Corrupt FIFA (and delusion Trump) not good enough to grant US Football Team a free-ride into the quarter-finals as Belgium deal with the footballing minnows with a consummate ease. It turns-out that exploiting your working population via a ruthless predatory capitalism – and a deficient education system – is not enough to “purchase” a level of footballing skill that is quite frankly undeserved and impossible to purchase. World class football is not Jack in the Beanstalk – and the trophy cannot be won through a handful of beans. Let’s be rational for a moment – the US is only in the tournament because the are hosting it – that is the reward for hosting. The other way of getting into the World Cup without earning a place over two-years of competing – is to be the defending Champions. That’s it – host or win – that’s your options.
As for the rest of us – we all play one another until a select few is ready to compete for the greatest trophy in the universe! England invented football and England is the spiritual home of football – be it professional or amateur. Hundreds of thousands of British people play every week on bumpy and irregular pitches using different size footballs and various interpretation of the rules. Nobody is paid for this playing – the people play for the love of the game. This is called Non-League Football – even though there are hundreds of wondrous divisions. What it means is that this is non-professional leagues – as the playing is not for money. At this level there are a number of trophies culminating in the FA Vase. My Dad played for Leicester City Reserves and was scouted for Nottingham Forest in the late 1950’s early 1960s – he was that good. I was good in defence and as a goalie as I played 11 aside and 5 aside at school and college, etc.
As my Dad taught me well – I could hold my own with most other players – but just like everything in life – English football is full of politics, cliques, favouritism, and brutality. Somehow, out of all of this, the beautiful game emerges. The US has not suffered enough in its short history and has not earned the right to be good at football. Give it another 100-years and we shall see. I have played football in the snow and gone in after 90 minutes completely numb from the cold (1984 – Wray Common – Reigate) – I had to sit in a red-hot bath for over an hour to warm myself up! Lincoln McEwan – if you aere reading – I remember your magnificent goal – as you kicked the ball whilst standing to my left on the centre-line. The ball flew into the net of the Teachers’ goal!
SANGHA KOMMUNE (SSR) 