I read a rather peculiar article this afternoon on Supersports website. I do strongly disagree with it though. Apparently the Gauteng Cricket Board made a complaint about Cricket South Africa’s CEO Gerald Majola and now Cricket South Africa are not happy with the complaint and have decided to ban the Wanderers stadium from hosting further international matches until they make an apology is made. Right that’s out the way, I think now I can say it, “Has local cricket gone mad?”
For heavens sake whatever happened to freedom of speech, I don’t care how much Cricket South Africa admires the job that Majola has done, to do something like this is simply absurd. Nothing irritates me more than a forceful apology. I feel this way because what kind of real apology can be made when the board was told they would face repercussions if they don’t. If an apology is made, not with initiative, but because of outside forces than in my books it should not be called an apology. It seems a lot like Mugabes regime where people are punished for not supporting him, I realise it is an extreme thing to compare it to but it carries the same principles.
Then there is the punishment itself. I cannot understand how Cricket South Africa sees this as a good idea. The board makes a few comments and the whole of Gauteng suffers for it. Not that a punishment is even necessary but a punishment to this extreme is making the situation even worse.
I can understand the defense for Gerald Majola after his accomplishments particularly during the IPL but to defend him to the point where no board can criticize him is ridiculous. I really hope this incident shocks a few more than it does myself and puts people against Cricket South Africa.
Fortunately for Gauteng CSA has no control over the champion’s trophy as it is an ICC event so you can still expect to see those games happening at Wanderers. Anyways that’s it for today, I know fairly short but it’s to the point and I’m sure it surprises quite a few of you as it did me. Comments would be appreciated, cheers
Friday, July 10, 2009
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Ashes as promised
Greetings, apologies for the missing blog yesterday but today will be the ashes one that I promised and I think its better to have it now after Australia have started their innings.
If you didn’t manage to catch today’s play, England’s tail managed quite a fight and gave the Aussie bowlers a tough time before giving in. Graeme Swann in particular played an impressive innings and showed he preferred T20 cricket rather than the test format when he scored a quick fire 47 from just 40 balls. Unfortunately for Swann though Monty Panesar couldn’t take the pressure as well and was dismissed for just four runs leaving Swann stranded at the crease just three runs short of his half century. England however should be proud of the total of 435 that they posted especially looking at their performance from day one and when you take into consideration that their highest score was a mere 69 made by a cocky South African.
Australia batted for the rest of the day and it looked good for them at lunch when their openers were both still at the crease and Paul Hughes looked to be scoring as quickly as Swann. However Swann went out not long after play resumed and in came Captain Ricky Ponting. The dismissal of Hughes was the last bit of good news for England today as Ponting and Katich both went on to make their centuries and at the end of the day Australia seem to be in a rather commanding position sitting on a score of 249 for 1. It means the Aussies have 9 wickets in hand to make up the remaining 186 runs and set up a target for England to chase. From Australia’s point of view it’s a task that they can definitely accomplish and I’m sure the two Michael’s, Hussey and Clarke who are due in at four and five are itching to lay into the disappointing English bowling attack.
So what’s gone wrong for England. I think it’s the mindset they had in underestimating the Aussie side. Australia has definitely got a lot to prove from their recent results but history has shown that they are not a side to be walked over. Comments have been coming aplenty from the English side that they are equal, if not better than the Aussies and I’m afraid comments like those don’t come true unless there is evidence and seeing that Australia is ranked first for a reason while England are several places lower I stand backed up in saying Australia is the better team.
One that wouldn’t agree with me is Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe. Why he is sticking his nose on the BBC sport website I have no idea and with a movie about to go on circuit you would think he would rather be talking about that but its not the case. He says the team that is able to adapt best to the conditions will win and then goes on to predict a 2-1 series win for England. I’m happy to say though that someone with a little bit more cricketing knowledge disagrees with the wizard even if he too may be slightly biased. Former Aussie fast bowler Glenn McGrath sees an Australian series win with a whitewash on the cards. Overenthusiastic I think but more likely than an English series win definitely.
Anyways I also found out why they are playing in Wales. As it turns out the English Cricket Boards(ECB) borders are not confined to the country, it also includes Wales. Why on earth it is not then EWCB I don’t know but the Welsh obviously don’t care about recognition. Anyways it does make sense why they are playing a test there seeing that Glamorgan has been playing cricket since 1888, not sure if there’s a Welshman in the team though but then again who wants to be in a team full of losers.
All for now, Cheers
If you didn’t manage to catch today’s play, England’s tail managed quite a fight and gave the Aussie bowlers a tough time before giving in. Graeme Swann in particular played an impressive innings and showed he preferred T20 cricket rather than the test format when he scored a quick fire 47 from just 40 balls. Unfortunately for Swann though Monty Panesar couldn’t take the pressure as well and was dismissed for just four runs leaving Swann stranded at the crease just three runs short of his half century. England however should be proud of the total of 435 that they posted especially looking at their performance from day one and when you take into consideration that their highest score was a mere 69 made by a cocky South African.
Australia batted for the rest of the day and it looked good for them at lunch when their openers were both still at the crease and Paul Hughes looked to be scoring as quickly as Swann. However Swann went out not long after play resumed and in came Captain Ricky Ponting. The dismissal of Hughes was the last bit of good news for England today as Ponting and Katich both went on to make their centuries and at the end of the day Australia seem to be in a rather commanding position sitting on a score of 249 for 1. It means the Aussies have 9 wickets in hand to make up the remaining 186 runs and set up a target for England to chase. From Australia’s point of view it’s a task that they can definitely accomplish and I’m sure the two Michael’s, Hussey and Clarke who are due in at four and five are itching to lay into the disappointing English bowling attack.
So what’s gone wrong for England. I think it’s the mindset they had in underestimating the Aussie side. Australia has definitely got a lot to prove from their recent results but history has shown that they are not a side to be walked over. Comments have been coming aplenty from the English side that they are equal, if not better than the Aussies and I’m afraid comments like those don’t come true unless there is evidence and seeing that Australia is ranked first for a reason while England are several places lower I stand backed up in saying Australia is the better team.
One that wouldn’t agree with me is Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe. Why he is sticking his nose on the BBC sport website I have no idea and with a movie about to go on circuit you would think he would rather be talking about that but its not the case. He says the team that is able to adapt best to the conditions will win and then goes on to predict a 2-1 series win for England. I’m happy to say though that someone with a little bit more cricketing knowledge disagrees with the wizard even if he too may be slightly biased. Former Aussie fast bowler Glenn McGrath sees an Australian series win with a whitewash on the cards. Overenthusiastic I think but more likely than an English series win definitely.
Anyways I also found out why they are playing in Wales. As it turns out the English Cricket Boards(ECB) borders are not confined to the country, it also includes Wales. Why on earth it is not then EWCB I don’t know but the Welsh obviously don’t care about recognition. Anyways it does make sense why they are playing a test there seeing that Glamorgan has been playing cricket since 1888, not sure if there’s a Welshman in the team though but then again who wants to be in a team full of losers.
All for now, Cheers
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
All you need to know about Uniteds Ronaldo replacement
So you should notice the changes from today, they are fixed and final although I may make a few other changes but that depends on my editing skills and my patience with the code. Hope you like the header it took some time but I think it was worth it.
Anyway it’s football again today, as you may have noticed there is very little going on and I’m not for a second interested in the Tour de France and I’m going to keep the Ashes for tomorrow even though it is quite interesting that the first test is be held in Wales but yes that’s for tomorrow.
Right so the big news today is that Bayern have put a price on the head of their star Franck Ribery. Of course Franck is also a contender for footballs ugliest player but he seems to currently be pushed aside by Carlos ‘Neanderthal’ Tevez and Bacary Sagna, ha who says the premiership wins nothing!
Anyways so the tag is set at eighty million euros, a little below the amount Real paid for Ronaldo but also quite a bit more than they got Kaka for. Ribery has revealed his intentions to move to Real but Bayern have other ideas and hope that the price will be out of Reals reach after their kitty has had two big hits already.
Man United were also looking into bringing Ribery in but Ribery quashed those hopes when he stated that the only destination he would move to was the Bernabeu. Seems a bit like déjà vu for United after Benzema rejected their interest in similar fashion and I have to say I’m loving the lack of attention players are giving the English champions.
Speaking of United though their supporters that have been calling for new players can breathe easy as it is likely that Bordeaux winger Gabriel Obertan will be joining the ranks fairly soon. What a relief….
All right no more sarcasm as I’m sure that most of you, like myself, have no idea who this Obertan is. I did some research and after my first look at the player I got the impression that United are missing Silvestre because this Obertan guy looks just like him. Ill try add a picture but if I’m not able to then google him and you’ll see what I’m talking about.
United supporters who hope this deal fades as quickly as the ones for Benzema and Ribery, I’m afraid that the chances are pretty slim as the nobody is set to join for 3 million euros. It will only take up 3% of the money raked in for Ronaldo but if this man is to be the replacement for the Portuguese winger than the champions chances of retaining their crown seem to be dwindling.
Today I heard comments, cant remember where from, but comments nonetheless that Ronaldo was the glue of United and it was through him that the team were so successful. The unknown source has a point as the number of important goals and assists contributed by Ronaldo seem endless. For a midfielder his scoring was remarkable as even a striker would be ecstatic to have his figures. This year Ronaldo finished second to Chelseas hitman Nicholas Anelka by just one goal. If that wasn’t impressive enough in the 2007-08 season he finished top scorer on no less than 31 goals, Arsenals Adebayor finished second but by a quite a distance of 7 goals behind. As horrible as it may seem to think that Ronaldo is right when he said he was worth the money paid for him, these statistics could justify his claim.
Anyways some more bad news for United, I didn’t want to let you guys off today. Gabriel Obertan has scored just three goals in his 54 appearances for Bordeaux and during his loan spell at Loreint earlier this year he managed just one. I could go on but that would be cruel presides United are the champions and that’s to be respected and on that kind note I will close. Remember ashes tomorrow
Cheers
Justin
Anyway it’s football again today, as you may have noticed there is very little going on and I’m not for a second interested in the Tour de France and I’m going to keep the Ashes for tomorrow even though it is quite interesting that the first test is be held in Wales but yes that’s for tomorrow.
Right so the big news today is that Bayern have put a price on the head of their star Franck Ribery. Of course Franck is also a contender for footballs ugliest player but he seems to currently be pushed aside by Carlos ‘Neanderthal’ Tevez and Bacary Sagna, ha who says the premiership wins nothing!
Anyways so the tag is set at eighty million euros, a little below the amount Real paid for Ronaldo but also quite a bit more than they got Kaka for. Ribery has revealed his intentions to move to Real but Bayern have other ideas and hope that the price will be out of Reals reach after their kitty has had two big hits already.
Man United were also looking into bringing Ribery in but Ribery quashed those hopes when he stated that the only destination he would move to was the Bernabeu. Seems a bit like déjà vu for United after Benzema rejected their interest in similar fashion and I have to say I’m loving the lack of attention players are giving the English champions.
Speaking of United though their supporters that have been calling for new players can breathe easy as it is likely that Bordeaux winger Gabriel Obertan will be joining the ranks fairly soon. What a relief….
All right no more sarcasm as I’m sure that most of you, like myself, have no idea who this Obertan is. I did some research and after my first look at the player I got the impression that United are missing Silvestre because this Obertan guy looks just like him. Ill try add a picture but if I’m not able to then google him and you’ll see what I’m talking about.
United supporters who hope this deal fades as quickly as the ones for Benzema and Ribery, I’m afraid that the chances are pretty slim as the nobody is set to join for 3 million euros. It will only take up 3% of the money raked in for Ronaldo but if this man is to be the replacement for the Portuguese winger than the champions chances of retaining their crown seem to be dwindling.
Today I heard comments, cant remember where from, but comments nonetheless that Ronaldo was the glue of United and it was through him that the team were so successful. The unknown source has a point as the number of important goals and assists contributed by Ronaldo seem endless. For a midfielder his scoring was remarkable as even a striker would be ecstatic to have his figures. This year Ronaldo finished second to Chelseas hitman Nicholas Anelka by just one goal. If that wasn’t impressive enough in the 2007-08 season he finished top scorer on no less than 31 goals, Arsenals Adebayor finished second but by a quite a distance of 7 goals behind. As horrible as it may seem to think that Ronaldo is right when he said he was worth the money paid for him, these statistics could justify his claim.
Anyways some more bad news for United, I didn’t want to let you guys off today. Gabriel Obertan has scored just three goals in his 54 appearances for Bordeaux and during his loan spell at Loreint earlier this year he managed just one. I could go on but that would be cruel presides United are the champions and that’s to be respected and on that kind note I will close. Remember ashes tomorrow
Cheers
Justin
Monday, July 6, 2009
Terry would be stupid to stay
Good day. So as you might have noticed the header looks a bit different. I know it looks bad but it’s only temporary until I can sort out a better one which will hopefully be tomorrow if all goes to plan. The header is going to be changed to make the blog a bit more unique so that it wont look the same as every other blogspot page you visit.
Anyways today I thought I would nip in on Chelsea territory and give my angle on the whole John Terry saga. Manchester City, who are conveniently touring South Africa a bit later this pre season to take part in the Vodacom challenge, are hunting for the signature of the Chelsea captain. They are willing to pay the player double what he is earning but of course if Terry takes up the offer he may well be giving up his dream to win the champions league.
Other things Terry is set to lose if the transfer goes through is his respect earned while at Chelsea and he can definitely expect no Christmas cards again from the Blues faithful. Terry has become a hero during his spell and to leave now under the circumstances would put him in the same bracket as Ashley Cole who left for cash when he moved to the bridge from Arsenal. Terry however also has his captaincy to worry about and would be letting down all his teammates tremendously to leave for cash.
Money seems to be flying around this season but City haven't spent nearly as much as they would have hoped, but by bringing in Terry their off season would be considered a success and it may now become a reality. Chelsea have put a price on Terry’s head of 40 million which I’m sure City will pay up. Chelsea Coach Ancelotti hopes his captain stays on but if he is intending to go the coach wants him to tell it to the fans first.
Although one would initially label Terry a traitor for leaving when you consider the deal you have to admit if you were in his position you would think about it. To double your salary in a career that only lasts a short few years is a possibility that a footballer has to consider. If after football where will the income be raked in from and I’m sure this is why Terry is taking as long as he is before making a decision and I can’t say I blame him.
As much as I hate money being splashed around in football and Chelsea for that matter I believe that rationally this is a super deal for Terry but again I am not in the position he is in where a title challenging team looks up to him and moving would put their title chances at great jeopardy. I hate to admit it but to lose a player of Terry’s command at the club I doubt Chelsea will have a chance to win the title. City on the other hand I couldn’t give a damn about. Apparently if they don't get Terry they will be after Barca's Puyol. In my opinion teams should not be allowed to spend that kind of money but let’s face it it’s a free market with no restrictions facing those participating and teams will do what’s necessary if they believe it will bring success.
It’s a big change from where we were a few seasons ago when Chelsea were dictating the transfer market and perhaps City will be there seasons from now but from a players point of view I don’t think its right to criticize a player so much for a decision as important as this.
Cheers Justin
Anyways today I thought I would nip in on Chelsea territory and give my angle on the whole John Terry saga. Manchester City, who are conveniently touring South Africa a bit later this pre season to take part in the Vodacom challenge, are hunting for the signature of the Chelsea captain. They are willing to pay the player double what he is earning but of course if Terry takes up the offer he may well be giving up his dream to win the champions league.
Other things Terry is set to lose if the transfer goes through is his respect earned while at Chelsea and he can definitely expect no Christmas cards again from the Blues faithful. Terry has become a hero during his spell and to leave now under the circumstances would put him in the same bracket as Ashley Cole who left for cash when he moved to the bridge from Arsenal. Terry however also has his captaincy to worry about and would be letting down all his teammates tremendously to leave for cash.
Money seems to be flying around this season but City haven't spent nearly as much as they would have hoped, but by bringing in Terry their off season would be considered a success and it may now become a reality. Chelsea have put a price on Terry’s head of 40 million which I’m sure City will pay up. Chelsea Coach Ancelotti hopes his captain stays on but if he is intending to go the coach wants him to tell it to the fans first.
Although one would initially label Terry a traitor for leaving when you consider the deal you have to admit if you were in his position you would think about it. To double your salary in a career that only lasts a short few years is a possibility that a footballer has to consider. If after football where will the income be raked in from and I’m sure this is why Terry is taking as long as he is before making a decision and I can’t say I blame him.
As much as I hate money being splashed around in football and Chelsea for that matter I believe that rationally this is a super deal for Terry but again I am not in the position he is in where a title challenging team looks up to him and moving would put their title chances at great jeopardy. I hate to admit it but to lose a player of Terry’s command at the club I doubt Chelsea will have a chance to win the title. City on the other hand I couldn’t give a damn about. Apparently if they don't get Terry they will be after Barca's Puyol. In my opinion teams should not be allowed to spend that kind of money but let’s face it it’s a free market with no restrictions facing those participating and teams will do what’s necessary if they believe it will bring success.
It’s a big change from where we were a few seasons ago when Chelsea were dictating the transfer market and perhaps City will be there seasons from now but from a players point of view I don’t think its right to criticize a player so much for a decision as important as this.
Cheers Justin
Sunday, July 5, 2009
One winner but two champions
So this afternoon I made a huge mistake. The Wimbledon final had just began and I decided to take a nap, although I must admit it was a good one and a much needed one. Nonetheless I somehow got woken up halfway through to be told that Roddick was two sets up to love and to my dismay I believed that he was on his way to his first Wimbledon title and that my predictions for both of the finals were well and truly beaten. As good as Roger is it is hard for any player to come back from two sets down and the way Andy has been playing of late I couldn’t see a way back, but low and behold I woke up about two hours later only to see Roger lifting the trophy aloft. A five set thriller that was said to top last years final. I was grieved, how could I miss something so incredible.
I came in just as Roger was interviewed but apparently Roddicks speech was very respectful and you have to feel for the man after he went down to Roger for the 19th time while only coming on top twice. He must have felt so frustrated after the fight he put up only to end up in a place he felt so familiar with, but the way he reacted congratulating Roger and not grieving his own misfortune shows true testimony to the man and even though he has not won Wimbledon I believe he is a sportsman to look up to and is definitely a yank that I will support in the future.
Nobody expected Andy to win, even the players were sure that Roger would come up trumps once again and he did, but I’m sure nobody would have expected it to happen that way. This years final was as close as a tennis match can come and those who wrote off Andy so quickly can eat their words. He is as good a tennis player as any and one that I see a lot of Roger in and I wish the both of them the best of luck in their futures.
Meanwhile you may not have heard it a week ago but Lote Tuqiri has been dumped from the Wallabies after some brawl he got into at a club after already being cautioned about his misbehavior in another similar incident that happened previously.
Lote was due to carry on with his five year contract until 2012 but with the end of it comes the end of his dream to win the world cup with his team in 2011. Instead apparently he may be heading off to play overseas as Australia’s clubs aren’t likely to have the kind of money to keep him at home.
Apparently there’s a bit of talk that ARU chief John O’Neil played a hand in the matters but of course with most background events it is likely we won’t learn the truth. Whatever happens rugby players do get away with a lot that they shouldn’t and finally one of them has been handed more than just a slap on the wrist for it. Maybe this will finally clue them up that they are the same as us and there are still repercussions for their actions and now maybe we wont hear as much about which player hit who at some nightclub.
I came in just as Roger was interviewed but apparently Roddicks speech was very respectful and you have to feel for the man after he went down to Roger for the 19th time while only coming on top twice. He must have felt so frustrated after the fight he put up only to end up in a place he felt so familiar with, but the way he reacted congratulating Roger and not grieving his own misfortune shows true testimony to the man and even though he has not won Wimbledon I believe he is a sportsman to look up to and is definitely a yank that I will support in the future.
Nobody expected Andy to win, even the players were sure that Roger would come up trumps once again and he did, but I’m sure nobody would have expected it to happen that way. This years final was as close as a tennis match can come and those who wrote off Andy so quickly can eat their words. He is as good a tennis player as any and one that I see a lot of Roger in and I wish the both of them the best of luck in their futures.
Meanwhile you may not have heard it a week ago but Lote Tuqiri has been dumped from the Wallabies after some brawl he got into at a club after already being cautioned about his misbehavior in another similar incident that happened previously.
Lote was due to carry on with his five year contract until 2012 but with the end of it comes the end of his dream to win the world cup with his team in 2011. Instead apparently he may be heading off to play overseas as Australia’s clubs aren’t likely to have the kind of money to keep him at home.
Apparently there’s a bit of talk that ARU chief John O’Neil played a hand in the matters but of course with most background events it is likely we won’t learn the truth. Whatever happens rugby players do get away with a lot that they shouldn’t and finally one of them has been handed more than just a slap on the wrist for it. Maybe this will finally clue them up that they are the same as us and there are still repercussions for their actions and now maybe we wont hear as much about which player hit who at some nightclub.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Lesson to be learned for has been Hewitt
Well the good news from yesterday was that the Williams sisters both advanced to the Wimbledon final at the expense of their Russian opponents. Venus did so in emphatic style over first seed Dinara Safina 6-1, 6-0 which was over in just 51 minutes. Serena on the other hand scraped through after coming back from the brink of defeat to win a three set thriller 6-7, 7-5, 8-6 over Elena Dementieva. Serena certainly has the fighting spirit to compete with her sister but with all the mistakes she committed in her game I just don’t think she will have enough to tip the scale in her favour.
Looking at the men’s competition. Federer progressed in straight sets at the expense of Tommy Haas to the glee of myself and I’m sure a lot of others who greatly admire the sportsmanship of the Swiss star. In the other semi Andy Roddick was too strong for Brittish favourite Andy Murray leaving Lleyton Hewitt to look quite the twit.
Hewitt had been relieved of his wimbledon chances again this year when he was defeated in the quarters by Roddick. To make matters worse for Hewitt he committed the sin of making negative comments about his opponent’s future in the tournament in the media. Let me say this now to ensure the moral of the story, never ever make negative comments about your opponent after you lose fair and square.
In Hewitts comments he basically gave Roddick as much chance of winning the semifinal tie as North Korea have of winning next years FIFA world cup. Hewitt made comments that Roddicks game was still the same as three years ago and hasn’t showed improvement while Murray has improved in leaps and bounds.
For me experience can be as important as form and that being said Roddick definitely has the experience with regard to Wimbledon having already appeared in the final twice. Playing in front of the huge crowd with such levels of expectation definitely counted against Murray and despite his good form Roddick had been there before and knew what was needed to make it through and he stuck to it and was a worthy winner in the end.
Roddick displayed a perfect performance of showing his ability instead of advertising it over the media when he refused to comment on Hewitts harsh words. Whatever people want to say about Roddick he certainly showed good sportsmanship and professionalism in not launching into Hewitt but rather showing his metal in his win. All the best to him for the final and the future but as much as I admire him I will still be fully behind Federer come Sundays final.
Looking at the men’s competition. Federer progressed in straight sets at the expense of Tommy Haas to the glee of myself and I’m sure a lot of others who greatly admire the sportsmanship of the Swiss star. In the other semi Andy Roddick was too strong for Brittish favourite Andy Murray leaving Lleyton Hewitt to look quite the twit.
Hewitt had been relieved of his wimbledon chances again this year when he was defeated in the quarters by Roddick. To make matters worse for Hewitt he committed the sin of making negative comments about his opponent’s future in the tournament in the media. Let me say this now to ensure the moral of the story, never ever make negative comments about your opponent after you lose fair and square.
In Hewitts comments he basically gave Roddick as much chance of winning the semifinal tie as North Korea have of winning next years FIFA world cup. Hewitt made comments that Roddicks game was still the same as three years ago and hasn’t showed improvement while Murray has improved in leaps and bounds.
For me experience can be as important as form and that being said Roddick definitely has the experience with regard to Wimbledon having already appeared in the final twice. Playing in front of the huge crowd with such levels of expectation definitely counted against Murray and despite his good form Roddick had been there before and knew what was needed to make it through and he stuck to it and was a worthy winner in the end.
Roddick displayed a perfect performance of showing his ability instead of advertising it over the media when he refused to comment on Hewitts harsh words. Whatever people want to say about Roddick he certainly showed good sportsmanship and professionalism in not launching into Hewitt but rather showing his metal in his win. All the best to him for the final and the future but as much as I admire him I will still be fully behind Federer come Sundays final.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
What financial crisis?
Where did Madrid get it from? This is the question on a lot of people’s lips, including that of Michel Platini after Real Madrid today signed their fourth player of the off season, Frenchman Karim Benzema from Olympique Lyon. Despite the financial problems the world faces Madrid seem to be signing a player on a weekly basis and not for bargains either. Instead they have been keeping in what seems to be Real Madrid tradition and breaking transfer fee records, making Chelseas recent transfer history seem like spare change.
Kaka was the first to sign for the club for a world record fee of 56 million pounds, smashing Zinedine Zidanes old record to Madrid from Barcelona eight years ago by just under ten million pounds Madrid did not see this as satisfying enough so they then pulled 80 million pounds from nowhere to break their Kaka record with the signing of Christiano Ronaldo, a transfer fee that is more than double Real paid for Luis Figo to join them from Barcelona in 2000, another record at the time.
It seems the sky is the limit for the Madrid club and every website you visit features yet another player expressing their interest to join the galacticos. Last week Real signed their third player of the transfer period in Raul Albiol from Valencia and following todays signing of Benzema Real have spent in the region of 215 million euros.
Franck Ribery seems to be next on the cards for Real and while Manchester United have expressed their interest in the player with the backing of a big bank account thanks to the Ronaldo transfer, Ribery has stated that the only club he wants to play for is Madrid. If this transfer is to occur it won’t be small change either and if Madrid is able to fund this it would be remarkable yet bizarre.
Whether the new breed of galacticos can gell together to gain success for the club should be one of the questions for the upcoming season and if they fail I believe the age old claim can be justified in that money cannot buy success. Me along with every other soccer fan that cant stand Madrid or huge transfers hope they fail. One last question I would also like to ask is just what is the draw to Madrid? They failed miraculously this season embarrassing themselves along the way but I suppose there are things that will never make sense.
Justin
Kaka was the first to sign for the club for a world record fee of 56 million pounds, smashing Zinedine Zidanes old record to Madrid from Barcelona eight years ago by just under ten million pounds Madrid did not see this as satisfying enough so they then pulled 80 million pounds from nowhere to break their Kaka record with the signing of Christiano Ronaldo, a transfer fee that is more than double Real paid for Luis Figo to join them from Barcelona in 2000, another record at the time.
It seems the sky is the limit for the Madrid club and every website you visit features yet another player expressing their interest to join the galacticos. Last week Real signed their third player of the transfer period in Raul Albiol from Valencia and following todays signing of Benzema Real have spent in the region of 215 million euros.
Franck Ribery seems to be next on the cards for Real and while Manchester United have expressed their interest in the player with the backing of a big bank account thanks to the Ronaldo transfer, Ribery has stated that the only club he wants to play for is Madrid. If this transfer is to occur it won’t be small change either and if Madrid is able to fund this it would be remarkable yet bizarre.
Whether the new breed of galacticos can gell together to gain success for the club should be one of the questions for the upcoming season and if they fail I believe the age old claim can be justified in that money cannot buy success. Me along with every other soccer fan that cant stand Madrid or huge transfers hope they fail. One last question I would also like to ask is just what is the draw to Madrid? They failed miraculously this season embarrassing themselves along the way but I suppose there are things that will never make sense.
Justin
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Test cricket dead come 22nd century mark my words
Cricket has always been called the gentleman’s game. I have always believed it was called this because it was one of the few sports that were non contact and seemed to always be played in good spirit while others were played with the intention of ripping your opponent apart. One thing that can be said about the so called ‘gentleman’s game’ is that over the years it has changed and in my opinion advanced.
Test cricket, is where the sport began and is to this day considered a cricketers greatest test. It began in 1877 between England and Australia and in 1882 began the Ashes series between the two countries which is still hotly contested today.
The younger version of the game, one day internationals, dates back to the early 1970s as the game looked to shorten itself from the long five day test matches into a shorter version. To achieve this, a structure was decided where each side was limited to batting for 50 overs, also enabling a game to be completed within a day. The game was attacked by purists but became popular especially with those that saw the test version of the game as slow and dull. The success of the new game followed with the world cup which is now believed to be the biggest achievement for a cricketer.
The most recent form of the game is T20 cricket and is an even shortened version of one day international cricket where teams are allocated twenty overs. Having so few overs to use batsman are encouraged to attack more than defend and not worry about their wicket as much as the other forms of the game. So far the game has proved quite successful with two world championships and a league in India that’s nature is similar to that of football where players are bought and traded for large amounts of money.
To further the dismay of purists, the international cricket council (ICC) is looking to further experiment with the consideration of playing four day test matches. Many have complained that with such growing enthusiasm in the 50 and 20 over versions of the game that the test match form is no longer exciting and could soon be a thing of the past. The ICC however sees test cricket as the pinnacle of their game and sees it vital that the oldest form is maintained. Today the ICC has revealed its plan to experiment with 4 day test matches seeking a solution to keep test match cricket as worthwhile for continuation.
With ODI and T20 offering exciting fast paced action it is no wonder that cricketers, especially the younger and less patient prefer it. The interest in the longer version has been dwindling for a long time and while I believe it wont die off anytime soon I think it will have by the turn of the century.
With money so greatly invested in the T20 game and time in its favour, test cricket just doesn’t stand a chance and as long as the sports fan maintains its interest towards big hitting rather than patient play ODI’s T20s are going to be on top. It will be a great pity to see an end to the old form of the game but no matter what ICC do to curb dwindling interest it is a lost cause and eventually it will be abandoned for the evolved versions that people have adapted to a heck of a lot better.
Would love to here others ideas on this problematic topic,
Cheers Justin
Test cricket, is where the sport began and is to this day considered a cricketers greatest test. It began in 1877 between England and Australia and in 1882 began the Ashes series between the two countries which is still hotly contested today.
The younger version of the game, one day internationals, dates back to the early 1970s as the game looked to shorten itself from the long five day test matches into a shorter version. To achieve this, a structure was decided where each side was limited to batting for 50 overs, also enabling a game to be completed within a day. The game was attacked by purists but became popular especially with those that saw the test version of the game as slow and dull. The success of the new game followed with the world cup which is now believed to be the biggest achievement for a cricketer.
The most recent form of the game is T20 cricket and is an even shortened version of one day international cricket where teams are allocated twenty overs. Having so few overs to use batsman are encouraged to attack more than defend and not worry about their wicket as much as the other forms of the game. So far the game has proved quite successful with two world championships and a league in India that’s nature is similar to that of football where players are bought and traded for large amounts of money.
To further the dismay of purists, the international cricket council (ICC) is looking to further experiment with the consideration of playing four day test matches. Many have complained that with such growing enthusiasm in the 50 and 20 over versions of the game that the test match form is no longer exciting and could soon be a thing of the past. The ICC however sees test cricket as the pinnacle of their game and sees it vital that the oldest form is maintained. Today the ICC has revealed its plan to experiment with 4 day test matches seeking a solution to keep test match cricket as worthwhile for continuation.
With ODI and T20 offering exciting fast paced action it is no wonder that cricketers, especially the younger and less patient prefer it. The interest in the longer version has been dwindling for a long time and while I believe it wont die off anytime soon I think it will have by the turn of the century.
With money so greatly invested in the T20 game and time in its favour, test cricket just doesn’t stand a chance and as long as the sports fan maintains its interest towards big hitting rather than patient play ODI’s T20s are going to be on top. It will be a great pity to see an end to the old form of the game but no matter what ICC do to curb dwindling interest it is a lost cause and eventually it will be abandoned for the evolved versions that people have adapted to a heck of a lot better.
Would love to here others ideas on this problematic topic,
Cheers Justin
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Venus and Roger for Wimbledon '09
Last year Wimbledon witnessed a memorable final when the Williams sisters defied the odds to face each other in the womens final. It had appeared that both had past their best while eastern european opposition began to dominate the sport. However when Venus defeated her sister 7-5 6-4, she claimed her fifth Wimbledon title after her triumphs in 2000, 2001, 2005 and 2007 and her first against her sister in the final. Back to back titles were not expected but she did it in fine style. Sister Serena was tipped to become more successful than her older sister but has thus far only managed the two titles she won a couple year back now in 2002 and 2003 both against Venus in the final.
The two again have a chance to go against each other in the final this year but first both have to overcome their quarter final opponents today. Venus who is seeded third faces Polish 11th seed Agnieszka Radwanska while Serena faces eighth seed Victoria Azarenka from Belarus a bit later on. Between the sisters games first seed Dinara Safina has her quarter final tie with the unseeded German Sabine Lisicki. Russians Safina and Elena Dementieva are expected to both win their quarter finals and face the sisters in the semi finals.
Serena has showed terrific form so far having already slaughtered Daniela Hantuchova and she will definitely be tough to beat Azarenka. However Azarenka can look back to the Miami final for confidence where she beat Serena
In my opinion it would great to again see the sisters in the final but it is still to soon to say it will happen as both must overcome the quarters and then possible grueling semis for the big one to happen. I will be pulling for Venus if it does happen purely because I admire her for coming back so strongly in the last two years after it seemed her sister had put her away for good in 2002 and 2003.Venus also seems the more humble of the two while Serena has to be commended for her fierce attitude and the way she fights back to win rallies.
Still on tennis while many would argue the tournament has been a bit deflated with the men’s champion Rafael Nadal pulling out a week before the start I still believe people shouldn’t overlook Federer as a worthy Wimbledon champion this year if he wins. Last years final could have gone either way and while Nadal has overcome Federer in other finals I still think Federer should be given more chances to show that he in fact still better than Nadal.
Nadal being the younger is stronger and fitter but none should look past Federer looking at his history in the game. Nadal is still a long way off from equaling a CV to Federers and Nadal may still have a lot of time on his hands to make up, it’s a lot easier said than done.
Best of luck to Roger and Venus, will be supporting both of the older stars to prove their age is just a number.
The two again have a chance to go against each other in the final this year but first both have to overcome their quarter final opponents today. Venus who is seeded third faces Polish 11th seed Agnieszka Radwanska while Serena faces eighth seed Victoria Azarenka from Belarus a bit later on. Between the sisters games first seed Dinara Safina has her quarter final tie with the unseeded German Sabine Lisicki. Russians Safina and Elena Dementieva are expected to both win their quarter finals and face the sisters in the semi finals.
Serena has showed terrific form so far having already slaughtered Daniela Hantuchova and she will definitely be tough to beat Azarenka. However Azarenka can look back to the Miami final for confidence where she beat Serena
In my opinion it would great to again see the sisters in the final but it is still to soon to say it will happen as both must overcome the quarters and then possible grueling semis for the big one to happen. I will be pulling for Venus if it does happen purely because I admire her for coming back so strongly in the last two years after it seemed her sister had put her away for good in 2002 and 2003.Venus also seems the more humble of the two while Serena has to be commended for her fierce attitude and the way she fights back to win rallies.
Still on tennis while many would argue the tournament has been a bit deflated with the men’s champion Rafael Nadal pulling out a week before the start I still believe people shouldn’t overlook Federer as a worthy Wimbledon champion this year if he wins. Last years final could have gone either way and while Nadal has overcome Federer in other finals I still think Federer should be given more chances to show that he in fact still better than Nadal.
Nadal being the younger is stronger and fitter but none should look past Federer looking at his history in the game. Nadal is still a long way off from equaling a CV to Federers and Nadal may still have a lot of time on his hands to make up, it’s a lot easier said than done.
Best of luck to Roger and Venus, will be supporting both of the older stars to prove their age is just a number.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Morne Steyn: the answer to flyhalf problems
A kick of 55m stood between the Springboks and a memorable lions test win. A packed crowd full of red and green and journalists in just about every corner. This is the pressure that Morne Steyn took on when he asked his captain to take the kick on Saturday afternoon. On his home ground Steyn saw Francois Steyn appear out the corner of his eye, the springboks normal longer kick specialist, but insisted to his captain he was the man for the job.
He couldn’t have been more right. In fact that kick could have been ten meters further back and perhaps Steyn still would have had enough to put it over. He described it as one of the best kicks he has had and what a time to do it. The conversion he had just a few minutes earlier was just as impressive. Jaques Fourie’s try was as close to the corner as they come and Steyn made it look simple. One can’t imagine how Ruan Pienaar must have felt to see Steyn look the hero at the expense of himself who perhaps had the worst kicking day of his life. A week earlier Pienaar couldn’t miss but this time round at Loftus it was a totally different story.
It will be interesting now to see what Peter De Villiers does with his starting lineup. He has been critizised already about making Pienaar his flyhalf and now with a remarkable talent in Steyn he certainly has to change his plans. Will it happen? Knowing De Villiers I would imagine not without a fight. He has so far shown favoritism towards Pienaar and while I believe he is a good player, his place needs to be taken by Steyn for the good of the team.
Brussouw is another player that I’m not sure about. Sure I think he is a brilliant player and he showed it this weekend but whether he should start is something different. I imagine that he is a lot more effective as an impact player because of his strength. I believe this weekend in the final game against the lions, which is effectively a dead rubber game, would be a good chance to try him from the start but he is human and towards the end of the game when it counts most he won’t be as strong as he would be being brought on from the bench. With Schalk out for eight weeks he may have to be used for a while starting but when Schalk comes back I wouldn’t be angry to see Brussouw move back to the bench.
The Tri Nations is coming up and this year we finally have a good chance of winning the tournament after our last success came five years ago in 2004. The way the team was able to come back showed guts especially when they didn’t deserve to win the game. So many times in the past the Boks have played brilliant rugby and deserved to be the winning team but fell on the losing end because of little mistakes. New Zealand are not looking as strong as they have in the past, defeated by France on home soil was not expected and while a win this week restored pride to a certain degree they will have to be a lot better to defend against the boks who’s attack was incredible this past weekend. Australia meanwhile shouldn’t challenge their southern hemisphere rivals but that doesn’t mean they will go down without a fight. Australia have always been good competitors and whatever team they put out you know they wont lay down to be run over by opposition.
Anyway whatever happens I hope the decisions made by the coach don’t cause too much of a rift between the players in the team. I wish the cameras could have shown Pienaars reaction to Steyns kicks this weekend, was he happy or angry.
While still on the topic of the Boks I hope coach De Villiers gets hammered for using the race card on those who said Ricky Januarie is out of form. It is so often that you hear of somebody of colour calling white people racists when they express their opinion of a person of colour and is something they don’t want to here. That really is so twenty years ago and we don’t need that in sport, certainly not by the coach of the squad. De Villiers certainly continues his foot in mouth disease without the slightest hint that a cures on the way.
All for now,
Cheers Justin
He couldn’t have been more right. In fact that kick could have been ten meters further back and perhaps Steyn still would have had enough to put it over. He described it as one of the best kicks he has had and what a time to do it. The conversion he had just a few minutes earlier was just as impressive. Jaques Fourie’s try was as close to the corner as they come and Steyn made it look simple. One can’t imagine how Ruan Pienaar must have felt to see Steyn look the hero at the expense of himself who perhaps had the worst kicking day of his life. A week earlier Pienaar couldn’t miss but this time round at Loftus it was a totally different story.
It will be interesting now to see what Peter De Villiers does with his starting lineup. He has been critizised already about making Pienaar his flyhalf and now with a remarkable talent in Steyn he certainly has to change his plans. Will it happen? Knowing De Villiers I would imagine not without a fight. He has so far shown favoritism towards Pienaar and while I believe he is a good player, his place needs to be taken by Steyn for the good of the team.
Brussouw is another player that I’m not sure about. Sure I think he is a brilliant player and he showed it this weekend but whether he should start is something different. I imagine that he is a lot more effective as an impact player because of his strength. I believe this weekend in the final game against the lions, which is effectively a dead rubber game, would be a good chance to try him from the start but he is human and towards the end of the game when it counts most he won’t be as strong as he would be being brought on from the bench. With Schalk out for eight weeks he may have to be used for a while starting but when Schalk comes back I wouldn’t be angry to see Brussouw move back to the bench.
The Tri Nations is coming up and this year we finally have a good chance of winning the tournament after our last success came five years ago in 2004. The way the team was able to come back showed guts especially when they didn’t deserve to win the game. So many times in the past the Boks have played brilliant rugby and deserved to be the winning team but fell on the losing end because of little mistakes. New Zealand are not looking as strong as they have in the past, defeated by France on home soil was not expected and while a win this week restored pride to a certain degree they will have to be a lot better to defend against the boks who’s attack was incredible this past weekend. Australia meanwhile shouldn’t challenge their southern hemisphere rivals but that doesn’t mean they will go down without a fight. Australia have always been good competitors and whatever team they put out you know they wont lay down to be run over by opposition.
Anyway whatever happens I hope the decisions made by the coach don’t cause too much of a rift between the players in the team. I wish the cameras could have shown Pienaars reaction to Steyns kicks this weekend, was he happy or angry.
While still on the topic of the Boks I hope coach De Villiers gets hammered for using the race card on those who said Ricky Januarie is out of form. It is so often that you hear of somebody of colour calling white people racists when they express their opinion of a person of colour and is something they don’t want to here. That really is so twenty years ago and we don’t need that in sport, certainly not by the coach of the squad. De Villiers certainly continues his foot in mouth disease without the slightest hint that a cures on the way.
All for now,
Cheers Justin
Sunday, June 28, 2009
FIFA cheats on VISA with FNB
Today I have decided that the worst part of the world cup next year is the ticket scheme. Why did it piss me off? First off it seemed as though I was applying for a job, filling out an online form with all my details with the knowledge that my application may not be accepted, seriously is FIFA going the BEE route and trying to get equal distributions of races into the games. Never have I ever heard of filling out forms in order to get tickets to the sport games until the FIFA world cup.
But that wasn’t the worst part. What hacked me off totally was that after filling out all of FIFA’s krap it followed with a page called ‘payment’. Now I was expecting to be asked for payment details after my application was perhaps accepted, or maybe even asked my credit card details, fair enough its how it is done in the modern era but that didn’t happen either. Instead the website obviously assumed that I had either a VISA card or mastercard and obviously being South African that was very unlikely. So after filling out all the forms it came down to clicking on the x you see on the top right of your screen and meant the forms I filled out came to nothing but frustration to myself. What made it worse was the stupid sign at the bottom of the page that said ‘FIFA prefers VISA’. I coudnt give two tosses for VISA’s sponsorship of the world cup and really they should have thought about expanding themselves in South Africa before sponsoring an event in the country
So after all of that I am going to go down to FNB tomorrow to get the form to fill out which is the alternative method to apply for tickets but it will probably ask me for my FNB account details, of course another bank branch I do not belong to and what will frustrate me further is a sign at the bottom which will probably say ‘FIFA prefers FNB’. Should a simple game like football be a run by a bunch of twits like FIFA who ruin the other parts of the game making them complex. The ticket scheme is so confusing and could be done so much better and perhaps in the way that other tickets are sold. South Africa is hosting the damn tournament so surely we should have at least one ticket outlet in each province hosting games where we can pay for our tickets with real currency. I’m sure everybody would agree that it is unfair for those being VISA, Mastercard or FNB customers to have a chance to get tickets easily, while those that bank with others such as standard bank like myself lose out totally while wasting our own time in the process. FIFA are way too biased towards their sponsors to a point where they don’t even want people attending the world cup that endorse competitor’s products. Is that really the nature of the game of football? Tell me Sepp, is football still the winner in the end?
Another thing is that with tickets being sold predominantly on the net, how on earth are those in rural townships supposed to be able to get their chance to attend the games. These are the people that you would imagine FIFA would be most adamant of receiving tickets seeing as FIFA wants to take the game to the poorer of people. So there you go, FIFA the dumbest thing that ever happened to football.
Cheers till the next rant,
Justin
But that wasn’t the worst part. What hacked me off totally was that after filling out all of FIFA’s krap it followed with a page called ‘payment’. Now I was expecting to be asked for payment details after my application was perhaps accepted, or maybe even asked my credit card details, fair enough its how it is done in the modern era but that didn’t happen either. Instead the website obviously assumed that I had either a VISA card or mastercard and obviously being South African that was very unlikely. So after filling out all the forms it came down to clicking on the x you see on the top right of your screen and meant the forms I filled out came to nothing but frustration to myself. What made it worse was the stupid sign at the bottom of the page that said ‘FIFA prefers VISA’. I coudnt give two tosses for VISA’s sponsorship of the world cup and really they should have thought about expanding themselves in South Africa before sponsoring an event in the country
So after all of that I am going to go down to FNB tomorrow to get the form to fill out which is the alternative method to apply for tickets but it will probably ask me for my FNB account details, of course another bank branch I do not belong to and what will frustrate me further is a sign at the bottom which will probably say ‘FIFA prefers FNB’. Should a simple game like football be a run by a bunch of twits like FIFA who ruin the other parts of the game making them complex. The ticket scheme is so confusing and could be done so much better and perhaps in the way that other tickets are sold. South Africa is hosting the damn tournament so surely we should have at least one ticket outlet in each province hosting games where we can pay for our tickets with real currency. I’m sure everybody would agree that it is unfair for those being VISA, Mastercard or FNB customers to have a chance to get tickets easily, while those that bank with others such as standard bank like myself lose out totally while wasting our own time in the process. FIFA are way too biased towards their sponsors to a point where they don’t even want people attending the world cup that endorse competitor’s products. Is that really the nature of the game of football? Tell me Sepp, is football still the winner in the end?
Another thing is that with tickets being sold predominantly on the net, how on earth are those in rural townships supposed to be able to get their chance to attend the games. These are the people that you would imagine FIFA would be most adamant of receiving tickets seeing as FIFA wants to take the game to the poorer of people. So there you go, FIFA the dumbest thing that ever happened to football.
Cheers till the next rant,
Justin
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Pilot
It has been for some time that I have waiting to start my own blog concerning sport from my own perspective. The holidays have just begun and with an abundance of spare time there is no better time for me to begin. To start it off I thought where better to begin than with South Africa’s own national football team, for me an investment that is finally paying off, in sporting terms of course.
I have for several years now been supporting Bafana, however only with disappointment. The loss to Ghana in 2005 was my breaking point. The loss on home soil meant that we failed to qualify for the 2006 World Cup, and this devastated me greatly. I had followed football since 2002 where South Africa made an impressive showing at the world cup only to be kicked out on goal difference while Paraguay progressed. From then on my taste for South African football grew, but like I said that Ghana game was my breaking point. With the loss came South African football hitting a slump that would prove to take a long time to let go of. This seemed a hard pill to swallow at the time as we had recently been awarded rights to host the 2010 world cup.
I perhaps should have seen the signs coming if I had observed my history closer. Bafana had experienced decreasing fortunes in the AFCON(African cup of nations). After their momentous win in 96 it followed with a runner up spot to Nigeria in 1998 and we fell a further position back in 2000 when we came third. It didn’t stop there, two years later we only reached the quarter finals and then for the following three competitions we couldn’t even manage to pass the first round. We hit absolute rock bottom when we didn’t qualify for Angola in 2010 and while I now believe it may be a blessing in disguise for the team, it is still a horrible idea to think that we did not qualify for Africa’s continental showpiece.
With the prospect of bombing out in the confederations cup, coach Santana came in with mission impossible which was ‘try to improve Bafanas image’ or in other words show they are not chumps. This was made more interesting when Bafana was placed in a group considered dead easy
New Zealand and Iraq were the two that would contest with South Africa for the second spot in group A, while Spain was sure to come first in the group. The first game for South Africa against Iraq was shocking. While we did dominate the chances, the finishing was woeful and it was a performance to forget. The second game against New Zealand showed contrasting events. We completely dominated the all whites and by some miracle only managed to put two of our chances in the back of the net, something I believed we may rue come the final games but that was not the case as Iraq showed their attack was as poor as their game plan and ended up drawing 0-0. South Africa on the other hand showed another impressive performance against Spain in front of a passionate Bloemfontein crowd but in the end still lost going down 2-0.
We went on to face Brazil in the semi finals a few days later and this was when my perspective of Bafana changed and I realized that there was going to be changes in South Africa’s performance from here onwards. While we may have gone down one nothing to a brilliant but devastating Daniel Alves goal in the final minutes, Bafana proved that they are worthy of sharing a field with any of footballs elite. Possession and shots on goal statistics were close to equal. Defense and attack were both impressive and it opened my eyes to a new era for South African football.
How did it happen? Perhaps it was Santana but there are many other propositions. Maybe they finally learned to play as a team or maybe they realized that the support for them was worthy of a team with a positive attitude. Whatever it was it gained respect not only from South Africans but also from football followers worldwide and who knows, if we find a clinical finisher we may be able to emulate Korea or Japan as they performed exceptionally when they co hosted the world cup in 2002.
Whatever happens I will continue to support South African football. Tomorrow is the third place playoff and while some argue that it’s a needless game I look forward to seeing South Africa close off their campaign with a positive performance. Players like Pienaar, Booth, Tshabalala and Khune have really stood out for me in this tournament and who knows, maybe tomorrow they will celebrate a historical win. But even if they do go down I will know that they did their best and that’s all I can ask for from them.
The Confederations cup has done a good duty to me by sparking a light of anticipation in my soul for the world cup in under 12 months and my own spare time has been taken up by viewing websites documenting the impressive foundations being set for what in my opinion is to be a very successful world cup. One that has to be mentioned is http://db5.skyscrapercity.com. It’s a forum that follows a number of architectural buildings in the making and if you follow the links you will find a number of threads dedicated to South Africas own stadiums in construction for 2010. The pictures are incredible and you have to check them out. Follow the links to ‘world forums’ and then to ‘stadium and sports arenas’. There are some guys on there posting their own photos of the remarkable stadia and is definitely worth a quick scan.
That’s all for today. Just a reminder to watch Bafana against Spain tomorrow at half four from Royal Bafokeng and then at 8:30 is the final between Brazil and US, that’s from Ellis Park. Enjoy the football feast.
Justin
I have for several years now been supporting Bafana, however only with disappointment. The loss to Ghana in 2005 was my breaking point. The loss on home soil meant that we failed to qualify for the 2006 World Cup, and this devastated me greatly. I had followed football since 2002 where South Africa made an impressive showing at the world cup only to be kicked out on goal difference while Paraguay progressed. From then on my taste for South African football grew, but like I said that Ghana game was my breaking point. With the loss came South African football hitting a slump that would prove to take a long time to let go of. This seemed a hard pill to swallow at the time as we had recently been awarded rights to host the 2010 world cup.
I perhaps should have seen the signs coming if I had observed my history closer. Bafana had experienced decreasing fortunes in the AFCON(African cup of nations). After their momentous win in 96 it followed with a runner up spot to Nigeria in 1998 and we fell a further position back in 2000 when we came third. It didn’t stop there, two years later we only reached the quarter finals and then for the following three competitions we couldn’t even manage to pass the first round. We hit absolute rock bottom when we didn’t qualify for Angola in 2010 and while I now believe it may be a blessing in disguise for the team, it is still a horrible idea to think that we did not qualify for Africa’s continental showpiece.
With the prospect of bombing out in the confederations cup, coach Santana came in with mission impossible which was ‘try to improve Bafanas image’ or in other words show they are not chumps. This was made more interesting when Bafana was placed in a group considered dead easy
New Zealand and Iraq were the two that would contest with South Africa for the second spot in group A, while Spain was sure to come first in the group. The first game for South Africa against Iraq was shocking. While we did dominate the chances, the finishing was woeful and it was a performance to forget. The second game against New Zealand showed contrasting events. We completely dominated the all whites and by some miracle only managed to put two of our chances in the back of the net, something I believed we may rue come the final games but that was not the case as Iraq showed their attack was as poor as their game plan and ended up drawing 0-0. South Africa on the other hand showed another impressive performance against Spain in front of a passionate Bloemfontein crowd but in the end still lost going down 2-0.
We went on to face Brazil in the semi finals a few days later and this was when my perspective of Bafana changed and I realized that there was going to be changes in South Africa’s performance from here onwards. While we may have gone down one nothing to a brilliant but devastating Daniel Alves goal in the final minutes, Bafana proved that they are worthy of sharing a field with any of footballs elite. Possession and shots on goal statistics were close to equal. Defense and attack were both impressive and it opened my eyes to a new era for South African football.
How did it happen? Perhaps it was Santana but there are many other propositions. Maybe they finally learned to play as a team or maybe they realized that the support for them was worthy of a team with a positive attitude. Whatever it was it gained respect not only from South Africans but also from football followers worldwide and who knows, if we find a clinical finisher we may be able to emulate Korea or Japan as they performed exceptionally when they co hosted the world cup in 2002.
Whatever happens I will continue to support South African football. Tomorrow is the third place playoff and while some argue that it’s a needless game I look forward to seeing South Africa close off their campaign with a positive performance. Players like Pienaar, Booth, Tshabalala and Khune have really stood out for me in this tournament and who knows, maybe tomorrow they will celebrate a historical win. But even if they do go down I will know that they did their best and that’s all I can ask for from them.
The Confederations cup has done a good duty to me by sparking a light of anticipation in my soul for the world cup in under 12 months and my own spare time has been taken up by viewing websites documenting the impressive foundations being set for what in my opinion is to be a very successful world cup. One that has to be mentioned is http://db5.skyscrapercity.com. It’s a forum that follows a number of architectural buildings in the making and if you follow the links you will find a number of threads dedicated to South Africas own stadiums in construction for 2010. The pictures are incredible and you have to check them out. Follow the links to ‘world forums’ and then to ‘stadium and sports arenas’. There are some guys on there posting their own photos of the remarkable stadia and is definitely worth a quick scan.
That’s all for today. Just a reminder to watch Bafana against Spain tomorrow at half four from Royal Bafokeng and then at 8:30 is the final between Brazil and US, that’s from Ellis Park. Enjoy the football feast.
Justin
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