MY WORLD CUP QUEST: IN SEARCH OF PERFORMANCE-ENHANCING SUBSTANCES

15/32 WORLD CUP TEAMS COMPLETED

FAIL TO PREPARE, PREPARE TO FAIL.
OR GET LUCKY.

Day 7 of the World Cup arrived and I was satisfied with my progress. You can watch a lot of football in a week. I had lined up people to meet as best I could before the World Cup started as I have written about here https://steemit.com/travel/@highselfesteem/world-cup-quest-day-of-reckoning.

I had now watched all fifteen of the games of the World Cup but I couldn't keep this pace up. Even if I had the inclination to watch each and every second of this tournament, (and I do), I haven't the means or the expertise to dope my body into permanent consciousness. Thailand is the home of the energy drink. But even the land of Red Bull can't keep me awake 24 hours per day. This beast of a World Cup was now coming at me at a furious pace. Three games were being flung in my direction on a daily basis. I was doing more daily kilometres around this city than the Russian football team. Although I'd made a running start this World Cup beast was gaining ground. There was going to be 64 games in all at this World Cup and I couldn't possibly see them all. I needed to box clever and pick my spots. And I needed to be lucky.

Try as I might I couldn't line up my intended targets for day 7; Portugal and Uruguay. I watched most of the 01:00am games at home. I really needed to maximise my returns from the earlier kick offs. A friend of mine asked me how I was progressing on my challenge and I told him I was on the look out for someone from Portugal. He isn't from Portugal. Not even a little bit. Poet was just finishing work and we agreed to meet in central Bangkok. Our aim was simple; scour public houses until we found someone Portuguese. This is thirsty work as you can imagine.

YOU MAKE YOUR OWN LUCK

As luck would have it we did spot a man in Portuguese colours. Poet recognised the group's chattering leader as a football manager of one of Bangkok's most successful football teams. Bangkok United have been regular title challengers in the Thai Premier league under his leadership. The young Thai Premier League draws hundreds of thousands of people to stadia all over Thailand each week. (Poet and I have been to hundreds of these games supporting Thai Port FC.) Here was one of the leagues best managers, in a bar, surrounded by his back room staff and shooting the breeze. Back of the net.

MANAGEMENT MATERIAL

Alexandre Pölking (or Mano as he is commonly known) speaks excellent English with a German accent. According to Poet his Brazilian/German heritage has made this football coach genetically disposed towards football excellence. As a society we don't selectively breed for football players. Not yet. Poet was sure that if we do follow this course of lunacy/progress then Mano could be the prototype. There are people in Thailand that know more about Thai football than Poet does, but not many. He's spoken to Mano at games in the past and they have long been connected on Twitter.

There was 7 of us sitting at a high table facing the football game that had just kicked off. We chatted about Thai football as we watched Portugal take on Morocco. Mano and his men didn't yet know that they were being ambushed. Poet and I were here on a mission and we saw our prize sitting to Mano's left in Portuguese colours. He'd barely noticed us join the table, fixated as he was on the giant screen in front of us. Poet inquired. Poet loves inquiring. Poet could inquire all day long. Mano told us the Portuguese man was his football analyst. He was living up to his name as he consumed the football images flooding his face without blinking an eyelid.

BY HOOK OR BY CROOK

I held fire until half time and waited for a weak spot. Everyone has a bladder, even analysts. As he passed I asked him for a picture for my quest and his face lit up. "I heard about this quest on Twitter, is that you?". "It is me" I said to the stranger. I hadn't even tweeted about my quest but someone else had. It seemed I was now insignificantly famous in a tiny subculture of Thai football fanatics. He even showed me the tweet to prove it.

When Analyst returned to his seat the animated Mano was curious as to why his analyst was having his picture taken with me. I hadn't asked Mano for a photo. I hadn't the heart to tell him but Bangkok is full to the canal tops with Germans and Brazilians. He'd have to wait his turn. Analyst was all smiles. I hope my attention hadn't started a Portuguese/Mano war.

Poet and I left the friendly group after the game had ended. Serendipity had had its way. Poet had had his say. Portugal had got the win. I had got my man.

Mission accomplished.

*Join me in my quest. It started here https://steemit.com/sport/@highselfesteem/i-m-going-to-watch-the-world-cup-with-a-fan-from-every-country-in-bangkok-or-sleep-trying and will continue for the duration of the World Cup.

*Other words, pictures and sounds at my website http://www.thisthailife.com/

*Twitter @ThisThaiLife

*Facebook https://www.facebook.com/thisthailife/