LG’s Blog: A few things I’ve learned watching the 2018 Fifa World Cup (so far)
It has certainly been a World Cup of wackiness.
Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I assure you, it is much more serious than that. – Bill Shankly
Ah, the most common quote used in football articles and blogs.
I guess because I am from Benoni and pretty ‘common’ myself I will use it to.
Man, I adore this game.
Love it or hate it football is still the world’s most favourite sport (sorry, Americans and your baseball ‘World Series’ ).
This is why when the Fifa World Cup rolls around every four years folks get glued to their TV screens and suddenly everybody becomes a football pundit.
Suddenly an Afrikaans car-guard from Brakpan becomes Gary Lineker or Andy Townsend when the World Cup comes around.
All of a sardine you cannot even enjoy a chilled Uber ride without getting into a debate about a match.
Speaking of World Cup football pundits…
Eish, I cannot handle Tim Sherwood’s punditry.
The guy is as exciting as being a spectator at a game of bridge.
To be fair though, the dude did hand Harry Kane his debut at Tottenham about fours back.
Thank Tim, English fans.
Anyway, as we head into the semi-finals in Russia tonight, let me tell you what I have learned from football’s showpiece event so far…
The first lesson from the World Cup:
Neymar is a little female dog
Shame, that’s actually disrespectful to little female dogs.
Nay bra, Neymar…
Eish, this guy…
I grew up with a rugby-mad father who is not shy to express his thoughts about football and his disdain for the diving antics of some of the players.
I used to make excuses for the football players, but not anymore.
This nonsense needs to stop to salvage any respect the ‘Beautiful Game’ once had.
At least this oke is out of the tournament now.
Imagine Neymar coming face-to-face with Vinnie Jones:
Even one of my all-time favourites Eric Cantona weighed in on social media:
Neymar clearly hasn't been listening to Cantona's acting tips https://t.co/MN4bMX9zuj
— Eurosport (@eurosport) July 6, 2018
‘It’s coming home’
You have got to hand it to the English, they sure know how to create hype.
They have brought back an old song in the hopes of creating new memories.
Can Kane and co finally get England to another World Cup final (their last was in 1966)?
Will football come ‘home’?
Of course, King Eric Cantona had to weigh in on this as well:
Its Coming Home!! Its Coming Home!! Its Coming Home!! (via IG ericcantona) pic.twitter.com/Xh1HCvTKDX
— #GakEmYøGakMakan (@UnitedMansion) July 10, 2018
Some bets are just crazy
With World Cup draws taking place at offices around the country everybody had (or still has) a team to back.
I drew Croatia and will never forget saying:
They’re good, but they won’t win the World Cup.
I might just win my office draw.
Come on, Croatia!
One guy who knows how to have a laugh with a bet is Swedish legend Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Zlatan announced on social media that he would honour his World Cup bet with David Beckham.
The football stars bet on the outcome of the World Cup quarter-final match between England and Sweden.
According to the terms of the bet, Zlatan will now have to attend an England match at Wembley while wearing an England jersey and he will have to eat fish and chips.
The terms of the deal have been set 😂 #SWEENG pic.twitter.com/9bJ3D5nHWv
— LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) July 6, 2018
You stay classy, Benoni
So, I have a friend who just completed a road trip around Europe.
He managed to watch World Cup matches in Switzerland when the Swiss played Serbia, in France when the French team were in action against Argentina and in Belgium when they played England.
He comes to Benoni a few days later and ends up watching in my garage.
I suck at predictions
For a sports journo I sure do make poor predictions when it comes to major tournaments.
I said Argentina would take it and we all know how that went…
I will remain mum on who I think will take it now, but tonight and tomorrow’s semi-finals should be a treat.
It has certainly been an eventful World Cup indeed.
LG
* Please note that this is an opinion piece and that the views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Benoni City Times or Caxton Newspapers.
ALSO READ:
https://www.citizen.co.za/benoni-city-times/322837/sunday-read-things-learned-comrades-guy-actually-ran-comrades/
Check out some other blogs from this writer:
LG’s A to Z of a South African road trip
LG’s Blog: Things I’m learning while learning to run really far, like really, really, really far
LG’s Blog: Cough, cough… Comrades is around the corner (I just died)
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