1) The “Tinker Man” still lives on
Dial R for Ranieri seems to be the advice for teams that experiencing a serious wobble and if you want proof of his “miracles”, you can ask Valencia, Chelsea, Juventus and Parma and it seems someone told this to Massimo Moratti who believed it and employed Ranieri after Giampiero Gasperini was shown the exit last week. True to his nature, Ranieri quickly went to work with a win away to Bologna in the Serie A before getting a tough 3-2 away win in cold Moscow against CSKA. It may have not been classic but Inter showed more courage and bite for the first time this season and I bet we all know why. As to whether Ranieri can lead Inter for the long haul, we’ll have to wait and see but he’s certainly put his mark on the Nerrazzurri.
2) Star-crossed Manchester
This season, Manchester’s finest have been going at it hammer and tongs. They challenge each other for the “I can score more than you can” title each weekend in the EPL. You will not be wrong to think they even share an unseen bond and how right they proved it this week by giving us two horrible performances. Man United were harassed by Basel at Old Trafford to a 3-3 draw that felt like a defeat to the Red Devil family while Roberto Mancini’s side were put away with ease by Bayern Munich. To cap their woeful evening, Dimitar Berbatov came off the bench with 10 minutes left on the clock to no effect while his former team-mate, Carlos Tevez “refused” to come on at all. It was as if the two teams were Siamese twins using the same brain and were operating on the same wavelength. Maybe the two managers might want their sides to be independent next time but that will only happen when they both improve greatly.
3) First goal galore
Fate, destiny, luck or technical brilliance might be an explanation but matchday 2 has seen a number of players score their first Champions League goals for their various clubs.
Ashley Young’s goal was his first in the UEFA Champions League but it was a massive goal for Manchester United as it pulled them level to Basel at Old Trafford in a 3-3 draw. In London, two boys new to the big time, Andre Santos and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, scored for Arsenal in their 2-1 win over Olympiakos.
Quite impressive for these newcomers and you can be assured they will seek to swell their goal accounts for as long as their teams stay in the competition.
4) Heavy African influence
Since the European Cup was rechristened the Champions League, players from Africa have always had a say in the on-the-field workings of the competition and this season, the story has not been different.
Moussa Sow (Senegal) scored again for Lille away to Trabzonspor on Tuesday and Jacques Zoua (Cameroon) acquitted himself well at Old Trafford for Basel. On Wednesday, John Obi Mikel (Nigeria) was on duty for Chelsea while Andre Dede Ayew (Ghana) scored twice for Marseille in their 3-0 home win over Dortmund giving Didier Deschamps something to smile about at least until the weekend because the French Ligue 1 has been akin to a never-ending horror movie for the 2009/10 league winners.
However, since the sweet always comes with the bitter, there were a few Africans who gave critics a meal to munch on and digest and it seems they were both waiting on their team’s bench like ticking time bombs. Salomon Kalou (Cote d’Ivoire) appeared in Chelsea’s away game at the Mestalla and clearly, he was to aid the team in keeping their lead. However, he handed (both literally and denotatively) the point to Valencia as he touched the ball in the penalty area from a corner. Soldado was so grateful he scored the ensuing penalty.
In France, Jordan Ayew also caught the cameras but not for goals as his elder brother had done during the game, but for two needless yellow cards that earned him an expulsion. The first was for a tackle and the second for simulation. However, his “sin” went unpunished as Dortmund had looked bereft of some of the title-winning ideas from last season throughout the game.
A clear case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, isn’t it?
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Repairing the factories
''Ghana is a football mad country'' is a trite you often hear people mutter and that is very true.Everyday of the week presents a new angle to the ever-exciting subject and weekends belong to the gods of the beautiful game as pubs become extensions of Europe's most popular grounds and the local stadia get their ''fair'' share of patrons too.So in every sense of the phrase,we do love our football but how much are we doing to keep the player production line working? Very little,I must say and it is very worrying.
Yesterday,the ''money bags'' of football,Manchester City announced a plan to put up a state-of-the-art footballing project named the Etihad campus that will seek to develop local English talent primarily in the Manchester area and they mean it too by getting an 80-acre area that will house 15 full-size pitches,a 7,000 seater mini-stadium,staff offices,a media centre,an educational centre that will cater to 200 young players.This project should train 400 players and will house 32 first-team and 40 youth-team players.To top it off,there will be a pedestrian bridge connecting the campus to the Etihad stadium.Quite stunning and maybe too farfetched for a developing country like Ghana,some might say but when the number of local talent in the Black Stars is constantly below 5,you begin to see the wisdom in Manchester City's project.It becomes even more apparent when you consider the fact that in Kevin-Prince Boateng,Adam Kwarasey,Albert Adomaa and possibly Emmanuel Frimpong (if the situation clears up) and even Andre Ayew,we have players who were moulded,baked and packaged in Europe but fortunately,they chose the red,yellow and green over the European options.This leaves us wondering whether the local production line is still working effectively as it should. The Ghanaman Soccer School of Excellence should have been our response to Clairefontaine in France but it only rivals the French establishment as the national team camp but not in the daily grooming of players as the French have done for years with Thierry Henry,Nicholas Anelka and Louis Saha among their illustrious alumni.Our local clubs should also play their parts effectively but it's not chalk cheese.A massive amount of funds would have to be spent but taking the initiative is the first step to an ultimate end in national success because history has given us examples of Ajax in the 70s and now,Barcelona's La Masia to learn from.
Talent,just like all raw materials,need processing but if the factories are non-existant,they will remain untapped and very unused.
Let's get to work now.
Yesterday,the ''money bags'' of football,Manchester City announced a plan to put up a state-of-the-art footballing project named the Etihad campus that will seek to develop local English talent primarily in the Manchester area and they mean it too by getting an 80-acre area that will house 15 full-size pitches,a 7,000 seater mini-stadium,staff offices,a media centre,an educational centre that will cater to 200 young players.This project should train 400 players and will house 32 first-team and 40 youth-team players.To top it off,there will be a pedestrian bridge connecting the campus to the Etihad stadium.Quite stunning and maybe too farfetched for a developing country like Ghana,some might say but when the number of local talent in the Black Stars is constantly below 5,you begin to see the wisdom in Manchester City's project.It becomes even more apparent when you consider the fact that in Kevin-Prince Boateng,Adam Kwarasey,Albert Adomaa and possibly Emmanuel Frimpong (if the situation clears up) and even Andre Ayew,we have players who were moulded,baked and packaged in Europe but fortunately,they chose the red,yellow and green over the European options.This leaves us wondering whether the local production line is still working effectively as it should. The Ghanaman Soccer School of Excellence should have been our response to Clairefontaine in France but it only rivals the French establishment as the national team camp but not in the daily grooming of players as the French have done for years with Thierry Henry,Nicholas Anelka and Louis Saha among their illustrious alumni.Our local clubs should also play their parts effectively but it's not chalk cheese.A massive amount of funds would have to be spent but taking the initiative is the first step to an ultimate end in national success because history has given us examples of Ajax in the 70s and now,Barcelona's La Masia to learn from.
Talent,just like all raw materials,need processing but if the factories are non-existant,they will remain untapped and very unused.
Let's get to work now.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Lessons from the UEFA Champions League 2011/2012 (Matchday 1)
1-The Italian Job is still effective
Life, they say, is a cycle. It involves births and deaths, ins and outs, and the constant rearrangement of thoughts and ideas. It's the same principle in football where formations and play styles have been created and replaced by better ones. However, last night, the otherwise dead "catenaccio" made a comeback at the Camp Nou in the form of AC Milan as they faced Barcelona.It even had the "grab-the first-goal-and-close-the-door" feel of old. Pato scored in 24 seconds and the Rossoneri held on for 35 minutes until Pedro got the champions back into it but they kept the "piece de resistance" for the last as Thiago Silva headed home a Seedorf corner in injury time. The classic mark of an Italian team. They score when you least expect it. Allegri's team didn't have the rigidity of classic Italian teams but they still showed how tough they can be when it's needed.
2-The right gaffer will leave you smiling
Getting the right man to guide the playing body has always been invaluable to football. Mourinho, Ferguson, Sacchi have over the years made various cases to back this simple piece of football truth and this season, Bayern Munich looks like they have the right man. Of course, it's too early to pass judgement on Jupp Heynckes but if Frank Ribery says he feels at ease playing under him, vindication must be the resulting feeling. He's led Munich to the top spot in the Bundesliga and a masterful win away to Villareal to top a group containing both Manchester City and Napoli. It seems Munich can look forward to a fruitful season.
3-The wrong gaffer will leave you Gasp-ing
If there's one thing Gian Piero Gasperini will have in close proximity,I'm sure it'll be pain killers. No,he's not suffering from a serious health condition. He's only dealing with the accompanying headaches caused by poor results. What's worse is that he's the man they brought in to steady an Inter Milan ship that nearly sunk under Benitez and came alive under but was slow under Leonardo. Gasperson, as the new coach is called, looks like he's sending the Inter Milan vessel down to the icy regions by using the terrible 3-4-3 coordinate on his map. From the Italian Super Cup till date, his players have shown an all-too obvious lack of understanding of the system and this is alarming as Inter are in the frame to challenge for major honours. They may have won off the pitch by milking Anzhi Makachkala in the Eto'o episode and keeping Wesley Sneijder away from Man United's waiting arms but on the pitch, they look like the villain in a horror flick: terrible.
4-Wonderful goals will abound
It may only be matchday 1 but the goals have been simply breathtaking.
Perisic's volley against Arsenal, Villa's freekick against AC Milan, Cardozo's elegant turn and shoot against Man United,Hulk's tracer bullet against Shakhtar,Pato's wonderful blitzing run against Barcelona. These just say one thing: the Champions League is unrivaled in class and quality. Players and teams transcend mortality and go into a realm where only the divine is created when the competition's anthem blares out of stadium's speakers.
I'm just wondering if we can keep track of the wonderful memories we'll have by next May.
Life, they say, is a cycle. It involves births and deaths, ins and outs, and the constant rearrangement of thoughts and ideas. It's the same principle in football where formations and play styles have been created and replaced by better ones. However, last night, the otherwise dead "catenaccio" made a comeback at the Camp Nou in the form of AC Milan as they faced Barcelona.It even had the "grab-the first-goal-and-close-the-door" feel of old. Pato scored in 24 seconds and the Rossoneri held on for 35 minutes until Pedro got the champions back into it but they kept the "piece de resistance" for the last as Thiago Silva headed home a Seedorf corner in injury time. The classic mark of an Italian team. They score when you least expect it. Allegri's team didn't have the rigidity of classic Italian teams but they still showed how tough they can be when it's needed.
2-The right gaffer will leave you smiling
Getting the right man to guide the playing body has always been invaluable to football. Mourinho, Ferguson, Sacchi have over the years made various cases to back this simple piece of football truth and this season, Bayern Munich looks like they have the right man. Of course, it's too early to pass judgement on Jupp Heynckes but if Frank Ribery says he feels at ease playing under him, vindication must be the resulting feeling. He's led Munich to the top spot in the Bundesliga and a masterful win away to Villareal to top a group containing both Manchester City and Napoli. It seems Munich can look forward to a fruitful season.
3-The wrong gaffer will leave you Gasp-ing
If there's one thing Gian Piero Gasperini will have in close proximity,I'm sure it'll be pain killers. No,he's not suffering from a serious health condition. He's only dealing with the accompanying headaches caused by poor results. What's worse is that he's the man they brought in to steady an Inter Milan ship that nearly sunk under Benitez and came alive under but was slow under Leonardo. Gasperson, as the new coach is called, looks like he's sending the Inter Milan vessel down to the icy regions by using the terrible 3-4-3 coordinate on his map. From the Italian Super Cup till date, his players have shown an all-too obvious lack of understanding of the system and this is alarming as Inter are in the frame to challenge for major honours. They may have won off the pitch by milking Anzhi Makachkala in the Eto'o episode and keeping Wesley Sneijder away from Man United's waiting arms but on the pitch, they look like the villain in a horror flick: terrible.
4-Wonderful goals will abound
It may only be matchday 1 but the goals have been simply breathtaking.
Perisic's volley against Arsenal, Villa's freekick against AC Milan, Cardozo's elegant turn and shoot against Man United,Hulk's tracer bullet against Shakhtar,Pato's wonderful blitzing run against Barcelona. These just say one thing: the Champions League is unrivaled in class and quality. Players and teams transcend mortality and go into a realm where only the divine is created when the competition's anthem blares out of stadium's speakers.
I'm just wondering if we can keep track of the wonderful memories we'll have by next May.
Monday, August 15, 2011
A tribute to Fabregas
"Parting is such sweet sorrow" are Juliet's words to Romeo in Shakespeare's classic drama, Romeo and Juliet. An expression of how difficult it is when time shared with a loved one has to end but it is done in hope that there will be another meeting for the same thrill to be recreated or even surpassed. For Francesc Fabregas Soler, these might have been his last words to Arsenal as the 3-year old soap opera titled " Will he go or stay?" ended.
News from Arsenal insiders say Fabregas' appearance at training last Friday was a valedictory one and I can bet it was emotional too. Seeing one's colleagues for the last time after spending time with them is tough and tougher when the time period in question is 8 years but it's all gone now and the memories are the only things left.
Even from a position of a "foe" (because I'm a Manchester United fan), Fabregas's departure has robbed the EPL of a genius.I don't know how many of my Man United supporting friends will side with me but seeing Fabregas play in England was an honour. Of course, we'll see him in the Barcelona squad but not as captain, command center and choir director all in one.
Popularly called, "Nokia" in Nigeria because of stunning ability to "connect" to players with his passing, Fabregas has given us memories both pleasurable and painful.His defence-splitting pass to Nasri at the Emirates for the Frenchman to blast it past Van der Sar got me furious but objectively, it told of a master thinker.Further back in 2006, he dispossessed Cristiano Ronaldo only for the Spaniard to feed Adebayor to poke it past Kuzsack in the Man United to clinch a victory for the Gunners. Gutted I was that day but once again, there's nothing you can do when you meet superb players on their game. But Fabregas didn't only create, he scored goals too and I think my favourite was the lovely slalom run and finish against Tottenham at the Emirates. His great knee-slide celebration topped the sequence and it proved how magnificent he was. Yes, I admit he didn't have the inspiring nature as Henry and the boss-like air of Gallas but Fabregas was magnificent and he let his football talk, shout and inspire for him.
However, his 8-year spell at Arsenal had to come to an end in a rather difficult fashion because he got involved in a battle between heart and head. His love for Arsenal was evident but the constant reminder of not having a club honour to his name especially when his friends from his Barcelona B team from 2002/3 had now become winners in all aspects. Pique and Messi had won club and national team honours almost effortlessly and one of their victims on the way to these achievements was Arsenal and Fabregas. Certainly,the young Arsenal captain had to take a decision and it wasn't the easiest thing to do.
Arsenal say they'll cope without him and they'll have to. The unit must show grit to prove doubters wrong but that's Arsene Wenger's job. Fabregas' job is to keep developing as a footballer and help Barcelona extend their reign as European and Spanish champions. However, how he does that with Xavi, Iniesta and now Thiago Alcantara all in the same squad is a question that only time can answer and we'll all be privy to that answer one day.
My job as a fan is to enjoy the football and the magnificent Fabregas made me enjoy it and even though he played for the enemy, he was an enemy I would have loved to have as a friend. Truly fabulous.
News from Arsenal insiders say Fabregas' appearance at training last Friday was a valedictory one and I can bet it was emotional too. Seeing one's colleagues for the last time after spending time with them is tough and tougher when the time period in question is 8 years but it's all gone now and the memories are the only things left.
Even from a position of a "foe" (because I'm a Manchester United fan), Fabregas's departure has robbed the EPL of a genius.I don't know how many of my Man United supporting friends will side with me but seeing Fabregas play in England was an honour. Of course, we'll see him in the Barcelona squad but not as captain, command center and choir director all in one.
Popularly called, "Nokia" in Nigeria because of stunning ability to "connect" to players with his passing, Fabregas has given us memories both pleasurable and painful.His defence-splitting pass to Nasri at the Emirates for the Frenchman to blast it past Van der Sar got me furious but objectively, it told of a master thinker.Further back in 2006, he dispossessed Cristiano Ronaldo only for the Spaniard to feed Adebayor to poke it past Kuzsack in the Man United to clinch a victory for the Gunners. Gutted I was that day but once again, there's nothing you can do when you meet superb players on their game. But Fabregas didn't only create, he scored goals too and I think my favourite was the lovely slalom run and finish against Tottenham at the Emirates. His great knee-slide celebration topped the sequence and it proved how magnificent he was. Yes, I admit he didn't have the inspiring nature as Henry and the boss-like air of Gallas but Fabregas was magnificent and he let his football talk, shout and inspire for him.
However, his 8-year spell at Arsenal had to come to an end in a rather difficult fashion because he got involved in a battle between heart and head. His love for Arsenal was evident but the constant reminder of not having a club honour to his name especially when his friends from his Barcelona B team from 2002/3 had now become winners in all aspects. Pique and Messi had won club and national team honours almost effortlessly and one of their victims on the way to these achievements was Arsenal and Fabregas. Certainly,the young Arsenal captain had to take a decision and it wasn't the easiest thing to do.
Arsenal say they'll cope without him and they'll have to. The unit must show grit to prove doubters wrong but that's Arsene Wenger's job. Fabregas' job is to keep developing as a footballer and help Barcelona extend their reign as European and Spanish champions. However, how he does that with Xavi, Iniesta and now Thiago Alcantara all in the same squad is a question that only time can answer and we'll all be privy to that answer one day.
My job as a fan is to enjoy the football and the magnificent Fabregas made me enjoy it and even though he played for the enemy, he was an enemy I would have loved to have as a friend. Truly fabulous.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Tradition Is No Mask
If tradition were a person or an object,it would rival the Ark of The Covenant,the Shroud of Turin or even the presence of a deity or priest.Not to be touched because of its powerful aura.However,in the world of sport,tradition is not all that immune to ''human'' defects and situations if the aura is not kept as mysterious as it should normally be and yesterday in Argentina,River Plate became the latest example of tradition gone wrong and out of the window.For those who might be too abreast,I'll make it as clear as possible for you.River Plate got relegated from the Argentine elite division and this is not from the league games I played on my Sony Playstation or a big footballing joke.It happened yesterday after they lost their playoff game to Belgrano by 3 goals to 1.This means that 110 years of history,tradition,clout and legacy have been sacrificed on the altar of incompetence just like in so many other cases in world football.West Ham United,Newcastle United,Deportivo La Coruna,Juventus and AS Monaco to mention just a few.
I am never against tradition.In fact,I'm one of its huge followers.Clubs like Liverpool,Real Madrid,AC Milan,Ajax,Boca Juniors,Benfica,Santos,El-Ahly (Egypt) have my eternal respect simply because of what they have given to our beautiful game.They set the standards for modern clubs to follow and that is magnificent.However,tradition can only be tradition when it grows with time, adapts to modernity and adopts contemporary ways of keeping the old brand still powerful.Real Madrid,for instance,have never gone away from their ''traditional'' ways of gathering the best talent around to put on the jersey of the King' club.They had Paco Gente,Puskas and Stefano back then.Now,it's Ronaldo,Kaka,Casillas wearing that kit and they still challenge for everything around.
But when we look at the River Plate case,it tells us of how some have failed to see the wisdom in keeping the brand alive by embedding and growing with the ages.The club that produced Daniel Passarella and blessed us with Ariel Ortega is now grappling with debts of about $19 million (according to the BBC).It looks a paltry sum but that's how huge it looks for a club popularly known as ''The Millionaires''.Alledged stories of gangsters being beneficiaries of transfer fees and a decline in general managerial success are marks that show how low River have sunk.Of course,relegation could have been nature and science's only just rewards for such sins but it tells us all that no big club is too big to go down in this modern era of football.Even my mother's favourite Hearts Of Oak in Ghana who were African Confederations Cup champions just 6 years ago flirted with the drop until late on in the just ended Ghanaian season.Frightening,it may seem but it can happen to any club.All you need to do is mismanage affairs.If your fans don't go on rampage like River Plate fans did yesterday,you'll have the club's ego to rebuild and face the constant reminder that the many years of tradition have gone down the drain under your watch.
Now that the dust has settled in Argentina,let the lesson rise up in the air:tradition is,certainly,no mask.
I am never against tradition.In fact,I'm one of its huge followers.Clubs like Liverpool,Real Madrid,AC Milan,Ajax,Boca Juniors,Benfica,Santos,El-Ahly (Egypt) have my eternal respect simply because of what they have given to our beautiful game.They set the standards for modern clubs to follow and that is magnificent.However,tradition can only be tradition when it grows with time, adapts to modernity and adopts contemporary ways of keeping the old brand still powerful.Real Madrid,for instance,have never gone away from their ''traditional'' ways of gathering the best talent around to put on the jersey of the King' club.They had Paco Gente,Puskas and Stefano back then.Now,it's Ronaldo,Kaka,Casillas wearing that kit and they still challenge for everything around.
But when we look at the River Plate case,it tells us of how some have failed to see the wisdom in keeping the brand alive by embedding and growing with the ages.The club that produced Daniel Passarella and blessed us with Ariel Ortega is now grappling with debts of about $19 million (according to the BBC).It looks a paltry sum but that's how huge it looks for a club popularly known as ''The Millionaires''.Alledged stories of gangsters being beneficiaries of transfer fees and a decline in general managerial success are marks that show how low River have sunk.Of course,relegation could have been nature and science's only just rewards for such sins but it tells us all that no big club is too big to go down in this modern era of football.Even my mother's favourite Hearts Of Oak in Ghana who were African Confederations Cup champions just 6 years ago flirted with the drop until late on in the just ended Ghanaian season.Frightening,it may seem but it can happen to any club.All you need to do is mismanage affairs.If your fans don't go on rampage like River Plate fans did yesterday,you'll have the club's ego to rebuild and face the constant reminder that the many years of tradition have gone down the drain under your watch.
Now that the dust has settled in Argentina,let the lesson rise up in the air:tradition is,certainly,no mask.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
The Mad Season
Fans look forward to it.Managers gear up for it.Agents salivate at it and players revel in it.It's not the league season but the season in between seasons.It's the transfer season.The mad period in football where players are so linked to various clubs,you wonder if they are communication lines.The period where obscene sums of money are thought of,quoted and in the some cases,given away or taken depending on where you stand in the exchange process.This year's market season has seen some of the most mind-bugging scenarios till date and I'm sure it will get crazier.
The ''El Nina Maravina and His Many Suitors'' saga is one that has captured attention.Young Chilean star,Alexis Sanchez had suddenly become the must-have player if you fancied pace,skill and some cherry in your team and a lot of teams wanted that.First,Manchester United showed their interest but Barcelona showed more than interest.They showed money and soon,Udinese chairman,Giampaolo Pozzo was rubbing his hands in expectant fashion as a deal worth about 27 million euros neared completion.Barcelona even made space for the Chilean by selling Bojan.Bloggers,tweeters,journalists and fans has accepted the facts.Sanchez was going to join the European champions.All too smooth for Mr.Murphy to let go,right?So he struck and maybe he struck Pozzo's head in a dream and when the boss woke up on Thursday morning and said if you didn't have 50 million pounds ready,get lost.He said if Ronaldo was worth 80 million quid,his ''playalike'' was also worth a lot if less.Quite engrossing for the mind and you can be sure that's not the last of it.
Luka Modric also had a say in the mad season too.Yes,Luka Modric.The quiet,nice Croatian bloke who runs the midfield for Tottenham.His claim to mad season fame was his open desire to join Chelsea as he ''wanted to win titles''.Once again,the wheels started turning and it was all in the news.The deal had begun from articles even before the two parties even dreamt of talking.However,Spurs chairman Daniel Levy didn't wait for Mr.Murphy to stir him into action.He said no and a big one at that to shut us all up.
Maybe not as dramatic as Sanchez's case but it still highlighted one simple thing.Players want to win titles and they're willing to go wherever to gain football's only objective.Fueled by this wisdom,Aston Villa's Ashley Young swapped blue and scarlet for the red and white of Manchester United and he'll be joined by Phil Jones from Blackburn.Great news for the English champions as they seek a 20th title and go way ahead of their bitter rivals,Liverpool who have also suddenly woken up and have gone into a frenzy.
First,they signed Jordan Henderson for 20million pounds and they're seeking to add more players to their team.Good shot,new owners.At least we can see exactly what you're spending on and you know whom you want too.However,the mad season has not seen one of its main players so far.This team has so much money to spend and they have an owner who's willing to throw more cash around.You guessed it right.I'm talking about Manchester City.Yes,they've looked around.They were ever present in the Sanchez episode and they're linked to every player on Earth.But they've not yet bought anything.Maybe they're still looking around but while they do,it seems they want Jerome Boateng to go away to Bayern Munich.Let's just wait and see.
But this time around,the coaches are also in on the act.Andre Villas-Boas' 13.2 million pound move from Porto to Chelsea tops the lot but the switch from Birmingham to Aston Villa will forever etch Alex McLeish into memory for purity's sake.Joining the enemy is a travesty and should he and Randy Lerner fail,the purists will have this golden rule played so much,it might win a Grammy or even a Billboard award.
The coming weeks will see lots more drama.Questions of loyalty,ambition drive and even money will come up for players and coaches alike but how they answer can and will decide how mad the transfer season will turn out.
The ''El Nina Maravina and His Many Suitors'' saga is one that has captured attention.Young Chilean star,Alexis Sanchez had suddenly become the must-have player if you fancied pace,skill and some cherry in your team and a lot of teams wanted that.First,Manchester United showed their interest but Barcelona showed more than interest.They showed money and soon,Udinese chairman,Giampaolo Pozzo was rubbing his hands in expectant fashion as a deal worth about 27 million euros neared completion.Barcelona even made space for the Chilean by selling Bojan.Bloggers,tweeters,journalists and fans has accepted the facts.Sanchez was going to join the European champions.All too smooth for Mr.Murphy to let go,right?So he struck and maybe he struck Pozzo's head in a dream and when the boss woke up on Thursday morning and said if you didn't have 50 million pounds ready,get lost.He said if Ronaldo was worth 80 million quid,his ''playalike'' was also worth a lot if less.Quite engrossing for the mind and you can be sure that's not the last of it.
Luka Modric also had a say in the mad season too.Yes,Luka Modric.The quiet,nice Croatian bloke who runs the midfield for Tottenham.His claim to mad season fame was his open desire to join Chelsea as he ''wanted to win titles''.Once again,the wheels started turning and it was all in the news.The deal had begun from articles even before the two parties even dreamt of talking.However,Spurs chairman Daniel Levy didn't wait for Mr.Murphy to stir him into action.He said no and a big one at that to shut us all up.
Maybe not as dramatic as Sanchez's case but it still highlighted one simple thing.Players want to win titles and they're willing to go wherever to gain football's only objective.Fueled by this wisdom,Aston Villa's Ashley Young swapped blue and scarlet for the red and white of Manchester United and he'll be joined by Phil Jones from Blackburn.Great news for the English champions as they seek a 20th title and go way ahead of their bitter rivals,Liverpool who have also suddenly woken up and have gone into a frenzy.
First,they signed Jordan Henderson for 20million pounds and they're seeking to add more players to their team.Good shot,new owners.At least we can see exactly what you're spending on and you know whom you want too.However,the mad season has not seen one of its main players so far.This team has so much money to spend and they have an owner who's willing to throw more cash around.You guessed it right.I'm talking about Manchester City.Yes,they've looked around.They were ever present in the Sanchez episode and they're linked to every player on Earth.But they've not yet bought anything.Maybe they're still looking around but while they do,it seems they want Jerome Boateng to go away to Bayern Munich.Let's just wait and see.
But this time around,the coaches are also in on the act.Andre Villas-Boas' 13.2 million pound move from Porto to Chelsea tops the lot but the switch from Birmingham to Aston Villa will forever etch Alex McLeish into memory for purity's sake.Joining the enemy is a travesty and should he and Randy Lerner fail,the purists will have this golden rule played so much,it might win a Grammy or even a Billboard award.
The coming weeks will see lots more drama.Questions of loyalty,ambition drive and even money will come up for players and coaches alike but how they answer can and will decide how mad the transfer season will turn out.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Who wins the Grass Crown this year?
I normally go on and on about football but tennis is one sport I like and on Monday,another serving of Wimbledon will be dished out for us to savour.The All-English Club will see the best tennis players in the world line up against each other and probably the weather (if it rains) to win one of the four Grand Slam titles.I'm no tennis expert but I'm putting this together as a fan who is excited about what happen from Monday in London.
My favourite?The smooth Roger Federer.After Pete Sampras,no player has showed more grace,coolness and panache than RF himself and especially in a tournament he's virtually dominated ever since he dumped out his hero,Pete Sampras in 2001.However,he's not been himself since winning the Australian Open last year so it puts him in a tight corner as he's no more the hands down favourite simply because of ......Rafael Nadal,the left-handed,hard-hitting,king of clay who wants to expand his territory to other surfaces and in doing that he's blitzed Federer on clay,grass,hardcourt and I'm sure that even if they played in the air,Nadal would really fancy his chances.After winning the recent French Open,he'll feel confident ahead of Wimbledon.He's now become a big name if not THE big name.Unfortunately,though,both he and Federer have a new common threat and he is ........ Novak Djokovic.Out of the shadows,the Serbian has become a major revelation or headache depending on where you stand and after going on his incredible run of 40 or so games,he's put himself in the queue for favourites.However,there are always the others who'll try and ruin the party for the big lads.Jo Wilfried-Tsonga,the Frenchman whose jumpy victory dance always excites me,Andy Roddick,the likeable American who's not yet hit the height and of course,the man carrying the hopes of the UK,Andy Murray.As to whether,he'll clinch the title or not,we'll just wait and see but I'm sure we all know the answer.He just has to show us otherwise.
For the women's game,it's not as stellar as it used to be.No more star names and eventhough,it may look like it's evened up,the seemingly lightweight nature of the rankings counters that assertion.We now have World Number 1,Caroline Woszcniacki of Denmark as the main favourite but with Li Na's win at Roland Garros,China now has a say in world tennis and a shout at Wimbledon.The absence of Kim Clijsters means no comeback fairy tale win but I hope the Williams sisters can make a big shout.Hope simply because they've been out for sometime and they lack the bite,grit and all that to win but what do I know?
So,what do we expect?Slow start, a bit of rain, a few surprises here and there but when it ends,I hope it would have been a great Wimbledon 2011.
My favourite?The smooth Roger Federer.After Pete Sampras,no player has showed more grace,coolness and panache than RF himself and especially in a tournament he's virtually dominated ever since he dumped out his hero,Pete Sampras in 2001.However,he's not been himself since winning the Australian Open last year so it puts him in a tight corner as he's no more the hands down favourite simply because of ......Rafael Nadal,the left-handed,hard-hitting,king of clay who wants to expand his territory to other surfaces and in doing that he's blitzed Federer on clay,grass,hardcourt and I'm sure that even if they played in the air,Nadal would really fancy his chances.After winning the recent French Open,he'll feel confident ahead of Wimbledon.He's now become a big name if not THE big name.Unfortunately,though,both he and Federer have a new common threat and he is ........ Novak Djokovic.Out of the shadows,the Serbian has become a major revelation or headache depending on where you stand and after going on his incredible run of 40 or so games,he's put himself in the queue for favourites.However,there are always the others who'll try and ruin the party for the big lads.Jo Wilfried-Tsonga,the Frenchman whose jumpy victory dance always excites me,Andy Roddick,the likeable American who's not yet hit the height and of course,the man carrying the hopes of the UK,Andy Murray.As to whether,he'll clinch the title or not,we'll just wait and see but I'm sure we all know the answer.He just has to show us otherwise.
For the women's game,it's not as stellar as it used to be.No more star names and eventhough,it may look like it's evened up,the seemingly lightweight nature of the rankings counters that assertion.We now have World Number 1,Caroline Woszcniacki of Denmark as the main favourite but with Li Na's win at Roland Garros,China now has a say in world tennis and a shout at Wimbledon.The absence of Kim Clijsters means no comeback fairy tale win but I hope the Williams sisters can make a big shout.Hope simply because they've been out for sometime and they lack the bite,grit and all that to win but what do I know?
So,what do we expect?Slow start, a bit of rain, a few surprises here and there but when it ends,I hope it would have been a great Wimbledon 2011.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Dragons reign supreme
So maybe the final scene of the story will not please the overly religious.The Dragon triumphing over the Archbishop but in football,good guys and those who deserve victories almost always win even if they're not your regular icons of piety and sanctity and FC Porto won the Europa League in such a beautiful manner that,betting against them would bother on the strange and simply unfair.
For a team that looked like being pushed out of the Portuguese footballing limelight just last season after losing the title to Benfica,the blue and white striped team came back with a huge bang and they took back the Portuguese title with a stunning 27 wins and 3 draws. In their European campaign,they scored a whooping 42 goals in the entire Europa League run-out.
However,the huge stash of goals were just rewards for the hard work,belief and high work ethic that was brought in by history-making coach,Andre Villas Boas.The protege of Jose Mourinho and Bobby Robson showed the drive characteristic of the latter but showed a lot of restraint and coolness of the former and in just one season,he turned a downcast side into a sumptious footballing meal and it didn't take millions of euros.All it took was a change in mentality and a replacement for Raul Meireles.He brought in the much-maligned Joao Moutinho from Sporting Lisbon and that was that.Porto blazed Portugal and in UEFA's second tier competition,they set a standard that wowed us all and reminded us of FC Barcelona in a Portuguese version.From qualifying to the final,the Dragons were always high and above the opposition but it was in the knockout stages that their real class became evident as they adapted to every situation and showed a rare breed of second half invinciblity and renaissance only teams like the treble-winning Manchester United side possessed.
Cue the tough tie against Sevilla where they won away and scored when it was necessary to get past the Spanish side in the home leg.The home ties against Spartak Moscow and Villareal showed how deadly Villas Boas' side was after the break.Attitude? Yes but they also had the men to do it.Rolando was a rock at the back with Moutinho and Fernando giving them the shield Guarin needed to cook the potion for Hulk,Rodriguez and Varela (when he played) to cast and for Falcao to materialise in an absolutely magnificent fashion.He struck 17 times in the competition and deservedly,he scored the winning header in last night's final after Guarin had cooked another spell but this time he passed the wand to Falcao in the form of a delightful cross.
Keyboards,keypads and pens will type and write and go on and on with their superlatives about this Porto side but in truth,they have earned it and they stand on the brink of another treble should they win the Portuguese Cup on May 22.This side may not be rigid as Mourinho's winners in '03 and '04 and they may even show smirks of complacency or vulnerabilities at the back but one thing is clear:
The Dragons of Porto have set the opposition ablaze and they reign supreme now.
For a team that looked like being pushed out of the Portuguese footballing limelight just last season after losing the title to Benfica,the blue and white striped team came back with a huge bang and they took back the Portuguese title with a stunning 27 wins and 3 draws. In their European campaign,they scored a whooping 42 goals in the entire Europa League run-out.
However,the huge stash of goals were just rewards for the hard work,belief and high work ethic that was brought in by history-making coach,Andre Villas Boas.The protege of Jose Mourinho and Bobby Robson showed the drive characteristic of the latter but showed a lot of restraint and coolness of the former and in just one season,he turned a downcast side into a sumptious footballing meal and it didn't take millions of euros.All it took was a change in mentality and a replacement for Raul Meireles.He brought in the much-maligned Joao Moutinho from Sporting Lisbon and that was that.Porto blazed Portugal and in UEFA's second tier competition,they set a standard that wowed us all and reminded us of FC Barcelona in a Portuguese version.From qualifying to the final,the Dragons were always high and above the opposition but it was in the knockout stages that their real class became evident as they adapted to every situation and showed a rare breed of second half invinciblity and renaissance only teams like the treble-winning Manchester United side possessed.
Cue the tough tie against Sevilla where they won away and scored when it was necessary to get past the Spanish side in the home leg.The home ties against Spartak Moscow and Villareal showed how deadly Villas Boas' side was after the break.Attitude? Yes but they also had the men to do it.Rolando was a rock at the back with Moutinho and Fernando giving them the shield Guarin needed to cook the potion for Hulk,Rodriguez and Varela (when he played) to cast and for Falcao to materialise in an absolutely magnificent fashion.He struck 17 times in the competition and deservedly,he scored the winning header in last night's final after Guarin had cooked another spell but this time he passed the wand to Falcao in the form of a delightful cross.
Keyboards,keypads and pens will type and write and go on and on with their superlatives about this Porto side but in truth,they have earned it and they stand on the brink of another treble should they win the Portuguese Cup on May 22.This side may not be rigid as Mourinho's winners in '03 and '04 and they may even show smirks of complacency or vulnerabilities at the back but one thing is clear:
The Dragons of Porto have set the opposition ablaze and they reign supreme now.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
LESSONS FROM THE UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMI FINAL 1ST LEGS:
Lesson 1: THE ESSENTIAL ALWAYS MATTERS THAN THE PLEASANT.
Flamboyance pleases the fans but does it always get you the results? No but essential things will and Manchester United have showed this very well so far in Europe and in their semi final first leg against Schalke they underlined the assertion.Schalke may have been poor.United may have dominated but never at a point did the Red Devils take their foot off the gas until they got their two goals.They kept doing the simple things and those are the elements which gave them the push to win the game.
The performance was a sharp contrast to Man United's away games in Europe in the last 4 years or so where they've displayed a certain sense of disrespect for their opponents and sometimes,wrong team selection from Sir Alex Ferguson and ultimately,they've lost those games. Lille,AC Milan,Celtic and Benfica quickly come to mind.
However,now they've kept to simplicity and it has been genius.
Lesson 2:The Champions League punishes poor play.
So many teams have learnt this lesson the hard way in times past and last night,Schalke made themselves another example for pundits,journalists and fans to use in their deliveries.The Royal Blues fizzled out too quickly and they looked as though they forgot why they were there in the first place.They suddenly develped an aversion to pressing,marking even defending.Matip looked poor in central defence,Jurado and Baumjohann didn't work hard enough and Farfan was only interested when he had the ball.For a side coached by the ''Professor'',Ralf Ragnick,they played as if they had not read the lecture notes at all.
Lesson 3:Too much hype spoils the El Clasico
The trailers,the records,the players,the coaches,what he or the next man said.All these elements are beautifully woven as the backdrop to a football match.Yes,a football match even if it's between Barcelona and Real Madrid.Yes,they may have clout,history,tradition,rivalry, and even the Special One but it's still a football match but the Champions League version of this drama was anything but.Silly fouls,brilliant acting classes by certain players and the odd whistle and crad here and there all added to the borefest.Maybe if we treated the ''El Clasico'' like just any other game,we will all get our money's worth and the players will show us what they can really do.We deserve that and the Champions League demands it.It's as simple as that.
Lesson 3:Lionel Messi is class.
In a game where anti-football was winning all the awards,Lionel Andres Messi swooped in to take the most important award:our thoughts,comments and imaginations.His first goal was predatory;his second,masterful.The little Argentine scored his 52nd second goal of the season tonight and for me,it's not the goals which put him in a different world.It's his decision making.How he finds the pass,how he runs into space and how he picks the exact moment to strike should be studied by young players all over the world.The young man will retire with all the records at his feet and his name etched into football history and Barcelona's stories for generations.Yes,he hasn't won anything with Argentina yet but in the Champions League,he's done what mortals can only dream about.
Lesson 4:We all know who Neuer is now.
Many may have seen Neuer at the World Cup in South Africa and even in the Bundesliga but he chose the perfect time to squeeze his name on a coach's shopping list.Last night against Man United was the opportune moment and like Jack Sparrow,he recognised it.His umpteen saves kept Schalke in a tie they were never at and trust me,his value has just gone up by a few more millions.Maybe pounds,dollars or euros. However,his performance was just the one many saw but it wasn't as stupendous as what he gave in the 07/08 season at Sevilla when he saved Schalke in regulation time,extra time and in the penalty-shoot out.He even got a YouTube video for that.We may have forgotten that but yesterday,Manuel Neuer became everybody's dream goalkeeper.
Lesson 1: THE ESSENTIAL ALWAYS MATTERS THAN THE PLEASANT.
Flamboyance pleases the fans but does it always get you the results? No but essential things will and Manchester United have showed this very well so far in Europe and in their semi final first leg against Schalke they underlined the assertion.Schalke may have been poor.United may have dominated but never at a point did the Red Devils take their foot off the gas until they got their two goals.They kept doing the simple things and those are the elements which gave them the push to win the game.
The performance was a sharp contrast to Man United's away games in Europe in the last 4 years or so where they've displayed a certain sense of disrespect for their opponents and sometimes,wrong team selection from Sir Alex Ferguson and ultimately,they've lost those games. Lille,AC Milan,Celtic and Benfica quickly come to mind.
However,now they've kept to simplicity and it has been genius.
Lesson 2:The Champions League punishes poor play.
So many teams have learnt this lesson the hard way in times past and last night,Schalke made themselves another example for pundits,journalists and fans to use in their deliveries.The Royal Blues fizzled out too quickly and they looked as though they forgot why they were there in the first place.They suddenly develped an aversion to pressing,marking even defending.Matip looked poor in central defence,Jurado and Baumjohann didn't work hard enough and Farfan was only interested when he had the ball.For a side coached by the ''Professor'',Ralf Ragnick,they played as if they had not read the lecture notes at all.
Lesson 3:Too much hype spoils the El Clasico
The trailers,the records,the players,the coaches,what he or the next man said.All these elements are beautifully woven as the backdrop to a football match.Yes,a football match even if it's between Barcelona and Real Madrid.Yes,they may have clout,history,tradition,rivalry, and even the Special One but it's still a football match but the Champions League version of this drama was anything but.Silly fouls,brilliant acting classes by certain players and the odd whistle and crad here and there all added to the borefest.Maybe if we treated the ''El Clasico'' like just any other game,we will all get our money's worth and the players will show us what they can really do.We deserve that and the Champions League demands it.It's as simple as that.
Lesson 3:Lionel Messi is class.
In a game where anti-football was winning all the awards,Lionel Andres Messi swooped in to take the most important award:our thoughts,comments and imaginations.His first goal was predatory;his second,masterful.The little Argentine scored his 52nd second goal of the season tonight and for me,it's not the goals which put him in a different world.It's his decision making.How he finds the pass,how he runs into space and how he picks the exact moment to strike should be studied by young players all over the world.The young man will retire with all the records at his feet and his name etched into football history and Barcelona's stories for generations.Yes,he hasn't won anything with Argentina yet but in the Champions League,he's done what mortals can only dream about.
Lesson 4:We all know who Neuer is now.
Many may have seen Neuer at the World Cup in South Africa and even in the Bundesliga but he chose the perfect time to squeeze his name on a coach's shopping list.Last night against Man United was the opportune moment and like Jack Sparrow,he recognised it.His umpteen saves kept Schalke in a tie they were never at and trust me,his value has just gone up by a few more millions.Maybe pounds,dollars or euros. However,his performance was just the one many saw but it wasn't as stupendous as what he gave in the 07/08 season at Sevilla when he saved Schalke in regulation time,extra time and in the penalty-shoot out.He even got a YouTube video for that.We may have forgotten that but yesterday,Manuel Neuer became everybody's dream goalkeeper.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Ghana football:Lovely box,Empty core
From the outside,Ghana football looks like it's heading for the high heavens and everywhere else beyond it.People are still talking about the wonderful display the Black Stars put up at the 2010 World Cup and how ready they are to challenge the world in 2014.That assertion was certainly underlined with a huge marker when the Stars gave a brilliant show against the 3 Lions at Wembley in a recent international friendly.Now,players like Asamoah Gyan,Andre Ayew,Kevin-Prince Boateng,Kwadwo Asamoah are being talked about as the stars to look out for in the future.Great news,isn't?So we can all presume that the buiding blocks are being laid right and the essentials are in the right place,right? The sad truth is a huge no.
Since January this year,it's been tale after tale of qualification or tournament failures for all our national teams.The local Black Stars failed to gain a point or a win at the CHAN in Sudan 2 years on from making the final in Cote d'Ivoire.Gutting.
The Olympic team,the Black Meteors couldn't catch the flight to the London 2012 Olympic Games after being outsmarted by Sudan in a two-legged tie and when we thought the Black Queens could give us an excuse to go London next year,they allowed a late Ethiopian goal in Accra to hand the ticket to an Ethiopian team we beat 4 years ago.Earlier on,the Black Queens capitulated at the African Women's Championship and got thrown out at the first round.Further down the line,the U 17 team,the Black Starlets got haunted by our longtime ghost and jinx,the penalty shootout, in a tie in Senegal to lose out on the African U 17 Championships and the World Championship.
What next? We don't know but how come is what we be asking ourselves.
Since 2005,we've given all our love,time and money to the Black Stars.Huge sponsorship deals,crazy bonuses and massive support drives have been either fixed or made to give the Stars the shine they deserve and honestly,the football they've played for the last 5 or so merits all these perks and even more.However,will it hurt if we looked at the other national teams the same way?
Football development should never experience segregation.Never.All the powerhouses of world football have almost always developed their senior sides together with all the other teams at the same time.While Brazil seeks to boost the Selecao,their women's team have now become a fixture at all levels of competition and the male junior sides are almost always present at all the youth championships and it's just one example of the simple yet effective being path being taken by other countries.
It's high time we looked at getting things right in this country.Without development,talent remains just that and the senior national team we all love and drool about will never exist.
To borrow the line from a song my mentor,Mr.Christopher Opoku loves so much,we'll soon have ''no wheels on our wagon'' if things don't change.
Since January this year,it's been tale after tale of qualification or tournament failures for all our national teams.The local Black Stars failed to gain a point or a win at the CHAN in Sudan 2 years on from making the final in Cote d'Ivoire.Gutting.
The Olympic team,the Black Meteors couldn't catch the flight to the London 2012 Olympic Games after being outsmarted by Sudan in a two-legged tie and when we thought the Black Queens could give us an excuse to go London next year,they allowed a late Ethiopian goal in Accra to hand the ticket to an Ethiopian team we beat 4 years ago.Earlier on,the Black Queens capitulated at the African Women's Championship and got thrown out at the first round.Further down the line,the U 17 team,the Black Starlets got haunted by our longtime ghost and jinx,the penalty shootout, in a tie in Senegal to lose out on the African U 17 Championships and the World Championship.
What next? We don't know but how come is what we be asking ourselves.
Since 2005,we've given all our love,time and money to the Black Stars.Huge sponsorship deals,crazy bonuses and massive support drives have been either fixed or made to give the Stars the shine they deserve and honestly,the football they've played for the last 5 or so merits all these perks and even more.However,will it hurt if we looked at the other national teams the same way?
Football development should never experience segregation.Never.All the powerhouses of world football have almost always developed their senior sides together with all the other teams at the same time.While Brazil seeks to boost the Selecao,their women's team have now become a fixture at all levels of competition and the male junior sides are almost always present at all the youth championships and it's just one example of the simple yet effective being path being taken by other countries.
It's high time we looked at getting things right in this country.Without development,talent remains just that and the senior national team we all love and drool about will never exist.
To borrow the line from a song my mentor,Mr.Christopher Opoku loves so much,we'll soon have ''no wheels on our wagon'' if things don't change.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Lessons from the UEFA Champions League (6 April 2011)
Lesson 1:Discretion is a better part of valour
Last year, Inter Milan showed all of us how to play against Barcelona at the Camp Nou. Park the bus or aeroplane or anything that will stop their passes from finding their targets and create goals. It took a lot of physical and mental toughness but eventually,Mourinho's men pulled it off albeit with a goal in their net. So what was Shakhtar Donestsk thinking when they decided to open up and atack Barcelona at the Camp Nou tonight? Being brave is not running gung ho at your opponent but it's rather being sensible in your approach and knowing how to get a lot of things done right and Shakhtar did get a lot of things wrong. Their defending showed a lot of carelesness and it makes me wonder the kind of defending being done in Ukraine if Shakhtar are the top side there.Maybe a harsh and baseless judgement but what more can I say when all of Barcelona's goals were scored from schoolboy defending?Maybe an indication of why Chygrynskiy never cut it in Spain.
Mr.Lucescu,your ''brave'' plan didn't come off.Even the great Mourinho was blitzed at the Camp Nou in the "El Clasico".
Lesson 2:Chelsea are lacking something
In March,Chelsea produced a sparkling second half performance against Manchester United to win 2-1 at Stamford Bridge in the EPL. 3 or so weeks after that,the two teams meet again at the same venue and just like in the first meeting,Wayne Rooney put United in the lead but Chelsea didn't blaze the second half like they did in the first game. United still looked ok after the break and even though,Rafael went off with an injury and Valencia was thrown into an unfamiliar right back role,Chelsea never really looked like grabbing an equaliser.What was different tonight? David Luiz? The Drogba-Torres combination? Zhirkov's appearance on the starting eleven in place of Malouda? Whatever it is,the Blues looked blue tonight and for a large part of the current season. One cannot out a finger what the problems are but one can clearly see that the X-factor is no more there and that's a fact.
Lesson 3:Football brings Karma to life
After the EPL meeting between Chelsea and Manchester United at Stamford Bridge,elements like Martin Atkinson,unseen fouls,a bad penalty call,The FA and Respect for referees and these were things coming from the red corner of Manchester United. However,tonight,it's the blue corner of Chelsea that are voicing their share of complaints. Ramires and Torres' penalty claims will be the talk of days and referee Alberto Mallenco will be cursed by Blues' fans for not giving them.
For United fans,they'll look on and split their sides with the reminder that Martin Atkinson played a worse refereeing role at the same venue.
Lesson 4: Love him or hate hate him,Wayne Rooney's football is talking for him
This season has been bad for Wayne Rooney.From the dizzying heights of 34 goals last season, the Croxteth-born striker has fallen down to the ground with a thud.However,instead of staying there,he decided to ease himself back into the pages of newspapers and the minds of fans with some hardworking footballing displays over the past 4 or so months. From his headed goal at West Brom to tonight's finish at Stamford Bridge, Rooney has played some great football in between.His 2 goals against Aston Villa showed that his scoring touch had never left him. He controlled United's display against Arsenal in the FA Cup at Old Trafford by coming into midfield and supplying delighful passes upfront.One of which set up Hernandez's header which Almunia parried for Fabio to stab home. Another assist came in the game against Marseille and this time, for Hernandez and this style of play highlighted a great trait of reinvention on a player's part Last weekend's brilliant hat-trick at Upton Park is probably the last step in Rooney's redemption journey but he also reminded us that he's still the same old Rooney by swearing into the tv camera after thus third goal.Maybe he was too pumped up and it all came out.However,aside this insignificant distraction,Rooney has made a huge point for himself.He may be brash,raw or even bad-tempered but he is a great footballer.
Last year, Inter Milan showed all of us how to play against Barcelona at the Camp Nou. Park the bus or aeroplane or anything that will stop their passes from finding their targets and create goals. It took a lot of physical and mental toughness but eventually,Mourinho's men pulled it off albeit with a goal in their net. So what was Shakhtar Donestsk thinking when they decided to open up and atack Barcelona at the Camp Nou tonight? Being brave is not running gung ho at your opponent but it's rather being sensible in your approach and knowing how to get a lot of things done right and Shakhtar did get a lot of things wrong. Their defending showed a lot of carelesness and it makes me wonder the kind of defending being done in Ukraine if Shakhtar are the top side there.Maybe a harsh and baseless judgement but what more can I say when all of Barcelona's goals were scored from schoolboy defending?Maybe an indication of why Chygrynskiy never cut it in Spain.
Mr.Lucescu,your ''brave'' plan didn't come off.Even the great Mourinho was blitzed at the Camp Nou in the "El Clasico".
Lesson 2:Chelsea are lacking something
In March,Chelsea produced a sparkling second half performance against Manchester United to win 2-1 at Stamford Bridge in the EPL. 3 or so weeks after that,the two teams meet again at the same venue and just like in the first meeting,Wayne Rooney put United in the lead but Chelsea didn't blaze the second half like they did in the first game. United still looked ok after the break and even though,Rafael went off with an injury and Valencia was thrown into an unfamiliar right back role,Chelsea never really looked like grabbing an equaliser.What was different tonight? David Luiz? The Drogba-Torres combination? Zhirkov's appearance on the starting eleven in place of Malouda? Whatever it is,the Blues looked blue tonight and for a large part of the current season. One cannot out a finger what the problems are but one can clearly see that the X-factor is no more there and that's a fact.
Lesson 3:Football brings Karma to life
After the EPL meeting between Chelsea and Manchester United at Stamford Bridge,elements like Martin Atkinson,unseen fouls,a bad penalty call,The FA and Respect for referees and these were things coming from the red corner of Manchester United. However,tonight,it's the blue corner of Chelsea that are voicing their share of complaints. Ramires and Torres' penalty claims will be the talk of days and referee Alberto Mallenco will be cursed by Blues' fans for not giving them.
For United fans,they'll look on and split their sides with the reminder that Martin Atkinson played a worse refereeing role at the same venue.
Lesson 4: Love him or hate hate him,Wayne Rooney's football is talking for him
This season has been bad for Wayne Rooney.From the dizzying heights of 34 goals last season, the Croxteth-born striker has fallen down to the ground with a thud.However,instead of staying there,he decided to ease himself back into the pages of newspapers and the minds of fans with some hardworking footballing displays over the past 4 or so months. From his headed goal at West Brom to tonight's finish at Stamford Bridge, Rooney has played some great football in between.His 2 goals against Aston Villa showed that his scoring touch had never left him. He controlled United's display against Arsenal in the FA Cup at Old Trafford by coming into midfield and supplying delighful passes upfront.One of which set up Hernandez's header which Almunia parried for Fabio to stab home. Another assist came in the game against Marseille and this time, for Hernandez and this style of play highlighted a great trait of reinvention on a player's part Last weekend's brilliant hat-trick at Upton Park is probably the last step in Rooney's redemption journey but he also reminded us that he's still the same old Rooney by swearing into the tv camera after thus third goal.Maybe he was too pumped up and it all came out.However,aside this insignificant distraction,Rooney has made a huge point for himself.He may be brash,raw or even bad-tempered but he is a great footballer.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Lessons from the UEFA Champions League (5 April 2011)
Lesson 1: Never believe the opposing coach especially if he's Jose Mourinho
Harry Redknapp may have seen this coming but I'm sure he never expected this. After being declared fit, unfit and then 50-50 by Mourinho, Cristiano Ronaldo was unleashed against Spurs to maximum effect. His pace and movement always meant that Real Madrid were going to be tough to handle and it all stemmed from Mourinho's interesting game of "Simon Says" played on Redknapp. Harry said he was preparing for Ronaldo but it seems he wasn't too sure if the Portiguese attacker would turn up tonight or not. And he even allowed Marcelo to be sneaked in through the back door. The full back's direct running caused Spurs so many problems including a delicious cross for Adebayor to head home past Gomes. Harry was surely done for tonight by Mourinho.
Lesson 2: Flirting with the Champion's League is only for the brave in heart
After Spurs' sensational performance against Inter Milan in the group stages over tow legs brought joy to their followers and a breeze of fresh air into Europe's elite club competition. However, in charming all of us, Spurs bit the tempting-looking apple of the competition and now, they risk being thrown out of the Garden of the Champion's League when the return leg comes calling. The euphoria of playing so well in Europe blurred the harsh reality that the competition is draining. Thus, failure to manage resources in a not-so-large squad like Spurs can be a difficult thing to do and that can be the unmaking of teams who have decided to get too indulged with the Champion's League especially when they're meeting it for the very first time. Laurent Blanc's young Bourdeaux side of last season captured imaginations until regular campaigners,Lyon knocked them back down to Earth and burst their bubble so hard,Marseille crept in to with the Ligue 1 after looking at Bordeaux's dust trail all the way.
Lesson 3:Leonardo needs to learn how to defend
After last year's inspiring run to the "Orellano" (The Big-Eared trophy) last season, Inter now look like a total mess and even though Rafael Benitez might have had a stinker with them day one to six months into this new season, Leonardo's appointment has seen Inter show some defending which will heavily annoy the great Helenio Herrera. Rannochia and Chivu have looked poor but in last Saturday's derby and tonight's game, the two looked as though they were in the wrong profession and who's to blame? Leonardo. The Brazilian's reign at AC Milan was characterised by bad defending and some poor midfield play especially on the defensive side. They allowed Farfan to drift in from wide areas and pass the ball for fun. One such pass led to Raul's goal to swing thie tie 3-2 in Schalke's favour. Now,Inter must score 4 unanswered goals. Very impossible all because Leonardo's hasn't created good defensive departments in his teams. However,maybe they can perform a miracle cooked up by the Madonna of Milan.
Lesson 4: The Champions' League will always be a mystery
Ever since the European Cup became the Champion's League,defending champions have not defended their crown.Dortmund,Real Madrid,Manchester United,Barcelona (and maybe Inter Milan) have all failed to hold on to their Champion's League crown after winning them. Dortmund didn't get close after their '97 win,Madrid lost out too only to throw Manchester United out in 2000 after the Red Devils' famous turnaround against Munich in '99.The Whites went on to win it in Paris but they lost out the next season and tonight,with such a heavy home loss against Schalke,Inter look set to be eliminated too just a year after brilliantly knocking out 2009 champions,Barcelona.
Harry Redknapp may have seen this coming but I'm sure he never expected this. After being declared fit, unfit and then 50-50 by Mourinho, Cristiano Ronaldo was unleashed against Spurs to maximum effect. His pace and movement always meant that Real Madrid were going to be tough to handle and it all stemmed from Mourinho's interesting game of "Simon Says" played on Redknapp. Harry said he was preparing for Ronaldo but it seems he wasn't too sure if the Portiguese attacker would turn up tonight or not. And he even allowed Marcelo to be sneaked in through the back door. The full back's direct running caused Spurs so many problems including a delicious cross for Adebayor to head home past Gomes. Harry was surely done for tonight by Mourinho.
Lesson 2: Flirting with the Champion's League is only for the brave in heart
After Spurs' sensational performance against Inter Milan in the group stages over tow legs brought joy to their followers and a breeze of fresh air into Europe's elite club competition. However, in charming all of us, Spurs bit the tempting-looking apple of the competition and now, they risk being thrown out of the Garden of the Champion's League when the return leg comes calling. The euphoria of playing so well in Europe blurred the harsh reality that the competition is draining. Thus, failure to manage resources in a not-so-large squad like Spurs can be a difficult thing to do and that can be the unmaking of teams who have decided to get too indulged with the Champion's League especially when they're meeting it for the very first time. Laurent Blanc's young Bourdeaux side of last season captured imaginations until regular campaigners,Lyon knocked them back down to Earth and burst their bubble so hard,Marseille crept in to with the Ligue 1 after looking at Bordeaux's dust trail all the way.
Lesson 3:Leonardo needs to learn how to defend
After last year's inspiring run to the "Orellano" (The Big-Eared trophy) last season, Inter now look like a total mess and even though Rafael Benitez might have had a stinker with them day one to six months into this new season, Leonardo's appointment has seen Inter show some defending which will heavily annoy the great Helenio Herrera. Rannochia and Chivu have looked poor but in last Saturday's derby and tonight's game, the two looked as though they were in the wrong profession and who's to blame? Leonardo. The Brazilian's reign at AC Milan was characterised by bad defending and some poor midfield play especially on the defensive side. They allowed Farfan to drift in from wide areas and pass the ball for fun. One such pass led to Raul's goal to swing thie tie 3-2 in Schalke's favour. Now,Inter must score 4 unanswered goals. Very impossible all because Leonardo's hasn't created good defensive departments in his teams. However,maybe they can perform a miracle cooked up by the Madonna of Milan.
Lesson 4: The Champions' League will always be a mystery
Ever since the European Cup became the Champion's League,defending champions have not defended their crown.Dortmund,Real Madrid,Manchester United,Barcelona (and maybe Inter Milan) have all failed to hold on to their Champion's League crown after winning them. Dortmund didn't get close after their '97 win,Madrid lost out too only to throw Manchester United out in 2000 after the Red Devils' famous turnaround against Munich in '99.The Whites went on to win it in Paris but they lost out the next season and tonight,with such a heavy home loss against Schalke,Inter look set to be eliminated too just a year after brilliantly knocking out 2009 champions,Barcelona.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Back from the brink
Everyone will remember 29th March,2011 as the day Ghana became the first African country to avoid defeat at Wembley against the 3 Lions of England. Everyone will remember Asamoah Gyan's 91st minute leveller to send 20,000 fans at the ground and the millions back home in Ghana into absolute delirium.
However,this result had looked unlikely 5 minutes into the game. England led by Gareth Barry in place of John Terry outplayed Ghana all over the pitch and looked as though,the 3 Lions would roar so hard the Stars would not shine. Jack Wilshere roamed the midfield leaving Anthony Annan in the shade while Stewart Downing terrorised Lee Addy for the first half in a constant barrage of attacks giving many Stars fans worrying moments. In truth,the Black Stars looked sluggish and out of the contest and deservedly, England took the lead through Andy Carroll after Downing had knocked a Wilshere pass down for the Liverpool man to slam home past a stranded Richard Kingson.The big,burly striker had occupied John mensah and Issac Vorsah busy all night with his tough approach and his relentless nature of play.It was a huge body blow as Dominic Adiyiah had missed a glorious one-on-one with Joe Hart very early in the half after being put through by Gyan.
The second half saw Ghana coach,Goran Stevanovic introduce some of his charges he and inadvertendly, these changes saw the Black Stars lift up their game and they created more chances with Gyan missing the most glaring after being put through and all he could do was to smash it into the side netting albeit from an acute angle. With England being restricted to fewer chances,Ghana pressed with Gyan leading the line and he was rewarded with a goal made out of pure genius. He bamboozled Joleon Lescott in the area and shot left-footed past Joe Hart to save the game for the Black Stars.
Persoanlly,the game presented some important positives for us to build on for the future.The gaffer,Goran Stevanovic,showed that he could see faults and rectify them. He brought off Lee Addy when he was being fried by Downing and he replaced him with a more stable Daniel Opare and his choice of Derek Boaten gave us calmness and ball retention in the middle of the park and this allowed the Stars to press hard for the goal. For all his work,Muntari never gave us the width we needed and Andre Ayew came on at the right time when the Sunderland man had expired to give us more steel down the left flank and keep Ashely Young at bay in the second half.
The downsides of tonight's performance are that:
1) we should be on the lookout for a permanent left back. Lee Addy clearly lacked the pace and positional awareness to take on a decent winger and he was the outlet through which England attacked in the first half
2)The team started slowly and in a game with very tough side,the Black Stars will a lot to think about. We failed to show a clear sense of urgency in the early parts of the game and in effect,our pressing was poor and this allowed the English to play the ball out of defence and dictate the pace of play.
However,the plaudits must go to Asamoah Gyan. His constant running meant our attack was kept alive and he dropped deep to help the build up when the ball was slow in getting upfield and his goal was a just reward.A goal that has signalled how important he is and how he has metamorphosed from a budding talent to a player who is ready to mix it up with the big boys.
TEAM LINEUPS
England: Hart, Johnson (Lescott 46), Cahill, Jagielka, Baines, Milner, Barry, Wilshere (Jarvis 69), Downing, Carroll (Defoe 59), Young (Welbeck 81).
Subs Not Used: Green, Parker, Crouch, Bent, Carson.
Booked: Milner.
Goals: Carroll 43.
Ghana: Kingson, Pantsil, Vorsah (Jonathan Mensah 46), John Mensah, Lee Addy (Opare 46), Adiyah (Tagoe 69), Annan (Derek Boateng 46), Agyemang-Badu, Kwadwo Asamoah (Inkoom 83), Muntari (Ayew 59), Gyan.
Subs Not Used: Adjei, David Addy, Kumordzi, Clottey, Sowah.
Booked: Derek Boateng, Ayew.
Goals: Gyan 90.
Att: 80,102.
Ref: Cuneyt Cakir (Turkey).
However,this result had looked unlikely 5 minutes into the game. England led by Gareth Barry in place of John Terry outplayed Ghana all over the pitch and looked as though,the 3 Lions would roar so hard the Stars would not shine. Jack Wilshere roamed the midfield leaving Anthony Annan in the shade while Stewart Downing terrorised Lee Addy for the first half in a constant barrage of attacks giving many Stars fans worrying moments. In truth,the Black Stars looked sluggish and out of the contest and deservedly, England took the lead through Andy Carroll after Downing had knocked a Wilshere pass down for the Liverpool man to slam home past a stranded Richard Kingson.The big,burly striker had occupied John mensah and Issac Vorsah busy all night with his tough approach and his relentless nature of play.It was a huge body blow as Dominic Adiyiah had missed a glorious one-on-one with Joe Hart very early in the half after being put through by Gyan.
The second half saw Ghana coach,Goran Stevanovic introduce some of his charges he and inadvertendly, these changes saw the Black Stars lift up their game and they created more chances with Gyan missing the most glaring after being put through and all he could do was to smash it into the side netting albeit from an acute angle. With England being restricted to fewer chances,Ghana pressed with Gyan leading the line and he was rewarded with a goal made out of pure genius. He bamboozled Joleon Lescott in the area and shot left-footed past Joe Hart to save the game for the Black Stars.
Persoanlly,the game presented some important positives for us to build on for the future.The gaffer,Goran Stevanovic,showed that he could see faults and rectify them. He brought off Lee Addy when he was being fried by Downing and he replaced him with a more stable Daniel Opare and his choice of Derek Boaten gave us calmness and ball retention in the middle of the park and this allowed the Stars to press hard for the goal. For all his work,Muntari never gave us the width we needed and Andre Ayew came on at the right time when the Sunderland man had expired to give us more steel down the left flank and keep Ashely Young at bay in the second half.
The downsides of tonight's performance are that:
1) we should be on the lookout for a permanent left back. Lee Addy clearly lacked the pace and positional awareness to take on a decent winger and he was the outlet through which England attacked in the first half
2)The team started slowly and in a game with very tough side,the Black Stars will a lot to think about. We failed to show a clear sense of urgency in the early parts of the game and in effect,our pressing was poor and this allowed the English to play the ball out of defence and dictate the pace of play.
However,the plaudits must go to Asamoah Gyan. His constant running meant our attack was kept alive and he dropped deep to help the build up when the ball was slow in getting upfield and his goal was a just reward.A goal that has signalled how important he is and how he has metamorphosed from a budding talent to a player who is ready to mix it up with the big boys.
TEAM LINEUPS
England: Hart, Johnson (Lescott 46), Cahill, Jagielka, Baines, Milner, Barry, Wilshere (Jarvis 69), Downing, Carroll (Defoe 59), Young (Welbeck 81).
Subs Not Used: Green, Parker, Crouch, Bent, Carson.
Booked: Milner.
Goals: Carroll 43.
Ghana: Kingson, Pantsil, Vorsah (Jonathan Mensah 46), John Mensah, Lee Addy (Opare 46), Adiyah (Tagoe 69), Annan (Derek Boateng 46), Agyemang-Badu, Kwadwo Asamoah (Inkoom 83), Muntari (Ayew 59), Gyan.
Subs Not Used: Adjei, David Addy, Kumordzi, Clottey, Sowah.
Booked: Derek Boateng, Ayew.
Goals: Gyan 90.
Att: 80,102.
Ref: Cuneyt Cakir (Turkey).
Friday, March 25, 2011
Prioritise right,Ghana.
Any tie involving our dear Black Stars and any other national team is always an improtant game and it is even more important as the next of such important games is againt the 3 Lions of England. Yes, I mean England. The same England John Terry captains, the same England Wayne Rooney plays for and the same England who break hearts (including mine) at major international competitions. That's huge,folks.Real huge.
However,this England vs Ghana should take the back seat and why should it? It's simply because we have a masssive game in Brazzaville against Les Diables Noirs of Congo in an AFCON 2012 qualifier on Sunday. A game which could have huge repercurssions on whether we'll be at the competition in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon next year and possibly fulfill the head gaffer's dream of winning the continental trophy for the first time since 1982 but it seems the bright lights and the lure of London has led some of the top football officials to forget this simple scenario and they have been queueing up at the British High Commission to get visas for the London trip and fortunately (or unfortunately dependin on how you look at it), they were refused.
Maybe we need to be reminded of how crucial this weekend's game is. After picking up a point against Sudan at home in the last round, we opened the door for Sudan and Congo to catch up and put the Stars under pressure and should it all go wrong in Brazzaville, we will fall 3 points behind Congo and then we put ourselves at the mercy of playing a series of must-win games to close the gap and face the possibility of ''mathematics'' at the end of the series. Furthermore, this game is worth 3 points. 3 points which can improve our FIFA ranking and give us the opportunity of playing world class opposition later on in the year. I do not think this is too difficult for our football ''elders'' to understand, is it? Well, for some it is and it is the reason why they hopped up and down and went visa chasing.
In my opinion, this is a snap shot of how we sometimes look at issues in this country. There is a perpetual failure to do what is necessary and right and instead we enjoy labouring tirelessly for what seems pleasing to the eye, pocket and sometimes stomach. In an era where the local game is blighted with so many challenges in terms of general match quality, poor officiating and financial difficulties for clubs, huge sums of money were going to be spent on officials for the trip to Wembley on Tuesday and when it was all over, these officials would return to Ghana and find the game in the same state they left it. Huge marks for prioritising for our top men.
I am hoping that we get it right in Brazzaville and play some good football against England on Tuesday because we have to but to our officials who wanted to go to Wembley and forgot all about Brazzaville,let the words of my good friend, Gary Al-Smith, guide you:
''Our approach to the England and Congo games is akin to telling your wife to wait while your girlfriend uses the loo''. Think about it.
However,this England vs Ghana should take the back seat and why should it? It's simply because we have a masssive game in Brazzaville against Les Diables Noirs of Congo in an AFCON 2012 qualifier on Sunday. A game which could have huge repercurssions on whether we'll be at the competition in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon next year and possibly fulfill the head gaffer's dream of winning the continental trophy for the first time since 1982 but it seems the bright lights and the lure of London has led some of the top football officials to forget this simple scenario and they have been queueing up at the British High Commission to get visas for the London trip and fortunately (or unfortunately dependin on how you look at it), they were refused.
Maybe we need to be reminded of how crucial this weekend's game is. After picking up a point against Sudan at home in the last round, we opened the door for Sudan and Congo to catch up and put the Stars under pressure and should it all go wrong in Brazzaville, we will fall 3 points behind Congo and then we put ourselves at the mercy of playing a series of must-win games to close the gap and face the possibility of ''mathematics'' at the end of the series. Furthermore, this game is worth 3 points. 3 points which can improve our FIFA ranking and give us the opportunity of playing world class opposition later on in the year. I do not think this is too difficult for our football ''elders'' to understand, is it? Well, for some it is and it is the reason why they hopped up and down and went visa chasing.
In my opinion, this is a snap shot of how we sometimes look at issues in this country. There is a perpetual failure to do what is necessary and right and instead we enjoy labouring tirelessly for what seems pleasing to the eye, pocket and sometimes stomach. In an era where the local game is blighted with so many challenges in terms of general match quality, poor officiating and financial difficulties for clubs, huge sums of money were going to be spent on officials for the trip to Wembley on Tuesday and when it was all over, these officials would return to Ghana and find the game in the same state they left it. Huge marks for prioritising for our top men.
I am hoping that we get it right in Brazzaville and play some good football against England on Tuesday because we have to but to our officials who wanted to go to Wembley and forgot all about Brazzaville,let the words of my good friend, Gary Al-Smith, guide you:
''Our approach to the England and Congo games is akin to telling your wife to wait while your girlfriend uses the loo''. Think about it.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Seven Days in the Arena
The past seven days have seen some major ooohs,aaahs,wooows and even mtcheeeews from sports fans and these are some of the reasons why:
Wayne Rooney sparked life,wonder and amazement into onlookers when he decided to defy physics to score an absolutely beautiful bicycle kick to settle a mentally draining Manchester Derby at Old Trafford. What a sight it was and for many Ghanaian fans,it was the perfect warm up for the local Black Stars' last group game against Niger in the ongoing CHAN in Sudan.
However,it turned out to be more of the same as a defeat was what Herbert Addo and his charges could give all of us.A brilliant replication of our first two group games against South Africa (a developmental side,I might add) and Zimbabwe,wasn't it?
Off the pitch,the GFA got another thumbs up from FIFA as the fourth installment of the FIFA Goal Project was earmarked for construction.Good job,lads.I only hope that all these projects will score the goals they are supposed to.
The GFA weren't the only ones getting huge plaudits,mind you.My senior from secondary school and a soul brother (we share the same birthday),Asamoah Gyan got a lovely handshake from Glo as he became their newest ambassador.What more can you wish for as a young player?Scoring goals in the EPL and being $130,000 richer every year.Life must surely be good for the 'Baby Jet'.I only hope his lyrical prowess gets sharpened along the line.Just kidding,folks.
Of course,we can't forget North London's exploits in Europe as Spurs stabbed AC Milan and that pushed Gatusso into disturbia and hysteria and of course,the ''Miracle'' that Arsenal performed at the Emirates by beating everybody's favourite enemy and second favourite team,Barcelona.
The Black Princesses need rememberance especially after beating Liberia 4-0.Great start and it should lead us to great things.
How could I have forgotten the ''No Congo,no Wembley'' chant making the rounds?We'll see how that pans out especially after Plavi had a chat with the Bison.
An interesting week,folks.Enjoy the sporting week.Cheer on!!!
Wayne Rooney sparked life,wonder and amazement into onlookers when he decided to defy physics to score an absolutely beautiful bicycle kick to settle a mentally draining Manchester Derby at Old Trafford. What a sight it was and for many Ghanaian fans,it was the perfect warm up for the local Black Stars' last group game against Niger in the ongoing CHAN in Sudan.
However,it turned out to be more of the same as a defeat was what Herbert Addo and his charges could give all of us.A brilliant replication of our first two group games against South Africa (a developmental side,I might add) and Zimbabwe,wasn't it?
Off the pitch,the GFA got another thumbs up from FIFA as the fourth installment of the FIFA Goal Project was earmarked for construction.Good job,lads.I only hope that all these projects will score the goals they are supposed to.
The GFA weren't the only ones getting huge plaudits,mind you.My senior from secondary school and a soul brother (we share the same birthday),Asamoah Gyan got a lovely handshake from Glo as he became their newest ambassador.What more can you wish for as a young player?Scoring goals in the EPL and being $130,000 richer every year.Life must surely be good for the 'Baby Jet'.I only hope his lyrical prowess gets sharpened along the line.Just kidding,folks.
Of course,we can't forget North London's exploits in Europe as Spurs stabbed AC Milan and that pushed Gatusso into disturbia and hysteria and of course,the ''Miracle'' that Arsenal performed at the Emirates by beating everybody's favourite enemy and second favourite team,Barcelona.
The Black Princesses need rememberance especially after beating Liberia 4-0.Great start and it should lead us to great things.
How could I have forgotten the ''No Congo,no Wembley'' chant making the rounds?We'll see how that pans out especially after Plavi had a chat with the Bison.
An interesting week,folks.Enjoy the sporting week.Cheer on!!!
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Back to basics
After seeing Louis Saha's goal against Arsenal last night,I began wondering how complicated the beautiful game had become. The rules which are to simplify the game are rather causing so many gray areas,the fun and excitement is giving way to controversy and conflict.
I remember when the offside law used to be so simple to grasp. If you were closer to your opponent's goal than the ball and the last defender, you were flagged offside. Juxtapose that to the modern versions of the law and there's a huge gap in difference.
''A player in an offside position is only penalised if, at the moment the ball
touches or is played by one of his team, he is, in the opinion of the referee,
involved in active play by:
• interfering with play or
• interfering with an opponent or
• gaining an advantage by being in that position''
So from a simple issue of postion on the pitch, the law now talks about what you do and don't do even in a seemingly offside position. Tough work for the brain,isn't it?
Sadly,it's the defending team that suffers from FIFA's constant tinkering of the law and one can only wonder what their motivation is.
Lauren Koscielny's attempted clearance gave Saha the right to score even when youngest of football fans could see he was offside.Tough but that's what modernity has done to football. The smart ones will now all the right to find the loopholes and build castles in them.
Another example of a similar goal happened in the 2006 World Cup in a game involving South Korea and Switzerland when Frei scored following a deflection off a Korean defender even when Frei was virtually living in an offside position.
If that is far fetched, Tom Huddlestone scored for Spurs at Fulham this current season in England but the key moment was when Gallas blocked the sight of Schwarzer and even flicked a leg at the ball on its way into the goal. The surprising part of the story is that the officials allowed the goal. Yes, they did when they rules work with tell them and all of us that when players do what Gallas did, they are ''interfering with play or interfering with an opponent'' and they should flagged offside. One can only sigh at all these complications and wonder where all these things came from to live with us.
However,for all those players who have escaped the flag and scored or helped in a goal for their teams,I can only see how smart they were and their prudence further highlights how tough the rules have made it for officials, players,journalists,pundits,commentators and everybody who's linked with the game. Ask Andy Gray and Richard Keys.
Finally,let's pray for Mr. Sepp Blatter since it's his ideas like the modern offside law that are leading this game into an era where all understanding will taken away from all of us and we'll have to keep the law by our sofas and in our bags just to keep up with the evolutions of football.
I remember when the offside law used to be so simple to grasp. If you were closer to your opponent's goal than the ball and the last defender, you were flagged offside. Juxtapose that to the modern versions of the law and there's a huge gap in difference.
''A player in an offside position is only penalised if, at the moment the ball
touches or is played by one of his team, he is, in the opinion of the referee,
involved in active play by:
• interfering with play or
• interfering with an opponent or
• gaining an advantage by being in that position''
So from a simple issue of postion on the pitch, the law now talks about what you do and don't do even in a seemingly offside position. Tough work for the brain,isn't it?
Sadly,it's the defending team that suffers from FIFA's constant tinkering of the law and one can only wonder what their motivation is.
Lauren Koscielny's attempted clearance gave Saha the right to score even when youngest of football fans could see he was offside.Tough but that's what modernity has done to football. The smart ones will now all the right to find the loopholes and build castles in them.
Another example of a similar goal happened in the 2006 World Cup in a game involving South Korea and Switzerland when Frei scored following a deflection off a Korean defender even when Frei was virtually living in an offside position.
If that is far fetched, Tom Huddlestone scored for Spurs at Fulham this current season in England but the key moment was when Gallas blocked the sight of Schwarzer and even flicked a leg at the ball on its way into the goal. The surprising part of the story is that the officials allowed the goal. Yes, they did when they rules work with tell them and all of us that when players do what Gallas did, they are ''interfering with play or interfering with an opponent'' and they should flagged offside. One can only sigh at all these complications and wonder where all these things came from to live with us.
However,for all those players who have escaped the flag and scored or helped in a goal for their teams,I can only see how smart they were and their prudence further highlights how tough the rules have made it for officials, players,journalists,pundits,commentators and everybody who's linked with the game. Ask Andy Gray and Richard Keys.
Finally,let's pray for Mr. Sepp Blatter since it's his ideas like the modern offside law that are leading this game into an era where all understanding will taken away from all of us and we'll have to keep the law by our sofas and in our bags just to keep up with the evolutions of football.
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