Thank you for your opinion. No, I'm not belittling the
competition. They deserve some credit of course. You need a bit of
luck. In competitions, sometime the best team doesn't win. On many
occasions, the favorites would end up defeated. People can say
they're unlucky or didn't perform up to expectation or wasted their
chances. Right?
And about your comment on hostile Thai
environment, I don't agree with it. I believe this is what the
Singapore media's bad habit of over exagerating the situation after
that 1st leg's incident. That's something a lot of foreigners
always feel about the Singapore's media or government (sorry, don't
mean to put politics in but it's true). They tend to portray other
countries' situation as 'dangerous', 'messy', 'hostile' or
something negative that affect Singaporeans' feelings about other
countries. ( Nothing is good about others except Singapore.)
According to the fact at that time, from my numerous contacts in
Bangkok, the Thai people were living everyday as usual. The Thai
fans weren't hostile. Bangkok environment was as usual. Nothing
negative or dangerous. It's the media that scared Singapore
supporters and the team and play down on Thailand. Thus many
supporters from Singapore canceled their trips. In fact I find Thai
people very disciplined and friendly citizens. Otherwise millions
of foreigners won't be visiting, living and working there every
year.
In fact, when I was in the National Stadium watching the games that
Singapore played in, the Singapore fans appeared to be more hostile
to the away teams. They would always curse out all the local vulgar
terms loudly on the away teams. Even when it's true a foul by
Singapore players on the opponent players, the local fans in
Singapore would just curse out those 'CB', 'referee Kayu', 'KNN',
'FCUK U' kind of words on the referees or the opponent players. How
do we justify that then?
In Korea, I've watched international football games and I can
assure you that I have never seen Korean supporters curse and swear
out loud at opponent teams or referees like what some Singapore
supporters do. Unless there is some injustice over the referee's
decision or unsporting conduct/naughty behavior by players of
another countries. Despite that, the supporters continue to cheer
without the disturbing curse and swear which we often hear when we
enter the Kallang National Stadium in Singapore. So I don't know
what those 'curse and swear' supporters really want.
Overall, if you talk about hostile environment, in my opinion,
Singapore's National Stadium is more hostile if I'm a foreigner
supporting my country and sit in one of the designated corner of
the National Stadium. I remember how everytime, the foreign
supporters got harassed or cursed by the local Singapore supporters
when they didn't do anything wrong. That's unsporting.
I don't see that in Korea. Supporters just sing out loud, cheer the
Korea National Team throughout the match without harassing the
foreign supporters in another corner holding foreign flags.
Maybe it's due to education or media's influence on the supporters,
I'm not sure. But I think that if you refer the Thailand-Singapore
game earlier this year as hostile environment, I don't agree
Of course the majority of the fans support the home
team but they're not dangerous. Many people in Bangkok are educated
and they have their own set of values and buddhist teachings they
received since young. So give the Thai supporters some confidence
and credits. We can't base our judgement on what the media says.
And as you know, some reporters are disliked by readers....They're
biased.
Especially those from newspapers like The New Paper.
I have been to Thailand on many occasions and have many friends
there. I think they're OK. They don't take the 1st leg's
controversial penalty to heart. It's a game after all. Many
supporters were unhappy during that time but after a while, they
would forget it and look forward to the Asian Cup which will start
today.
And please, do not classify Thailand as a places like Indonesia or
England where the fans can be very too passionate to the extent
that crowd trouble sometimes occur. Indonesia's domestic league
games sometimes see players chasing after players or even referees,
the supporters even become violent.
I'm not Thai but I feel injustice for the Thais if the media
influence the people, telling them negatively about the usually
friendly people.
Anyway, if you have a chance, welcome to Korea to watch an
international match between Korea and another country, you'll see
for yourself and know what I mean.
SumOne, have a Nice Day!!
