GOM World Cup Diary #15 – Whatever Happened To Knowing Where You Stand?

The World Cup is entering that stage of the tournament where nobody seems entirely sure what’s going on.

Mexico have topped their group.

Canada have finished second in theirs.

Some teams are celebrating.

Some teams are packing their bags.

And Scotland are sitting in the middle wondering whether they should book another hotel or head for the airport.

Having lost their second match, the Scots finished with three points and a goal difference that leaves them staring nervously at the table while other groups complete their games.

They’ve done all they can do.

Now they wait.

And that’s what got me thinking.

Whatever happened to knowing where you stand?

When I was younger, football tables were wonderfully straightforward.

You looked at the league.

You counted the points.

You knew whether you were happy or miserable.

There was very little room for confusion.

Now we have third-place rankings, qualification scenarios, goal differences, goals scored, head-to-head records and enough permutations to require a degree in advanced mathematics.

Somewhere, there is probably a computer calculating six thousand possible outcomes while football supporters stare at their phones wondering whether they need Tunisia to beat somebody they’ve never heard of.

It all feels unnecessarily complicated.

Mind you, modern life seems to work the same way.

Nobody ever knows where they stand anymore.

You apply for a job and wait.

You order something online and wait.

You send an email and wait.

You ring a company and spend twenty minutes listening to music that sounds like it was rejected by a lift manufacturer.

Then you wait some more.

Everything feels provisional.

Pending.

Subject to confirmation.

Football has somehow become a perfect reflection of this.

Scotland don’t know whether they’re through.

The USA look well placed to qualify, perhaps even as group winners, but they still have work to do.

Several groups are still sorting themselves out.

Everybody is waiting for somebody else to finish before they discover their own fate.

Of course, I should admit that I am no better.

I spent yesterday complaining about qualification permutations.

Then I spent twenty minutes checking them.

Then another twenty minutes checking them again to make sure they hadn’t changed.

Which is rather like complaining that people spend too much time on social media while scrolling through social media.

So perhaps I am part of the problem.

The truth is that uncertainty has always been part of football.

And life.

Sometimes you’ve done everything you can do.

The result is no longer in your hands.

All that’s left is patience.

Mind you, patience has never been one of my strengths.

Especially when there’s coffee available and a World Cup table to stare at.

Anyway, what do I know?

I’m just a grumpy old man.