It is often said that the atmosphere of being in a football match is an experience to behold that can be only experienced by being there. The last and only time I was at a football match before was in a 1990 Malaysia Cup match between Selangor and Kelantan in Stadium Merdeka. In spite of being just an innocent bystander without supporting either side, I still appreciated the aura of cheer and passion in the air. And this was at a time when the rot had already set in the local football scene.Sadly, there was no such feeling in yesterday's football game.To entertain a relative (a fellow Liverpool supporter) from Canada, we brought him to watch a friendly game between a young Malaysian team and a half spirited half strength 'still basking in their BPL glory' visiting holiday mood Manchester City team.
Surprisingly, the game started on time after breaking fast (as it was the holy month of Ramadhan) and maghrib prayers at 9.45pm after the usual mumbo jumbo of introduction of players to the officials who were sitting in the Chair of FAM since my school days all through the rot.
I thought that the visitors would be jet-lagged but instead our boys seem disorientated and seem contended just passing the ball within their half of the field. The urgency was not there. They were a few half hearted attempt on the opponent's half but our boys fail to note that high long passes just do not work when the opponents are towering over you! The first half of the game was lacklustre with a few glimmer of fancy moves from the visitors and we were trailing 0-1. Our loss of direction continued even we were down 0-3. I had seen the winning side practising passing game when they were buying time for the final whistle but when you down.Frustratingly, our Malayan Tigers were all doing a 'Soh Chin Aun-Santokh Singh-Arumugam' passes (during the Merdeka Cup glory days to frustrate the losing Korean side) when we were about 15 minutes from game time and 0-3! People were getting bored. Even the annoying buzz of the vuvuzela or the thumping drum beats of the rebana ubi could keep the passion alive and many disappointed Malaysian fans started leaving the stadium. They, presumably did not want to waste their time at the exit later and must have thought they should do something more worthwhile like going to bed early for sahur the next morning or going to work fresh!
Just when we thought all were lost....
The humidity must have taken its toll on the City boys. Suddenly, through a short pass from a free kick, the Malaysia team cracked open the eggshell to a thunderous roar of the home team. The spectators showed their appreciations by singing and cheering as if the Malaysian team had attained victory.
The game ended tamely at 1-3 and everyone went home still wondering and reminiscing the good old days when we used to beat teams like South Korea and Japan.Where are they and where are we....
