I have now left the harsh football backlands of Northern Mozambique, where following football was so difficult. I have only followed (superficially) the champions league and the major European leagues. Now, I am extremely surprised to see that in the Danish league AaB (Aalborg Boldklub - Danish clubs have never been good with names...) is winning by a pretty large margin ahead of FC Midtjylland (those names...).
And my favourites, Brøndby B, remain on the lower half...
Monday, May 12, 2008
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Champions League final
I watched the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League on a long road-trip of Mozambique: the first leg matches in a boring bar in Nampula and in a kitsch old hotel in Quelimane. On the following day I crossed the mighty Zambezi river, and eventually I arrived in Maputo exactly for the second leg of the semifinals.
I was not expecting Barcelona to go through, even though my support went for them, both personally, but also football-wise, since I believe we would get a much more exciting final with them there, than the two (great) teams we had got. But without scoring at home, it was bound to happen. I am nevertheless surprised that a team with Barcelona's firepower was unable to score in the first match at home, a sure sign of the crisis the Catalonians are clearly going through. Manchester United were surely not the better team in the first match, and did look shaky even at home; but football is about scoring goals, and after Paul Scholes' blast, they are deservedly in the final.
Liverpool and Chelsea gave us some great and intense matches. The first one was a tactical and hard encounter, while the second was intense and very entertaining. While Liverpool played their game, never surrendering, it seemed to me the entire time that Chelsea was the team that wanted to be in the final the most. The players are great, and Chelsea is surely hungry for their first European title.
The final will indeed be hard to predict; I do not expect a very entertaining match. It will probably be very tactical, a bit nervous, and with few (if any) goals.
I was not expecting Barcelona to go through, even though my support went for them, both personally, but also football-wise, since I believe we would get a much more exciting final with them there, than the two (great) teams we had got. But without scoring at home, it was bound to happen. I am nevertheless surprised that a team with Barcelona's firepower was unable to score in the first match at home, a sure sign of the crisis the Catalonians are clearly going through. Manchester United were surely not the better team in the first match, and did look shaky even at home; but football is about scoring goals, and after Paul Scholes' blast, they are deservedly in the final.
Liverpool and Chelsea gave us some great and intense matches. The first one was a tactical and hard encounter, while the second was intense and very entertaining. While Liverpool played their game, never surrendering, it seemed to me the entire time that Chelsea was the team that wanted to be in the final the most. The players are great, and Chelsea is surely hungry for their first European title.
The final will indeed be hard to predict; I do not expect a very entertaining match. It will probably be very tactical, a bit nervous, and with few (if any) goals.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
John Arne Riise's brain diarrhea
Whatever happened to John Arne Riise!? Liverpool was one up against Chelsea on the first leg of the Champions League semifinal; they had been the better team, and a home win would give them a good head start before next week's second leg in London.
But in the 95th minute, in the dying seconds of the match, Chelsea equalized... Well, John Arne Riise did it for them, when he headed a splendid own goal, after a cross towards Drogba.
It wasn't that it actually happens: all players make such mistakes, but it was the timing... Could their be a worse moment to score an own goal...!? Also one cannot help to think, watching the situation, whether Mr. Riise just lost concentration: it wasn't a difficult ball, and it seemed Mr. Riise made great trouble of what shouldn't have been a problem.
Poor Mr. Riise. But for Liverpool, the Champions League final suddenly moved one step away, and they will have a hard time in London.
The mistakes that change football history...
But in the 95th minute, in the dying seconds of the match, Chelsea equalized... Well, John Arne Riise did it for them, when he headed a splendid own goal, after a cross towards Drogba.
It wasn't that it actually happens: all players make such mistakes, but it was the timing... Could their be a worse moment to score an own goal...!? Also one cannot help to think, watching the situation, whether Mr. Riise just lost concentration: it wasn't a difficult ball, and it seemed Mr. Riise made great trouble of what shouldn't have been a problem.
Poor Mr. Riise. But for Liverpool, the Champions League final suddenly moved one step away, and they will have a hard time in London.
The mistakes that change football history...
Monday, April 21, 2008
Up and down with Valencia
It is perhaps good I have been away, very far away, to see my dear Valencia stumble, and continue falling. In the end, I was almost giving up looking at the results, as Valencia was losing again and again, and getting threateningly close to the relegation-spots.
Just 4 years ago UEFA and Spanish Champions, and now this...
So it was with happiness I saw that they had made it to the Spanish Cup final, the Copa de Rey, and with more happiness that I saw that they won it, 3-1 against Michael Laudrup's Getafe. Finally, at least a title! This may give the players their faith back, and lead them upwards in the table, and well, next year, again be fighting for the top spots in the Spanish League and a place in the Champions League, where Valencia surely belongs!
But supporting Valencia these days is to live on an emotional rollercoaster: after their Cup-victory, Valencia returned to their nightmarish dance in the Primera División, where they yesterday were thoroughly trashed 5-1 by Athletic de Bilbao.
There is something rotten in Valencia.
Just 4 years ago UEFA and Spanish Champions, and now this...
So it was with happiness I saw that they had made it to the Spanish Cup final, the Copa de Rey, and with more happiness that I saw that they won it, 3-1 against Michael Laudrup's Getafe. Finally, at least a title! This may give the players their faith back, and lead them upwards in the table, and well, next year, again be fighting for the top spots in the Spanish League and a place in the Champions League, where Valencia surely belongs!
But supporting Valencia these days is to live on an emotional rollercoaster: after their Cup-victory, Valencia returned to their nightmarish dance in the Primera División, where they yesterday were thoroughly trashed 5-1 by Athletic de Bilbao.
There is something rotten in Valencia.
Leaving football wasteland
I am leaving northern Mozambique tomorrow. I am not going to talk bad about my job: it has been fascinating and interesting working in some of the poorest and most isolated areas of Africa. But... besides the fact that many youngsters wear Ronaldo or Beckham t-shirts, they have no idea whatsoever about football. I am in football wasteland, and in spite of my football mojo having returned, I have been so unable to follow international football, that I have found it all but irrelevant to post on this site (well, I have also lacked consistent internet access and time...).
But tomorrow, I am leaving: I am driving south, and I am hoping that already tomorrow I will be in a nice place to watch my first CL football match of the year: Chelsea-Liverpool.
And I am looking even more forward to the clash between two of my favourite and most respected teams, Manchester United and Barcelona, where I of course, sway towards the latter.
Two great matches, which I hope will symbolize my return to the magical world of football, after leaving the football wasteland I have lived in over almost a year!
But tomorrow, I am leaving: I am driving south, and I am hoping that already tomorrow I will be in a nice place to watch my first CL football match of the year: Chelsea-Liverpool.
And I am looking even more forward to the clash between two of my favourite and most respected teams, Manchester United and Barcelona, where I of course, sway towards the latter.
Two great matches, which I hope will symbolize my return to the magical world of football, after leaving the football wasteland I have lived in over almost a year!
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