Friday, July 26, 2013
Humiliation For Indonesian Football But Bank Does Mexican Wave
All Stars eh?
After sending out teams called All Stars against Arsenal, losing 7-0, and Chelsea, losing 8-1, can you imagine the amount of piss taking going on in England about the state of Indonesian football?
Stars, what stars? The haze blocks out the night stars while football just has none. Plain and simple.
If the best the country has to offer can be so casually brushed aside by teams not even fully fit playing in unfamiliar conditions then what does it say about the state of the game here?
Semen Padang are doing a good job in the AFC Cup and are coasting the Indonesia Premier League but then I have seen subbuteo teams who could do a good job there. Guaranteed 3-0 wins 'cos some teams just have no money and don't bother turning up for games!
I have said all along these 'prestige' friendlies have absolutely nothing to do about football.
Back in the days of empire the British engaged in gun boat diplomacy to get what they wanted. Now we have ditched the Irish, Scottish and Welsh and we send out football teams who could do more in one three day visit than any high level talks with a bunch of suits from the finest schools and universities position and privilege can buy.
There is a reason why no English club plays a friendly in Tehran. Politicians on either side would worry about the positive scenes, going against their knee jerk me first policies designed to ingrain cultures of fear and loathing on either side.
Back to Indonesia. From the point of view of the local game we are left with one overriding question.
What was the point?
For the bank behind the Chelsea game, they announced 100,000 new account holders so they did ok out of it.
After sending out teams called All Stars against Arsenal, losing 7-0, and Chelsea, losing 8-1, can you imagine the amount of piss taking going on in England about the state of Indonesian football?
Stars, what stars? The haze blocks out the night stars while football just has none. Plain and simple.
If the best the country has to offer can be so casually brushed aside by teams not even fully fit playing in unfamiliar conditions then what does it say about the state of the game here?
Semen Padang are doing a good job in the AFC Cup and are coasting the Indonesia Premier League but then I have seen subbuteo teams who could do a good job there. Guaranteed 3-0 wins 'cos some teams just have no money and don't bother turning up for games!
I have said all along these 'prestige' friendlies have absolutely nothing to do about football.
Back in the days of empire the British engaged in gun boat diplomacy to get what they wanted. Now we have ditched the Irish, Scottish and Welsh and we send out football teams who could do more in one three day visit than any high level talks with a bunch of suits from the finest schools and universities position and privilege can buy.
There is a reason why no English club plays a friendly in Tehran. Politicians on either side would worry about the positive scenes, going against their knee jerk me first policies designed to ingrain cultures of fear and loathing on either side.
Back to Indonesia. From the point of view of the local game we are left with one overriding question.
What was the point?
For the bank behind the Chelsea game, they announced 100,000 new account holders so they did ok out of it.
# posted by Me @ 11:58 AM 
