Poems tagged ‘USA’
England- Denmark- Netherlands & USA (just!) Advance – WWC ’23
~ China 1-6 England ~
Lionesses purr
roaring through to last sixteen
Lauren James sublime
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~ Haiti 0-2 Denmark ~
Harder shines for Danes
Haiti leave with heads held high
Matildas beware
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~ Portugal 0-0 USA ~
poor from USA
pushed all game by Portugal
just a post away
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~ Vietnam 0-7 Netherlands ~
Dutch in cruise control
find their shooting boots at last
as they top the group
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To bawl, or not to bawl?
And so I took my prejudices
And sailed the skies
Across the mighty pond
Growing ever fond
Of the soft marshmallow clouds
That cushioned my mind
Taking me further and further away
From the daily pressures
Of work, work, work
Cleaning, washing, driving
Of chore after chore
And the utter bore
Of Sarriball
As we watch sideways movement
Backwards movement
Tip-tap-toe
With nowhere to go
Because its possession, that’s the obsession.
But I looked and I looked, in this land of plenty
And really, found it absurdly empty, of bourgeoning talent.
I wanted to see the next Clint Dempsey
And certainly someone ten times better, than Matt Miazga.
Maybe Pulisic is the answer
But in his homeland
He might as well be Persil.
And as for bantz?
Mention “Soccer” and mostly you’ll draw a blank.
Yet mention:
“Baseball” – and you’ll be bored to death, by the numerical nerds and their soporific stats
“Basketball” – and its foreign lexicon, of “guards”, “boards” and “rebounds”
“Ice Hockey” – more “guards”, “boards” and…. I couldn’t give a puck
And so of course, the ears prick-up
With the many mentions of … “football”
But every reference is taser’d, by the knowledge that it is anything but…
For it’s all hands, elbows and shoulder pads
And the ball is kicked, by only one, the wimpy one
So how on earth did they alight, on our treasured moniker?
When it is but Rugby light? Rugby re-mastered?
For it is more like Puntball, Shoveball, Heaveball
Gruntball, Groanball, Gridball
Driveball, Flagball, Huddleball,
Scrimmageball, Snapball, Sackball
But certainly not…..
Football
WC2018 Day -1 haiku
history haiku
58 Sweden
Pelé boy wonder
Garrincha wing wizard
routing Swedish hosts
62 Chile
Vava, Garrincha
Earthquake stricken yet on time
Chile such cool hosts
66 England
hat-trick hero Hurst
Ramsey’s wingless wonders
home advantage
70 Mexico
Seleção success
team goal of the century
Pelé to the fore
74 Germany
Cryuff turn, Dutch courage
Brave Jack Taylor first min pen
Mueller claws it back
78 Argentina
Kempes, Ardiles
ticker tape entrances
Junta advantage
82 Spain
Rossi on rampage
Tardelli’s frenzied pash dash
Italy hat-trick
86 Mexico
Hand of God
Mexican wave unveiling
Maradona foremost
90 Italy
Gazza’s tears breaks hearts
Placido’s vocals in tune
Brehme pen success
94 USA
penalty shoot-out
Baggio blasts sky high – lands
in Hudson River
98 France
Ronaldo riddle
Starting or not? Lost the plot?
Zidane headed pair
2002 Japan & South Korea
Hosts so humble
Ronaldo redemption rules
Asiatic first
2006 Germany
Rooney red, Ron wink
Zidane floors Materazzi
bows out as loser
2010 South Africa
Sokker Africa
Vuvuzelas and sunshine
Iniesta smile
2014 Brazil
Germans score seven
vanishing foam used by refs
hosts wish they could
2018 Russia
open tournament
prediction: poised Germany
England: no-hopers
~ # ~
#WC2018 generic Haiku
bright sun radiates
shorts slip on so easily
World Cup fever starts!
wise words on the web
artist alights on the pitch
ball enters the net
sun, moon, stars, align
superstars create and shine
stage set for goalfest
keeper shouts “away!”
ten discordant reactions
frenemies within
everybody
wants to believe it is in
GLT says no
screaming, arms aloft
conviction guaranteed
VAR says no
no-one on the post
quick corner creates havoc
could’ve should’ve
strolls around the park
photogenic and spreads play
darling of the paps
bench-warmer
enters the fray and scores
game changer
shirts, shorts and socks
couturiers run amok
colour by design
formation planning
blanket defence to smother
park the bus
hopes on young shoulders
unburdened by past failures
swivel, shoot, score
proud moments
representing your country
kit included
holding hands
sponsored match mascots
jail otherwise
prettiness required
catwalk stars must shine so bright
Mondial make-up
Lamps: over the line
Diego’s dirty digits
both: truisms
run up to World Cup
undefeated in friendlies
hope springs eternal
football at its best
Nation unto Nation joust
every four years
colour, passion, skill
endeavour, tacticians, rules
fifty shades of play
Form. Storm. Norm. Perform.
Goal: non-elimination
Setting high standards
About This Site
Welcome to Football Poets -- a club for all football poets, lovers of football and lovers of (alternative) poetry. Discover poets in every league from respected internationals at the top of their game to young hopefuls in the school playground.
Publish your football poems here and then discuss them with your team mates and fans. We're archived by The British Library, so your masterpieces are in the safe hands of a world-class keeper. What a result!
My Account
Latest Poems
joe morris
3rd September 2024
Denys E. W. Jones
3rd September 2024
joe morris
26th August 2024
Crispin Thomas
26th August 2024
joe morris
22nd August 2024
Mike Bartram
20th August 2024
Phil Brennan
20th August 2024
joe morris
17th August 2024
Rowan Waller
17th August 2024
Alex Saynor
12th August 2024
Crispin’s Corner
In Memoriam
Kick It Out & Christmas Truce
Latest Comments
26th July 2024 at 6:25 pm
Great poem Mike Bartram. Eddie was a legend, affectionately known in Liverpool as, “the first hooligan.” Even the hoolies were well dressed in those days. The amazing thing was he was only 26 when that picture was taken. He’d played for Everton youth team and was well known to the players. He never got arrested. They threw him out and he climbed back in, just in time for Derek Temples winner.
I used the picture of him being tackled to the ground on the front cover of my book, “Once Upon a rhyme in Football.” It’s worth looking on youtube and finding the re-enactment of the Wembley scene. Frank Skinner and Baddiel went around to Eddies home in the 1990’s and acted it out on the green outside. It’s hilarious, especially all the effort they put in to get Eddie sober enough to shoot the scene.
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10th July 2024 at 6:07 pm
Hi Crispin,
I don’t know if you’ve see the picture in social media today…
a picture of a teenage Lionel Messi cradling a baby in Africa as part of a photoshoot…. the family had won a lottery to have their baby pictured with him….
the photographer has just revealed that the baby is actually in fact Lamine Yamal!!!!
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26th May 2024 at 2:30 pm
Hi Denys…
Re Man City:
OK it was 20 years ago but Criag Wilson did write this and a few others on them back in 04/05.
BTW I’m more Forest Green Rover since 2014 (and Chelsea) these days . I drum and am a standing season ticket holder .
Best
Crispin
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29th April 2024 at 2:47 pm
Hi Denys,
Yes Richard Williams you’re a brilliant wordsmith, my friend. When I first saw your football poetry I thought it was the superb Guardian sports and music writer. I once had the honour of sitting next to Richard Williams while at the Independent on the sports desk. He writes about music and sport with immense knowledge and authority. I’ve read a couple of Richard’s books recently. Great writer rather like you Richard Williams the Pompey fan. Congratulations on promotion.
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28th April 2024 at 5:59 pm
Thanks Denys. Yes your replay poem was superb.
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26th April 2024 at 4:46 pm
Nice work, Joe. You were quick off the mark with that! Good one from Richard Williams too I see.
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25th April 2024 at 7:33 pm
Hi Denys,
Thanks mate. I’ll do it now.
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25th April 2024 at 1:56 pm
Thanks Joe,
you might like to write a poem yourself on the same subject…
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23rd April 2024 at 4:03 pm
Hi Denys
With you all the way on the abolition of FA Cup replays. What are they doing to the game?
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23rd April 2024 at 3:59 pm
Hi Crispin,
Yes sorry mate. Villa are still in Europe. Mistake rectified.
Cheers
Joe
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