As trimester one draws to a close, there is no doubt a handful of first years that have, after some hard partying at the Big Kumara and Shooters this term, little coin left in the pocket. I dearly wanted to use this column to pass on some footballing pearls of wisdom, in the hope that said students could use my tips to place a wager on the World Cup winner at the TAB and claw back some pennies. However, after watching the All Whites take on the Socceroos last week, there are much more important issues to address.
Australian television station Fox Sports historically broadcasted Monday night’s Melbourne match in 3D. As it turned out, this would have been an epic occasion to have the requisite 3D television screen. With seagulls swarming the pitch, and GBH tackles flying across the screen from Australian thugs, it would have been a truly sensational viewing experience. (Sound effects would not have gone amiss; perhaps player microphones are next on Fox’s agenda?)
Tim Cahill was filmed earlier in the day remarking how incredible the technology was—“You just want to reach out and grab the ball!” Revelling in the Hollywood-style experience, Cahill turned stuntman in the first half and artfully threw Leo Bertos up in the air with the studs on his boots. From the confines of the Tasman Street flat, we imagined ourselves in the Fox 3D world, ducking away as the Kiwi winger plummeted back down to earth moments later.
Former Australian goalkeeper Mark Bosnich, who appeared in the pre-match presentation, added to the entertainment factor. He did little to allay my friends’ skepticism that he was beyond his well-documented drug habit problems; Bozzie donned the special 3D glasses (“he’s hiding red eyes”, my friend suggested) and was alarmingly hyperactive in the build-up. By half time, he had taken them off and was a far more subdued figure. This may have been down to the fact that Australia were playing at a decidedly average standard, or perhaps the motion sickness from watching 3D football had sunk in.
Despite some periods of shambolic play, notably a ten-minute spell at the start of the second half where neither team could string subsequent passes together, the All Whites dominated their Australian counterparts for large portions of the game. When the cruel sucker-punch came at the end of stoppage time, no one saw it coming. Apart from those with the 3D screens.