Football good, rugby bad
Mon Jun 29 08:59AM
There has been something refreshing about the lack of hysteria surrounding the summer's two international tournaments.
The Confederations Cup and European U21 Championship have been played with the kind of level-headedness Early Doors feared was no longer possible.
Of course every team has wanted to win, but they have played under moderate pressure and without the histrionics that routinely accompany the bigger competitions.
You suspect that if Ivory Coast had been involved in the Confed Cup, Didier Drogba might have described their exit as 'a darned shame' rather than 'a f***ing disgrace'.
As a consequence, the quality of entertainment has been superb in both competitions.
From the moment Brazil's crazy 4-3 win over Egypt set the tournament properly in motion, the Confederations Cup has been a delight, producing goals in abundance and some genuine surprises.
It might owe something to the relative lack of pressure the teams are playing under, or it might be that their heads are already on a sunbed in the Maldives. Whatever the reason, it has been great fun. Shame about those bloody horns, though.
Last night's final was an appropriate end, with the USA threatening to follow up their win against Spain with another shock, before Brazil's quality eventually told.
Lucio's winner allowed him to show off a t-shirt telling the world that he loves Jesus (why does he only ever do that when he wins something? Did he have a separate t-shirt in case Brazil lost, saying 'Jesus let me down'?).
British people are uncomfortable with public displays of religious faith, but they are ever more common in sport.
Egypt marked each of their goals with a quick prayer, while Pakistan did the same when they won the World Twenty20 cricket.
However, they were upstaged by former skipper Wasim Akram, now in the commentary box.
Despite having no involvement whatsoever in the team's achievement, Wasim chose to dedicate the country's success to 'the brave army of Pakistan' which, while controversial, had the happy side-effect of reducing Nasser Hussain to silence.
England play the U21 final tonight against Germany, a fact that has not escaped the attention of the tabloids.
The Daily Mirror asks with supreme tenuousness: "It's England v Germany in a major final, Labour are clinging on to power and our captain is a West Ham star. Sound familiar?"
Wasn't it also quite warm on the day England won the World Cup? And we were also driving on the left that year. It must be fate...
The Sun, meanwhile, points out that Germany have chosen to wear their red change strip in an attempt to "crank up the mind games".
ED suspects that Britain's middle-aged newspaper men are slightly more obsessed with 1966 than a team of Germans who were born in the late 80s.
England's progress aside, it has still been an excellent tournament.
Early Doors is legitimately infatuated with Sweden striker Marcus Berg, the tournament's top scorer and a player with intelligence, physical presence and a wonderful array of finishes.
His partnership with Ola Toivonen yielded 10 goals in four games and has a touch of Rebrov-Shevchenko about it - Toivonen the deep-lying schemer and Berg the ruthless assassin.
If Early Doors were a team like Everton, it would do everything in its power to sign the pair of them.
Luckily for Everton, ED has no input into their recruitment policy, because if it did, it would be breaking rule one of transfers - never sign a player based on his performance at an international tournament, let alone two. ED calls it 'Poborsky's law'.
And in this case, it might be especially pertinent. Just because you look the part against a bunch of young shavers from Belarus, it doesn't mean you're going to do the business in a midweek trip to Stamford Bridge.
- - -
'Football is a game for gentlemen played by thugs; rugby is a game for thugs played by gentlemen.'
The next time anyone makes that sort of pat, condescending and arrogant remark, ED is going to go Schalk Burger on their ass and rip both their eyes off their stalks.
Footballers are frequently criticised for their behaviour on the pitch, and often with justification.
A common refrain is 'why can't they be more like rugby players?' Basically because they call the referee 'Sir' and clap each other on and off the pitch.
But Burger's premeditated and blatant gouge on Luke Fitzgerald during Saturday's South Africa-Lions game showed just how much mutual respect really exists behind the cosmetic niceties.
Even the supposedly exemplary way players deal with the ref is exaggerated. Eurosport-Yahoo!'s very own Neil Back served a six-month ban in 1996 after pushing over referee Steve Lander following Leicester's defeat to Bath in the Pilkington Cup final.
Players might address him like he is a schoolmaster, but only usually to deny things of which they are clearly guilty.
Forwards in particular spend much of their time pushing the boundaries of legality and trying to deceive the ref. But because they aren't diving or feigning injury, nobody seems to mind that particular brand of cheating.
Throw in Matt Stevens's positive cocaine test and worrying tales of more widespread recreational drug use, and you have a sport that does not exactly live up to the Corinthian image some people would like to give it.
Footballers are vilified, often because they are young, poorly-educated, rich and frequently obnoxious. They are easy targets for envy.
Of course conduct in the game could be improved, but if football is looking for an example to follow, it should steer clear of rugby.
- - -
QUOTE OF THE WEEKEND: Joan Laporta on Manchester City's bid to sign Samuel Eto'o:
"Eto'o has a stratospheric
offer from City, which would convert him into the best paid player in the world.
It's starting to become clear that
he has this monster offer. He wants to stay but an offer like this is very
difficult to refuse. If Eto'o
accepts this stratospheric offer we will have to bring in someone." So you're saying it's
good.
FOREIGN VIEW: German rag Bild list has 20 reasons why the Nationalmannschaft will win tonight.
Included in these is: 'Because it is time for revenge!' Not for 1966, mind you. For 1982, when England beat Germany in the Euro U21 final.
Also featuring: 'Because our youngsters have been on apple juice for 18 days. They are 90 minutes away from going to a Swedish nightclub.'
COMING UP: England v Germany in the Euro U21 final - follow our live coverage from 19:45 UK time. Plus there is a stellar line-up at Wimbledon, including Andy Murray and Roger Federer.
See Anne, you were totally wrong about this being addictive
From johnnywilkinson on Mon Jun 29 09:00AMnot me again...
From djackall on Mon Jun 29 09:05AMFootball is a truly Corinthian game played by fair minded players who would not seek to gain advantage at another teams expense, I can prove this because Di Canio caught the ball instead of shooting at goal when the Everton keeper was injured.
What do you mean one incident doesn't prove anything?? (see above)
From andy_lycett on Mon Jun 29 09:15AM?
From nooky_w on Mon Jun 29 09:16AMLMAO Johnny thanks for that it was funnier than the entire Article.
ED you could have commented on the Confed and Under 21's football throught the tourney not just the final but bugger it hey we all desparately needed to know what Twitter the twaters we saying to each other - Typical British journalists only bang on about it when we are in the final.
From annieh97 on Mon Jun 29 09:17AMrugby is nothing but a @#$% erotic public schoolboys wet dream thinly disguised as a game where tyhe butch can grab at each other and still pretend that its a 'gentlemans 'sport....denial my friends...the scrum??a violent homoerotic experience for players and fans.....hence the name rugger buggers.....get used to it the truth is out there..!
From stuartxland on Mon Jun 29 09:21AMboring
From qazwsx_1606 on Mon Jun 29 09:24AMJesus let me down lol, how true, i never understand all that worship tripe they beleive in.
From postmanpatcan on Mon Jun 29 09:31AM#6 - So you prefer to watch Cristiano Ronaldo then?
From who_are_ya_85 on Mon Jun 29 09:33AMSave me Jebus!
From who_are_ya_85 on Mon Jun 29 09:34AMWHAT'S THE FUSS ABOUT HORNS?????ITS AFRICA NOT EUROPE THEY BELONG TO THE SAME WORLD THAT IS COVERED BY THE NAME OF THE CUP HENCE WOLRD CUP,ITS NOT EUROPEANS WORLD CUP.LEAVE THEM ALONE THEY DESERVE A CHANCE ITS NOISY BUT THAT'S WHAT THEIR GAME IS ALL ABOUT GET ON WITH IT.
From sihle.dlamini on Mon Jun 29 09:36AMas both a football and rugby fan I have to say that behaviour in rugby is generally better. Yes there are the occassional instances of violence, sometimes emotions boil over, but these instances are dealt with decisively. Yes, players may be respectful to the ref while trying to deny their wrongdoing, but the ref is always boss! As for rugby being a public schoolboys wet dream Stuart, I have to say you really are easily swayed by false preconceptions. I mean if I were to do the same, then I'd say there's a serf sized chip on your shoulder...but I won't, because I know better.
From obz007 on Mon Jun 29 09:41AMi like rugby and i take this as a personal insult =D
From skhalid23 on Mon Jun 29 09:42AMPlease Mr Moyes invest in Berg and Toinoven and lets go for glory. We have a great side, a clever manager and all we need is cunning in midfield and deadly finishing up front plus a new right back( buy the Sheffield lad)if you cannot get our present cover in that position to play with greater verve.
From roger.williams20 on Mon Jun 29 09:50AMSo suddenly football is so great, it's clean, no cheats, no bad tackles, no greed, no moaning, no nothing. How much did the tw at thinking this have to drink????. Nobody is going to stick up for what Burger did and i hope he gets hammered, now i have not got the time or computer space to say what is bad about football. Now before someone jumps on my back, i am also a football fan [behind rugby], but i can't remember being threatened at a rugby match or having a knife at my throat for supporting another team. Football stinks from top to bottom, it is everything that is bad about people [except the ordinary fan], so try and defend football against something, like say crime, riots, and maybe a war, not another sport, they can't match it.
From co.hutch5391 on Mon Jun 29 09:52AMMadiba Magic = wining 1 match
Obama Magic =wining 2 matches
I BELONG TO JESUS =5 matches and winning the Cup.
How humbling when you see a 68million Euros earning 28years old handsome young man, proudly proclaims to the World I BELONG TO JESUS. He has the Money, the looks and the fame yet how many in his shoes will fulfill Deut 8:18. I was just thinking the football field is probably one of the most characters testing place. the players are constantly under pressure, I can only imagine the number of frustrating moments they get tempted to exhibit all sorts of emotions and vengeful actions, but he has constantly remain calm.
Go Jesus Go Jesus GO.
From joseph4greatness on Mon Jun 29 09:53AM10-Do you mean The Baby Jebus??
From andy_lycett on Mon Jun 29 09:58AMTo sihle.dlamini, i've loved the way the africans dance all the way through, and enjoyed watching the fans and there massive smiles, but trying 2 watch the actual football match on the TV and all you can hear is those horns, what a put off, and so annoying, yes the world cup is in africa so we have to respect them, but the world cup is for the whole WORLD to enjoy, and you can't with all that racket, it isn't even in tune to anything.
From postmanpatcan on Mon Jun 29 09:58AM1. Rugby players don't roll around on the ground clutching their legs when their shirts were pulled.
2. Not all rugby players are dirty like Burger and Back
3. Rugby players have never pretended to be gentlemen.
And ED, nobody cares about the U21 world cup. You do know Brazil came back from 2-0 down right. I'm sure that is much more spectacular than Germany wearing red shirts. And another thing, why would Lucio take off his shirt and run around like an idiot if his team has just lost.From baatjes_99 on Mon Jun 29 10:02AMFinally someone has the guts to put in print what every football fan has known for a long time. There is only one reason a rugby ball is egg shaped and thats to facilitate it being rammed up the guy in fronts ar$e.
From danny_saks on Mon Jun 29 10:05AM16-The football field is one of the most character testing places!!!!!
Try Afghanistan, try Helmund (sp), try Palestine, try The Nigerian Delta, try Ethiopia.
You total idiotFrom andy_lycett on Mon Jun 29 10:06AMthink this article is a bit biased. he talks about the 2 footy tournaments being played in good spirit etc as there was no pressure, as if pressure is an excuse for footy players to act like they do in champions league semifinals. lions tours come to a country every 12 years, sa lost the last series and had to win this game to win the series. enough pressure?? also look at it from a grassroots perspective- i play both amateur footy and rugby, the footy scares me at how violent people can be over an essentially meaningless game, attacking eachother and the ref with swearing and dangerous, studs up tackles. if u get pissed off in rugby, you line up the man and try and smash him, like its always been and always will be. footy players are frustrated rugby players who cant catch.
From jamesdog84 on Mon Jun 29 10:06AM20-Danny Danny Danny (in patronising voice)
From andy_lycett on Mon Jun 29 10:08AMThe Champions League semi-final had more examples of bad behaviour and bad sportsmanship than all of the British Lions games put together. I am rmbarrassed by the whinging media who think the Bok's are too rough. You have obviously been brought up in the "Caring tree hugging era" where taking part really counts and winning is frowned upon.
From cei on Mon Jun 29 10:10AMI Love Jesus
From oko_jnr on Mon Jun 29 10:10AMWhat Andy? Just cos the guys who play it LIKE it being rammed up there don't make it right...
From danny_saks on Mon Jun 29 10:12AM25-I love Um Bongo
From andy_lycett on Mon Jun 29 10:15AMNO;19 yes Brazil came back from 2 down against the "USA"....spectacular!!
I think not ....
From chrisw7892000 on Mon Jun 29 10:17AM20-Danny Danny Danny (in patronising voice)
From obz007 on Mon Jun 29 10:20AMI love the smell of Napalm in the morning...but hey each to his own!
From doobie.doobiedoo on Mon Jun 29 10:21AM
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