We are (read were) not a footballing nation , 146 out of 208 ( now 209) say the lads at FIFA and you have gotta take Mr. Blatter's good old word for it . But i was surprised , pleasantly so , seeing the movement ( not that one ) that picked up when no sane channel in our otherwise insane DTH services was ready to telecast the Copa America , up until the wee hours - 12:00 from kick off , some guys caught up our elusive P.M. and lo magic there it was ...my hopes soared just like the economy after '91 ( i can vouch that the latter was our very own MAN's doing , not quite sure about the former) . Nimbuzz's NEO Sports was the ONE that came into the foray to catch the attention of even more elusive football afficonados(i me myself being one of them) of a cricket crazy country . My net connection heaved a sigh of relief , i was quite prepared to test its limits through live streaming ... the same i had done sometime earlier through the Euro U-21 while my dongle creeked upon its very hinges , straightened and angled in a certain fashion coz my inner scientific senses believed that perhaps the waves would be constructive ( this i had ascertained after rigorous testing) at that particular position.And with Bob Dylan's the times they are a changing ringing in my head it all began .
And Copa is unique , it is in itself a different realm in football , it brings the latin flair , unspoilt by the European blood , to the forefront . There is nothing total or tiki taking about it , but a conglomeration of raw individualistic talent and belief that Ayn Rand would have been proud of . What Quentin brings to hollywood and Kanti Shah to bollywood , Latinos add that spice to football .
But all of it has been disappointing, up until now at least . La Albicieste and the Samba Boys in particular managing draws in their opening games and just 4 goals between them . Why ???
Some days ago , our national team's coach Armando Colaco pointed out that " Indian National team cannot play like Barcelona" , what a heart break ( he forgot what tiny minimal percent of Barca ) . But it seems the Argentine coach Sergio Batista wasn't listening ( you don't expect him to ) . He was out there to prove ( unknowingly ) Mr. Colaco wrong . Like General Mireau who was hell bent to take the Ant Hill ( Paths Of Glory) while his lowly brethren were pissing in their pants at the German bombings ( quite an optimist , can't blame him he was french ) , Mr. Batista declared " we'll epitomise Barca " .
Well worth a try , they had Messi , the linch pin but they also had their ingenious coach who thinks that Jesus was born on December 25 , so the elderly chap who was part of the clan of El Diego that won the WC in '86 starts with Banega Cambiasso and Mascherano in the mid . Three def . mid . in a 3 man mid and they expect to emulate Barca . I am inclined to dive into a Hitleresque rant ( courtesy Der Untergang ) but the gaffer learned his lessons this morning and was aptly rewarded with a 3-0 win over Costarica .
And then came the Selecao . I love watching them on the field , they bring an aura of unexpectancy and ofcourse a following of beautiful maidens ( one of the reasons why they have a huge fan following during the WC and obviously because they can play )
But this time i had other reasons as well , one of them being Neymar . The 19 year old prodigy who clamoured throughout the year along with the usual suspects of Robinho and Pele about how good he was and other bullshit about beating Messi for Ballan' D or . These bloody Brazilians are good at creating hype but they are outspoken too , never ever seem to shut up ( like our Barca boys , each and every ****ing one of them wants Fabregas to join Barca , it is ohk initially as they seem like long lost brothers separated in the woods of La Masia , but common Xavi , then Iniesta , then those arse Pedro and Valdes and some other and then another and the loop starts again as if Fabre is the centre point of some gay orgy that they are going to have there )
But when Pele says you listen and believe the opposite , its the curse of the Black Pearl ( I was quite apprehensive ( read devastated) when he said that that Hernandez could beat Messi but after Spain 2010 he has lost his black touch) . So i was excited what Neymar had in store besides his ridiculous hairstyle that is second to none except for Ronaldo in WC '02 . To say the least i was utterly disappointed . I never saw what Messi was like when he was 19 but one guy i did watch closely at that age was Cristiano Ronaldo . The step overs , the cruyff turns , dummies and the pace inch perfect . Well Neymar wasn't close to him . Perhaps i hoped for too much but that is what happens when the Samba Boys are at work .
While Argentina and Brazil couldn't whet my appetite Colombia , Peru,Chile and Paraguay provided the magic i was craving for . Free flowing traditional wingers ( Estagarribia and Sanchez in particular) , hold up strikers , Falcao and Guerrero, running along the wings who will take a shot in 1 V 1 ignoring the shouting teammate , albeit in a better position , the centre backs showing trickeries that would put their European striking counterparts to shame and the midfielders cutting through the defences ( but never that deadly final pass) , all Atlas in the making carrying the burden of their earth mafik teams .
Maybe the europe returned players have lost their Latino spirit and impose too much of their mechanical minds upon their uncorrupted brethrens , on the lines of the new pseudo intellectuals of our Indian middle class .. . Just hoping for better football
And Copa is unique , it is in itself a different realm in football , it brings the latin flair , unspoilt by the European blood , to the forefront . There is nothing total or tiki taking about it , but a conglomeration of raw individualistic talent and belief that Ayn Rand would have been proud of . What Quentin brings to hollywood and Kanti Shah to bollywood , Latinos add that spice to football .
But all of it has been disappointing, up until now at least . La Albicieste and the Samba Boys in particular managing draws in their opening games and just 4 goals between them . Why ???
Some days ago , our national team's coach Armando Colaco pointed out that " Indian National team cannot play like Barcelona" , what a heart break ( he forgot what tiny minimal percent of Barca ) . But it seems the Argentine coach Sergio Batista wasn't listening ( you don't expect him to ) . He was out there to prove ( unknowingly ) Mr. Colaco wrong . Like General Mireau who was hell bent to take the Ant Hill ( Paths Of Glory) while his lowly brethren were pissing in their pants at the German bombings ( quite an optimist , can't blame him he was french ) , Mr. Batista declared " we'll epitomise Barca " .
Well worth a try , they had Messi , the linch pin but they also had their ingenious coach who thinks that Jesus was born on December 25 , so the elderly chap who was part of the clan of El Diego that won the WC in '86 starts with Banega Cambiasso and Mascherano in the mid . Three def . mid . in a 3 man mid and they expect to emulate Barca . I am inclined to dive into a Hitleresque rant ( courtesy Der Untergang ) but the gaffer learned his lessons this morning and was aptly rewarded with a 3-0 win over Costarica .
And then came the Selecao . I love watching them on the field , they bring an aura of unexpectancy and ofcourse a following of beautiful maidens ( one of the reasons why they have a huge fan following during the WC and obviously because they can play )
But this time i had other reasons as well , one of them being Neymar . The 19 year old prodigy who clamoured throughout the year along with the usual suspects of Robinho and Pele about how good he was and other bullshit about beating Messi for Ballan' D or . These bloody Brazilians are good at creating hype but they are outspoken too , never ever seem to shut up ( like our Barca boys , each and every ****ing one of them wants Fabregas to join Barca , it is ohk initially as they seem like long lost brothers separated in the woods of La Masia , but common Xavi , then Iniesta , then those arse Pedro and Valdes and some other and then another and the loop starts again as if Fabre is the centre point of some gay orgy that they are going to have there )
But when Pele says you listen and believe the opposite , its the curse of the Black Pearl ( I was quite apprehensive ( read devastated) when he said that that Hernandez could beat Messi but after Spain 2010 he has lost his black touch) . So i was excited what Neymar had in store besides his ridiculous hairstyle that is second to none except for Ronaldo in WC '02 . To say the least i was utterly disappointed . I never saw what Messi was like when he was 19 but one guy i did watch closely at that age was Cristiano Ronaldo . The step overs , the cruyff turns , dummies and the pace inch perfect . Well Neymar wasn't close to him . Perhaps i hoped for too much but that is what happens when the Samba Boys are at work .
While Argentina and Brazil couldn't whet my appetite Colombia , Peru,Chile and Paraguay provided the magic i was craving for . Free flowing traditional wingers ( Estagarribia and Sanchez in particular) , hold up strikers , Falcao and Guerrero, running along the wings who will take a shot in 1 V 1 ignoring the shouting teammate , albeit in a better position , the centre backs showing trickeries that would put their European striking counterparts to shame and the midfielders cutting through the defences ( but never that deadly final pass) , all Atlas in the making carrying the burden of their earth mafik teams .
Maybe the europe returned players have lost their Latino spirit and impose too much of their mechanical minds upon their uncorrupted brethrens , on the lines of the new pseudo intellectuals of our Indian middle class .. . Just hoping for better football
