When I told my father about the fate of the top four Serie A clubs (Juventus, AC Milan, Lazio and Fiorentina) in the wake of the match-fixing scandal last night after he came home with Mother after a game of bowling with his other colleagues, he was amused that for once, I was faster than him in terms of knowing the news.
Yeah right. I heard it through the radio news. So I was a little amused he was not listening to 938 Live on the way back when I asked him about it. I know, whenever he has to fetch me for school back then, he will always turn the car radio volume louder when 938 Live is reporting any sports news. The sports nutter...my own father.
We also checked on other sports news on the Teletext in his room (which is the master's bedroom, sharing it with Mother), Dad even showed me the printout of the new revised FIFA rankings (which I saw it last night on the FIFA's website) and we discussed about it. Ah, now the so-called fifth-ranking USA is now - 16. Kind of reasonable for me, if you ask. Because back then when the old rankings was still around, many even me rolled our eyes when we heard of USA's ranking. Hello, I am not so much of a football nutter (my dad is), but this is totally out of the point for me. If the 'football idiots' (I termed that myself for one is a little clueless about the whole football thing) like me feel it is a little weird in terms of USA's rankings, then something must be wrong. Thankful FIFA changed its ranking system and it was out on just last Wednesday.
I know I never noticed it, but maybe my father must had kind of smirked that Malaysia is lower than us in terms of the new rankings. My father is like that. Also, the both of us were surprised Thailand is not ahead of Singapore (my dad was asking me about Thailand's rankings because I was reading the printout). I mean, within the South-East Asia region, all along Thailand had been like the best in their football and nobody can deny that. Ah well, maybe the Tiger Cup (comprises of the South-East Asia nations) which we won (ahem) like two years back or something became the reason why we are ahead of our fellow neighbours. One of the most golden moments of Singapore's football scene.
Under the new revised rankings, Brazil is still numero uno (number one in Spanish), Italy moves up from 13 to 2 (somehow thanks to their World Cup triumph), Argentina is third (like what my father had expected in the beginning), France is fourth from eighth position (being runner-up for this World Cup must had helped), England is fifth (moving up five places, which Dad was a little surprised because he was expecting not much movments for the English squad), Germany is 9 moving up from previous 19th position...and so on. These are the ones I can remember at the top of my head. Oh yes, Australia is 33 from the previous 42.
I was thinking about it as I saw the printout, I really hope Germany can do justice to their new ranking come during their Euro 2008 campaign because...yeah, Klinsmann has stepped aside for his assistant to take over. I don't want to think much about it, but then I am really afraid of Germany's football future right now. I know I say yesterday I want to have faith in them again, but it's like a rollercoaster ride at the moment. The new national coach (whom Klinsmann had said that he's more than his right-hand man) Joachim Loew...from what I know and read, he has more club coaching experience than Klinsmann (who is a novice to this) but then, somehow has less illustrious career than the former. Anyhow, this guy is a master tactican and one good organizer from what I understand, so from the general sentiments in the press, he can continue what Klinsmann has left off.
According to a BBC Sport article, Germany is going to have rough times ahead in terms of their Euro 2008 qualifying campaign. Their other opponents in the same group - Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ireland (they last appeared in the previous World Cup and so I remembered about them), Wales, Cyprus and San Marino. Anyhow right now, I don't know what both my head and heart are 'telling' me. This World Cup many a times, I go with my heart, not with my head. And it never seemed to work all the time. France becoming the runner-up is one best example out of this.
My father had said that England is going to have an okay time in their Euro 2008 qualifying campaign. Their first two qualifying matches are against Andorra and Macedonia. Dad joked that closing one eye can win the two sides. Ho-hum. But when I read about that England's football scene is going to be having some rough patches in the future, I don't really know now. Though now McClaren is the new England manager. The one whom my dad had been literally harping about should be the next in line if Eriksson has to go.
Of a sudden, I am so afraid and worried of the two national teams I am supporting - England and Germany. England's upcoming friendly against Greece (the surprise Euro 2004 champions) will be still going on after the latter had been lifted of the ban from FIFA, Germany will be facing whom they met in the round-of-16 in the World Cup - Sweden...without Klinsmann had the helm now. One is facing a defending Euro champ, and the other is facing whom they last met in the World Cup...and it's only a friendly each for both sides and I am worrying so much now.
A sign of heading back to reality now? A case of reclaiming my own sanity? A case of happy days are all over and never returning...?
Maybe quoting like what my lecturer who taught the Drafting Financial Statements (gee, just starting my classes and already I am noticing my lecturers' traits) often said this in class on last Friday - I need not 'always worry that much'. Holy smokes. I am already quoting things!
All along whenever if people want to ask me what is my most favourite fairytale, it's Cinderella. As I was still growing up, I had always thought that all stepmothers are evil, all stepsisters are so nasty, but all the long and suffering girls will get their man of their dreams someday. I was so wrong, so naive. Especially after reading towards the final chapters of the sixth Harry Potter, the grey area starts to come out...and I had no idea till I read those chapter analysis online on those fan sites. It took me some time to realise - the grey area has always all along been there. The world is never just outright, or just simply wrong.
Now what does it have to do with my entry at the moment? Post-World Cup stuff, I mean. When facing with your own family and career at the (literally) the other side of the world, are you going to continue to do what you had been doing all along...or continue to be at where when your native country 'calls' out for you? I don't know, this fits the outgoing Germany national coach. I had been thinking a lot of things since the 3rd/4th playoff, you know. This is one of those. The grey area is there.
At times, if I want to explain some of the things on the news to my younger sister, I felt exasperated. She should count herself lucky her elder sister is there to explain why some things are just like that in some parts of the world nowadays. I had to find out for myself if I have the time. If not, I have to think back to my past History or Social Studies classes, if there is a need to it. I had said before that this World Cup had only started to make me realised why Germany has got to be like my favourite to study about in my past History classes indirectly. In the past, I am always tied between Russia and Germany. And I know I am always amused whenever those few guys in the class would go kind of excited if we are studying about Germany...
...though now to think of it, what we learnt back then are among part of the Germans' sensitive past. I only began to realise the seriousness of Germany's past on its people during this World Cup.
Life can be just kind of funny sometimes.
