Kurse...

24th June 2008, Tuesday

I felt I am one that is ladened with curse in terms of live sporting events...especially football...
Whenever I catch a crucial game of my beloved Netherlands team live, they would bound to lose (quite a few occasions with the Red Devils as well)...
However I didn't had the luxury of watching the Euro 2008 Quarterfinals tie between the high flying Dutchmen against the Russians a few nights back.

With Portugal and Croatia, fellow group leaders being knocked out by their QF opponents, I had a bad premonition on Friday that the Dutch would follow suit.
How spot on was I to much regret....

The Oranje lost meekly to the former Soviet Union state by 1-3 after extra time...
The crucial factor of the loss as many proclaimed might be that the Dutch had been over confident or with a good week of rest the actual first eleven just couldn't continue playing that devastating style that unhinge the 2 World Cup finalists in the group stage.
However the key might lies in the miracle man, Guus Hiddink who is Dutch by nationality.
Once again, he took an unfancied team to unprecedented echelons... After claiming hero status in Seoul and perhaps Canberra/ Sydney, the journeyman looked set to have another statue erected in Moscow after he wisely explored the deficiencies of his countrymen, several of which he might had coached in the past as the Russians came on top against the odds.

Their opponents for the semis, Spain broke their own "22nd June" curse by ousting World Champions, Italy via the penalty shootout.

It sure broke the hoodoo or maybe even the conspiracy theory of seasoned campaigners Germany and Italy will meet in the finals despite their indifferent start to the tournament...The former will then lose to carbon copy 2002 World Cup as the season saw Michael Ballack saw his domestic league championship evaporated on the last day of competition while losing a domestic cup and Champions League as well
That could still happen, just that the opponents would not be Italy but Russia or Spain...Well not if I am watching it live on TV though, Germany would be bouyed by my curse

Foo & I also had the "voodoo aura" to curse the team we support for live matches which go 4 matches strong now (longer for him especially for the Lions)

After witnessing Sengkang's seconds to a good draw against SAF at home then the exciting 7-3 mauling of the Lions by Uzbekistan, we had our first taste of football at the Jalan Besar Stadium, the new ground for the grand matches now that Kallang is finally closed for the revamp, after that woeful lost to the Saudis by the Lions.

However with a winnable game against Dalian Shide Shiwu, the Dolphins' defense went into shambles as they concede 2 soft goals against the Chinese satellite team which is having a bad patch themselves in the league and ultimately lost the game, missing the great opportunity to climb out of the cellar.
We were curious why 2 crucial foreign talents didn't featured in the starting line-up with one we saw strolling to the stadium from the MRT station with us.
It surely must be the curse which we brought with us to affect the teams we support...surely hope some timely removal of this curse could happen real soon...
We are now planning to catch the Dolphins' trip to the daunting Tampines Stadium coming Saturday against the Stags which might see the trend continues...

Japanese word of the day: 悪態 (Curse) When will this curse be ever lifted??