The toughest part about following soccer (yes, its the American influence) here is the time difference-keeping late nights and waking early next morning for office is not a daunting task compared to waking up early(and yes, 11 A.M is early) to catch the weekend action. However when its passion for the game versus the inherent attraction for the bed, something has to give way. Thus, it was a weekend early alarm, a fumble from under the sheets for the power button of the lappy, the click on the bookmark for the links to football streams( no, there are no soccer streams) and the immense chagrin on realizing the game is still 1 hour off. Dozing off was never an option, the risk of remaining in the state of dreamland was too damn high. So I persisted, trying to catch the build up to the game that was going to shape the worst season for a fairly long time for the GUNNERS.
Now the million dollar question is why support a team that is renowned recently for its aversion for any sort of silverware. Lets look into some of the facts:
1. I am not a glory hunter.
2. I hate teams being pampered by sugar daddies. (Will I still be supporting them after the rumored Arab takeover-hell I don’t know)
3. Few teams are as unpredictable as Arsenal (Defeating arguably the best team in the world 2-1, drawing after being 4-0 up, losing 8-2 when you are least expecting, finishing with a scoreline of 7-5 against a bottom rung team when they were 4-0 down-the examples are endless).
4. Le Prof’s philosophy that teams can be built from scratch, thus selling off all important assets(soccer is more of a business now than a game), thus bring on waves after waves of young raw talents and unknown faces who either flatter to deceive or run off to greener(the color of money) or silvery pastures.
Now, the match was important because a win would have given us a shot at the coveted FOURTH SPOT-a sniff at Champions League glory. Why is the Fourth Spot so important? Well ask the team that defeated us at the 2011 Mickey Mouse Cup final (which league are they playing now?) or last year’s winners who from being a European powerhouse has been relegated to mid-table ignominy(for details, watch the History channel). These teams have silverware, but they don’t have a chance to be at top of the food chain. its like winning a 10$ consolation prize but not being allowed to participate in the million dollar jackpot.
Well anyways, not deviating from my mindless rant, the team news was a surprise-the grim reaper(rumors are if he scores, someone famous dies) aka rambo aka aaron ramsey in the squad. With all due respect to his potential and talent, ever since his horrific injury (bloody potters and no I don’t mean the boy wizard from Miss Rowling’s fantasy series of which I am a big fan) he has not been the same player. Sometimes you tend to disagree with the team selection, but hell, there is a reason you are furiously typing at the keyboard while the manager is at the dugout marshaling his troops or shouting instructions. Personally, if I was the manager and my defense sucked big time, I would play only midfielders and strikers to send the message-if you score once, we will score 2 back
The match started and it ended( I am not here for the commentary, loads of highlights and analysis is available on the net), and to cut the long story short, it was a good game but we lost. Our famous defensive frailties magnificently decided to rear its ugly head and manifest itself for the opposition to exploit. Was it a bitter pill to swallow-it should have been but it wasn’t. First, the season was going downhill and expecting something really good to happen was being optimistic, secondly it was an away game and away games tend to get to your nerves(I get petrified in a classroom of familiar faces, imagine a stadium with 50-60k odd fans baying for your blood) and thirdly it was a glorious defeat-we played well, they played well and the better team won.
So with 10 games to go and the coveted Fourth Spot seemingly away from our grasp, all I can do now is wait with bated breath for the culmination of the season, when someone will slip for us. But then, its what a game of soccer is all about- its a lot like love. Its the romance of the game, the joy of winning what you love, the agony of losing out, the tension and excitement in waiting for your anticipated match to happen and finally the orgasmic climax towards the end of the season(Now I am just being cheesy). Its true love-and its SOCCER!!!
P.S: An ode to the winners tonight-
Now the million dollar question is why support a team that is renowned recently for its aversion for any sort of silverware. Lets look into some of the facts:
1. I am not a glory hunter.
2. I hate teams being pampered by sugar daddies. (Will I still be supporting them after the rumored Arab takeover-hell I don’t know)
3. Few teams are as unpredictable as Arsenal (Defeating arguably the best team in the world 2-1, drawing after being 4-0 up, losing 8-2 when you are least expecting, finishing with a scoreline of 7-5 against a bottom rung team when they were 4-0 down-the examples are endless).
4. Le Prof’s philosophy that teams can be built from scratch, thus selling off all important assets(soccer is more of a business now than a game), thus bring on waves after waves of young raw talents and unknown faces who either flatter to deceive or run off to greener(the color of money) or silvery pastures.
Now, the match was important because a win would have given us a shot at the coveted FOURTH SPOT-a sniff at Champions League glory. Why is the Fourth Spot so important? Well ask the team that defeated us at the 2011 Mickey Mouse Cup final (which league are they playing now?) or last year’s winners who from being a European powerhouse has been relegated to mid-table ignominy(for details, watch the History channel). These teams have silverware, but they don’t have a chance to be at top of the food chain. its like winning a 10$ consolation prize but not being allowed to participate in the million dollar jackpot.
Well anyways, not deviating from my mindless rant, the team news was a surprise-the grim reaper(rumors are if he scores, someone famous dies) aka rambo aka aaron ramsey in the squad. With all due respect to his potential and talent, ever since his horrific injury (bloody potters and no I don’t mean the boy wizard from Miss Rowling’s fantasy series of which I am a big fan) he has not been the same player. Sometimes you tend to disagree with the team selection, but hell, there is a reason you are furiously typing at the keyboard while the manager is at the dugout marshaling his troops or shouting instructions. Personally, if I was the manager and my defense sucked big time, I would play only midfielders and strikers to send the message-if you score once, we will score 2 back
The match started and it ended( I am not here for the commentary, loads of highlights and analysis is available on the net), and to cut the long story short, it was a good game but we lost. Our famous defensive frailties magnificently decided to rear its ugly head and manifest itself for the opposition to exploit. Was it a bitter pill to swallow-it should have been but it wasn’t. First, the season was going downhill and expecting something really good to happen was being optimistic, secondly it was an away game and away games tend to get to your nerves(I get petrified in a classroom of familiar faces, imagine a stadium with 50-60k odd fans baying for your blood) and thirdly it was a glorious defeat-we played well, they played well and the better team won.
So with 10 games to go and the coveted Fourth Spot seemingly away from our grasp, all I can do now is wait with bated breath for the culmination of the season, when someone will slip for us. But then, its what a game of soccer is all about- its a lot like love. Its the romance of the game, the joy of winning what you love, the agony of losing out, the tension and excitement in waiting for your anticipated match to happen and finally the orgasmic climax towards the end of the season(Now I am just being cheesy). Its true love-and its SOCCER!!!
P.S: An ode to the winners tonight-
Oh, when the saints go marching in,
Oh, when the saints go marching in,
You will be gunned down by the gunners,
When the saints go marching in
Peace.