Quote:
Originally posted by Anne Elk
It was something the commentators kept referencing during the game. Celtic 'always plays to win' friendly game or not.
|
That's bullshit. They say it about every team - "Manchester United doesn't play friendlies" -- "there's no such thing as a friendly match for Chelsea FC - winning is in their DNA" - "Hartlepool Juniors live to drink the blood of even their lowliest opponents in a schoolyard pickup match" - oooooh. What hard fuckers they must be. Get your tickets now - we're in for a real treat. I used to believe it (and it may have even been true at one point - though I doubt it).
I have seen Celtic play competitive games and non-competitive games. The players sure as hell know the difference and there's not a single player on the team that's going to go hard into a two-footed tackle or the goalkeeper's elbow without thinking to themselves: "will it be worth six weeks on the treatment table to say Celtic was the first European team to beat the 2007 MLS Sierra Mist All Stars?" Will it fuck.
The main players just want to look decent enough to stay in the team and the fringe players all just want to look decent enough that the coach keeps them in mind when one of the starting 11 he's already picked gets hurt. The shakeout is going to happen starting August 4, when we play our first competitive SPL match.
Chicago 1-1 Celtic this afternoon. We looked like crap again for most of the game. But last summer I think we lost every single one of our pre-season games (not including the dire 0-0 draw with Chivas DG I saw at Giants Stadium and including two thrashings by MLS sides) and effectively won the Scottish league by January and made the last 16 of the CL. So I'm not panicking just yet.
