England OD

Although it’s another one and a half years before World Cup 2006, regional qualifying matches are already being played almost monthly, so that only the better teams progress into further stages of the most prestigious tournament in the world of soccer.

It’s indeed very exciting when the qualifiers are approaching, especially when 2 nations of similar standards are slated to play against each other. Such significant matches usually get telecast on Free-To-Air TV as well.

Understandably, local publications like The New Paper, reputed for their extensive football coverage, from match previews to team updates to betting tips (besides numerous advertisements of supposed expert analysis call hotlines), splash their sports column with page after page of soccer news.

In one weekend of World Cup qualifiers, as many as 30 matches are happening, yet strangely, the sports columns are almost always only talking about the England team. In The New Paper, it’s no surprise to find more than half the soccer pages dedicated to articles on England. There’s always a great deal of emphasis on England’s coach, who he wants to put on the pitch, and the fight for a place in the starting XI.

Somehow, the brilliant football played by other countries usually is neglected by the press. South American football, for example, offers much quality, and is being played at a very high standard. And what about other European nations like the Czech Republic or Poland?

It can’t be denied that news coverage of other countries other than England exist, but the overdose of England’s national team news surely annoys. Who needs to read, for 7 running days before England’s match, reports on the dilemma of Sven-Goran Eriksson: whether to let Alan Smith, Jermain Defoe or Wayne Rooney – or all 3 of them – start upfront against Wales?

Yes, Singapore was a British colony until 1965, but surely it’s time to get over our colonial hang-ups?

::Amanda Liang::
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