Fremantle Maintain Carton's Blues

My first Australian Rules Football game at the new Optus Stadium in Burswood was between the Fremantle Dockers and the Carlton Blues on a nice, bright, sunny and warm August afternoon.

Today's game was a dead rubber of sorts as Carlton was firmly rooted to the bottom of the table, and Fremantle were unable to make it into the top 8 to progress to the finals series. After a shaky start by the visitors, Fremantle were simply too good and closed down Carlton to win the game 15.11-101 to 10.12-72. The loss confirmed Calton to its fifth wooden spoon since 2002.

All in all the match was rather uninspiring and at times thoroughly painful to watch. However, both teams are in rebuilding phases, so there were some promising signs form both teams.

Water and cool drink were 5 dollars, beers were mid-strength at 8 dollars and a pies were 6 dollars. Slightly on the high side but at least it isn't out of control like in previous years.

Lions Edge Past Forrestfield

A warm and sunny Saturday afternoon at Rosalie Park played host to Subiaco Lions and Forrestfield United in the final round 24 of the National Premier Leagues Western Australia division. The visitors were in control early with a penalty earned on the ninth minute, which was slotted home to open the account. But the visitors struggled to take advantage of their dominance at Rosalie by failing to take their chances.

The hosts levelled the match with a 39th minute strike, which looked like Subiaco were going to take control of the game away from Forrestfield after this turn in the game. However, Forrestfield continued to press for a second goal but it just didn't come about after numerous chances went begging during the second half. Subiaco punished them for their wasted opportunities by scoring their second deep into stoppage time to deal a cruel blow to Forrestfield, who felt they were going to walk away with shared points.

As my arrival to the game was slightly rushed and the depleted supplies of the canteen, I opted for a can of coke and a packet of smiths for 5 dollars in total. Not bad for just a snack while watching the game at a venue, that is really not anywhere near NPL standard, let alone trying to be remotely close to said standard. Hopefully this changes in the near future.

Dogs Edge Falcons

A rather chilly, windy and wet day in Fremantle was host to South Fremantle and West Perth at Fremantle Oval. While South Fremantle weren't ever really out of the contest, they weren't exactly doing themselves and their fans any favours throughout the contest and at times hit the lead but were rather unconvincing in doing so. The windy conditions and the wet ball probably played havoc on the players where many were susceptible from slipping and fumbling the ball rather often.

West Perth on the other hand seemed to be playing within themselves and not pressing on further when they were in the lead during the match, perhaps that was due to the difficult conditions. I think however, the Falcons had misread the home team's dogged (pun intended) determination with the Dogs coming home with a 5 point victory in dark, chilly and wet conditions.

As I was away recently on holidays I had been craving for an ice-cream and got one with nuts, chocolate and a 'flake' which was a twirl bar, for 6 dollars. Not bad and was rather delicious. Can't go past a classic really. Beers were 8 dollars and of course my choice of drink was the Carlton Draught, for me another old faithful that goes down smoothly while watching the footy.
All in All another good afternoon to watch some Saturday football at Fremantle Oval.

Inglewood Too Good For Forrestfield

On a bitterly cold July night at Hartfield Park, was host the National Premier League WA match between Forrestfield United and Inglewood United. I hadn't been to Hartfield Park for quite some time, also due to my travel and other commitments I haven't been able to get down to see many games; so, this was a great opportunity to get out and see some night football. 

But it was the experience and skills of the visitors from Inglewood who were just too good for the hosts in this highly energised and intense match.

Inglewood opened the account with a neat finish in the 13^th minute after some shaky Forrestfield defending allowed the visitors the opportunity via a through ball.

However, Forrestfield remained resilient and toiled away and it paid off with an equaliser 10 minutes later via a penalty. It was at half time all square with the hosts feeling very confident of grinding out a result.

The second half resumed, and Forrestfield looked to tire which on the 60^th minute mark allowed Inglewood to pound on some wayward defending to give the visitors the lead once again.

Forrestfield huffed and puffed but it was to no avail as they were pressing high to find an equaliser. Their best chance was in the 85^th minute from a powerful strike that was brilliantly saved by the Inglewood keeper.

Match finished 2-1 in favour of Inglewood giving their manager Andy Keogh a much earned 3 points.

As it was freezing, and I was still recovering from a horrible bout of a flu, I did have a few beverages. Carlton Draught was 8 dollars and a coke were 2.50. Chips with gravy were 5 dollars and they were fantastic on a night like this with a forrie burger going down well at 8 dollars too.

Was a great night down at Forrestfield, albeit freezing conditions but was excellent with a decent crowd getting behind both teams.

Chelsea and Perth Play Friendly

Chelsea visited the west coast of Australia on a very chilly and cold Optus Stadium in Perth, the capital of Western Australia to play a friendly game with Perth Glory. The game was the first football game to be played at the new stadium, with cricket, Australian Rules and rugby league already being played at the stadium since its opening earlier this year.

The game was launched with much fanfare with the lighting display at the stadium once again proving to be a smash hit with its dazzling choreographed display while the Chelsea club song was playing as well as other songs. It felt like I was in an incredibly large night club with bolts of blue, shades of blue and white shooting all over the place.

 The game kicked off and it really didn't take long for the west Londoners to open the account with a rather simple tap in goal within the first 10 minutes. It really did look like that Chelsea were going to rip open the game and put on a cricket score. Thankfully, Perth showed a great level of resilience and tenacity and at times did cause the Englishmen a few moments of panic when they pressed.

However, it was rather obvious that there must have been a form of agreement between the two sides as tackles from both sides were rather soft, challenges at times were also rather weak and there were moments where Chelsea should have slammed the Perth Glory defence with at least 5 goals. So there must have been an agreement. I was impressed with the new signings of the Perth Glory under the new manager Tony Popovic. I hope that these promising displays from the new recruits can transpose into the up-coming A-League season.

The seats at the new stadium are fantastic. The seats are great viewing, especially if you wish to duck out for a beverage, Alcoholic or not. Choc milks are 5 dollars, Cokes are also 5 dollars, and beer was 8 dollars. The beers on choice were the usual, Alby and the mid strength one. Was just great to watch the game and enjoy a drink. The only problem of course is that it was incredibly cold and holding a cold drink doesn't help the hand!

It was a great night to watch the first game of football at the stadium, which was also a new record for a football game in Perth. This beat the 2000 National Soccer League grand final. That was around the 44,000 mark. The match tonight was 55,000, a very impressive figure.

France Weather Storm Against Belgium

Was very fortunate to get myself a ticket for the semi final between France and Belgium in Saint Petersburg. This would be the last match that I was able to visit as my time in Russia was coming to a close. France have been the form side throughout this tournament and with the penultimate match before the world cup final, I thought that they would have had no difficulties against Belgium, despite their performance against Brazil to ensure they made it to the semi-finals.

The semi final was played at the home of Zenit Saint Petersburg in a rebuilt stadium for the world cup. It is on the outer regions of the city but with access from the metro it was not difficult to get to and from the stadium. This match was to be played at 9pm at night which was unusual for me as the sun doesn't set until around 10pm in this part of the world and even then you can still see faint sunlight.

The atmosphere was once again pulsing with excitement and joy. Not just for French and Belgian supporters but from all who had come to watch the match. There were flags from all nations, including ones from nations who didn't make it to the tournament. Which I noticed spiked dramatically after the group matches. The major flags I saw were Chinese, Indian, UAE, Malaysian and Singaporean flags. Clearly these people snapped up tickets for the knockout stages to watch the big teams but also to try and on-sell their tickets to make profit. While I didn't fall victim to this, I feel sorry to others that were drawn into these.

But the crowd was just excited with both French and Belgian fans waving, cheering and taking pictures together while they were drinking. It was all in good spirits and was great to see nations and people coming together through football. While football can be very divisive through passionate fans and national sentiments, it brings us together and we build connections.

The game was just epic. The stadium felt like a massive theatre with the stage being the pitch, bathed in light and our eyes gazing to watch the performance that was about to unfold for an hour and a half. Belgium were all over France in the first 30 minutes with brilliant saves from the French keeper to nudge the ball to safety. The France defence were valiant in maintaining their defensive line and repulsing the red devil's attacks. The game started to turn into France's favour towards the end of the second half but Belgium were still pushing for a goal very aggressively throughout.

It wasn't until the second half that France found the breakthrough and ended up being the winning goal from a set piece and then put into the back of the net. Belgium were rather flat during that period and began to look rather lethargic and docile in the middle of the second half. But towards the end of the second half Les Bleus were put on notice when Belgium woke up and furiously pushed them for an equaliser to add another twist to the tale of this match. However, it was not to be and the match ended 1-0 to France. France go to Moscow for the final and Belgium stay put for the third place match.

I had some popcorn which was rather average and small in size compared to what I get in Brazil or the US. That was 250 rubles. Coke and water were 200 and Budweiser was 300. Other than that nothing else to write home about. But I was practically glued to my chair watching this tussle between these two excellent teams.

Очень повезло, что я получил билет на полуфинал между Францией и Бельгией в Санкт-Петербурге. Это будет последний матч, который я смог посетить, так как мое время в России подходит к концу. Франция была формой на этом турнире и с предпоследним матчем перед финалом кубка мира, я думал, что у них не было бы никаких проблем с Бельгией, несмотря на их выступление против Бразилии, чтобы они попали в полуфинал.

Полуфинал сыграл в доме «Зенит Санкт-Петербург» на восстановленном стадионе мирового кубка. Он находится на внешних участках города, но с доступом из метро не трудно добраться до и от стадиона. Этот матч должен был сыграть в 9 вечера ночью, что было необычно для меня, поскольку солнце не устанавливалось до 10 вечера в этой части мира, и даже тогда вы все еще можете видеть слабый солнечный свет.

Атмосфера снова пульсировала от волнения и радости. Не только для французских и бельгийских сторонников, но и для всех, кто пришел посмотреть матч. Были флаги из всех стран, в том числе из стран, которые не попали на турнир. Который я заметил, резко увеличился после групповых матчей. Главными флагами, которые я видел, были флаги Китая, Индии, ОАЭ, Малайзии и Сингапура. Ясно, что эти люди хватались за билеты на нокаут, чтобы посмотреть большие команды, а также попытаться продать свои билеты, чтобы получить прибыль. Хотя я не стал жертвой этого, мне жаль других, которые втянуты в них.

Но толпа была просто в восторге от того, как французские и бельгийские поклонники размахивали, подбадривали и фотографировали вместе, когда они пили. Все было в хорошем настроении, и было здорово видеть, как народы и люди собираются вместе через футбол. В то время как футбол может быть очень расходящимся через страстных поклонников и национальных настроений, он объединяет нас, и мы строим связи.

Игра была просто эпической. Стадион казался массивным театром со сценой, являющейся площадкой, освещенной светом, и наши глаза смотрели, как смотреть на спектакль, который вот-вот разворачится на полтора часа. В течение первых 30 минут Бельгия находилась по всей Франции с блестящими спасениями от французского вратаря, чтобы подтолкнуть мяч к безопасности. Защита Франции была доблестна в поддержании их оборонительной линии и отражении нападений красного дьявола. Игра стала превращаться в пользу Франции к концу второй половины, но Бельгия по-прежнему настаивает на цель очень агрессивно во всем.

Только во второй половине Франция обнаружила прорыв и в итоге стала побеждающей целью из набора, а затем положила в заднюю часть сетки. Бельгия была довольно плоской в ​​течение этого периода и стала выглядеть довольно летаргичной и послушной в середине второй половины. Но к концу второй половины Les Bleus были замечены, когда Бельгия проснулась и яростно подтолкнула их к эквалайзеру, чтобы добавить еще один поворот к рассказу об этом матче. Однако этого не было, и матч закончился со счетом 1: 0 во Франции. Франция отправляется в Москву на финал, а в Бельгии - на третье место.

У меня был попкорн, который был довольно среднего и небольшого размера по сравнению с тем, что я получаю в Бразилии или США. Это было 250 рублей. Кокс и вода были 200, а Budweiser - 300. Помимо этого больше ничего не пишут. Но я был практически приклеен к моему стулу, наблюдая за этой дракой между этими двумя превосходными командами.

Australia Wasteful Against Peru

The third and final match for both teams in their group C phase at the world cup in the summer seaside resort city of Sochi. Sochi was the host for the 2014 winter Olympic games and the match was played in the Olympic stadium. The scene was once again set in the stunningly beautiful summer that Russia has to offer, but this time it is a rather more beach-side feel to it. It was a rather warm day, which gave a very Australian/South American summer feel, with crystal blue skies, equally matched with a beautiful blue Black Sea rippling along like a blue carpet leading up to the stadium.

Like the other matches of the tournament, the fans and the city was buzzing with excitement. However, this time was slightly different. Different because there were so many Peruvian supporters who had made their way to Russia to support their nation. As they were so vast in number they had bought 80% of the tickets to the match. Leaving only a small portion of lucky Australian fans as well as locals making up the rest. In a stadium of 45,000; the men in yellow would only account for about 3,000. Leaving the rest of the stadium awash in a sea of white and red.

However, the match was all Australia with the Socceroos pushing deep into attack time and time again. The problem was that they just could not put the ball into the back of the net. There were multiple golden opportunities to open the scoring and confirm their dominance but the Australians were all sixes and sevens, becoming twisted and flustered. Peru had very few opportunities to strike, but when they did it was efficient and deadly. At half time it was 1-0 and full time finished at 2-0. While Australia were once again very valiant and determined being outgunned and outmatched compared to a far more talented and more composed South American unit, they were all over them. Just a recurring problem of Australia huffing and puffing but failing to blow the house down. Socceroo long time stalwart "Sir" Timothy Cahill made his final appearance for Australia late into the second half to try and inject some impetus. However, it was too late and Australia remained scoreless.

I had some hot-dogs and my usual coke, water and Budweiser. Coke and water were 200 rubles, Budweiser was 300 and the hot-dogs were 250. The hot-dogs were just plain style american with nothing overly exciting, nor disappointing about them.
There ends Australia's world cup campaign for 2018, as well as Peru's. Peru finished 3rd on 3 points with Australia finishing last in the group with only 1 point. While Australia didn't disgrace themselves and played very well against expectations. However there were many chances that went wanting that could have put Australia in a better position that truly reflected their performance.

Третий и последний матч для обеих команд в фазе группы C на чемпионате мира в летнем приморском курортном городе Сочи. Сочи был хозяином зимних Олимпийских игр 2014 года, и матч проходил на Олимпийском стадионе. Сцена снова была заложена в потрясающе красивое лето, которое может предложить Россия, но на этот раз это скорее пляжное чувство. Это был довольно теплый день, который дал очень австралийское / южноамериканское летнее ощущение, с кристально-голубым небом, в равной степени сочетающееся с красивым голубым Черным морем, колеблющимся, как синий ковер, ведущий на стадион.

Как и в других матчах турнира, фанаты и город жужжали от волнения. Однако на этот раз было немного другое. Разные, потому что было так много перуанских сторонников, которые пробрались в Россию, чтобы поддержать свою нацию. Поскольку они были настолько многочисленны, они купили 80% билетов на матч. Оставляя лишь небольшую часть счастливых австралийских поклонников, а также местных жителей, составляющих все остальное. На стадионе 45 000; мужчины в желтой составляли всего около 3000 человек. Оставляя остальную часть стадиона наводненным в море белого и красного.

Тем не менее, матч был всей Австралией, когда Socceroos снова и снова вторгались в атаку. Проблема заключалась в том, что они просто не могли поместить мяч в заднюю часть сетки. Было множество золотых возможностей, чтобы открыть счет и подтвердить их господство, но австралийцы были шестью и шестью, становясь искривленными и взволнованными. Перу было очень мало возможностей для удара, но когда они это делали, это было эффективно и смертельно. В половине первого тайма он занял 1-0, а занял полный матч со счетом 2: 0. В то время как Австралия снова была очень доблестна и решительно изнашивалась и превосходила по сравнению с гораздо более талантливой и более сложной южноамериканской единицей, они были повсюду. Просто повторяющаяся проблема Австралии, издевающаяся и пыхтящая, но не взорвавшая дом. Socceroo долгое время стойкий «сэр» Тимоти Кэхилл сделал свой последний выход в Австралию поздно во второй половине, чтобы попытаться придать некоторый импульс. Однако было уже слишком поздно, и Австралия оставалась нулевым по счету.

У меня были хот-доги и мой обычный кокс, вода и Budweiser. Кока-кола и вода были 200 рублей, Budweiser - 300, а хот-доги - 250. Хот-доги были просто обычными американцами, ничто чрезмерно захватывающее, и не разочаровало их.

Там заканчивается кампания чемпионата мира в Австралии в 2018 году, а также в Перу. Перу финишировал третьим на 3 очка, а в Австралии финишировал последним в группе с 1 очком. В то время как Австралия не позорила себя и очень хорошо сыграла против ожиданий. Однако было много шансов на то, что это могло бы привести Австралию к лучшему положению, которое действительно отразило их работу.