Is your glass half-empty or half-full?
I could feel the anguish seeping through my body, starting right at the tip of my toes, rushing past my heart before spewing vocally from my mouth as I watched round four of the A-League unfolding. I was repeatedly asking myself (and also shouting it at the television) ‘Are you kidding?’ followed quickly by ‘What more can we possibly do?!’ It was a chorus that was likely to be echoed by my fellow Sydney FC, Heart and Jets supporters.
I discovered quickly that I was on a cusp, a precipice that I could either fall into or climb above. It is only early in the season but I felt that I was walking a fine line between disappointment and futility; and evolution and encouragement. I caught myself at the end of many hours of football peering down into my glass as though it was a reflection of my outlook, wondering if I was interpreting it is half-empty or half-full. I was drawn into the age-old tussle between pessimism and optimism. I mused (and possibly moaned) about my team and the league in general, managing to whittle it down to three areas that I was ruminating upon – the game, the referees and the supporters – trying work out which side I was viewing it from.
It is hard to not feel the sting of a loss, or the irritation of a draw that feels like those crucial three points that you lost. It is certainly difficult to look past the scoreboard, to not intricately examine the fault in your coaches and players decisions, or to even weigh up the effort holistically and without a saturating bias. Yet there were some exciting signs and promise from all the rallying teams this week, a huge leap forward in terms of structure, performance and standards. It was like the call to arms had been heard resoundingly. While there seemed to be some finishing finesse and firepower lacking across the board, the hunger and desire from the players to bring their 100% best to the grounds was paramount in every game this week. Young players stood up proudly and our experienced guys led from the front by embroiling themselves totally. I felt a twinkle of promise for the rounds ahead, an eventuality that with enough attempts the round ball will smash into the back of the net untouched by the opposition.
It is hard to not criticise the referees this year particularly when your team can’t seem to catch a lucky break. There have been a number of refereeing clangers this season already with only twenty games completed. It has been a calamity of errors that could be considered comical if they were not so cringeworthy, or in some case pivotal to the outcome of the game. I doubt that any erroneous decision will ever compare so blatantly to the offside call on a throw in though, that one takes the cake for me. What it has done however, is burst open a debate and conversation on the need for fulltime professional and accountable referees that will undoubtedly advance the professionalism of our league. It is thrusting forward a positive argument for change and development to support the game into the future. While it most likely won’t help this season, surely it can’t get too much worse now it’s blazing on everyone’s radar.
It is electrifying to see fuller and louder stadiums; to see faces young and old, male and female chanting and clapping proudly. I can’t hide my envy of the complete stadium involvement that the Wanderers have generated, or the travelling masses of away fans. Every year the A-league seems to grow in support as fans let their feet (and wallets) do the talking. There have been 349,694 attendees at the games so far this year; a whopping average of 17,485 getting to each game and it is likely that we will break season records again. The marquee players have surely left their mark in the attendance figures; but equally the depth, professionalism and technical advancement to the Australian game has supporters relishing in their masses. The move to a free-to-air option is only going to grow the passion and produce more involvement from the public. I can only hope that all the teams can benefit from it.
For some like the Wanderers and Roar supporters your glasses are easily overflowing and dripping refreshingly over your fingers, a palpable confidence and elation in your position. There is no doubting the anticipation and excitement around Adelaide United and Perth Glory as the level in your glasses is on the up and up. I’m certain that no matter what team you support, you will have your own opinion and reflections that make up your position on the side of pessimism or optimism. As for me, I will likely be flirting with the equidistant line in my glass as we approach the Big Blue, trying to focus on the positives and allow my glass be half full.
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