....and who will win the 2010 FIFA World Cup in waka-waka land?

Having been World Cup crazy since the 60’s let me share with you issues about football styles in the World Cup competitions.

It changed dramatically after 1970....and Malaysia was about to come into the big picture!

Brazil was no longer the dominant samba power it once was and England, the great inventor of the game, had lost its way...kekeke....till today.

....and Rooney? ....Rooney who? Did he play recently? You mean Alfred Rooney?---------------->

Brazilian samba football and Italian catenaccio were spent forces, while "Total Football," noted for its inter-changeability and versatility, ruled the game.

"Total Football" came to the 1974 competition in West Germany, just two years after the Munich Olympics Massacre in 1972 where 11 Israeli athletes were killed. (Yeah, terrorism isn’t a new thing). 

The Malaysian Football Team qualified for 1972 Olympics in Munich by beating Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Philippines. They even defeated the United States 3-0 but lost the other 2 matches losing 3-0 to West Germany and 6-0 to Morocco. We were that good. With a team like that, Malaysians started to dream about introducing "keronchong" or "silat" football into the World Cup in 1974 or 1978!

The World Cup in 1974 was played against a backdrop of tension and unease, without Malaysia, and of course I watched the final in tension and unease too; only to lose a heavy bet!

In total football, a player who moved out of his position was instantly replaced by a fellow teammate, thus retaining the team's intended organizational structure. In this fluid arrangement I observed that the Spanish were better than the Germans at the recent 2010’s semi-final. No player was tied down to their assigned position; any player could be an attacker, a midfielder and a defender. And it wasn’t a Spanish striker who scored.

Yes, we’ll get to see more total football in action this Sunday between Spain and the Netherlands in WaKa wAkA Land. It should be a loud and exciting ”vuvuzela” match, and as usual – I expect the Spanish to be the matador, the exhibitionists, the ones who’ll display style and hopefully, kill the Dutch Cow that gives us Dutch Lady UHT. If that happens, we’ll have no more milk, so wage for the Dutch to win this time, kekeke!

....and sometimes I wonder why a cumulative viewing audience of 30 billion people around the world has actually watched the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

Now I think it is simple; because the World Cup is important. It brings the human race together.... at least for a month of togetherness... a lot of finger foods, lotsa beers & bets, annual leave, sick leave, silly excuses to get away from work, good conversation tag lines, stories of untold but short-lived miseries for some and instant happiness for others; ....and of course, bleary “panda” eyes during working time.

No wonder we always look forward to the World Cup even though Malaysia has slipped to number 8 out of the 208 FIFA member countries count – from the bottom up!

In 1980, Malaysia qualified yet again for the 1980 Olympics, but boycotted it for political reason.


.

........Malaysia Boleh! (Malaysia Can!)....Malaysia can do anything! The whole world better watch out for grand-pops in Kapitan Soh Chin Aun and Santokh Singh (the great Malaysian footballers of yester-years) may well make a come-back to the game. At least they have done so in recent TV advertisements...hehehe...

Otherwise, our girls are gonna make an all-new Malaysian team for the next World Cup...and start a new football style!

....and will Germany beat Spain in this World Cup 2010 semi-final?

It's just a few hours away from the World Cup semi-final between Germany and Spain.

My hands are getting itchy, and I might as well pen my thoughts right here and now....to continue from yesterday's blog.

Spain is a good team, slick passes and no doubt about this - they're good! ....and they have David Villa! They have the matador spirit in their genes, so basically, they are exhibitionists. They must remember that possession is not enough to win the match. Bull-fighters must always finish their job, not to entertain the crowd for a long time unless they want to be killed by the bull.

Germany's efficiency and precise co-ordination is a serious plus point! ....and they have Miraslov Klose!

They have good fluids in their mechanical set-up, they're dead against Spanish bull-fighting styles.  They are more into running an efficient fighting machine! I am confident this machine will work well in a few hours time.

Never mind if Thomas Muller is on a one match suspension - it looks like Klose is gonna wrap up ("Ta-Pau") Spain. It should be an exhilarating and adrenalin pumping match, and I'm standing by the young and dynamic Germany to progress into the finals!

I have more than enough Heineken & Paulaner in stock to watch that happen afterwards. I am well-prepared!

Yeah, then they'll meet Holland. ....and as I predicted, Holland is now in the finals. Don't get me wrong, I'm no soothsayer, I have no crystal ball and neither do I do tarots. But I'm yearning for that deja vu - Germany vs Holland in the final as it happened in the World Cup Final at Munich in 1974.

It will be one hell of a re-match after 36 years!

That I am dying to see. I'm keeping my fingers crossed, Germany to win - and win they definitely will, if Germany puts in the first goal. If that happens, Spain will be pulverised! But if Spain puts in the first goal, then it's a done deal - I'll have to eat German Sausage everyday for lunch, everyday for 3 weeks!

Good luck to those who are with Spain. Have a Spanish beer on me. Drink a--------------->>

....and just for laughs, I'm happy that Stephen Chow the Shao-Lin footballer is not in any of those two teams....kekeke, that will be hilarious!.. WAkA, WaKa, wAka!!!

....and the World Cup brings the human race together!

Let me tell you why suddenly, there is quietness in this blog.

Blogger has been watching the World Cup matches and has no time to blog! Kekekeke!....I suppose followers also had no time to read my blogs as this football mania continues to infect the world. So I'm keeping quiet.

But I can't resist blogging on the World Cup now as it enters the semi-final and final stage.

I like football.

Man, I LUV football.... not so much in playing now, but enjoying world-class games on big HDTV screens with beers, finger foods & buddies each night watching this World Cup matches.

Reminiscing the days of footballing, I remember playing for my primary Hutching's School team, and it was a tremendous experience. Most of the time we lost...hehehee, and it was normally because of me? I was a goal-keeper by virtue of my height, ....but I let in a lot of goals!...hehehee (again). But then again, I don't mind being scape-goated as I was a lousy goal-keeper. I would have done better at the flanks, but coach would have nothing of that!

So at the end of a match with another school, it's always, "You lah!...so tall, still can't catch those 3 high balls!.... lousy goal-keeper!"

"You lah!.... so short still want to play football! Can't even hold back the attack!....you lousy full backs!," I'd retort childishly.

At the end of the day, however, we'd leave all those behind us and look forward to the next game. That was the kind of comradeship I still value to this day. Football is a very challenging game that revolves around team-work. Skills in the defending, attacking, ball control and set-pieces are essential of course.

But we lacked the skills. We worked extra hard to be a good team, but we somehow can't raise our skills level. We played in the rain, we played even on the roads and bumpy playground in Penang Youth Centre. We had a Mr. Khoo, our PE teacher as a coach and team manager, and a lady, yes, lady teacher assisting him. Little wonder we normally lose!.... hahaha, scape-goating again, huh? But since when have we seen a lady assistant manager in a football team?

My craze for football still continues; adrenalin still pump hard inside of me everytime I watch a world class football game. Back in 1974, and about to start my apprenticeship in Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong for a meagre HK$10/- per day, the World cup came on. But then in Malaysia, the only live telecasts were the semi-final & final.

We had no TV, and my usual chums of the gang went around the neighbouhood looking for a kind soul who would let us into their home to watch the final between West Germany and . Holland. Yes, there was a kind soul - and we went in after placing a bet with him. Our gang picked Holland, and we were so happy when Holland put in an early goal. We giggled and giggled non-stop.... giggle, giggle, money i$ coming.

Then West Germany equalised. We still believed Holland would win.....and finally the cruncher came -West Germany scored again, and won their second World Cup title in 20 years as they beat the Dutch 2-1.

This was the first tournament shot in color for television audiences all over the world - and we were watching it in black and white. Suddenly, the faces on my gang members went pale!... or colourless, if I may say so! We split the loss evenly between 10 of us. A cool RM100 each!....almost a month of my apprenticeship allowance in Hong Kong gone! Of course, mum & dad didn't know....it will be hell if they do. But Cheekiat, of course knew, he was the leader who picked Holland - and we both had a well-kept secret from our parents.

We were no rich kids, so we had to pay back in 3 installments. Giggle, giggle....not us, the kind soul who let us in to watch the match....damn!

I have learned my lesson well. Many people who don't even have any passion for football at other times get caught betting heavily beyond their means during the World Cup. To them I suggest they buy a World Cup's trophy that is cloned, weighs 3kg like this ------>

....and live happily ever after. I have been football happy for 20 years. With each World Cup season, I look at the trophy, and back at those days with a lot of sentimental happiness. Giggle, giggle, giggle....kekeke!....(forget the golf)

Come together, enjoy the remaining matches, and if I may forecast Gemany to beat Holland in the final this time? A little bet, about history repeating itself?....

....A black beer & a grilled fish, Holland to be grilled!! Any takers?