In this format I will, once per week, polemically write about things that disturb me in the world of sports. Things that, in my opinion, either are hilariously disgusting or just proper embarrassing. You decide.
It’s quite early in the week, but the world of sports – in particularly the world of football, or soccer in this very case – already managed to annoy me.
On early Monday morning I stumbled across the Real Madrid – Manchester United friendly that was plaid at Santa Clara, California. Normally, I don’t watch many friendlies as it’s always a bit of the same stuff: trials, trials, trials. Hence, there often is no real game flow, or one side getting destroyed, like Bayern Munich against Milan a few days ago.
Anyway, this time I was trapped into watching the game. Europa-League-Champion versus Champions-League-Winners. That must be good. Sure about that?
After falling almost asleep in the first half (it was late and the game was reeeeeally slow), Antony Martial woke me up with an absolutely insane dribbling. How he eliminated the entire Madrid-defence was absolutely brilliant. There was only one way for goal scorer Lingard to celebrate: by thanking Martial for that marvellous assist.
But that was the only moment of brilliance in this friendly. The rest was boring. Except for four events, that were so sad, they actually didn’t even grind my gears, they made me laugh.
Scene 1: Ronald McDonald leading the teams onto the pitch.
How commercial can football get? I am totally ok with ads on the side of the pitch, on the shirts, wherever you want. But the first guy entering the pitch in the middle of the four referees being Ronald McDonald just takes it too far for me.
The fact that he carried the ball to kick-off, like he was the fifth referee – absolutely hilarious. But hey, his hair style is similar to that of Marouane Fellaini – maybe that’s why he could sneak on the pitch. What brings me to the next scene.
Scene 2: Fellainis miss.
83rd Minute. 1:1. You get an absolutely gorgeous cross right into the box, getting left alone by the defence. What would the average striker do? Net that ball and decide the game. What does Marouane Fellaini do? Kick the ball out of the stadium from six metres.
That ball was honestly more difficult not to score. Even our friend Ronald might have netted that one. But thanks to that miss, we got to enjoy a rather special penalty shootout, which is point 3 on my list.
Scene 3: The penalty shootout. (Did they even try?)
A ball kicked towards the moon, a weak return pass to the keeper, a crossbar hit and some good saves by the two keepers lead to a penalty shootout that will be remembered for quite a while. Only three out of ten penalties were converted.
Surely, it was a friendly and not the UCL-Final. Still. Trying to promote football in the US and getting to present a penalty shootout, what can be said to be one of the most thrilling parts of a game, is quiet a nice opportunity. That shootout hilariously wasted it.
Scene 4: Victor Lindelöf, the lumberjack.
During the game, however, Casemiro brilliantly converted a penalty awarded to Real Madrid in the second half. Let’s remember why he got to take that penalty. A brilliant pass towards Madrid’s new signing, the young Theo Hernandez sent the Frenchman into the box where it was just him and United’s new signing, the Swedish centre-back Lindelöf.
https://twitter.com/AnfieldNation/status/889256757129859072
Trying to kick the ball away with pure force, Lindelöf underestimates the speed of ball and opponent and brutally hits Hernandez leg. Slapstick, if you ask me. However, mistakes like that can happen to any defender. The fact, that he didn’t even get a yellow card for what could have been a sending-off, is the hilarious part of the story.
After all, let’s just hope that on August 8, when the two sides face each other in the Super Cup, we’ll see a different game and don’t have to cringe too much again.
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