Russian fan in Vienna (image by axinia)
I really watched the match! 🙂 For someone who does not watch TV since years it is really something special. I used to watch football some years ago, so I basically know what it is about. Not every play is captivating, some are really boring. This time I was lucky enough to enjoy a good play – the young Russian team was fast and successful.
Austria is in football mood now – I would not say that Austrians are great fans and keen on that thing, but marketing and PR people are doing a their job and the crowd is being brain washed to participate and buy all sorts of products in connection with that. At some point it gets too much…
Now let me use this topic and share my thoughts on football.
WHAT I LIKE ABOUT FOOTBALL: watching a play, following the ball attentively one gets thoughtless. that is almost like a mediation. It is a great effect. Apart from that one is not alone and is kind of connected to millions of others watching it at the same time. Thus, football is a kind of a collective mediation.:)
WHAT I DO NOT LIKE ABOUT FOOTBALL: when it comes to the matches between national teams, it raises racist and chauvinistic feeling in a public. People start hating each other just for being on the other side, which is disgusting. In a way it works for patriotism, but at the hight cost of hate… Basically it does not help people to come together.
WHAT IS BEHIND FOOTBALL: a very good marketing strategy and corporate interests – the football is being pushed to the cult status. Rather unnaturally. For there are many other good games that could have been at its place.
LOVE; axinia
axinia
1000 petals by axinia 
Ah. When you said ‘I did it’, I thought scored a goal 🙂
Watching a good football game is indeed a meditation. Tennis is even better in this respect.
What more, playing a sport is very much a exercise in self-awareness. You know your limits, You are humbled, you learn to respect others. And it clears your mind so easily. What more does one need out of it? These people look pathetic when they use sports to sell toothpaste, etc. They are just desperate in these competitive times. So don’t hate them Axina, feel sorry for them.
“For they don’t know what they are doing.”
Swaps,
I dont knoe how to hate… I do feel sorry, you are right.
I watched it too and was delighted with the way the Russians played! I could not watch the exciting game between Russia and Holland as I was very tired and went to bed early. Russia knocked out the Dutch who played some fabulous football in the league stage! Coongratulations to the Russians for playing some superb soccer!
Raj, I went last night to the Fanzone and was watiching the Russian-Holland match. It was fascianting! I really enjoed the play of our boys, and I was happy to see that there is some hope for our nation (I mean that the men are not all alcoholics and looser, as many unfortunately are). Russians have many great qualities and I pray that the revivl of Russia (in all aspects, and also in footbal) will continue!
I loved the counter-attacking style of soccer with which the Russians played against Sweden, Axinia. I am going to watch the highlights of the Russia-Holland game tonight before the live match. I guess the Russians outlpayed the Dutch in their own style of play – total football!
they did,Raj!
and they were actulally better! 🙂 Apparently faster and in better physicall form (because they are the youngest team?).
Raj, What is really interesting is the following reaction of the Dutch fans:
“Still ,with a mixture of defiance and disappointment, they celebrated a final ‘Oranje-Party’ in Basel before making their disheartened departure. Now, ironically, they have their fingers crossed for Guus Hiddink’s Russia, in the hope that at least one Dutchman will become a European champion. (:))”
http://www.euro2008.uefa.com/countries/cities/city=1191/news/newsid=725299.html#basel+marks+oranje+party
The Dutch are very interesting people indeed! They not only play total football, but also live a total life! 🙂
… let’s wait for the next match against Spain. I hope, we all see a great match.
Juding by the last Italy-Spain match, Spain`s performance was rather poor.. I am sure the Russians will finally reveal all their powers. I heard Gus Hiddkin called the Russian team “sleeping giant”. 🙂