In the absence of any style or flair in their play since some time around 2000, football pundits and journalists have resorted once again to the tired old lexicon of familiar, stereotypical and even vaguely racist terms to describe the German national football team. Tonight, it reached new extremes, as a truly horrendous German side SOMEHOW managed to overcome an impressive, injury-savaged Turkish team. Terms like "methodical", "ruthless" and their ilk should be replaced the unequivocal "downright bloody jammy". Yes Philipp Lahm's winning goal was a belter, but equally he was shocking when in defence, just like the rest of his team. And this shant come as shock to long-time readers of this blog who know I'm a Spurs fan but I will never, EVER tire of seeing big Jens Lehmann cock things up in between the posts.
Look at him. Poor Fatih Terim. He's almost as lovable as Slaven Bilic, another coach whose team should still be in the tournament - maybe.
Look at him. Poor Fatih Terim. He's almost as lovable as Slaven Bilic, another coach whose team should still be in the tournament - maybe.Anyone who knows me knows I don't believe in luck, but tonight I began to have my doubts. The Turkish side weren't just "plucky" and "dogged" (and all those other, equally familiar and hackneyed phrases), they can actually play, were tactically astute and looked very, very up for it.
In spite of all of this, I can't criticise too much. It was a superbly entertaining game of football (despite the world's biggest thunderstorm descending on Vienna, interrupting television feeds, and thereby rendering my television no more than a decorative humming box during some crucial parts of the match). My only hope now is that whichever team emerges from the other semi-final (a more evenly matched affair, no doubt: despite Russia's relative underdog status, they've already proved they can play and do not have to follow Turkey's lead in dispelling the idea that they're just "determined" and they "never know when they're beaten") will royally stuff the Germans. Not because they're German, you understand. But because they simply aren't good enough to deserve their name on the trophy.
In spite of all of this, I can't criticise too much. It was a superbly entertaining game of football (despite the world's biggest thunderstorm descending on Vienna, interrupting television feeds, and thereby rendering my television no more than a decorative humming box during some crucial parts of the match). My only hope now is that whichever team emerges from the other semi-final (a more evenly matched affair, no doubt: despite Russia's relative underdog status, they've already proved they can play and do not have to follow Turkey's lead in dispelling the idea that they're just "determined" and they "never know when they're beaten") will royally stuff the Germans. Not because they're German, you understand. But because they simply aren't good enough to deserve their name on the trophy.
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