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On sports and matched skill teams and winning vs playing well.
Watched AUSvDEN at the stadium last night - such a good game to watch as an Aussie, as someone who plays a sport very similar to soccer/football albeit at an amateur level, as a woman.
A few reflections on skill and luck in sports: We won 2-0, solidly. And Australia deserved to win. But at the same time, Denmark didn't deserve to lose. Which might make me 'unAustralian', but as someone who's played innumerable amateur-level sports games, it's not always just about who's got more skills: there's a large dollop of luck that plays into it.
The score doesn't always reflect the game.
Last night, DEN played an amazing game. More times than not, the ball streaked up towards the AUS goalie and defensive side. Yes, they were blocked, but also all it would take was one mistake, one missed block or Arnold (AUS goalie) being one whit less watchful, or putting a finger wrong on the ball so it slips away...
Technically, the Danes were playing better. Their tackles took, but they also went to one of their own players who was waiting to pick up the slip. So many times their footwork was just better, their passes went where they should have gone. In the first half, DEN was the better team.
And it was the kind of chance that's out of a team's control that did them in. What it took for the first AUS goal was a kick that streaked the ball between the DEN goalie's legs and into the net. If the goalie's leg had been a little more in the way, or the kick angled slightly differently...
By the 2nd half, AUS had found their groove and they weren't giving it up. The backs held the line, the goalie blocked the attempts, and a second goal by AUS sealed the deal.
Yes, good teams will get the ball up there and take a shot. Both AUS and DEN had shots on goal, missed intercepts, plays that nearly-but-didn't-quite. There's always an element of chance, but you have to play the game to unkink the chances and sometimes chance slaps you in the face as its unwinding. That's the way of it.
This is really as much about the USA v SWE game as it is about AUS v DEN. We won our game, the USA lost theirs, but this whole "they don't deserve to win" line is kind of stupid. Sometimes teams that don't deserve to win - who didn't play as well as their opponents - end up winning anyway. That's just the way of it. I'm not saying never hold a sporting competition again, but sometimes in sporting competitions it's just luck on the night - good and bad.
--
Sat next to an American in the stadium - Disney employee from Orlando, FL, big FIFA fan, came over the day before and was way more kitted up for supporting AUS than I was!
On the way home, got a little stuck at the station - trains got delayed by an "infrastructure issue". Then a friend who lives nearby (who I'd seen post pics at the stadium) messaged me asking if I was also stuck on the train. Turns out we were in the same carriage, opposite ends!
I saw at least four sets of people I know post that they were at last night's game.
Watched AUSvDEN at the stadium last night - such a good game to watch as an Aussie, as someone who plays a sport very similar to soccer/football albeit at an amateur level, as a woman.
A few reflections on skill and luck in sports: We won 2-0, solidly. And Australia deserved to win. But at the same time, Denmark didn't deserve to lose. Which might make me 'unAustralian', but as someone who's played innumerable amateur-level sports games, it's not always just about who's got more skills: there's a large dollop of luck that plays into it.
The score doesn't always reflect the game.
Last night, DEN played an amazing game. More times than not, the ball streaked up towards the AUS goalie and defensive side. Yes, they were blocked, but also all it would take was one mistake, one missed block or Arnold (AUS goalie) being one whit less watchful, or putting a finger wrong on the ball so it slips away...
Technically, the Danes were playing better. Their tackles took, but they also went to one of their own players who was waiting to pick up the slip. So many times their footwork was just better, their passes went where they should have gone. In the first half, DEN was the better team.
And it was the kind of chance that's out of a team's control that did them in. What it took for the first AUS goal was a kick that streaked the ball between the DEN goalie's legs and into the net. If the goalie's leg had been a little more in the way, or the kick angled slightly differently...
By the 2nd half, AUS had found their groove and they weren't giving it up. The backs held the line, the goalie blocked the attempts, and a second goal by AUS sealed the deal.
Yes, good teams will get the ball up there and take a shot. Both AUS and DEN had shots on goal, missed intercepts, plays that nearly-but-didn't-quite. There's always an element of chance, but you have to play the game to unkink the chances and sometimes chance slaps you in the face as its unwinding. That's the way of it.
This is really as much about the USA v SWE game as it is about AUS v DEN. We won our game, the USA lost theirs, but this whole "they don't deserve to win" line is kind of stupid. Sometimes teams that don't deserve to win - who didn't play as well as their opponents - end up winning anyway. That's just the way of it. I'm not saying never hold a sporting competition again, but sometimes in sporting competitions it's just luck on the night - good and bad.
--
Sat next to an American in the stadium - Disney employee from Orlando, FL, big FIFA fan, came over the day before and was way more kitted up for supporting AUS than I was!
On the way home, got a little stuck at the station - trains got delayed by an "infrastructure issue". Then a friend who lives nearby (who I'd seen post pics at the stadium) messaged me asking if I was also stuck on the train. Turns out we were in the same carriage, opposite ends!
I saw at least four sets of people I know post that they were at last night's game.
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I've been watching a lot of the games, and there's been a lot of very close games, and a fair bit of luck. I was really struck by South Africa - Netherlands, where the Dutch absolutely were the better players and did win. The South Africans had possession something like less than a quarter of the time - but when they had it they were often amazingly effective. They just weren't quite lucky enough, and as it was they held Netherlands to 2-0.
I'm glad lots of people went to see the AUS-DEN game :-)
no subject
And since we'll be playing the winner of this, all I have to say is that AUS is going to have to come out of the gate at full tilt on Saturday if we're going to stay in against FRA.
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I also have FRA v MAR up on one screen while I "work" slowly in the other, and I agree with you entirely. I missed most of the Jamaica - Colombia game, but Colombia will be playing England on Saturday, so I want to see what we'll be up against ...
no subject
It's really cool that your friend was on the same train! :)