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Pride goeth before a World Cup exit

June 20th, 2006 | By: Os Davis | 7 Comments »

What a bizarre position to be in. Looking over the preview articles and analysis for today’s Costa Rica-Poland game, it appears that the match FIFA had scheduled for Hanover has been relocated to that strange netherspace of a game that is not quite a friendly, but not at all relevant in the greater scheme of Football Things.

FifaWorldCup.com reads “Costa Rica and Poland out to salvage pride.” And the preview from our own beloved WorldCupBlog.org begins with “This is the first game in the 2006 World Cup that holds no meaning.” — i had to laugh at that one. A mad laugh.

(Incidentally, Bob, if you’re reading this, please advise: Which was the first entry in WorldCupBlog that held no meaning?)

Some off-the-cuff reasons to watch, then:

– It beats working.

– Common wisdom has it that we’ll get to see some of the youth of the Bielo-Czerwoni, as Janas has implied he might give them a taste.

– The best game Team Polska played in World Cup 2002 was in game three, after they’d been eliminated, when they smoked Team USA 3-1 after having gone scoreless for 190 minutes-plus.

– If this match is irrelevant and the last chance for some Costa Rican and Polish players, then maybe — just maybe — these teams might play for (gasp!) fun.

– How else are you going to justify starting to drink this early in the day?

I’m watching.

The most important thing for us to do now is to concentrate on the Costa Rica game, and to give our magnificent supporters something to smile about. They have backed us all the way. — Pawel Janas

Tags: beer, costa rica, existentialism, Paweł Janas, Poland

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Comments

By Aureliusz | June 20th, 2006 at 9:09 am

I wonder what nationality was the guy that wrote those words…. “no meaning”. I wouldn’t be surprised what he maybe. A mad laugh from myself as well.
Davis we have something in common, I took a day off too, the fridge is full with our finest Polish vodka merchandise, and all the Boys from the Polonia Adelaide Football club in South Australia are coming over as I write this.
I wonder what the article would say if Germany was having its last meaningless so-called game. I wonder.

Let’s see the next generation take the field, let’s fly those white and red colours one last time in pride in 2006, and lets enjoy the fact we are here in the World Cup.

Thank God for the boys, they have given us a good excuses to drink mid week, always easier to explain it to our girlfriends the next morning when we see them with a hangover. So let the party begin.

Posted from Australia

By kibic | June 20th, 2006 at 2:45 pm

not “Bielo-Czerwoni” but “Bialo-Czerwoni”. Cheers

Posted from Poland

By jasmine | June 20th, 2006 at 3:04 pm

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Posted from United Kingdom

By hughes | June 20th, 2006 at 4:12 pm

I think Poland was very unlucky. In a tourny like this, to play the first game against your real rival is very dangerous. Against Ecuador, in the first half Polish were cold. Because of the atmospehre they were not aware. This is the fatal mistake of Janas not to motivate the team relevantly. In the second half they played really good 2 balls hit the posts and it was over. It is a wonder for me to see Smolarek junior, is a hard working and aggressive player. I like him. However his father was shining with his brilliant left foot with ultimate technique but he was lazy.

Posted from Turkey

By UC | June 20th, 2006 at 7:41 pm

If only you guys had Podolski and Klose.

Posted from United States

By adam | June 20th, 2006 at 8:52 pm

Poland got what they deserved. Fear of failure, no motivation,
no plan. A lot of it is in the coach but a lot is also in the Polish psyche. Just go out and PLAY! Give it all you have and PLAY! Fear always overwhelms this team, except for 1974.

Posted from United States

By PJ | June 20th, 2006 at 10:29 pm

KLOSE, PODOLSKI WHY DO YOU PLAY FOR GERMANY ???

Posted from United States

Comments are closed