Saturday, June 14, 2014

Well done, Socceroos

Am very proud of our team in Brazil (Brasil?). They are young, mostly inexperienced in "World competition" but held the Chilean team, mostly, through the second half.

So, let's consider for a moment.  Australia has a total population of 23 or so million. Very few of those consider "soccer" as their first game of choice - so the pool of excellent players is extremely limited.

In which case we (yer, ok - they) did extremely well. Especially if one considers that quite a few of the nations competing in this tournament have populations twice, three, four times our size, and i have the impression that the first thing their babies see is a soccer ball.

 Unlike Australians, who grow up with either a cricket, tennis, or oblong - ball in the crib.

And yep, am expecting rocks on my roof if i mention my impression that the majority of Queenslanders and New South Welshmen seem to be besotted with 'Thugby' or "throwball" which, for some strange reason unbeknownst to me - they call "football" ... unless, of course, the true meaning of a meaningless game is "a boot in the balls".

And yes, the 'losing side' will always 'blame the umpire' - but seriously - there were three occasions when i was astonished by the decisions.  Whistle blows. OK think i, an infringement of some sort, dunno why, he hardly touched him. THEN, i see a 'yellow card'. WOT!!???. Three more times on Australian players.

Yep, while "Futbal" is mostly about "playing the ball, not the man" it's not a game for sissies. Physical contact and tackles are frequent.  But Hey, simply 'falling over', pretending to be hurt, is not worth a yellow card to the bloke standing behind..
.
Yer, Chile did 'outrun', out fox. outplay the Socceroos in the first few minutes to get their two goals, but that was stopped, controlled, contained for most of the rest of the game.- until one perfect moment when Cahill headed one in for the Socceroos.

people often tell me that the game is boring - not enough goals. But that's beside the point. To me, it's like watching a game of chess. With a bit of backgammon luck thrown in.

And yes, in the last few minutes - Chile threw in every energy they had left, broke through the Aussie defence, and scored their third goal.

Chile 3 - Australia -1.

I still think it was a magnificent effort by the Aussie Team.

7 comments:

Vest said...

Yes they did well on the occasion. and so they should. being they are able to play the sport you mentioned all the year around.
Englands Three Month Cricket season is usually played in weather conditions worse than The OZ 4.5 Month OZ cricket off season.
The most watched sport in the U/K is Soccer or Association Football then Darts followed by Cricket and tennis. Thugby comes a poor last.
The main prospects a Mugby League player can expect is becoming a Quadra or Paraplegic.
Most sports commentators tell us that which we already have heard or learned about, this is confirmed by their repeated statement "You Know" every third or fourth utterence.

Vest said...

Once upon a time , Sport was pursued by those wishing to become fit and healthy, now it slick and wealthy.

Sport is nothing but war Minus the shooting.

Vest said...

Seems the Socceroos were "Well done" in their second game too.

Also falling on their swords were the English 'Round Bladder Booters'.

Davoh said...

The second game vs Holland? Um, yes, score was 2-3. Hardly call that a resounding defeat. Fact was that the Socceroos outplayed the Dutch for the entire first half.

Could write more - especially since Ange Posti-whatsisname (coach) had only six months to get this team together (most of them are brought back from overseas teams). So yes, think that, as a relatively young team - they did extremely well.

And as a P.S. The "Kookaburras" (Hockey) thrashed the Dutch 6-1 in the World championship on their home turf - heh.

win some- lose some .... :-D

Davoh said...

And yes Vestie was, perhaps still am - a late starter. the only small ball games in my comprehension from age zero to 19 were cricket, tennis or AFL. Was a "country lad", and somewhat naive.

That all changed when discovered "the city" ... explored the back streets - snooker, billiards .... and other 'stick and ball' games ... heh.


Vest said...

Final score well done for Three none. A blessing its all over rover.

Davoh said...

Ah, Vestie .. not yet "done" (in response to 'its all over').

No, it's not. Ange P - and most of his team - were 'untried' in world notions of the game Soccer (Futbal - whatever). He, and his team, gave some of the 'world's coaches' pause for thought.

'Soccer' is not about "brute force" - but 'tactics'.

Did watch the game against Spain and they barely raised a sweat - beat us 3-0 .... and yes, self wonders why Spain was reduced to this - but the young Socceroos had much to learn from the 'tactics' of the Spanish team - indeed, also from the, almost casual, 'expertise' of two players.

So, Vestie - whose side are 'ON'. Australia's - or some vestige of "Ye Olde Country"??