Three points back, with a game in hand - against West Bromwich Albion.
Sorry Baggies, you gotta go down.
...And Liverpool, I knew I could Kuyt on you!
Go Gunners!
Showing posts with label Arsenal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Arsenal. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 08, 2011
We're Coming For You...
Three points back, with a game in hand - against West Bromwich Albion.
Sorry Baggies, you gotta go down.
...And Liverpool, I knew I could Kuyt on you!
Go Gunners!
Monday, February 02, 2009
Friday, June 27, 2008
Exorcism
The march of the undead has ended:
Bastian Schweinsteiger: I just won, so who cares if I look stupid?
Scoreline – June 25, 2008
Germany: 3
Schweinsteiger 26'; Klose 79'; Lahm 90'
Turkey: 2
Uğur Boral 22'; Semih Şentürk 86'
Match of the tournament.
The best match I didn't get to see.
Turkey scores early, Germany equalizes minutes later.
Swarming, end-to-end action. Scoring chances, panicked defenders, it was awesome.
And then the TV went black.
The official story was that a lightning strike had knocked out the world feed, but I have a sinking suspicion that God was overcome by the possibility that the Turks would win again and threw something at his TV.
He apparently did this twice, because shortly after the signal was restored, it went dark again.
While we were being shown video of the crowds in Basel, Germany scored. Seven minutes of soccer-free footage later – Turkey scored.
2-2 with four minutes of regulation left.
Having denied the world two goals, God fixes the world feed in time to see the replay of Şentürk's insane equalizer.
Andy Gray summed up the moment perfectly: "…..I'm lost….I'm lost"
So was everybody else. And the game still wasn't done.
Lahm, Germany's under-achieving left back, somehow gets the ball in the 18yard box on a jail break attack – and rockets it into the Turkish goal in the last minute of regulation.
Flat out insanity. The final stake in the heart of the Turks, surely.
God, overcome by the moment – kills the world feed again. We find out that the game is ending by watching the German fans outside the stadium counting down. When they explode into celebration, Andy Gray calls it.
The Turks were a marvel, they made the tournament. And now they are done, beaten by Germany, the founding members of the undead. Pray for Spain.
---
Oh yeah, that other match.
I had high hopes for this one. Russia was on a tear, Arshavin was a monster against the Dutch, and Spain had finally conquered their nerves vs. the Italians.
Puyol mobs Fabregas after the win.
Scoreline – June 26, 2008
Russia: 0
Spain: 3
Xavi Hernández 50'; Güiza 73'; Silva 82'
A blowout.
Russia was barely there at all. Lots of scrambling, but Spain owned this one from start to finish. The only drama for me was betting how long it would be before Aragonés would put in Fabregas.
Villa got munched, so Fabregas only had to wait 36 minutes. And it was magic. He's creating, passing doing the same thing he always does.
Two assists on the night, and a danger for more every time he touches the ball.
Tell 'em who he plays for! Arsenal! Damn right.
Russia's attack was gutted in the battle for the midfield and it was just painful to watch. Arshavin was a non-entity- not even a shot on goal.
Spain has banished their national demons so far – but the chronic underachievers have yet to face the biggest obstacle yet – Germany.
It doesn't get harder than Germany. Spain pulls that one off, they're demons are long gone. They lose – and all they've done will be for nothing.
Bastian Schweinsteiger: I just won, so who cares if I look stupid?Scoreline – June 25, 2008
Germany: 3
Schweinsteiger 26'; Klose 79'; Lahm 90'
Turkey: 2
Uğur Boral 22'; Semih Şentürk 86'
Match of the tournament.
The best match I didn't get to see.
Turkey scores early, Germany equalizes minutes later.
Swarming, end-to-end action. Scoring chances, panicked defenders, it was awesome.
And then the TV went black.
The official story was that a lightning strike had knocked out the world feed, but I have a sinking suspicion that God was overcome by the possibility that the Turks would win again and threw something at his TV.
He apparently did this twice, because shortly after the signal was restored, it went dark again.
While we were being shown video of the crowds in Basel, Germany scored. Seven minutes of soccer-free footage later – Turkey scored.
2-2 with four minutes of regulation left.
Having denied the world two goals, God fixes the world feed in time to see the replay of Şentürk's insane equalizer.
Andy Gray summed up the moment perfectly: "…..I'm lost….I'm lost"
So was everybody else. And the game still wasn't done.
Lahm, Germany's under-achieving left back, somehow gets the ball in the 18yard box on a jail break attack – and rockets it into the Turkish goal in the last minute of regulation.
Flat out insanity. The final stake in the heart of the Turks, surely.
God, overcome by the moment – kills the world feed again. We find out that the game is ending by watching the German fans outside the stadium counting down. When they explode into celebration, Andy Gray calls it.
The Turks were a marvel, they made the tournament. And now they are done, beaten by Germany, the founding members of the undead. Pray for Spain.
---
Oh yeah, that other match.
I had high hopes for this one. Russia was on a tear, Arshavin was a monster against the Dutch, and Spain had finally conquered their nerves vs. the Italians.
Puyol mobs Fabregas after the win. Scoreline – June 26, 2008
Russia: 0
Spain: 3
Xavi Hernández 50'; Güiza 73'; Silva 82'
A blowout.
Russia was barely there at all. Lots of scrambling, but Spain owned this one from start to finish. The only drama for me was betting how long it would be before Aragonés would put in Fabregas.
Villa got munched, so Fabregas only had to wait 36 minutes. And it was magic. He's creating, passing doing the same thing he always does.
Two assists on the night, and a danger for more every time he touches the ball.
Tell 'em who he plays for! Arsenal! Damn right.
Russia's attack was gutted in the battle for the midfield and it was just painful to watch. Arshavin was a non-entity- not even a shot on goal.
Spain has banished their national demons so far – but the chronic underachievers have yet to face the biggest obstacle yet – Germany.
It doesn't get harder than Germany. Spain pulls that one off, they're demons are long gone. They lose – and all they've done will be for nothing.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Underachievers of the world, rejoice!
Cesc Fàbregas scores the winning PK. After a PK record that could rival England's - Spain finally puts one in the win column.
Vs Italy of all teams. Spain's attack founders on Italy's brilliant defense. Italy's attack didn't get going until extra time and never managed to dominate.
Spain pulled Torres and kept in Villa (who I thought was making terrible decisions) and they waited a full hour before bringing in Fàbregas. But they were clearly running the show.
A two hour shell game and it all ends in PKs.
Poetically, both Italian 'missed' PKs were saves by Casillas.
Even better, the winner was bashed in by Fàbregas.
Tell ‘em who he plays for! Arsenal!! Damn right.
Bummer for Italy (and you, too, Penguin) but Span was the better attacking side. If Italy ever gets tired of penalty kicks, they might try using their boundless talent in attacking for a change.
---
The sad bit of this is that the semis will pit the two exciting teams against each other - and have pretty much paved the way for Germany to make the final.
Germany vs. a depleted Turkey (yes, they're the undead - but they've lost so many starters. Plus, the Germans were undead long before Turkey joined up).
Span v Russia. This would make a great final, I think. Two dynamic attacking teams and lots of new talent.
Russia's Arshavin? Stud. Fear him. He treating his last match like a personal audition for footballer of the year - and treated the Dutch defense like his personal toilet.
Offensively, both sides have stars, but only Spain has start quality defenders like Puyol.
It's a shame one of these teams has to lose.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Arsenal! (oh, and Nike, too)
Nike has always been better at making ads than at making shoes.
Here's their latest ad for Euro 2008
It rocks. If only because it features Arsenal
(earphones recommended)
Go Arsenal!
Here's their latest ad for Euro 2008
It rocks. If only because it features Arsenal
(earphones recommended)
Go Arsenal!
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Shot in the Dark
Eleven at night, trying to avoid thinking about going to work in less than eight hours I fire up the TiVo and see that not only has soccer been recorded, but one of the games is my team.
Arsenal.
The downer is, the game is the second leg of their Champions League tie with AC Milan.
I'll explain.
Europe's Champions league is comprised of all the teams who won (or nearly won) their country's championship. They are the best each league has to offer. True, not all leagues are created equal. Bulgaria's best is still pretty lousy, but Europe has enough good leagues to ensure a quality competition.
Italy's league is arguably the best in the world. They have had their share of league-altering corruption scandals, but there is enough money coursing through Italy's Serie A to ensure the best players will gravitate there.
AC Milan is a perennial champion of the Serie A. They are one of the best teams in the best league on the planet.
At this stage of the tournament – teams are paired up against an opponent and play two games – one at each team's home stadium. The scores of both games are added together and the winner of that aggregate score advances to the next round. If there is a tie, goals scored on the road are the tiebreaker – if they are still tied, they go to penalty kicks.
This match was the second of this pairing. Arsenal had flubbed their way to a 0-0 draw at home – and now had to win on the road at Milan's home stadium, the San Siro.
Now, that's plenty of anxiety right there. Milan has never lost to an English side on their home field.
The game starts out with Milan owning the early play. Arsenal had miserable luck getting passes together and finding their lone striker, Adebayor.
Milan's racking up the possession and it starts to look dangerous. Their teen phenom, Pato, breezes past five Arsenal defenders (and misses) with alarming ease.
And then a great thing happens – although I didn't think so at the time. Arsenal's mifielder, Alexander Hleb gets hacked down by Allesandro Nesta right on the 18 yard line.
Unquestionably a foul, and a likely penalty. The Austrian ref storms over, reaching in his pocket for a yellow card.
-and he gives it to Hleb. For diving.
Hleb just about detonates – on the feed you can see his eyes bulge out as he mouths an incredulous "Me?"
The replay clearly shows Nesta swing his foot full on into Hleb's shin, right on the line.
Nesta slinks off, also incredulous.
I'm thinking this is shades of Milan having the ref in their pocket (I mean, there IS precedent for this sort of thing). Home field advantage? I'll just bet.
Hleb stalks back into the game – but something has changed. Arsenal was frustrated before, now they're pissed off.
Adebayor finds a previously untapped energy reserve and begins muscling his way through the right side of Milan's backfield at will. Hleb, Flamini and Fabregas start cutting off Milan's passes.
Milan's star players get stymied by the Arsenal defense. Pato vanishes, and Kaka gets so frustrated that he spikes the ball out of play and earns a yellow card.
Arsenal is swarming, owning possession. They do everything but score.
At this point, the game is looking to be a repeat of the first leg – Arsenal valiant, clearly the better side - but missing all their chances.
The clock is running down and Arsenal cannot sustain their tempo – no one could. Not without some payoff.
And then it happens. In the 84th minute, Fabregas – instead of his usual playmaking – gets the ball 25 yards out and just tees off.
It shouldn't go in, but it does – curling past Kalac's outstretched hands and just inside the post. The entire Arsenal squad goes nuts.
The crowd at the San Siro is stunned. Arsenal has scored on the road – since an away goal is the tiebreaker, Milan must now score twice in less than ten minutes or they lose.
Kaka, Maldini, Gattuso – they've got too much pride to quit, but they know they're all but finished.
Kaka keeps trying to sprint past the Arsenal defense – and keeps getting stuffed. There is a threatening corner kick, but it's cleared.
Then Arsenal's late sub Walcott surges around the end of Milan's back line. He falls just beyond his marker – and immediately rights himself to finish his turn and cross the ball to-
-Adebayor.
He deservedly thunders his shot in, sealing the victory and tearing the heart out of Milan's faithful.
It's the 92nd minute – past midnight for me - and I'm silently waving my arms in the air like a crazy man, since baby E is sleeping on my lap.
Milan – outplayed at home, beaten at home. And Arsenal's stars sealing the deal.
Scoreline - March 4, 2008
AC Milan: 0
Arsenal: 2
Fabregas 84'; Adebayor 90'
I have to get up in six hours, and I just don't care.
Arsenal! Damn right!
Goalscorers Cesc Fabregas and Emmanuel Adebayor celebrate
Arsenal.
The downer is, the game is the second leg of their Champions League tie with AC Milan.
I'll explain.
Europe's Champions league is comprised of all the teams who won (or nearly won) their country's championship. They are the best each league has to offer. True, not all leagues are created equal. Bulgaria's best is still pretty lousy, but Europe has enough good leagues to ensure a quality competition.
Italy's league is arguably the best in the world. They have had their share of league-altering corruption scandals, but there is enough money coursing through Italy's Serie A to ensure the best players will gravitate there.
AC Milan is a perennial champion of the Serie A. They are one of the best teams in the best league on the planet.
At this stage of the tournament – teams are paired up against an opponent and play two games – one at each team's home stadium. The scores of both games are added together and the winner of that aggregate score advances to the next round. If there is a tie, goals scored on the road are the tiebreaker – if they are still tied, they go to penalty kicks.
This match was the second of this pairing. Arsenal had flubbed their way to a 0-0 draw at home – and now had to win on the road at Milan's home stadium, the San Siro.
Now, that's plenty of anxiety right there. Milan has never lost to an English side on their home field.
The game starts out with Milan owning the early play. Arsenal had miserable luck getting passes together and finding their lone striker, Adebayor.
Side note: I know lone strikers are truly not alone – but it bugs me when a talented forward is distanced from their support. They typically get the choice of a lone sprint into multiple defenders – or turn and wait for backup (while the multiple defenders hack on you).Anyway – Milan's pushing Arsenal around for the first fifteen or so. The Arsenal playmaker, Fabregas, keeps getting cut off or run over.
Milan's racking up the possession and it starts to look dangerous. Their teen phenom, Pato, breezes past five Arsenal defenders (and misses) with alarming ease.
And then a great thing happens – although I didn't think so at the time. Arsenal's mifielder, Alexander Hleb gets hacked down by Allesandro Nesta right on the 18 yard line.
Unquestionably a foul, and a likely penalty. The Austrian ref storms over, reaching in his pocket for a yellow card.
-and he gives it to Hleb. For diving.
Hleb just about detonates – on the feed you can see his eyes bulge out as he mouths an incredulous "Me?"
The replay clearly shows Nesta swing his foot full on into Hleb's shin, right on the line.
Nesta slinks off, also incredulous.
I'm thinking this is shades of Milan having the ref in their pocket (I mean, there IS precedent for this sort of thing). Home field advantage? I'll just bet.
Hleb stalks back into the game – but something has changed. Arsenal was frustrated before, now they're pissed off.
Adebayor finds a previously untapped energy reserve and begins muscling his way through the right side of Milan's backfield at will. Hleb, Flamini and Fabregas start cutting off Milan's passes.
Milan's star players get stymied by the Arsenal defense. Pato vanishes, and Kaka gets so frustrated that he spikes the ball out of play and earns a yellow card.
Arsenal is swarming, owning possession. They do everything but score.
At this point, the game is looking to be a repeat of the first leg – Arsenal valiant, clearly the better side - but missing all their chances.
The clock is running down and Arsenal cannot sustain their tempo – no one could. Not without some payoff.
And then it happens. In the 84th minute, Fabregas – instead of his usual playmaking – gets the ball 25 yards out and just tees off.
It shouldn't go in, but it does – curling past Kalac's outstretched hands and just inside the post. The entire Arsenal squad goes nuts.
The crowd at the San Siro is stunned. Arsenal has scored on the road – since an away goal is the tiebreaker, Milan must now score twice in less than ten minutes or they lose.
Kaka, Maldini, Gattuso – they've got too much pride to quit, but they know they're all but finished.
Kaka keeps trying to sprint past the Arsenal defense – and keeps getting stuffed. There is a threatening corner kick, but it's cleared.
Then Arsenal's late sub Walcott surges around the end of Milan's back line. He falls just beyond his marker – and immediately rights himself to finish his turn and cross the ball to-
-Adebayor.
He deservedly thunders his shot in, sealing the victory and tearing the heart out of Milan's faithful.
It's the 92nd minute – past midnight for me - and I'm silently waving my arms in the air like a crazy man, since baby E is sleeping on my lap.
Milan – outplayed at home, beaten at home. And Arsenal's stars sealing the deal.
Scoreline - March 4, 2008
AC Milan: 0
Arsenal: 2
Fabregas 84'; Adebayor 90'
I have to get up in six hours, and I just don't care.
Arsenal! Damn right!
Goalscorers Cesc Fabregas and Emmanuel Adebayor celebrateTuesday, January 23, 2007
Stand up if you hate Man U
A few years back, in the game they call football, my chosen team had a nemesis. My team were likable underachievers. Their rivals were the media darlings - dynastic, marketable: "America's Team."
Among their numerous loathsome qualities, one stood out above all others.
They kept winning.
Each undeserved victory made them more arrogant, more insufferable. To the point when you felt that surely - were there a God in heaven - he would make them suffer just to restore the faith of people like me.
But this didn't happen. They changed coaches and were champions again. They changed players, and still managed to cruise to victory.
Their players were criminals, their owner, the king of all assholes, but their fans didn't care so long as they could be part of a winning side.
Just thinking of the times they crushed my team over and over again still rankles.
---
So it is with Manchester United - in the game that they actually play with their feet - they are the bazillion-pound gorilla squatting atop the league table, spitting out the bones of lesser teams and giving the "up yours" to anyone not wearing their colors.
They've won the championship fifteen times, they've won the double, the triple - and damn near everything in sight.
They were purchased for 1.5 Billion dollars, they field one of the largest payrolls in Europe. Their wealth gives them access to anyone and they gobble up talent anywhere they find it. Any player who does well at the Euro championships will likely play for Man U the following season. Their bench could make a solid showing in any league in the world.
And I hate them. Because they win. Because their fans are insufferable when they win. But mostly because they are usually to blame for my teams not going home with the trophy.
Truth be told, there are a number of Man U players I'd respect, I just wish they'd come to their senses and play for a likable side.
Giggs, for example, is just quality all the time. His play is always impressive and his work ethic hasn't been affected by the fact that most everyone around him is a raging jerkwad.
You see Giggs get mad, but it's usually for a very good reason. You never see him fly off the handle and whine about a non-call the way you would see C. Ronaldo do a few seasons ago.
Ronaldo. Any year but this past one, I'd say he was the biggest waste of talent in the league. All that speed, buckets of talent and he'd spend most of his time diving to the ground and whining about being fouled. His playacting was especially pathetic when he played for Portugal in the last World Cup - I think even his countrymen were mad at him after that one. All this showboating and nothing to show for it.
This year, Ronaldo seems to have put his head down and do what he does best - make defenders look foolish. So I can't bitch about him being the personification of what I hate about Man U.
That honor falls to Wayne Rooney - a thick-bodied bully of a striker who was England's false hope in the last World Cup - A man who is the prototypical boorish, hotheaded thug that Man U haters like me conjure up just to stoke their seething hatred of the Red Devils.
Rooney's got skills, no question - but when he isn't doing terribly well, you can tell he's looking for someone else to blame: the ref, the defender, his teammates, or the imaginary foul that stopped his breakaway.
Whatever it is - it sure as hell isn't the fact that Rooney has been playing for shit lately. That couldn't be it.
So, I've been enjoying watching Rooney have an off year, even if Man U had surged ahead of everyone in the league. It was nice to see that Rooney was getting pissed off and handling it badly - like watching McEnroe or Nastassi self-destruct - it was fun.
Today Man U played my team - Arsenal. In the Gunner's new digs - and I'm hoping for a repeat of Arsenal's dazzling form against other teams. Man U is the evil empire, but surely God has them due for a comeuppance. Right? He wouldn't just be toying with me, right?
Kickoff.
Right off the bat, Arsenal isn't playing well. Man U blasts a few at the net and dominates the early possession. Worse - there's this really shameful playacting by Eboue to fool the ref into carding a Man U player. Disgusting.
Arsenal's on their heels for a good part of the first half, but show some signs of life here and there. They just aren't combining well, and Henry (while finally back from injury) is in lurk mode.
Fabregas, the Spanish phenom, is scrambling for all he's worth, but just isn't getting any traction. He's showing a lot of heart, chasing no-hope balls that show you he's trying, but he's wasting a lot of energy and looking rather young.
A scoreless half ends - Man U has the upper hand, but maybe Arsenal can start fresh after the half. I can hope right? How cruel can the universe be?
Second half.
Arsenal does come out with a bit more flare - and Man U gets pushed back and suddenly I'm getting hopeful.
Then Rooney does something he hasn't done in awhile: he scores.
Arsenal is down 0-1 to the forces of darkness, scored on by the foulest Red Devil of them all.
Man U's fans are in the house and they go ape. Arsenal tries to respond with a quick equalizer, but they are more desperate than skilled. Rosicky has made it his personal mission to whiff on as many easy ones as he can - three or four good chances will fall at his feet, and he'll blow them.
Twenty-two minutes in, Wenger sends in Van Persie- who is not in top shape. This smacks of desperation to me, but I'm looking for any hope I can get.
Twenty minutes to go, Arsenal are struggling hard, but long balls aren't going their way - passes that could be brilliant moves are intercepted and turned into counterattacks. Ronaldo is increasingly dangerous.
Eighty one minutes in, it looks like Man U has started the stall. They sub in Saha, and people are taking their time.
Adebayor keeps displaying more drive than sense by charging Van de Saar before every goal kick - like he's going to slip up. Yeah, Van de Saar. Screw up. Never gonna happen.
And Fabregas, he's just too young to know that this is going nowhere - he's sliding and diving and charging balls that are meaningless. Wild passes, wild shots - it's practically embarrassing.
He and Rosicky get into a scrum with two Man U defenders, and it looks like one of those basketball plays where the players keep falling over and you're just waiting to see who will get tagged with the foul.
--and then Fabregas gets the ball and nicely slips it to Rosicky-
--Rosicky jets into the box and crosses to Henry-
--who does an amazing backheel pass to
--Van Persie who blasts it past a diving Van de Saar.
Tied. Son of a bitch! Seven minutes from time and Arsenal gets to salvage a point in front of the faithful. Awesome. More than could be expected. Honor is served.
And then things get strange. Arsenal starts surging into attack mode - there's blood in the water, and you get the feeling that - time permitting - they may not be done.
Two good chances go nowhere, but Man U is clearly out of it now. Lots of hard work, but nothing approaching their earlier dominance.
Four minutes of injury time - and you know the Man U fans are sweating it. They're on the chopping block and it's clear - only the clock will save them.
And then there's a wild sequence of passing - Fabregas again, then away, then Eboue curls a cross into the pack and -
Henry soars up to head the cross into the net.
Pandemonium.
It'll go down as minute 90, but it's 92 and change. Man U has no time to salvage a point, although they try.
A driving shot goes to Lehmann, who almost stalls himself into a yellow card for delay. He boots the ball to midfield and the whistle blows.
Scoreline - January 23, 2007
Arsenal: 2
Manchester United: 1
Rooney 53, Van Persie 83, Henry 90
God is in his heaven.
Among their numerous loathsome qualities, one stood out above all others.
They kept winning.
Each undeserved victory made them more arrogant, more insufferable. To the point when you felt that surely - were there a God in heaven - he would make them suffer just to restore the faith of people like me.
But this didn't happen. They changed coaches and were champions again. They changed players, and still managed to cruise to victory.
Their players were criminals, their owner, the king of all assholes, but their fans didn't care so long as they could be part of a winning side.
Just thinking of the times they crushed my team over and over again still rankles.
---
So it is with Manchester United - in the game that they actually play with their feet - they are the bazillion-pound gorilla squatting atop the league table, spitting out the bones of lesser teams and giving the "up yours" to anyone not wearing their colors.
They've won the championship fifteen times, they've won the double, the triple - and damn near everything in sight.
They were purchased for 1.5 Billion dollars, they field one of the largest payrolls in Europe. Their wealth gives them access to anyone and they gobble up talent anywhere they find it. Any player who does well at the Euro championships will likely play for Man U the following season. Their bench could make a solid showing in any league in the world.
And I hate them. Because they win. Because their fans are insufferable when they win. But mostly because they are usually to blame for my teams not going home with the trophy.
Truth be told, there are a number of Man U players I'd respect, I just wish they'd come to their senses and play for a likable side.
Giggs, for example, is just quality all the time. His play is always impressive and his work ethic hasn't been affected by the fact that most everyone around him is a raging jerkwad.
You see Giggs get mad, but it's usually for a very good reason. You never see him fly off the handle and whine about a non-call the way you would see C. Ronaldo do a few seasons ago.
Ronaldo. Any year but this past one, I'd say he was the biggest waste of talent in the league. All that speed, buckets of talent and he'd spend most of his time diving to the ground and whining about being fouled. His playacting was especially pathetic when he played for Portugal in the last World Cup - I think even his countrymen were mad at him after that one. All this showboating and nothing to show for it.
This year, Ronaldo seems to have put his head down and do what he does best - make defenders look foolish. So I can't bitch about him being the personification of what I hate about Man U.
That honor falls to Wayne Rooney - a thick-bodied bully of a striker who was England's false hope in the last World Cup - A man who is the prototypical boorish, hotheaded thug that Man U haters like me conjure up just to stoke their seething hatred of the Red Devils.
Rooney's got skills, no question - but when he isn't doing terribly well, you can tell he's looking for someone else to blame: the ref, the defender, his teammates, or the imaginary foul that stopped his breakaway.
Whatever it is - it sure as hell isn't the fact that Rooney has been playing for shit lately. That couldn't be it.
So, I've been enjoying watching Rooney have an off year, even if Man U had surged ahead of everyone in the league. It was nice to see that Rooney was getting pissed off and handling it badly - like watching McEnroe or Nastassi self-destruct - it was fun.
Today Man U played my team - Arsenal. In the Gunner's new digs - and I'm hoping for a repeat of Arsenal's dazzling form against other teams. Man U is the evil empire, but surely God has them due for a comeuppance. Right? He wouldn't just be toying with me, right?
Kickoff.
Right off the bat, Arsenal isn't playing well. Man U blasts a few at the net and dominates the early possession. Worse - there's this really shameful playacting by Eboue to fool the ref into carding a Man U player. Disgusting.
Arsenal's on their heels for a good part of the first half, but show some signs of life here and there. They just aren't combining well, and Henry (while finally back from injury) is in lurk mode.
Fabregas, the Spanish phenom, is scrambling for all he's worth, but just isn't getting any traction. He's showing a lot of heart, chasing no-hope balls that show you he's trying, but he's wasting a lot of energy and looking rather young.
A scoreless half ends - Man U has the upper hand, but maybe Arsenal can start fresh after the half. I can hope right? How cruel can the universe be?
Second half.
Arsenal does come out with a bit more flare - and Man U gets pushed back and suddenly I'm getting hopeful.
Then Rooney does something he hasn't done in awhile: he scores.
Arsenal is down 0-1 to the forces of darkness, scored on by the foulest Red Devil of them all.
Man U's fans are in the house and they go ape. Arsenal tries to respond with a quick equalizer, but they are more desperate than skilled. Rosicky has made it his personal mission to whiff on as many easy ones as he can - three or four good chances will fall at his feet, and he'll blow them.
Twenty-two minutes in, Wenger sends in Van Persie- who is not in top shape. This smacks of desperation to me, but I'm looking for any hope I can get.
Twenty minutes to go, Arsenal are struggling hard, but long balls aren't going their way - passes that could be brilliant moves are intercepted and turned into counterattacks. Ronaldo is increasingly dangerous.
Eighty one minutes in, it looks like Man U has started the stall. They sub in Saha, and people are taking their time.
Adebayor keeps displaying more drive than sense by charging Van de Saar before every goal kick - like he's going to slip up. Yeah, Van de Saar. Screw up. Never gonna happen.
And Fabregas, he's just too young to know that this is going nowhere - he's sliding and diving and charging balls that are meaningless. Wild passes, wild shots - it's practically embarrassing.
He and Rosicky get into a scrum with two Man U defenders, and it looks like one of those basketball plays where the players keep falling over and you're just waiting to see who will get tagged with the foul.
--and then Fabregas gets the ball and nicely slips it to Rosicky-
--Rosicky jets into the box and crosses to Henry-
--who does an amazing backheel pass to
--Van Persie who blasts it past a diving Van de Saar.
Tied. Son of a bitch! Seven minutes from time and Arsenal gets to salvage a point in front of the faithful. Awesome. More than could be expected. Honor is served.
And then things get strange. Arsenal starts surging into attack mode - there's blood in the water, and you get the feeling that - time permitting - they may not be done.
Two good chances go nowhere, but Man U is clearly out of it now. Lots of hard work, but nothing approaching their earlier dominance.
Four minutes of injury time - and you know the Man U fans are sweating it. They're on the chopping block and it's clear - only the clock will save them.
And then there's a wild sequence of passing - Fabregas again, then away, then Eboue curls a cross into the pack and -
Henry soars up to head the cross into the net.
Pandemonium.
It'll go down as minute 90, but it's 92 and change. Man U has no time to salvage a point, although they try.
A driving shot goes to Lehmann, who almost stalls himself into a yellow card for delay. He boots the ball to midfield and the whistle blows.
Scoreline - January 23, 2007
Arsenal: 2
Manchester United: 1
Rooney 53, Van Persie 83, Henry 90
God is in his heaven.
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Recharge
Okay, it's been awhile since I've just put something up for fun.
So here goes:
Scoreline - October 22, 2006
Reading: 0
Arsenal: 4
Henry 1, 70 (pen), Hleb 39, Van Persie 49
Oh, this was a beautiful thing.
1) My TiVo picked this game up when there's virtually no chance I'd have spotted it myself. Christmas in October!
2) Arsenal were in fine form and beat the stuffing out of Reading without really trying that hard.
Henry and the Spanish boy-wonder Fabregas teamed up for an early back-breaker. Reading staggered around punch-drunk before deciding to fight on.
Sadly for them, at that moment the Spaniard teamed up with Hleb and Rosicky to pull off a clinical give and go: two nothing - Gunners.
Halftime.
At this point, Arsenal's crusing - the announcer is singing their praises - talking about how young this team is, how fluid their passing was, how Man U. had better be looking behind them -
-and then Henry, Hleb and Van Persie just score on an outrageous series of through passing and teamwork. Perfection - flat out. Reading's keeper is just standing there telling God that, if he had to end the world, now would be a good time.
-But it doesn't end. Fabregas is a holy terror, and charges into the box ony to be cut down by the now hoplessly demoralized keeper.
Penalty. Henry. Goal.
Four nothing and I swear Arsenal just spent the last ten minutes playing keep away. Reading had a few swipes at net - but it was written: Today Reading shall sucketh.
So here goes:
Scoreline - October 22, 2006
Reading: 0
Arsenal: 4
Henry 1, 70 (pen), Hleb 39, Van Persie 49
Oh, this was a beautiful thing.
1) My TiVo picked this game up when there's virtually no chance I'd have spotted it myself. Christmas in October!
2) Arsenal were in fine form and beat the stuffing out of Reading without really trying that hard.
Henry and the Spanish boy-wonder Fabregas teamed up for an early back-breaker. Reading staggered around punch-drunk before deciding to fight on.
Sadly for them, at that moment the Spaniard teamed up with Hleb and Rosicky to pull off a clinical give and go: two nothing - Gunners.
Halftime.
At this point, Arsenal's crusing - the announcer is singing their praises - talking about how young this team is, how fluid their passing was, how Man U. had better be looking behind them -
-and then Henry, Hleb and Van Persie just score on an outrageous series of through passing and teamwork. Perfection - flat out. Reading's keeper is just standing there telling God that, if he had to end the world, now would be a good time.
-But it doesn't end. Fabregas is a holy terror, and charges into the box ony to be cut down by the now hoplessly demoralized keeper.
Penalty. Henry. Goal.
Four nothing and I swear Arsenal just spent the last ten minutes playing keep away. Reading had a few swipes at net - but it was written: Today Reading shall sucketh.
I know - the world says, who cares. A top of the table team buries a first time visitor to the Premiership - but hey - they did it with style. And they enjoyed themselves doing it.
Great to see.
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