(Preview: This unofficial weekend football focus series will be just my thoughts on the tournament so far. Though I think it will be more on the fall-out after Germany's 2-1 loss over Croatia in their Group B encounter in Klagenfurt, Austria.)
I swear never since back in primary school when my English teacher was giving the entire class a lecture on pronounciation and asking us why did we learn Phonics back in Primary One and Two, will I be probably witnessing another scenario again. 10 years ago I got a rude awakening of sorts when it comes to pronouncing words.
10 years ago was also when Croatia beat Germany 3-0 in the 1998 World Cup quarter-finals. I had been reminded of that ever since Croatia is being drawn into the same group as Germany for Euro 2008. Everyone was saying that those two nations will progress from their group. Two out of three group matches had been played so far, and it has been turning upside down. Like how the tournament has turned out so far.
Suddenly Germany's chances are on a limbo. Suddenly Croatia will be able to shake off their perennial dark horses tag. And suddenly, co-hosts Austria may have a realistic chance of creating history once more. There are reasons why Austrians and Germans, despite being neighbours, had never really like each other (if history want us to believe). I used to post the links before here, and it's time to dig them out again. As according to what I had 'rediscovered' from ESPN Soccernet - Austrians are 'Ösis' to Germans, either thick mountain people or morbid intellectuals proud of Vienna's fabled obsession with decadence and decay. Germans are 'Piefkes' to the Austrians, unimaginative sourpusses steeped in Berlin's Prussian heritage.
There are times I want to scream 'I have bloody enough'. And it's the tinge of 'arrogance' I had sensed in translated versions of German sports news agencies reports at times. One day you will realise the hurt me being an England supporter had been suffering all along. I never mentioned the time when I was streaming the Germany-Serbia friendly (I think it's that one), the commentators were saying in between the match something about (mass-selling German tabloid) Bild telling their English counterparts they are going to play football this summer without them. If I am the irate England fan who heard that, I will be hating the Germans even more. I had to control my anger when streaming the match. I had paid the price of supporting both national teams.
I had never forgotten the time when I watched an interview of Borussia Dortmund's Mladen Petric on DW-TV when before the interviewer asked him about the eventual goal which made England not qualifying for Euro 2008 that a footage of the Wembley was shown. I was very hurt and angry (I swear I could had thrown away the TV set out of anger). Okay, I need not watch the interview but, I was telling myself that there will be more subtle reminders towards the start of the tournament. And so the tournament began without any hassle (except for um, controversy on the pitch). All along the English fans always has a bad reputation on the international football stage when people talk about football hooligans, they will think of the English. So far, the rowdy German fans has been stealing the headlines.
Alright. Coming back to the reason of my first paragraph (italics excluded). I finally realised the impact the day after Croatia's 2-1 win over Germany when I was watching the Eurosport channel (which is on the pay-TV) and the 15-minute highlights of the Euro 2008 press conferences yesterday afternoon. I almost swear the lecture my English teacher used to give 10 years ago has returned in the form of when Germany coach Joachim Loew was speaking to the press. I don't think I had never seen him as stern as he was ever since he took over the coaching hotseat. He promised a different side against the co-hosts. Imagine a football coach is telling you this - 'You mark my words!'. I got that funny feeling it's like my former English teacher (who is a she even) saying like that in my face. Except for in my case, it was after I read a passage from the textbook (I was assigned to read it aloud), my English teacher was asking me why I read as if I am chopping vegetables.
It may be harsh to think of it now but imagine, I was only 11 then (I didn't cry after that, if you want to know). I almost got a rude shock. At the end of it, the chopping vegetables analogy made me realised there's also a technique even when it comes to reading articles aloud. Back to what I was trying to say (what you get when a football press conference reminded you of days gone by). So far in Euro 2008, there has been quotes which stood out and one especially stood out was the day after Germany's 2-1 loss to Croatia and when speaking about their next opponents Austria, Germany coach Joachim Loew has this to say - "I know as the group stands the Austrians will run for their lives," Loew told reporters. "They have a one-off chance to make themselves immortal in the public eye." My original source - here. I swear I almost stood up when I read that.
I am aware of Cordoba (Wikipedia's background story of sorts). Practically speaking, that is one thing I don't want to witness even though I wasn't born when Austria's 'Miracle of Cordoba' came about exactly 30 years ago in Argentina. But in a way after reading what Loew was saying (refer back to the previous paragraph), my heart is being torn into two. Look at this - I coming from a small country surrounded by more bigger neighbours...unless we accomplish something major that captures the world's attention, the respect is not going to be there. This is how the world works, unfortunately. For Austria, it has to see its bigger neighbour achieving more international successes on the football level. When I typed those out, it was simply as someone who come from an island nation. Not as a football fan. I don't want to open a can of worms given I also appreciate what our next-door neighbour Malaysia has and this comes after being there twice on holiday with my family.
I thought I was horrified when I read what was on the left of the link, especially on the brown shorts part. In a way, that was a sly reference to the attire the Nazi Party leader Adolf Hitler and his comrades wore. Or rather, Sturmabteilung (or I used to learn in History classes, 'SA' in short or in English in the History textbook at that time, 'brownshirts'). Playing mind games is common in football, I understand. But not in that way! And when I was reading the article on the right, I almost became 'silent' when I read how Bild reacted to the 2-1 loss at the hand of Croatia for the German national team. The English media was delighted! Croatia, the England-slayers (like what I had been reading these days), handing one of their biggest arch-rivals a defeat. A sense of schadenfreude.
When I was typing the first three paragraphs (except for the italics), I have to admit I was slightly angry at the defeat. It's like I'm seeing the England team before Fabio Capello becomes the manager. Not the Germany team I had known since the World Cup. But then there's a reason for the title. Coincidentally on that day, Erasure's A Little Respect was on the radio. I almost wanted to use Aretha Franklin's 'R-E-S-P-E-C-T' but then realising I had used 'Respect' before. I was thinking throughout the day as to why Croatia stole the show. We could be possibly witnessing a new era in football. As much as we may not like it, the winds have changed. Slowly. ESPN Soccernet has a theory as to why of the Germany loss - There was an attitude problem in the national team. After the 2-0 win over Poland, it's like as if of having the feeling that the team is invincible now.
Alright, I know it has been 12 years since the German national team had ever won a match on the European Championships. But has everyone got carried away? Not the coach himself. As one of England manager Fabio Capello's beliefs - 'You are only as good as your last match'. Like I had always said to myself when it comes to the subject of Germany's chances this time round, my most frank assessment is - 'Get past the group stages first, then we will talk.'. Already being an England supporter as well, I had experienced so many false hopes in the past. Which is why in view of Capello's CV, I am starting to have some faith in the Italian that he will finally do something. He had always admired the England of old, the England team whom he used to encounter in his playing days (when he was especially famous for scoring a goal at the Wembley on a friendly against the English, marking Italy's first win on English soil at the same time).
I don't know if I made a mistake of listening to Power 98 on Friday. Football Channel's Joe Morrison (if you have the channel on your pay-TV here, you will probably know him) was discussing about the match. He was in town recently. When discussing about the Croatia-Germany match, I don't know is it because he is English and if English football has taught us anything - Never appoint a former assistant as the head coach (especially maybe in the wake that Steve McClaren was once the assistant to Sven-Goran Eriksson). He was pointing out Germany coach Joachim Loew's former position. But then again, one has to start somewhere. Loew's counterpart Slaven Bilic was previously Croatia U-21 coach before taking on the senior reins.
After replaying what Morrison was saying in my head, I suddenly remembered of an entry on one of my unofficial football focus series where I attempt to tackle on the topic of whether former assistants make good head coaches. This was the one I am referring to. I was having the horrified thought that whether had I tackled the topic a little too early. What is for sure though, I suddenly felt weird for some reason when looking at the training photos from yesterday.
The idea behind the title of this entry - ABBA's The Winner Takes It All. Before I end, in my 'third voice' - Diana, it's not as if your life depends on the Austria-Germany encounter.
