• 70 percent know nothing. They can't tell Michael Owen for Owen Wilson.

• 15 percent know something. They can tell Michael Owen from Owen Wilson, but only because they think both are "cute".

• 10 percent think they know something. they can tell you that Michael Owen is an English striker and will try to recite a few statistics. But does he fit into England's formation and should he play as a lone striker against Sweden? "Uh...don't know."

• 5 percent know everything. But they don't know who Owen Wilson is. (He's a Hollywood actor, lah.)

I'm fine with women who don't understand football. Men don't care about the latest mascara either. The two genders are engineered differently, the Great Singapore Sale is on, lets just do our own thing for a month.

For the women who just watch the game for the guys, wll, that's okay, too - us guys can't take our eyes off the bikini-clad Brazilian women at the stadiums either.

Just don't gush too much about how you want to rip Raul's clothes off and run your hands down his abs - a girl waxed lyrical about that to me once and i still feel unwell.

In my book, the biggest sinners are the 10 percent of women who pretend they know the game.

I'm sorry, but to paraphrase a credit card ad, when it comes to football, the women just don't get it.

I'm not alone. A football-crazy friend of mine once said he "just can't take women seriously" when they try to talk about the sport.

They look like they memorised some facts and statistics to impress the guys," he told me disapprovingly.

You see, men watch football for fun. But women who think they know football watch it to be one of the cool girls who can hang out with the fellows at the bar.

There's nothing more irritating than having to engage a woman on a football topic when its obvious she doesn't know her stuff - but thinks she does.

One of the most painful conversations i ever had was with a girl who was so excited about seeing Ryan Giggs at the World Cup, she forgot his team didn't even qualify.

Yet you're obliged to talk about football because when a woman says she's a football fan, its like she just revealed she's a porn star - you can't move on to another topic.

For all you female fan-wannabes, here's a tip. If you keep screaming at a football match, you lose all your credibility.

I was at a sports lounge last Saturday when a 10-strong group of men and women strutted in for the England-paraguay game, putting on their best "cool" look.

That, by the way, was the most boring match of the tournament so far. England had less chance of scoring than Ronaldo fitting into size 30 pants. Yet the girls thought it necessary to scream at ever nondescript chance that fell England's way. The first shriek was amusing, but the fifth, sixth and seventh were not.

The problem with women who think they know football is that most of them can't - and never will - be able to engage the men because, crucially, they don't play football.

That makes it near imposibble for them to understand the subtleties of the game.

How many times have guys had to explain something like this : Yes, you can't believe that striker missed the goal from 5m out. But the ball was bobbling at shin height and he needed to hit it on the half-volley because the defenders were closing in on him, and that's not easy.

Don't get it? I didn't think so.

If you haven't actually kicked the ball, you won't know. And, sorry. I don't see why I have to explain stuff like this at every game to a supposed fan.

And you wonder why most sports journalists, match commentators and football pundits are guys.

Remember, ladies. It not a badge of honour. It's a bloody game. Enjoy it at your own level if you can't enjoy it like the guys.

Just don't spoil it for the men.

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Some additional comments from the outside ppl :

Tan Kim Leng, 28, midfielder, Tampiness Rovers and Singapore

"Can girlls appreciate football? Of course. Why else would you see girls and guys alike in a stadium? But when it comes to game tactics like : "run of play", women don't know so much. They remember only the player's names and their clubs. But if they have the interest, they can become experts. "

Goh Tat Chuan , 32, midfielder, Woodlands Wellington and Singapore

"Football is full of emotions and this appeals to the emotional side of girls. Women enjoy the entertaintment and exciement, whereas men appreciate the players' skills and tactics. But men shouldn't mistake this for women not getting it. When my wife gives her comments during a match, I listen, because a woman sees things differently. "

Ivy Singh-Lim, 54, co-owner of Bollywood Veggies and Poison Ivy Bistro, and ex-president of the Singapore Netball Association

"Women are smarter than men and they will understand anything if they have the interest - football included. For men, they just go on and on about things in football, such as a foul. Girls mention it once and move on. I wouldn't stay up and skip work just to watch the World Cup. There's more to life than football. "

Julie Teo , 43, executive secretary of the Football Association of Singgapore's Women's Football Department

" In 2000, there were 400 registered female football players in Singapore. Today, there are about 2000. This means girls can play football and be good at it. Football is ful of passion, and girls are passionate beings."

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i've got nothing to do. so i guessed i might as well type out this stuff hehe

Comments anyone? Post them on the tagboard. I'll reply asap =) (Put ur blog link too, if you've got one)

-end-

Signing Off...

aXiomaTicaL =)