And the Oscar goes to.....

I was watching the beautifull game of football the other night, when a friend of mine, Nicole, made a comment about football on mxit. The comment was about the fact that the modern football player likes to take a dive whenever another player tries to take the ball from him. And, to make matters worse, they often pretend to be injured, and then, if they manage to win a free-kick, the 'injury' just goes away.

This however, was not the first time that I have heard comments like this. Often people say that players like Didier Drogba and Cristiano Ronaldo are 'pussies' because they go to ground too easy when tackled. People (including my friend Nicole)
even make comments saying that these players should go and play a game of Rugby, to 'toughen-up', and see what a real tackle is.

This got me thinking: Why do players do some players 'dive'?

To me, the answer is pretty simple...To win a free-kick or a penalty!!!

See, if you 'dive', and your team gets a free-kick in a good position, they have a opportunity to score a goal. If your teammate does score a goal, then you basically assisted in your team's goal...had you not gone down, they wouldn't have scored. If you look at it that way, then you will realise that a perfectly timed 'dive' is often as important as a perfectly timed pass to a player in a goal-scoring position.

It seems to me that in modern football 'diving' when getting tackled, has become an art form of sorts. It has become a skill that can be as important as being able to kick the perfect volley, on target.

People say that 'diving' are destroying the beautifull game, and that players should be penalised more for doing this, but I feel that no matter what people say, and how much players get penalised, 'diving' is here to stay. Rather than fight it, we should try and embrace it. We should compliment a player when he gives a well-timed dive, and wins his team a free-kick or a penalty.

And for those who think that these players should go play a Rugby to 'toughen-up', I say this: That is a ridiculous statement!! Football players, play Football, and not Rugby! Then you might as well say that a Rugby player should go play netball, to work on his passing skills. You cannot compare pears with apples...they are different for a reason!

So...next time when you see a football player 'dive', instead of shouting "Hey, if you want a Oscar, go act in Hollywood,and not on the football pitch!!", rather take a moment to think exactly why the players 'dive'....

Bafana Update

ok, so Bafana played yet another pre-world cup warm up game last night, this time against the 39th ranked Bulgaria. Bafana (ranked 90th) managed to keep the Bulgarians at bay, getting a 1-1 draw out of the friendly.

Now, I know a lot of you are thinking, 'how are the national side going to beat Mexico (17th) and France (10th), if they can't even win against Bulgaria?'

Thing is, we can't look at it like that! We, the fans, have to realize that the team are still in preperation stage, and are still working on tactics, and looking to see which players play well together and complement each other's style! Even Portugal (ranked 3rd) only managed a 0-0 draw against Cape Verde (ranked 117th). This result is a whole lot worse that ours...but, I know that some people will still bet money on Portugal to take the cup...

Rome was not built in a day!!!

Some of the overseas-based players, played their first game in SA colors before the world cup, we have to give them time to adjust, and get back into the rhythem of Bafana's playing style!

We also need to keep in mind, that our best player, Steven Pienaar, who aplies his trade for Everton FC in England, did not play last night - Carlos Alberto Parreira decided Pienaar deserves a break, after a long season with his club, where he was also named player of the season.

All considering, we played a great game last night, with very tight and organised defending. The team looked good on attack, with the midfielders creating a lot of opportunities for the forwards to put the ball in the net. SA took the went ahead in the 20th minute, thanks to a great header from defender Siyabonga Sangweni.

This has been our main problem thus far...finishing! I just hope that Parreira will at least give Benni McCarthy a chance to play a full game, before the start of the tournament, just to see what our 'fat and unfit' forward can pull out of the hat. (Those of us with good memory, will remember that when Brazil's Ronoldo were being labeled 'fat and unfit' for the 2006 World-Cup in Germany, he managed to clinch a record 15 goals in World Cup tournaments.) Often great players are able to perform at their best, when they need to silence the critics... Let's hope that McCarthy is such a player.

And finally, I have noticed in recent weeks that more and more people are starting to get behind our team, and I want to encourage each and every one of you to get people around to join in with the fanfare!!! Without any fans, we can't expect the team to do good, so go to the shops, get a Vuvuzela, get a Makarapa, and get behind our team!!!

Woza Bafana Woza!!!

Football Hooligans!!!

Go on, bruv. Go on, bruv.

Fuck me. If I knew we was going to a bar
mitzvah, I'd have brought me fucking skullcap.

Mate, Tottenham's due north.
Are you lost or just fucking stupid?

Still a stand-up comedian, eh, Dunham?
All right, mate.

When the Major was doing your job,
he wasn't nearly so chatty.

Probably 'cause
he wasn't quite so nervous either.

The Major always preferred a scrap
to your yammer.

- What's all that? What is that?
- Yammer?

You reckon? Mate, I think you should get
on the next train and fuck off out of here.

- Before something bad happens.
- [Jeering]

We'd be interested to see exactly what that is.

You're not exactly top-flight mob
these days, are you?

- More like a two-bob mob.
- [Laughter]

See, now, that's just plain rude.

But if you fancy it, who are we to let you down?

- Come on, then!
- Come on, then, you fucking poncey cunt!

- You fucking cunt! You!
- [Chanting]

Fucking have it! Come on.

Let's go.



We have all seen Green Street Hooligans, and most of us loved it! Most of us thought, 'WOW',how awesome will it be to have a group of friends, that are always there to back you up in a fight, and even if you lose the fight to other teams supporters, you are always amped to get them back at the next game!

In recent years, football violence has been responsible for many deaths and serious injuries around the world, with some fans using all sorts of weaspons like knives, bats, chains ect. to defend themselves. I delved into the files of history, to find out where and when this voilent and often deadly passtime started.



The first instance of football violence is unknown, as many football games have been played around the world for thousands of years, but football and violence can be arbitrarily traced back to at least the Middle Ages in England. In 1314, Edward II banned football (which then was a violent free-for-all involving rival villages fly-hacking a pig's bladder across the local heath) because he believed the disorder surrounding matches might lead to social unrest or even treason.[5] The first recorded instances of football hooliganism in the modern game took place in the 1880s in England, a period when gangs of supporters would intimidate neighbourhoods, as well as attack referees and opposing supporters and players. In 1885, after Preston North End beat Aston Villa 5-0 in a friendly match, the two teams were pelted with stones; attacked with sticks, punched, kicked and spat at. One Preston player was beaten so severely that he lost consciousness. Press reports of the time described the fans as "howling roughs".[5] The following year, Preston fans fought Queen's Park fans in a railway station; the first recorded instance of football hooliganism away from a match. In 1905, several Preston fans were tried for hooliganism, including a "drunk and disorderly" 70 year old woman, following their match against Blackburn Rovers.[5]

Between the two world wars, there were no recorded instance of football hooliganism, (though for example Millwall's ground was reportedly closed in 1920, 1934 and 1950 after crowd disturbances) but it started attracting widespread media attention in the late 1950s due to its re-emergence in Latin America. In the 1955-56 English football season, Liverpool and Everton fans were involved in a number of incidents. By the 1960s, an average of 25 hooligan incidents were being reported each year in England.

So, with the world cup aproaching, I suggest you have your vuvuzela ready at all times, to defend yourself against any foreign fan that might want to intrude in your teritory!!!

WTF?

Sometimes...all you can do is laugh at the game!!!

Money Talks

On Sunday 16 May 2010, some friends and I were sitting in the local bar, watching South Africa vs Thailand...what a great performance from The Boys, winning the game 4-0!!The team were finally able to string some good passes together, and craete chances at goal...most notibly though, they were able to capatalize on the chances, and put 4 goals in the net.

I can't wait to see what will happen when the oversees players are introduced to the team!

Anyway...back to the reason for the post....while we were watching the game, someone mentioned that the National team will be getting bonusses of 1 million Rand, for every goal scored in the 2010 Fifa World Cup....I thought, FUCK! for a million rand, I will score 10 goals every game. So, this morning, I read that apparently, no negotiations have been made with the players, relating to the bonusses. SAFA Chief executive Leslie Sedibe stated that they were waiting on Steven Pienaar to return to South Africa from England, before they will sit down to negotiate.

SAFA said that they have a proposal ready for the team, and the players commitee will negotiate with the governing body. The players commitee include captain Aaron Mokoena, MacBeth Sibaya, Matthew Booth, Steven Pienaar and Rowen Fernandez.

Let's just hope, that the National team are happy with the proposal, and that they don't decide to strike over wages, like the rest of the South African population!!!

Woza Bafana Woza

THIS IS FOOTBALL

Game after game after game,
I realize now what is most important in my life:
FOOTBALL!
Show me something more thrilling than the perfect volley,
Tell me you have never dreamt the immaculate strike.
Been part of that moment an entire nation holds its breath.
Tell me football is not our one common language.

You can tell me I'm wrong,
But this is about heroes and tribes,
Loyalty and devotion.
It is our commitment and our passion,
Our religion and belief.

The roar of the stadium,
The voices of thousands of fans.
You are Ronaldinho…
You are Whane Rooney…

This is the beautiful game,
This is FOOTBALL!

The FA Premier League

So the English Premier league ended with Chelsea FC as the new Champions for the first time since 2006, with rivals Manchester United missing out on the biggest prize in English football with only 1 point. We need to take our hats off to Carlo Anchelotti, to be the first manager since "the special one", Jose Murinho to get the Titile back to Stamford Bridge.

And what a season it was!! Chelsea managed to beat Manchester United's record for the most goals scored in a season (97), by slotting in 103 goals into the net in the 2009/2010 season. And with Chelsea's Didier Drogba, winning the Golden Boot, and Goalkeeper Petr Cech taking home the Golden Glove, I can't help to feel that Chelsea did deserve to win this tightly fought title.

To add insult to injury, with Chelsea taking the title, they also managed to stop Manchester United setting a record for the most English Premier League titles by any team. The record is currently 18 titles, with Liverpool and Manchester tied in first place.

To me, the difining moment of this season, was without a doubt the match between Chelsea and Manchester at Old Trafford. With Chelsea coming out top, as winners in the match, and the referee coming out, being hated by every single Manchester Supporter for the goal that was allowed, even though Chelsea's Didier Drogba was in a offside possition, while playing the ball.

I cannot help but to wonder what the season's outcome would have been, had this incident not occured.

But, as they say, let bygones be bygones! Maybe Manchester can have some sort of revenge, when these side face each other again in the Community Shield at the start of the 2010/2011 season.

Here's to the Champions!!!