Soccer, for now...
It's soccer time! Being in USA, things are a bit different here....I switch on my TV, and they show nothing other than basketball...am already tired of it but then I hope to catch a Spurs game live in the stadium some day soon.
Getting back to soccer, it's been a real shock for Gunner fans as Arsenal crashed out of the FA Cup and lost the Carling Cup final in a matter of a few days. As a ManUtd fan it's tough to say this but I feel Arsenal will only get stronger after a couple of years. Anyway, good for ManUtd...they progressed in the FA Cup and scraped to a victory over Fulham....that should result in lesser pressure for the weekend's match at Anfield.
I am hoping they show the match live here but any time I switch on the sports channel, all I get is basketball! Keeping my fingers crossed that they show it live tomorrow and that ManUtd wins!
Labels: Arsenal, basketball, FA Cup, Liverpool, ManU, Soccer, USA
posted by Lucas @ 3:42 PM
12 Comments:
There were phases in the game when the young Arsenal side totally dominated the Chelsea superstars..But in the end they were too good.
Totally unwanted fracas in the end. All the Africans have to take the blame. It was also disappointing to see that noone took Lampard down :)
Wenger has been saying this for 3 trophyless years. But the hunger I see in the teenagers makes me realize Wenger is really grooming a '96 class of Man Utd.
And mind you, they just lost Vieira, one of the cornerstones two seasons back, but now, they have lost the spine of the unconquered, viz, Bergkamp, Campbell, Cashley, Lauren and Pires along with Vieira.The new seniors are taking their sweet old time. Hleb started to play 'football' in EPL only in February 2006. I can only blame the seniors, partly Henry and partly Wenger's gambling on him for the poor performance.
It's been really turbulent at Arsenal in recent times, hasn't it? After convincing Henry to remain, Wenger would now be cursing that he shd have sold Henry at an inflated rate at the end of last season rather than keep him and btw, it looks like the Gunners play better without him these days.
Ohh...btw, I got up at 6:30 in the morning today and kept swapping channels but nope....nothing! No soccer! A real blow for me that I missed ManUtd beat the Kop at Anfield! That's what I call a heavenly win!
Mark my words,It was "ride on Josephine". Man Utd were absolutely battered. No second thoughts about it. Also a legal goal was declared void. Only solace was a debatable penalty was not given to Man Utd.
Scraping against Reading and Fulham and now Liverpool, with so much rub of the green going their way can probably change the team name from 'Red Devils' to 'Green Goblins' :-)
I read that wasn't a great performance...anyway, that shows the mark of a great team, doesn't it? Scraping to a win when it really matters...just like Chelsea did the last couple of seasons...at least ManUtd are playing great football most of the time. Btw, I wouldn't call the win against Reading a 'scraping win'.
Manu got battered by Liverpool and were lucky indeed.
But hats off to them this season. When they did not sign Haregreaves in the summer i thought they will struggle. But they have been awesome. The old guns have fired ably assisted by Ronaldo etc.And it is indeed pleasing to see Giggs and Scholes (The only 2 Manu players i admire) putting in such performances. Their brand of football has been scintillating and they look like they will win the EPL comfortably.
Arsenal s failure to defend corners again meant that they are out of the UCL. A very bitter pill to swallow indeed.
Arsenal crashing out was not unexpected...sometimes, they need to cut out the one-touch play and be much more physical. Against a well-organized team like PSV, any team would suffer.
Ohh...btw, no one will ever see such loyalty to a club as shown by players like Giggs and Scholes to ManU!
What abt Maldini, Tony Adams and DB10?
In fact, I thought ManU did way beyond expectations thus far into the season. To be within reach of the (possible!) treble without people like Ruud is definitely what critics wouldn't have expected come May.
Lucas, you were right by commenting about the loyalty shown by those players who have been at Old Trafford all their careers... and looked how they repaid their faith back to the cause of the club!
Let's include Solskjær too, shall we? ;)
P.S. It feels good to be back!
Yes, Reading they got a dream start. But their usually assured defence had to endure a tough 84 minutes. Roma will definitely be ready to capitalize better if such lapses in concentration are to repeat. United surpassed expectations, is it just because of the old guard? They have been more injury free than they or any other EPL team usually has been.
So if scraping in difficult conditions is the primary criterion of greatness, I would have had to name the dark arts expert Juventus and Chelsea as the world's best teams ahead of Barcelona in the last two seasons on thw whole.
@Sriskandh
I am talking abt players in EPL who have come through the ranks from the youth set-up...but Maldini is yet another player who I love just because of his loyalty and committment. Perhaps, on that count, we can include Tony and DB as well.
@Soccerguy
Great to have you back!
@Marauder
Liverpool were expected to provide the challenge to Chelsea this season, weren't they? They did not have any major injuries (perhaps, Sissoko for 2 months and if you exclude Kewell who btw, is almost always injured). But have the Kop matched their expectation? I dont think so.
I do not say scraping to wins in difficult conditions is the only criterion for greatness...rather, it is one among the many!
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