The sad world of sore losers

The saddest thing about football today is that there are players and managers like those from FC Barcelona (as well as all those privileged rich boys from all other great clubs). Because they do not appreciate the playful and irrelevant beauty of football.

Yesterday football fans were gifted with a fantastic semifinal match in the Champions League between Inter Milan and FC Barcelona. 4-3 after extra time, a match full of drama, tactical finesse, technique, great goals, great saves, mistakes and controversy. All the ingredients that have made football great over so many years. A home side going ahead 2-0, then FC Barcelona leading 2-3 and some fantastic saves by an incredible veteran Swiss goalkeeper Yann Sommer that kept the Italians in the match, and then a dramatic last minute equalizer and a victory goal by Davide Fratessi and dramatic last-ditch attacks by Barcelona.

The match could have gone to either side because both sides were great: if Yann Sommer had not made two fantastic saves against Lamine Yamal, it would have ended differently. If Gerard Martin had not fumbled in defense against Francesco Acerbi, Inter would never have equalised in the last second. If Dani Olmo had not lost the ball, Lautaro Martinez would never have scored the opening goal. If Robert Lewandowski had not missed an open header in the dying minutes of extra time, the match would have gone into penalty kicks.

So much could have happened. 

That is football.

Yet, Barcelona's players, manager and leadership are a bunch of sore losers entitled millionaires who have never faced a real challenge in life. Instead of recognising a great match, they just blame the referee. Believe me, if they had won, we would not have heard a word... But they are small people in a world where too many people never takes responsibility, never face defeat with dignity and recognition of others' efforts....

Sad sad sad, and although I would have been very happy to see Barcelona in the final, because they are a great side, I can only be delighted not to see them there when they behave like that.

I have no expectations that an Inter Milan side are any different, so that said I will support Paris St. Germain in the final, because of their manager Luis Enrique (a former Barcelona player). I know that he has gone through very difficult things in his life, and that he knows football is just that: football, important but irrelevant, and that there is always space to better yourself rather than blame others.

Reason to be excited about Argentina

Today's match at Wembley was called the "Finalisima", as it was the contest between the European champions of Italy and the South American champions from Argentina. It is a replacement for the defunct "Confederations Cup", so the match did carry honour and a title for both sides; Italy played to get some consolation from their botched World Cup qualification, while Argentina is clearly aiming at building a team that will be a serious contender for the World Cup title.

Argentina has been strong in the South American qualifiers, and their good form was underlined when they took the South American title, their first title since 1993. But with today's 3-0 victory Argentina should now be considered a serious contender for the title in Qatar. Lionel Scaloni has built an outstanding team that includes Lionel Messi, rather than building the team up around him. Rodrigo de Paul and Giovanni Lo Celso are outstanding and dominate the midfield, with an excellent understanding with Lionel Messi, who also combines well with Lautaro Martinez (who scored the first goal against the Italians after a sharp run and pass by Messi), while Angel di Maria is as dangerous as ever, scoring a great goal after a great pass by Martinez.

Argentina was totally dominant in the second half and the match could have ended with more goals with more luck for the Argentines, although Paolo Dybala made it 3-0 in the dying seconds. But Argentina were far superior to the European champions, who got no consolation from their botched qualification.

For an Argentina fan like myself it is difficult not to be really excited, more excited than for many years, about this Argentina side!

Emiliano Martinez' taunts

Argentina and Colombia played a good semifinal match in the Copa America tonight. Argentina went ahead 1-0 early in the game by Lautaro Martinez after some poor Colombian defending, but had few other chances in a close first half. In the second half Colombia dominated and got the equalizer on an excellent goal by Porto's Luis Diaz, and despite good chances for both teams, the match ended 1-1 and went directly to penalty kicks (Copa America has not been playing with extra time).

The curious thing about the penalty contest was that there were microphones very close to the players, and one could hear everything the goalkeepers and players said as the kicks were taken. Napoli's David Ospina was quiet, but the same was not the case for Emiliano Martinez, the Argentinean goalkeeper who plays in Aston Villa (and is apparently a close friend of Ospina from their time at Arsenal): he continually taunted the Colombians as they were going to kick, and it appeared to work! After Davinson Sanchez and Rodrigo de Paul had missed for Colombia and Argentina respectively, Yerry Mina missed following a heated exchange with Martinez, where the latter said "I know you, Boludo", and went on to save the kick. When Edwin Cardona made the last kick for Colombia Martinez continued heavy taunting, so much that the referee went up to him and said "no swearing" (which I find very amusing, as swearing is very common in football), but in the end he saved Cardona's kick, giving the Argentines the victory without needing to use their last kick.

Emiliano Martinez surely turned out as the star of the match, both for his goalkeeping skills, but surely also for his foul mouth!

Argentina will face Brazil in the final of the Copa America.

Sevilla-Inter Milan final

Sevilla and Inter Milan are the two most successful sides in the UEFA Europa League/Cup since its creation in 1971: Sevilla has been in five finals, and won them all (2006, 2007, 2014, 2015, 2016), while Inter Milan have been in four finals, and won three (1991, 1994, 1998).
Sevilla has made it to their sixth final as if the cup belongs to them. While Manchester United had its moments in the semifinal, one never felt that Sevilla was nervous or that they would not be able to turn around being 0-1 behind, and indeed, they made it with a well-deserved 2-1 victory.
But they will not have it easy against an Inter Milan side that under Antonio Conte appears confident and plays with discipline and organization. In their 5-0 victory against Shakhtar Donetsk was achieved by these qualities as well as a superb attacking due in Romelo Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez (each one scored two goals) that Sevilla's defense will have to control to have a chance.
Although I never bet, I think that Inter Milan has a small edge to take the Cup that Sevilla has won so often!
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