Fair Play: World Cup less Blues: Merci? Mirisi!
JUST as the England vs. Slovenia match was winding down, the telecast cut to the Slovenia coach, who, curiously, wasn’t signaling a play to his players.
Zero-zero his hands say. That was the score of the Algeria vs. US game after 90 minutes. A score that would see Slovenia moving on to the knockout stage.
There were no updates of the US vs. Algeria game, so I switched to CNN from Balls TV, since the American channel had a running score of the game.
It was 0-0. There goes my favorite dark horse of the tournament.
Back to Balls TV and the ref just ended the match. Slovenia lost to England, but there was nary a wounded soul in Slovenia’s bench after the final whistle.
Then something strange happened.
A look of alarm spread among the Slovenia players, some of whom began crying.
Landon Donovan scored, a minute after the clock hit 90.
The commentators were saying the news had just started to creep toward Slovenian players, who were probably planning where to celebrate their qualification to the knockout stage before they heard it.
Their misery started minutes after the final whistle was blown, courtesy of Landon Donovan and the surprising American team.
The US has scored six times in Africa but only four counted. The two—one in the Algeria game—were discounted controversially.
I hope the US will get a break, next time.
MIRISI. France too couldn’t get a break but the players have themselves to blame.
Strangely, I couldn’t find a reason to be happy with France’s early exit in the World Cup despite, well, telling everybody I hate the French team.
In 2002, France set a new low by becoming the first defending champion to go out in the group stage without a win, and without a goal.
This year, Les Bleus had only one goal and one point.
You could just see in the players’ body language after South Africa scored its second goal that they seemed lost.
Heck, it’s as if they didn’t know they were in the World Cup.
The French had some semblance of respectability in the second half, and even managed to score a goal. But you could see in the way they couldn’t connect the passes, or win any of the 50-50 challenges, that Les Bleus were just waiting for the final whistle, so they can end their misery and resume their luxurious lives away from France.
In contrast, the hosts were playing like champions, never giving up with every single opportunity.
I couldn’t really find a reason to be happy with the final scoreline: South Africa 2, France 1.
But then again, as has been the character of Les Bleus in South Africa, one of them was bound to give fans a new reason to hate the team.
Raymond Domenech gave me a reason to say: “Mirisi!”
Carlos Alberto Parreira, the most successful coach in the World Cup, approached his French counterpart for the traditional handshake. It wasn’t just for the end of the match.
Parreira’s rich career, which saw him winning the title in 1994 with Brazil, was ending.
Domenech wouldn’t have any of it and refused to shake the hand of the coach of the host nation.
Already despised by the media for his odd antics, Domenech, who is also set to be replaced as France’s coach, assured journalists had one final thing to write about him aside from his loss.
AP wrote: “Domenech’s behavior appeared arrogant; blanking a well-respected football man coaching his last game in his sixth World Cup—winning it with his native Brazil in 1994…By contrast, Domenech won nothing except a second-division title with French club Lyon over two decades ago.”
Zero-zero his hands say. That was the score of the Algeria vs. US game after 90 minutes. A score that would see Slovenia moving on to the knockout stage.
There were no updates of the US vs. Algeria game, so I switched to CNN from Balls TV, since the American channel had a running score of the game.
It was 0-0. There goes my favorite dark horse of the tournament.
Back to Balls TV and the ref just ended the match. Slovenia lost to England, but there was nary a wounded soul in Slovenia’s bench after the final whistle.
Then something strange happened.
A look of alarm spread among the Slovenia players, some of whom began crying.
Landon Donovan scored, a minute after the clock hit 90.
The commentators were saying the news had just started to creep toward Slovenian players, who were probably planning where to celebrate their qualification to the knockout stage before they heard it.
Their misery started minutes after the final whistle was blown, courtesy of Landon Donovan and the surprising American team.
The US has scored six times in Africa but only four counted. The two—one in the Algeria game—were discounted controversially.
I hope the US will get a break, next time.
MIRISI. France too couldn’t get a break but the players have themselves to blame.
Strangely, I couldn’t find a reason to be happy with France’s early exit in the World Cup despite, well, telling everybody I hate the French team.
In 2002, France set a new low by becoming the first defending champion to go out in the group stage without a win, and without a goal.
This year, Les Bleus had only one goal and one point.
You could just see in the players’ body language after South Africa scored its second goal that they seemed lost.
Heck, it’s as if they didn’t know they were in the World Cup.
The French had some semblance of respectability in the second half, and even managed to score a goal. But you could see in the way they couldn’t connect the passes, or win any of the 50-50 challenges, that Les Bleus were just waiting for the final whistle, so they can end their misery and resume their luxurious lives away from France.
In contrast, the hosts were playing like champions, never giving up with every single opportunity.
I couldn’t really find a reason to be happy with the final scoreline: South Africa 2, France 1.
But then again, as has been the character of Les Bleus in South Africa, one of them was bound to give fans a new reason to hate the team.
Raymond Domenech gave me a reason to say: “Mirisi!”
Carlos Alberto Parreira, the most successful coach in the World Cup, approached his French counterpart for the traditional handshake. It wasn’t just for the end of the match.
Parreira’s rich career, which saw him winning the title in 1994 with Brazil, was ending.
Domenech wouldn’t have any of it and refused to shake the hand of the coach of the host nation.
Already despised by the media for his odd antics, Domenech, who is also set to be replaced as France’s coach, assured journalists had one final thing to write about him aside from his loss.
AP wrote: “Domenech’s behavior appeared arrogant; blanking a well-respected football man coaching his last game in his sixth World Cup—winning it with his native Brazil in 1994…By contrast, Domenech won nothing except a second-division title with French club Lyon over two decades ago.”
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