There are a few teams that I prefer not to see making any breakthrough in this year World Cup (tag). They are Brazil, Argentina, Italy and the United States. And maybe England too because their press keep expounding on the fact that they won in 1966 and that they keep repeating that they might repeat the success in 1966 at every World Cup. But if somebody asks me which one team is the team, the United States of America is it.
I don’t hate the US players. In fact, one of their players, John O’Brien is a former Ajacied. Usually, I would support teams that have any Ajacied in it. For this reason, apart from the Dutch team, I wish to see the Czech Republic-Ajacied Galasek and Grygera in it-as well as Sweden (Ibrahimovic and Rosenberg) to have a good run this year. If Argentina had called Mauro Rosales, I would probably have taken Argentina out of my I-don’t-want-to-see-them-win list. However, my sentiment is mostly correlated with world politics.
I believe a lot of people share my sentiment. When I was a freshman at Michigan in 2002, I spent my time watching the World Cup with Malaysian and other Asian friends. I could say with confidence that we had no stomach to see the US making strides in the World Cup despite us being the US. Even my European friends felt the same way. If I were to generalize, I would say the international students that had the slightest interest in football wouldn’t want the US have anything to do with football. The reason, like mine, would be world politics. It’s the way the US was and is bullying the world.
And it’s not entirely just that. When the world play football, the US play American football (disclosure – I love college football). When the world play cricket, the US plays baseball. And they even called their baseball tournament as the World Series despite the fact that there’s nothing international about the World Series. It does seem that the United States views the world as anything in between Los Angeles and New York. When a person has that kind of mentality, it’s hard for that person to make friends. And that those that. And that what’s happening at the World Cup.
Anyway, the US is in Group E along with Czech Republic, Italy and Ghana. Within that group, I’m rooting for the Czech. And I hope Ghana would push Italy and the United States aside, sending the other two teams home before long.
Despite all that, I don’t hate the United States. I do share the United States secular ideals. But when it comes to foreign relationship, I’ll give the US a zero and for that, I feel no reason to support the US team in the World Cup. Taking it one step farther, I’ll take quiet pleasure in seeing any US loss. The greatest pleasure would come from Iran defeating the US, if such matchup is possible.
p/s – many years later, welcome to the Malay College!
The Emperor and Empress smiled, waved and shook hands with those who had turned up to greet them at the stops they made, the highlight of which was their visit to the Malay College Kuala Kangsar. There, a small stone monument which was made to commemorate their visit in 1991 had since been updated. Upon arrival, the royal couple immediately went to have a look at the updated plaque, before touring the college.
“They were especially looking forward to meeting the students. They had insisted that they wanted to come back here because this visit was in their original programme in 1991,” said a Japanese senior government official.
Promised fulfiled, at last. Now, it’s time for Raffles meetup.
p/s – I had expected Sweden to make a huge killing on Trinidad and Tobago. On the contrary, not only did Sweden fail to win, the Caribbean nation at times threatened to take the lead. At one time, a Caribbean player hit the Swedish woodwork!
Not Ljungberg, not Ibrahimovic, neither Larsson nor Allback could outdo very much unknown Sancho or Hislop. Not full Swedish team could not overrun a ten-man team!
This has to be the best match yet. A scoreless draw but an amusing shocker full of attacks nonetheless. Trinidad and Tobago managed 6 shots while Swedish managed 18 but still the former stood tall and strong against Sweden. I salute Trinidad and Tobago. A well deserved point.
Sweden has a big problem. For Sweden, progressing into the second round will be a tough affair. If they can’t defeat Trinidad and Tobago, they would have problem against Paraguay; even more so with England. But seeing how way England played earlier, I’d like to think that it’s England that’s having a major problem. While Sweden has been embarrassed by Trinidad and Tobago, at least they are playing good football. England however only got lucky with Paraguay while looking lethargic.
And now, time to glorify Ajax. Trinidad and Tobago is being coached by Leo Beenhakker. Leo Beenhakker was Ajax’s coach in the 1980s and technical director from 2000 to 2003 at the Dutch club.
Jong Oranje has won the Under 21 Euro 2006. Now, it’s time for Oranje to conquer the world.