Confederations Cup 2017

The Socceroos are back on the international stage with their first match against a second/third string Germany in the Confederations Cup at 1am, early Tuesday morning.

Ange Postecoglou and the squad have come under considerable scrutiny in recent months as a result of the team's shaky performances and absence of defensive solidarity in recent World Cup Qualifiers.

While the victory against Saudi Arabia was an important stepping stone, the team's inability to secure a 2-goal margin due to its leaky defence could prove to be decisive, but we will have a better idea in late August.

Some of the specific problems that have been raised by Roos fans include:

1. Postecoglou's experimentation with an unfamiliar back 3 system in critical must-win games - a formation that the players are arguably not comfortable with given the manner in which the team has conceded goals;
2. The squad not having the right personnel or talent to adopt the system that Ange wants the Socceroos to play; and
3. Australia's recent tendency of over-emphasising offence at the expense of sloppy ball control, and possession, coupled with a flimsy defence and cheap turnovers.

Of course, a bit of perspective is important.

An optimist might say that the Socceroos are undefeated, with their aim of qualification still firmly in their control. The optimist would also point to the fact that hiccups are inevitable, and necessary, if change is to come about.

Ange Postecoglou would almost certainly side with the optimist, as he has made it clear that the Socceroos need to be more ambitious than just qualifying for the World Cup. He has used this as an excuse of sorts to justify the teething problems mentioned above. This has resulted in him being quite scathing of the media and any questions directed towards his team and management.
 
A realist on the other hand might suggest that we have drawn far too many games -- this has made the qualification route more difficult than it should be. For example, a win instead of a draw against either Thailand or Iraq would have put the Socceroos in a rather comfortable position compared to what we face right now. Now they need to go to Saitama and squeeze at least a draw out of Japan.

In that context, the Confederations Cup could be a boon for a number of reasons:

1. The competition could expose the fragility of the Australian defence before the important matches against Japan and Thailand - this would, in turn, hopefully set into motion proper change;
2. If the Australians come away with a point or a win (the latter more unlikely), this would instill some confidence in the team; and
3. Players who do not get a lot of club game time, such as Robbie Kruse, could be played back into form in this competition.

On the flipside, the Confederations Cup could also be a bad thing for the Socceroos:

1. Injuries to key players for a tournament that pales in insignificance to the World Cup would be a disaster and absolutely devastating to our World Cup qualification chances;
2. A serious loss of confidence after thrashings inflicted on us by other teams could be on the cards;
3. A lack of belief in the current formation and confusion as to what other formations should be used if results do not go our way is possible as well;
4. Is it also conceivable that we may obtain a false sense of confidence (if we get any kind of points in this group) as we are playing in a tournament we are not expected to win? Contrast this to the World Cup Qualifiers where there is real pressure -- but winning is better than not winning of course.

I expect to see Germany and Chile rack up comfortable victories, say 2-0 and 3-0 respectively, however I would not be surprised to see the scoreline double beyond that if we are not careful. I am also eagerly looking forward to Cameroon vs Australia which may prove to be competitive.

Whatever happens, I hope that it will somehow prepare us very well for the qualifier against Japan on 31 August 2017.

Andre Lim

Qianyi Hung

Dear Qianyi,

Happy birthday!

I didn't get you a card..

But I have this little tradition of doing a write-up for each of my friends in or around their birthdays.

I've not gotten around to all my friends just yet but what normally happens is I talk about all the things I like about a particular friend - usually in the hope that it is either encouraging to them, or others who may not have known about those aspects of their lives.

So I think it would be pretty absurd if I didn't do one for you!

So where do I start?

(I'll keep it short)

When we first got to know each other, what stood out to me the most was definitely your sense of humour. You have a lovely laugh and smile. Interestingly, you are graceful enough to have the occasional laugh at yourself, but at the same time you also have this unique way of looking at things from a different viewpoint or angle and finding something ‘random’ to laugh at. Which is kind of what I do too LOL. I think this is a refreshing and excellent trait and goes well with your inquisitive nature.

                                                

I also admire your proactiveness, your leadership skills and your ability to solve practical problems. To complement these, you are a solid people person and a great ‘people manager’ too. I think a good example of this is seen through the various events and activities you organise for church friends, and your commitment to your lifegroup. Your friends, particularly Edith and Tiffany, are also powerhouses in that respect, and I think that reflects very well on you.

These above attributes may or may not explain your passion for connecting isolated people to communities, particularly church communities. As you’ve mentioned to me before, there are quite a lot of lonely people out there waiting to be found, and I think this drive of yours to reach out for them (and to offer your time and service in that regard) is fantastic and to your credit.

You are also kind-hearted, respectful, random, funny and great company.

What I find really cool about all of this is the number of interests we have in common that are bizzarely aligned and almost a ‘bonus’ to all of the things that I’ve mentioned above. It is also quite amazing that we think alike and share similar world views.

So... I have probably embarrassed you enough so I think I should stop there.

I know our journey's just started but I just wanted you to know that this is what I thought of you. I am looking forward to our adventures ahead :)

I hope you had a wonderful day.

Andre Lim

Socceroos v Saudi Arabia; Japan

Because of the draws to Thailand and Iraq, these next two World Cup Qualifiers are critical.

A win by a 2 goal margin is desperately needed in this first match...

Andre Lim

Alien: Covenant

Summary/impressions:

A very different, sinister and diabolical (this last adjective quoting my sister, Chloe) take and pathway for the Alien franchise, with heavy Blade Runner overtones.

Not sure what Ridley Scott was thinking...but it was an interesting and, I suppose, refreshing change - albeit still very very weird.

There's something about this title that makes the stomach somewhat unsettled, but that's probably more a good than bad thing! Still, as with most Alien films, it's a bit too much on the violent side...

Andre Lim

20 May 2017

:)

Andre Lim

I'm on my way

I'm on my way
Driving at ninety down those country lanes
Singing to "Tiny Dancer"..

It's been a long long time since I've had a song stuck in my head so soon after listening to it.

Andre Lim

My quest for fitness

Fitness is subjective - you can be considered fit to one group of friends, and completely unfit compared to another.

But does that really matter?

For example, I certainly shouldn't be satisfied with my level of fitness just because someone says they think I am fit!!

Conversely, if someone ridicules my level of fitness, I shouldn't be hung up about that either if I am satisfied with it --- well, at least to a certain extent anyway; perhaps there are objective standards in this world. Of course I'm not talking about situations where we lie to ourselves about the ill state of our health. Let's assume we are all reasonable or sensible people here!

So what I wanted to note on here is that, recently, I've started to get myself back towards the 'right level' of fitness.

What that 'right level' is is anyone's guess. But it's something only I will know. I don't know what it is right now, but I'll hopefully know soon..after I make myself go through certain self-imposed tests.

All I know right now is that it definitely requires a Herculean effort to force yourself to be disciplined enough to do exercises on a daily or even weekly basis.

But I think it is an excellent thing to constantly seek self-improvement, not just in the physical sense, but internally and spiritually too.

Let's see how long I can keep this up for...


A quick thought on 'diversifying interests'

As a sidenote, after reading articles and watching stories on former elite athletes/champions suffering from depression and/or a denial that they have passed their peak, I also think it is critical not to invest too much into one particular thing (of course I am not talking about relationships or family here - this is strictly concerning hobbies or past times).

So for example, take the fact that I like the sport of badminton amongst my many other interests.

I am of the view that I should not put all my eggs into just the one thing (badminton) because if that one thing disappears for any reason (particularly if it is out of my control eg. if I eventually get too old to play!) then you could easily find yourself upset and hung up over that.

Sport in particular can be quite brutal - not everyone has the tenacity and fitness levels to grind out a professional career into their late 30's and beyond for example. I do feel sorry for some of these athletes who have only ever known their sport and nothing else.

So, instead, I think it's best to hedge your bets and have some diversified interests: a solid mixture of physical, mental, spiritual, leisurely and other pursuits perhaps where possible.

Andre Lim