Posts about Sport (RSS, JSON)

8PM — Who would have thought. An entertaining game of football in front of a big, raucous crowd on Australian soil. It was a pulsating match between the two Melbourne clubs, chances on both sides, more on Victory’s side; both teams equally wasteful in front of the goal, Victory almost comically bad at times.

City had the better start, playing the better, more direct football and deservedly scoring early in the game. Victory grew more confident with every passing minute but lacking the conviction for the final pass. It took until deep into the second half for them to create real chances and a commotion after a corner to equalise.

3PM — This was one of the strangest games of football I’ve seen. The game wasn’t great, but it wasn’t bad either. Australia scored early and then focussed on defending. Ecuador was the better team, with better individual players; they created many chances and either missed the goal or were denied by Gauci, Australia’s promising keeper.

The game took place at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium, a modern and soul-less arena built primarily for Cricket and AFL games. A football pitch is much smaller than one for Cricket, so anywhere in the stadium, you’re at least 30 meters away from the action. The stadium was only half full and the roof was closed to reduce noise outside the ground. It felt like you’re sitting in the main hall of a big convention centre on a Friday of a big conference when half of the attendees are already on their way home. The atmosphere was eerie, disconnected from the game; most people were chatting to their friends instead of watching.

7PM — A child throws their cap, branded with the home team’s colours, to the ground and stamps on it. Heated discussions on the train—it was the bowling; no, it was the fielding. Who said cricket fans weren’t emotional?

After scoring 173 runs in their innings, Melbourne Stars lost the BBL match to the Sydney Sixes by six wickets with only one ball to spare. It could have gone either way, but a couple of boundaries (a home run for you Americans) put Sydney within reach of winning.

In the last over, Sydney needed another eleven runs. Scoring three runs from the first two balls, then six from the third, it looked like Sydney would swing it home. But a questionable wicket (that’s a strikeout if you’re American) added some late drama to the game. But Dan Christian stepped up and wacked it away for four.

Who said cricket was a boring sport?

2PM — No cricket was played last night at the Melbourne Cricket Ground after two days of torrential downpours. They could have and should have played, though, said the gentleman sitting behind me in the stands about 100 meters away from the wicket. According to his expert opinion, the pitch was good to go.

12PM — Football in Australia is slower than in Europe, less precise, and the game depends on coincidence more often than on plan and skill. I took the photo below just seconds before the second goal. Valon Berisha (#14) manages to curl the ball onto the far post from that position. The ball bounces back into play, and a Victory defender can’t help himself but put the ball into his own goal. I miss the Premier League.

Despite the run of play, the home crowd was surprisingly raucous. However, I missed that one guy that you’ll find in any football stadium, the guy who loses his composure throughout the game, constantly commenting on everything happening on the pitch, convinced it wouldn’t happen if he’d played himself.

And yes, it’s “football,” not “soccer.” I’ll die on that hill.