Hey Hey LBJ

France U20 4 v Vietnam U20 0
New Zealand U20 3 v Honduras U20 1

FIFA U20 World Cup, Group E

Played at Cheonan Sports Complex, South Korea

Thursday 25 May 2017

Twitter @ball_sup

12 Korean Beer Ticks

Struggling. We're on our arses here in Cheonan. Another out of town ground. Actually (opinion) closer to Asan than Cheonan. But, a convenient hotel. Nice walking distance from the ground. By chance, in a lively nightlife locale. A quick reccy unearthed Tap 5. Craft Beer Bar. Advertising 5 beers on a stand outside.

Thing is. They were all listed generically. IPA, Amber, Stout, you get the picture. Anywhere else in the world, that'd virtue signal Brewpub/House brews. But, under the best close questioning I could muster, the barmaid insisted none of the listed beers was in fact Korean, nor brewed in Korea. No. That's mental. You list beers, without saying the Brewery & without saying the country of origin. What? And they're not even Korean?

There was clearly a The Booth/Mikkeller collab. Now, I know The Booth to be a Korean brewery. So, you'd think, Dear Reader, there's a tick right there. Except. You know. Google it. Isn't there a suggestion it is contract brewed in BELGIUM? I'm having it.

The Booth/Mikkeller Taedonggang Pale Ale on keg at 4.6%.
hite, Black Beer Stout from a bottle at 5%
hite, Max Cream on keg

Vietnam have the biggest firm out here (excepting the Hosts). A lot of migrant workers. A lot of students studying in Korea. Tour groups. The vast majority in Red shirts with Gold Star. Upwards of 10k for some games I'm hearing. Big firm. Poor attention span. Lots of 'em barely seemed to know what was going on. Thousands streaming in way after kick off. Sitting for 3 minutes. On the Buzzer to their mates. Off for a bag of crisps. Vietnam were utterly outclassed by Les Bluettes. Which meant that possession & tackles within 40 yards of the French net were cheered to the rafters. As if a goal had been scored.

At half time, three ladies stuck a large banner up behind me. At one point I thought it might be a political protest. So, I went up to them to get a Ball Sup scoop & show solidarity. Ahem. Hijack/Ambush marketing. One of the ladies owned a money wire/foreign exchange/peer to peer outfit. Sigh. Imperialist Capitalist Lackey hijacks FIFA Capitalist Lackey advertising. Not got much of a ring to it as it?

I was a child of the 1950s. I couldn't help but let off some Hey Hey LBJ …. chants in support of the Vietnam firm.

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