the other football

Grzegorz Lato

The first international football player that ever caught my eye was Grzegorz Lato.  The two Johanns were flirting with me at the time.  But every time I saw a game, it was always little Lato who was winning the ball, passing, running into space, popping up in the box and scoring.  No tricks.  Just the basics done perfectly.

Tusk to do a Zapatero

If the early returns are any indication, Poland has elected a new government. Donald Tusk's Civic Platform party looks to have won with 44 per cent of the vote.  The turnout was over 55%, about 54.9% higher than turnout in Fallujah in the recent Iraqi poll. 

Tusk (pictured above) has promised to pull Polish troops out of Iraq next year.

If you were paying attention to the US Media recently you would not have known that all sorts of Shiite militiamen have been regularly bombarding the Polish Base at Diwaniya (in the relatively quiet, predominately Shia South).  The Poles are fighting, among others, Sadr's splitters (when they themselves are not fighting Sadr's loyalists), who themselves are engaged in daily skirmishes with Hakim's loyalists, many of whom are ensconced in the local Iraqi police force.  (It's so confusing the US media doesn't even begin to attempt to report, let alone explain it.) 

In proclamations sent to the Polish Occupiers in Iraq and in graffiti all over the streets around Diwaniya, there are regular appeals to Polish resentment of Soviet occupation, saying, "We know you were under occupation and how much you suffered, remember how much you suffered." 

It seems the Polish have got the message.

The Pigeon Carries China to Africa

Myanmar's World Cup is almost over.  China thumped them 7-0 yesterday.  Myanmar can now go back to exporting oil, while oil companies remind their shareholders that it's not their fault most of the world's supply is located in non democratic states.

Unlike India, China knew they had to go Belichickian if they were have any chance of representing in South Africa.  The appointment of Vladimir "Pižon" Petrović to coach Chinese national team in early September was smart.  Very smart.

Despite the scoreline, China's coach Vladimir "Pižon" Petrović had little praise for his team, whom he criticised for squandering more than a dozen clear-cut opportunities.  "I'm not satisfied with the finishing and the midfield,"  Petrović told China's Xinhua news agency. "The players wasted too many chances to score and the midfielders should have pressured the rivals more. The players felt a little bit nervous at the beginning but gradually they got into form and scored goals," added the wily Serb.

Petrović made his Red Star Belgrade debut in 1971.  He was only 16.  He won 5 Yugoslav titles with famed club and 34 caps for Yugoslavia. 

Petrović was an assistant coach at Red Star Belgrade when they won European Champions Cup in 1991.  He has since quietly developed his coaching technique with the at the U21 level with Serbia and Montenegro and in the Chinese domestic game.  He led Dalian Shide to the Chinese double in 2005. 

I think this Pigeon knows his way to Africa.

A Scottish Hero Speaks

Maradona ain't feeling Argentina right now. 

After securing their second 2-0 win in their World Cup qualifier in Maracaibo, Maradona told Argentine television, "I'm tired and bored of watching them pass the ball backwards. They gave it to Riquelme, he played it backwards; they gave it to (Javier) Mascherano, he played it backwards, it's no good at all.

You tell 'em, Diego.

FIFA and China Bang the Drum

FIFA has moved the second leg of China's World Cup qualifier against Myanmar to Malaysia.  Myannar had been scheduled to host China in Yangon on October 28. FIFA said the decision had been taken after requests from the Myanmar and Chinese football associations.  FIFA has still to announce the exact venue for the match since Kuala Lumpur is already staging a qualifier between Malaysia and Bahrain the same day. A FIFA spokesman said no decision had been taken on future Myanmar home matches but FIFA was monitoring the situation on an "ongoing basis".  China host the first leg against Myanmar in Foshan, in southern Guangdong province, this Sunday. (I am sure the ref knows the score.)

Another Uruguayan First

La República Oriental del Uruguay was the first nation to officially recognize the 1915 Armenian genocide.  Uruguay has had many firsts.  The first national health system in South America.  The first national football association to select blacks players to represent.  Much respect to the Celeste!

April 20, 1965

Law No. 13.326

Day of Remembrance for the Armenian Martyrs

Legislative Power.

The Senate and House of Representatives of Uruguay meeting in the General Assembly, Decree

Article 1.
Declares the following 24th of April "Day of Remembrance for the Armenian Martyrs", in honor of the members of that nationality slain in 1915.
Article 2.
The stations of the Official Radio Service must on that date conduct part of their broadcast in honor of the mentioned nation.
Article 3.
Armenian descendants who are public servants are authorized to miss work on the mentioned date.
Article 4.
Designate with the name of "Armenia", the 2nd Grade School, No. 156, in the Department of Montevideo.
Article 5.
Communicate, etc.

Senate chambers, in Montevideo, the 20th of April, 1965
Martin R. Echegoyen
President
Jose Pastor Salvanach
Secretary

The Cotonu Accord

Sevilla have returned my other favourite Uruguayan forward Ernesto Javier Chevantón into their squad after a change to the rules governing the eligibility of non-European Union players. 

The Spanish Football Federation recently approved a ruling that meant African players in the Primera Liga would no longer occupy positions allocated for non-EU players.  Chevantón was dropped when Sevilla signed Ivorian Arouna Kone from PSV Eindhoven in August. (Colombia defender Aquivaldo Mosquera and Brazilian forward Luis Fabiano had the club's other two available places.)

The Cotonu Accord, which was signed in Benin by the EU and the 77 members of the Association of African, Caribbean and Pacific states in 2000 and ratified by the Spanish parliament in April last year, agreed to treat workers from those nations as EU citizens. 

That's some useful legislation right there. 

(Now if only there was some legislation in Uruguay that could make Tabárez pick Chevantón and Zalayeta!)

Luis Suárez Miramontes

Luis Suárez was born in Galicia in 1935.  "Luisito" learned his football on the beaches of La Coruña and would beome a Spanish hero. 

Luisito began his career at Hercules, an Amateur Galician club, before moving to Deportivo La Coruña.  He moved from Deportivo to Barca in 1954, and from Barcelona to Inter in 1961, for whom he played 328 games, scoring 55 goals, and with whom he won two European Cups in 1964 and 1965. He was capped 32 times for Spain between 1957 and 1966, and scored 13 goals.

Helenio Herrera, the Catenaccio master, who took Suárez to Inter once said of his protégé, “Inter is great but Suarez is the prophet.” Suarez’s job was to create.  In Italy, they called him "L'architetto".

His then record move to Milan in 1961 was resented by many in Spain and he was labelled "El italiano" in the not the most adoring of tones.  His genius eventually overcame this.

In the 1964 European Championship Semi Final Suárez provided the pass for Amancio to score the winner against Hungary. In the final against the Soviet Union he created both of Spain's goals. 

He was the man who broke the spell of Lev Yashin. 

* 1964 was the only time has Spain has won a major tournament.  Franco refused to allow then favourites Spain to play against the Soviet Union in the later stages of the tournament in Moscow in 1960.  Franco had to make different local political calculations when the Soviet Union came to Spain in 1964.

Moshe Dayan was a Real Madrid Fan

El Pais led with the story that on Wednesday that the Zapatero government reached an agreement "to ensure that all Franco-era plaques, street names and statues that still adorn Spanish cities and towns are removed once the controversial "Law of Historical Memory" goes into effect.

I wonder if there are any Franco-era plaques remaining at the Santiago Bernabéu?  Maybe my Spanish correspondent can report with some knowledge? 

Franco's allegiances need no clarification.  But Don Santiago was his own man.  I am reminded of story when the Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball team was playing in Madrid. 

Don Satiago took off his golden Real Madrid insignia and pinned it on the chest of Israeli general Moshe Dayan who was proud of being a faithful Real Madrid supporter. This unprecedented act was problematic for the Spanish government, since Franco’s regime didn’t recognise the state of Israel.  It caused great gnashing of teeth - real and false - in the Franquista hierarchy for Don Santiago.

Fazul Abdullah Mohammed

"Mohammed likes to wear baseball caps and tends to dress casually.  He is very good with computers."  This from the folks in hot pursuit of Osama bin Laden.

The Moroni native is wanted in connection with the US Embassy bombings in East Africa.

The various agencies chasing this character should keep on eye on any establishments broadcasting the match in East Africa.  Smokin' 'Em Out.

Welcome to the Union of the Comoros

Antananarivo was the scene for the first African qualifier for the 2010.  It was a special occasion not only because it was first African qualifier on the road to South Africa, but also becuase it marked the first World Cup qualifying appearance for the visiting Comoros Islands.  The Comoros Islands joined joined FIFA in 2005.

Dreams of South Africa were on when Daoud Midtadi opened the scoring for the Comoros after only six minutes, but the more experienced Madagascar pulled it together after half an hour when Fanaia Andriatsima replied with the first of his four goals.  Madagascar went on to win the tie 6-2.

The Comoros has it all to do in Moroni on November 17th.

Birthday Boys

The Other Football is back.  I have been engaged in a couple of birthday celebrations.  First, my own on Monday.  The Guinness began to flow in the East Village on Sunday afternoon while watching some Colonial Egg Chasing from Texas.  The Guinness continued at Franks in Fort Greene.  The Jazz was smoooth too. At midnight, the saucy bartender prepared an "Irish Car Bomb" or was it a "Bliss".  Last night, Siddhartha celebrated his birthday. I  raised a glass of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo in his honour.  It was a pleasure to share the evening with his radio colleagues.  And much respect to Jay and Yemi too.

Radio Free Football

In Côte d'Ivoire, a soap opera series about football players from different ethnic backgrounds is being used to enhance a sense of national identity.  Funded by the European Commission and the Skoll Foundation, the series airs on 14 local radio stations, including ONUCI FM, the station of the UN peacekeeping mission. The UN also supports 10 community radio stations with similar programming, to counter the impact of negative media by various factions.

I Have Seen the Promised Land

One migrant squandered his chance to show his mastery of the football.  The promising Ashkan Dejagah had played over 25 games for German youth teams, but this week refused to travel to Israel.

The German tabloid Bild reported the Iranian born Dejagah as saying "It has political reasons." Bild has echoed calls from prominent Germans for Dejagah's exclusion from the national team.

With Dejagah in the Fatherland, the Israeli and German U21s played out an exciting 2-2 draw in front of 10,000 spectators at the Israel National Stadium in Ramat Gan. 

Dejagah is no longer a "promising" player.  He's got extra baggage.  But he would still be welcome in Israel.

The promising Maor Buzaglo could pick him up at Ben Gurion.  Maor could then drive Ashkan to a Yekkes community in Netanya and pick up a few translators, and if he needs more help understanding, I am sure they could find a few Iranian Jews in Netanya too.  They could listen to a Maurice Motamed cassette in the van.  The Yekkes wouldn’t object.  I am sure they would bring plenty of reading.  After lunch, Ashkan could go to Jerusalem and to the Temple Mount to get his prayer on.  And if praying is not his thing, he could slip into the ‘Underground’ for a few Gold Stars.  The next day, Ashkan could go to the Yad Vashem.  There he could learn the Jewish tradition of Vehigadeta Lebincha.  And if the lad needed to clear his head after a visit to the Temple Mount and Yad Vashem and a day in the van with Germans and Iranians, Moar could take him to his club, Bnei Sakhnin.  He could tour the Doha Stadium and then just play football with some of the lads in Nazareth. 

It would be a beginning.

Les enfants d'immigrés

The French scored six goals in Torshavn yesterday afternoon.  Henry and Anelka scored a goal a piece in the first half.  Anelka's goal was offside, of course.  The second by Henry matched Platini's record.  France introduced two other children of immigrants in the second half.  Karim Benzema headed France's third after 49 minutes and grabbed another from a Henry pass in the 79th minute.  Hatem Ben Arfa scored in the 90th.  Karim Benzema was born to Algerian parents in Lyons. He is 19. Hatem Ben Arfa was born to Tunisian parents in Clamart.  He is 20.

 

L'émigrant

Toutes les gares se ressemblent
Et tous les ports crèvent d'ennui
Toutes les routes se rassemblent
Pour mener vers l'infini
Dans la cohue de l'existence
Se trouve toujours un passant
Qui n'a pas eu de ligne de chance
Et qui devint un émigrant

Regarde-le comme il promène
Son coeur au-delà des saisons
Il traverse des murs de haine
Des gouffres d'incompréhension
A chaque nouvelle frontière
Espérant enfin se fixer
Il fait une courte prière
Vers ce ciel qui l'a oublié

Regarde-le, il déambule
Sans jamais savoir ou il va
Il marche comme un somnambule
Et les gens le montrent du doigt
Le monde entier file la haine
Le ciel là-haut n'y comprend rien
Les heureux forment une chaîne

En se tenant par la main
Pas moyen d'enter dans la danse
Le calendrier a son clan
Si tu n'a pas de ligne de chance
Tu resteras un émigrant

Regarde-le comme il promène
Son coeur au-delà des saisons
Il traverse des murs de haine
Des gouffres d'incompréhension
A chaque nouvelle frontière
Espérant enfin se fixer
Il fait une courte prière
Vers ce ciel qui l'a oublié

Regarde-le, il déambule
Sans jamais savoir ou il va
Il marche comme un somnambule
Et les gens le montrent du doigt
Mais pour écouter sa misère
Le ciel un jour le fait tomber
Les bras en croix, face contre terre
Pour embrasser la liberté

Rober Isak Eryol

Rober Isak Eryol was born in 1930 in the port city of Mersin.

The Eyrol family moved to the Taksim district of Istanbul in 1937.  Eryol joined Galatasaray when he was 16 years old. 

Eyrol said, “After I played for different Amateur teams in Istanbul, I was wanted by clubs in Beyoglu and Taksim.  I did not want to play for any of them.  At the time, only ethnic minorities used to play for those teams.  I was advised to play for them because I was a non-Muslim.  I refused.  I felt that I am a Turkish.  So I decided to play for Galatasaray.  I wanted to prove that as a Turkish citizen, I am not different.  I proudly proved this by playing for Galatasaray and the Turkish National team.”

Eyrol was a left-half back.  He played for Galatasaray for 6 seasons, winning the Istanbul League four consecutive times in 1955, 56, 57, and 1958. (1957 Galatasaray team pictured left.)

Eyrol earned 9 Turkish caps, including 3 appearances for Turkey during the World Cup Finals in Switzerland in 1954.

I first learned about Rober Isak Eryol when I saw his picture in a display at the Jewish Museum in Istanbul. I was not surprised when practically every Galatasaray supporter I met knew of the great of Robert Isak Eryol.  I even managed to share a rice pudding on the Bosphorous with an elderly Turkish Jewish lady who knew the great man.

Eryol passed away in 2000 in Maltepe, Istanbul.

FC Smyrna

The Ottoman Empire had a problem with organized football clubs and football competitions.  Despite this, Thessaloniki and Izmir were hotbeds of the game in the late 19th century.

Turkey’s first club was FC Smyrna. (The most beautiful women in Turkey are from Izmir.  Fact.)

Folks in Istanbul finally caught on in a big way by 1895, when games were held in Kadıköy and Moda.  By the early 1900s, the best sides from Istanbul were playing against Izmir’s champions.  Izmir battered them every time.

Most ‘Turkish’ players in those days were Armenian, English, Greek, and Jewish.

Here's FC Smyrna’s Jewish support enjoying a pre-match bevy.

The Armenian Genocide

Some Turks wish they could forget the Armenian Genocide.  Others deny it.  And the same mass media that kicks the term “Genocide” around with all the gusto of a pre match warm-up when discussing Western Sudan, tend to lose control when forced to entertain the history of Eastern Armenia.

Tom Lantos is a Hungarian Holocaust survivor, and knows a thing or two about dual-use cattle cars, deportation, death marches, firing squads, gang rapes, mass graves.  Lantos deserves much respect for leading the House Foreign Affairs to this vote.  Speaker Nancy Pelosi has promised to bring the resolution to the full House.  (I wonder how many Holocaust deniers will break their metatarsals before this vote?)

In case you missed it on the BBC or CNN, or if your weekly glossy, glossed over it, or if a spineless Washington columnist said, “something very much like Genocide happened to the Armenians happened 92 years ago”, let me tell you how it went it down.

3 million Armenians were marched from their homes toward the lands that became modern day Syria and Iraq in 1915.  They were dehumanized in concentration camps along the way.  1.5 million Armenians died between 1915 and 1917, either at the hands of Turkish forces (which included Kurds) or of starvation. The New York Times reported at the time, "the roads and the Euphrates are strewn with corpses of exiles... It is a plan to exterminate the whole Armenian people."

The archives are chilling.  Talaat Pasha, the Turkish Interior minister, cabled an instruction to his prefect in Aleppo about what he should do with the tens of thousands of Armenians in his city. "You have already been informed that the government... has decided to destroy completely all the indicated persons living in Turkey... Their existence must be terminated, however tragic the measures taken may be, and no regard must be paid to either age or sex, or to any scruples of conscience."

Who was it in 1939 who said, "Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?"

Porterfield Remembered at The Republican

The Republican Stadium in Yerevan will have its first chance to honour the late Ian Porterfield on Saturday.  Serbia are the visitors.  It promises to be an emotional occasional.

Under Porterfield, Armenia became winners for the first time in their football history.  Porterfield brought belief to Yerevan, bringing the quintessential ‘Scotsman’ attitude to their football.

Porterfield was not so well known outside the Wear and Zambezi, although in his time he managed Aberdeen, Chelsea and Sheffield United, among others.  (When at Aberdeen, he rejected a young lad from the Eastern Cape, for reasons too complicated to get into here; the lad ended up staying with me for a few months in Liverpool.  Sean developed an Olympian thirst for ale and unfortunately went the way of most bright teenage football prospects.)

When Armenia turned Poland over at The Republican last June, it marked the first time Armenia has won two consecutive football matches.  Portugal followed in August, only scraping a draw thanks to Christiano Ronaldo equalizer. Said Porterfield, after the Poland result, "It's wonderful for the people here. The flags are out in the street. The president came to see me. Och…it's lifted this country so much. It's just what this country needs.”

I think even Turkey may have quaked at the prospect of playing a Porterfield team.

Ian Porterfield died of colon cancer last month, aged 61.  He is pictured above with the FA Cup.  Porterfield scored the winning goal for Sunderland against Leeds in the 1973 FA Cup Final.  "Porterfield 1-0!"

Armenians will not forget him.

Too Late to Talk Turkey

The Turks don't have to worry about the pronouncements of religious authorities anymore.  Turkey has other burdens. 

"The Armenian Genocide" and "Kurdish Independence" are not going away.  Turkey's trip to Moldova this Saturday means next to nothing. 

Instead, Turkey has been humbled by Tom Lantos of California's 12th District, and the continued success of Kurdish guerrillas (15 Turkish Soldiers were killed by the PKK in the last week alone.) 

It may not have been reported as such in the US, but the US Democratic controlled Congress has just made their first serious attempt to undermine the US war effort in Iraq .

According US Defense Secretary Gates today, 70% of US military cargo and supplies fly into Iraq from Turkey.  The US cannot rely on the supply train to Basra.  And the Peshmerga will not continue to do their dirty work in Baghdad, if Turkey invades.

Watching President George W. Bush wobble toward the podium to speak on this on Wednesday was telling.  The man was swaggerless.

It's already too late to talk Turkey with Turkey.

 

I Saw the Crescent

From a land of the big smiling sun to the land of the crescent moon.

Eid Mubarak on the auspicious ocassion of the Eid al-Fitr.

(I understand that the religious authority of the Sultanate of Oman failed to see the Crescent, meaning the Eid would not begin there until Saturday at the earliest.)

Perhaps the Imam was mad after watching Oman only score two goals against Nepal this week.

¿Por qué no la Pantera?

Uruguay coach Oscar Washington Tabarez has just announced plans to play three up front against Bolivia on Saturday. 

The 4-3-3 is a Uruguay signature and Uruguay expects.  I expect too. 

But I would be more comfortable if La Pantera was prowling along the Bolivian backline.  They don't like it up 'em, those Bolivians. 

 

Meanwhile in Montevideo

The Uruguayan Football Association (yes, those same characters who run cheap coach flights to Australia) have doubled the entrance prices to the Centenario for the 2010 campaign.  Clearly they've never heard of the Bangabandhu experiment.

Uruguay's players have joined the match going public in the criticism.  "The ticket prices are robbery", Pablo Garcia told El Pais, "The public cannot afford them.  There are a lot of people with no job or who earn low salaries and they can't afford a luxury such as this."  Diego Forlan echoed the sentiments, "We all want a full stadium."

Prices to watch the match against Bolivia at the Centenario stadium will vary from 100 pesos (US$4) to 625 (US$27).  (What is the daytrippers pay to go watch Liverpool these days?)

Don't forget to sing, Ceci.

     

The Mud Bowl

The last time Bangladesh played Tajikistan, they got shown the willow. 6-1 to the Tajiks.

The Tajiks were "satisfied" to get out of Dhaka with a draw in their World Cup opener this week.

The Bangladeshi coach Syed Nayeemuddin had a Belichickian game plan and backing from his administrators and the gods. 

Nayeemuddin blooded a team with an emphasis on youth.  The Bangladesh Football Federation added some spice to the affair, offering US$2,200 per player for the draw.  There was free entry to certain sections of the Bangabandhu National Stadium.  And it rained all night long!

Bangladesh opened the scoring through Zumratul Hossain Mithu in the 50th minute (pictured left).  The Tajiks scored through a "disputed" penalty 8 minutes later.

When did it last rain in Dushanbe?