Jeng Jeng

Like Syai so eloquently said on the right, "Singapore! *jeng jeng* Singapore! *jeng jeng*"

No, I'm not suffering a sudden fit of patriotism, just the aftermath of the ASEAN Nations Cup Final of Singapore vs Thailand on Wednesday. First Leg, of course. How could I forget.

Often have the escapades of the national team on the footballing pitch been criticised. Even today, the last trophy we won is still attributed to the "Shoulder of God" and teams playing beneath themselves, scoring own goals. Not the kind of win you'd like to revel in. Like Inter Milan winning the Serie A in 2005/6.

I was there when Singapore beat Pahang in the last Malaysia Cup were in, at the Shah Alam Stadium. Painted faced and screaming fans, the "away" fans as Singaporeans were labelled, outnumbered the Malaysians by at least 4:1. It was a sea of red with a little quiet patch of yellow. And yes, we beat them 4-0.

Now, 2-1 isn't exactly a guarantee that our Lions will bring the trophy back home from up north this weekend, especially with the Thais being the way they are; silky smooth passing and gut-busting pace throughout the whole 90 minutes. The added fire that they'd surely have after the first leg is yet another obstacle for Precious and Daniel Bennet to face.

But that's what I'd like to talk about. Sportsmanship. A long time ago, back when I didn't have to shave and I thought that blaring Linkin Park in a crowded train was cool, I wrote an essay on sportsmanship. It was supposedly good, and I was reminded of it after Wednesday's game.

Thailand, playing away, had pulled back after Singapore got a shock lead. 7 minutes or so before the final whistle, Singapore were awarded a penalty. Replays weren't really conclusive either way, and of course, the team feeling aggrieved protested. Every team does. Most of the time, nothing comes out of it. Maybe an additional booking or two.

But when your whole team walks off the pitch for over fifteen minutes, there really is something fundamentally wrong there. As the commentators in the press-box said in bewilderment, "Get on with it already!"

I really didn't understand the motivation or the logic behind the act. What if the whole team didn't come back on? What if a brawl ensued? What if the ref had fallen after being rough-housed by a few overly-offended Thais? What if I had more cash?

The incident reminded me of Zinedine Zidane. No, not the headbutt. But years ago, France faced Portugal in the European Championship Semifinals. A late penalty was awarded, and Figo threw off his jersey and walked off in disgust. Not Zidane, but I thought it was him at first. Other equally atrocious acts have occured, and will occur (sadly) in the future: Eric Cantona's impersonation of Bruce Lee. Roy Keane taking Alf-Inge Haaland OUT. Arsenal vs Ruud van Nistelrooy. Jens Lehmann and Didier Drogba taking shots at each other and falling like lilies. Paolo Di Canio pushing over a referee. Pires, Ginola, Robben and countless others diving. And diving.

Unsportsman-like conduct happens everywhere, of course. Tyson bit Holyfield. NHL games regularly degenerate into slug-fests (so much so that ice-hockey computer games have the same feature). Basketball matches turn into mass brawls where the fans get involved.

What's exactly happened here? Many say that sport has become too commercialised. Massive amounts of money are being spent in the industry. David Beckham, possibly with his best days gone, is to move to American club LA Galaxy in a deal that will see him net US$250m. Let me spell that out for you. Two-hundred and fifty million US Dollars. That's US$250,000,000.00 Alot of zeros. The team that finishes bottom in the EPL will earn at least an eight digit sum in TV revenue alone. Chelsea's weekly wage might be able to run most third-world countries for a year.

Back to the Thais. I wish our guys all the best this Sunday, but me being pragmatic tells me that the first-leg win is the best they can do. Always a chance, of course, but unless the Thais face disciplinary action prior to the match (as they should), I don't see Singapore beating them. A draw would win it, I know, but don't hold your breath.

Still, jeng jeng.