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There are just some teams you can’t support. In the NRL, that team is Melbourne. In the AFL, that team is Collingwood. In Major League Baseball, that team is the Yankees.
I could go on: the All Blacks, the Miami Heat, the Dallas Cowboys, Juventus, the East German swimming team of the 1976 Olympics.
Last, but by no means the least, we have Manchester United.
All these teams have one thing in common – cheating.
A lot of times, these teams are accused of cheating or at least ‘massaging’ the rules and conduct of fair play.
In most cases, ‘cheating’ is synonymous with ‘having loads of money’.
Many of the teams listed have made efforts to secure the best players in their respective sports with lucrative contracts.
Some of them have broken the rules in doing so (cough – Melbourne Storm – cough).
To many fans, using exorbitant amounts of money to buy the best players cheapens the role of sporting competitions.
I want to cheer on the team that has worked together and bled together – not the team that clinks champagne glasses together.
So it was with a little disdain that I accepted a ticket to see Manchester United take on the A-League All Stars.
There were over 80,000 people in ANZ Stadium, with over 90% wearing the red jerseys of Manchester United.
Occasionally I would spy the odd A-League jersey – Brisbane, Perth, Newcastle, Sydney FC, but it sounded as though everyone was cheering for Manchester.
Friends and family in red strutted to their seats, with beer and the words “Glory, glory Man United” dripping from their lips.
I won’t pretend to be an expert in football tactics.
The men from the A-League tried their best to muscle the “rich boys” from the ball, but Manchester United were too skilled to succumb to such tactics.
The A-League All Stars committed 10 fouls, double those committed by Manchester, but the crowd was not pleased with any action that looked feigned.
In short, the first half seemed tame enough.
An early goal to Jesse Lindgard was disheartening, but not unexpected.
The A-League All Stars looked stretched in defence, trying to rush the visitors off the ball but never really succeeding.
A goal to Danny Welbeck gave Manchester United a handy lead going into the break.
The second half was when the fun began.
The stadium was feverous, waiting for an onslaught and for the triumphant entrance of Robin van Persie.
An early goal to the A-League All Stars had the crowd in rapture, everyone applauding the skill of ‘our boys’.
It soon died down when the announcer declared that the goal scorer was none other than Besart Berisha.
If there are some teams you just cannot support in the A-League, Brisbane Roar are likely to be up there.
With the scores no 2-1, Jesse Lindgard scored for the tourists in a quick response. Then the visitors seemed to kick into another gear.
They dominated possession and seemed to be able to work corner kick after corner kick.
With about 30 minutes left of play, Robin van Persie took to the field and the crowd went ballistic.
The cheer alone was probably worth his game fee and I felt the echo of that cheer for hours after the game.
Another goal to Danny Welbeck ensured the lead and Welbeck, secured the Fango man of the match award for his efforts.
Manchester United began toying with their opposition, spreading the ball wide and passing with pinpoint accuracy.
The All Stars, on the other hand, did not look fit, with passes going astray as they began to fall off their opponents in the defence.
At the death of the game, Robin van Persie slotted the ball past Michael Theo and the game was done.
Recapping the game, I saw no evidence of ‘cheating’.
While the Manchester players are well paid, it is not outside the laws of their competition.
It is a sad indictment of the strength of the English Premier League, when teams out-spend each other to win a premiership.
When the top teams in the competition are valued in billions, with rich and eccentric owners, it makes a farce of competitive sports.
That’s why everyone hates the Yankees, the Miami Heat, the Melbourne Storm and yes, even Manchester United.
But they sure can play.
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