Euro 2008 and Wimbledon

Euro 2008 recently finished, and I’m glad that Spain won.

I managed not to watch a single match in this tournament, which sort of makes a mockery of my claim to be a football fan! I know that if I were back in England, I would have watched almost all of the matches, but with the late matches here starting at 2.45, almost the worst possible time, I decided against watching any of them. Particularly with England not being present, the tournament held little interest for me, and I would have had to make special trips to bars or pubs here to catch the games.

I maintain that I will only watch matches involving the Mighty Arsenal, and otherwise, I’ll only watch the more important games, such as the recent Champions League final, which are kindly repeated by the broadcasters here.

Instead, I took to watching Wimbledon, and tennis for me has always been the more obviously entertaining spectator sport. I can’t quite explain how football has this stranglehold over the worldwide audience, and for me, it’s somewhat down to the build-up of tension that other sports can never really match. But in matches that don’t involve teams that I care greatly about (such as the Euros), football often falls short on an aesthetic level. (Having said that, reports have shown Euro 2008 to be one of the best tournaments in recent years. Don’t ask me, I wouldn’t know.)

It’s down to the lack of teams these days that are willing to play the beautiful game as Pele intended. We have Chelsea, Liverpool, the direness that is the Italian national team as three teams that demonstrate that playing dirty and boring brings results. And on the other side, we have Arsene Wenger, stubborn to a fault, determined to play sexy football, and unfortunately for the neutrals, not bringing in the trophies for Arsenal. That’s why I’m in one sense glad that both Manchester United and Spain managed to prevail this season, as their players are always trying to play more entertaining football.

Tennis on the other hand, is generally a lot more beautiful to watch. We’ll leave the women out of it, as the ladies tournament is clearly a fashion tournament masquerading as a professional sport. In fact, the women’s game is excruciatingly bad to watch, and it’s no wonder that the Williams sisters made it again, since the other players are a complete disgrace as professional athletes. Even the top players manage to double fault almost consistently given any sort of pressure. It’s horrible that in Taiwan they only seem to feature the Chinese players on the women’s draw, since the men’s game is always of a far higher quality.

The men’s final between Roger Federer, five time Wimbledon champion, and Rafael Nadal, his closest rival, was absolutely thrilling and one of the most incredible sporting events I’ve ever seen. It was nail biting sports at its greatest, a wonderful twisting final that could so easily have gone either way (and repeatedly did). While I did expect Nadal to win, especially after the first set, I was hoping for Federer to somehow show his class and scrape a victory. He almost did, coming back from two sets down in two of the most nerve racking tie breaks in history, but Nadal held his nerve to claim the victory he deserved.

It’s incredible that despite still being just 26 years of age, and still the world number one, we’re almost talking about Roger Federer being finished. But the intensity and aggression in his play was never quite there. Federer is an incredible champion, and at his best he elegantly glides around the court like a tennis God, making the impossible look effortless. Undoubtedly, he will be remembered as one of the all time greats. But what seemed to be his destiny – to be remembered as the greatest is now in doubt, not least from the player who has just beaten him – still only 22.

After years of dominance, he finally has a rival in Nadal who not only has come of age, but who has developed a playing style that is perfectly tailored to counter him. Nadal isn’t afraid to change his game to beat Federer, but is Federer prepared to do the same? I felt really sorry for Federer during the game – he generally uses his elegant single handed sliced backhand to move his opponent around the court, to buy himself time to unleash his huge forehand. But against Nadal, it was practically useless. I felt sorry for a guy, whose only weakness (and it barely qualifies as a weakness) was being exposed again and again, with backhands hitting the net time and time again throughout the match. It very much looked like Federer was a one dimensional player, relying on his serve and forehand, and this is inconceivable for a player of such infinite talent.

Federer is undoubtedly the superior grass player, and if he is able to rebuild his game, I really hope to see him win at Wimbledon again. Critics and fans are beginning to doubt him, but should Federer come back and win the US Open, and retain his Number One ranking, eclipsing Pete Sampras is very much within reach. I’m really looking forward to seeing this unfold – to see the previously unflappable Federer have to fight for his right to be remembered as a great. The ball is in his court.

Thierry Henry, the Gunner Galactico

As Arsenal’s season ends prematurely, it’s usually time for a review. As Myles Palmer of Arsenal News Review – my usual first call for Arsenal news and reports – says, Arsenal are short of a striker. A big club without a world class striker is unthinkable if we really want success.

It seems like so long ago that Thierry Henry graced the sacred turf of Highbury and played the most majestic football Arsenal fans had ever seen. And despite my favourite player remaining the masterful Dutchman, Dennis Bergkamp, it’s really impossible to overplay the importance of Thierry Henry in the success that Arsenal have had in recent years. It has really, honestly been down to him – the cutting edge behind our attack, the man who produced the winning goal time and time again. And now he’s gone, and Arsenal have dribbled miserably out of both the title race and the champions league, finally we miss him, or at least him at his best. How fickle football fans are.

Even so, we were still a striker short over this period, especially after Dennis left. I can’t imagine the success we might have had, had we actually bought a decent forward to play with him, although few would have been deemed worthy by the Frenchman who had difficulties playing with everyone bar Dennis. Now we are two quality strikers short.

Thierry was so much more than goals – he was the complete player, although admittedly a woeful captain, whose teammates could never live up to his own ridiculous standards. And there have been so many incredible goals over the years, which are remembered ever more fondly by the day. I believe Henry’s ability was so far ahead of anyone else at the time, it’s hard to imagine any other player scoring some of these goals. Here are probably my favourite ten of Thierry Henry’s goals. No links I’m afraid, these are straight out of my increasingly failing memory.

10. Thierry vs Inter Milan

Capping off a wonderful European night, Thierry scored two, but his second is most typical of his talent. Thierry has the ball just inside the box, and the defender, Materazzi is in front of him. Dipping his shoulder, Thierry blasts of with instant acceleration to the left, and fires a shot back across goal into the opposite corner. Thierry’s finishing from this area is impossible to stop. You’ll see another similarly great goal higher on this list. What’s more is that this is against defending of the highest level. Even though they know what he’s going to do, they’re still helpless to stop him. Thierry’s pace and acceleration from a standing position was legendary, and the finishing is deadly. 5 – 1 to the Arsenal, and what a great night it was.

9. Thierry vs Some Random Side

If only this wasn’t a Pre Season friendly, as this is perhaps the most beautiful goal on this list. It is just the most sublime, impossible display of god given talent. Thierry receives a long ball, and whilst running forward into position on the edge of the box away from goal to the right, sticks his right boot out and reverse flicks the ball 90 degrees over the defender’s head and back across to the left. As the ball dips down, Thierry caresses the most delicate of looping volleys with his left boot, that eludes the keeper in a perfect arc. The whole process is incredible.

8. Thierry vs Charlton

Marked tightly by the Charlton defender, and in a crowded penalty area, Thierry improvises remarkably, backheeling the ball from ten yards into the far corner of the goal. Thierry hits the backheel with pace, and with the goalkeeper unsighted, it’s a memorable goal for Arsenal. I believe John Motson is still trying to work out how Thierry Henry scored this one.

7. Thierry vs Roma

A European hat trick for Thierry was completed with this incredible free kick, whipped perfectly into the top corner with pace and precision. Yes, he hits free kicks too. Henry>>>You.

6. Thierry vs Tottenham Hotspur

A notable goal, not only because it came against Arsenal’s most bitter rivals. Thierry runs almost the entire length of the pitch to score this one, taking the ball from near the edge of his box, and heading towards the Spurs goal at pace. No other player can keep up, not least his own teammates, and Thierry takes it upon himself to coast past three Tottenham players with ease, drifting towards the left side of the goal and squeezing in a shot into the corner from the edge of the box. Thierry runs to celebrate in front of the Spurs fans, which endeared him in the hearts of many. If you score a goal like that, you have the right to do that, I suppose.

5. Thierry vs Manchester City

Thierry hit some sublime goals against Manchester City in his career, but this, part of a 5-0 drumming if I remember correctly, was part of a masterful display from the Frenchman. I like this goal, not often remembered, because Thierry made it look so easy. A long looping ball comes towards him, and Thierry, taking up his regular position on the left hand edge of the box, leaps slightly into the air, allowing the ball to land onto his right instep, and as his own body hits the ground, hits a crisp clean daisy cutter of a shot immediately with his left foot which goes in off the far post. This goal is immaculate. The goalkeeper doesn’t even move, because Thierry shouldn’t be able to hit such a clean shot from that position. As always, his technique is exemplary. But for the observer it just looks effortless, and maybe not even that spectacular. What a player.

4. Thierry vs West Ham

Thierry’s long shooting was as good as anyone. This goal only earned the Gunners a 2-2 draw, but it deserved to be the winner. Thierry flicks the ball up, over his shoulder and away from the opposition player and strides towards goal looking sure to give the defense problems… but before anyone in the ground can even blink, he’s only gone and hit an absolute rocket of a volleyed shot into the top corner from 25 yards. An absolute stunner. I didn’t even know footballs could be hit that hard.

3. Thierry vs Liverpool

Arsenal’s season was in a little trouble, and the media were circling like magpies waiting for Arsenal to choke the title. Thierry confirmed the Invincibles’ legacy would be written into the history books with this most sly of runs. Picking up the ball deep inside the Liverpool half, Thierry slaloms his way directly through the Liverpool defence. He somehow makes the Liverpool defense of Hyypia and Carragher look like traffic cones, as he wrong foots them with incredulous ease. On second viewing, Henry still confuses even the viewer with his trickery and guile. Before you know it, he’s one on one with the keeper, and the finish is never in doubt. This goal, which effectively guaranteed the Gunners’ Premiership title was one third of a wonderful hat trick.

2. Thierry vs Real Madrid

“Go on Thierry, my son!” came the cries all around me as we were gripped by the onscreen drama. Of course Henry could score against minor opposition at will, but dare he produce the goods against the mighty Real Madrid? He proved it, at the Bernabeu, no less, and emphatically; in a season that saw Arsenal come so close to claiming that elusive Champions League title, and yet so far. Thierry picks up the ball in the centre circle, and proceeds to take on the entire Madrid team by himself. He beats three players – Ronaldo, attempting to shoulder charge him, only manages to increase his velocity towards the Madrid goal. Henry uses all his pace to steam past the Madrid back line, beating Ramos with sheer speed before hitting a clinical left foot shot right into the corner. Of course he could finish from there. He’s Thierry Henry, after all.

1. Thierry vs Manchester United

THAT Thierry Henry goal. At this stage of his career, Thierry’s place in history was still uncertain. Sure he was a great striker, but he wasn’t yet the world superstar that he would later become. With his back to goal, standing a good 25 yards out, Thierry flicks up a pass and in one single twist, strikes the cleanest of volleys for an audacious looping shot that leaves Fabien Barthez helpless. Did he mean it? The replays show it all, but not the pace of the shot, which comes out of nowhere. Henry at his absolute best was always capable of producing magic like this. Could anyone else? Near impossible to imagine. The ball lands in the top corner of the goal but no keeper in the world would get anywhere near it.

Disclaimer: My reporting is not necessarily 100% accurate. Corrections are most welcome and I will update accordingly. An honourable mention goes to the Chelsea pirouette, which should have found it into the list, but for the fact that I had already written it.

Same old Arsenal, always conceeding

I’m not usually the most optimistic about Arsenal’s chances in the Champions League, but we always do have a chance. In knockout football, anything can happen.

At 2-1 down, I wasn’t all that worried; since we would have had to score anyway. All of a sudden, there was a sense of urgency in the team, and there was always a possibility of sneaking a goal, which we did. I think had it gone to penalties, we would have had no chance. So the only thing I had in my mind was: “Don’t score too early!”

Even though in the second half, we were getting pummelled, I was still optimistic, Theo was on, and at least something might happen with him on the pitch. He did his run, shades of Thierry Henry, and it looked like somehow Arsenal had made it through. But this is Arsenal, the Arsenal who always look likely to conceed, especially after taking the lead. The team were exhausted, Fabregas and Hleb in particular, and I couldn’t understand why Wenger had waited so long to bring on his substitutes.

Arsenal cannot defend. I said that in my last post, and it has always been that way since that back four retired.

Well, losing to a dodgy penalty is never much fun. I’ve been feeling a bit down today, but to be honest, the team didn’t really deserve to go through. I’m fed up of getting knocked out of the Champions League. Trying to look for the positives, at least we’ve avoided another potential battering at the hands of Manchester United.

And for me personally, these 3am matches haven’t been helping my sleep pattern over the past week; I didn’t manage to recover from the last one. If the match on Saturday doesn’t go well, then there’s no more football for me for a while. I won’t be watching the Champions League final, nor much of Euro 2008, I imagine, so maybe I might get some work done as a result.