The injuries to Germany’s Michael Ballack and Ghana’s Michael Essien, who Australia must face in their Group at the World Cup, were described late last week as “good news” to greet the Socceroos when they alighted from their Qantas charter to South Africa.
That was at least the opinion of the sports reader on one morning’s Sky Sports news segment (doubtless reading the tele-prompter written by some faceless and unnamed producer had typed with little thought).
My eyebrows raised at hearing this.
Injuries to two of arguably the best players in the world, and certainly plying their trade in Europe, is “good news”?
I am sure an Socceroos would never greet an injury to a fellow player, especially ones so talented, as good news. They all fear such a fate themselves, being cruelled by injury just before the biggest tournament they may ever play in.
Further, no one would wish such a fate on even their worst enemy (well, maybe Zidane on someone I can think of …).
The Socceroos surely want to face the best, both players and teams, in competing at the World Cup. Such players live to play against the best. Indeed, the World Cup is the greatest chance to do so.
So missing the chance to face such players, even if it arguably reduces your team’s chance to succeed, is a disappointment, not “good news”.
The Socceroos, and any international sporting team, want to beat the best to prove themselves the best. Facing a “weakened” opponent cheapens the victory. The more weakened the opponent, the lesser the victory is, and eventually the whispers of whether they would have won without injuries begin to sound.
An Australian team without Kewell or Cahill that loses instantly conjures up thoughts up what it would have done with them.
Not that Ballack or Essien being out are likely to make Australia’s task appreciably easier at the World Cup. Both Germany and Ghana are strong opponents, even without those players.
The media making cheap throw away comments like this suggests many of them don’t really understand the mind-set of the sportsmen, and sports, they report on.
The World Cup without players like Ballack and Essien is a poorer spectacle. And surely the Socceroos greeted the news of their missing the tournament with more a bittersweet reaction than the media suggest.
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