Tik-tok! All this football praise has gone to our heads
The whole of Thailand is holding its breath today as the national football team play the second-leg of their final against Malaysia for boasting rights in the AFF Suzuki Cup. All the Thai side needs to do is win, draw - or even lose by one goal. Any of th
The match in Kuala Lumpur – hot on the heels of Thailand’s 2-0 triumph in the first leg in Bangkok – starts at 7 tonight and will naturally be carried live on TV. Tune in to Channel 7 HD.
We have a prediction. No, not the score – we predict that the streets of Bangkok will be devoid of cars for the two-hour duration of the match. Football madness has seized the country like a lightning coup d’etat and might be spreading across the region too.
The Thai team’s spectacular display on Wednesday of Barcelona-style “tiki-taka” – short passes and total ball control – earned them fans around the world, with popular international websites like 101GreatGoal.com raising a fuss. On the Suzuki Cup Facebook page, which has video of the amazing tiki-taka play, Kobe Brayn Falcesco commented that “Thailand is getting closer and closer to Korea and Japan inter. Have my respect to this young team!”
Even Malaysian fans offer their praise on the same page. “I like the game-play from Thailand. They are great!” says someone using the moniker Glory Alleluia. Muhd Shaifuddinz adds, “You’re so fantastic, Thailand. Malaysia game-play is still the same – long pass, long pass and long pass. I hope Malaysia can be a great team like Thailand.”
What had foreign viewers almost as impressed as the fluid “tiki-taka” – which Thais call “tik-tok” (it sure does run like clockwork) – was the way the Thai players trooped over to the Malaysian dugout at the end of Wednesday’s match and wai’d their coaches in a show of respect. That really blew a lot of Malaysia fans away.
“We should give Thailand respect too,” said Dong Eryna, while Shikin Kassim and Nissa Diyanah remarked on Thailand’s “beautiful” culture and well-mannered sportsmen. “They played so well and also respected the competition,” said Kami Ponggot. “That’s enough, Thailand! You defeated us in the game and won our hearts,” Eizad Zad enthused. “You are so cute, Thailand! Sawadikapp!” Mohd Nor Hazim wrote.
Meen Rc was probably hoping his comment would be the kindest praise of all – and in a way it was: “I want to have a Thai wife because she can cook and would be very sweet.”
All the feel-good messages, especially the ones from Malaysia, have certainly boosted the pride quotient here. Whatever the result tonight, we are already victorious in truly meaningful ways. Up Thailand!
We’re out of here
To paraphrase the immortal words of Richard Nixon, you won’t have Soopsip to kick around for the balance of 2014. Tsunami remembrances, year-end reviews and other seasonal features will be hogging all the space.
On Christmas Eve, for example, we’ll be looking back at the newsmakers of the year in show business. January 1 will have all the astrological predictions for the Year of the Goat.
Stay tuned for “Horns: The Return of Soopsip” on January 5, and meanwhile have a happy and safe New Year’s Eve!
