And Then There Were Sixteen

So it has been said the Champions League groupstage is a money making irrelevance. But then, what is football but an irrelevant distraction on the unavoidable trudge towards death. And yet I know a good few people who could not revere Shankly's famous 'more important than that' words more if they had come from the Christ himself. Even my year nine Religous Education teacher agreed that football was a religoin to many. So by that reckoning, the Champions League groupstage must be fucking important right?

Either way, it was a glorious feast of trans-continental football, that brought light in to my dark, cold midweek evenings, and no man brought more light than Laurent Blanc. This man is a footballing genius. The anti-Allardyce walks among us. Chamakh and Gourcuff are undoubtedly brilliant players, but Blanc has got a team whose third most recognisable player, to me at least, is Diego Placente, one of those classic 'what club does he actually play for?' players that crops up in defense for Argentina. Turns out it is Bourdeaux, but he dosen't get many games. Laurent has brought, an admitedly French title winning, but largely unknown squad through a group containing big spending Juve, and a trying-to get-their-act-togethor Bayern, with style. Good job. Bordeaux are the darkest of all dark horses.

Talking of Bayern, if they can get Robben and Ribery fit for febuary... by God that could be special.

Then their was those teams kicking off to the east. A European competition should have games kicking off in the frozen east of the continent. Not only did Rubin have the best name and kit (was that a winged lion?), they outplayed some of the best teams in the competition. CSKA made it through, with Unirea being Cluj-esque in their performance. Even Debrecen and Maccabi Haifa did kind of alright. These guys brought a bit of mystery and excitement, I mean c'mon, who dosen't want to follow their team to Tartarstan? But they also brought some genuinely chalenging fixtures aswell. For once that Platini fella was right.

Real and Barca? Those dicks that will ruin world football by signing all the worlds best player right? Well...nah. They both looked pretty good on occasion, but they could have both gone out in the final round of games if things had been a bit different. If this was the champmarketing league, they would win by miles, but happily enough, marketability (That is a word yeah?) has nothing to do with football. Sevilla looked the best team in the whole thing for quite a long time, churning out some top notch performances until they got through, and they ain't exactly pretty boys. Turns out the ability to kick a ball still counts for something in this modern age.

Then there was the Milanese. AC's glorious reneaisance under Leonardo was amazing to behold. The amount of aged joy the pitch during the win over Real was obvious even from ITV's highlights packages. Sure did put a smile on Marcotti's face. Seeing Becks help these guys heroically in the knockouts, preferably aganst Chelsea, would bring a tear to my eye. And then there is Inter. Somehow they just seem like an angry team at the minute, with Balotelli and Mourinho fighting throughout, but they pulled it out and got through.

And finally, there was the heoic efforts of ACF Fiorentina. First they beat Liverpool, then Lyon, and this from a team that could have easily all gone a bit Leeds not so long ago. It is nice to know that a bit of comitment, belief, inteligence and the ability to sell shoes can still get you somewhere in this sport. Angelo Di Livio must be smiling now.

Tito Would Have Loved This

So it is Champions League time again, and for the third time an Anglish team is hopefully going to get beaten around by Eastern Europes finest kids. Messrs Jovetic and Dzeko were on the case last time out. Hopefully everyone is versed up about Jovetic's mad skills after what he, and the rest of Florence's finest did to Liverpool, and Dzeko had a bit of an impact at Old Trafford the other week no?

So turning to tonight, I am hoping for yet more 'Liverpool get beaten about by super talented Eastern Europeans' action, this time courtesy of Miralem Pjanic. Lyon vs. Liverpool is one of those games that I love. I was ready to spend an evening watching the build up and game only for Sky to spoil everything for me once again. Is there anything they can't ruin about football? I was prepared to devote the entire evening to it and I work full time. Evenings are precious. But anyway, I am hoping beyond all hope that Pranjic gets good game on tonight firstly because an English team might go out in the groups (Oh the horror!), and secondly it will reaffirm my hopes that Bosnia get to South Africa next month.

So this brings me on to my main, and massivly ridiculous point. If Yugoslavia had not broken up (told you it was ridiculous) it would surely have the most exciting team on the planet, Seriously. Samir Handanovic is one of the most promising keepers in Europe right now, and it is not like there are many other world class keepers kicking around at the minute anyways. Vidic is one of the best defenders in the world right now, and I would bet my own head that him and Chelsea's Ivanovic would keep it tight at the back. Dejan Stankovic still scores the odd goal. Eduardo, Modric and Klasnic could get involved. Then there are the kids I mentioned before; Dezko, Jovetic, Pranjic. Rene Khrin and co might just fire Slovenia to the World Cup. I was going to mention Mirko Vucinic, but with Roma's form at the minute, he might not get a chance.

But there is more. If we are assuming Yugoslavia had never broke up, it dosen't seem to far fetched to assume that the people at the Croatian federation, they who convinced Eduardo to abandon Brazil, may have worked in the Yugoslav FA. You would think that if they can convince Eduardo to come to Croatia, they could probably persuade a certain Mr Ibrahimovic to play for the country of his parents no? Bohan Krkic is from that part of the world aswell?

See what I mean. This is a damn exciting team. A hundered and eighteen year old Josep Broz (In the context of this post, not to far fetched) could have watched his boys take South Africa by storm.

Jonathan Wilson, you are my hero.

Edit; I would just like to point out I have just found out Mr Wilson wrote about exactly this subject, although obviously way better. I would like it be known that I did not know this article existed when I wrote le above, honest. Anyhoom check it out. There is talk of tactical balance and everything.

This Could Rule #2

Sheeesh. The one time I really wanted England to win they go and throw it all away. Ukraine's win puts them in a pretty commanding position to oust Croatia from the World Cup. Surely they will win in Andora on wednesday? Surely. I am pretty devastated that Croatia probably wont make it. I have had a soft spot for them since Davor Suker and co. lit up France 98, and helped me realise that football was about more than endless Newcastle United induced heartbrake. They could and probably should have made the Final of Euro 2008, if only for the one million minutes of extra time on that rollercoaster night in Vienna. I am going to have to pray for the biggest night in Andorran football history.

Bosnia & Herzegovina made the playoffs. Good times in Sarajevo. Thing is, now Blatter (dick) ruined the playoffs I really fear they might not make it through. Would Greece be seeded? That might be their best hope. Let us pray once again for the miracle of Bilino Polje. Serbia made it. Gonna stick my neck out and make them my dark horses. Infact, Serbia and Chile will both reach the quarter finals. For sure.

How good did Ireland-Italy look? I really wish I had been down the pub for that one. Massive crowd, loads to play for, and some top notch goals being scored. Richard Dunne could see world cup football yet. Check out these highlights for yourself. Irelands first goal is sublime. Sublime I say!

Italy still need to get Cassano involved mind.

I Didn't expect Germany to get a win. Kudos to them. How many international goals has Miroslav Klose got now? It must be in the thousands. Should be pretty good to see Joachim Low lead a side once again, especially with the names Germany can call up. I feel 2010 will be Mario Gomez's chance to shine.

And yeah. That Argentina game was epic. The rain, good lord the rain. Who would of thought Martin Palermo would be the hero. The fact he scored the greatest header of all time with his face the other week could have been a clue. That was some comeback though, the rain made it somewhat biblical no? If he scores again on wednesday I would vote for some sort of new Martin Palermo adventures chapter to be inserted into the holy book. I reckon I could get a few others on side with that plan.

So wednesday brings one final evening of reckoning, before yet more november reckoning, you reckon? Is there any sequence of events that would see Portugal finish as the 9th best runner up. Finger crossed. Argentina should make it now. I would be confident if Maradonna could be trusted not to rotate his tits of between now and kick off in Uruguay. Thing is I hope Forlan makes South Africa aswell, so I should be supporting Chile right? Well I do that anyway. Problem solved.

And oh yeah, Bahrain-New Zealand was a disappointing 0-0. Damn.

Football Victories Shape a Nation’s Identity As Much As Any War

That title is a quote from President Franjo Tudman, a man who probably has a pretty good idea of how wars shape a nations identity. He wrote a book on guerilla warfare and was pretty caught up in the demise of Yugolsavia and the formation of an independant Croatia, and yet he still said that. Having spent a large portion of last summer in and around former Yugolsavia chatting to the locals, I got the opinion that that Tudman fella might have a point.

Former Yugolsavs Serbia are looking pretty secure at the South Africa check in, with Bosnia and Croatia hoping for the playoffs. You wonder how much football could mean to people who have gone through so much in the past fifteen years or so. Tudman was right, it means a lot.

Bosnia came out of the Yugolsav war badly, completely divided along ethnic lines, officially between Bosniaks and Serbs, and just as obviously between the Bosniaks and Croats. In Mostar, a focal point of the troubles, the divides are none more obvious than with the city's football teams. Zrinjski, the Croats, moved into Mostar's main stadium after it came out of the conflict on the Croat side of the city. With Croat money from nearby Medjugorje (Jesus must support these guys) and the support of the large Croat population Zrinjski took their first Bosnian title last season. Velez, the Herzegovinians, homeless after the loss of their 25,000 seater home, moved to a somewhat smaller stadium on the East side of the Neretva river and suffered relegation. The Yugoslav cup winning days of the mid eighties long forgotten. They are back in the top league again now, finishing mid table last season.

The difference between these two sides reflects the situation at large. Bosnian Croat businesses taking money to Croatia, whilst Bosian Muslims make the best of things. We were told that the Croat controlled airport in Mostar was kept closed so any one wanting to fly in had to fly to Dubrovnik in Croatia. Out west towards Medjugorje town halls proudly displayed the Croatian tricolour, whilst the Bosniak flag on the adjacent poll was a tattered mess.

The national team is genuinely exciting; Dzeko is undoubtedly the star, with a supporting cast of Misimovic, Muslimovic and Ibsevic amongst other bright prospects, but it also has the capability to unite under the Bosnian flag, not that of Serbia or Croatia and give the people of this war torn country something to be proud of. The fact that Bosnia have rarely lost at their Bilino Polje stadium surely speaks volumes for the atmosphere that must be created inside. Led by a Bosnian Croat, the guy who led Croatia at France 98, the team that introduced me to how glorious football can be, and compromising players from all three ethnic groups, it seems like the country can finally get behind a successful team.

They have overcome a farce-laden, ''we don't need this Zlatan fellow to play for us", frequently protested against, plain incompetent federation, to be in with a their best chance of a big tournament since they missed out on Euro 04 by one goal. A win against Estonia, whom they beat 7-0, (seven!) in the return fixture should see them get Turkeys spot in the ''Blatter Playoffs of Preference' where they will undoubtedly be unseeded and in need of a minor miracle to overcome one of the prefered teams.

So yeah, Bosnia vs. Estonia is important. It might help shape a nations identity. Football is important yo.

That Zlatan guy was Mr Ibrahimovic by the way...