Got my tickets but not that excited to be honest - why ?
Whilst I enjoyed the Boca game I found it a strange feeling when we scored - I didn't really care - certainly nothing like I care when the Nix score - why ?
Cared a lot when we scored against Bahrain - why ?
The answers for me reflect whether or not there is anything on the game. Personally I would far rather watch the All Whites against Thailand or Japan or South Korea or .... in an Asian qualifier than against most other teams other than the top 4 or 5 in the world.
Not wanting to reignite the OFC vs AFC debate but I envy Australia having alternating campaigns for the WC and AFC i.e. more games that matter.
The marketing campaign for the Paraguay games has also been flaky - some Oprah type home coming. Should have been along the lines of watch our premiership players (Ryan, Reid....) against stars from (fill in clubs) playing for the 17th rank team in the world.
To be honest, I think there is a sh*t load riding on these games, far more than your typical friendly. Reputation in the football world seems to play a huge part in the individual success of nations - if you win a few games, make a world cup, don't embarrass yourself, get your players noticed, get more friendlies against better opposition, attract more fans and players, win a few games etc... - it all ends up in upward spiral, its happened before (hint: australia).
If, on the other hand, we fail to score goals or even be competitive - its a pretty quick trip back to the bottom of the pile. I will sure as hell be cheering as loudly as possible for every single goal the all whites manage to score. If we want to have those AFC ties that Australia enjoys, we better prove that we are deserve it...
djtim30002010-10-06 21:29:44