbourne Knights and schools is only beneficial. It is hoped that this doesn’t lead to support similar to NSL teams of the past by targeting clubs with an ethnic makeup. The Victory seem to be more interested in creating alliances with Asian confederation teams in China rather then in their own backyard.

By already having their new jersey, players on board and a major sponsor in Westpac Bank signed, they have formed an identity to build on.

Only time will tell.

Quick 5 minute write up preview of First Test in Brisbane! Australia vs West Indies.

The summer test season is upon us and it couldn’t have arrived with less fanfare. In years past with countries like India and England touring the tension and passion was at fever pitch. This year a weakened West Indies side will provide little resistance to Australian dominance followed by a tastier encounter with Pakistan.

Don’t be fooled though, this is going to be an interesting and intriguing summer. However beatable the opposition looks, complacency is not an option. The Australia side that takes the field will be one of the most important in a generation. The future is here, the make-up of the side that has dominated the game over the last 20 years have now be consigned to the history books as a new young group of players step up. The Ashes in July was a young group of Australian’s not used to the big stage against an experienced English side, and as valiant as they were, this is the chance to get into a groove and gel together into a consistent Australian test team. Australian selectors will no doubt receive as much press coverage as the test’s.

As the first test gets under way in at the GABBA in Brisbane, Australia is odds on favourite to clean sweep the three test series against the West Indies. The selectors have done the right thing in keeping the side going out today largely unchanged from the Ashes squad. One key replacement is Doug Bollinger in for Stuart Clarke. Bollinger is a good left arm quick that will look to cement a place in the side over the summer and prove his worth on a pitch before it looks set to turn on the fourth day. Clarke and Haddin have recovered from injuries that saw them miss the one-day international series in India. Unfortunately that same tour claimed Peter Siddle with a side strain injury.

It has been quite a few years since the West Indies toured Australia and their squad is going to be full of fresh new faces for the Australian public to familiarise. After a poor warm up test against the Queensland test side at Allan Border Field, the West Indies will need to have it’s experienced players in form. Ramnaresh Sarwan, Dwayne Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and captain Chris Gayle look set to lead the charge for the away side. After looking like missing the opening test, Gayle has only one day to prepare for the Gabba match after flying in from his sick mother at home in Jamaica.

The biggest weakness for the West Indies and where they will no doubt lose this match is their bowling attack. If the Australian’s come out and bat first today they probably won’t stop for days. The West Indies conceded over 600 runs in an innings to a second string Queensland test side and it seems conceivable that the Australian’s will do the same.

Here’s hoping for a great first test match!

 

NB: Australia has won the toss and has elected to bat. Blow for the West Indies, Sarwan has been ruled out through injuries. Oh and Siddle was fit enough and Bollinger was taken back out of the side.

 

 

Who will host the World Cup in 2018 and 2022?

The Holy Grail.

Next year Australia will once again take its place in the finals of the Football World Cup in South Africa. While our qualification this time around was a cakewalk instead of the penalty shootout highlight reel last time around, the public will once again come to a standstill when the Socceroos walk out of the tunnel in our first game.

One equally important event will take place next year. In December 2010, Australia is looking to win a bid to entertain the world for the first time with a World Cup shindig. The winning hosts for both the 2018 and 2022 World Cup tournaments are to be announced.

You only have to cast your mind back to the hysteria of the Sydney 2000 Olympic bid win in 1993 to get an idea of how important this event can be. The sporting world will be back at our place while we put on the greatest show on earth.

FIFA has decided to announce both the 2018 and 2022 winners at the same time and to make things even more interesting; the organisation has the policy not to allow a confederation who has hosted any of the previous two tournaments to host the next one. With the continents of Africa ruled out in 2018 plus not putting any bids for 2022 and South America ruled out as they are hosting in 2014, we are in prime contention to have the World Cup for the first time.

However Australia will face some stiff competition in winning one of the two tournaments with a strong field of nations looking to host this prestigious event.

Here are the contenders:
Australia, Indonesia, Qatar, Japan, South Korea, Russia, United States of America, England and two joint nation bid’s involving the Netherlands with Belgium and Spain with Portugal.

The 2018 World Cup

In 2018, it will have been 12 years since Europe last hosted the World Cup. With policy of making the previous two World Cup hosts ineligible to host the next Cup it will boil down to this, who in Europe will host a World Cup and who outside of Europe will host a World Cup.

It’s safe to say that 2018 will be in Europe; it’s the home of football and is the continent with the greatest number of teams and more importantly money. Another four years out of Europe is unthinkable. It is a consistent host of World Cup’s and rightly so. This will of course lead the way for an Asian or North American to host in 2022. It may be the other way around but not likely.

Of the European nations looking to host the clear favourite has to be England, the home of football and were last hosts way back in 1966, also being the only time they have won the Cup. England are the biggest underachievers in world football with consistent failures and unrealistic expectations. However out of all the bidders they have the best infrastructure and the strongest domestic league in the world.

The bid from Russia is the dark horse in stopping England from hosting the tournament. The capital Moscow itself has quite a few stadiums with good capacities. The monumental size of it however, coupled with the unpredictability with how the country would plan for the tournament is likely to put off most FIFA delegates.

Besides how can it even be considered apart of Europe when Europeans need a visa to enter another supposed European country?

While FIFA has allowed a joint host in the past, the concept of it happening in Europe is not something FIFA has warmed to. UEFA allowed Switzerland and Austria to co-host Euro 2008 but that was Euro 2008, and that was Switzerland and Austria. The key nations to both joint ventures are themselves footballing giants in the form of Spain and the Netherlands (even though the Netherlands need more stadiums). Having a small country along side either of them is not an idea FIFA is crazy about. Sepp Blatter has even been quoted as saying, “As long as we have single-country bids which provide all the necessary guarantees, we will reject co-hosting bids.”

FIFA requires the host has at least 12 stadiums holding a minimum of 40,000 people and one with at least 80,000 for a World Cup Final. This is already in place with most Premier League club stadiums and the national Wembley Stadium in England. Spain has the ability to have this infrastructure by itself and could do it without Portugal. Therefore they cannot be entirely ruled out in winning the right to host the 2018 World Cup.

However with England hosting the Olympics in 2012 they will also have a legacy of new stadiums and dedicated transport systems for events on a scale of this size in place fresh and ready to go.

To me though, English football has more fundamentally pressing issues then winning the rights to host the World Cup. It seems that the English Football Association has become obsessed with the idea of staging a World Cup rather then winning one.

Celebrity and corporate backings along with the Government financially chipping in have driven the FA even more. Gone are the days of heavy investment in football academies and the nurturing of young talent to develop World Cup winning sides. It seems to have taken a backseat to make way for the money that will be made generated by ticket sales, corporate sponsorships and tourists flocking the country.

I do believe that deep down the supporters of the bid are doing it for the ideals of having the World Cup back in the birthplace of football and the legacy it will leave. Football IS England; it’s as simple as that. But anyone who rejects the notion that it isn’t money driven is living in cloud cuckoo land.

None of this however matters, England will win one of the two hosting rights and I believe it will be in 2018. In summary, the biggest footballing nation in the World hasn’t hosted it since 1966; it’s their turn.

The 2022 World Cup

The second World Cup host, and for the sake of all that is right in football, must be Australia. No argument and absolutely no bias. Here’s why.

Australia’s competitors for 2022 are Indonesia, Qatar, Japan, South Korea and the United States.

Firstly Japan and South Korea, both joint hosted the World Cup in 2002 and are now each going it alone. Both nations together ran a highly successful and organised tournament that was efficient and memorable. Asia is also a massive market with a willing-to-spend attitude. Though after hosting the competition in recent memory it is highly unlikely that either nation will win the bid.

Sticking to Asia, Indonesia is less likely then Japan or South Korea. I think to an extent a World Cup in Indonesia would be great it just wouldn’t be viable. Even though they have the whole ‘hasn’t hosted a World Cup before’ thing going on, just how Australia does, there is too much political instability and lack of infrastructure, even though the Government has stabilised to an extent.

The Government has thrown it’s weight behind the bid saying that 10 years is enough time to build stadiums, which has given it a level of legitimacy. And even though it has a population over 200 million, there is not enough support on a global scale and not enough financial reasons to host it there.

Then there is the United States, which last hosted the event in 1994 and was a massive financial success. Right now it’s easy to suggest it will be too soon for another World Cup in the USA but in reality it will be 28 years by then, a scary thought and something that will not be too much of a factor in the decision process of FIFA.

But here’s the real reason they shouldn’t get the World Cup, because it’s the United States of America. I’m sorry but their last World Cup might has well have been held on the Moon. And don’t give me the whole biggest World Cup attendance of all time nonsense; there was no atmosphere and no genuine support. Just lots of people there for the spectacle of pretty colours and loud noises inside massive American Football stadiums, which they originally had trouble filling and ended up getting them to full capacity through desperate measures. The real supporters you saw on TV were mostly people from outside the country and the United States very small band of Soccer fanatics.

It’s just not a big enough sport. It was such a magnificent debacle last time around which was driven purely by money and a pipedream legacy. The tournament did however create some awesome controversy.

Who could forget Maradona being sent home in disgrace, the most turgent final ever played between Brazil and Italy and McDonalds getting into trouble over Saudi Arabian flags? The best thing to come out of that event was Bulgaria and fantastically pixellated pitches. I would rather have it in Indonesia because at least Football is massive there and it would leave a foundation for generations of footballing kids not as lucky as those in the United States.

Football is laced in tradition and America hasn’t got one or enough drive to warrant a future one to footballing purists. They tried to create it last time and full credit to FIFA as they imposed the creation of the Major League Soccer as a condition to hosting the tournament.

And while the American soccer league has been a success of sorts, and the recipient of new support and financial backing, it just hasn’t captured the imagination of the American public. But with football being big business and America being all about big business, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see it go there.

A disappointment, but not a surprise.

Quadruple the money debate and plonk it straight down on the bid for the nation of Qatar. Qatar is an oil rich country in the Middle East. Still need an explanation?

Playing football in the desert with 40-degree heat in the summer is a radical idea. So much so that Qatar is even building a stadium underground! Even more radical! However it would only hold 11,000 that wouldn’t meet FIFA’s requirements. I mean that would be something I would like to see, but not at the World Cup.

There is no footballing reason to host the World Cup in Qatar only a monetary reason. This is something that will never sit well for supporters. We can very reluctantly stomach the USA, but not Qatar. It has a population of under a million, there is no legacy of football going to built there. But with football and with the changes we have seen in the last 10 years with oil oligarch’s purchasing Premiership teams as play things to show off to their mates, anything is possible when it comes to FIFA’s decision.

However may I put forward the notion that FIFA isn’t as bad as it’s always made out to be? I will admit that the president of FIFA, Sepp Blatter is an idiot who has in the past suggested radical changes like changing the size of goal posts and that women footballers should wear tighter shorts. Nevertheless, Sepp realises and acknowledges this fact; without the fans you don’t have football. A World Cup in Qatar is never going to work.

That’s where Australia falls nicely into place. Australia has the perfect mix of sporting culture and tradition, an established football following and a fail-safe financial windfall from hosting the Cup. It has great infrastructure, the ability to build a few more stadiums with ease, numerous cities to host games and a booming and resilient economy. Plus it has the greatest veil for FIFA to hide behind, however true it really is, the fact that there is a lasting legacy to be had in strengthening an ever-growing domestic league and growing population.

We love sport, more then most countries and would embrace a World Cup. The only worry is that it would plonk itself smack bang in the middle of Rugby League and AFL season, something that it would have to work around.
Australia makes the most sense in a group where it is harder to pick a clear choice then Europe. The only thing not going for Australia is the god-awful tacky slogan of “Come Play” as the catch cry for the bid.

So finally in conclusion!

It seems that England and Australia are the two clear choices to host the World Cup’s in 2018 and 2022. The dark horse in all this is still the Russian’s. But it won’t at all affect Australia’s chances because if Russia wins one then England can’t. The United States is a strong possibility to knock off Australia but with Brazil hosting the 2014 World Cup it’s unlikely to happen within 8 years in the same time zone even if it is technically in another continent.

The hardest thing to fathom is with an ever-changing global environment why would FIFA want to award a World Cup when it could do it further down the track? 12 years from the bid announcement to the first kick off is a truly more time then is necessary for a country to assemble itself. It seems with the shambles in South Africa with getting ready to host next year and now with Ukraine and Poland lagging behind for Euro 2012, it’s hardly surprising they want to be prepared.

But perhaps the biggest reason to get nervous is the new way in which FIFA delegates will choose who gets the Cup. They have decided to model themselves on the voting system used by the International Olympic Committee. This may or may not lead to proxy gift-giving techniques to lure executives to vote in favour of richer nations like Qatar, a similar style that has called into question the prerogative of the IOC.

They must remember that if football stays true to the sport, to the supporters and to the beautiful nature in which it is played then it will make more money then any corporate sponsor ever can.

Confessions of a Man-Crush

Swoon...

Your favourite players are like the people you had a secret crush on at high school. You adored them, you always looked out for them, when you heard their name mentioned you’d stop what you are doing and eavesdrop in.

For men this is more difficult because the athletes that we love happen to mostly be other men.Unless you are attracted to other men it is a little embarrassing to admit a crush on another man, just like how you’d never fess up to a secret crush in high school.

In sport however this is commonly referred to as a man-crush. It is bemusing to see men be so emotional towards another man that they don’t really know apart from what is seen on the field or read about in the papers.

Confession time. I have many man-crushes. My biggest man-crush was and still is towards footballer Thierry Henry.

Formally a player for Arsenal Football Club and currently plying his trade at Barcelona, he is a swarthy, dashing French man with panache and grace. Gazelle like on a football pitch with a commanding presence and deft touch. He is a renaissance style goal-scoring artist, who can float down wings and move silkily past defenders with precocious talent. In summary, he probably has the ability to make strong women cry at train stations.

Do I feel sexually attracted to him? No.

Do I know the man at all? No.

Should my girlfriend be concerned even when I half joke that I would have let him do whatever he wanted to me in return for a Champions League trophy with Arsenal? Absolutely not.

Do I admiring him for being a great player and going into a childish giggle whenever I hear him talk in a French accent or see him celebrate a goal with a cheeky smile? Fuck yes I do.

I know I’m not alone. I see men at football matches, sitting in grandstands looking out at their favourite players with a smile wide as the field in front of them with mouth’s slightly ajar in wonderment. It’s because we LOVE these men, we want to hang with them, have a beer with them, sit and listen to them talk about stories of shenanigans on the team bus. They play for the clubs that we spend our lifetimes supporting and when they lead those teams to triumph’s we feel a strong connection towards them.

We love them because of how they make us feel, by surprising and entertaining us. Even when they disappoint us and we get angry with them, deep down we still love them.

Like most relationships things don’t always work out. A player can leave in disgrace, betray us and go to different club, insult the fans and it can all be over in an instant. However if the player stays loyal and finishes their time with us on good terms we will continue to love them forever, just as I do with Thierry Henry who left Arsenal for Barcelona. Every now and then a quote will turn up in a small newspaper column where he says that he misses Arsenal and believes he will wind up back with us some day in one form or another. Just like a secret high school crush.

It all boils down to wanting to be loved back and when we are its glorious. When a player kisses a badge or points to the crowd in a manner that whispers, “That one’s for you”, we go weak at the knees.

And in the end, don’t we all just want to feel loved?

Update!

Haven’t posted for a few days. Been busy working/drinking etc.

Have bought the domain name www.andnowinsport.com but am having trouble setting the thing up, causing pain to no end.

Blah.

Will be posting soon.

In the defence of North American Sport.

Awesome.

American sport takes a lot of criticism from around the world. The pomposity, the cheerleaders, the televised spectacle, the celebrations; it can be disconcerting for outsiders to see games get hijacked by the silliness of it all.

Here it goes. My name is Sam Gray and I have something to confess, I love American sports.

Players in hard contact sports like rugby league, rugby union and Australian Rules football wear just a jersey, shorts, boots and a mouth guard. In a place like Australia people look at American Football and think its soft that they wear body armour that would be normally reserved for a Roman Soldier tearing across a battlefield.

Saying that NFL players are soft shows a sporting ignorance that has no equal. It’s one of the hardest, toughest sports in the world to play and the complexity of its rules is far greater then most sport.

Watching a game is a great spectacle; the glitz and glamour, the titanic ego’s only being slightly larger then the stature of the players involved, the skill and bone crunching displays of power are something to behold. The hits are harder then they are here and each play harnesses the aggression and power of a nuclear bomb. The need for protective gear is essential. Its grandstanding can be hard to swallow but sit back relax watch and enjoy the sheer gonzo fun of it all.

The same sporting ignorance goes for baseball. It’s easy to look at baseball and think that it’s a past time for fat Americans to gorge on hot dogs and watch equally fat Americans hit a ball and run around in a circle. When in fact one of the hardest feats in sport is to hit a small baseball hurtling at you at over 140 kilometres an hour and scurry around bases when throws come in at similar speeds. It can be tense and exciting and it’s a huge reason why it’s the number one most watched sport in America.

It’s also because it’s the most relaxed spectator sport which I’m guessing is similar to cricket. One of these days I will be lucky enough to be able to sit in the bleachers at a game and take in one of the greatest atmospheres available in the sporting arena.

On a side note, a great thing about baseball is that the manager of a team has to wear the same kit as the players. There is no funnier sight in sport then seeing a balding massive old guy parade up and down the dugout in high socks and a stretched polyester shirt

And to my fellow sports nuts, stop bleating on about the arrogance in naming their championship the “World Series“.  It has nothing to do with the USA believing they are the “world” or any of that rubbish. It originates from a time when players would travel the world looking for teams in countries outside of America to play against in goodwill exhibition matches, the name just stuck.

But my favourite American sport has to be Hockey (Ice Hockey to most of us) and I have no idea why it’s not popular here in Australia. Combative, fast, flowing non-stop action that is everything we love in sport… but on ICE! There is an Australian League that is gaining some support in small numbers but still for the most part played and watched by ex-pats.

In my opinion its the most difficult game to master and requires more courage and skill then all other sports. To win the Stanley Cup you have to play 82 regular season matches, generally two to three games a week, then four best of seven game playoff rounds to win a cup that weighs over 15 kilograms! There is no team championship harder to win in the world. As a spectator sport it requires a ridiculous amount of attention to follow the puck as it flies around the rink.

I’ve been lucky enough to see a game of NHL in action and it’s a glorious extravaganza. A pin dropping silence as soon as that puck hits the ice follows deafening noise and excitement that precedes a match, with lights and blaring music. The arena is so involved in the play happening before their eyes that for someone that normally sits in a stand with screaming abusive fans it’s very bemusing. There is crowd cheering and abuse but normally after a play is completed.

There are of course controversy surrounding all American sports, the drug problem in Baseball, salary cap problems lead to the cancellation of a whole season in the NHL and American Football with its franchise’s and out of control millionaire players. But it’s the same as every major sport around the world. With that level of attention and money there will always be issues.

Then of course there is Basketball. However I do not care much for basketball. I went to an NBA match in Toronto, Canada and found it to be a turgent and dull affair. Stupid pointless gym game if you ask me. You might as well start a game with five minutes left at 90 points each. Horrible sport.

But anyway, thank you for allowing me to rant about my unhealthy obsession with foreign sports.

The mystery of Golf on TV.

zzzzzzzzzzzz....

Very quick rant time.

Who the hell likes watching Golf on television? Name someone you know who likes watching golf. It is the most terminally boring spectator sport around. Don’t get me wrong I love to play golf, but watch it? Not a chance.

Yet you tune in to cable sports channels all over the world and somewhere at anytime of the day there will be a tournament being beamed from all corners of the globe! 24 hours a day 7 days a flippin’ week!

Is this some global conspiracy, some cult that is trying to take over the human race?! Who is tuning in to see some no name win the Brazil Masters at 3am? Who is watching this!?!?! As a past time for many I understand the big bucks, the sponsorship and product endorsements- people love playing it. However I have no idea who says “Can’t go out tonight lads! The German Open starts at 12:30am and I can’t wait to see Scott Verplank tee off on the first!”

Rant over. Please, feel free to explain this phenomenon to me if you are a golf-watching enthusiast.