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From The Terraces- by Jay Nair

Hello and welcome to the first of at least a few articles written with a firm focus on football (or soccer, if you prefer). Of course, this series of articles should not and will not refuse to deviate from time to time into exploration of other topics but do expect the majority of them to be based around football.

For this first post, it seems relevant to examine the game of football, and the best way to do that would seem to be by analysing its exponents – i.e. the players themselves.

The pertinent question is, of course, what makes a good player? What qualities might a gangly teenager have that makes him a crucial member of a team that place him higher than a solid veteran in their mid-twenties?

The answer is quite simple.

Decisions.

Decisions made in a football match can make or break the outcome; decisions are the football match.Getting in the way of those decisions and the logical outcome (or perhaps assisting those decisions and outcomes) is the other team.Of course, skill, talent and mentality also have a part to play but that will be explored a little later.

An analogy for you, an offshoot of the often-heard comparison ‘Football is life’. Again, decisions made in life by one person are opposed or complimented, sometimes unintentionally but always naturally, by the decisions of other people.

A player’s decisions to pass the ball to the winger can be hampered by the presence of an onrushing defender or assisted by a space-creating run by a team mate. Similarly, a young man’s decision to talk to a girl seated next to him on a city bound train can be hampered by the girl’s boyfriend or assisted by the guy’s good looks. Should the right decision be made, the team scores the equaliser and the guy gets her phone number.

Wayne Rooney is a case in point – why was he, at the relatively youthful age of 20 with only four years of first team football, considered the finest striker in the English game when Brian McBride had been playing for over a decade and never hit the same heights or received the same platitudes?

It comes down to their decisions as well as their ability to execute them. One moment which will forever live with me as a supreme example of Rooney’s footballing intelligence was the away leg of a knockout round match against Porto. Porto had recovered the ball in their half and were comfortably passing the ball backwards under pressure from the Manchester United players.

The last man sent a final backpass to his keeper to boot back into the middle of the park. However, he had not seen Wayne Rooney slipping inside from the left wing behind the defender – Rooney pounced on the opportunity and finished easily. What set Rooney apart was not the goal; any weekend player could have put away that chance. The difference was his vision to see that the backpass could open up a scoring chance. The decision to make the hopeful run paid off spectacularly and would have no doubt gained him some praise for committing 100% or something of the like even if it hadn’t come off.

This is only one extreme example of quality decision making and Wayne Rooney is also valued for his technical ability and scoring prowess but they are guided by choices and, as we now know, choices are everything. Knowing when to apply them can make the difference between a clean sheet and an absolute drubbing or a goalless draw and a goal festival.

Choose wisely my friends.

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If anyone roams across Sydney as much as I do, then one would inevitably find oneself raising that hand, getting into that taxi and dreading that meter going up and up while he takes you to your destination.

But like many others, I've found that some of the best conversations I've ever had were with cabbies.

The last one I met was a Polish engineer who proceeded to explain to me how to pave the outside of my house from scratch, because the "professionals" don't know how to do it properly. He was unimpressed and blatantly questioned why I was studying law while stating that "engineers are respected a lot more in Europe than in the West". Honestly, he seemed far more educated than me.

Before him there was another driver who engaged me in a stimulating conversation about Indian poetry and literature. With another, I had an argument about raising children in different cultures.

The reason for this is one that we've heard almost too often - qualified immigrants come to Australia, their expertise is refused recognition, and they get stuck driving people around the city when their true skills obviously lie elsewhere.

We can't help these guys get a job. But next time you sit in a cab, don't be afraid to have a chat. You never know who you might be talking to.  

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4 mar

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I just wonder who decides if what ever you chose to do in life, is mediocre or not. Sounds like with standards like yours, this article with its poor structure and soap box appeal may also be considered by many as, in-fact, mediocre. - Khedra

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Re: Killing Indian Students: Australia's Favourite New Sport!- by Sean Maguire

How about the indian guy who slashed his wife's throat, is still australia to blame for?..may be , for accenpting them to move over!I am an immigrant myself but I love this country, there is no perfect place on Earth but australia is one of the best! - Michael

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This entire fiasco is an incredible over reaction. Australia is an easy target. Why? because we are honest, transperant and we talk about our failings. Is there aggression and iolence in Australia? Sure, like any country. But we face it head on and we work to eliminate it. What about the stories of the 100’s of thousands of Indian workers who are treated as slaves in the middle east and nobody says anything? What about the fact that India still has entrenched pedophilia in terms of child brides? What about the crushing poverty embraced by more than 60% of the Indian people while this nation runs around building nuclear warheads? A storm in a teacup, an over reaction, and a diversion from some the really bad issues facing India. What is really happening here is that students are being unnecessarily frightened. meaning they will miss out on what could be the opportunity of their lifetime. - Daryl
 
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I couldn't agree with Sean Maguire's article more on the recent Indian attacks. For all those who like the pretend the attacks are merely based on coincidence, try to imagine how we would react if the boot were on the other foot and an uncharacteristic number of Australia's had been murdered in India. Would you push for a travel ban? Would you be scared for your children in a seemingly hostile environment so many miles away?  - Kara Jensen-Mackinnon

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