Chance for Dutch captain Giovanni Van Bronkhorst to end on a high before retiring.
Or will it be his ex-Barca teammates CARLES PUYOL & XAVI's last chance to complete their ULTIMATE football medals collection? It will probably the Catalan duo's last World Cup, so its now or never..
World Cup, Euro, UEFA Champions League, FIFA World Club Cup, leagues + cups
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I suspect if Spain cock up, it will be most likely due to the inadaptness of Sergio Busquets and Xabi Alonso (the player I always termed a luxury player).
Cesc Fabregas must definitely be first choice in front of the luxury player.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Made-in-Catalunya
Made-in-Catalunya goal causes chaos in a local neighbourhood. Sorry neighbours for the early morning call! VISCA BARCA! VISCA CATALUNYA!
Captain Courageous Carles Puyol stuck shit in the faces of some deriders who labelled him a weak link to the Spanish rearguard. Take that! After the goal, it was as if we saw a Espana version of the Fabio Cannavaro of WC 2006. Shaggy hair was impeccable!
note: (From my observation, teams that thrash others hardly ever win the ultimate prize in a knockout competition. What more one that walloped 3 teams by 4 goals?)
Captain Courageous Carles Puyol stuck shit in the faces of some deriders who labelled him a weak link to the Spanish rearguard. Take that! After the goal, it was as if we saw a Espana version of the Fabio Cannavaro of WC 2006. Shaggy hair was impeccable!
note: (From my observation, teams that thrash others hardly ever win the ultimate prize in a knockout competition. What more one that walloped 3 teams by 4 goals?)
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
BBQ the Octopus & final hope
Lame shit.
Let me give you my theory. If I am not wrong, this assy octopus is fed with 2 types of food.
Against Australia, it tried the 'german' food. Against Serbia, it changed its choice to test the 'second type' of food.
It then decided that the 'german food' is nicer. So subsequently it ate the 'german' food against Ghana, Inggeland and Argentina.
Now it is tired of the 'German' food. So it ate the 'other type' of food this time.
Lady luck has been shining on the Dutch that with a crap defence, they may still end up champions.
Predictions have gone awry, one final hope now is for Pep's successor in the heart of the Barca midfield to achieve the whole collection of medals a professional footballer dream to attain in a career & surpass the achivements of Bixente Lizarazu, Zizou and 'Turbo' Henry.
Let me give you my theory. If I am not wrong, this assy octopus is fed with 2 types of food.
Against Australia, it tried the 'german' food. Against Serbia, it changed its choice to test the 'second type' of food.
It then decided that the 'german food' is nicer. So subsequently it ate the 'german' food against Ghana, Inggeland and Argentina.
Now it is tired of the 'German' food. So it ate the 'other type' of food this time.
Lady luck has been shining on the Dutch that with a crap defence, they may still end up champions.
Predictions have gone awry, one final hope now is for Pep's successor in the heart of the Barca midfield to achieve the whole collection of medals a professional footballer dream to attain in a career & surpass the achivements of Bixente Lizarazu, Zizou and 'Turbo' Henry.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Glen Johnson is a HERO!
Ok this has come a bit late as I have been busy to post.
But has any report or article point out the role that Glen Johnson played in England's round of 16 defeat?
If you recall, for the third German goal that killed off all hopes for the Three Lioness, Glen had the opportunity to make a tactical foul on Ozil or Podolski (either one of them) as the German player ran sideways past him. HE WAS NOT THE LAST MAN.
He didnt and that pass led to the Germans' third.
Guess what, later in the game, our dear Glen got a yellow card instead for some dumb foul. Then, the TV screen showed, "Misses next game". WOW!
How about that man Glen? Dumb or selfish? Both?
I don't even want to mention the name of a certain German who missed the Cup final for his team, bcos they are of a different league altogether.
Kudos to Glen!
But has any report or article point out the role that Glen Johnson played in England's round of 16 defeat?
If you recall, for the third German goal that killed off all hopes for the Three Lioness, Glen had the opportunity to make a tactical foul on Ozil or Podolski (either one of them) as the German player ran sideways past him. HE WAS NOT THE LAST MAN.
He didnt and that pass led to the Germans' third.
Guess what, later in the game, our dear Glen got a yellow card instead for some dumb foul. Then, the TV screen showed, "Misses next game". WOW!
How about that man Glen? Dumb or selfish? Both?
I don't even want to mention the name of a certain German who missed the Cup final for his team, bcos they are of a different league altogether.
Kudos to Glen!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Back in Green for a night
Kim wins the duel of Koreans as Eagles snap winless streak
Tuesday night’s Great Eastern-Yeo’s S-League match saw two Koreans who recently joined their respective teams in the mid-season transfer window go head-to-head.
After ninety minutes, it was clear which Korean had stamped his authority on the game. The name more local fans would be familiar with - Geylang’s Kim Jae Hong, won the battle hands down as the attacking midfielder created the first goal before adding his name to the scoresheet, leading Geylang United to a comfortable 2-0 victory at Hougang Stadium.
His counterpart, Sengkang’s An Jae Cheul, huffed and puffed in the middle of the park but hardly made an impact before being substituted in the second half.
No doubt Geylang fans will be glad to see Kim back with the side as the Korean had played a key role in the Eagles’ cup triumph last season with his penetrating runs and crucial goals.
With this performance, it looks like the Eagles’ managment have done a good piece of business in replacing the injury-hit Miroslav Latiak, who has been bothered with groin problems all season,
The win allows the Eagles to snap a five game winless streak and move up to fourth place in the league standings.
Sengkang coach Aide Iskandar had sprang a surprise in his line-up when he paired a half-fit Jordan Webb with livewire Mamadou Diallo upfront, probably seeking to exploit the Geylang’s defence with sheer pace.
However, even before his plan could take effect, his team found themselves already a goal down.
Off a Syed Thaha throw-in from the left after just fifty seconds into the match, Kim dazzled his way past a couple of defenders into the Sengkang penalty area. After some pinball in the box, teammate Itmi Dickson finally found space to thump the ball into the roof of the net to leave the Sengkang players shell-shocked.
With a goal advantage, the Eagles sat back a little but still managed to control much of the game.
Itimi was proving to be a handful early on as his pace and trickery left the Sengkang defenders backpedalling on many occasions in the first period.
At the other end, it was Mamadou who was causing the Eagles backline problems with his darting runs.
In the 36th minute, the Guinean youngster won a freekick which he himself executed. The swerving attempt was good but Eagles custodian Yazid Yasin proved his worth with a good save.
Three minutes earlier, a misjudgement by Shahir Hamzah had almost led in Kim but Dolphins’ keeper Fadhil Salim was alert and diverted the Korean’s half volley away with his legs.
Just before the break, Sengkang had two good opportunities to equalize.
First, midfielder Sobrie Mazelan struck a fierce volley that just missed Yazid’s righthand post. The chance came after Webb had set him up well from leftback Duncan Elias’ sweet cross.
Then in the 44th minute, Webb took on a few Geylang defenders before feeding Jalal.
Unfortunately, the winger was called for offiside else he would have been through on goal. It was a let-off for the Eagles’ defence.
The Dolphins came out of the dressing room looking for the equaliser and almost got it in the 48th minute had their own Korean An not been so wasteful.
Webb showed excellent control and acceleration as he pulled down a high ball before dashing down the by-line. His pullback was brilliant but An somehow blazed over from ten yards. It was probably the home side’s best chance on the night.
Next up to threaten Yazid in the Geylang goal was Duncan, whose usual set-piece routine caused chaos in the Eagles’ penalty area on a couple of occasions.
Geylang on the other hand, was relying on their swift counter attacks with Kim and half-time substitute Yasir Hanapi leading the charge.
It was through one of this combination in the 56th minute which striker Peter Tomko almost profited, however, his marker Shahir did well to deflect the Slovak’s attempt wide.
A minute later, a poor kickout by Fadhil proved costly for the Dolphins.
Geylang wingback Syed Fadhil intercepted the kick and played a long ball down the middle which the pacy Kim reacted quickest and latched on to. The Korean took a touch with his left boot to control before finishing clinically into the Sengkang goal with his right.
It was the Eagles’ fleet footed attacker’s first goal since returning to the Eagles early this month.
Though two goals down, the Dolphins continued to show effort through their hard running but was let down their passing and decision making, especially in the last third of the field.
On the few occasions that Mamadou, Jordan, and gang conjured up promising moves near the Geylang goal, a combination of uncompromising defending by the Geylang defenders and alert goalkeeping by Yazid kept the Dolphins at bay.
In fact, it was Kim who had the best chance to get the game’s third goal towards the end of the game when a smart inter-change with Yasir and Tomko saw the Korean broke free down the left.
But from a narrow angle, he could only blast the ball high and off target.
Reflecting on the game, a visibly dejected Aide Iskandar admitted that Geylang were the better and hungrier side on the night. Summing up the game, he said, “It was disappointing to concede an early goal. Although we played much better in the second half, another mistake caused us to lose a second goal”.
In contrast, Eagles’ coach Mike Wong was in a more positive mood. He commented, “I am happy with the three points, but we still made some silly mistakes in the game”.
Looking forward to their next game against their eastern rivals Tampines Rovers in twelve days time, he added, “This mini break will give us time to reorganise and this win is important as it will lift the players’ spirits during this period.”
When quizzed about Kim’s performance, Wong commented, “Yes, Kim is an important player to us as he can exploit spaces behind the opponents’ defence. I am happy that he has scored on his third game back with us and hopefully his form will last long till the end of the season”.
Tuesday night’s Great Eastern-Yeo’s S-League match saw two Koreans who recently joined their respective teams in the mid-season transfer window go head-to-head.
After ninety minutes, it was clear which Korean had stamped his authority on the game. The name more local fans would be familiar with - Geylang’s Kim Jae Hong, won the battle hands down as the attacking midfielder created the first goal before adding his name to the scoresheet, leading Geylang United to a comfortable 2-0 victory at Hougang Stadium.
His counterpart, Sengkang’s An Jae Cheul, huffed and puffed in the middle of the park but hardly made an impact before being substituted in the second half.
No doubt Geylang fans will be glad to see Kim back with the side as the Korean had played a key role in the Eagles’ cup triumph last season with his penetrating runs and crucial goals.
With this performance, it looks like the Eagles’ managment have done a good piece of business in replacing the injury-hit Miroslav Latiak, who has been bothered with groin problems all season,
The win allows the Eagles to snap a five game winless streak and move up to fourth place in the league standings.
Sengkang coach Aide Iskandar had sprang a surprise in his line-up when he paired a half-fit Jordan Webb with livewire Mamadou Diallo upfront, probably seeking to exploit the Geylang’s defence with sheer pace.
However, even before his plan could take effect, his team found themselves already a goal down.
Off a Syed Thaha throw-in from the left after just fifty seconds into the match, Kim dazzled his way past a couple of defenders into the Sengkang penalty area. After some pinball in the box, teammate Itmi Dickson finally found space to thump the ball into the roof of the net to leave the Sengkang players shell-shocked.
With a goal advantage, the Eagles sat back a little but still managed to control much of the game.
Itimi was proving to be a handful early on as his pace and trickery left the Sengkang defenders backpedalling on many occasions in the first period.
At the other end, it was Mamadou who was causing the Eagles backline problems with his darting runs.
In the 36th minute, the Guinean youngster won a freekick which he himself executed. The swerving attempt was good but Eagles custodian Yazid Yasin proved his worth with a good save.
Three minutes earlier, a misjudgement by Shahir Hamzah had almost led in Kim but Dolphins’ keeper Fadhil Salim was alert and diverted the Korean’s half volley away with his legs.
Just before the break, Sengkang had two good opportunities to equalize.
First, midfielder Sobrie Mazelan struck a fierce volley that just missed Yazid’s righthand post. The chance came after Webb had set him up well from leftback Duncan Elias’ sweet cross.
Then in the 44th minute, Webb took on a few Geylang defenders before feeding Jalal.
Unfortunately, the winger was called for offiside else he would have been through on goal. It was a let-off for the Eagles’ defence.
The Dolphins came out of the dressing room looking for the equaliser and almost got it in the 48th minute had their own Korean An not been so wasteful.
Webb showed excellent control and acceleration as he pulled down a high ball before dashing down the by-line. His pullback was brilliant but An somehow blazed over from ten yards. It was probably the home side’s best chance on the night.
Next up to threaten Yazid in the Geylang goal was Duncan, whose usual set-piece routine caused chaos in the Eagles’ penalty area on a couple of occasions.
Geylang on the other hand, was relying on their swift counter attacks with Kim and half-time substitute Yasir Hanapi leading the charge.
It was through one of this combination in the 56th minute which striker Peter Tomko almost profited, however, his marker Shahir did well to deflect the Slovak’s attempt wide.
A minute later, a poor kickout by Fadhil proved costly for the Dolphins.
Geylang wingback Syed Fadhil intercepted the kick and played a long ball down the middle which the pacy Kim reacted quickest and latched on to. The Korean took a touch with his left boot to control before finishing clinically into the Sengkang goal with his right.
It was the Eagles’ fleet footed attacker’s first goal since returning to the Eagles early this month.
Though two goals down, the Dolphins continued to show effort through their hard running but was let down their passing and decision making, especially in the last third of the field.
On the few occasions that Mamadou, Jordan, and gang conjured up promising moves near the Geylang goal, a combination of uncompromising defending by the Geylang defenders and alert goalkeeping by Yazid kept the Dolphins at bay.
In fact, it was Kim who had the best chance to get the game’s third goal towards the end of the game when a smart inter-change with Yasir and Tomko saw the Korean broke free down the left.
But from a narrow angle, he could only blast the ball high and off target.
Reflecting on the game, a visibly dejected Aide Iskandar admitted that Geylang were the better and hungrier side on the night. Summing up the game, he said, “It was disappointing to concede an early goal. Although we played much better in the second half, another mistake caused us to lose a second goal”.
In contrast, Eagles’ coach Mike Wong was in a more positive mood. He commented, “I am happy with the three points, but we still made some silly mistakes in the game”.
Looking forward to their next game against their eastern rivals Tampines Rovers in twelve days time, he added, “This mini break will give us time to reorganise and this win is important as it will lift the players’ spirits during this period.”
When quizzed about Kim’s performance, Wong commented, “Yes, Kim is an important player to us as he can exploit spaces behind the opponents’ defence. I am happy that he has scored on his third game back with us and hopefully his form will last long till the end of the season”.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Euro 2008's Spain > WC 2010's Spain
"Sometimes the obvious simply blinds the not so obvious"
Let me put this clear. I like Spain, their style of play and I support them.
Prior to kickoff at Euro 2008, Xin-爷 and I had a chat and the idea of Spain winning the tournament was explored and after some deliberation, discussion and analysis, decided to back them a few times on route to the final.
At that time, nobody gave them a chance and the pressure was off the players.
But i just think that a lot of people have not realize that Spain has come into the tournament this time with too much hype but in a worse condition than going into Euro 2008 despite going 40+ intl games unbeaten.
Why do I say so:
a) The only recent return of El Nino, Cesc Fabregas to the team. U cant be at your peak right?
b) Andres Iniesta is an extremely vital element of the side but still bugged by injury
c) Xavi, after a tough european season where he played the last part carrying a calf injury, is also not at 100%. Just to note he is one who is seldom rested by Pep. And the fact that my Barca was pushed all the way to the wire by our deadliest rivals
d) Absence of Marcos Senna, this has been mentioned b4 in reports. Alonso is no Senna, neither is Busquets. If you remember, Senna played a more defensive role in the Euros than at club level but to perfection, setting the platform for Xavi to probe along with Iniesta and David Silva
e) The overwhelming expectation of the country. Possible?
f) Luis Aragones factor. This is Vicente Del Bosque's first big tournament. Maybe he is just Real material? nothing more?
g) Jesus Navas and Pedro are impressive, but relatively lack experience at intl level. Too much weight on them to certain youngsters to turn the game when needed?
Above are points to ponder about.
But still, i hope that the team can pull itself up, make some changes and progress further. However, I am of the feeling it wont be the ones to lift the cup in July.
But then again, the team I think will win the tournament has players not at 100% condition too. Hmm.. Contradicting?
WC - 15 June: Embarassments
Brazil's defender Juan had his name badly mispronounced by the whole game yesterday. unbelieveable error by the seasoned commentator. It should be Hoo-an, not Jew-an.
U don't pronounce Jew-an Sebastian Veron do you?
I say Chong Tese 鄭大世(as he is known in Japan) looks much better with his hair up there. He tried too hard imitate Wazza man..
U don't pronounce Jew-an Sebastian Veron do you?
I say Chong Tese 鄭大世(as he is known in Japan) looks much better with his hair up there. He tried too hard imitate Wazza man..
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