my thoughts so far...
Insta-pundits: I cannot stand how people who never watch football, come in during the world cup and voice their opinion on the beautiful game… I’ve been hearing so much flak about the Italian national team constantly diving and making a meal out of every foul.. Diving in Italy is snidely accepted in the Serie A, but lets face it, everyone does it these days, you can’t just say that the Italians are the worst divers. If a player thinks he can get away with it, then he will try. Plus you don’t know what’s going on with the team when they’re a man down and are trying to win the game, you’ll resort to anything, even playing the foul to your advantage. The Australia Italy game was fodder for the amateur spectators to come in with their once every 4 years analysis to talk their shit.. you don’t understand the game, or watch the game regularly enough to know what the hell is happening with the history, the grudges, the rule changes, the officiating.. but because you’ve been watching the world cup these past couple of weeks you’re instantly transformed into pundit?
Gloating: to all you fans that said brazil or argentina were gonna win the world cup : muahahahaaaa.. I told you all that a South American team will not win the world cup in 2006.. I showed you the trends of the world cup winners bouncing between Europe and south america, I explained the two anomalies that occurred for italy and brazil winning it twice in a row.. but none of you listened.. I explained it all to you, but no one listened.. you were all wowed by the starting lineups, throwing names of champions.. It’s an all European semifinal fiasco and that can only mean one thing…
too bad for the English yesterday… I was cheering them on, & honestly believed they had a fantastic chance to win the world cup. They scraped through every single game, and when they needed to explode and step into proper form to lead them to the finals, they couldn’t do it. There are a couple of things that I would like to point out.. One of the senior players should’ve spoken to wayne rooney before the match and warned him of retaliating against carvalho. His reputation precedes him, you can’t pull that kind of shit in the world cup quarterfinals (three feet from the ref nonetheless) – everyone needed to keep their cool & the ref was looking for something. Owen Hargreaves’ performance should cement his position as the holding midfielder for England. Frank Lampard, a midfielder, can lead the scoring charts all year long for Chelsea, the team that pays him a seriously ridiculous amount of money per week - but he can’t do it for his own country? Steven Gerrard, who countless times has stepped up for big games and come out a champion, fizzles when they need him the most? Peter Crouch, for all his lanky x-factor sucked in front of the goal.. Sven, why did you bring Walcott to Germany if you had no intention of playing him? Why not take Defoe? I wouldn’t have taken Crouch in the first place… Substituting Aaron Lennon?? Subbing the substitute for penalties? Did you even make them practice penalties? I just think Sven tactically crumbled yesterday, and I personally don’t think Steve McLaren is the man for the job (although he is a good coach) – Right now, the English need Gus Hiddink.. too bad for the fans, the atmosphere they created during the game was incredible.. you can’t beat the English fans at spirit..
Politics of another country: During the Ghana game against the Czech Republic, John Pantsil, a Ghanian Player pulled out the Israeli Flag hidden in his sock and and waved it around when both goals were scored. The Ghanaian Football Association, apologized stating that they have nothing to do with politics they’re just here to play football and that the player was just naive. He was claiming that since he plays in the Israeli league he was supporting the fans that traveled from Israel to support him. Revealing a message under your jersey when you score has been banned and can be considered inciting the crowd.. so how come pulling out a flag and waving it above your head not be seen as inciting the crowds? Are you here to play football or make a statement?? And During the middle of the game?? He didn’t even score the goals.. look, if he wanted to show support to the fans that traveled to see him after the final whistle was blown, pull out the flag and wave it all around, that’s fine.. but during the middle of the game? Again, this isn’t a political comment I’m making.. I’m just saying, I don’t think that celebrating your country’s goals during the world cup is the more appropriate time to wave the flag of another country, because you’re showing support to your fans..
Conspiracies Galore: After the scandal that’s being unearthed in Italy right now, it’s difficult to watch the world cup and feel nothing’s been staged.. Moggi and Co. controlled the outcomes of a lot of games for so many years – everyone talked about something fishy going on, but for it to go on for that many years? they cheated, who’s to say that when you see something during the world cup right now, it’s not already been decided..
So now you’ve lost Brazil and I’ve lost England.. You’ve still got Germany and I’ve still got Italy..
FORZA AZZURRI
Showing posts with label sports. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sports. Show all posts
Sunday, July 02, 2006
Thursday, June 08, 2006
Oh beautiful game I love thee..
It’s been a long wait.. I’m not going to come out and say it was easy ‘cause throughout the past 4 years, a lot has happened.. Bahrain for the first time in its history flirted with making it to the big show, late nights of qualifiers, screaming at the television, even got my mother onboard for the qualifying campaign.. I’d also be a liar if I said that the last world cup was a lot of fun.. there were some great games, yes, but there were too many issues embedded in having the world cup in Asia that just rubbed me the wrong way. I’m sure Fifa will be more prepared the next time they decide to have the world cup in Asia..
Remember the 2002 world cup? The fact that the actual timing of the world cup was brought forward to avoid the monsoon season in Japan or Korea, probably not giving the players enough time to rest. The English and Spanish leagues did not finish in time as everyone else and it was obvious that the players in those two leagues were not fully rested (Fifa this year put in a new rule that all leagues needed to end on some specific day in May – the 19th if my memory serves me right, but it has been known to evade me). Holland didn’t make it to the world cup.. the teams that we all expected to progress were all knocked out – Everyone predicted Argentina France for the final, and they both went home after the group stages.. The timing of the games were totally fucked (I was in Boston at the time, the latest game started at 10 AM) do you know what it’s like to watch the world cup final before you normally fix yourself a cup of coffee in the morning?? Having a pint and watching the game that early in the morning really did make you wonder about your personal struggle with alcoholism. The horrible refereeing – Byron Moreno: I still hate you.. No disrespect to the South Korean football team (cause they played some great football, and look even deadlier this tournament) but a lot of calls went their way, making you feel like since this was the first time Asia was hosting the World Cup, Fifa wanted to give an unnecessary nudge to one of the teams there (ie: the hosts).. the horrible sportsmanship, Rivaldo getting the ball in the knee and then him dropping to the floor clutching his face against Turkey,, What was that all about? Ronaldo with that stupid half moon haircut – a horrible attempt at something anime.. I was just left a little deflated… I waited 4 years for the 2002 world cup, only to be disappointed.. so for all intensive purposes I’ve been waiting since France 98 for a good world cup..
It’s taken me 8 years, and now I’m only 1 day away.. I’m 24 hours away from cheering and jeering.. giving up my life for one full month to focus on football. I’m no silly purist that supports one team and only one team.. My support this world cup goes as follows: Italy, Holland, Ivory Coast, & England… Although I will be paying attention to all the teams (Spain, France, Japan, Brazil [how can you not?], etc.. ) I am going to stick to my four.. why? Well there are 32 teams, why focus on one, four is a better number.. pick 4 teams and improve the odds of one of your teams making it to the final.. I’m going to side with history and statistics that a South American team has never won a world cup in Europe, hence three of my times being European. I’m also going with the fact that the world has continually bounced between a European and South American team (except for two instances where italy won it twice in ’34 and ’38, and Brazil did in ’58 and ’62), since Brazil won it last, I’ve got some coin on a European team doing it. Plus if anyone has a psychological advantage at winning the world cup in Germany, it’s the English – and to bring it all round, I am my father’s son and the ol’man does have a soft spot for England. Italy, well cause since the world cup in 1990, I’ve been a die hard fan, disappointment at the world cup 94, euro 2000 final, this is Totti’s last chance to shine, and shine he will.. luca toni’s the dark goal scoring horse, and I have a feeling Daniel Bonera will stamp his foot on the international scene as the next pillar in the Italian back line.. Holland, well come on, I’ve always loved the Dutch – Bergkamp is a personal hero, I attribute him as one of the main catalysts to the popularity of English football right now.. Bergie’s goal in 98 against Argentina brought me and the rest of the world to our knees. watch van persie : BRILLIANT ORANJE!! Ivory Coast because you need to have an African team to support, and they look so good this year: Aruna Dindane, Kolo and Yaya Toure, Drog’s yer uncle, Eboue, etc,, yeah baby.. allez les Elephants!!
So here’s to: getting together with friends, getting re-addicted to sunflower seeds, eating bbqed food, being boisterous, enjoying a freshly tapped keg, saying insulting things to the opposing team fans (yeah you heard me TRINIDAD & TOBAGO.. ok sorry, you did win it fair and square.. but then again shut the hell up, you’re at the world cup with that silly twat Dwight Yorke, I should be allowed to harbour a little animosity), raising your hands and going apeshit, discussing tactics, drinking, conspiracy theories, snack runs, promising talent, sublime passing and beautiful goals..
Have a great world cup people, and may your bet carry you through, unless you’re the Chef, who’s actually plonking down cash on Brazil Poland for the final… tisk tisk tisk
FORZA AZZURRI!!
Remember the 2002 world cup? The fact that the actual timing of the world cup was brought forward to avoid the monsoon season in Japan or Korea, probably not giving the players enough time to rest. The English and Spanish leagues did not finish in time as everyone else and it was obvious that the players in those two leagues were not fully rested (Fifa this year put in a new rule that all leagues needed to end on some specific day in May – the 19th if my memory serves me right, but it has been known to evade me). Holland didn’t make it to the world cup.. the teams that we all expected to progress were all knocked out – Everyone predicted Argentina France for the final, and they both went home after the group stages.. The timing of the games were totally fucked (I was in Boston at the time, the latest game started at 10 AM) do you know what it’s like to watch the world cup final before you normally fix yourself a cup of coffee in the morning?? Having a pint and watching the game that early in the morning really did make you wonder about your personal struggle with alcoholism. The horrible refereeing – Byron Moreno: I still hate you.. No disrespect to the South Korean football team (cause they played some great football, and look even deadlier this tournament) but a lot of calls went their way, making you feel like since this was the first time Asia was hosting the World Cup, Fifa wanted to give an unnecessary nudge to one of the teams there (ie: the hosts).. the horrible sportsmanship, Rivaldo getting the ball in the knee and then him dropping to the floor clutching his face against Turkey,, What was that all about? Ronaldo with that stupid half moon haircut – a horrible attempt at something anime.. I was just left a little deflated… I waited 4 years for the 2002 world cup, only to be disappointed.. so for all intensive purposes I’ve been waiting since France 98 for a good world cup..
It’s taken me 8 years, and now I’m only 1 day away.. I’m 24 hours away from cheering and jeering.. giving up my life for one full month to focus on football. I’m no silly purist that supports one team and only one team.. My support this world cup goes as follows: Italy, Holland, Ivory Coast, & England… Although I will be paying attention to all the teams (Spain, France, Japan, Brazil [how can you not?], etc.. ) I am going to stick to my four.. why? Well there are 32 teams, why focus on one, four is a better number.. pick 4 teams and improve the odds of one of your teams making it to the final.. I’m going to side with history and statistics that a South American team has never won a world cup in Europe, hence three of my times being European. I’m also going with the fact that the world has continually bounced between a European and South American team (except for two instances where italy won it twice in ’34 and ’38, and Brazil did in ’58 and ’62), since Brazil won it last, I’ve got some coin on a European team doing it. Plus if anyone has a psychological advantage at winning the world cup in Germany, it’s the English – and to bring it all round, I am my father’s son and the ol’man does have a soft spot for England. Italy, well cause since the world cup in 1990, I’ve been a die hard fan, disappointment at the world cup 94, euro 2000 final, this is Totti’s last chance to shine, and shine he will.. luca toni’s the dark goal scoring horse, and I have a feeling Daniel Bonera will stamp his foot on the international scene as the next pillar in the Italian back line.. Holland, well come on, I’ve always loved the Dutch – Bergkamp is a personal hero, I attribute him as one of the main catalysts to the popularity of English football right now.. Bergie’s goal in 98 against Argentina brought me and the rest of the world to our knees. watch van persie : BRILLIANT ORANJE!! Ivory Coast because you need to have an African team to support, and they look so good this year: Aruna Dindane, Kolo and Yaya Toure, Drog’s yer uncle, Eboue, etc,, yeah baby.. allez les Elephants!!
So here’s to: getting together with friends, getting re-addicted to sunflower seeds, eating bbqed food, being boisterous, enjoying a freshly tapped keg, saying insulting things to the opposing team fans (yeah you heard me TRINIDAD & TOBAGO.. ok sorry, you did win it fair and square.. but then again shut the hell up, you’re at the world cup with that silly twat Dwight Yorke, I should be allowed to harbour a little animosity), raising your hands and going apeshit, discussing tactics, drinking, conspiracy theories, snack runs, promising talent, sublime passing and beautiful goals..
Have a great world cup people, and may your bet carry you through, unless you’re the Chef, who’s actually plonking down cash on Brazil Poland for the final… tisk tisk tisk
FORZA AZZURRI!!
Monday, May 15, 2006
Paris: a city, a babe, a dead trojan, & champions league glory
Sometime in the fall of 2004 I asked myself a question.. What if Arsenal (favorite team in the whole wide world) played Barcelona (2nd favorite team in the whole wide world). Who would I cheer for? Would I be sad? How would I deal with the victory? It’s not a decision most people really think about in the course of their life.. I mean they are two footballing juggernauts in their own respective countries, what were the chances of them meeting up in a European Cup Final (not impossible, but I hadn’t experienced it in my lifetime). On May 17th, 2006, in Paris, one night only, my two favorite football teams in the world will square away against each other in the most prestigious yearly football tournament on the planet.. I started to think long and hard about whom I’d support.
a little london team history
I started my love affair with arsenal at the youthful age of 7. It was Christmas time and we were at a family friend’s house for lunch, I pulled a cracker and won an Arsenal badge.. the cannon on the crest excited my fascination with all things army related.. Since it was Liverpool’s reign, I was naturally watching Ian Rush score his goals – so my Arsenal support was subdued for a couple of years. That was until the end of the football season 1989, this time 17 years ago (give or take a couple of weeks). English football was always recapped on Monday nights on Bahrain TV, and 1989 was the year the Arsenal beat Liverpool at Anfield by two extra goals (go on Alan Smith!!) on the last day of the season to win the league from right under Liverpool’s noses. It was from then on, that I became a Gunner. Watching a spectacular victory like that, the intensity of the game, the pure magic that poured into those 90 minutes, oh and a Christmas cracker with a badge and a cannon on it – how could I not be a fan.. I still have the badge.. After that, my fascination with football blossomed and took on different twists and turns. I tasted victory and I had my fair share of defeat. The Gunners were a medium sized London team with a lot of history, and I was a part of that history watching Ian Wright break the club’s goal scoring record, Thierry Henry then breaking Wrighty’s record, Limpar breaking off from the right with the ball, the Gamble on Overmars and the payback, the counter attacks, Paddy and Manu pulling the strings. Gilles Grimandi with a wild punch at Deigo Simeone. Pires winning me over with the equalizing goal against tottenham, and the equalizing away goal against Lazio. The Absolute Genius that is Dennis Nicolaas Bergkamp (the classiest of classy footballers). The famous back line, with Bouldie’s composed defending, Tony Adams leadership on the pitch, Lee Dixon for making the right back his postion.. David Platt, one of my favorite midfielders ever. When we stole Sol Campbell from Spurs for free. Secretly loving/hating Safe Hands Seaman. I can go on and on.. I’ve left things out I’m sure.. how about the ghosts of players that never had their chance: The alex mannigers, paolo vernazzas, nelson vivas, Christopher wrehs, remi gardes, graham barrets, and junichi inamotos.. you are not forgotten my friends.. (I came so close to buying a vernazza jersey once, just to cheer the lad on, they then sold him to Watford or something like that).. The real change in my love for Arsenal was when they purchased Bergkamp from Inter. Nothing sounded better to my ears that hearing the crowds chant “We’ve got Dennis Bergkamp, We’ve got Dennis Bergkamp!!” (I can still hear you singing, Andy).. This season’s performance in the league has been disappointing at times, but we did make it to the champions league next season, and we have made it to the Champions league Final this season.. We’re building a team for the future, and with most of our squad under 25, we are looking very good for the coming seasons.. very very good.
hope in Elefant Blau
Then there’s Barcelona, the Catalan team that stole my heart in the early 90s with Cruyff’s dream team.. My loving relationship with Barcelona didn’t just happen because of a Catalan variant of Dutch Total Football. The Catalan are a proud people, and I fell in love with that pride,, at times making me feel like it was my pride too. Maybe cause Catalunya carried Spain on its shoulders economically, maybe because of the fact that Franco loved Madrid and he often showed it by bending the rules in their favor, or how about the only place the Catalan could speak their language freely was in their stadium. How about the fact that FC Barcelona, in its 100 plus year history have never had a sponsor (something that will eventually change) on their Jersey.. why? Because the fans are not just fans, the Nou Camp is a symbol of the Catalunya and its people, you cannot tarnish the Azulgrana with a corporate sponsor.. That all aside, you cannot tell me you cannot fall in love with a team that has boasted players such as: Koeman, Guardiola, Laudrup, Stoichkov, Romario, Diego Armando Maradona, Ronaldo, Johan Cruyff, Lineker, Haji, Zubizaretta, Luis Enrique, Nadal, Sergi, Rivaldo, Cocu, and I’m not even getting into the current squad: RONNIE! I fell in love with their history, got angered at the treatment over the whole Alfredo Di Stefano Fiasco (yeah we know the truth Madrid). I watched them go from the great ol days of Nunez’s presidency to the what the hell is going on days of Gaspart and now the weary stability of Laporta. I felt the pain inside me grow as Barcelona were mismanaged, they were spending money buying players but just couldn’t do it.. They were caving into demands from players such as Patrick Kluivert, making him the highest paid player. Then came the shocking pain associated with watching them neglect Luis Figo and watching him go to Madrid.. all the power to Figo, I still love him, but the pain was a lot to bear.. or how about the incredible elation of watching Rivaldo with that scissor kick goal the last day of the season to squeeze Barsa past Valencia into the Champions league for the following season.. Barcelona quickly filled my heart with love.. Watching them win this season making it back to back championships brings tears to my eyes.. for my college years I had to endure my Madrid friends rubbing their victories in my face.. Watching Zidane score that amazing and I mean amazing goal for Real Madrid while Barsa just looked lost in la liga.. Barcelona is finally back to it’s winning days and I cannot be happier.
And now my predicament.. who to support? I know Arsenal are the underdogs, but a Champions league victory would be an incredible feat to celebrate.. Plus, memories of the 2000 UEFA cup final against Galatasaray have resurfaced and I am in pain.. A victory would quell these nightmares relived.. Barcelona have won their second league title in a row, this is evidence of their dominance of Spanish football right now.. However; there is that small part of me inside that wants to call them Madrillenos and laugh at their losses and boast Barsa’s victories.. it’s a tough decision… but I have decided to support the Arsenal on this one.. Arsenal are the underdogs, if anyone needs this championship it’s them.. I’d love to see Theirry lift the cup in Paris in front of his home crowd and stamp his brilliance on the European game.. That said, for 90 minutes I will support Arsenal, I will cheer them on, I will yell, shout, scream, laugh, maniacally wave my hands in the air, dance, and weep (hopefully not).. once the game is over, I only see it as a win win situation for me..
I don't even want to get into the hype cause i can write another three posts about that alone..
Oh and since it’s my two favorite teams,,, breakfast on Thursday May 18th is on me… you just need to show up to the 8th floor for some tasty tidbits. I know my coworkers are pleased about that.
I’ve now solved who I’m going to support, now I need to decide where I’m going to watch the game.. GOONMYSON!!
COME ON ARSENAL!!!!
a little london team history
I started my love affair with arsenal at the youthful age of 7. It was Christmas time and we were at a family friend’s house for lunch, I pulled a cracker and won an Arsenal badge.. the cannon on the crest excited my fascination with all things army related.. Since it was Liverpool’s reign, I was naturally watching Ian Rush score his goals – so my Arsenal support was subdued for a couple of years. That was until the end of the football season 1989, this time 17 years ago (give or take a couple of weeks). English football was always recapped on Monday nights on Bahrain TV, and 1989 was the year the Arsenal beat Liverpool at Anfield by two extra goals (go on Alan Smith!!) on the last day of the season to win the league from right under Liverpool’s noses. It was from then on, that I became a Gunner. Watching a spectacular victory like that, the intensity of the game, the pure magic that poured into those 90 minutes, oh and a Christmas cracker with a badge and a cannon on it – how could I not be a fan.. I still have the badge.. After that, my fascination with football blossomed and took on different twists and turns. I tasted victory and I had my fair share of defeat. The Gunners were a medium sized London team with a lot of history, and I was a part of that history watching Ian Wright break the club’s goal scoring record, Thierry Henry then breaking Wrighty’s record, Limpar breaking off from the right with the ball, the Gamble on Overmars and the payback, the counter attacks, Paddy and Manu pulling the strings. Gilles Grimandi with a wild punch at Deigo Simeone. Pires winning me over with the equalizing goal against tottenham, and the equalizing away goal against Lazio. The Absolute Genius that is Dennis Nicolaas Bergkamp (the classiest of classy footballers). The famous back line, with Bouldie’s composed defending, Tony Adams leadership on the pitch, Lee Dixon for making the right back his postion.. David Platt, one of my favorite midfielders ever. When we stole Sol Campbell from Spurs for free. Secretly loving/hating Safe Hands Seaman. I can go on and on.. I’ve left things out I’m sure.. how about the ghosts of players that never had their chance: The alex mannigers, paolo vernazzas, nelson vivas, Christopher wrehs, remi gardes, graham barrets, and junichi inamotos.. you are not forgotten my friends.. (I came so close to buying a vernazza jersey once, just to cheer the lad on, they then sold him to Watford or something like that).. The real change in my love for Arsenal was when they purchased Bergkamp from Inter. Nothing sounded better to my ears that hearing the crowds chant “We’ve got Dennis Bergkamp, We’ve got Dennis Bergkamp!!” (I can still hear you singing, Andy).. This season’s performance in the league has been disappointing at times, but we did make it to the champions league next season, and we have made it to the Champions league Final this season.. We’re building a team for the future, and with most of our squad under 25, we are looking very good for the coming seasons.. very very good.
hope in Elefant Blau
Then there’s Barcelona, the Catalan team that stole my heart in the early 90s with Cruyff’s dream team.. My loving relationship with Barcelona didn’t just happen because of a Catalan variant of Dutch Total Football. The Catalan are a proud people, and I fell in love with that pride,, at times making me feel like it was my pride too. Maybe cause Catalunya carried Spain on its shoulders economically, maybe because of the fact that Franco loved Madrid and he often showed it by bending the rules in their favor, or how about the only place the Catalan could speak their language freely was in their stadium. How about the fact that FC Barcelona, in its 100 plus year history have never had a sponsor (something that will eventually change) on their Jersey.. why? Because the fans are not just fans, the Nou Camp is a symbol of the Catalunya and its people, you cannot tarnish the Azulgrana with a corporate sponsor.. That all aside, you cannot tell me you cannot fall in love with a team that has boasted players such as: Koeman, Guardiola, Laudrup, Stoichkov, Romario, Diego Armando Maradona, Ronaldo, Johan Cruyff, Lineker, Haji, Zubizaretta, Luis Enrique, Nadal, Sergi, Rivaldo, Cocu, and I’m not even getting into the current squad: RONNIE! I fell in love with their history, got angered at the treatment over the whole Alfredo Di Stefano Fiasco (yeah we know the truth Madrid). I watched them go from the great ol days of Nunez’s presidency to the what the hell is going on days of Gaspart and now the weary stability of Laporta. I felt the pain inside me grow as Barcelona were mismanaged, they were spending money buying players but just couldn’t do it.. They were caving into demands from players such as Patrick Kluivert, making him the highest paid player. Then came the shocking pain associated with watching them neglect Luis Figo and watching him go to Madrid.. all the power to Figo, I still love him, but the pain was a lot to bear.. or how about the incredible elation of watching Rivaldo with that scissor kick goal the last day of the season to squeeze Barsa past Valencia into the Champions league for the following season.. Barcelona quickly filled my heart with love.. Watching them win this season making it back to back championships brings tears to my eyes.. for my college years I had to endure my Madrid friends rubbing their victories in my face.. Watching Zidane score that amazing and I mean amazing goal for Real Madrid while Barsa just looked lost in la liga.. Barcelona is finally back to it’s winning days and I cannot be happier.
And now my predicament.. who to support? I know Arsenal are the underdogs, but a Champions league victory would be an incredible feat to celebrate.. Plus, memories of the 2000 UEFA cup final against Galatasaray have resurfaced and I am in pain.. A victory would quell these nightmares relived.. Barcelona have won their second league title in a row, this is evidence of their dominance of Spanish football right now.. However; there is that small part of me inside that wants to call them Madrillenos and laugh at their losses and boast Barsa’s victories.. it’s a tough decision… but I have decided to support the Arsenal on this one.. Arsenal are the underdogs, if anyone needs this championship it’s them.. I’d love to see Theirry lift the cup in Paris in front of his home crowd and stamp his brilliance on the European game.. That said, for 90 minutes I will support Arsenal, I will cheer them on, I will yell, shout, scream, laugh, maniacally wave my hands in the air, dance, and weep (hopefully not).. once the game is over, I only see it as a win win situation for me..
I don't even want to get into the hype cause i can write another three posts about that alone..
Oh and since it’s my two favorite teams,,, breakfast on Thursday May 18th is on me… you just need to show up to the 8th floor for some tasty tidbits. I know my coworkers are pleased about that.
I’ve now solved who I’m going to support, now I need to decide where I’m going to watch the game.. GOONMYSON!!
COME ON ARSENAL!!!!
Monday, December 20, 2004
a tribute...
I’m a huge football fan (that’s soccer to all you gringos), and over the past 4 years, our national team has stamped their presence on the international stage, playing some unbelievably attractive football… it all started with that crazy German coach Wolfgang Sidka on our way to the 2002 world cup… Ze Wolfman didn’t have much experience with really big teams (he did coach a couple of the smaller teams in the Bundesliga) but he believed in hard work and cooperation. He worked our boys to the ground and got them operating like a team… He took us pretty far, and when we hired Jurcic Srecko (a Croatian coach formerly of Al Ittihad in the UAE), everyone was skeptical… The boss had his work cut out for him: big shoes to fill and a lot of raw talent that needed to be utilized to it’s maximum potential. Srecko did just that and took the foundations that Sidka had established and built a skyscraper on it… He started giving our youngsters a chance like the Hubail brothers (he put his faith in Alaa Hubail as one of our main strikers and the lad didn’t disappoint). The team was pushed during it’s practices and allowed to rest during their breaks, the coach brought a sense of banding together that gave the team added confidence on the field.
The performance of our team on the international stage speaks for itself… making it to the semifinals of the Asian Cup 2004 (losing to the eventual tournament winner in extra time – Japan), & progressing to the final round of playoffs on route to the World Cup 2006 in Germany. Right now, we’ve got the Semifinals to the Gulf Cup in Qatar taking place and we’re up against Oman. A victory would send us to the finals and a chance to win the Cup. I just wanted to take a moment and pay tribute to some of the stars of our national team…
Goal: Ali Hassan of the Muharraq football club has stepped in for Ali Saeed and I have to admit, I like the change. He may be a small fellow, but his reflexes and reaction time is excellent… I do also like the fact that he makes every save seem like it was goal bound (the old Humood Sultan rolling around – know what I mean?). He fills out the goal and when you have the luxury of being able to bring on Ali Saeed (Solid no frills goalkeeper at Al Ahli) in goal, then you’ve got no worries…
Defense: Hussain Ali Baba is the epitome of cool and composed defending… This guy just might be one of the best defenders we’ve produced in years (don’t know why, but he reminds me of a young Alessandro Nesta)… He’s young (early 20s), skillful and accurate with his tackles (although he is prone to the occasional error – but who isn’t), and his passing and distribution is not only impressive but plays a big part in starting out our attacks. During the gulf cup game versus Saudi (3-0 win for us), Hussain was always there stopping Saudi’s attacks, pressuring their forwards with every play and cementing his role on the team… Abdulla Al Marzoogi is our bone crunching tackler, He’s big and tall, always ready for an aerial challenge. His height comes in very handy in corner kicks, and his control on the ball is very reliable. He’s gets the occasional goal and is very passionate when he plays, you always need someone like him on the team. Mohammed Hussain is another reliable, solid defender that comes in with the decisive tackle and never seems to lose his composure. It’s these three players that to me make up our backbone with an excellent understanding between each other and an organized back line that rivals the Italian league…
Midfield: You cannot talk about our midfield without highlighting the impact and importance of our team captain Talal Yousif. This guy is everything and the bag of chips: exceptional passing, good defending, and a knack for scoring decisive goals (who can forget that blast against Syria to tie the game in Damascus). Talal is our captain and he’s taken on the responsibilities fantastically… If I had to compare him to anyone, He’s definitely the Beckham of Bahrain… He’s most dangerous when he drifts in from the left into the center, looks up and takes the shot outside of the 18 yard box, totally catching the goalkeeper off his line.. woooohooooo!!!! The goal is then followed by the best celebratory dance that only Talal can pull off.. top class… Bahrain has recently been playing a 3-5-2 formation with Mahmood Jalal and Mohammed Hubail on the left and right wings. I don’t know enough of Mahmood, but from what I’ve seen, he’s a technical squad player with a good cross… If he keeps up his form, that left wing space is all his… good on ya… Mohammed Hubail is just a pleasure to watch with his mesmerizing runs along the right wing. He tracks back to defend well and just when you think the long ball down right is going for a goal kick, he magically keeps it in to supply a precise cross… I love watching him dart into the box, he’s got a pace and work rate like you couldn’t imagine… Our Fantasista is none other than Mohammed Salmeen… Salmeen can do it all: through balls that slice the defense in half, powerful crosses, quick passing, good ball control and a good shot on goal… He has the potential to actually read the game 5-8 seconds early, and as far as creative midfielders go, his delivery is sublime… The final midfield role is filled up by Either Rashid Al Dosari, Saleh Farhan, or Sayed Mohammed Adnan. Ok I have to admit that I don’t know much about these players (just recently started to properly follow our national team), but the Sayed’s free kick goal against Syria in Damascus was taken perfectly, he’s tall and lanky but has excellent ball control (how did that ball curve into the goal???). Dosari is a regular starter and he does pack a punch, while Farhan has been used as a substitute – one for the future…
Forwards: This is where Bahrain has been exceptional with scoring goals or drawing the defenders letting someone else thump it into the net.. The main two players in this position are Hussain Ali and Alaa Hubail… Hussain Ali, is a powerful center forward that scores goals in all different shapes and sizes: with a quick tap in, or a volley straight into the net, it’s all him… He’s currently plying his trade at Al Rayyan in Qatar and was dislodged from the top scorer title in the Qatar league by none other than: Alaa Hubail (our Wayne Rooney)… Alaa is still very young (early 20s), but he’s been blessed with a talent to put the ball in the back of the net… He’s our young goal-scoring phenomenon and we’ve had a taste and want more… Alaa, is quick and comfortable with the ball constantly terrorizing the opposition… Watching him play just makes the years to come so much more interesting… This kid will be ready for the big leagues of Europe and when they come knocking, he’s going to answer with some thundering goals… Salman Isa is our utility player. He’s comfortable as a left forward, but I’ve seen him play well on the left wing as well… You never really know Salman’s playing until he scores that goal that he managed to create from nothing… Pace and fluid play is what he brings to the table and I want to see more of it… The final member of the team is Daij Nasser… now when you want to talk about the future, this kid is it… He scored the equalizer against Japan leading to extra time. When he received that long ball, his first touch didn’t look good, but then out of nowhere he took a shot on goal and gave us hope… Muharraq have always produced some of the best in Bahrain, and Daij has no fear, he’s ready for anything you throw at him and I’m excited about seeing what else he’s got in his bag of tricks…
This isn’t a comprehensive analysis of the National team; this just the opinion of a fan; I left out where I thought the team could improve cause this isn’t the time to be pointing fingers and yelling at sub-par performances… After our Asian Cup performance, most of the players on our national team immediately got picked up by teams in Qatar and Kuwait, receiving handsome salaries. This can only be a good thing for us (hopefully they’re picking up different styles and tricks from the stars in Qatar: Sonny Anderson, Desailly, Batistuta, BenArabia, Dugarry, the De Boer Brothers, etc.). Our boys in red have played their hearts out for us and we need to stand behind them and show the world what David can do against the Goliath.
Come on Lads!! Hayoo El Bahrain!! Good luck against Oman, and just play your hearts out...
The performance of our team on the international stage speaks for itself… making it to the semifinals of the Asian Cup 2004 (losing to the eventual tournament winner in extra time – Japan), & progressing to the final round of playoffs on route to the World Cup 2006 in Germany. Right now, we’ve got the Semifinals to the Gulf Cup in Qatar taking place and we’re up against Oman. A victory would send us to the finals and a chance to win the Cup. I just wanted to take a moment and pay tribute to some of the stars of our national team…
Goal: Ali Hassan of the Muharraq football club has stepped in for Ali Saeed and I have to admit, I like the change. He may be a small fellow, but his reflexes and reaction time is excellent… I do also like the fact that he makes every save seem like it was goal bound (the old Humood Sultan rolling around – know what I mean?). He fills out the goal and when you have the luxury of being able to bring on Ali Saeed (Solid no frills goalkeeper at Al Ahli) in goal, then you’ve got no worries…
Defense: Hussain Ali Baba is the epitome of cool and composed defending… This guy just might be one of the best defenders we’ve produced in years (don’t know why, but he reminds me of a young Alessandro Nesta)… He’s young (early 20s), skillful and accurate with his tackles (although he is prone to the occasional error – but who isn’t), and his passing and distribution is not only impressive but plays a big part in starting out our attacks. During the gulf cup game versus Saudi (3-0 win for us), Hussain was always there stopping Saudi’s attacks, pressuring their forwards with every play and cementing his role on the team… Abdulla Al Marzoogi is our bone crunching tackler, He’s big and tall, always ready for an aerial challenge. His height comes in very handy in corner kicks, and his control on the ball is very reliable. He’s gets the occasional goal and is very passionate when he plays, you always need someone like him on the team. Mohammed Hussain is another reliable, solid defender that comes in with the decisive tackle and never seems to lose his composure. It’s these three players that to me make up our backbone with an excellent understanding between each other and an organized back line that rivals the Italian league…
Midfield: You cannot talk about our midfield without highlighting the impact and importance of our team captain Talal Yousif. This guy is everything and the bag of chips: exceptional passing, good defending, and a knack for scoring decisive goals (who can forget that blast against Syria to tie the game in Damascus). Talal is our captain and he’s taken on the responsibilities fantastically… If I had to compare him to anyone, He’s definitely the Beckham of Bahrain… He’s most dangerous when he drifts in from the left into the center, looks up and takes the shot outside of the 18 yard box, totally catching the goalkeeper off his line.. woooohooooo!!!! The goal is then followed by the best celebratory dance that only Talal can pull off.. top class… Bahrain has recently been playing a 3-5-2 formation with Mahmood Jalal and Mohammed Hubail on the left and right wings. I don’t know enough of Mahmood, but from what I’ve seen, he’s a technical squad player with a good cross… If he keeps up his form, that left wing space is all his… good on ya… Mohammed Hubail is just a pleasure to watch with his mesmerizing runs along the right wing. He tracks back to defend well and just when you think the long ball down right is going for a goal kick, he magically keeps it in to supply a precise cross… I love watching him dart into the box, he’s got a pace and work rate like you couldn’t imagine… Our Fantasista is none other than Mohammed Salmeen… Salmeen can do it all: through balls that slice the defense in half, powerful crosses, quick passing, good ball control and a good shot on goal… He has the potential to actually read the game 5-8 seconds early, and as far as creative midfielders go, his delivery is sublime… The final midfield role is filled up by Either Rashid Al Dosari, Saleh Farhan, or Sayed Mohammed Adnan. Ok I have to admit that I don’t know much about these players (just recently started to properly follow our national team), but the Sayed’s free kick goal against Syria in Damascus was taken perfectly, he’s tall and lanky but has excellent ball control (how did that ball curve into the goal???). Dosari is a regular starter and he does pack a punch, while Farhan has been used as a substitute – one for the future…
Forwards: This is where Bahrain has been exceptional with scoring goals or drawing the defenders letting someone else thump it into the net.. The main two players in this position are Hussain Ali and Alaa Hubail… Hussain Ali, is a powerful center forward that scores goals in all different shapes and sizes: with a quick tap in, or a volley straight into the net, it’s all him… He’s currently plying his trade at Al Rayyan in Qatar and was dislodged from the top scorer title in the Qatar league by none other than: Alaa Hubail (our Wayne Rooney)… Alaa is still very young (early 20s), but he’s been blessed with a talent to put the ball in the back of the net… He’s our young goal-scoring phenomenon and we’ve had a taste and want more… Alaa, is quick and comfortable with the ball constantly terrorizing the opposition… Watching him play just makes the years to come so much more interesting… This kid will be ready for the big leagues of Europe and when they come knocking, he’s going to answer with some thundering goals… Salman Isa is our utility player. He’s comfortable as a left forward, but I’ve seen him play well on the left wing as well… You never really know Salman’s playing until he scores that goal that he managed to create from nothing… Pace and fluid play is what he brings to the table and I want to see more of it… The final member of the team is Daij Nasser… now when you want to talk about the future, this kid is it… He scored the equalizer against Japan leading to extra time. When he received that long ball, his first touch didn’t look good, but then out of nowhere he took a shot on goal and gave us hope… Muharraq have always produced some of the best in Bahrain, and Daij has no fear, he’s ready for anything you throw at him and I’m excited about seeing what else he’s got in his bag of tricks…
This isn’t a comprehensive analysis of the National team; this just the opinion of a fan; I left out where I thought the team could improve cause this isn’t the time to be pointing fingers and yelling at sub-par performances… After our Asian Cup performance, most of the players on our national team immediately got picked up by teams in Qatar and Kuwait, receiving handsome salaries. This can only be a good thing for us (hopefully they’re picking up different styles and tricks from the stars in Qatar: Sonny Anderson, Desailly, Batistuta, BenArabia, Dugarry, the De Boer Brothers, etc.). Our boys in red have played their hearts out for us and we need to stand behind them and show the world what David can do against the Goliath.
Come on Lads!! Hayoo El Bahrain!! Good luck against Oman, and just play your hearts out...
Wednesday, November 17, 2004
my infatuation with sports...
What is it with about a man that makes him grunt and cheer the television when a sports game is on? I love watching sports, I grunt, in fact I do more than just grunting… I’ve been known to straddle the tv as the New England Patriots score the game winning touchdown… & I’ve been known to throw a cup of chocolate pudding at the screen, when Referee Byron Moreno (you asshole) made all those stupid nonsensical calls during the Italy Vs Croatia game during the 2002 world cup… I’m a guy and I love sports… I can’t help it… I can watch Football, basketball, baseball, hockey, American football, darts, snooker, cricket, boxing, curling, etc… you name the sport and as long as there is a definite winner and a loser (ties are ok too), I’ll watch…
In my short live span, I’ve endured a lot of feelings associated with being a sports fan: the thrill of watching your team beat the clear favorites, supporting the winning team, and the pains and heartbreak that comes along with a losing team.. I’ve seen and felt it all… and this is an important thing, it’s a very important life experience for men… Sports teach you when to be cocky and flaunt your team’s victories, when to rub the defeat into the crying loser’s face, and it teaches you when to shut it and eat your humble pie…
Sports are something women just can’t seem to fully grasp… I know that women can compete in sports and enjoy sports and have been known to be avid fans, but they don’t understand the stupid things men do for sports. You don’t see any women streaking during a sports game… you don’t see women storming the field to beat the living daylight out of the referee on that dodgy call… Women just can’t seem to grasp that Neanderthal intensity we have towards sports. To us, sports are the most important beautiful things in this world, right up there with giving birth. There’s nothing like opening up your closet on game day, and reaching into the pile of clothes for your teams’ Jersey. You don that tunic of champions (props falco) thinking you’ve just made the difference between winning and losing… You’ve got this new lease on life because you’re ready to bring it on: the cheers the jumping, the name-calling, the swearing and the booze (when you’re winning your buying and when you’re losing you’re drowning). On that match day, anything can happen and you’re pretty confident that whatever happens, it’ll be in your team’s favor. Supporting a team is a lifelong commitment, there’s no room for fair-weather fans – I can’t stand ’em nor should anyone… you might stop cheering for them for a while, you might decide to take up another sport, but that team will always be in your heart…
In my opinion watching the game with friends is integral to your viewing pleasure. Who’s gonna give you that high five on that fantastic three pointer? Who’s gonna back you up when you yell “CHEATING” to the referee? Who’s gonna talk back smack when you piss all over his team? That’s what friends are for…
The only distractions allowed during game time are ones that involve the bathroom, food, cigarettes, or another pint… Blocking someone’s view is considered uncouth and childish, flaunting your victory and making fart noises on the other hand is fair game… The only thing better than watching one game is watching two games at the same time with another two coming up afterwards… Saturday is my day… that’s when the English Premier League has it’s matchdays, and that’s when I basically tune out the rest of the world from lunchtime, till passing out time… Sundays are reserved for some more English, Italian and Spanish League football and gridiron football – does it get any better? Yes it does: “dadada dadada dadada da daaah” – I love that Monday night football theme…
Sublime passes, bone crunching tackles, decisive moments, bad calls, good calls, double plays, ball control, pure class (thank you zizou), freak injuries, counter attacks, high scoring games, and last second efforts that make it through… that’s why I love sports
LET ME HEAR AN AMEN IF YOU’RE WITH ME!!!
In my short live span, I’ve endured a lot of feelings associated with being a sports fan: the thrill of watching your team beat the clear favorites, supporting the winning team, and the pains and heartbreak that comes along with a losing team.. I’ve seen and felt it all… and this is an important thing, it’s a very important life experience for men… Sports teach you when to be cocky and flaunt your team’s victories, when to rub the defeat into the crying loser’s face, and it teaches you when to shut it and eat your humble pie…
Sports are something women just can’t seem to fully grasp… I know that women can compete in sports and enjoy sports and have been known to be avid fans, but they don’t understand the stupid things men do for sports. You don’t see any women streaking during a sports game… you don’t see women storming the field to beat the living daylight out of the referee on that dodgy call… Women just can’t seem to grasp that Neanderthal intensity we have towards sports. To us, sports are the most important beautiful things in this world, right up there with giving birth. There’s nothing like opening up your closet on game day, and reaching into the pile of clothes for your teams’ Jersey. You don that tunic of champions (props falco) thinking you’ve just made the difference between winning and losing… You’ve got this new lease on life because you’re ready to bring it on: the cheers the jumping, the name-calling, the swearing and the booze (when you’re winning your buying and when you’re losing you’re drowning). On that match day, anything can happen and you’re pretty confident that whatever happens, it’ll be in your team’s favor. Supporting a team is a lifelong commitment, there’s no room for fair-weather fans – I can’t stand ’em nor should anyone… you might stop cheering for them for a while, you might decide to take up another sport, but that team will always be in your heart…
In my opinion watching the game with friends is integral to your viewing pleasure. Who’s gonna give you that high five on that fantastic three pointer? Who’s gonna back you up when you yell “CHEATING” to the referee? Who’s gonna talk back smack when you piss all over his team? That’s what friends are for…
The only distractions allowed during game time are ones that involve the bathroom, food, cigarettes, or another pint… Blocking someone’s view is considered uncouth and childish, flaunting your victory and making fart noises on the other hand is fair game… The only thing better than watching one game is watching two games at the same time with another two coming up afterwards… Saturday is my day… that’s when the English Premier League has it’s matchdays, and that’s when I basically tune out the rest of the world from lunchtime, till passing out time… Sundays are reserved for some more English, Italian and Spanish League football and gridiron football – does it get any better? Yes it does: “dadada dadada dadada da daaah” – I love that Monday night football theme…
Sublime passes, bone crunching tackles, decisive moments, bad calls, good calls, double plays, ball control, pure class (thank you zizou), freak injuries, counter attacks, high scoring games, and last second efforts that make it through… that’s why I love sports
LET ME HEAR AN AMEN IF YOU’RE WITH ME!!!
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