Soccer mania?

Heh... Singapore beat Indonesia 3-1!

I think that's pretty significant. Why? Firstly, it's rare for Singapore's soccer team to reach the finals of any competition... sorry, it's sad but true. Secondly, it's the first time I've watched a full soccer match for a very very long time. I can't even remember when was the last time.

A long time ago, I was a fairly die-hard Singapore soccer supporter. That was when Singapore was still in the Malaysia League. I went to almost every home match. I actually travelled up to KL to support the Singapore team in the historic Malaysian League finals in 1994 where they won both the league and and cup double. It was an experience I don't think I will forget. But when Singapore was kicked out of the league, I lost interest. The S-league was just plain boring.

I enjoyed supporting the Singapore team. Maybe it was nationalistic pride, I don't know. But the truth is, I never understood how to support other soccer teams. Believe me, I tried. For a while, I tried supporting Newcastle but somehow, I couldn't find the same fervour which I had when I watched Singapore play against all the Malaysian teams.

Back to the point, Singapore won tonight! I was telling my brother before the match that it would probably be 'rigged'. I thought that with everything that is happening in Indonesia right now, the soccer team might be inclined to not try so hard to win. Yes, I know that's quite cynical of me... but no harm right? Who knows, if the opportunity arises, I might just decide to join the crowd at the National Stadium next week to support the Singapore team!