Ouch. Shortly after John Terry had said that he is fit to play against the Russians, after the England's team training in Moscow, it's being reported that he will be sitting out on the match (http://sg.sports.yahoo.com/071016/1/4bwnc.html). He did not completed the training.
There has been plenty of fuss over the pitch. Artificial or not, plastic or not, England cannot afford to lose. It's already starting to snow in Russia, sub-zero temperatures...but the match will be turning up the heat. Literal or not, plenty of tickets for the match had been snapped up. Many are not missing it for the world, at least the Russia fans who are eager to watch it in the stadium itself. The English fans are coming as well, and the Russian security are all prepared and ready just in case anything happens.
If the England rugby team had managed to come back 'from the dead' (as from what I read in an article ahead of the England-Estonia match at the Wembley) and now in the Rugby World Cup final against South Africa (if history is anything to go by, it's in South Africa's favour), the famous footballing cousins should do the same thing too. Only a very delusional England fan (I know, it's me) stick with the national football team when things were so dark then and there never seemed to be a light at the end of the tunnel. For weeks now, I don't really bother to read the commentary in the newspapers. Tactics? I only read briefly.
I know I should be reading what sort of tactics should be used given I am really clueless in this department (other than knowing using 4-4-2 means it's an attacking one and 4-5-1 means going on the defensive). I rather let my self-belief in the squad do the talking. Because if I need to give a football-relating incident as to the reason why - FIFA World Cup 2006 quarter-final, Germany-Argentina. My father had never given up from the first whistle that Germany will be through (I suppose given he had never really fancy Argentina). Not even when the host nation is initially a goal down. I don't even have half the courage to believe my new favourite national team will pull through.
The phrase of It ain't over till it's over...displayed during the match itself. I thought I will go to sleep crying Germany is out, until my father said that they have equalised. It gave me hope once again. Until the Euro 2008 qualifier where Germany travel to Czech Republic and earned a 2-1 scoreline became my personal favourite till now, the Germany-Argentina clash became my favourite match. Whenever I need some inspiration, I can think back of that.
On a personal scale, I had come back from the 'dead' more than once. Since after I know how to walk (according to my parents, I only managed to do it when I was 16 months old). Not if for once my mother brought up the time when I ran a high fever when I was two, I never know. The last time I came back from the 'dead' was four years ago.
So the Scots are travelling to Georgia later on today. The feel-good factor is there. But in view of injuries, will this temporary end the fairytale the Tartan Army had been experiencing? I really hope it's not. Group B may see a potential upset in terms of which two nations will qualify. France and Italy were seen as the initial favourites, given of their World Cup performance. Ukraine is being seen as having the outside chance. Everyone has written off Scotland. That is until...boom. Scotland's eventual famous wins over France in their qualifiers had made many sit up. I still remembered how my jaw dropped when I saw how the goal against France in Paris happened.
Even as someone who somehow has a soft spot for the Les Bleus, this is totally - amazing.
Now I don't need any self-believing when Germany take on Czech Republic in Munich later on today. The first team to earn the ticket...but wait, the Czechs want to be part of the Euro 2008 party in the same qualifying group (Group D) too.
I am a little surprised that as far as I can remember, I don't remember DW-TV used to have highlights show of any Germany's qualifying matches on their channel. Not until I was flipping through the listings yesterday and was surprised to see that tomorrow, there will be runs of the highlights show between Germany and the Czech Republic. Sounds nice.
Okay. Enough of serious qualification talk. I know this is an advertisement spot (excuse me, my German can only be summed up in one word - pathetic) for the German Football Federation - http://www.dfb.de/index.php?id=503846. But I was having a barrel of laughs till I cried! Unless you know who's who in the German national team (coaching staff included), then maybe you may not recognise where they are in the spot. From what I gathered on the Eurosport Germany site (I need the internet translator to get me by), no wonder I was already giggling at who is playing what.
I was laughing like crazy over this one part. Aright, I will only give this one thing away on what made me laughed out loud - the national coach has become a referee.
