My Firmino kit made the third picture at the bottom :) Had a BLAST watching at 11th street. Awesome piece!
It is a very cute article but, and I apologize that I can’t figure kinder words, you have it backwards. You value respect and compassion, and you bring those values to your fandom with you. Unfortunately, other people bring their racism, violence, ignorance, and general lack of respect and compassion into their fandom. If only sports fanship led to better human beings. Would that it were so.
1
Come on you Gunners! (COYG)
Let's make sure we don't end up with a similar article in 10 years.
No Xhaka in midfield.
In an article like this we should use the word football, not soccer. Don't know why it's called soccer but I'm sure Americans know that real football is the one played with a round ball!!!!!!
2
I'm right there with you. Just one edit, you meant 'never,' not 'even', in the sentence referencing ManU, didn't you?
Liverpool fans don't troll feeds about other teams to write the hatred that appears in these comments. How much time do you spend supporting your team?
#ynwa
I know what you mean. As a Celtic fan the past seven days have been hellish.
The streets of the host city “abound with the welcome of strangers,” said Bacchylides in 476 B.C. The Games—Olympian, Pythian, Nemean, Isthmian, to name a few—began as religious funeral rites and ended up uniting a community of warring independent city states around the Aegean. At the Olympian games Zeus was honored, at the Pythian Apollo. Victors were feted in their home cities and showered with wealth and privilege. Defeat took place under an umbrella of divine providence, shielding participants from the worst effects of crushing loss without abolishing the characteristic sting of humiliation. Simon Critchley is right: accepting defeat in an athletic competition may be the closest thing there is to genuine religion.
The way his fellow Liverpool teammates (and coach Klopp) treated Loris Karius after the game was a total disgrace! Karius, who, as it turned out, suffered a concussion after his collision with Ramos, was devastated after his gaffes but was practically ostracized by his own team after the game ended.
1
The Ramos foul on Salah is only slightly less despicable than Nigel de Jong’s studs attack up on Xabi Alonso in the 2010 WC final. In both cases the refs likely held back red cards because of the elevated importance of the matches, and the likelihood that to give one would tilt the match precipitously. Unfortunately for Liverpool Ramos not only went unpunished, he continued and committed another violent foul on Karius. The rest is history.
1
'The Champions League is the bigger prize' - said no serious football fan ever.
The streets of the host city “abound with the welcome of strangers,” said Bacchylides in 476 B.C. The Games—Olympian, Pythian, Nemean, Isthmian, to name a few—began as religious funeral rites and ended up uniting a community of warring independent city states around the Aegean. At the Olympian games Zeus was honored, at the Pythian Apollo. Victors were feted in their home cities and showered with wealth and privilege. Defeat took place under an umbrella of divine providence, shielding participants from the worst effects of crushing loss without abolishing the characteristic (and indispensable) sting of humiliation. Simon Critchley is right: accepting defeat in an athletic competition may be the closest thing there is to genuine religion.
Two things, Simon. PLEASE call football 'football'. It's the game played with the FOOT. To hear it called 'soccer' is grating to my eyes and ears...both here in Australia and in America (I was Ohio-raised).
Secondly, I would take issue with calling the Champions' League a "bigger prize" than the World Cup. Really?? It would be more accurate to say the the European Champions' League is the most important CLUB competition in the world. Which indeed it is!
That said, I loved your article, am a Liverpool fanatic, and wasn't that first Premiere League match on Sunday a perfect example of "yo jugo bonito" ['the beautiful game'] !!
The 1st final in 11 years - congrats. I know it's tough for an Englishman but fairness demands mentioning the coach who is responsible for this : A German, Mr Juergen Knopp.
Thank you
You want suffering?
How about losing 3 finals of 3 major tournaments in 3 years? 2 copa America and a World Cup
From Argentina. Still enjoyed the ride.
1
While I love soccer and follow the Champions League and US National Team closely, elven the pain of not qualifying in 2018 was not nearly that of tthe he misery of being a Buffalo Bills fan. That is geographic and community loyalty that transcends sport.
1
You have to marvel at the state of humanity today. An intellectual writes a lighthearted and entertaining personal note on one of his passions and a good chunk of the commentary is full of vitrol and negativity. Can we not just enjoy something and not pick holes in it?
I have been a Liverpool fan since the halcyon days of Rush, Barnes and Beardsley and it is like a family member you carry with you as part of your life...glorious, heartbreaking, anger -inducing and love generating, I wouldnt change it for the world...
7
I have changed my Premiership allegiance to the other red team in a historic port city. It seems that Fenway Management is doing better for the club then most of the other American owners and the current success of the baseball team does not auger poorly for Liverpool. I am sure that many fans of both sports weren't aware that Man U at one point signed a marketing agreement with our hated -but currently frustrated - rivals the New York Yankees.
Being a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan prepared me to be a Liverpool fan. Wait until next year.
1
I was a fan of LFC because of its close relationship with that surprisingly wonderful, progressive, artistic city. And then do you know what happened? Their biggest star, Mo Salah, went to Chechnya during the world cup and made kissy faces with R Kadyrov, one of the most muderous, evil men on the planet. Liverpool accepted Salah back after the WC, gave him a giant new chunk of money, and more "king salah" murals went up. not a peep or word of criticism about the meeting with Kadyrov. The city's progressive ideals stop, it seems, where LFC success is at stake, it seems. I am no longer a fan (at least, until this is set right).
4
You seems to not follow news report on Salah's meeting with the warlord. Salah protested that Egyptian FA failed to protect him especially after the FA made arrangement to station the team at the warlord's territory as pre WC base.
Do you think Salah has a choice to not meet the warlord? Is it worth it to risk your life not insult the warlord while having a young family?
I love the heading "The Big Ideas", neatly fitting what Bill Shankly famously said: "Some people believe football is a matter of life and death....I can assure you it is much, much more important than that."
Thanks, Simon. Your sentiment about values and respect for others, "even Manchester United fans....." is returned by this Man U fan. I’ve had warm a warm feeling and respect for Liverpool and their fans from way back in the early ‘60s when, newly promoted, they came to Old Trafford and played their hearts out in a memorable and sporting 3-3 draw. It’s too bad that today, the rivalry between fans – a minority, I’m sure – seems to have a nastier edge than it used to. Perhaps it has more to do with a generally sour public mood than with football.
There’s always been a bit of love-hate between the teams' cities that stems from a shared history that both united and divided them, for example the Liverpool-Manchester railway (the world’s first passengers service) and the Manchester Ship Canal, built on the initiative of merchants fed up of paying excessively to ship their goods abroad through Liverpool.
Anyway, good luck for the new season. If Man U don’t win the league, which I doubt they will, I hope Liverpool take it – anything to stop Man City! (Though I grudgingly respect even them for the great stuff they played last season).
2
Even before I read Jack’s earlier comment I knew that I’d make a quick response. I’ve never been much of a sports fan, but these days, when I read the Washington Post & the NYTimes, I often can’t bear to read the news on the front page - and I’ve really taken up the sports sections - feeling that most everything about a good team and its fans are a wonderful counter-balance to the news of the day.
Jim
3
Although a lifelong Liverpool fan, I am having a hard time justifying a Champions League title carrying more importance than the thought of one’s country winning the a World Cup
6
@Daniel
Hi Daniel. Agreed, and maybe you can read my comment addressing that misnomer. Simon should have differentiated between national and club competitions. Most important club competition? For sure. But the World Cup stands alone.
3
Let's ask Lionel Messi on the conundrum of the intrinsic value and meaning of the Champion's League versus the World Cup. Or any players who have made it to the World Cup final and lost.
5
@Judith Martel
hmmm....seems many of us took issue with this. I am betting that Simon has by now realised that he should have differentiated the competitions. The World Cup is the pinnacle, of course. And the European Champions' League, the biggest CLUB trophy on the world.
1
Only one comment mentioning 2005?
In my own history of being a football fan, starting in the 80s, this was maybe the most glorious thing I ever saw.
That final was immortal. Perhaps the greatest comeback I've seen in any sport.
6
@larrea
"Perhaps the greatest comeback I've seen in any sport."
Not quite. For sheer drama, that has to be Man U's against Bayern Munich in the 1999 final.
3
Walk on
3
Cheering for your team in the Champions League final teaches you about loss? Get a grip.
Pity the fans whose teams never sniff the Euro, let alone the CL. I cheer for Sunderland and have proudly done so for the past decade or so, after a friend's recommendation. You may remember them: They used to play at Anfield once a year. Now they're in League One.
But yeah, who knows about defeat better than Liverpool.
2
@Brian Hunsicker
{ :-) now, now, Brian! Hope you caught Liverpool's opening Premiere League match on Sunday! Truly an example of what the Brazilians call 'yo jugo bonito' (the beautiful game)..... And that's win OR lose. [they won: 4-0. Watch it on 'fullmatches.com')
As long-suffering NY Mets fans, my wife and I finally had it with baseball and decided to become soccer fans after enjoying last month’s World Cup and the Champions Leage final. having visited Liverpool about 30 years ago and reading another Times article recently about the Reds, we’ve chosen the side to follow. Sunday’s match was an auspicious beginning. We look forward to many more.
8
@Jolt47. Welcome to the club, Jolt. I have been attempting to explain the superiority of the true FOOTball to my 3 American brothers for the past 20 years! Sure, those moments of action in a gridiron game can be exciting - all 11 total minutes of it in a 3 hour and 12 minute contest - but even they are getting tired of all the stoppages, commercial time-outs, etc!
Having been a Liverpool fan for 20 years now, I can tell you you've made an excellent choice as they are easily the most exciting and watchable team in the Premiere League right now.
3
ManU fan here. Always wondered why when I'm in Africa, all I see is Chelsea and Gooners kits. (bet they are remainders from fickle fans.)
1
Did a philosopher really fly from NYC to London just to watch a soccer game? With articles left and right about climate change?
And that 80 percent of his conversations with his adult son revolve around futbol?
Some philosopher, the profundity staggers.
9
@drdeanster. Goodness, dr, is your existence really that narrow? Life is so rich! And variety adds spice. Simon's particular topic today was about a passion - just one of perhaps many - and I, for one, immensely enjoyed his essay. Do we need to be so curmudgeonly !
1
The profound is all around. ‘‘Tis a person who can see that.
Liverpool, a club imprisoned by it’s glorious past and haunted by missing out on the 2014 Premier League. The pressure to win something is now at critical, trouble is their supporters feel such a sense of entitlement again, because of past achievements
1
Everything Critchley writes about Liverpool could apply to the devoted fans of any other team. He complains about the foul on Salah that changed everything while I, as a lifelong Manchester United supporter, still seethe over the red card awarded to Nani that turned certain Champions League victory against mighty Real Madrid into defeat a full 5 years ago.
So what is the point of the article? Simply that teams in any sport arouse passions, and their fans oscillate between euphoria and despair. But while we can certainly acknowledge the extreme human emotion generated by sports we should acknowledge that poor refereeing decisions are in no way to comparable to suffering from war or starvation.
For me it is (in the case of football) 90 minutes of pure, unadulterated escapism, and then I am brought back to Earth by the grim facts of reality.
10
@Hamid Varzi - and I still seethe at Lehman's sending off in our final against mighty Barca . . .
@Hamid Varzi I seethe about the terrible call that Hue Hollins made against Scottie Pippen in 1994 in game 5 of the playoff series between the Chicago Bulls and the New York Knicks.
Unlike the one which should have been handed to Ramos this year, the Nani red card was a joke.
1
I see a lot of comments criticizing Simon for claiming that the Champions League is a bigger prize than the World Cup. Let's cut Simon some slack. He's English after all, and this argument is likely a defense mechanism since England did not bring it home (the World Cup trophy) this year and likely won't bring it home again for a very long time, if ever. At least an English Premiere League team has a realistic chance of winning the Champions League!
3
Nice piece. Things have improved unrecognizably since the bad old days (85 Euro Cup final ...) Winning may be better than losing, but how you lose and win is what matters. One of the memorable moments of Euro 2012 was Ireland fans serenading their vastly outclassed side in a one-sided loss to Spain. Reds fans at this year's Champion's League showed their class, not just in the loss but to their keeper, who lost the game for them. Karius may never recover, but he's not getting the Hand of Clod treatment.
But that's the rosy side of fandom. Let's see what happens, eg, now that Rangers are back in the Scottish Prem.
2
I watched the movie "Fever Pitch" yesterday. This article doesn't plow any new ground.
2
LIV
ERP
DOUBLE-O-L
LIVERPOOL FC!
Thank you Mr Critchley for a touchy piece on The Reds.
I'm waiting for your piece on May 2019.
2
Would you enjoy watching soccer as much as a disinterested fan of the game—no nations, no peoples, no gods, just pure sport?
1
@Ed
Certainly beats sitting around watching 3hrs 12 mins of an American gridiron football game for a mere 11 minutes of total action, dontchya think? Even my 3 American brothers are beginning to see the light.....
Been a fan of the Reds I was a tike.....and I'm 66 now. Still the most exciting moment was Istanbul 2005. Never forget that moment.
6
So nice that NYT has travelled far and wide, to bring blind fan devotion stories from around the world. It's a shame that the Jets/Knicks/Mets/Nets fans at their front door can't even find space in Sports, much less Opinion.
@Brian
Try substituting your fav franchise for "Liverpool" and enjoy!
I do find it laughable that Liverpool and Arsenal fans think they've suffered over the years. The disappointment of only being a few years, or even a decade from your last major trophy is really funny.
Many football fans, including myself, are committed to the purgatory of supporting a team who will never win the Premiership, never make a European final and may only have played at Wembley a few times in the last 150 years.
You'll never suffer the indignity of relegation to the second, third, or lower tiers, or enjoy the delight of avoiding relegation with the last kick of the season.
If you don't have a good season, you'll just spend the equivalent of a small nation's GDP on new players.
Enjoy your delusion of being persecuted, but realise that you turn up each week expecting your team to play flowing football, scoring wonderful goals as you win. I will watch my team, expecting they will play like a group of people who've just been kicked out of the pub and have never played the game before. I'm just hoping we'll win a game before Christmas.
19
@Martin Brilliantly put...especially as I am a Spurs fan.
1
@Martin Nailed it. It's not very trying to be a Liverpool fan. Getting to see your club play at the grandest of all stages is a treat, no matter the outcome; it's hardly a "crushing defeat."
3
@Jason B. Coming to Mr Critchley's defense: he can't be faulted for happening to be a Liverpool supporter and urging them on the possibilities for success that present themselves to a club of such traditional stature. As well, I am sure he understands and appreciate all fans of 'the beautiful game', no matter where their club stands. Just as I do.
1
Being american , and in my 60s , soccer was foreign to me but I knew that it is/was a great game . Almost the whole world watches soccer I surmised so it must be good . The problem I had was getting a team to root for so I could feel the excitement and be part of it Because of my devotion to the Beatles I grabbed an allegiance to LFC about 8 years ago and never looked back . I watch soccer all the time now . It is the only sport I can watch without even a rooting interest . I even bought a uniform lol lol
7
@Perry Neeum Wasn't (or isn't) Paul McCartney an Everton fan?
1
"But mainly being a fan is about learning to accept failure and bewildering disappointment."
At Arsenal, we're veterans. 14 seasons and counting. London Red!!
8
@Jay Boring Arsenal. One team I can't stand...as a Spurs fan.
Your thoughts and feelings on English soccer echo our experiences down here in the college basketball crucible of North Carolina. Our allegiances are also deeply personal, often hereditary, and tend to blend mere sport with larger philosophical debates (e.g., public versus private education; in-state versus out-of-state support; commitment to the traditional four-year recruiting model versus the emergent phenomenon of "one-and-done").
Both a blessing and curse, Tar Heel blue runs in my blood. Your loss to Real Madrid is on par, I imagine, with our buzzer-beater loss to Villanova in the 2016 national championship game. I will remember the moment that shot fell in for the remainder of my days. But keep the faith--our team rebounded to win the championship the following year, and it's much easier now to look back on that heart-wrenching loss as I should have, all along--with a tremendous measure of pride and humility. Here's to Liverpool in 2019!
6
@Brett S. North Carolina might be the crucible of basketball (some folks from Indiana might have a problem with that!) but a lot of it was imported from Brooklyn! i.e. Michael Jordan, The Tar Heels of the 1950's, etc. Though it's certainly the crucible of the most Freedom Caucus members and reactionaries in America!
2
Thanks for calling out Sergio Ramos's move for exactly what it was - a cynical move intended to injure. A straight red card offense at the very least, and one that risked altering the career of one of football's bright lights in Mo Salah.
32
@Shawn
I've been to hundreds of games (fewer now that I live this side of the pond) and I've NEVER seen a more cynical move. Do that in the street and you'd be charged by the police.
Ramos had every intention of driving Mo into the ground with the intent of taking him out of the game. And no, I'm not a LFC fan...I just won't stand for Ramos spouting off about what he knows (HE KNOWS) was a cynical move. Right up there with Maradona and "the hand of God" nonsense.
9
The pitch for polytheism is delightful. However, Sergio Ramos will never feature in my pantheon. Having watched the replay many times, I still cannot find him entirely at fault for what I see as a tussle that went very wrong for Salah. The elbow to Karius' head is another matter. No pantomime villain there. It was sheer dirty play.
2
@Lorenzo Agreed!
Nice piece. But let’s face it (and I say this as someone who does not like Real Madrid), Real is and was a much better team and deservedly won on the night. Very few people aside from Liverpool fans would disagree.
3
@J
No argument on your first point, Real are a better team. But on any given night, Liverpool can thrash the best teams in the world - just watch the replay of the 2018 UEFA Cup quarter-final first leg against Man City, who were unquestionably the best team in the Premier League last season (18 points clear of Man U. in second place and the first team in the EPL to score 100 points).
Regarding your second point, I think you have it backwards. Very few people aside from Real Madrid fans would agree that Real deserved the victory. I am not arguing that Liverpool deserved the win, just that Real had to dislocate the shoulder of our best player and give our keeper a concussion to beat us.
15
Dude. You want to be taught by disappointment? Try being a fan of the New York Jets.
5
@Bumpercar
Or the Knicks.
1
can't say I agree that the Champion's League is a bigger prize than the World Cup...I'm sure most players would trade a Champion's League trophy for a World Cup
9
@AC
Without a doubt. The champion's league happens every year. Yes, the whole aspect of the mercenary best is at play in the worlds biggest clubs, but only in the World Cup is the true beating heart of football revealed. The heroics of the Iceland team, the disappointments of Brazil 2014 and Germany 2018 teams is never salved by a Champion's League win by any of those players. Toni Kroos has won both. Ask him which he holds closest to his heart. Ask Leo Messi what he thinks, a boatload of CL trophies in tow, yet...
2
@Bruce & AC: National team football and club football are two very different parts of the sport. No need to compare. Obviously, the World Cup Finals are the pinnacle of the former (and on different continents, the regional competitions are also high energy affairs), and the European Champions' League, arguably the most important CLUB competition in the world.
2
Every single English football supporter well knows the feeling of crushing defeat. It repeats every four years, regular as clockwork. Fun while it lasts though.
5
@James Devlin
Hey, at least Panama (Panama!!) didn't beat you out for a place in the finals this year. Oh, man...
5
Oh NYT!
This is so much better than the OCD coverage of Dem Party predicaments and never ending calcs of how to win only to loose the next election while being a socialist or identity politics focused...:))
My guess it's a karma piece since much like the LFC's fate being not dissimilar to Democrat's... :))
I'd rather read all the grievances of hockey fans of which I'm devoted fan or soccer and football fans as they're pouring their hearts here...
Thanks fans, and you, Crtchley. :))
GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLL!
5
Several years ago, I read a big and brilliant book about Liverpool football. May I recommend it here? To my mind, it is literature of the highest order. Moreover, one comes away from it with a deep, abiding, and intuitive sense of the history of the team and the commitment of the team's supporters.
Pierce, David. <Red or Dead.> Melville House, 2014.
3
@Robert I read it also several years ago and agree. it is brilliant, and as one who thrives on excellent literature it is in that category.
1
I’m originally from Brazil, and given today’s state of Brazilian soccer in Brazil, I truly know what is like to be a fan of a team full of past glories and recent disappointment, even on domestic leagues.
The calendar doesn’t help. The season runs April to December, meaning that the team that do well in the first half of the season are disastrous in the second half as their good players are transferred to Europe in July/August. The teams are mostly even - they are all bad.
Over the years I stopped paying attention. Today I watch English soccer, mostly because there are good teams and it’s an even league, unlike the Spanish.
4
@BWCA. I also watch the English Premiership, but it’s not an “even league”. There are only 6 clubs who have a realistic chance at the Championship. All the same it’s not as bad as the Bundesliga which I also watch, because Bayern Munich are so dominant—I don’t mind because I’m a Bayern fan.
2
@James Currie Well, that's more even than having one or two teams with a realistic shot.
@James Currie
And don't forget Leicester City! ;-)
2
Watching a few World Cup games every four years and I'm good. If the Champions League thing is more often than that it's too much soccer.
1
@vbering It's every year, just like the World Series in baseball.
As an Everton fan, I am certainly familiar with the writer's pain in dealing with crushing losses. But as an Everton fan, I don't care about the writer's pain. ;-)
30
As a long suffering Everton fan there is a quiet joy that one experiences when Liverpool lose. You can’t shout too loudly as you will be reminded about Everton’s consistent underperformance.
The quiet celebration allows space to frown on unfair play...and then a return to savoring the pleasure of their defeat.
1
@Chris Ryan Yeah. The "pain" of watching a "crushing" Everton defeat in the Champions League Final......I'd sign up for that in a heartbeat.
2
@Chris Ryan
Awesome. :)
I am a Gooner till I die, but will always have a soft spot for Liverpool. How could any footie fan not - some of the Liverpool teams were and are legendary (yes, those days are long gone), but I long remember Dalglish, Rush, Keegan, Owen, McDermott, et. al. I also include Grobbelar and Beardsley (they both had their start in my hometown of Vancouver in the long-dead NASL). I also remember that remarkable comeback against AC Milan when Stevie G took the game by its scruff as Liverpool battled back from 0-3 to win the Champions League (I was in a London pub) . . .
8
@PS
Don't forget John Barnes...
1
Really!! You're going to take this away from us too. As a long suffering Arsenal fan it is we who have the monopoly on long time suffering, near misses and the supposedly character building that goes with it. You have an exciting coach, one of the best strikers in the world and a future to look forward too. We have nothing but bemoaning our fate. Please don't take that away from us.
5
@Kali As a Spurs fan I love hearing Gooners bemoan their plight....
2
As a Liverpool fan for almost years, I could hardly believe that I was reading an article on the appreciation of being a football fan, I mean a soccer fan, in NyTimes. Thank you Mr. Critchley for the heartfelt piece.
17
@Sam agree with what Sam 100%. I love Liverpool, love the NYT, and love this article!
3
You wouldn't have that problem if you were a fan of one of the Manchester teams! And you certainly would be more of a gentleman! Only class from Liverpool were the Beatles, and on occasion Everton supporters!
3
Your comparison between the European Champions' League and the World Cup is highly debatable (I am French, Allez les Bleus, Champions of the Universe for the next 4 years). But your column is a gem. I was in Kiev for the final against Real Madrid, sitting among the Liverpool fans in the stadium. It was a spiritual, ethereal, delight to share their excitement before and during the game, a deeply moving and bonding experience to share their dignified grief afterwards. Also, I was in a Boston (Ma) bar in April to watch the quarter finals against Manchester City. When the Reds were up 3-0 and my neighbor at the bar was in high heaven, I told him to not get excited too fast as I reminded him how "my" team -PSG- had been eliminated by Barcelona the previous season after being ahead by four goals. He said : PSG ? You are a fan of PSG ? That's not a team. How old is the club ? he asked me. I said : 48 years. 48 years ?, he exclaimed. My Liverpool tee-shirts are much older than that, he teased me like only a true devotee of a beautiful religion can tease a devotee of another. What a rascal ! A lovely rascal. I hope I run into him when PSG and Liverpool meet next. We will then celebrate the true exceptionnalism of the most beautiful and universal game ever.
39
@Jean Lesieur: Délicieux, Jean. Délicieux! Merci.
I became a fan, at age 8, watching them lose the 1977 FA Cup Final. I had no idea that they had just won the Championship, or even what that was. I had no idea they were about to win the European Cup, or what that was. I was in for a wild ride of trophy hauls between that game and the Championship of 1990. But those great years were also tempered by the tragedies, first at Heysel, then Hillsborough. And since 1990, it's never been the same. Just some brief flashes. I'm still learning to fully appreciate the great moments when they come, and not just expect them as if by divine right.
6
@David Dyte I became a fan at about that time, too; my P.E. teacher was a huge fan of Liverpool, and we used to watch tapes of their big matches (lord only knows how she got them) in P.E. when we had bad weather.
1
@David Dyte. Enjoyed your comment (as well as the piece). Here's a link:
https://www.fullmatchesandshows.com/2018/08/12/liverpool-vs-west-ham-uni...
Opening game vs West Ham. A shining example of what the Brazilians call "yo jugo bonito". Fluidity, energy, joy. Jürgen Klopp is brilliant. He loves his players and they love him. The result is breathtaking!
Our son's devotion to Liverpool led his mom and me to a shop in Manchester (yikes!) to search for a jersey. Not only did we find the one salesperson who admitted he was a fan, but the cashier made sure we had Furmino's correct number! Truth be told there were very few Liverpool jerseys tucked away in an obscure corner.
3
@Gary A.
That would be Firmino, but never mind. Love his smile and his love of the game.
I understand that the English value the consolation prize (Champions League) more than the real thing. The only time England had half a chance of winning the World Cup, was in 1966, when they were the home team. And even then they couldn't have beaten Germany, without the referee giving them the "Wembley Goal".
Oh by the way: excellent essay.
3
@TD
As a Brazilian with five stars on the jersey I have to admit that the champions league provides better football than the WC. The WC gives us the best players, but not the best team. Not by far. Players don’t play together and only once in a while they get together for the WC. There is no chemistry between players. I know you can throw the 7-1 on my face from 2014, but that’s the reality. France won the WC because of all the teams with good players it was the one where most players came from a single club and therefore were better organized.
6
@BWCA "of all the teams with good players it was the one where most players came from a single club." Whatever do you mean?
Of the 11 who started the final just Kante and Giroud (Chelsea), and Griezmann and Hernandez (Atletico) came from a single club.
By comparison, England, the least likely and arguably least "organized" of the semifinalists, had two trios of players from same clubs - Walker, Stones, Sterling from Man City; and Alli, Kane, Trippier from Spurs (w/ Rose and Dier coming on as subs, England at one point had five players from one club in the match - with Walker ex-Spurs too). Related to your argument, the entire Three Lions squad came from the EPL, as did most of Belgium's first 11.
And while I appreciate the argument that the Champions League can bring better football than the World Cup, it's not always the case. And I'm not at all convinced Real or Barca or Bayern could beat France or Croatia or Belgium, 2018 versions, on any given day.
@BWCA
You are right. The Champions League is better Football than the WC. And that 7-1 in 2014 just made me sad. I had been looking forward to watching a good game. I would have rather seen Germany loose a good game, than watch that 7-1. And isn't that how Mr. Critchley would feel too?
But I have to disagree with him, when he says that the Champions League is the bigger prize. According to Wikipedia "The World Cup is the most prestigious association football tournament in the world, as well as the most widely viewed and followed sporting event in the world, exceeding even the Olympic Games." (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIFA_World_Cup)
From all the teams in sports around the world, I have never seen a more dedicated group of fans than Liverpool has. I am American, plus, born and raised in the deep south, so in my youth, football had a much different meaning for me. When I moved to NY City 30 years ago, many things opened my eyes as far as sports go. There, you have it all; or at least I thought so. In 1994, The World Cup was played in the United States. I remember the day Ireland played Italy at Giants Stadium (The Meadowlands). I had a business associate (and good friend) from County Clare, Ireland, and I remember he took off that day (along with his small staff), and they all went to the game. One Tabloid headline billed it as "Beer vs Wine". Just about all the the games were broadcast live, and I became a fan. Afterwards, I payed much more attention to the sport (it is brilliant), and I can honestly say there are no fans like Liverpool's. I write this and have never even been there.
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@Easy Goer. From one American [living in Australia] to another: I love your post! Thanks.
1. Nobody who knows anything about the game and its history thinks the annual Champions League is a "bigger prize" than the quadrennial World Cup, whether its teams are stronger or not.
2. It takes a stunning ignorance of soccer physics and human anatomy to believe Sergio Ramos somehow intentionally dislocated Mo Salah's shoulder after watching the replays from all angles. The "Like if you hate Sergio Ramos" brigade still begging for validation on every social media platform is all Liverpool fans trying to find anybody but their own sad club to blame for decades of underperformance.
3. That "well, sometimes" doesn't quite cover the shame of all those Munich songs, does it?
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@Talley The magnitude of the Champions League vs. the World Cup is player-dependent. For Lionel Messi, the World Cup is the bigger prize because it's eluded him. For Hugo Lloris of Spurs, the CL or even the league title would be a bigger thrill than the World Cup he just won with France. That's the way I see it, anyhow.
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@Talley
You having a laugh mate? Ramos didn't take Salah out....???
I'm no LFC fan either and sure, like any club they have their fair share of idiots (and you're right...those Munich songs are disgraceful) but I've never met a LFC fan that was anything but harsh on their own club and their own players for underperformance or lack of silverware. I'll bet that Man U fans are experiencing the same after the Fergie era...they'd take great, attacking football and commitment to the shirt over some tin-pot trophy.
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"European Clubs that compete in the Champions League, as every serious soccer fan knows, much stronger than any of the national teams."
—Correct
"The Champions League is the bigger prize."
—Incorrect. Completely, wildly incorrect. To a man, every member of Liverpool, or any European club, or any club in the world—indeed every soccer player in the world—would much rather win the World Cup than the Champions League Cup. The prestige, the fame, the place in history is much, much greater. No one remembers the European Champion in 1958. Everyone remembers Pele and the Brazil team that year.
It is not even close.
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@Marcus - Take a guess who won in 1958. The same team as 60 years later.
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What a beautiful essay! Although I am a Hotspurs fan (another team that tends to give one good life lessons through shortcomings), my daughter, a Liverpool fan, and I watched that final in a Buffalo Wild Wings in Wooster, Ohio. The only other soccer fans in the place were a few misguided Real Madrid fans. You are right, Salah was taken down on purpose; everyone knew that but the referee and the complicit announcers. And later we learned that Karius was experiencing concussion-like symptoms, which I guess means that he chose the wrong one of the two or three versions of Benzema he saw in front of him. But football, as Sir Alex said, is 'bloody hell'.
Being a real fan of any team means that you accept the losing even more than you rejoice over the winning. It's the struggle, the striving, the hoping, the caring that counts.
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@John D As an ex Ohio State guy and also a Spur fan I am glad to see some fans in Ohio are watching.
However, blaming Ramos or a supposed concussion is ridiculous and not true. Liverpool were the poorer team and it showed.
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Well said. While my loyalty belongs to another English club, I’ve always appreciated to community and unity of your club. You really never will walk alone. And I think Liverpool can win the league this year, while sadly mine cannot. Good luck to you.
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This feeling is not limited to soccer. Those of us who worship at the Church of Baseball have our own gods, and fans of every team (except the Yankees) know how to suffer defeat. Talk, if you will, to a fan of the Cubs or the Red Sox, and their famous "curses" which have only been broken after a century or so of broken dreams. We know, Simon. Sports is about learning how to lose.
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"Champions League are, as every serious soccer fan knows, much stronger than any of the national teams. The Champions League is the bigger prize [than the World Cup]."???
....."
No knowledgeable football supporter that I know, especially from the very few countries that are realistically capable of winning the World Cup feels that way.
Karius: "an otherwise excellent goalkeeper"???
So why did Liverpool spend a world record fee on a new goalkeeper this off season?
Soccer is certainly a religion and as in any faith, it has its fanatics and its well meaning but delusional supporters.
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John Henry owner of Liverpool soccer
John Henry owner of Boston Red Sox
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The Liverpool FC ethos is a large reason for my devotion to the badge. Even as millions around the world can become supporters, it will always have a Scouse mentality. The Free Republic of Liverpool is a cosmopolitan/local hybrid that has looked to the world (once the largest trading port) and kept a central place for home.
If you want an idea of the spirit in the Church of Reds, view the clip of 100,000 in The Melbourne Oval singing YNWA.
I've abandoned Brain Death for Billionaires entirely and now say my prayers in the pews at Anfield.
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Simon -- nice piece and I share your ardour for LFC, and the ridiculous beauty and devastation of watching them. But you should have mentioned that those two catastrophic goalkeeping errors were likely due to the concussion Karius didn't know he had... delivered via a subtle elbow from none other than Sergio Ramos. YouTube it. Obsessive and bordering on idolatry as my devotion to Liverpool is, I don't know if you can really compare it to religious faith. The beauty and absurdity of being a fan is that you know you will be regularly let down, you know the team will never 'save' you (but the redemption comes in the knowledge that there's always next season, there's always renewal -- I had that revelation after the 2007 Milan defeat). Whereas religious faith is the belief that ultimately you will never be let down. It's a different category. Whereas the unique beauty of sports is how rooted they are in the everyday even as they occasionally transcend it.
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Thank you Simon for your heartfelt opinion piece on being a devoted LFC supporter. I find it relevant to my devotion of Liverpool Football Club.
The experience of attending a match at Anfield is so compelling, in a unique and special way, that I am drawn to journey across the pond at least once every season to be at Anfield.
My special “family” of football fans is something I will cherish until the end of my days.
I abandoned organized religion some time ago, so much so, that my dear wife in recognition has determined that I attend “the church of the holy pitch.”
YNWA
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I get when this was written, but this is the start of another season so hop on the Liverpool train.
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