2024 footballing memories

For me 2024 has been an intense year, full of emotions and changes on the personal level, but also at the footballing level, and I have probably been a bit lazy and lacking passion in terms of this blog that I have now had for 20 years, but there are certainly some footballing experiences, good and bad, worth recalling:

• El Salvador-Inter Miami: I was living in El Salvador in January, not knowing where I would be at the end of the year. The Salvadoran national team is poor, very poor, and only appear to have become worse during the years I spent in the small but charming Central American nation. It was therefore with a lot of expectation that Inter Miami, with Lionel Messi, went to San Salvador to face El Salvador in an exhibition match. Despite totally overblown prices (that is why I decided not to go) there were huge expectations (the President even met the team) for a hugely disappointing and boring 0-0 match during which Messi was substituted at half-time. The match reminded me of the modern hype around one player...

•  Inter Miami-Nashville: But I did see Lionel Messi this year; I went to visit friends in Miami, and we went to the old Fort Lauderdale Strikers' ground to see Messi, Suarez, Busquets & co. play against Nashville in the MLS. Inter Miami is first and foremost a merchandising machine and only secondly a football club, and they lack many real fans who do not go to see Messi. Without the superstars Inter Miami are at most a second-rate side. The match and its surroundings was a very polished and organised affair with the required goals by Messi and Suarez, but completely lacking a passionate atmosphere. I enjoyed the evening, but hope this is not the future of football.

• Cruz Azul-Pumas: By the month of October I had finally left El Salvador and moved to Mexico, with its excellent Liga MX and went to my first match at the Olympic Stadium by the UNAM, to watch the Pumas take on Cruz Azul. The atmosphere was splendid, totally different from the polished match in Ft. Lauderdale: crazy songs, passion and a lot of emotion. Cruz Azul won easily and ended first in the league, but they nevertheless did not manage to win the championship. That said, I look forward to watching many more Cruz Azul matches!

• Alianza-FAS: It was not all a loss. During my many years in El Salvador I had never chosen a team to support. But that came on a day in May when I went to see the best team from San Salvador, Alianza, play their arch-rivals from Santa Ana, FAS, on the second leg of the final of the Salvadorean championship. Alianza won the match 2-1 amid a fantastic atmosphere where the numerous FAS fans were annoying, but I happily rejoiced in the triumph alongside the many charming Alianza fans!
  

• Brøndby-AGF: My team in Denmark is and always will be Brøndby! This season they were doing well in a very closely-fought league with the Wolves of FC Midtjylland, but in the end Brøndby had it all in their hands; all they needed to win the league was to defeat AGF in their last match at home. I was in El Salvador and full of expectations as I watched the match in the morning at the beach in El Tunco. I was proudly wearing my Brøndby shirt, only to have a very disappointing morning that ended with consolation beers: Brøndby lost 2-3 at home, and the championship went to FC Midtjylland (and a tiny consolation that at least it did not go to FC Copenhagen).
  

• Denmark-Germany: I was back in Denmark for most of the Euros, and watched the Denmark-Germany in Viborg with some great friends. Although the match was won by Germany amid some controversial VAR calls, there is little doubt that Germany were the better team overall, and in the overall view of the tournament Denmark was disappointing, most of all in the first round where I felt Denmark gave away matches against weaker sides (Slovenia and Serbia) and never played the counterattacking football that I think Denmark has always been good at. Kasper Hjulmand finally resigned as manager after the tournament and hoping for a better style in the future.
  

• Scotland-Germany: I was in Glasgow for the opening of the Euros. Wonderful atmosphere amid the charming Scots who are impossible not to support; I did buy a Scotland shirt! Unfortunately their marvelous support was not translated into their style, and in the opening match (that I watched in a pub in Glasgow) they were outplayed by a great German side. 5-1, and even the Scot goal (their only shot on target during the match) was scored by a German, an own goal. But Scots are living proof that to be World Champions it is not necessary to win at football.
  

• Spain-England: Personally the Euro final was not my dream final, but there was no doubt that I supported Spain in their 2-1 victory against an admittedly good English side. That said, except for one of my cats, it is difficult to support England. I watched the final at my house in San Salvador, barbecuing some choripanes with the few people who accepted my invitation to come over. Good times.
  

• Colombia-Argentina: Two countries that I love very much both in- and outside football faced one another in the 2024 Copa America final in Miami. I was very much looking forward to a clash full of passion and good football, but was not ready for the chaotic and hateful atmosphere that day in Miami and on social media. Argentina won, but both countries in reality lost, and most of all football lost. The racist chanting of the Argentineans after the match (and they refused to apologize, instead defending the indefensible) only added to a final that most of all saddened me.
  

• Real Madrid-Manchester City: I was widely disliked at my office in San Salvador, and one of my few joys was escaping during the Champions League afternoons to a small taco-restaurant to watch matches over lunch. One of these matches was the CL quarterfinal 1st leg in April 2024 when the two giants from Real Madrid and Manchester City tied 3-3 in Madrid (the return match in England ended 1-1 and Real Madrid progressed after penalty kicks). You can say anything about these teams, but they do give high quality entertainment, and this match was memorable, probably the best of the year seen with objectivity.
  

• Real Madrid-Borussia Dortmund:I watched Real Madrid win their 15th European Champions title at my local Cadejo bar in Santa Elena in San Salvador. Most people in the bar were supporting Real Madrid, but I was supporting Dortmund, a great club that has not had a good year. The Germans were better in the first half, but when you do not score, Real Madrid is always bound to punish you, and they surely did by scoring two goals in the second half, and me enjoying more Cadejo beers!
  

• Santa Tecla-CD Firpo: The only time I went to the stadium of "Las Delicias" in San Salvador was to watch the low-rated Santa Tecla team play CD Firpo in the Salvadoran league. I went spontaneously, just wanting to watch a match in the midst of a stressful period in my life, and I was fortunately rewarded with a fantastic match that ended 3-3 and a great atmosphere in the small but charming "Las Delicias". One of those low-expectation football experiences that just turns out to be perfect.
  

Let me wish you all a wonderful 2025; no matter who you support, may you and your team first and foremost live the joy of football, the sweetness of victory and losing with dignity! 

It is just a game, and beer is the fuel!

Good luck to us all.

My recommendation for everyone in the final

After my gloomy previous post I want to give a recommendation to fans, players and any supporter of England, Spain, Argentina and Colombia. No matter what happens in the final, no matter the result or the match, it all has a simple solution:

The Europa League 2019-20 quarterfinals

During this past week I have enjoyed watching the Europa league last-16 fixtures that were seriously delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I am in fact somewhat glad that football can provide a little relief in this my sixth month of lockdown, although I would love a pint in a pub while watching....
We now have the following EL quarterfinals:

• Shakhtar Donetsk-Basel
• Inter Milan-Bayer Leverkusen
• Manchester United-FC Copenhagen
• Wolverhampton-Sevilla

Both the Europa League and the Champions League will, due to the pandemic, take place as mini-tournaments over the next couple of weeks, in Germany and Portugal respectively. For fans (who will nevertheless be able to attend the matches), this will be a replacement for all the tournaments we have missed this summer, and maybe the format will be a success. More interesting will be whether these tournaments will lead to different outcomes than what would be expected from the more traditional format: teams focused completely on this and playing only one match, without spectators, after such long breaks. It would appear that this format will be more open for surprises, why it will be very interesting to follow!

UEFA appears to have taken strict measures regarding COVID-19. Beyond playing without fans, teams are completely isolated in their hotels (even from their management, which is perhaps only pleasant...), and players are routinely tested. But some measures appear more symbolic, such as not shaking hands before the match (appears redundant considering how close contact that players undergo during the match) or prohibiting the exchange of shirts after each match (after 90 minutes of close contact and the need to wash the shirts anyway, this appears redundant). 

In any case, someone recently told me that the virus spreads over a distance of 600 meters, which would make any measure redundant anyway, except for every human living in sealed bubbles 600 meters apart...

Less beer

I have not watched a football match since the World Cup final, and I have hardly read any news on football or any results. One of the unintended consequences of this has been that I am drinking less beer, as I would always love a pint while watching a match. So this is positive!
It is of course not because of football I enjoyed a beer, but beer was just the companion to a great match. Beer is a great companion though.

The best about the World Cup (so far)

For the first round of the World Cup I have been in El Salvador. I have before said how negative I am about this World Cup generally, but I would like to strike a more positive note by mentioning the top five things I have liked most about the World Cup so far in this first round of matches:
5) Denmark's luck: I watched the Peru-Denmark match in a Denmark shirt in an empty bar called Strikers in San Salvador. Denmark were lucky to say the least, but it felt good to finally have some of that elusive football luck that seems to favour everyone else but me.
4) VAR: I must admit that I did not like it in the first few matches. But as I see referees use it with more restraint it is becoming better; players do seem more careful that a crazy challenge could lead to a penalty or a goal, but at the same time referees are not using it all the time. Of course some of the decisions remain unclear (I do not think France should have had a penalty against Australia), but that should be part of the game. Now, the next step is to use it against all the acting that is still way too much....
3) The excuse for drinking beer: Perhaps pretty obvious, but the more I travel around the world I see this as one of the most common and best traits of the World Cup. And here in El Salvador it is no exception amid great people, football fans and the occasional beer.
2) Russia and its fans: Russia has been exceptional against expectations. Of course they are yet to face quality opposition, but an 8-1 score remains a great way to start any World Cup. And best of all they have been supported by fantastic fans that should put all the people who doubted a World Cup in Russia to shame.
1) Mexico and its fans: The Mexicans were very pessimistic before the tournament. Now they have turned around completely and consider themselves World Champions. But they always had a good team and defeated a lame Germany fair and square. But who needs to win if you have fans like the Mexicans? No matter the result they would have turned Russia into a party, and just the more so because of their victory. I will wear my Chapulin Colorado shirt for Mexico's next matches! Viva Mexico!

Ten Year anniversary of my blog

Today it is ten years ago I started this blog, during the 2004 European Championships, and immediately after the Italy-Denmark 0-0 tie. That first post was in Danish, but since I have posted in English, on this blog that in ten years has been an expression of one of the most important things in my life. I don't write my blog for anyone but myself, but happy to know that someone may read it. I write when I feel like it; I write what I feel like, with only my passion for the beautiful game as my guide.
I have had my ups and downs in those ten years, both on and off the pitch. I have lived in five countries, traveled to many more countries, and always had football as an entrance and reference point in my otherwise pretty dull life. I wrote about travels in Ghana during the 2006 World Cup, where Ghana became my darling African side. I was in Iceland for the 2008 Euro, celebrating Spain's victory. I was in France when Spain won the World Cup in 2010, in Venezuela during the 2011 Copa America, and travelled to Ukraine for the 2012 Euro.
I have been to see matches in diverse places such as Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko in Accra, Benfica-Braga in Lisbon, Copa Libertadores matches in Caracas, NASL match of the legendary Ft. Lauderdale Strikers, a local match in the deep Mozambican countryside, and even an amputee national match in Monrovia, Liberia.

I have been sad, happy, disappointed, elated, angry, and many more of those emotions one goes through in football, and have expressed them here, sometimes too much, but I have also tried to be objective amid my unapologetic subjectivity.

I don't know if anyone reads this, but if you happen to run into me today, I am buying a beer. I will be hanging around bars in Rome.
Cheers!

Top ten consolations when you lose

With age comes wisdom. When I was younger I would become quite depressed for days when my football team lost. While my recent disappointment about Valencia's last minute debacle brought down my world for a moment, I have subsequently reflected more on this type of disappointment, which all football fans have undoubtedly tried. Here are the top ten things that console me when we lose:

10) A Beer
9) Blame the coach, who did not do what you would have done.
8) Demonise the opposing team (Easy if it is a country)
7) Complain on social media (from personal experience I can also recommend a blog)
6) Another beer.
5) Look at old clips of your team's glorious moments.
4) Complain to someone who never watches football and cannot understand the subjectivity of your apparently objective arguments.
3) More beer.
2) "Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. That is football".
1) Beer.

Manchester City-Chelsea

I haven't watched much football for a while, and after a busy week, I found a pub to drink beer and relax in Caracas, Venezuela. The game to watch in the early afternoon (Venezuelan time) was Manchester City-Chelsea.
Chelsea are currently one, if not the, of the best teams in the world at the moment; leading the Premier League, they have seemed awesome under Carlo Ancelotti and were looking to cement their lead in this away match in Manchester. And it all looked to go as planned as Chelsea went ahead early on, by a clumsy own goal by Adebayor.
However, Manchester City has invested heavily in players, and has an excellent team, looking to threaten the hegemony of the "big four" in the Premier League, although this has so far eluded them. But this evening (afternoon in Caracas....) they rose to the challenge, and on goals by Adebayor and Carlos Tevez (on a direct free kick where Petr Cech was caught on the wrong leg) they deservedly took the lead, which could have been even larger. In the dying minutes, Frank Lampard missed a penalty chance to underservedly equalize for Chelsea, and the victory was City's.
It will be interesting to follow whether Manchester City can keep it up. And until then, I found a nice place to watch football in Caracas!

Top Nine beers to drink while watching football

Beer and football go hand in hand - don't believe otherwise! And I love drinking beers while wathing a football match! This is my personal list of the best beers to drink during football. It must be underlined that the list builds on my experience while watching footbal, and that they do not necessarily constitute what I consider the best beer! In fact, I have to underline that when I watch football, preferably in a pub, I prefer to drink draft beers - so many of these are drafts, but I will mention which ones I would prefer as drafts.

1) Stella Artois: A draft pint of Stella Artois is actually the best beer to watch football. I have greatly enjoyed it in Brussels and in London watching football, and it takes the top spot for being a delicious draft and good in pubs for great matches.
2) Kronenbourg: This is a delicious draft, but not available in most of the places I have been at. In fact, I only remember drinking these in Paris, one afternoon watching football by myself.

3) Tuborg Classic: This is the draft pint I usually get when watching football in Copenhagen. It is a fine beer, much better than the "normal" pint.

4) Carlsberg Special: In Copenhagen, if they don't have the "Classic", I usually drink this.

5) Refsvindinge Ale no. 16: My family lives in Fyn, near the brewery that brews these delicious ales, and it is therefore the only ones they drink. I have often had one or two of these when watching football at my parents place.

6) Chimay Blueu: This is a delicious Belgian beer, but is quite heavy, and I am unable to drink any more than two for a match, so it is usually not the kind of beer you have over a long match with many friends. It is best enjoyed with a great match where you don't necessarily support either team!

7) Cruzcampo: I have had plenty of these when watching football in Spain over tapas, and therefore, this beer is quite special for me. It is not the best in the world though.
8) Heineken: With a list that includes Carlsberg, it is surely necessary to include the Dutch champions league sponsors. Their pints are ok but somewhat borin, similar to the normal Carlsberg (which is why I normally drink Classic), but you can drink a lot of them!
9) Jupiler: I would often go to a pub near Schuman to watch football when living in Brussels, and I would always have "a pint of Jupe", meaning this beer, which is not bad, although it has a bad reputation for some reason.

PS: Why did I make a top-9 and not a top-10? No particular reason really...