UEFA Nations League, Group A3
Friday 23 Sep 2022
Played at San Siro Stadium
Ground Tick 405
I'm going to caption that one, that's the view out of our hotel room window.
The Iconic San Siro Stadium was the 405th ground tick on which I have watched football, at this my 149th England away game.
Contractually required aren't you. You can't call it the ORDINARY Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.
You have to call it the ICONIC San Siro Stadium. ICONIC.
Not too bad in that Third Tier. Mad sloping walk up those ICONIC walkie tower thingys. Names printed on tickets. Names checked against passports at the first checkpoint. Italian Plod give you a pat down search at the next checkpoint. Not five yards further, Italian Hi-Viz Bedecked Stewards give you a much more thorough, stuff out of pockets if they fancy it, search. No real reason why two searches in five paces, but you knew that.
Worth mentioning, the ticket cost me £9.50. Although since Kwasi Karteng, that would be about £20 at today's exchange rate.
The game. That's what International Football can be like. Everything neutralising everything else. At the elite level, so much seems to depend on clever flicks by low gravity midfielders with their back to goal, in the hope of finding a strong forward running onto it. But, at any level, that's a recipe for giving the ball away and losing possession. It can be a bit frustrating to watch.
I did the first minute player count up. Left Kyle Walker out. Once I'd located him, it was basically three at the back. Walker, Dier and Maguire. Is that an experiment? Or is that what he's wishing for in the first World Cup game in The Dead Nepali Worker Stadium?
Reece James wide right. Saka wide left. Experiment?
Not a great deal of cohesion and pressure. Often just seeing what turned up next. I understand some fans frustration.
And, while we're at it, the UEFA Nations League wasn't supposed to be like this. It's supposed to be a Tournament in its own right, not half arsed World Cup warm ups. In principle, it's the right format. The EUROs and World Cups have become these world wide festival of football events. Both "encouraging some geographical minnows" to sell the carnival. What is it now? 72 teams playing 460 games over a two month period to send four of them home. And then the rest try to take each other to penalties as they lap a particular country for the third time.
Please… if The Championship was like that, if Club Football was like that, we'd all be thinking - what a pile of shit.
Oh, and Italy aren't even in the upcoming World Cup.
The Nations League was supposed to bring an added meritocracy to International Football. A league structure. Where you play teams at your own level. To decide who are best at your level, so they can have a crack at the next level up. Just like the club league football that we all think is better than club cup football.
To emphasise, this is just the second time England have played Italy, in Italy, in a so called "competitive" game in my football attending lifetime. Can't be right. And, fanfare, England have now been fucking relegated.
Luckily, we came for the beer. First time for us, but Milan proved to be a great beer city. Match day was spent in;
La Birrofila Brewpub
Via Sant'Ampellio, 14, 20141 Milano MI, Italy
Down South, but doable on the Metro. Reasonably welcoming. But, got that Milanese - sit over there, we'll get your beers ready once we've pfaffed around with all this other unnecessary shit - vibe going on. Also, the usual chalkboard, pumpclip, what's actually on mismatch. So, so easy to put that right FFS.
Anyway, eeny meeny - let's go seven of their own on.
LA Brewery, Once, West Coast Pils on Keg at 5%
As you can see, served Gelato style. Because that'll put ten minutes on the serving time. Very nice. Got that IPL thing going on. Simple, in phases, beer. Stone fruit. Thin mouthfeel.
LA Brewery, Ulahop, IPA on Keg at 6%
One that wasn't on the board. Because that would be too fucking simple. I felt that was a bit identikit with the West Coast Pils I'd had earlier. Very gently balanced. The dominant taste, which is pleasant is peach. Doesn't go anywhere in the direction of the Bitter Peninsular. Magnum, Simcoe, Galaxy, Citra.
LA Brewery, Bitter End, English Bitter on nominal Cask at 4%
That came out of a handpull. But, I sort of refuse to believe it is proper, full on, gunk left in Cask beer. Of course, the fact it was pulled meant it took even fucking longer to pour. Williamette hops. Nice enough. I was "John Smith's worried" at first. But, pretty decent. Nutty. Not over sweet. Easy to drink.
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