Olympique Lyon trashing Rangers

With all due respect to the many great fans of Glasgow Rangers, I must admit that I much prefer to see Olypique Lyon in the last-16 of the Champions League. I have for long admired the French champions, and in particular their deadly attacking weapon in the form of Juninho.
Nevertheless, I was expecting an all-exciting match tonight in Glasgow, where a tie would be enough to send Rangers through, after their (surprising) trashing of the French in Lyon earlier this year.
Although the early goal somewhat changed the game, and Rangers managed to put a steady pressure, besides one huge chance, it never really felt like Rangers would pull the trick. Instead, their defence was looking more and more shaky amid Lyon's deadly conterattacks, led by a marvelous young Benzema (I had never actually before seen him play, but I was overly impressed).
It is a pity for Rangers and their great fans, as they will be missed in the last-16. Nevertheless, I am looking forward to see the marvelous Lyon side, which surely will be a difficult adversary for any team.
Until next years Rangers!

Liverpool on the edge

Liverpool FC always seems to be at its best when on the edge, and last night, against Marseille, they were truly at their best.
After the first three matches in the first stage of the Champions League, Liverpool had only gotten one meager point, and last year's finalists seemed to be heading towards an early exit. However, with three impressive victories in their last three matches, Liverpool is now in the last-16, and is surely a team to be feared.
Olympique Marseille has been looking very strong lately, and in front of a strong home crowd, could have made life difficult for the English side. But with Gerrard's penalty and Torres beautiful goal, Liverpool sealed the match in the first 15 minutes, and never looked threatened. If anything, 0-4 was a small victory, and that is truly impressive result in Southern France!

In an interview, Steven Gerrard said that the team had prepared themselves by thinking of the match as a "cup" match, a "win-or-lose" match. In reality it was, I guess, but it is interesting that it is this attitude that makes the current Liverpool side. Thus, it would seem that they should not be considered contenders for the Premier League title, while indeed for both the FA Cup and the Champions League!

Portugal versus Denmark

I was recently on a road-trip of Northern Mozambique with a couple of friends who had the wisdom of bringing a small travel version of Football TP. It gave numerous hours of entertainment and discussion as we struggled through the dirt-roads of the Mozambican hinterlands in a 4x4 Pick-up truck.

While many of the questions could lead to long posting on this website, one of the questions I received got some actuality only one week later, as the qualifying groups for the World Cup in South Africa 2010 were drawn: which country has Denmark never manage to defeat: Mexico, Argentina, Portugal or the Czech Republic?

I knew it wasn’t Argentina or the Czechs, but was in doubt about the last two, but answered Mexico. Nevertheless, to my surprise, the correct answer was Portugal!

Now, Denmark drew exactly Portugal for the World Cup qualifiers! I doubt Denmark, with as weak players as they have now, can provide Cristiano Ronaldo & Co. with their first defeat ever. And the group is not easy: another team is the eternal Scandinavian arch-rivals from Sweden, whom Denmark had some clashes with for the EURO 2008 qualifiers!

A comment on England

After pathetically failing to qualify for the EURO 2008 by losing 2-3 to Croatia at home and subsequently firing the coach Mr. McLaren (who was thus the shortest serving coach ever in the history of the FA), England is the most talked-about theme in football circles, not least in England itself. Uncountable theories and thoughts are given on the subject, so I thought I may add my personal comment on England among the immense forest of opinions, where mine may be nothing but a shrub.

It is indeed a pity that some of the players that are most easily recognizable from the Premier League, drowning us all in great matches anywhere in the world almost every week, will not be present in the EURO 2008.

However, as many voices are saying, maybe one has to consider whether England just doesn’t have the players, that they are overrated…?

I personally think they are not. These are great players, playing on some of the world’s best teams, alongside other of the world´s best players.

But they may be suffering from a disillusionment of national team football: maybe playing for England isn’t as glamorous any more. Maybe glory lies in the championship, at the same time as being a star on the England team just isn’t the same: one is insulted and trashed for everything, and pressure just grows to show results…

That is the other theory: maybe playing for England is just so demanding, due to the petty nationalism of football, that even star players from the world’s biggest teams are intimidated into not performing?

Thus, it is maybe it is simply the pressure from the vicious press and spectators, ever more pursuing the glory of the “mother of football”? Mr. McLaren may have suffered this: it was apparently a direct reason for the use of the goalie for the Croatia match, and well, I have always found it strange that Mr. Lampard and Mr. Gerrard both play on the same team, in spite of them both being great players.

Or it may just be that: English arrogance, that they are simply not that good. I don’t think so; I believe the English are very aware that they are not the world´s best as they insisted until 1950, only to lose their first world cup match to the USA. However, there is a problem somewhere, since I, as so many, think that England does belong in the big tournaments.

And well, Gerrard, Owen, Wright-Phillips, Rooney… they will all be missed.

Next time guys.

EURO 2008 Qualified Teams

Most of the countries had been settled before the last match-day of the EURO 2008 qualifiers, with only a few remaining doubts.

In spite of strong support, the Northern Irish missed their small chance for qualifying after losing to Spain 0-1 in the Canary Islands and thus not repeating their legendary 1982 World Cup victory against the Spaniards. With Sweden winning as well, the Scandinavians will accompany the Spaniards, leaving the happy Irish to look forward to another chance.

Finland had a tiny chance to qualify for the first time ever, if they could defeat Portugal away. However, in spite of an apparently close match, Finland failed to qualify, with Portugal taking their spot by playing 0-0. They will follow Poland, who again qualify for a major tournament (bringing memories back to their splendid teams in the 1970s and 1980s), even one they will be hosting in 2012!

The big surprise is undoubtedly England, who having everything in their hands, threw it away by losing 2-3 to Croatia on Wembley. This left it all for the Russians, who with a meager 0-1 win over Andorra, qualified to leave the English out.

The final list of participants is as follows:

• Switzerland: Host
• Austria: Host
• Italy: The defending world champions who won their group ahead of France.
• France: Mighty France had some difficulties, but will be a team to watch
• Czech Republic: Won their group splendidly ahead of the Germans and will be a team to reckon with.
• Germany: Never to be underestimated
• Poland: Their first ever EURO tournament! And not their last…
• Portugal: Has some splendid players, but looked shaky in the qualifiers.
• Spain: Always strong, but unlikely to win…
• Sweden: A welcome team, always strong
• Greece: the defending champs from 2004 won their group and will be interesting to watch defend the title.
• Turkey: A strong team but not bound to be popular in Switzerland after a memorable world cup qualifier in Istambul…
• Croatia: cruised to win their group ahead of England and is surely a team to watch with some great players. A dark horse for the title…?
• Russia: A welcome return to the Russians, who are otherwise not looking that strong but under a marvelous coach may do wonders.
• Romania: won their group, and is a welcome return after some former amazing teams. Apparently a young team which will be interesting to watch.
• Netherlands: A strong team as always.

In spite of England’s exit, it is a list most interesting for its lack of surprises. All big teams, old and new are in, some of the former ones will be interesting to watch, but I predict that we will have some very interesting matches.

Let us see at the draw in December!