Cool Head Warm Heart

This is the game of life and death for both teams. They both know that it is near to impossible to beat Brazil. The reasonable expectation for both Australia and Japan is to beat the opponent and subsequently Croatia to clinch the second place in the Group. Whoever loses this game will almost certainly not proceed to the knock out stage.

My heart is with Socceroos. Yes, I like Guus Hiddink. But the most important factor is that I will never support Japan. Not until they remove the World War II’s war criminals from their Yasukuni Shrine and stop worshipping these criminals.

You say, “Hey this is just football. Not politics…” Well, football is never ‘just football’, football is life, football is civilized war without guns, football is about friendship, it is about revenge, it is about a nation’s pride…

After Argentina lost the Falkland war they broke English heart twice with Maradona’s hand of God and Beckham’s sent off in two World Cups.

Sitting at the food store watching at two TVs and one projector screen with almost hundred of other diners, I realised most Malaysians support Japan. This is not surprising as the relationship of Malaysia and Australia, historically, was not a smooth one. Our ex-prime minister, Dr Mahathir, used to quarrel with John Howard, the Australia’s prime minister. What intrigue me is that most Malaysians seem to forget the history that Malaysia was once invaded by Japan and that the leader of the invasion is now worshiped as Japan’s national hero.

Yes, Japan is Asian (Well, football tribe). Yes, we spatted with Australia, but unlike Japan, Australia never invade Malaysia. World War II is not a distance history. Both my grandmothers (father’s mother and mother’s mother) are still alive. During World War II my mother’s mother travelled Malaysia for stage performance and collect donations for Chinese army to fight against Japanese Imperial Army. My father’s mother, today, still refuse to speak to my father’s Japanese friends. However, I know I am not alone in supporting Australia. The entire South Korea and the entire China nations, like me, hope Australia will win. (From the reactions of China and South Korea, you know how Japan treats its neighbours)

This game is getting intense. An Australia player was sent off with red card.

Yes, Australia score…Wow! Socceroos……..Wow…Socceroos! One : One now.

Oh yes, another one for Australia from Cahill again. Congratulation Guus Hiddink!

Ohhhhhh! Yes, another one for Australia. 3:1 and Australia beats Japan flat!

And Yes. Its over. Australia in (if they beat Croatia). Japan out (of the knock out stage), almost.

For my fellow Asian football tribe, don’t worry, we still have South Korea.

Here is an interesting debate on Koizumi’s shrine visiting. I thought I was the only one who thought of using Germeny and Hitlar memorial as analogy.

Pay attention to Lexico’s thread.

You can ignore McTojo or you can enjoy his nonsense. At least, this was the conclusion of the debate..

It is interesting to see how Japanese ministers, or more specifically the Prime Minister of Japan, Koizumi, insisted visiting the Yasukini Shrine despite international outcries.

“…Later, Koizumi told reporters he had gone to the shrine to “pray for peace” but also insisted that other countries had no right to “tell Japan how it should honor its war dead.”…”

He was partially right.

The issue is not about visiting the shrine; the issue is about the inclusion of convicted World War II criminals in the shrine for worshipping.

Please imagining this scenario: Chancellor Merkel proposes to build a Memorial for Hitler, to give him the status of national hero and to visit the memorial at least once a year in her personal capacity.

Japan is doing exactly just this for over 60 years.