the other football

Pato Scores, Pato Dances

Pato's goal prompted a few arrogant and angry Mexican supporters to hurl bottles of Budweiser at the Uruguayan contingent.  This unreported old school football aggravation carried on for about 5 minutes into the half time interval.

It came to an end when the other "Pato" (dancing to the Tambor below) was forced to take off his "Pato" head and join the Uruguayan massive with rearguard vocal quacks of support as a bare chested Peñarol posse gave the Mexican morons an off the field football slap down. 

Much credit here also to the Elders from Mexico who confronted their own fools and forced them to watch match from some other vantage point during the second half.

Cameras had a assist here also.  No one wants to be YouTube hooligan and it's hard to throw a punch when you have a camera in hand. 

PS. 20,000 Argentines versus 20,000 Mexicans at Soccer City next Sunday.  Waka Waka time?  More like Makarapa time!

Gizza Song Supporter Series - Mexico

More from the OTHER FOOTBALL Gizza Opinion, Gizza Song Supporter Series. 

I am asking supporters in South Africa to tell us about their team, how they think their team will do, and to share their song or chant with the world.

Each supporter(s) has a minute.  Now, it's Mexico turn.  Here's Gerardo y Alejandro. I caught them having their photograph taken with a giant Celeste duck last night -- a Uruguayan supporter dressed up as Luis "Pato" Suarez.  It was a true Disneyland moment.

The two lads were drinking hard in Cape Town last night before their morning flight to Jozi.  They think they're going to beat Bafana Bafana today.

The Mexican Massive Has Arrived

The Mexican Massive is passing through Cape Town en route to their opening fixture in Johannesburg.  They all wasted no time in getting down to the important of business of good company and good food in Guguletho.  Respect!

The Colossal Challenge

A couple of years ago I described here the goal scored by the late, great Emmanuel Sanon as shared with a Haitian cabbie in New York.  The magic Phillipe Vorbe pass that deforested the Italian midfield and defence.  A spell cast on Fabio Capello by Sanon's speed, shuffle and strike. 

Looking back, I now realize I gave no credit to the colossal header from the Haitian back line that allowed Vorbe to send Sanon on his way.  Belated props to No.4 Fritz Andre or No. 5 Serge Ducoste or perhaps channeling back, the No. 6 Pierre Bayonne or No. 8 Jean-Claude Desir.  The next time I talk football with a Haitian, I won't forget to ask whose header it was that helped Emmanuel Sanon score the greatest goal in Haitian history.

Emmanuel Sanon died of pancreatic cancer in Florida on February 21st, 2008.  The hospital administrators processing his bill were then not of a mind to close their facilities to Haitians in need. 

Sanon's legend lives on among the children of Haiti as they head and tackle and pass and move and score goals around the tents of the Stade Sylvio Cator.  The children do not know it yet, but they are merely warming up to face the colossal challenge of liberation against a heavily subsidized, globalized opponent equally as fierce as that which their fathers and mothers defeated in 1804. 

Sylvio Cator

Born in Cavaillon, Cator played for Trivoli Athletic Club and Racing Club Haitien.  Cator's skills were not limited to football.

 

He participated in the 1924 Paris Olympics in both the high jump and long jump and went on to claim the Silver mdeal in the Long Jump in the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics.  A month later, Sylvio claimed the World Record with a 7.93M jump in Paris.  His silver medal remains Haiti's best Olympic performance and his 1928 jump is still a Haitian record.

Cator was elected Mayor of Port-au-Prince in 1946. The Stade Sylvio Cator was named in his honour and completed in 1952, the year of his passing in Port-au-Prince.

Haiti's Goals

There have been goals in Benguela, Cabinda, Luanda and Lubango, but no goals are being scored in the Stade Slyvio Cator in Port au Prince.  Haiti's goalposts don't exist anymore.

Angolans paused for Haiti before every Quarter Final, the carnage of their own wars against colonialism and as proxies in the Cold War never far from their thoughts.  A nation blessed by the curse of geology showing solidarity with their brothers and sisters, torn asunder by the earth's crust, an ocean apart.

France, Britain and the United States have a history of moving Haiti's goalposts, naming and renaming Haiti's coach and officials, tightening the touchlines, painting countless penalty spots across Haiti's box, forcing Haitians to cheer from terraces made from shaky dumps of their own subsidized imports, with many supporters not able to read the terms and conditions of their own oppression as laid out in the match programme.

Haiti's goalposts don't exist anymore.  The smashed and mangled uprights belong to the "Humanitarians" now.  The Stade Slyvio Cator is a tent city with thousands crammed into the spaces once created by Haitian footballers.  There are no calls for the ball, but for water, medicines, medical attention and food.

Like the African Cup of Nations, Haiti's disaster is being broadcast across our globalized world.  The world knows more about the grain and scale of Haitian suffering than any calamity it has ever encountered. 

Our goal must be to help Haitians restore their own goalposts, and one day when Haitians are replenished with food, water, housing and control over their own lives, we can celebrate Haitian goals again.

Organising Commitee Comes Correct

Move over, Heidi.  Johnny Clegg coming.

The FIFA Organising Committee came correct today.  The decision to base the procedure for the Final Draw of the 2010 World Cup on the October 2009 World Ranking is a good one.  The ranking system was raw, but now it is refined and provides a rather useful way to measure the relative successes and failures of the world's footballing nations.

South Africa will be joined by Brazil, Spain, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Argentina and England as the seeded teams in Pot 1.

The other 24 teams will be divided into the 3 pots, each with 8 teams.

Pot 2 will consist of teams from Asia (Australia, Japan, Korea DPR, Korea Republic), North, Central America and the Caribbean (Honduras, Mexico, USA) and Oceania (New Zealand)

Pot 3 will include teams from Africa (Algeria, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria) and South America (Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay)

Pot 4 will contain the remaining European teams (Denmark, France, Greece, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Switzerland)

South Africa will be automatically positioned in Group A; the other seeded teams will be drawn into the other groups B-H.

Geographical criteria will also accounted for, ensuring no two teams from the same confederation will be drawn in the same group (except European teams, where a maximum of two will be in a group).

Bring it on.

La Bomba

Costa Rica have just fired their coach Rodrigo "La Bomba" Kenton Johnson.

Costa Rica were themselves bombing, failing to score in their last three World Cup qualifying games.  "He was fired today. It still hasn't been determined who will be named," said Costa Rica FA, spokeswoman Gina Escobar.

It seems like a rash move, however.  This was a side well past it's sell-by-date before La Bomba took charge.  His coaching gave Costa Rica an early and unexpected edge in World Cup qualification.

La Bomba would have had a chance to steady the ship at home to Trinidad and Tobago in Costa Rica's penultimate fixture.  At the very least a win would have ensured Costa Rica a playoff position against one of the Conmebol representatives.  Other October results could even conspire to place Costa Rica back in the top 3 CONCACAF automatic qualifiers.  Given the strength of Honduras and the USA and the graduation of the Mexico's golden generation, La Bomba should be commended for bringing Costa Rica this close to qualification.

One suspects La Bomba would still be in a job if Sven's soirees were still regular fixtures on the DF social calender.  Mexico fired a bad manager at the right time.  The Costa Rican FA have panicked.  Disposing of La Bomba now is a gambit that looks likely to blow up in the faces.

Bienvenido al Grupo de la Muerte . . . . . . . Señor Eriksson

The classic Sven strategy of plotting his career trajectory using the variables of clubs with little or no competition (as he did in Sweden and Portugal); owners with obscene wealth starved of success and willing to pay over the odds for glory (as he did in Italy); and countries with mindless hooligans who wouldn't recognize beautiful football from a sow's belly and a Federation loaded with cash and run like a knocking shop (as with England) is about to become a dangerous game.

I vacillate between being disgusted with Sven, the Swedish snake oil salesman with the steel rimmed spectacles that suggest unparalleled professorial, acumen and genius and his epic sexual jousting affairs, to having a sneaking admiration for how he manages to pull it all off.  No pun intended.

I am sure Sven believes he has now found a pliant Federation eager for success in South Africa, but willing to accept a noble run relatively deep in the competition.  Perfect part-time work, if you can find it.

No doubt, Sven has already invested in a magnificent mansion in Cuernavaca -- perhaps his new crib was once home to Sam Giancana or Mohammed Reza Pahlavi.  And an apartment in Acapulco.  Of course.  And probably a modest pied a terre in the Districto-Federal for those so important home fixtures.

As Sven eyes up the local birds in their tight slacks and NaCo T-Shirts in Coyoacán, El Pedregal, Palanco and San Angel, he must feel like he has hit the Jackpot.  Again.  He inherits the Golden Generation.  What possibly could go wrong?

Bienvenido al Grupo de la Muerte, Señor Eriksson: Canada, Jamaica, Honduras, Mexico.

Lock Up Your Daughters

"I'm really happy to have achieved the goal I set out when I was hired," said Jesus 'Chucho' Ramirez, the interim Mexico coach who will now step down to make way for Sven Goran Eriksson.

Road to South Africa Cuts Through Paramaribo

Suriname soaked up the pressure in Guyana and danced into the 3rd Round winning 2-1, with goals from Germaine Sergio Van Dijk and Clifton Sandvliet.

Suriname join Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, El Savador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago and the United States of America.

The 12 CONCACAF teams will be divided into 3 groups of 4, with the winners and runners-up of each group advancing to the 4th Round.  The top 3 in the 4th Round Group of 6 teams will advance to South Africa.  The 4th placed team will play the 5th placed team from Conmebol 10 team group.

The established powers of the region can be grateful to have avoided certain Suriname-born or Dutch-born players of Surinamese descent.  Who would care to mess with a team coached by and staring the likes of Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard, Edgar Davids, Clarence Seedorf, Remeo Castelen, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Ryan Babel?

The Flag of Suriname (pictured top left) is formed by five horizontal bands of green (top, double width), white, red (quadruple width), white, and green (double width). There is a large, yellow, five-pointed star centered in the red band.

The flag was adopted on November 25th, 1975, upon the independence of Suriname. The star represents the unity of all ethnic groups, the red stripe stands for progress and love, the green for hope and fertility, and the white bands for peace and justice.

The pre-independence flag (above) consisted of five colored stars connected by an ellipse. The colored stars represent the major ethnic groups that comprise the Surinamese population: the original Amerindians, the colonizing Europeans, the Africans brought in as slaves to work in plantations and the Hindus, Javanese and Chinese who came as indentured workers to replace the Africans who escaped slavery and settled in the hinterland. The ellipse was apparently intended to represent the harmonious relationship amongst the groups.  White Cane cutters in the fields striking for better pay?

Passion, Penalties and Pissed Off Panamanians

Yesterday marked the end of some remarkable journeys for a few Central American and Caribbean football nations. 

The Spice Boyz of Grenada could not find an opening in Costa Rica.  The Netherlands Antilles were beaten by Haiti 1-0 in Willemstad, when tragically Eugene Martha knocked the ball into his own net after 78 minutes.   Trinidad and Tobago needed "doubles" in Bermuda.  They got them.  Darryl Roberts on 10 minutes and Stern John after 66 minutes.  The Gombey Warriors are left with a number of what ifs.  What if Dwayne Leverock had swapped silly mid off for a stint between the sticks?  Antigua and Barbuda could not find the goal in Havana.  Belize fell apart in Monterrey losing 7-0. 

Panama scored the opener in San Salvador and held their 2-0 aggregate lead until the 70th minute.  But El Salvador somehow got the three goals in 20 minutes.  The combination of a passionate crowd at the Estadio Cuscatlan, a dubious Penalty kick, or so claimed Panama, and two Panamanians sent off for their trouble.  It was the "classic" end to the 2nd Round of World Cup qualifying in the region.

Salvadorean Shawn Martin and Luis Enriquez of Panama pictured left fighting for the ball at the Cuscatlan stadium in San Salvador last night.

Curious Oranges

Recent results achieved by Antigua, Bermuda and Grenada are remarkable.  Even Belize’s gallant 2-0 defeat in Houston against Mexico was noteworthy. Little however has been reported of the progress of the Netherlands Antilles.

When the Netherlands Antilles beat Nicaragua 3-0 on aggregate to advance to the second round of the Concacaf World Cup qualifiers, it was considered a surprise, though with Nicaragua’s predilection for baseball, not that much of a surprise.

The reward for their efforts was a fixture against reigning Caribbean champions, Haiti.  Haiti have history and Haiti are hot.  So for the Netherlands Antilles to go to Port au Prince and grab a classic 0-0 away draw, suggests the Netherlands Antilles have got something going on.  Haiti have it all to do this weekend in Willemstad.  Only those wearing Orange Thongs and Clogs will be admitted in to the stadium. 

Here's some action from the first leg in Port au Prince.

The Netherlands Antilles is part of the Lesser Antilles and consists of two groups of islands in the Caribbean Sea: Curaçao and Bonaire, just off the Venezuelan coast, and Sint Eustatius, Saba and Sint Maarten, located southeast of the Virgin Islands.

The Netherland Antilles was scheduled to be dissolved as a unified political entity on 15 December 2008, so that the five constituent islands will attain new constitutional statuses within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

This dissolution is still planned, but has been postponed to an indefinite future date.  I suspect progress in World Cup may have something to do this.

Los Zafiros

Some Cuban Gems...Y Sabes Bien

Kazim Kazim

Kazim Kazim they call him in Turkey.  He scored his first goal for Fenerbache aganist Chelsea in the UEFA Champions Cup.  He is now playing for Turkey in the EURO 2008 Championships.  He was born in Leytonstone to a Turkish-Cypriot mother and an Antiguan father.

When interviewed about his football ambition, Colin (to use his given English name) suggested wanting to play in the English Premier League.  Of course.  Colin also said he wanted to inspire kids to do something positive with their lives.  He said when interviewed by the Guardian recently,  "I don't want to blow my own trumpet, but I'd like to think I can be an inspiration to kids from deprived areas...It's not just me, there are lots of people doing good things in their lives. You don't have to be a footballer or a world star, you can go and be a cleaner. Just do what you want to do and don't be a statistic. I'm not a statistic."

I am sure the Cubans are relieved he choose to play for Turkey.  Then again, the way the Antiguans are playing he may not have got a game.  According to Jamaica Kincaid the Mill Reef Club are always looking for cleaners.

A Small Place

Antigua is a small place, a small island.  It is nine miles wide by twelve miles long.  It was discovered by Christopher Colombus in 1493.  Not too long after, it was settled by hman rubbish from Europe, who used enslaved but noble and exalted human beings from Africa (all masters of every stripe are rubbish, and all slaves of every stripe are noble and exalted; there can no question about this) to satisfy their desire for wealth and power, to feel better about their own miserable exisence, so that they could be less lonely and empty -- a European disease.  Eventually, the masters left, in a kind of way; eventually, the slaves were freed in a kind of way.

Jamaica Kincaid, A Small Place, A Memoir. 1988

A Sticky Wicket in Antigua

When Antigua and Barbuda beat Aruba 1-0 at home thanks to a late goal by substitute Akeem Challenger to complete a 4-0 aggregate victory, I doubted they would score again in this World Cup. I had not accounted for the magic the Antiguans could find in the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium.   Antigua scored three goals against Cuba, losing only to a late goal by Leonel Duarte.

Cuba recently lost five of their Olympic squad and this could go some way to explaining the result. But in the end the Cubans showed the grit and determination needed in such circumstances.  I expect Coach Reinhold has more sapphires to call on when Cuba play the return leg in Havana this weekend.

Trini Need Them Doubles

It was somewhat predictable, though I still had to check if Clyde Best had come out of retirement for this.

Bermuda went to Trinidad and Tobago, home of the Soca Warriors and whooped 'em.  Match report below.

The recent success of Trinidad football has brought with it a host of administrative problems. Disputes about player pay; questions about ticketing; and a visit from Engerland and their Wags.  It's easy and lazy to be critical of Warner.  Many have done so.  I don't need to go there now.  Suffice to say, Trinidad Heslop, Lapaty and Yorke have retired.

I am sure if I linger around A&A Bake and Doubles on Nostrand Avenue on Saturday morning, I will understand better exactly how Trini lost at home and how they will go to Bemuda on Sunday and win.  A word of caution: A single goal won't do, Trini needs Doubles. 

I like my Doubles with Tamarind.



The first leg of this World Cup qualifier was played at the Marvin Lee Stadium in Macoya.  (It should been played at the Hasely Crawford Stadium…I can hear the excuses already.)

Bermuda opened the scoring with a counterattack in the eighth minute when John Barry Nusum connected on a pass from Reginald Lambie.

In the 23rd minute, Trinidad's sustained pressure paid off as Stern John, who has played at the highest level in England, collected a long pass in the box and smacked home the equalizer.

But Bermuda refused to give in and went a goal up through Nusum again in the 39th minute.

Trinidad's forwards reportedly went on to waste dozens of chances. 

Doubles are needed in Prospect, Bermuda, if Trinidad and Tobago are to return to the World Cup finals.

Spice Boyz II

It's hard to leave the Islands.

Grenada have more than a chance of progressing to the next round of the World Cup, after drawing 2-2 with Costa Rica this past Saturday.

The Spice Boyz took an early two-goal lead with goals from Patrick Modeste in the 20th minute and Jason Roberts seven minutes later.

Costa Rica replied with goals in each half through Amando Alonso in the 42nd and Junior Diaz in the 75th.

Much credit to Grenada who held on for a draw despite playing most of the second half with only ten men, as Brooklyn forward, "Tricky' Ricky Charles was red-carded in the 50th.

If Grenada can beat Costa Rica on Saturday, St. George should be fun. 

Watch out for those medical students!

Guadeloupe v Martinque

Two squads of great footballers founded on the poetry of Aimé Césaire.

GUADELOUPE:
Lilian Thuram, Thierry Henry, Sylvain Wiltord, William Gallas, Olivier Dacourt, Mickael Sylvestre, Louis Saha, Bernard Diomede, Franck Sylvestre, Peggy Arphexad, Sylvain Distan, David Sommeil, Jean Pierre Cyprien, Pascal Chimbonda, Willy Gueret, Bernard Lambourde, Olivier Facconier, Ronald Zubar, Franck Grandel, Miguel Comminges and Jocelyn Angloma

MARTINIQUE:
Nicolas Anelka, Eric Abidal, Phillipe Christianval, Jonathan Zebina, Stephane Dalmat, Wilfred Dalmat, Pierre Fanafan, Peter Luccin, Charles Edouard Coridon, Sebastie Carole, Maurice Bellay, Fabrice Pancrate, Frederic Piquionne, Mickael Citony, Ludovic Clement, Luigi Glombard, Olivier Rambo, Eddy Harlie, Joan Hartock, Olivier Thomert, Eric Remi Mareval, Fabrice Reuperne, Christian Negouai, David Alexandre Dicanot, Jacques Olivier Paviot, Ted Kelton Agasson and David Regis.

Montserrat Progress

Montserrat made headlines in 2002 when they were invited to play against Bhutan in what was called "The Other Final".  It was a Dutch-Japanese initiative that brought the then two lowest ranked FIFA teams together. I believe it became the basis of an documentary film. Montserrat (still recovering from the 1995 eruption of the Soufriere Hills volcano) have made some progress since, only losing 7-1 to Suriname in their recent first round one-off World Cup qualifier.

Suriname will now face near neighbours Guyana in the 2nd Round of CONCACAF qualifiers.  That game between two South American nations who do not play their football against other South Americans promises to be a classic.

Generación de Oro

I remember the U17 World Cup in Peru well.  I was working with Mexicans in New York.  They were focussed on 'the golden generation'.  Mexico were magnificent champions.  The coach of the golden generation was Jesus 'Chucho' Ramirez.   Chucho is now Mexico's interim coach.  Chucho doesn't have Hillary-like experience, but Mexico can be confident he will use the games against Belize to introduce the golden generation.

1848

Belize's reward for beating St. Kitts is a 2nd Round fixture against Mexico.

Like Belize, Mexico has had its territorial issues with its neighbours.

"In an Absolut World" according to Mexican cartographers and Swedish vodka billboards, El Dorado would be El Paso.

Treaties and Buccaneers

Belize continued their surge in form by dispatching St. Kitts from the World Cup recently.  St. Kitts could not overcome the 3-1 deficit inflicted on them in Belize's home fixture, played in the "neutral" venue of Guatemala City. 

Guatemala's football accommodation is encouraging. Belize and Guatemala have history.  Guatemala has long standing territorial ambitions and claims to Belize.  Belize has relied on treaties and buccaneers.   

The title of Belize to its territory is supported by two treaties: the 1859 Convention and the 1931 Exchange of Notes. The definition of the boundary in the first of these treaties establishes that the territory to the west and south of the defined boundary is Guatemalan and that the territory on the east and north of the defined boundary belongs to Belize. The identification of the boundary is affirmed in the 1931 treaty which indicates that the territory on the west belongs to Guatemala and that on the east belongs to Belize. 

Above a British Royal Navy NAS809 Buccaneer flies over Belize City. On the morning of 28 January 1972, two British fighter-bombers (with barely ten minutes of fuel in their tanks) flew a demonstration flight over the then British colony.  The boom was felt in Guatemala.

The Belize football association was founded in 1980, a year before independence from Britain.  Belize is now competing in its fourth World Cup.  Who needs treaties and buccaneers when your boys can secure a hard-fought scoreless draw against Guatemala?

Coco Tea

Yah Man!!  RIGHTEOUS!!  Inna this 'ere  election tyme!!