In the World Cup of 1966 in England, the only non-European or South American nation to participate was North Corea. Prior to the tournament the unknown Asians were taunted as not good enough by the established football world, only to shock everyone in their first match, when they defeated Italy in a legendary match, and thus became the first non-European or non-South American team to reach the quarterfinals in a World Cup, where they were only barely defeated by Eusebio (and I am not even going to say Portugal, since he was a Mozambican, and with four goals singlehandedly won the match) by 5-3.
Since then, nobody has heard about football in the small Communist dictatorship.
But now North Corea seems to be on the way to South Africa 2010: in the Asian World Cup qualifiers group B North Corea is ahead, and is tomorrow looking forward to an intense match against South Corea in Seoul. South Corea has done great since their debut in the World Cup in 1986, but will surely have to play their best in a match that is surely about much more than football!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Sadness
It is very sad when the beauty of football and football passion leads to such a tragedy as what happened in Côte d'Ivoire in a World Cup qualifier against Malawi in Abidjan this weekend.
It is a great tragedy that such events overshadow the fact that Côte d'Ivoire is a fantastic football nation with great footballers and great fans, and this should be decried by all fans all over.
That said, something should be done about such catastrophes that seem to happens too often, the result of mismanagement and corruption (and I won't say poverty, because the people who are responsible are not poor).
Also, in spite of my scepticism against the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, I am certain that such events could never take place in South Africa, and that when someone draws parallels to the coming world cup there, it is just a confirmation of stereotypes about "all Africans are the same."
It is a great tragedy that such events overshadow the fact that Côte d'Ivoire is a fantastic football nation with great footballers and great fans, and this should be decried by all fans all over.
That said, something should be done about such catastrophes that seem to happens too often, the result of mismanagement and corruption (and I won't say poverty, because the people who are responsible are not poor).
Also, in spite of my scepticism against the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, I am certain that such events could never take place in South Africa, and that when someone draws parallels to the coming world cup there, it is just a confirmation of stereotypes about "all Africans are the same."
Argentina-Venezuela
I think Diego Armando Maradona was the best footballer of all time. That said, I still had some scepticism on Mr. Maradona becoming Argentine national coach: it is not a precondition that if you were a great player, you would be a great coach, and Mr. Maradona also had limited credentials as coach.
That said, I hoped that Mr. Maradona's charisma and personality would give the already super-talented side an extra boost, and while it may too early to give a judgement, it raises hopes to see how Argentina under Mr. Maradona has done so far.
Mr. Maradona won his first two friendly matches against Scotland and France, and this weekend won in his first competitive match in a South American world cup qualifier by trashing Venezuela 4-0 and playing a good game of offensive football.
It is looking great for Argentina, in particular for an Argentina-fan like myself, but surely also for anyone who likes good football.
That said, I hoped that Mr. Maradona's charisma and personality would give the already super-talented side an extra boost, and while it may too early to give a judgement, it raises hopes to see how Argentina under Mr. Maradona has done so far.
Mr. Maradona won his first two friendly matches against Scotland and France, and this weekend won in his first competitive match in a South American world cup qualifier by trashing Venezuela 4-0 and playing a good game of offensive football.
It is looking great for Argentina, in particular for an Argentina-fan like myself, but surely also for anyone who likes good football.
Friday, March 27, 2009
The Danish national team
As Denmark prepares to face Malta on a world cup qualifier tomorrow, there has been criticism in the Danish media that people are not interested nor follow the Danish national team as the used to. This has been blamed on the team playing boring (which I personally don't agree on), of lacking results (Denmark has not qualified for the last two mayor tournaments), of lacking players of quality, of coach Morten Olsen having a bad temper with the media, and of a general lack of media attention.
In spite of all these things, I think there is a deeper reasoning in the Danish people's lack of interest: Lyngby Boldklub.
In spite of all these things, I think there is a deeper reasoning in the Danish people's lack of interest: Lyngby Boldklub.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Nationalities in football
It is kind of annoying to be a fan of a sport where old-fashioned nationalism thrives: football.
I was just reading an article about Arsenal's Spanish goalkeeper Manuel Almunia, who after many years in England, is planning to become an English citizen. Since he has never played for his native Spain, this would make him eligible for the English national team (who does have a goalkeeping problem).
Why does this seem to annoy so many people? Examples are so numerous, historically and in football, about the fluidity of nationality, as to make the arguments about football nationality irrelevant, particularly in Spain, who continues to sport non-Spanish born players on its national team, Senna, as well as having done it before: Di Stefano, Puzkas, Donato...
France has a long list of players born in Africa, and Germany has quite a number of players of mixed nationality. Turkey has players who were born, raised and live abroad, while even the Italian defending champions had one on their team, besides having Christian Vieri, whose brother in fact plays for Australia.
Portugal has many Brazilians, besides their big star Deco, as well as having had their greatest star, Eusebio.
In none of these teams, does anybody doubt the nationality of any of the players, and none of the players make any of these teams less "national". In fact, I would even argue that it makes them more so, as it opens up for the changing and evolving cultural structures in national societies, where it is constantly re-defined what it means to be "from somewhere". Football-players like these are important contributors to this.
For many people, and in some countries, nationality is something about the blood or whatever undefineable. I saw a thing on Danish TV3 not long ago about how Zlatan Ibrahimovic would never have had a chance to make it to the national team in Denmark, while in neighboring Sweden he did have the support to become a great Danish star. And this tells you more about Danish society than it does about the football players or the national football team!
Let us forget this, and enjoy football as it is: in truth, the best football is seen in the multi-national club teams of the Champions League, rather than in second-rate national teams that assemble but twice a year. Still, "normal" people (that is, not football-fans) tend to like the latter because it appeals to the lowest common denominators of national tribalism.
I was just reading an article about Arsenal's Spanish goalkeeper Manuel Almunia, who after many years in England, is planning to become an English citizen. Since he has never played for his native Spain, this would make him eligible for the English national team (who does have a goalkeeping problem).
Why does this seem to annoy so many people? Examples are so numerous, historically and in football, about the fluidity of nationality, as to make the arguments about football nationality irrelevant, particularly in Spain, who continues to sport non-Spanish born players on its national team, Senna, as well as having done it before: Di Stefano, Puzkas, Donato...
France has a long list of players born in Africa, and Germany has quite a number of players of mixed nationality. Turkey has players who were born, raised and live abroad, while even the Italian defending champions had one on their team, besides having Christian Vieri, whose brother in fact plays for Australia.
Portugal has many Brazilians, besides their big star Deco, as well as having had their greatest star, Eusebio.
In none of these teams, does anybody doubt the nationality of any of the players, and none of the players make any of these teams less "national". In fact, I would even argue that it makes them more so, as it opens up for the changing and evolving cultural structures in national societies, where it is constantly re-defined what it means to be "from somewhere". Football-players like these are important contributors to this.
For many people, and in some countries, nationality is something about the blood or whatever undefineable. I saw a thing on Danish TV3 not long ago about how Zlatan Ibrahimovic would never have had a chance to make it to the national team in Denmark, while in neighboring Sweden he did have the support to become a great Danish star. And this tells you more about Danish society than it does about the football players or the national football team!
Let us forget this, and enjoy football as it is: in truth, the best football is seen in the multi-national club teams of the Champions League, rather than in second-rate national teams that assemble but twice a year. Still, "normal" people (that is, not football-fans) tend to like the latter because it appeals to the lowest common denominators of national tribalism.
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