Shithousing is the most noble act in football
In football the aim is to win. Sure, we want to have fun while we're at it, playing attractive football and wowing crowds, but the main function of those 11 players facing those other 11 players is to win the game of football.
This breeds intense competition and a climate in which, for many players, everything is on the table when it comes to gaining that extra inch, forcing an opponent into a tackle or winning a penalty.
On Sunday in the Swedish Allsvenskan league we got a taste of some of the best shithousing we think we have ever laid our eyes upon, in a match up between AIK and Elfsborg.
https://twitter.com/MundialMag/status/1335985797707796482?s=20
Elfsborg had taken the league in the match through two goals in the first 25 minutes, before two strikes in 15 second half minutes levelled things up for AIK.
Cut to injury time, and AIK have a corner. Crossed into the box by former Sunderland and Birmingham City midfielder Sebastian Larsson, the ball was headed wide by one of his teammates.
Elfsborg took the resulting kick-out quickly, and went to break up the pitch, seemingly unaware that Larsson had collected the dead ball and was intent on dribbling it up the pitch.
Sensing that his 35-year-old legs couldn't propel quite as quickly as he would like, Larsson instead chose to kick the ball up towards the home side's man in possession, confusing him and forcing him to lose the ball.
Elfsborg were understandably furious, as was the referee who booked a number of players, including Larsson. On the bright side for him, it did prevent a good chance from being taken, and the match ended as a draw. So, all's well that ends well, so long as you're not an Elfsborg player or fan.
