Yesterday's IRAS appreciation ceremony for the e-filing volunteers at the Revenue House was what I needed. Especially when I had made my mind up to watch the 3rd/4th playoff between hosts Germany and Portugal. I remembered I was totally into the ceremony, just having a good chat with my two friends before the ceremony as well. No football talk maybe till when it's time for the reception.
I mean, friends always yakked about what's been happening in their lives when they meet. For my two friends, football can be kind of a strange subject to talk about. But at least they tried during the reception. The reception is almost like a buffet or something, not some light refreshments as I had thought. It's when we were eating, World Cup came up and those Korean and Hong Kong shows on DVD too. Drama serial fans, those are my friends for you. And when they went off to get more stuff, I happened to overhear few ladies who were also at the appreciation ceremony and they seemed to be discussing about the Germany-Italy semis. Naturally, it caught my attention. Ah well.
Yesterday was also when I settled on what bag to get when my CAT course starting on Thursday. At Junction 8 is where I got the bag. Mother called me over my handphone that I have to meet her there when I'm done with my own things. I even need to get a pencil case! I almost rolled my eyes when Mother and my brother encouraged me about it. They won, alright.
Thankful when we got back, me watching the Oscar-winning Million Dollar Baby was what I needed on Star Movies on the cable. After Chariots of Fire last Thursday also on Star Movies, this is another movie where I need more sporting-relating inspiration. World Cup almost coming to an end...wah! Reading The New Paper's sort-of tribute to Germany's national coach Klinsmann yesterday makes me think once again, among all the coaches of all the 32 participating nations, the 'animated Klinsi' (haha, my own nickname for his various reactions on the sidelines) is my most favourite coach to watch out for actually.
Some are calm and collected, some always 'barked' orders from the sidelines, some have little or no reaction...but Klinsmann takes the cake! Maybe he is considered young (going to be 42 or something come end July) by football standards, so maybe he is always so hyper. Ha! In the past I would had said Guus Hiddink or Luiz Felipe Scolari aka Big Phil are among my favourite coaches to watch, but maybe not now.
In the past, I had never really thought much about 3rd/4th playoff at the World Cup. And even ST wrote about the necessity of that in their yesterday's edition. But maybe something like what the write-up for the match, as far as the host nation is concerned, this is Germany's one last push before the final hurrah. And they never disappoint me as I was watching with Dad.
Because actually minutes before the final whistle, the sudden sad feeling in me that it is almost over and it will be two years later (hope they will qualify!), I will see most of the lads on the German squad on Euro 2008. 3-1 to them against Portugal during the playoff. The German homecrowd are happy again, the Klinsmann we all know is back (given that match is in Sttugart, near where the national coach grew up too!), the squad are back on their feet again. Cannot get first, third is already good enough.
Because who will have thought the host nation's squad which is mainly of those in their 20s (except the goalie), the national coach and his radical tactics...will eventually get this far?
It's even more sweet when fireworks came on after the medal ceremony. Yes. I smiled broadly. What the homecrowd really need! Exactly a month from now, it's us here and our National Day. For now, the Germans really need all that morale after the semis with the Germany-Italy match. Guess after this World Cup, the German football scene had changed, its image to the world had changed and I will never see 3rd/4th playoff the same way again.
Maybe this is the uniqueness of the playoff. On and off the pitch, the atmosphere is so relaxed. Like what my dad said the best - this is how football should be played.
