SOCCER AND LUCK

Luck (also called fortuity) is a chance happening, or that which happens beyond a person’s control. Luck can be good or bad (as in; Good fortune or misfortune).

In soccer, more often than not we hear: “luck was not on our side” or “luck was on their side.” Is it really true that a team’s win/loss is due to luck? For example, in the Liverpool game against Stoke, Gerrard hit the post twice, should we say luck was not on Liverpool’s side or should we say Gerrard was less accurate? Another example, in the Arsenal game against Bolton, Bendtner scored with 6 minutes left. Should we say luck was on Arsenal’s side or should we say Arsenal persevered?

Well, let me tell you one little secret, luck does not play such a big part in losing or winning a game. Sometimes the unluckiest team in the world can win a game if the team is well prepared. Even if luck played and will always play a part in winning/losing a game, a team can increase/reduce the amount of good/bad luck by being well prepared and ready to win. In card games it’s common sense that the more cards you have, the more chances of winning you have. Perseverance is needed in order to win sweepstakes. Not only do you need to keep up your enthusiasm even when you are going through a dry spell, but you’ve got to enter a high number of sweepstakes even when you don’t feel like you’ll win. The fewer sweepstakes you enter, the longer you will have to wait until another prize shows up at your door. Persevering through the dry spells and sticking to your sweepstakes strategy is the best way to win amazing prizes. Similarly, in soccer, a team that keeps on making attempts at goal has a higher chance (call it luck if you would like) of scoring goals and winning the game. Luck can be controlled.

So, how can a team increase its good luck or reduce its bad luck? Here are a few free tips:

1) HAVE A POSITIVE ATTITUDE.
The team should believe that the glass is half full, not half empty. If the team hit the post the last 10 attempts on goal it should never have that nagging feeling that it won’t score or win the game. Instead it should keep on making as many attempts as possible. Focus on the positives. Yes you hit the post 10 times but your opponents hit the post 12 times. Focusing on the positives keeps the team charged up and motivated to score/win more.

2) ALWAYS CONSIDER YOURSELF A WINNER AND NOT A LOSER
Affirmations are always positive, in the first person, and in the present tense. The players can write them out or repeat them to themselves several times each day: “We are lucky. We are winners.” Expecting to be lucky keeps you motivated. If you’re constantly telling yourself that you’ll never win, why bother showing up for the game?

3) BE PHYSICALLY FIT
If a player is fit he is going to hit a powerful shot and the keeper will be unable to stop it. Also, a powerful shot is less likely to be affected by wind.

4) KEEP HOPE ALIVE
Keep on believing in yourselves even if you lost the past 5 games.

“Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.” – Sun-tzu (~400 BC), The Art of War. Strategic Assessments

5) USE LUCKY CHARMS AND RITUALS
Using lucky charms and rituals makes you feel luckier, happier, and more optimistic and thus improves your chances of winning. Also, using charms and rituals “is” tantamount to playing mind games. Ferguson and Rafa are just playing mind
games.

6) PRAY BEFORE THE GAME
Have faith. It increases your positive attitude thus improves your chances of winning.

7) INSTILL CONFIDENCE IN YOURSELF
When you play weaker teams feature your best players and score as many goals as possible. This will boost your morale and will send shivers into the spines of your next opponents.

DON’T BELIEVE THE HYPE
Don’t believe everything written in the papers or said by the so called soccer pundits or analyst. If they are saying or writing bad things about you it may just be because they belong to other teams and they just want to lower your morale and thereby lowering your good luck.

9) BE IN CONTROL OF YOUR OWN DESTINY
Win all the games against the weaker opponents so that down the road you shouldn’t find yourself in a position that will require some good luck. For example, during the regular season the Philadelphia Eagles lost some games due to errors and inconsistencies. In order to make the NFL play-offs, they not only needed to beat Dallas – which, in reality, turned out to be the easiest part of all – but needed lowly Oakland to topple Tampa Bay and Houston to stifle Chicago. The cards fell into place. They are a game away from the Super Bowl. Destiny?

10) WORK HARDER
The more effort you put in the less you need to rely on luck.

“I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it – Thomas Jefferson (1743 – 1826), (attributed)

So, simply put, luck is what is you have left after you give your best effort. However, that brings us to another question, what does it mean to give your best effort? Let’s save that for another day.

Holler!: sscouser@gmail.com