Street Footballing Man
- 5 Jul 06, 06:18 PM
MUNICH - Contrary to popular belief, England have not been knocked out of the football tournament going on here in Germany. In fact, I just saw them convincingly win their latest game 5-2.
Their passing was slick, their skills put the opposition to shame and, at the final whistle, they saluted the crowd and hugged the Israeli/Palestinian team they’d just played off the park. Confused? You shouldn’t be because this is what we’ve come to expect from the Street Football World Cup.
Fifa President Sepp Blatter opened the tournament last week and six groups of four teams are battling it out in Kreuzberg (it’s the grungy part of Berlin) all week long to reach the final on Saturday.
England is in Group A, along with the Israel/Palestine peace team, Berlin (one of two teams representing Germany), Turkey, Poland and Norway. The 24 sides are playing for the trophy, named in honour of the Colombian player tragically killed after the 1994 World Cup.
We were filming at the street football for the next World Cup Daily and were mightily impressed with the quality on offer and the way in which the alternative rules – mixed teams, rolling substitutions and, amazingly, no referee which means that the teams raise their hands when a foul is committed – are adhered to.
What’s more, none of the players have had an easy life. They’ve been in trouble with the law, some have been homeless but everyone we spoke to carried themselves with immense dignity, proud to play for their country and bring the spirit of fair play to the competition.
And talk about talent: just wait until you check out the Norwegian players’ bag of tricks. It’s enough to make Ronaldinho jealous. Well, nearly.
Throw into the mix a diverse range of food at the various stalls, pitchside commentators who seemingly rap their way through the 12 minute matches, the laughably low one euro entry fee and some of the most entertaining football – bar none – on offer at the moment in Germany and you realise that the World Cup final in Berlin this Sunday isn’t the only game in town.
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having just watched the Portugal/France game I was totally astonished with the comment of Gary Lineker and co.
Yes France won and there is no argument how ever was that a lucky penalty or not? yes, why not say. Who played the better football Portugal, did they comment ? no, why because Portugal knocked England out of the competition. Who was player of the match, Ronaldo, did they mention that? no, why? because of the Rooney saga. What did Ronaldo have to do with Rooney being sent off? nothing. Rooney has a lot to learn before his skills equal those of Ronaldo and as for is temper, he has a long way to go. England are bad sportsmen and even worse losers be are biase and racist and unfortunaltely this comes from commentators and persons in respected positions hence this rflects on our supporters, hence the problems we face where ever we go. I think we need to learn what is sport and what is sportsmanship and this will will enhance our sportsmen, commentators and fans. Any game is sport and may the best man win however skill and talent should be recognised and this should be free of all biase. Gary Lineker and co are looked up to therefore they should be the pinacle of sportsmanship and non biase remarks
and I hope these remarks are passed on to them
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I tried to get into football with this world cup...i really did,and for a while i actually thought it was an ok sport...but i just as quickly began to dislike it.What a game for primadonnas! where do half these teams get their coaching? guliard? a sport that is won on convincing the referees with fantastic audacious acting especially in the form of writhing in a short stint of false agony after having been lightly brushed on the thigh by an opponant is no sport...i think these teams need to be introduced to a real sport...rugby. i have bared witness to many matches where men have been crunched by numerous others in one moment and still got up maybe with a slight grimace,thats a sport,or cricket,where taking a 161 Kilometer per hour hard ball on the fingers is a work hazard rather than a bookable offence. ill say it again,i did try to accept football as a sport,but now i can never,unless the rules with regards to fouls and penalties etc are seriously changed.
The beautiful game? i think not...a rather ugly one to be quite honest.
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I would also like to complain about the incredible anti Portugal bias on MOTD tonight. I was totally sickened by the comments and I hope someone is held to account.
Also, I find it hilarious that, after England are knocked out playing the worst football of the tournamant, the pundits STILL think they are better than the teams that are in the Semis.
As for Shearer saying that only 4 of the semi final players would get in the England team????????????.............mmmmmmmmmmmmmm, who would I rather have in my team, Robinson or Buffon or Lehman, thats a tricky one. Could you ask Alan which 7 Italians he would drop???
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C'mon Linda, that was a dead cert penalty, Henry had ridden the slide tackle and gone by Carvalho, who stuck his trailing leg out to trip him up and then pretended that it was an accident. And for your information, accident or otherwise he brought him down and never touched the ball, that according to the rules is a foul. I do agree that on the day Portugal were the better team, but what does that say about Englands performance Saturday? England were the better team with 10 players and lost. So being the better team doesn't guarantee you a win. And Portugal are cheats and fakers, everytime they got in the area they took a dive, the ref should have booked them but I'm sure the directive from FIFA was not to so that players didn't miss the final. Need proof that Portugal are cheats, well here's one for you, they got the most red and yellow cards in the tournament, somewhere in the region of 22. England by contrast had about 7.
Not sure where your accusation of racism comes in, bias maybe, but not racism, everytime someone argues the point with or about a foreigner doesn't mean they are racist. Maybe Lineker and Co should see your message so they can sue you for libel. And last I knew good sportsmanship doesn't include, waving imaginary cards at the ref, falling over blades of grass like you've been shot and then jumping up as soon as the ref calls for the stretcher and diving to get freekicks or penalties. All of which I've seen way too much of this World Cup, and the worse offenders have been the Portuguese. I don't recall to many, if any incidents like that from English players, or for that matter the Italians, French or Germans. And before you tag me as being a bitter England fan, well I'm not, I live in the USA.
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Lol, when I heard Alan Shearer saying that only three or four players from the semifinalists would get a game for England I almost wet myself.
Zidane, Henry, Ballack, Gattuso, Buffon, Lehman, Zambrotta, Klose, Figo, Maniche, Deco, Viera, Ribery, Cannavaro, Thuram, Makelele, Totti, Trezeguet..........
I could go on but Shearer's claim was ludicrous.
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Anderson; Impressive line-up but your lack of Theo Walcott is shocking!
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Really pleased you guys have taken a visit to Kreuzberg to see the Street Football 06. I was there during the period you filmed . A good friend from Norway who is responsable for the Norwegian team website took me along and I chatted with a few of the teams. The quality of football and trickery on display along with the commitment to fair play is hugely refreshing after watching the professionals for the last four weeks.
Can the world cup daily only be viewed in England? I know the Norwegian team would be interested to see what the match of the day team have to say.
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