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Poems tagged ‘World Cup 2018’

World Cup day 2

Emdad Rahman

Friday, June 15th, 2018

Day 2

Unlucky Pharaohs sucker punched

Egypt 0-1 Uruguay

There’s a mystery in Ekaterinburg
Where missing seats are aplenty
Suarez looked well sluggish
But Cavani is equally lively

Carlos Sanchez’s free kick
Evades the rookie El Shenawy
Giménez heads in for Uruguay
A first opening win since 1970

We saw a defensive masterclass
Egypt now look to get on track
Godin was simply flawless
But Salah will soon be back

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

No boots, no sweat

Morocco 0-1 Iran

So a second African team
Succumbed to a late strike
Iran win with seconds to spare
To stick two fingers up at Nike

It may have been to Queiroz
“The hardest group of the World Cup”
With only a second ever win
His team are surely on the up

Again this one settled late
No boots, no sweat
Aziz Bouhaddouz defending a set piece
Heading into his own net

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ronaldo 3-3 Spain

Portugal 3-3 Spain

At the table of Ronaldo
The whole of Portugal sups
He’s now the fourth ever player
To score at four World Cups

Penalty gold in the first half
Who else but Ronaldo
Two from the bullish Costa
A swerving screamer from Nacho

I called it the moment the ref blew
Ronnie’s 51st career hat trick
This thrilling Group B opener
Squared with a vicious late free kick

15 06 18

number7
© emdad rahman

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Hapless Arabian Knights haiku-WC Day 1

Crispin Thomas

Friday, June 15th, 2018

Russia 5*-0 Saudi Arabia 0

host strike oil on cue
hapless Arabian knights
fall in five star rout

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WC2018 Day -1 haiku

World Cup Willie

Thursday, June 14th, 2018

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

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WC2018 Day 1- Russkis Rack Up Five

World Cup Willie

Thursday, June 14th, 2018

Well that fooled me!
I was all ready to pour scorn
On a match that was so obviously
Gonna be barren and drawn

Then highlight many a concern
About how they might treat their guests
Those of dissimilar disposition
And on different quests

But football has done its talking
And the Russkis have racked up five
So after Robbie got ‘em rockin’
The show has come alive!

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WC2018 Day 1 – Mish Mash Mix

World Cup Willie

Wednesday, June 13th, 2018

52 years of hurt – perpetuated

Route 66:
Ramsey
ramrods
Irons roster –
resulting in rousing renditions
of raucous revelry

Russia 2018:
Southgate
sojourns
with squad of softies;
sceptics surmising
serial non-success

~ # ~

Rainbow?

some of us face exclusion
by dint of geography
from the forthcoming football fest

for some it’s too far to travel
for others, the hosts have too far to travel
towards inclusivity

where innocuously holding hands
could be a ticket
to a match in jail

~ # ~

Before the World Cup Starts:

Fans will reach fever pitch
Here’s the calm before the storm
Just 48 hours now
‘Til daily matches are the norm

And because the preceding tv schedules
Are so very, very light
I’m catching up on recordings
To take me through the night

I scroll through my backlog
Simon Reeve gets first knocking
His world-wide sojourns
Usually somewhere shocking

As is the case for this series
Where he heads to Caribbean shores
All interesting enough –
But we see no footy scores

Tho’ we do see, as he patrols with militia
A football rolling down the road
Under the wheels of an armoured vehicle
Half expecting it to explode

For this is lawless city
The most dangerous place on earth
One full of balaclavas
And Hondurans devoid of mirth

I wonder will they support
Any of their near neighbours
Costa Rica or Panama –
As they go through World Cup labours?

Or will they save allegiance
Just like Simon’s driver:
Chelsea – from a land far removed
From a Caribbean deep sea diver

The show introduces a cardiac cuff –
A lie-detector measuring heart rate spikes
Just imagine the fun if we’re involved on July 15th –
Out sick, but generating 100m likes!

Note:
San Pedro Sula – “deadliest city on the planet”

~ # ~

At the end of the World Cup:

Arms aloft
Trophy held high
Faces beam
Gaze up to the sky

Stars will be lauded
Stories will be told
Laurels bedeck
The heads of the bold

Value will soar
Agents will chase
Punters will crave
This new-found ace

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May Contain Hope ~ World Cup 2014 Remix

Crispin Thomas

Wednesday, June 13th, 2018

it’s hard work watching England
like watching fresh paint dry
the old guard have departed
we’re giving kids a try
we lower expectations
the flags are far and few
we should at least be grateful
we made the thirty two

we never thought we’d see the day
when this World Cup would be
without the likes of Holland
Chile ….Italy
the test will be the big boys
but hey it’s here at last
forget our hate of FIFA
for now it’s in the past

Up first we face Tunisia
and then it’s Panama
before the might of Belgium
at least we’ll get that far
we dare not look who we might face
if we should make it through
remember Wales and Iceland
whatever else you do ?

Wembley wasn’t crumbled
and built in just a day
we’re still a ‘work in progress’
there’s little more to say
our friendlies and prelimin’ries
they cloud the way we feel
we’re on another rocky road
a giant hamster wheel

the Vardys and the Sterlings
they flatter to deceive
we look to Kane and Rashford
to help us all believe
the cost of going won’t put off
our dreadful droning band
and still our fans will be there
to be the extra man

our manager has fresh ideas
and though he seems to cope
same old weasrning on the tin.
may contain hope !

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World Cup Winning Captains

Sharon Jones

Monday, June 11th, 2018

Maradona magician with a neat sleight of hand
Moore quite immaculate the emperor commands
Beckenbauer libero the pitch in his boots
Zoff a colossus even Caesar salutes
Deschamps so graceful gave sight to the blind
Casillas Saint Iker left others behind
Cafu showed the devil a clean pair heels
Nasazzi wore boots with invisible wheels
Ramos for glory and never for fame
Walter a rock who harnessed the rain
Sawa an icon the beautiful game.

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A World Cup Without Greed

Crispin Thomas

Monday, June 11th, 2018

I wonder will there ever be
aside from this facade we see
a World Cup for the human race
and not this FIFA run disgrace
so far removed now from its youth
this World Cup without love or truth

where we are told what we must wear
or eat or drink or else beware
this marketing monopoly
to bleed the likes of you and me
corruption at the heart of all
the big boys rise the little fall
this suited millionaire pay day
so far removed from Jules Rimet
where profit dominates their plans
this World Cup without thought for fans

we know their faces and their names
we know exactly who’s to blame
the back-handers went on for years
the honest bids that end in tears
this homophobia we hear
that FIFA tell is is not there
and still refuses to correct
this racism that dwells unchecked
and just for once I’d love to see
a World Cup with humility

the dodgy products they promote
the corp’rate prize on which they gloat
awarding hosts whose human rights
are left ignored in oversight
how did we let it go this way
and what else can we do today
to bring us back to what we need
a People’s Cup without the greed?

I wonder will we ever stand
against these tyrants hand in hand
whose only care for our small lives
is that we buy their merchandise
and sit there like some cardboard crowd
who shell out loads to be allowed
and never wonder how we cope
this World Cup without love or hope.

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World Cup-Come On

Geoff Tabrah

Sunday, June 10th, 2018

The tele’s by the couch,
The beer’s are in,
The curtains closed,
Because I won’t be in.
The fridge is stacked,
With easy stuff to cook,
Stacked pillows and blankets,
And the phone of the hook.
There’s a week to go,
And I’m now wearing the shirt,
The time table’s open,
Just my notes to insert.
Started biting my nails,
Another six days to wait,
It’s this hanging around,
That’s the bit that I hate.
Come On my team,
Our team, I quietly sing our song,
because this is a good team,
They can do nothing wrong.
Oh, I must set the recorder,
To watch it again,
Every time we win,
This beautiful game.

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A Russian Album

Alex Saynor

Saturday, June 9th, 2018

Somewhere beyond the wastes of Nizhny Novgorod
in enveloping white, the farthest reaches of night,
a train rattles on through heights and depths
with passengers lost to perspective journeying
through life to death. How many time zones
around half the world will stretch, while the other half
won’t notice, can’t imagine the purity of darkness
as catalogues of light fill volumes of the sky
with specific clouds of gas, named and numbered
dwarfs and giants visible from London, Siberia,
anywhere the hemisphere affords a sight?

History says it’s not the place to be.
Modernity – the same. But some say you’re safe
with a complimentary ushanka and sheltered harbour.
How do you feel about a tournament here
losing bidders, football lovers, superpowers?
No need to ask which emotional state is right
when many attend and co-exist in resorts
or temporary villages while distant veteran
Panini buyers form swapping collectives,
consortia against profit, the building costs
of the packets and a final balance to settle the album.

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Source: http://footballpoets.org/news/poem-tags/world-cup-2018/page/12/