You'll have to forgive him. He's from Barcelona.
Bit crestfallen about the Champions League final. Not just the result but the way that it happened. Barcelona winning was always on the cards but their cynical, manipulated bending of the rules got to me.
Even if it meant my prediction being wrong, Arsenal had to score a second goal on the counter-attack if they were to have any hope of winning. They couldn't repel wave after wave of Barcelona sorties forever.
Barcelona celebrated like they played the finest match ever. Well sorry to break it to you fellas, but you played s#*thouse and needed the benefit of an offside goal to break through.
After the match, Barcelona's Samuel Eto'o said they 'did a Liverpool'. Truth-fiction-story- get in way of....
Samuel, Liverpool were actually down 3-0 at halftime and not playing against 10 men.
The manner in which the game was played upset me more than the result. I fear football/soccer as a game played in a spirit of fairness is no more. Gone the way of the pixies. The mantra seems to be that "there is no such thing as cheating if you get away with it."
The World Cup is coming up and how many matches there will decided by the subtle or not so subtle bending of the rules? With what we are now seeing in Italy, how can we be so sure that everything is kosher?
This is what happens when sport becomes such a big business. If it is literally worth millions and millions of dollars to score that dubious goal why wouldn't you? You can deal with your conscious later.
Even if it meant my prediction being wrong, Arsenal had to score a second goal on the counter-attack if they were to have any hope of winning. They couldn't repel wave after wave of Barcelona sorties forever.
Barcelona celebrated like they played the finest match ever. Well sorry to break it to you fellas, but you played s#*thouse and needed the benefit of an offside goal to break through.
After the match, Barcelona's Samuel Eto'o said they 'did a Liverpool'. Truth-fiction-story- get in way of....
Samuel, Liverpool were actually down 3-0 at halftime and not playing against 10 men.
The manner in which the game was played upset me more than the result. I fear football/soccer as a game played in a spirit of fairness is no more. Gone the way of the pixies. The mantra seems to be that "there is no such thing as cheating if you get away with it."
The World Cup is coming up and how many matches there will decided by the subtle or not so subtle bending of the rules? With what we are now seeing in Italy, how can we be so sure that everything is kosher?
This is what happens when sport becomes such a big business. If it is literally worth millions and millions of dollars to score that dubious goal why wouldn't you? You can deal with your conscious later.
posted by Dot Co Dot Il at 9:13 AM
6 Comments:
Dave,
As much as I respect your opinion on sporting matters – I feel you have missed the boat somewhat here.
Please explain to me how Barcelona “bent the rules”. From the game I was watching (admittedly through Spurs tinted glasses) Barcelona were the better team over-all. No doubt you will say they were down to 10-men, but the reason they were down to 10-men was because of a sublime through ball from Ronaldinho. If possession wins football matches then this was proof.
The true disgrace in the game was that the ref did not play on after Et’oo was fouled. Giuly scored, the ref could have booked Lehmann and we might have seen the spectacle we were all hoping for. For a precedent of such a goal, see Luis Garcia’s goal in last years Champs League semi.
Interesting that you thought the first Barcelona goal was offside – I presume if you were the linesman you would have seen something that was almost impossible to see for the naked eye.
If any team did not play in the spirit of fairness it was Arsenal. Eboue should have been sent off for a knee high tackle before half time on Gio, and all the English papers this morning are agreed that the Arsenal right back dived to win the free kick from which Campbell scored. The comments from Wenger and Henry (“the ref was wearing a Barca shirt”) after the game were also a sad indictment on the modern game.
Finally, I have to take issue with the “Barcelona celebrated like they played their finest match ever”. Any team that wins the European Cup should celebrate for the rest of the summer. I remember Staue Bucharest celebrating for a long time after they won on penalties against Barca some years ago without even having had a shot on goal.
And closer to your roots, the celebrations of the Australian players after the Edgbaston test last year was probably the most raucous celebration for a draw in the history of cricket.
Rant over.
On a lighter note – it seems Arsenal have cancelled the parade that they had planned for today. Oh dear! http://www.arsenal.com/article.asp?thisNav=News&article=385077&lid=NewsHeadline&Title=Champions+League+parade+will+NOT+take+place
Greeny
Not much else I can say.
Game, Set and Match Greeny.
Thankyou linesmen. Thankyou ballboys.
My husband went all the way to Paris to watch his beloved Arsenal get shmeared. Plus he caught a tummy bug - which I told him is his own damn fault.
Come on- on some level we all knew- Arsenal had no chance. (HA!)
You sound so much like my husband, it's scary. You English...
Kasamba - Is he going to the World Cup as well?
Aliza - Who's English?
Not if I can help it!!!!
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