Group hug for the lads
Getting heavily beaten in any sport is certainly as far from fun as you can get.
We’ve probably all had some experience of a day, or a night, when things just could not have gone worse.
You could hardly even get your shoelaces to stay tied, not to mind score that sitter from five inches or stop yourself from repeatedly lobbing the ball over the nets at five-a-side.
So we have huge sympathy for the Micronesia football team who took a severe beating from Pacific islands rivals Vanuatu 46-0.
The defeat should have been left on the field and the players allowed to get back to normal, but according to the team coach Stan Foster some players have the footballing version of post-traumatic-stress-disorder.
He admits that that because they conceded 114 goals in just three games, some players are struggling to re-adjust to life again.
When asked if the players may need some professional help, Foster agreed that some downtime with a counsellor may be useful
“Possibly (they’ll need counselling) but they’re young, they’re resilient. Most of them had never been out of their village until we went to Guam as part of our build-up to the Games.
“Most of them had never been on an escalator and I had to show them how to use one.”
But at least Foster is looking on the bright side.
He feels that the heavy defeats could be the beginning of something really special.
Just not right now.
“They know (you) haven’t got the skills and the technical know-how, but in 12, 16 years’ time, after a few more Pacific Games, history will look kindly on you.”
Keep dreaming Stan.
Here are the, ahem, highlights of the game where you can see how they were lucky to finish with nil.
H/t to ABC.net
