04/19/24
May 24, 2007
China's finest blind soccer players: at last week's 7th National Disabled Games in Kunming. Camera work's a bit duff but the skills are silky. I'm more used to officials with visual impairments.
For God's sake, don't let Benitez get a look at this or he'll sign one of them to play for Liverpool. Cool video, Abiezer. I couldn't visualise (see what I did there?) how blind soccer could even work. I kept wondering why the guy in red wasn't passing to his team mate who was completely unmarked and had to keep reminding myself that it was because he was blind. I was blind last night after Liverpool were made to look like the bunch of inept schoolboys they essentially are... blind drunk, that is. I think I might still be feeling the effects. I'd like to see ten Premiership stars kitted up with the blindfolds and what looks like head bumpers (fenders) to see how good or crap they would be if they couldn't see.
posted by JJ at 05:38 AM on May 24, 2007
I missed that about the passing until you mentioned it JJ - you would think you could shout to give team mates an idea where you were, but then I wonder if you'd know whether you were in space? Utter respect for these guys though. The Liverpool bit was slightly tongue in cheek, though I didn't think they did too badly. If Milan hadn't had that bit of luck with the first goal the Scouse plan might have worked. No complaints about their second though. Must say after praising Kuyt's charity work in a previous post, he seemed a bit of a spare part last night despite the goal.
posted by Abiezer at 06:03 AM on May 24, 2007
Thanks for the link. Did a little googling to find out more and it turns out there is a world cup, although loud chants from spectators have been banned.
posted by Fence at 06:17 AM on May 24, 2007
That's the context I should have provided, Fence. I knew about the modified ball, but not the other details. Must be hard to watch and contain yourself as a supporter. I thought the eye-masks were to equalise sight deficiency, not protection. Doesn't legally blind cover quite a range of visual impairment?
posted by Abiezer at 06:33 AM on May 24, 2007
They didn't do badly, but they did all they're capable of doing - they tried hard (most of them). That just isn't enough at that level. A friend with a much sharper football brain than mine (but also a Liverpool fan despite that) just emailed me his take on it: Inzaghi was born offside, but anyone who has watched the game over the last 15 years knows he makes those runs time and time again, and sooner or later, like impending doom, he gets through. He's quite happy to be caught offside 18 times if it means one chance, which he invariably buries. He did it in a tight game against the Czechs last year in the world cup, he's done it a million times. I said the first time he was caught offside to watch the offside count... bizarrely, the higher it gets, the more dangerous it is, because his first offside run is a sighter (it's normally a good 5 yards off)... he then measures his runs incrementally from there in, until eventually he makes a plum darting curved run and skips round your goalkeeper to slot one. That was a lovely move and a sweet finish, and neither Carragher or Agger had any clue how to cope with a 33 year old who has no pace but very ounce of guile going.
posted by JJ at 06:42 AM on May 24, 2007
Sorry - that's a complete derail - I could have at least included a joke about how Crouch might as well be blind.
posted by JJ at 06:44 AM on May 24, 2007
he seemed a bit of a spare part That wasn't my take on it at all. I thought the best player on the pitch was Mascherano who kept Kaka is check all night. Kyut was next. The Pool's problem was Zenden, replaced by Kewl, who somehow managed to play worse than Zenden. And Capt. Fantastic was pretty flat. The 'hand of satan' goal was the key to the match. A clear handball to anyone watching and offside too boot. Inzaghi makes me wanna resurrect all the jager bombs I took in last night, might help this headache. JJ, your friends "sharper" football mind can be accredited to plagiarizing Sir Ferrgie's press conference nearly word-for-word.
posted by r8rh8r27 at 11:20 AM on May 24, 2007
I just thought Kuyt was no threat as a lone striker - he doesn't have the pace or movement to create unaided.
posted by Abiezer at 03:13 PM on May 24, 2007
Like that obvious closet Italian who robbed Liverpool last night.