< Lala's picks for the WC >
Just a while ago, this Straits Times guy called regarding this WC poll thing which I agreed to participate in. He caught me by surprise, asking me to give him the 16 teams I think will proceed to the knockout stages. Needless to say, like I always do, I gave some pretty shit answers. *rolls eyes*
I just tend to freeze when caught unprepared you know. To say the truth, I never thought about which teams will proceed into the knockout stages, though I've read (in papers) and heard (on radio) other people's picks, and when faced with having to answer him immediately, I think I just said the same things people were saying.
How unoriginal of me! Well, I think I only said something more original when it came to Group F (Aussie's group). That was the only group where I DIDN'T follow other people's picks, because I'd spent more time thinking about it.
Lala just hates predicting you know. I just never get my predictions right, so I don't even bother! So when the guy asked me, I was like, "Wait, wait, wait..." Yet wanting to get it over and done with, I still blurted out answers without thinking through.
For example, when he asked me the two teams I thought will go through from Group A (Germany, Poland, Ecuador, Costa Rica), I just said without thinking, "Germany and Ecuador." Yah, then he asked, "Er... our guy thinks it's Germany and Poland, so why do you think it's Ecuador?"
And I was like, "SHIT." (not that I said it out loud)
YAH, WHY ECUADOR??!
Well, as I said, I never thought about it before! All I knew was that Germany would definitely qualify from Group A as the other 3 teams were shit!
The answer "er... random pick" obviously didn't satisfy him, and so I struggled to think of something I knew about Ecuador.
I quickly pulled out a World Cup guide I had to look through the Ecuador team, and I realised I only know the name Agustin Delgado, who I didn't find any impressive. Good thing was, a look through Costa Rica and Poland's teams also left no names jumping out. So I didn't change my decision embarrassingly and tried using some of the little knowledge I knew about the teams.
Actually I think why I said Ecuador was because I must have heard Mark Richmond picking Ecuador on the radio show. But then again, I couldn't remember any of the strengths of the team he mentioned, only all the shit stuff about the other two teams, so what could I do except diss the other two teams instead! Hahaha. Yah, I know I sounded stupid when I said "because Costa Rica and Poland have many problems..." but think about it, what I said made sense right!
You see, I remember Mark Richmond saying how Poland's players don't like the manager... (must be because of Dudek!) but that was all really. Then I remembered Costa Rica being thrashed 8-0 or 8-1 by Germany's third and fourth division players. Oh well. I knew little. But at least I knew something.
Now that I have time to think about it, I realise I do know something else about Ecuador besides Delgado.
They are South Americans.
YES!!!! That's a vital point!! Too bad I didn't think of it!! I don't have information on what place they finished in the South American qualifying group, but I think it was one of the top few (duh)... well, at least above Uruguay (which also happen to be the only previous WC-winners who didn't qualify for this year's WC).
Having had to suffer this embarrassing start to the phone conversation, I stuck with the "obvious" ones for the next few groups, although sometimes, it isn't all that obvious really. England, Sweden, Argentina, Netherlands, Portugal, Mexico, Czech Republic, Italy, Brazil, Australia, Spain, Ukraine were the names that came out in a breeze, without giving much thought.
But of course, I still faced questions like,
"Why not Ivory Coast (instead of Argentina)?" (
"because err... even though Ivory Coast have Didier Drogba, Argentina are still too strong... they have Messi and all that..." I should have said instead, "So what if they have Drogba? He's shit anyway." Hahahaha.
"Why not USA?" (can't remember the answer I gave, but I know I always have an impression that the USA team is similar to Australia's. Half the team are recognisable names from the EPL, but they aren't that great players.)
"Why not Japan?"
"because I like Australia..."
That answer didn't satisfy him, so I recited what I've repeated many times to many people.
"Australia have a good manager, and a few pretty good players like Harry Kewell, Mark Viduka, Tim Cahill, Marco Bresciano..."
I left out the part about how Australia have a great team spirit, and the part about the ball being round.
Now that I think of it, I should have picked Japan and Australia like my heart is saying, but I didn't want to be too controversial (and I know the guy will be so shocked and ask me more questions). But if you ever hear me say Japan and Australia (meaning Brazil will get knocked out in the first round), and some people have been hearing that from me, I'm not insane really.
There are reasons! I can argue my case!
Although I know everyone will still conclude I'm either stupid or crazy even after I give you my argument, so I shan't bother.
I just tend to freeze when caught unprepared you know. To say the truth, I never thought about which teams will proceed into the knockout stages, though I've read (in papers) and heard (on radio) other people's picks, and when faced with having to answer him immediately, I think I just said the same things people were saying.
How unoriginal of me! Well, I think I only said something more original when it came to Group F (Aussie's group). That was the only group where I DIDN'T follow other people's picks, because I'd spent more time thinking about it.
Lala just hates predicting you know. I just never get my predictions right, so I don't even bother! So when the guy asked me, I was like, "Wait, wait, wait..." Yet wanting to get it over and done with, I still blurted out answers without thinking through.
For example, when he asked me the two teams I thought will go through from Group A (Germany, Poland, Ecuador, Costa Rica), I just said without thinking, "Germany and Ecuador." Yah, then he asked, "Er... our guy thinks it's Germany and Poland, so why do you think it's Ecuador?"
And I was like, "SHIT." (not that I said it out loud)
YAH, WHY ECUADOR??!
Well, as I said, I never thought about it before! All I knew was that Germany would definitely qualify from Group A as the other 3 teams were shit!
The answer "er... random pick" obviously didn't satisfy him, and so I struggled to think of something I knew about Ecuador.
I quickly pulled out a World Cup guide I had to look through the Ecuador team, and I realised I only know the name Agustin Delgado, who I didn't find any impressive. Good thing was, a look through Costa Rica and Poland's teams also left no names jumping out. So I didn't change my decision embarrassingly and tried using some of the little knowledge I knew about the teams.
Actually I think why I said Ecuador was because I must have heard Mark Richmond picking Ecuador on the radio show. But then again, I couldn't remember any of the strengths of the team he mentioned, only all the shit stuff about the other two teams, so what could I do except diss the other two teams instead! Hahaha. Yah, I know I sounded stupid when I said "because Costa Rica and Poland have many problems..." but think about it, what I said made sense right!
You see, I remember Mark Richmond saying how Poland's players don't like the manager... (must be because of Dudek!) but that was all really. Then I remembered Costa Rica being thrashed 8-0 or 8-1 by Germany's third and fourth division players. Oh well. I knew little. But at least I knew something.
Now that I have time to think about it, I realise I do know something else about Ecuador besides Delgado.
They are South Americans.
YES!!!! That's a vital point!! Too bad I didn't think of it!! I don't have information on what place they finished in the South American qualifying group, but I think it was one of the top few (duh)... well, at least above Uruguay (which also happen to be the only previous WC-winners who didn't qualify for this year's WC).
Having had to suffer this embarrassing start to the phone conversation, I stuck with the "obvious" ones for the next few groups, although sometimes, it isn't all that obvious really. England, Sweden, Argentina, Netherlands, Portugal, Mexico, Czech Republic, Italy, Brazil, Australia, Spain, Ukraine were the names that came out in a breeze, without giving much thought.
But of course, I still faced questions like,
"Why not Ivory Coast (instead of Argentina)?" (
"because err... even though Ivory Coast have Didier Drogba, Argentina are still too strong... they have Messi and all that..." I should have said instead, "So what if they have Drogba? He's shit anyway." Hahahaha.
"Why not USA?" (can't remember the answer I gave, but I know I always have an impression that the USA team is similar to Australia's. Half the team are recognisable names from the EPL, but they aren't that great players.)
"Why not Japan?"
"because I like Australia..."
That answer didn't satisfy him, so I recited what I've repeated many times to many people.
"Australia have a good manager, and a few pretty good players like Harry Kewell, Mark Viduka, Tim Cahill, Marco Bresciano..."
I left out the part about how Australia have a great team spirit, and the part about the ball being round.
Now that I think of it, I should have picked Japan and Australia like my heart is saying, but I didn't want to be too controversial (and I know the guy will be so shocked and ask me more questions). But if you ever hear me say Japan and Australia (meaning Brazil will get knocked out in the first round), and some people have been hearing that from me, I'm not insane really.
There are reasons! I can argue my case!
Although I know everyone will still conclude I'm either stupid or crazy even after I give you my argument, so I shan't bother.
posted by lala at 2:33 PM
1 Comments:
hahaha! good post :D
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