Chris Writing Anything

Why does a man who was raised on football, in an area known for its loyalty to the Packers, suddenly take an interest in soccer? This Green Bay man still loves the Green and Gold, yet, I’ve just stopped being a baseball fan, and I’ve decided to watch soccer this spring…anything wrong with that?

Here, I’ll explain my thoughts.

A while ago, actually back when I was laid up with COVID-19, I had begun watching the Bundasliga. For those who don’t know, the Bundasliga is Germany’s premier soccer league. ESPN Plus featured a ton of games, and they were really entertaining.

I have to admit, most of my life, I’ve survived on a steady diet of American sports. I will also willingly declare, those staples, football, baseball and basketball were my fav’s, and I thought soccer was boring. However, as I remember how the Bundasliga alleviated my sick leave woes, those German matches captivated me, and my opinions began to waver.

Over time, as I realized how many leagues I had access to, and I watched my talented nieces play the sport, my soccer interest grew. And now, literally, when perusing my streaming app subscriptions, every single app features soccer…so, if I already have the app, why not watch soccer?

Today, while I recap two Europa League matches, I’ll further explain why I’m interested in this worldwide game.

As I started my Thursday Europa League viewing, I had my eye on the West Ham versus Freiburg match up. Seeing how Freiburg is a Bundasliga team, I was rooting for the underdogs.

I’d have to say, a European soccer underdog, when pitted against superior powers, is much like rooting for a college football underdog. When assessing leagues, and the teams within each league, and when compared to most US professional leagues, soccer matchups can produce much larger disparities.

Therefore, being that West Ham were hands down favorites, you probably might guess that the broadcast leaned towards the premier league fixture. I felt like I was viewing a Packer game in the early eighties.

You see, when I was young boy, I was under the impression that, if our football team was any evidence, Northeast Wisconsin was inferior to the rest of the US.

I mean, during the very rare nationally televised game, the commentators leaned heavily towards Green Bay’s opponents. Usually, at the end of the contest, based on the game’s results, the broadcaster’s stance seemed justified. Yet, when it wasn’t…man, those wins were sweet. Of course, that has changed.

However, today, rooting for Freiburg reminded this old man of his childhood. Being that Freiburg is relatively small potatoes, and I was listening to an English commentator, The entire broadcast was focused on West Ham, and, in the end, after a devastating 5-0 rout, it certainly seemed that was the proper move.

Anyways, as the game started, and West Ham were easily winning the ball, trepidation gripped my being, and I sat on the edge of my comfy sofa. A first goal seemed inevitable, and, after a series of corner kicks, a poorly defended set piece yielded the first West Ham goal.

Freiburg did liven after the first goal, yet, it was obvious they were out matched. I kind of felt foolish, because I had actually believed they stood a chance. Yet, should I feel foolish? I mean, even in a match up of disparate teams, the impossible has happened, and it can happen again….and when it does occur, when considering the odds, an upset is all the more stunning.

I mean, after all, during the first leg, as I recall the two combatant’s first meeting, a game set in Freiburg, the home team pulled off a 1-0 upset. However, this time, amongst a London crowd, it was very clear why Freiburg was the underdog.

After that disappointing loss, today’s second match was another uneven contest, and this time I was rooting for the clear cut favorites. And this match underlined my underdog take, even if, at the bitter end, those feisty underdogs were bested.

Wait, maybe I should back up a second. You’re probably wondering, “What’s the Europa League?”

To be honest, I’ve only recently learned of this myself. Basically, European league teams earn their way into this tournament. If you finish at the very top of the league, or very near it, then you earn a spot in the Champions League; that competition is separate from the Europa League.

However, if a team missed the top spots, yet they had a fairly decent year, then they get into the Europa League. I think of it as soccer’s NIT tournament; if you know anything about college hoops, you’ll recognize the similarity.

Okay, now that that’s clear, back to Leverkusen versus Qarabag. Quite frankly, even if Leverkusen won in thrilling fashion, the result left me somewhat disappointed.

Leverkusen 3 Qarabag 2….

orrrr…was I totally disappointed? The final result was certainly thrilling, even if I wasn’t totally okay with it. And this second game, due to some fairly perplexing circumstances, is a bit more intriguing.

This is why I’m ticked, or I I believe I’m ticked…or I’m simply not totally okay with the end result: I don’t like rooting for a side with a stacked deck, and that’s exactly how today’s match played out. And when I mention a stacked deck, I don’t simply mean odds on favorites.

Let me explain:

Qarabag was actually winning this match, and they seemed to have a very good chance, as they maintained a 1-0 lead. Then, a foul was called on a Qarabag player, and it was of a severe nature: a yellow card. When I curiously studied the many replays, this soccer novice yelled at the television, “How can that be a foul?!”

Much to my relief, or what I had thought would settle me down, the call was justifiably video reviewed. Yes, when considering the foul, I was rooting for the accused, because I wanted to root for a team that succeeded by its own merits. So, I was hoping the foul would be negated. Then…the referee returned from the monitor, and he rendered his final decision…

Man, was I in for a shock…red card.

If a player earns a red card, they’re thrown out of the game. Now, not only was Qarabag huge underdogs, they had fewer men on the field. Suddenly, as new a fan to this compelling sport, I felt cheated. Or did I? I mean, a controversial call during a pivotal moment…now, even if I was already engaged in the game, I really wanted to know how this game would turn out…I’m a sucker for controversy.

There was a bit of hope that Qarabag might pull it out, and they scored a second goal. I was actually kind of satisfied. I’ll admit, I don’t know a ton about soccer, but that penalty seemed really cheap.

But, in the end, Leverkusen put on the big boy pants, and scored a goal in regulation. With an added six minutes of stoppage time, they had ample room to push for a tie.

Not only did they tie, but a second goal, during that short six minute span, guaranteed victory, and sent the German team into the quarter finals. I was happy…I guess…but, was that really a foul?

What really bothered me about the ejection, and it’s why I prefer soccer over basketball, usually, I think fouls are more clear cut in soccer. Yes, usually I know when a foul will be called and when it won’t. Sometimes I’m wrong. This time I was dumbfounded. Will there be controversy, or am I an American bonehead that doesn’t understand the game? I don’t know.

Well, now the sun has set, and those soccer matches are in the books. If anything else, even if I haven’t successfully persuaded you to watch a soccer game, I hope you were entertained with my take. I’m still learning much, and I’m having fun doing it.

So, in a series of posts, ones explaining my middle aged white dude, novice American but totally engaged soccer interest, I’ll further explain why I find European football and the MLS intriguing.

Have an Excellent Day!