Football takes me many places
As part of my application to be part of The Guardian’s Fans’ Network for the World Cup I had two write two pieces and I thought it would be an opportune time to share them with you. The first piece was a short explanation in 150 words or less of why you would be the right person to be in the Guardian Fans’ Network. My response below took inspiration from Christiano Ronaldo’s efforts in that Castrol advertisement that always cracks me up.
Football takes me many places, hot places, cold places … But I prepare for it all. Those are the words of Cristiano Ronaldo in an advertisement for Castrol. Football also takes me many places but unlike Cristiano it is not through any sort of footballing ability. I have to make do with living vicariously through watching others play the game I love. And that means watching football in many places, from the comfort of large stadiums in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane to the outer suburbs of Melbourne in the death of winter supporting my local team with only a scarf and jacket to keep me warm. There also have been ventures overseas to the rickety stadiums of Santiago and Buenos Aires that were only slightly less dangerous than some of the pubs I have to make do with when I couldn’t be at a game. Football takes me many places.
Here is that ad just for a laugh.
The second piece was a more analytical piece in 300 words or less on how you think your country will do in South Africa. This was slightly more difficult but this is what I had to say.
Whilst Australia qualified for the 2010 World Cup for the first time through Asia by only losing two out of fourteen matches and conceding only four goals it was hardly the stuff that inspired the Australian footballing public and has many worried going into this year’s tournament.
In a group alongside Germany, Ghana and Serbia, the Socceroos may find it very difficult to match the feats of 2006. Under the tutelage of Pim Verbeek, Australia has essentially played a 4-5-1 formation that is meant to be 4-3-3. It’s a style useful for suited for qualifying not so much for progressing through tournaments.
Of most concern is Verbeek’s rigidity to this formation and his inability to change it not matter the situation or opponent and could very well Australia’s undoing in South Africa. Tournaments are all about making that game changing decision and in Verbeek we don’t have someone with that quality.
Another reason for my pessimism is Socceroos’ over reliance on ‘keeper Mark Schwarzer and midfielder Tim Cahill. Throughout the qualifying campaign, Schwarzer was often Australia’s saviour and the fact he had so many clean sheets was mostly down to his own efforts rather than that of the defence in front of him.
With a number of Socceroos’ strikers finding it difficult to find the back of the net, it was the goals of Tim Cahill that played a huge part in Australia’s qualification. If he were to come under any injury cloud in the lead up to the tournament it would have many fans worried.
It is therefore my conclusion that Australia will find it difficult to progress past the group stages in South Africa and if they do I will be pleasantly surprised.
Tags: castrol, cristiano ronaldo, socceroos, The Guardian
