Okay, here’s an easy one. What’s the name of the team you’re backing at the FIFA World Cup? Then, try this one: Why are you backing that particular team?
The only folks who are not required
to answer these questions are bandwagonists such as … let’s just call him PR.
But, even in his case, I must confess he has stuck to a particular (losing) EPL
team for much of the past few years, despite a lack of loyalty to individual
players such as … CR (no relation).
So, PR is a bandwagonist when it
comes to players, but not necessarily with his team, no matter the magnitude of
licks being sustained. So, we know he isn’t going to back Portugal under any
circumstances.
I am calling no names, because passions
run high among Caribbean football supporters such as … let’s call her FM … and
you can incur wrath even in relatively minor cases of mispronunciation. Repeat
after me: It’s not “Kwatar.”
But, back to serious business. Name
your team. Then carefully and concisely explain why you like that team.
Question A is pretty simple. The
vast majority of Caribbean people I know – even if they can’t call the names of
three players on the team at any point in time – place their confidence in
Brazil. Okay, okay, the know-it-alls can explain why they prefer Argentina or
France entirely on footballing grounds.
In some instances - largely for
non-footballing reasons too embarrassing to raise here - some would cheer for
Germany or even England. There are even the types who are mourning the absence
of Italy.
To be fair, some people know their
football and can rattle off the names of 5 and 6 and 7 top players from these
teams. Ditto those whose second choice is either Senegal or Ghana.
So, we like Brazil. The Jamaicans
think their national team plays the same style of football. LOL. Take a minute
to catch your breath, then try to remember when T&T supporters made a
similar claim.
And many of us would have loved to
have seen Senegal or Ghana in the final showdown. There are also people like SM
who take things one game at a time. The other day he messaged me to ask if I
was impressed with Croatia! By this time today, he might have already called
with expressions of solidarity for the players of Australia.
I have also come across some football
stragglers who are amazed at the fact that the faces of the players
representing a growing number of teams look nothing like the portraits of the
people we see on the news who run those countries.
In fact, PR has been keeping track
of the number of seemingly misplaced players who are scoring goals! Look! Look!
EVEN this team and that team! Noticed something?
So, in answering the “why”
question, we really aren’t talking too much football are we? I cannot lie. I
back Brazil (even as Neymar has dedicated his first goal, in advance, to that
thug Bolsonaro), but have a keen eye on France (because of football, I assure
you … though there’s also Tchouaméni, Dembélé, Koundé
and Konaté) and I have crossed my fingers on behalf of
Senegal and Ghana (for reasons of the heart).
I am rather unapologetic about such
fickleness, particularly with those who contend that politics – both of the
capital “P’ and in lowercase – should not invade the field of sport. LOL!
If there is one country on the planet
that should not be confused about this is T&T. Here, sport is capable of
generating political cleavages in ways nothing else can.
Erroneously seen as exclusively and
inelastically linked to behaviour and social performance, there has been more political
investment in sport than virtually any other ameliorative intervention to address
youth dysfunctionality – all falling way short of addressing the systemic inequities
that have brought us here.
Consequently, malpractice, incompetence
and conmanship are often overlooked as mere, even admirable, incidentals in
pursuit of a greater good. Understand this dynamic and you can come to terms
with the queasiness of those who love football but have serious problems with
FIFA and the actions that have now taken us to Qatar.
So, today’s line-up of games offers
a few favourites and dilemmas. Who’s backing Mexico against Saudi Arabia?
France vs Tunisia? Poland against Argentina? Australia vs Denmark?
Every last one of us will be taking
our pick. Not our first or second or third choices. But we will be there,
cheering someone on. Take two minutes to ask yourself why.
