"Trusty John," a Grimm fairy tale with a simple title, tells the story of Trusty John, a servant who does everything to protect his king. John accepts being misunderstood, even accepting death to protect the king. Though a servant, John is truly a warrior, a man of integrity who fights to the bitter end, regardless of the consequences.
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| The 0-0 draw between Paraguay and Australia came as no surprise. Photo: FIFA |
Football is a game of power, fame, and glamour. Therefore, finding a true gentleman who plays with all his heart is probably very difficult. At the 1982 World Cup, Germany and Austria caused one of the biggest scandals in history in Gijon. After Hrubesch scored to give Germany a 1-0 lead in the 10th minute, both teams barely played football, just passing the ball back and forth until the end of the match.
Everyone knows that it was the only scoreline that allowed both Germany and Austria to advance, while eliminating Algeria. That day, Algerians were outraged, throwing counterfeit money in protest against both teams along with harsh taunts (it was this match that led FIFA to change the format, with the final group stage matches played simultaneously). This weekend, the Algerian team will face Austria in a match where a draw would be enough for both to advance. The phrase "the shame of Gijon" is being repeated, only in a different location: Kansas instead of Gijon.
However, we didn't have to wait until Austria-Algeria met. In the final match of Group D, the story of Gijon from the past unfolded when Australia faced Paraguay. In fact, according to the British press, it was even more blatant than the story 44 years ago. A draw would have been enough for Australia to finish second in the group, and Paraguay would have had a 99% chance of advancing to the Round of 16. Of course, their 0-0 draw in what was described as a match with nothing to watch was, more importantly, a result that officially eliminated Scotland from the competition, a team that still had a chance before the final match.
Everything is proceeding normally, yet frighteningly so. The situation is unfolding exactly as predicted, even in the sense of a game where only money and fame matter. Calculation is necessary. No one has the right to condemn it if what is happening doesn't break the law.
No one needed to say or agree anything; everything just unfolded as it was meant to. At EURO 2004, after a series of complicated results, Italy entered the final match in suspense. If Denmark and Sweden drew 2-2 (yes, exactly 2-2), Italy would be eliminated. The result of the Denmark-Sweden match was 2-2. Not only was the result correct, but the score was also accurate.
In 1982, when Germany shook hands with Austria, the match was called the "shame of Gijon." In 2004, when Italy was eliminated by a 2-2 draw in another match, people offered condolences to Italy. Now, a series of calculated draws occur as an inevitability; nobody considers it shameful.
No one is condemned. No one complains. The whole world accepts these kinds of results as part of the game. After all, "reliable John" only exists in Grimm's fairy tale, written over 200 years ago. Football is now a real battle, not a game anymore...
Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/the-thao/worldcup-2026/john-dang-tin-cay-gio-o-dau-1046369
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