Sometimes its hard to be an Aussie living overseas. For some reason its only the news stories that reinforce our cultural cringe that seem to make it to the rest of the world. I cringed in Madrid when Pauine Hanson went global. I winced in London during the "tamper crisis". I pulled my hat down over my eyes in Napoli when Australia would not sign the Kyoto protocol. But I have never been quite as ashamed as I was in Singapore when the Socceroos sent out a team without a striker.
On my arrival back in Vietnam I ordered a Pizza. The delivery guy asked if I was Australian, then laughed. Then said "Foootball" then laughed. Then said "Ozzie Football" then shook his head and laughed a little more.
"I don't see Vietnam at the finals!" I said as his motor bike flew across the rice paddy.
When I met the two Vietnamese friends who had sworn to be honorary Ozzies for the world cup, they smugly counted their winnings on the game, one have picked 4-0 exactly. Think I will watch the Ghana game in the expat bar after all.
Putting Tim Cahill up front simultaneously denied the team a proper outlet and deprived the team of it's best midfielder. A masterstroke of self self sabotage. Cahill is our only world class outfielder - why play him out of position?? If Kennedy is not good enough to start, why bring him?? Why bring no one else??? AArrhhh.
At least the situation demands a more attacking strategy for the next two games.
PS: Ozil - wow!
Australia: The laughing stock of round 1.
Posted by: MattG | June 17, 2010 at 12:07 PM
Oh too true. Everyone over here in Vietnam is saying "well germany have been the most impressive team so far... but then, it was only Australia so who knows..."
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