Life's such a Pitch

Danke, Schumi, auf wiedersehen....

2006-10-25T02:56:00.000+08:00

There is always one spellbinding instant, one incredible move, one awe-inspiring deed by a maestro of the game that sparks off a young person's life-time devotion to a sport.

The flights of Jordan, the artistry of van Basten, the grace of Edberg...they may or may not be the best ever in their sport (well, Jordan surely has had no match yet) but for me, they were first loves and will always be remembered fondly.

And so, on the Sunday just past, another great master of a sport I love has said goodbye to us. For me, he is definitely the best ever on the tracks of Formula 1 - records or no records.

THANK YOU, SCHUMI, for so many exhilarating weekends and magical, unforgettable high speed moments.

YOU'LL BE MISSED.

FT: Reading 0 Arse 4

2006-10-22T23:58:00.000+08:00

1 min: GOAL! Titi scores! Cool-as-ever long-range sweep into the net after excellent work from Fab Cesc within the 1st minute. Reading shocked.

39 min: GOAL! Our two wide men links up superbly to get the deserved 2nd goal. Hleb starts the move and plays a one-two with Rosicky before unleashing a bolt of lightning past the Reading keeper. Wonderful to see the two of them and Cesc hugging like they just scored a World Cup goal.

RvP, Hoyte, Titi, and Fab Cesc all missed chances between the goals, but the football from the Arse flowed beautifully. Second half coming up....

50 min: GOAL! Sublime one-touch exchanges between Titi and Hleb leaving the entire Reading back line awe-struck. Before they know it, Hleb had released the ball to RvP who made no mistake this time from close range.

51 min: Reading's Seol Ki-Hyeon almost forces an own goal off Gallas. Lehmann makes a fantastic save. Reading corner but nothing comes out of it.

70 min: GOAL (pen)! Reading keeper Marcus Hahnemann brings Cesc down in the box. Clear decision for the ref. Captain Titi, who provided the defense splitting pass for Fab Cesc, scores the penalty off the bottom of the right post - again as cooly as you can possibly be.

77 min: Rosicky, who has a pretty good game despite missing a couple of decent chances in front of goal, is replaced by Alexandre Song. Ade and Theo have also come in for Hleb and RvP four mins before.

Final Score: Reading 0 Arsenal 4

Reading had a spirited spell on the ball after the string of substitutions as the Arse took the foot off the pedal. However, it did not last long - the Arse were soon playing "keep ball" at the Madjeski Stadium. And so, good riddance of our mid-week blues on frost-bitten Russian pitches and the very nice win hoists us up to 4th place on the table.

A good weekend on the pitch - it's now 1 am where I am but I'm not going to bed just yet. Jumping from the pitch in England straight to the race tracks at Interlagos. It's Schumi's last official F1 race and although he's starting at 10th place (car problems again during yesterday's qualifying), I'm just hoping he'd come up with another Michael miracle. Will definitely pay the price tomorrow but I'm not missing this for anything. Go Schumi go!

. . .

2006-10-08T14:43:00.000+08:00

Still reeling from the shock of seeing Schumi's Japanese Grand Prix ended abruptly in a trail of white smoke. Yup, a blown Ferrari engine behind Michael Schumacher - that has not happened in an official F1 race since Indianapolis 2001! And what a time for it to happen too - Schumi was leading Alonso with more than 5s, all pitstops done and just 15 laps to go. Oh well, what a twist in the tale.

So Alonso wins at Suzuka, Massa is second after getting massively delayed by Nick Heidfeld allowing Alonso to get past him from the 2nd pitstop, Fisichella earns some important points for Renault coming in 3rd. Alsonso now lead Schumi by 10 points and everything is stacked against the German leaving on a high with his 8th F1 champion's trophy.

Still, as we've seen today, you can't predict what happens on the tracks in F1 - that's the beauty of the sport.

Bring on Interlagos!

Alonso: I was Sabotaged! (Oh my....)

2006-10-05T00:45:00.000+08:00

Fernando Alonso, as quoted in Spanish newspaper AS: "(Renault) wanted us to finish second and third because they do not want me to take the number 'one' to a different team."

Gosh. Should we laugh or shake our heads?

Seriously, this is what happens when you have drivers signing new contracts with other teams before the current season is over. Where is the professionalism? The sporting spirit? Is it only $$ talking these days? Ya, I'm still living in the land of Fantasy One, am I not?

Anyway, the French constructors have predictably replied that their as-yet No. 1 driver is mad. Though not in so many words.

Pressure does do the funniest things to people.

AND CONGRATS ON A FABULOUS DECADE, ARSENE! MERCI BEAUCOUP.

Is Schumi the best? Just look at today in Shanghai....

2006-10-01T16:21:00.000+08:00

Jenson Button, as quoted in the Daily Mirror: "At the moment I wouldn't say that Michael was above anyone else in F1. He's just had the best car."

Well, since he said "at the moment," we do not have to look at records in the past one-and-a-half decades - after all, there's frankly no argument there as to who's the best. So what do we have to look at? How about the race just ended in China then, Jensen?

Although little separated the Renaults from the Ferraris during practice at Shanghai (actually, Schumi was fastest in the final practice session), the team in blue and yellow were far superior once rain fell during qualifying yesterday. This time, it wasn't the car, though, but the tyres - Michelin definitely gave its runners an advantage in extreme wet conditions.

Still, Michael did well enough to qualify in sixth position. And to put it in perspective, he was the only Bridgestone runner to qualify in the top 10. We don't really know how Massa would have done had he not been penalised 10 places for an engine change, but he sure hasn't been as fast as Michael in practice nor in qualifying. (Also can't help but wonder if Button himself would have been able to qualify as high up as 4th place had he been on Bridgestones....)

And so, the race had not yet started and almost everyone - Schumi fans excepted - had already written off the 7-times champions in Shanghai.

How did the race pan out? Surely Michael couldn't catch Alonso from 6th place on the wet Shanghai tracks, could he?

It was cold and damp at the start and everyone had their "intermediates" on. Alonso pulled off into the distance as teammate Fisichella expectedly held the chasing pack back. Kimi flew off the blocks and moved up to third past both Button and Barrichello in their Hondas. Schumi, although clearly playing the patience game, soon got past the slipping Hondas and up to fourth.

The 200,000 Shanghai crowd - clad mostly in red and waving flags bearing the emblem of the Prancing Horse - and millions in front of their TVs then watched in amazement as the track dried up and the Michelin tyres started losing their grip. Schumi knew his moment was nigh and soon flew up right behind the No. 2 Renault.

Then the real drama unfolded as Kimi's car broke down yet again while Alonso made a wrong tyre decision during his first pitstop - inexplicably keeping his bald rear wheels on despite changing the front two. This allowed both Fisichella and Schumi to catch up. Although the two Renaults did their best to hold up the Ferrari for a lap or so, Fisi soon had to move past his struggling teammate. Michael overtook Alonso easily after that and continued to chase Fisichella down.

At the 2nd pitstop, when most took the chance to change to dry tyres, Alonso stalled his engine and dropped further behind. Ferrari made the most astute decision of the day when they brought Schumi in one lap before Fisi. This allowed Schumi to overtake the Renault as Fisi struggled for grip on his outlap.

It was Schumi all the way from then on, even as Alonso scored one fastest lap after another and rain fell again with four laps to go. In the end, it was too little too late as Schumi crossed the line more than 3 seconds ahead of Alonso. Massa clobbered into Coulthard and had to retire. Fisi finished a distant third. Button and de la Rosa took advantage of a five-car pile-up just before the finish line to leap-frog Nick Heidfeld and Rubens Barrichello and take fourth and fifth place.

Button had also said in the same article, "We have got (Fernando) Alonso, the World Champion, and Kimi Raikkonen. There are good drivers that people don't recognise because they are thinking about Michael."

Was he referring to himself when he was talking about "good drivers that people don't recognise" because of Schumi? Sure, he is good, but clearly, not good enough (yet or not? That remains to be seen). After all, people are also talking about Alonso and Kimi, in spite of Michael's dominance.

Kimi's biggest weakness was again exposed today. He is very quick - without a doubt. In fact, he could quite possibly be the quickest driver on the circuit today. However, and it is HUGE "however," the many times he has had to retire his car over the past few years cannot just be a big, extended coincidence. Put simply, the question remains if he has the guile to take over as F1's next great champion after Schumi's departure.

Fernando Alonso is the one most likely able to match up to Schumi's lofty standards. Certainly, he seems to possess the right package of speed and guile. The only issue about Alonso is that he may just be a tad too safe - one reason Schumi is so exciting to watch is his penchance for taking the path least expected when victory is at stake.

Time will tell if F1 will produce another legend like Schumi, but if you ask any true afficionado of motor racing, they are likely to tell you that there is no one quite like Schumi in F1 just yet. And we need look no further than today's race in Shanghai for all the evidence we need.

Meanwhile, on the football pitch a continent away, things are looking good as the Arse comfortably beat FC Porto in the CL during the week, and then picked up another 3 points at Charlton last night. We are now 5 points behind Chelski, who could only draw with Villa yesterday, with a game in hand. And what about RvP's peach of a goal last night? Definitely among the most stunning I've ever seen, and quite possibly, the most difficult. What a talent! And to think Arsene almost subbed RvP before that goal! My, my!

Gallas Scores!!! FIRST WIN at the GROVE.

2006-09-23T23:32:00.000+08:00

GOAL!!! the Arse 1 Sheff U 0

65 min: Titi -> Fab Fab -> GALLAS!!!

The first time we are leading a game at the new stadium. Can't believe it has taken so long! Oh yeah, and it's William Gallas's first goal for the Arsenal in the EPL.

Update: GOAL!!! the Arse 2 Sheff U 0

69 min: First own goal by a visiting league team at the Emirates. Phil Jagielka gets his name on the scoreboard for us.

78 min: Freddie gets a standing ovation from the Emirates crowd while making way for Baptista.

Update: GOAL!!!! the Arse 3 Sheff U 0

80 min: Bapt -> Eboue -> Titi HEADER!!!

Precious, precious header from close range by Titi. Equally rare cross into the box (from Eboue). See, crosses do work, boys. My my, the last 20 minutes have been just incredible! Just what we have all been waiting for... c'mon, Arsene, give us a little smile...? Urm, ya, okie.

Update: FINAL SCORE: the Arse 3 Sheff U 0

At last, our first home win at the Grove. Sheff U, as expected, set out to frustrate and did it pretty well for 60 minutes. Thankfully, we turned it up after the hour, all the good work and lovely football finally bore fruit, and it was a pretty comfortable victory in the end.

Elsewhere, Chelski gets an "away" win (2-0) at Fulham; Citeh finally gets three points (2-0) at home against the Hammers; and Blackburn wins with a solitary goal at Boro. Earlier, Pool seriously kicked some scum asses at home, landing three knockout blows - including a Riise thunderbolt - without reply. Good job.

Manure 0 The Arse 1

2006-09-18T01:06:00.000+08:00

Finally. Our first win of the season. And what a place to get it - away at old trafford late in the game. It being their first defeat of the season just made the victory that much sweeter.

Was just cursing all the chances he was missing when Ade finally poked a superb through-ball from Fab Cesc into the manure net with his long long legs. And Jens pulled an incredible save off their Norwegian forward in injury time to preserve our well-deserved win. Despite Gilberto's missed penalty in the first 10 mins, Arsenal controlled the game throughout (5-man midfield working pretty well!) and was creating good chances. Whether we made them seem that way or not, manure looked oddly anaemic. Anyway, it was a very good team performance. Always lovely to see old red nose looking like the ragged old man he is.

Now, up up up, that's the only way to go!

Too tired to write more... off to bed to dream happy dreams |-)

Schumi....

2006-09-10T21:54:00.000+08:00

I've just watched the guy who attracted me to Formula One racing announce his retirement from the tracks that he has dominated for almost a decade. Yes, Michael Schumacher will take his leave from the sport that has made him a household name at the end of the Brazilian GP, the last race of what has already been a most phenomenal season.

Am still shocked and feeling numb, even though there have been reports that such an announcement may be made today. And there were clear forebodings the moment he came out of his car that something was not quite right - his usual celebratory gestures and jubilation at winning a race were tellingly muted despite having just won a record 90th F1 grand prix, at the home of the Scarlet Team to boot; despite making up 10 points and slashing Alonso's lead in the drivers' championship down to merely 2 points; and despite helping Ferrari to take over Renault at the top of the teams' standings. Something was weighing on his mind and it showed. And his wife Corinna was for once in the crowds with an emotional Jean Todd as Schumi took an extended length of time to wave, hug and shake hands with his scarlet-clad team and supporters before going up to the podium.

Although I feel that Schumi is still the best driver on the circuit (hey, he's still making history and breaking records!), it is pretty obvious that he is taking the proverbial "bow out while you're still on top" route. It's now almost 100% certain that Kimi will take over from Schumi as numero uno at the Scuderia Ferrari. At the post-race press conference at Monza, the man they call the "Rainmeister" and the most successful F1 driver ever made it clear that the team has identified a replacement - someone the German himself thinks is a worthy successor. He also said that he decided not to delay his decision further for the sake of the team and for Massa - rightly pointing out that it is only fair that he announce his decision before Massa announces his.

Today at Monza, Italy, we saw Michael Schumacher compete - and win - his last European F1 race. It is fitting that he waves goodbye on a winning note to a continent that he hails from and has been so successful and popular on. There are just three more races to go before the great German hangs his helmet, gloves and suit up for good. Of course, I will be watching and praying for him to go out at Interlagos with a record 8th World Championship trophy held up high in his hands.

And although I like Kimi and the guy may still improve, I know I will not be seeing anyone as good as Michael behind the wheels of the Prancing Horse for some time. Alonso has shown that he may have what it takes to spark off a new era after Schumi, but I know I will miss the tall German and his daredevil racing forever. Feel like crying right now.

Update (10-Sep-06 11:09 PM): It's official - Ferrari has just announced that Finnish speedster Kimi Raikonnen will take over the mantle from Schumi as their No. 1 driver in 2007. Brazilian Felipe Massa keeps his place and will race alongside Kimi next season.

Bye, Cashley, Bienvenue, Gallas!

2006-09-01T17:36:00.000+08:00

I remember getting into a debate on one of the Arsenal fan forums some moons ago about Cashley and how we should let him go. The opposite opinion then was that he is still young, is a world-class player and therefore Arsenal needs him.

There's no questioning the first two counts - the third is arguable - but despite the seeming logic of these arguments, the simple fact is that I have found it difficult to forgive him from the very beginning. To me, betraying us for either one of our most bitter neighbouring rivals (that'd be Chelski and spuds in case you are thinking of West Ham) is the greatest sin any Arsenal man can commit, world-class player or not. It's like finding your spouse in bed with your neighbour. Plain cardinal. Besides, it is so, so obvious he wants to go to Chelski throughout the entire charade that I simply do not see why and how we should keep him.

After the world cup, it became clear that he would no longer be playing for us. I wrote how I love the way the club has been handling his transfer negotiations, although I have to say it got a little uncomfortable as we failed to win the first two league games and the transfer window began to close.

Well, a few hours ago, just as the window was slamming shut, we finally did it. £5 million + William Gallas and Cashley's officially an ex-player. And I have to say: Well-done again, Arsene. Gallas will bring much needed experience and stability to a young and presently under-strength defense, so in my mind it is an excellent move.

And Baptista for Reyes? Well, it's the same situation - player wants to go no matter what - and my feeling at this moment is that we have again done good business. I rate Baptista as much, if not more, than Reyes, although South Americans typically do much better in Spain (and perhaps Italy) than in England. Still, it's clear JAR simply can't stand life on the British isles and he hasn't lived up to expectations on the pitch either so it's ok to try something(one) else.

As for Cygan to Villareal? All I can say is, he should've been gone a long, long time ago and I must applaud his agent for snaring his client such a decent club to move to.

Of course, only time will tell for sure if we are right but, for now, I see no reason for my faith in Arsene to waver even one teeny bit.

Oh Well.

2006-08-27T02:26:00.000+08:00

Two games, one goal, zero wins.

A 1-0 loss (Barton, 41, pen) at a ground we have never lost before - we are creating history still, but of the wrong kind.

Yes, it's only the second game and there have been manpower changes - the team look highly unsettled. Throughout his reign, other than the superduper unbeaten season, Arsene's Arsenal have always recorded at least one loss early in the campaign. So perhaps it's not that much of a surprise, although we have always done well at the blue stadium of Manchester. This very, very young side will take time to gel, but I believe they will come good again as they get more practice in and understand one another better. Certainly we would have won today had football also been about chances and possession, not just goals, but that's the way the beautiful game is and I sure do hope the old guards like Lauren would come back in soon.

We also dearly need Titi to get back to at least 90% shape and we need more width from midfield (hey there, Tomas?). With Bobby Pires gone, Freddie unfit and Reyes out of sorts, the lack of penetration from the flanks is like a gigantic zit on the nose - obvious, unsightly and painful. I know I've been cheering the club on for the way they are playing it oh so cool, but we do need to sort out the Cashley situation quick too.

Also hoping for Arsene to steal a couple of quick transfers in - the Window's closing fast.

Lacklustre Opener but Theo Sparkles

2006-08-20T01:09:00.000+08:00

So, we didn't exactly set the new stadium alight in our very first official league game at the Emirates. And the first official league goal was scored by the opposition - dear old Olaf doing ever so well against us yet again. Gilberto equalised late on from a van Persie flick thanks to some good work by our young Engerland international Theo Walcott and the opener with the Villans ended 1-1.

We can certainly roll out the ~~excu~~ reasons for the lackadaisicalness in full view of a worldwide audience-cum-media eager to see how Arsenal will play in the new stadium: WC hangover, injuries to key players, the annual case of the unsettled star player, old age, etc. Or we can say that despite a new ground, things haven't really changed that much - this Arsenal still struggles to break down determined, defensive sides.

There are positives, of course, especially the sparkle that young Theo brings to our game the moment he came on. He has very recently scored for the U-21 side - on his very first cap and making it into the record books as the youngest Engerland U-21 scorer too. This boy does look special and there is no better expert at polishing rare gems than Arsene so things seem pretty bright there. Let's hope and pray that it will turn out to be another Tone rather than Cashley example.

And at the time of writing, our friendliest of neighbours across town are having it real tough away from home - yup, spuds are 2-0 down at Bolton with 10 minutes or so to go. No, I'm not gloating. Of course not! Heh.

Reds Raise Curtains to New Season

2006-08-14T00:27:00.000+08:00

It's amazing how the Reds are such a bogey team for Chelski in cup competitions. And it's always nice to see and hear from Moaninho after a game they lost.

If only things work the same way in the league as well. :-
So the EPL starts again next week. And we'll be playing in our sparkling, spacious stadium at the Grove.

Can't wait. :)

Oh yeah, and nice move by the club to slap a £25m price tag on Cashley. It's one thing to want to leave the club that groomed you into the player you are now and another to insist on jumping straight into the arms of your club's chief title and derby rival. Although it turning into a running saga may not be beneficial to anyone, I just can't help but like the way we are staying cool over the whole deal. ;)

VIVA AZZURRI!!!

2006-07-11T01:34:00.000+08:00

Finally, after years of frustration and heartaches as an Azzurri fan - there have been so many near misses since 1982, particularly in penalty shootouts - Italy are, once more, CHAMPIONS of WORLD FOOTBALL!! Five out of five in the shootout. No goals conceded in open play. The best defence and goalkeeper in the tournament. An excellent, amazing display of desire, courage and fortitude against the backdrop of a scandalous storm raging at home....

This is their fourth world title since the inception of the tournament, which means that the Azzurri are the second most successful nation in world football, behind only five-time champs Brazil. :D

The only slight imperfection in a glorious campaign might be that Cannavaro the Colossus narrowly lost the Golden Ball prize to Zinedine Zidane. The award was decided at the end of the first half, hence the 'head-butting' incident did not affect the decision. Frankly, headbutt or not, looking at all the matches from Day 1, it is obvious Fab Fabio has been the most consistent top performer of the tournament - Zizou only sparked into life from the third match onwards. Just look at him standing there with arms crossed in the centre circle during the penalty shootout - a picture of utter coolness and deep-seated confidence, just like when he was leading the team in the heat of battle. A man-mountain of the Italian side through and through and a more-than- worthy successor to their previous captain, the immense Pablo Maldini.

And it's clear that a watertight defence and spot-kick training are essential for a successful cup campaign these days, isn't it? Besides tactical finesse, technical excellence, and good luck, of course. ;)

Would also like to take some time off to mention a certain young Spanish chap called Rafael Nadal. He may not have been able to prise the Wimbledon trophy off Roger Federer this time, but, boy, doesn't he show promise! All the way to the All-England final in only his fifth tournament on the green stuff. And the only person to take a set off Federer. Thanks for making men's tennis exciting again, Rafa.

Battle of the Blues

2006-07-06T18:22:00.000+08:00

What'd you know, in spite of all the pre-tournament gloom and doom for both of these teams, the 2006 FIFA World Cup trophy will be contested between the Azzurri and Les Bleus.

Both came through to the final on the basis of a steely defence marshalled by guile, experience and poise. Both are dangerous by way of counter-attacks down the flanks delivered with pace, youth and fervour. As are typical of traditional European powers, both are technically very sound and tactically astute. Away from the field, both were largely written off by pundits and journos before the tournament began - citing reasons such as over-dependence on aging stars, less-than-convincing results in the previous tournament, and in the case of Italy, a raging domestic scandal. In short, Italy and France are similar in many ways and it will be like vs like this coming Sunday night.

Regardless, the Azzurri have been installed as slight favourites over Les Bleus, based largely on their defeat of hosts Germany, whom many thought would be lifting the trophy come Sunday. As an Azzurri fan, I would not disagree, of course. But more than that, I think the Azzurri have an advantage over the French that no other teams have - that match-fixing maelstrom back home that seemed to have galvanised the Italian players. Cannavaro the Colossus (despite his age and physical stature) is playing the best tournament of his career and goalkeeper Buffon has been nearly impossible to get past. The French have been finding it difficult to score goals and, barring any unforeseen or unfortunate incidents, it is only going to be much harder against the Azzurri, who have not conceded an opposition goal the whole tournament. Last but not least, they have as coach Marcello Lippi, who has proven beyond all doubt that his is the best tactical mind on display this World Cup. Yes, as seen against the Germans, even better than Scolari.

Sorry, Titi, but it's FORZA AZZURRI alllll the wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!

And French renaissance ends Brazilian samba!

2006-07-02T18:15:00.000+08:00

There's a popular belief among football fans, writers and pundits that whenever Zizou plays, Titi does not perform. In fact, according to some, Titi has never previously scored from a Zizou cross or pass. Well, whether that was fact or fiction, there is no mistaking how Brazil, reigning and five-time champs plus pre-tournament fav, were ousted from the 2006 World Cup in Frankfurt last night - by a Titi strike from a Zizou freekick.

The Samba Boys rarely get off the pitch without scoring but somehow, just like England vs the penalty shootout, they seem to have a problem doing well against the French. Reminiscent of that memorable final in Paris eight years ago, they could not find a reply against a composed French team and for the first time since the 1982 tournament in Spain, the semifinals will have an all-European line-up.

To be frank, there is little to separate all four semifinalists and both encounters look too close to call.

Gauging from the French performance last night, Portugal have cause to worry, although they will be significantly strengthened by the return of their midfield general Deco and his deputy Costinha. The experience and patience of France's aging warriors combined with the enthusiasm and trickery of youngster Franck Ribery are definitely a match for Portugal's skill and talent. My mind tells me Portugal will triumph but my heart goes to Titi and co.

Meanwhile, following Sweden and Argentina, the Azzurri will be the next big team to go up against the formidable German home crowd when they take on the hosts in Dortmund on Tuesday.

Marcello Lippi's Italy are another side demonstrating that experience and composure bolstered with a dose of youth and fervour can be a very potent mixture. They have been clinical in most of their matches and showed immense character particularly in the last minute smash-and-grab win against the Australians. This is especially admirable given the storm currently brewing back home. Jurgen Klinsmann's Germany, though, have been a revelation with their fast-paced, well-rounded displays all the way from the very first match of the tournament and have the benefit of a voiciferous crowd firmly behind them. Technically, Italy can match the Germans in every department and until now, no opposing player have yet found a way to breach the defensive wall marshalled by Cannavaro and Buffon.

My mind tells me that home advantage will reign supreme yet again and it will be Germany's year. However, my heart is hoping that the match-fixing scandal will actually galvanise the Azzurri even more and that the players will give 120% to preserve the honour of a proud footballing nation and/or to escape, temporarily though it may be, from the dark clouds of the Serie A scandal.

FORZA AZZURRI!!!

Shootout Woes Continue for England

2006-07-02T01:48:00.000+08:00

The curse of the penalty shootout continues to plague the England football team as they go out 3-1 on penalties after holding Portugal to a 0-0 draw AET with 10 men. Hargreaves (boy, didn't he shut all his many critics up tonight? Massive performance!) scored the only spot kick for the 3 Lions and he doesn't even play in England. :p Earlier, they had to retire Beckham due to a knee injury, after which Wayne Looney got himself sent off for pushing his clubmate C Ronaldo. These Manure forwards just don't like each other very much, do they?

Portugal now await the winner of the Brazil-France quarterfinal, while Italy will (woohoo!) play hosts Germany in the other semi.

So, the Azzurri dispatched off Shev & co. much easier than I thought, but they are through and we are 3-for-3 in our prediction of the last four thus far. They will be up against formidable home advantage and it will not be easy. More on that later. Right now, I'm just chuffed chuffed chuffed! The sleepiness is almost gone all of a sudden and I can't wait for Brazil vs France! ;)

Germany through!

2006-07-01T01:49:00.000+08:00

What a match. The hosts have just marched on into the semis, as we correctly predicted, after a tight, feisty encounter between two excellent, technical sides that ended with Germany winning 4-2 on penalty kicks (1-1 AET).

Mad Jens saved magnificently from Ayala, scorer of the game's first goal just after half time, and some other guy. Meanwhile, the Germans - including a supposedly limping Ballack - gave the Argentinean keeper no chance with prime examples straight out of the German Shootout Textbook. The hosts had earlier equalised through a trademark Klose header 10 mins from the end of normal time.

So, one down, three more to go. Am just hoping the Italian team can put away all their troubles for now and concentrate on doing what they are here to do. Forza, Cannavaro! FORZA AZZURRI!!!

Lehman SAVES!

2006-07-01T01:45:00.000+08:00

And Germany are through to the last four!

Ça alors, les Bleus se réveillé!

2006-06-28T17:15:00.000+08:00

Wow, finally, les Bleus have awoken from their 8-year slumber.

Didn't really manage to catch the game live... was somewhere between slumber and groggy consciousness myself. I did, however, remember witnessing somehow that last peach of a strike by Zizou fly beyond Casillas and a cluster of men in white and blue collapsing onto one another in ecstasy before falling back into unconsciousness.

When I awoke sufficiently to make sense of my surroundings again, I knew that the 1998 champions - written off by many - have come from behind to see off the Spanish pretenders 3-1, in no small thanks to goals from veterans Patrick Viera and Zinedine Zidane. And the reward for their troubles? A last-eight meeting with defending champs Brazil.

Germany, Argentina, England, Portugal, Italy, Brazil and France... The big guns and former champs have all made it - and I've somehow managed to pick 7 out of the final 8 teams correctly.

Here's going out on a limb again and picking my final four (using both heart and mind as indicated in parenthesis):

- Germany to narrowly defeat Argentina solely with home ground advantage (all mind);
- Luck to finally run out for the English, who simply cannot get out of their insipidness, and Portugal to triumph (heart and mind);
- Italy to persist and out-last Ukraine in a low scoring slug-fest (heart and mind);
- France to hold Brazil for a while before Ronaldo and co. manage to fire their way through (mind).

Anyway, those four would make the most mouth-watering semis in my opinion. Fans of Argentina may argue but hey, as past stats will show you, you simply cannot underestimate the power of home advantage in sports, and in particular, football.

Knock-out Begins

2006-06-25T17:42:00.000+08:00

And so, the group battles are over and we've in fact already got our first two quarterfinalists for this World Cup.

As expected, there have not been too many upsets and almost all the usual suspects have made it. I picked 13 out of the final 16 correctly but only the inclusion of Ghana and Australia actually surprised me. Ukraine making it did not - they were always the logical choice but I don't make decisions with my brains alone, both fortunately and unfortunately.

The early exit of the Czechs provided the biggest jolt, of course, particularly after their excellent first match against the US of A. That the 2nd-ranked team in the world have faltered so drastically after losing one Jan Koller to injury have raised more than a few eyebrows. And Gooners must be feeling a tad disappointed by Tomas Rosicky's lacklustre performances after a brilliant start that made many think he could just be one of the stars of this year's tournament. Well, the good thing is we have seen what he is capable of and here's looking forward to seeing more of that brilliance in the EPL and cup competitions in the seasons to come. And again, the fates of the US and the Czechs have shown the world just how rubbish FIFA rankings really are.

Also glad that Titi has found his scoring boots for his country again. In fact, France would probably have joined the Czechs and the Americans had it not been for Titi's two goals. Way to go and hopefully it would shut some people's mouths up, unlikely though that may be.

Last night, in the first two knock-out matches, we have seen hosts Germany marching imperiously on with a methodical 2-0 dismantling of Sweden, while Argentina made a meal of their encounter with a feisty Mexico side before snatching the win AET courtesy of Maxi Rodriguez's stunner of a goal. See how enamoured the scribes are of the winning strike here - apparently, it is "unlikely to be matched by anyone this World Cup," despite there being another 14 or so matches to go featuring the talents of Brazil, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Holland.... and oh ya, Engerland, of course.

Anyways, the dear 3 Lions will play again tonight and I will be rooting for the underdog. At least there's a higher chance of Ecuador entertaining us.

Tomorrow, Italy takes on the Aussies. Will always miss Maldini but isn't Cannavaro looking awesome still? And in every aspect too. ;) FORZA AZZURRI!!

Back... and it's World Cup time!!

2006-06-13T17:10:00.000+08:00

Yup, and while I was away, there have been disappointing but also some very heartening happenings.

So we failed to bring back the European holy grail to London despite a very gallant effort with 10-men, a substitute keeper and a team with an average age of 20 in belting rain against one of the most well-put-together squads in the world... but it was our first try and a daxxxx good first try at that.

On the happy front, the cup loss (and I dare say to a large extent) made up our Captain Magnifique's mind to stay - did he say "I'll never play [professionally] in Spain" and that he'll end his superb career at Arsenal? ;-) - and we signed a certain Tomas Rosicky (more on him later, I promise!) for the usual "undisclosed sum" (of around £8million, according to some) from B Dortmund.

And of course, the 18th World Cup Finals finally kicked off in Germany over the last weekend. 5.5 out of the 8 groups have played their first game at the time of writing and so far, as expected of a Finals hosted in Europe, there has not been too major an upset - although Ecuador and Trinidad & Tobago may beg to differ.

Whether it be lack of good fortune, the brillance of the opposition, or underestimating opponents/inadequacies on their own part, Poland and Sweden failed to pick anything up from their openers against Ecuador and T&T respectively, despite pre-game expectations of relatively easy wins. Poland seem to have rather glaring scoring problems, while Sweden failed to break down a 10-men Carribbean side for an entire half despite hitting the posts more than once.

Other European teams have had much better luck - none more so than our dear Engerland, who like the Pols and the Swedes could not score. The difference is, they managed to win. An early own-goal from Paraguay from a Beckham freekick was the highlight of a dour game and proved everyone who thinks "England can't create without Rooney" right.

Somehow, I'm not too astonished by the lack of scoring prowess of all three of these European teams. Sweden's fortunes depend too much on Zlatan Ibrahimovic's form and he hasn't been enjoying himself too much at Juve this season. Freddie and Larsson? Well, it makes me sad to say this for Freddie but, I think their best days have come and gone. For Poland.... urm... not sure who they have and it's not just the long and difficult-to-spell names. Their "main" striker is from Celtic, eh? Don't mean to put down the Scottish league but... well, let's just say if you ain't playing in Spain, Italy, England, France, Germany, Holland... Anyway, their manager's final selections have come under much fire back home and their pre-tournament form would not have made their group-mates too bothered - and it shows. As for England... they have for a fully-fit, "in-form" striker... urm, Crouch? 'Nuff said.

Semifinalist-hopefuls Portugal and the Oranje helmed by my fav legend Marco van Basten also navigated Round 1 successfully with narrow 1-0 victories, although with - unsurprisingly - slightly much more panache than the English.

Meanwhile, other pre-tournament favourites managed to keep their end of the bargain.

Ballack-less Germany succeeded in setting an excellent example as host for the rest in the opening game, sparkling the tournament alight with a scintillating 4-2 victory over Costa Rica. Two of their goals were pure gems, particularly the last by Torsten Frings.

Argentina also looked comfortable in their 2-1 win over the Toure brothers and the Ivory Coast, although the Africans could prove tougher to beat for others in Group of Death I.

Over in GoD II, the Czech Republic made the US of A look more like a lower-50 FIFA ranker (just as most of us suspected) with a 3-0 spanking - the best winning margin so far. And doesn't our latest £million signing look just smashing with his twin beauties? Absolutely gorgeous! Another crystal-ball deal by Arsene, it would seem. Way to go, Tomas, and keep it up!

My fav team Italy also started off nicely with a rather relaxed 2-0 victory over unknown entities Ghana, despite pre-game gloom over key injuries and the Serie-A fiasco. Go Azzurri, GO!!

So, we have defending champs Brazil, Titi and co., and perennial dark horses Spain (with Cesc!) still to kick off their WC Finals... will we see a few more upsets? Probably. But an educated guess, from the matches so far and past stats of WCs played in Europe, is that there would not be too many.... despite the old adage of the ball being a sphere. Good for you punters out there, right? ;)

And here are my hopes/predictions for the final 16 and beyond.... must admit that for the Azzurri the decision was made more by the heart than the mind (and Japan too, to a much lesser degree). Ukraine could very well end all African aspirations and make it with Spain, but I would prefer at least 1 African team through.

Hopefully, it'll be an Italy-Brazil final with the the Azzurri getting their revenge for USA '94.

Well, I'm a football fan, and for us more than anything, hope springs eternal!

A Perfect Final Day at Highbury

2006-05-08T00:02:00.000+08:00

I'm so chocked full of emotion now I can hardly type...

Arsenal 4 (Le Bob, Titi x 3) Wigan 2
Hammers 2 Spuds 1

4. Arsenal 38 20 7 11 68 31 67
5. Spuds 38 18 11 9 53 38 65

What a roller-coaster final day and season it has been. The advantage changed hands so many times throughout the 90 mins I almost died from the tension. I thought they wouldn't drop points but fate and the Hammers conspired and they did! We had to beat Wigan at home first, of course, and we did. The visitors made it tough in the first half but we prevailed in the end.

When Titi scored his 3rd - from the spot after our supersub Freddie was held back by his Wigan counterpart who was subsequently sent off (they had both barely got onto the pitch but who cares?!) - and kissed the perfect Highbury turf, tears simply welled in my eyes. A hat-trick on the final day at THOF by arguably the greatest player ever to grace the hallowed grounds. Stay, Titi, we all love you.

The stands today were awash in red and white and a such sight to behold. The atmosphere was fantastic, as can be expected. I can't believe ESPN just cut away from the post-match celebrations & a parade of some of the greatest names to ever play at THOF!! Idiots!!!

Bye-bye, Highbury, we'll remember you forever.

And to cap off a perfect day for yours truly, on the race tracks at the Nürburgring, Schumi triumphed in his "home" GP (or what is officially known as the European Grand Prix) over Alonso, helped by some excellent strategy and pitwork by the Ferrari team. It's the great German's second successive win over the defending champ and as a Schumi and Ferrari fan, I'm more than chuffed.

Well, back to the Arse, there's now just the small matter of a Spanish date in Paris in a fortnight's time, before the WC kicks off. I can't wait.

And a brace from Reyes...

2006-05-05T04:42:00.000+08:00

Whistle has sounded and the battle for fourth place will go right down to the wire - the final weekend of the EPL to be precise.

Excellent, excellent stuff from the Captain and some exquisite finishing by JAR saw the Arse triumph over a spunky Citeh side at the City of Manchester Stadium. Eboue was superb again and the difference with and without Cesc & Le Bob was again obvious. I'm so sick of saying this I'm not going to say it again.... for now.

Ok, losing sleep was well worth it this time... actually, it usually is well worth it just to watch them play. O well, nite nite..... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Freddie Scores!!

2006-05-05T03:20:00.000+08:00

Yoohoo! First goal of a long, long season.... I'm chuffed! It's a long due coming. :)

Go Gunners go!!!

Of Two Michaels & a Grand Prix to Savour

2006-04-23T23:35:00.000+08:00

I can still remember my first Grand Prix, being mesmerised by the sheer speed of the machine and, even more so, the skill, resilence and audacity of the human being controlling it. My favourite speedster at that time was a dare-devil Australian by the name of Michael Doohan.

Yup, my first grand prix belonged to the MotoGP. A young Doohan's enthralling duels with then-World Champion Wayne Rainey kept me guled to the TV on many a Sunday afternoon. That was in 1990. Doohan went on to win five consecutive 500cc World Championships, setting a record 12 wins in a single championship year in 1997, before the advent of a certain Italian youngster called Valentino Rossi (who won his fifth world championship - equalling Mick's achievement - in October last year, but that's another story).

All that time, I had thought two wheels far more exciting than four, giving scant attention towards the much more popular Formula One. All that changed one afternoon in 2000, when a cool German in a fiery red car caught my eye. Since then, I have become a steadfast fan of F1 and perhaps its greatest driver ever, Michael Schumacher.

Today, I am yet again enthralled by a race between a grand master and an immensely talented youngster. There have been many nail-biting moments in the eight years I've been in love with F1, but I do not remember being held at the edge of my nerves for so much of a race. In the end, the grand master won, albeit only just, and I was able to heave a happy sigh of relief.

There are some who begrudge Schumacher's domination of the race tracks with an amazing record seven World Championships and countless race wins - including near total obliteration of the field in 2002 and 2004 with Ferrari. To me and many who appreciate greatness when they see it, his mastery of the quickest land machinery on four wheels man has ever built is second to none - and, in my eyes, remains so despite the recent rise of Renault's Fernando Alonso.

The German maestro has successfully held off the challenges of young pretenders such as Kimi Raikkonen and Juan P Montoya before. But Alonso, of course, is something else. Last season's Championship win notwithstanding, today's riveting race at the San Marino GP, which Ferrari calls their "home" grand prix, proves that the young Spaniard is most likely the man to take over the mantle from the great German. He certainly has the guile, skills and mettle to write his own F1 history.

The first three races have seen Renault, with Alonso at their helm, continue their championship winning form. However, Michael has shown to us all this weekend - by qualifying in pole in record time and putting on a superlative tactical performance in holding off the defending world champion in an ironic reversal of roles from last year's race - that those who are saying he is losing his motivation and touch are speaking too soon still.

Squirrel squirrel, where are you?

2006-04-22T21:56:00.000+08:00

And so, the final North London derby at THOF ended 1-1. Won't go into the specifics of the match right now, still feeling a little sick in the stomach.

It was a lousy goal to concede (all goals conceded against Spuds are lousy but this one is particularly so), van Persie spurned a golden chance, and Titi finished beautifully from good work by Ade to steal the draw before Edgar Davids the scum was sent off after collecting his second yellow for clattering into Cesc. 10-men Spuds defended the remaining 10 minutes or so with their lives and were able to leave with a precious point.

Said this before and I'll say it again, it is crystal clear we do not yet have the depth to challenge comfortably in both the EPL and the CL. The difference between the team with and sans Titi, Cesc and Eboue was more than obvious.

Phil left with a knee knock before the hour mark and hopefully he'll be fit for the return leg at Villareal whether Sol returns or not.

It is now imperative that we win the Cup if we want to see CL football next season. I see the Spuds winning both their remaining matches against sorry Bolton and West Ham.

Whichever way, the season is still very much alive but getting the right result on Tuesday is now more important than ever before. C'mon, you guys, pull yourselves together and let's sink some yellow subs!!

Oh, and I actually missed the squirrel more than Titi. Could you believe it? Ya, shame on me :p

Gunning for Yellow Subs

2006-04-20T18:05:00.000+08:00

It should have been "case closed," "done and dusted," "the argument settled there and then" at a historic final European night at THOF. Yes, the Arse should have won by at least 5-1 last night. Certainly the chances came and came fast too. However, in the end, all but one was missed and we will be taking a slender one goal lead to the El Madrigal.

Of course, we are all happy that we did not concede that all important away goal and 1-0 would probably be a result any Gooner would gladly take before the match. After all, the Yellow Submarines do have a knack for getting through by way of away goals and a stout, water-tight defence. Thankfully, our young defence was equally stout and tight as arse, and denied them the chance to do against us what they did to the Reds of Manchester and the Blues of Milan. The fact that they were set out to simply shut us down probably helped our cause a little. Meanwhile, Austrian referee Konrad Plautz's "no nonsense" good work (he wasn't duped by all the wondeful Spanish play-acting one bit!) was efficiently wiped out by a pair of inept assistants. And we all thought EPL linesmen were bad enough!

All in all, the result meant that we are a) on course for our Parisian dream date with buck-toothed Ron and co., if you are a "cup half-full" kind of person; b) in for another unpredictable and anxious away night in Spain. Whatever it is, I want us to score at least one at the El Madrigal to help appease my fraying nerves, calm my poor frail heart and preserve whatever is left of my once beautifully-manicured nails. (Ok ok, so my nails were never beautifully-manicured as I've been in love with football for the past 18 years and had to choose the Arse to support, but I'm sure you know what I mean.) Besides, a goal at Villareal will not only take us nearer to fulfilling a) but would also give the Spaniards a taste of their own lovely medicine.

Anyway, there's still the small matter of putting the scum from across town back in their proper place this coming weekend.

These are such exciting times.... oh, and I hope there'll be squirrels at the Grove.

C'mon ya GUNNERS go go GO!

It's all up to us now. Really.

2006-04-17T20:37:00.000+08:00

So the Spuds go down, as they tend to, to Manure at White Shite Lane. 2-1 and it was rather nail-biting at times but they never seem to do well against the Mancs, which suited us fine this time.

And I'm happy to report that my brief term as a Manure fan is well and truly over. Hooray!

Fate is once more in our hands. But before that, there's Villareal to entertain in midweek. Such exciting times, isn't it?

Go ya GUNNERS go go GO!

Oh, I'm actually caring about Spuds

2006-04-17T20:23:00.000+08:00

Woohoo... we should have football in the evening like this every day! ;)

For the last 30 mins and the next one-and-a-half hours, I am officially a Manure supporter. It's been pretty good so far, as Spuds are continuing their dismal record against the Mancs. Keep it up, both!

Three for the Times

2006-04-16T16:01:00.000+08:00

For a little while in the second half, it was "oh no, not again!", wasn't it? In the end, two of our elderly statesmen stepped up to show the youngsters what true class is all about and we managed to grab the three points necessary to keep at Spud's heels with a 3-1 home win over the Baggies.

All three goals were amazing - other than the obvious technical merits and the fact that they kept us in the running for 4th place, halted a two-game winless "streak," and provided a timely boost of confidence ahead of the mid-week rendezvous with Villareal, they were scored by representatives of the 3 wonderful teams of players we've witnessed and are witnessing under Arsene Wenger.

A Living Legend

Actually, to call Dennis Berkamp one of our "elderly statesmen" is like calling Pele an "excellent footballer". DB10 is a living legend of Arsenal Football Club and one of the greatest gifts to the beautiful game. The fact that he also hails from Holland, one of my favourite footballing nations ( which also gave us another one of the greatest footballers of all time, Marco van Basten), made me love him even more.

Yesterday, Gooners at Highbury & all around the world saw once again why we dedicated a whole special day to the Dutch Master to mark a glorious decade at the club. The assist for our crucial Goal No. 2, which Le Bob did well to put away on his second try, and that delightful chip that wrapped it all up are just delicious icing on an illustrious career that needs no further embellishment. As I've said in the previous post, that the Grove will be opened with DB10's testimonial - and against Ajax too, we know that now - could not have been more fitting for both the man, the new stadium and the club.

Of "Les Invincibles"

Le Bob's ability to hold and move the ball up has always been an exciting and effective dimension of our attacking play. He is one of those players who, once he has the ball, is extremely difficult to dispossess. Not to mention his seeming telepathy with Titi and PV14, which were exploited with often devastating effect, especially in our second Double-winning season and that "Invincible" run under Arsene. Le Bob has had an uncanny ability to be at the right place at the right time, pouncing on any goalkeeping and defensive errors in the box. His silky skills on the dribble and those amazing strikes from the edge of the box will remain etched in my memory.

Unfortunately, with age, injury and loss of form, we have not been seeing the best of Le Bob for some time. Arsene has not been able to replace true like for like but with Hleb and Cesc, we have a new combination that has once again allowed us to keep up the pressure on the opposition and attack with verve.

The Best that is to Come?

All three goals were amazing, as I've said, and the important opener showed yet again the promise of our young ones and, in particular, one Alex Hleb. British or not, we are once again witnessing the uncanny ability of Arsene to pick out, unearth & polish young talents who are willing to fight on the pitch with heart and soul.

This season the manager has been thrown a particular nasty curve ball and he's had to improvise and throw in the youngsters earlier than he would probably have liked. New Gooners used to a top-two finish will rant about how badly we've done this season and how we have not been able to win everything every season, but given the unfortunate circumstances with injuries and how they've all had to step up prematurely, I maintain that the youngsters have already done very, very well. Whether we'll play in the CL next season, they have already shown the promise that with better fortune, greater things should come our way. Just be patient and, I'll say it again, keep and show your faith.

A Fitting Finale & Beginning

2006-04-14T21:06:00.000+08:00

It's been in the wind for a while but it has been confirmed, it seems, that the new stadium at Ashburton Grove would be opened with a tribute to a true Arse living legend, Dennis Bergkamp.

It couldn't be a more appropriate way for the Dutch master to mark the end of an illustrious career, nor could the new stadium be opened in a more fitting manner – the end of something great to signal the beginning of hopefully something even greater.

DB is the only one in the current squad who has scored goals matching the brilliance of Titi’s best. Who could forget that absolutely mesmerising brace against Newcastle in 2002 and those triple winners of Match of the Day’s “Goal of the Month” competition in 1997? And in an Orange shirt, that magical last-gasp winning strike against Argentina in 1998 that must rank as one of the greatest goals ever scored in a World Cup finals?

Here’s a link to re-live some of DB10’s greatest ever goals. Enjoy :)

http://www.youtube.com/results?search=bergkamp

Too Much Love

2006-04-14T19:02:00.000+08:00

Too much love will kill you
Just as sure as none at all
It'll drain the power that's in you
Make you plead and scream and crawl
And the pain will make you crazy
You're the victim of your crime
Too much love will kill you
Every time

- Queen

There's a thin fine line between caring enough and caring too much. Why must caring come with pain? Yet how do you live with not caring at all, just so you'd feel no pain? Would that be worth living for?

No More Grounds for Error

2006-04-14T17:32:00.000+08:00

Ok. It's down to 7 games, 15 points, and a date in Paris. There is still all to fight for, just that the two points dropped at Pompey means that the last slip-up we can afford is gone. Zilch. From now on, there is no room for even a draw in the league. We need a maximum of 3 points from every game, starting tomorrow. We also need two of our worst enemies to do us a favour - the Mancs to win & the Spuds to lose.

The result at Pompey has thrown into sharp focus our biggest problem under Arsene. Before I continue, I need to clarify that in no way am I going to place any blame on the manager. He is constantly revolutionising the squad and building a club worthy of its place amongst the best in the world. That the resources under his disposal is limited is no fault of his. I believe he has stretched whatever is available to him to the limit and has achieved more than most of us Gooners who have been around before he took over can ever hope for.

However, it is obvious that it would take a truly superhuman effort AND good fortune of stratospheric levels for us to be able to achieve top honours both domestically and in Europe. We have a superb first team, there is no doubt about it. Most of our second team is potentially superb but inexperienced. Our third stringers, however, are not very good and very inexperienced.

In a season when the first team has been terribly depleted due to persistent injuries and drastic drop of form, the second team youngsters were thrown into the fray and it took them more than half the season to gell and show all what they are capable of.

The problem becomes apparent, however, at this point in the season when Arsene starts feeling the need to rotate an already thin squad. Players such as Song have some way to go to convince me that they are good enough for a team challenging for both the Champions League and the EPL trophies.

That is the stark fact that the game at Fratten Park has thrown in my face.

So far, I think, our youngsters have already over-achieved by reaching the semis of the Champions League and keeping us in the running for a place in next season's competition. Whether they can fulfil the targets hoped for by all Gunner fans as outlined in the first line of this post and ensure we'll be playing in the European Cup in our first season at the Grove, this particular Gunner fan is already extremely proud of what the young ones have achieved.

I say, rejoice in our achievements so far and hope that next season will see better fortune for us when it comes to injuries and form. At the same time, be realistic and recognise that at the moment, we do not have the squad to challenge comfortably for trophies on all fronts. If ever we manage to do it, in my eyes, Arsene would have have performed a miracle worthy of sainthood. Let's just cross our fingers and pray.

Amen.

紫云

2006-04-12T20:30:00.000+08:00

Despite my initial trepidations, our hydrangea looks to be doing pretty well. As you can see below, the little cloud of petals went through some really amazing transformations over the last 8 days.... As of now, the blossoms are nearly fully bloomed and have settled into a nice deep violet. It is guzzling like crazy though - gotta place H2O in the tray twice daily to keep it perky. Tough when you are a working gal...

Vanilla & Lavender
April 04 2006

Pink & Indigo
April 09 2006

Magenta & Violet
April 12 2006

Keep the Faith

2006-04-11T15:36:00.000+08:00

8 games, 18 points & a date in Paris. Stay tough, yer Reds, we are all behind you!

Managed to catch the new Spike Lee thriller, Inside Man, over the weekend. Frankly, it was the headlining names that attracted me - Denzel (oh, i just love this man!), Foster, Owen... and of course, the genius at the helm, Lee. There were also Williem Dafoe & Christopher Plummer, so I figured it couldn't be too bad.

Well... it wasn't. I won't delve into the storyline, you can find that all over the internet. Suffice it to say that it is a bank robbery like no other and therein lie secrets that go all the way back to the most devastating war the world has ever witnessed (don't worry, wars won't be the main focus here).

For a heist thriller, it breaks quite a few norms and is very very good when it comes to holding up the suspense & keeping you on tenterhooks. At least up until the final half hour or so. That's when the token twist thingie sets in and the plot starts to unravel, and also when the suspense comes to a screeching halt (and with it goes the 1 star that would've meant full marks).

Still, the first 4/5ths of the movie and watching two double-Oscar winners strut their stuff are well-worth the price of your ticket already. Of course, having the "Oscar-winner" tag does not necessarily guarantee a five-star display but you'll not be disappointed here.

Denzel owns the screen as usual (although this is child's play compared to his previous tour-de-force showings in Glory, Malcolm X and the superb Training Day), but it is Foster who's the supernova. I can't remember her ever looking like this before. She oozes such supreme coolness and unfinching radiance that you simply cannot tear your eyes away whenever she comes on. You'll wish she had come on earlier and would stay on a little bit more. Top, top draw. Catch it if you can.

vivelaarse.com rating: ****

Thou Shalt Not

2006-04-08T17:41:00.000+08:00

"One thing you can do to help Venus Flytraps that are in little tiny pots is to not overwater them. Keep the plants wet, but do not keep a plant in a little pot sitting halfway in water. It cannot get oxygen this way. Water the plant frequently, but if it is in a tiny pot do not make it sit in water." (courtesy of The Carnivorous Plant FAQ, a fun yet informative site for wannabe fangster growers.)

*Sigh*

Sorry we didn't see this earlier. May you rest in peace, Aphrodite.

A Part of Something Great

2006-04-07T00:18:00.000+08:00

So, yet another piece of history was made by the team under Arsene Wenger, as we marched into the semis of the European Cup for the first time in our long, not undecorated history….

And I dozed off half-way through it.

In mitigation, I was scrunching up on the bed just before the game, hit by rather bad gastric cramps and had to down a couple of pills. They weren’t sleeping pills but guess I was a little drained both physically – from lack of sleep & too light a dinner – and mentally – the whole day, my nerves had just gotten tighter & tighter as kick-off got nearer & nearer.

Thankfully, I didn’t miss much – ok ok, the entire second half actually (I had collapsed at half-time and woke up just in time to see the post-match report on Sky), but then, as evident from the next day’s repeat telecast & news reports, Juve did not fully recover from the shock they got at Highbury and we shut them out comfortably to book a date with dear old Villareal.

It’s really some era we are witnessing under Arsene, aren’t we? Never have things been so scintillating, gut-wrenching, and utterly awe-inspiring. It is history in the making and we are all part of this extraordinary era. I can’t say how lucky we are enough.

As I’m writing this, I’m also reliving the warm fuzzy memories of one of our most amazing FA Cup come-backs on the telly – the 3^rd round away tie at Preston Northend in the 1998-99 season. We were the holders and defending Premiership champions, they were in the second division. We found ourselves 2-0 down within the first 25 minutes, before storming back to win 4-2 with three strikes in the second half. A certain Emmanuel Petit - he of our original French musketeers - had a brace, while Marc Overmars and Luis Boa Morte scored one each. The starting eleven that day, Monday 4 Jan 1999: Manninger, Dixon, Bould, Keown, Vivas, Parlour, Vieira, Petit, Overmars, Boa Morte, and Mendez. It’s a testament to the constant evolution, innovation and advancement under Arsene that in just seven years, on Wednesday 5 April 2006, a whole new eleven took to the pitch in Turin and disposed of Italian champions Juventus to write a new chapter in the club’s record books.

And whether our current chief musketeer, TH14, stays or leaves at the end of the season, you can be sure that the amazing evolution will continue under Arsene's reign.

Allez les Rouges. Vive la Arse.

Ready for Battle in Turin

2006-04-05T23:38:00.000+08:00

Less than 3 hours to go before what to me is the biggest match of our season so far... and needless to say, I'm already a nervous wreck. There are only two more months or so before the end of the season (and to the World Cup!), but to us Gooners, it has only just begun. We are just starting to play some really astounding football - with plenty of heart & soul in it - and all of us want more, more, MORE of it!

Both teams will try to score early & Juve will come at us, egged on by their crowd. With both del Piero & Nedved back for them, we will need a truly superlative defensive & counter-attacking display from the team today. If we can do that, we should be able to start to get ready for Villareal and, more importantly, one final magical European night at THOF.

Go ya GUNNERS go go GO!

Foregone Conclusion? Now that wouldn’t be football, would it?

2006-04-02T14:39:00.000+08:00

This is quite a mixed weekend for yours truly, with wonderful results on the pitch but less so on the racing tracks. Anyway, football first....

It's turning up to be some final stretch of the season, isn't it?

A couple of months back, things certainly looked bleak as Chelski looked like they were running away at the top, Spuds & Bolton kept grinding out points and Arsenal couldn't get a win away from home. How things have turned in just two weekends. Of course, by the same principle things could turn again just as quickly but if there's one thing being a football lover has taught me, that is to seize the day & savour the moment, for life is full of ups and downs - no point getting overly euphoric or excessively down.

Ok ok, enough philosophising, let's get back to yesterday's results. So Blackburn still has to play this weekend, but we have the same number of games and are one point ahead. Big Ugly Sam's Bullies have managed to shoot themselves in the leg and while Spuds may be two points ahead, we have a game in hand. And yes, the upcoming derby may really be the most significant yet in years. Spuds fans have been saying it would really be terrible if we won the European Cup & snatch that CL slot from them but I really do think it'll not have to come to that. I'm not an overt optimist but I really do think fourth spot is all ours to lose now and I believe we'll come through. C'mon, Gunners go go GO!

A visit to some of the forums have seen people suggesting that we can do it without the Cesc this Thursday. I'm not so sure although we certainly have not felt his absence against O'Dreary's sorry boys. Still, Villa and Juve are light years apart and at home the Bianconeri will really be coming at us. Of course, the pressure is solely on them and they are the ones who need to score. We will do well to continue our fantastic defensive record in Europe this season & try to hurt them on the break. Still, we do need to be at our best at the Stadio delle Alpi, particularly if Nedved & del Piero return, & Cesc has become one of our most important players this season. So too Eboue. Especially in a counter-attacking game. While Arsene will only say "50-50" (hmmm... like his assessment of our chances for the game), I really hope both of them can be fit in time to take to the field against the Old Lady in Turin. I'm sure they'd both savour the experience as well.

Away from the football field and onto the Melbourne F1 circuit, it's not such a good weekend for my fav driver & team. Quite disastrous, in fact. Both Ferraris crashed in the race proper after a disappointing qualifying session - Michael's was especially spectacular and just when he was right behind Button challenging for 5th place too. The same corner also took out a few other cars, including JP Montoya who was chasing R Schumacher for a podium spot. All in all, it was a start-stop race punctuated by safety car periods. Anyhow, Alonzo won his second trophy with Raikonnen a few seconds behind. Sigh, still waiting for the promised Scarlet revival to provide some decent challenge for Renault... Hopefully, it'll happen in a fortnight as they head to Europe....

Non-sports wise, my attempt at growing less-than-usual plants in a small apartment in tropical weather is also getting mixed results. Most of the potted greens I bought at the nursery last week are doing well, except the venus flytrap I got for my little sis. It's as good as dead. :( Anyway, I think we got conned. Neither my sister nor I saw the traps move a micro-milllimetre even when it was looking green & healthy. Oh well. At least the hydrangeas are doing fine. Although the flowers I thought are white have turned blue. I thought they were white as the two pots next to it in the nursery were all white! Anyway, i love indigo so I'm happy enough.

Right, enough for a cloudy yet stuffy Sunday afternoon... enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Happy April Fools, dear O'Leary

2006-04-01T23:34:00.000+08:00

At the time of writing, we are 4-0 up against O'Leary's Villans (this guy is by far my least fav ex-Arse player), Spuds are going down 1-3 far north at Newcastle, Chelski has just dropped two points at Brums, and Manure are struggling to beat Big Ugly Sam's Bullies.... Wait, Ol' Red Nose's team has just scored!! We can say this again & again... what a truly funny game football is. Van Nisterooy and Saha have switched places - the latter's now the red hot striker & the former's turned into their super-sub... And for once I'm actually cheering with my Dad, who's, yup, a long-time Devils' fan.

Golly, we've just scored another!!! 5-0!!! Woohoo! Even Diaby's getting on the scoresheet. Curses to the evil TV people for not showing our mauling of Aston Villa live.... Oh well, Happy April Fool's Day, O'Leary. Sorry, the scoreline's not a joke....

A very good weekend this is turning into....

Part Uno: Mission Accomplished

2006-03-31T16:59:00.000+08:00

Glorious, glorious, G-L-O-R-I-O-U-S. It's nights like this that make football the most intoxicating invention ever. Especially when you are risking health & career staying up into the wee hours so as not to miss it live.

2-0 to the Arsenal, just like every Gooner hoped and every pundit said we would need. Even better, it was a superlative performance by the whole team. We ruled the lush green of Highbury so comprehensively that the so-called "champions-elect of Italy" were made to look like Premiership relegation strugglers (well, almost). Ok, so they were missing two of their top players. But then so were we - although from last night's performance, you'd never tell! Toure and Eboue were both amazing. Hleb & Flamini continued to run their hearts out. Le Bob gave one of his most wonderful performances in a long while - and reminded me again how much I once adored him. Yup, that tackle was 24-ct. F diamond both in terms of rarity & significance.

And Cesc... this boy is just M-A-G-I-C. Just when you think it might simply be too much to expect an 18-year-old to be man-of-the-match for the umpteenth time this season, against a team like Juve to boot, he went out and topped himself yet again. I think he truly believes he really is just 25. There are only two disappointments for me: 1) that we did not strike at least one more time - I know I had wished for 2-0 in my last post sent just before kick-off but I think 3-0 would almost certainly kill off all Italian hopes and we certainly could have gotten one or two more; 2) that we'll not get to play Paddy again this season. But I'm just nitpicking, aren't I? ;-)

Regardless, yes, chances are good that we may get to experience one more magical European night at Highbury. Although our ever-sensible manager says "It's only 50-50," while theirs proclaimed it was pure luck that we ran them off our pitch. Thanks, Capello. It'll taste just that bit sweeter when we kick them off theirs in Turin.

(Posted 29 Mar 2006 11:14 pm UTC+8 on snowysolace.blogspot.com)

Bring on the Old Lady... and an olde skipper

2006-03-31T16:57:00.000+08:00

Minutes away to another crucial European night at THOF... Welcome back, Paddy, are you seeing how proud Cescy is making us? Let's hope for ONE more of such nights still at Highbury for a truly fitting farewell. Here's hoping for a 2-0 to the home team.

Go ya GUNNERS GO!!!

(Posted 29 Mar 2006 02:35 am UTC+8 on snowysolace.blogspot.com)

Greetings...

2006-03-31T16:54:00.000+08:00

(Simple) Hi world... (sci-fi) greetings Earthlings... (casual) hey there... (chummy) welcome to my santuary... (excited!) yoohoo, my first post! ;-)

Great, finally got it started. Well, hopefully, this will be the beginning of a beautiful... erm... relationship. What will this blog be about? My M-U-S-I-N-G-S, of course. What else? Anyway, I think there'll be pretty lots about TV, sports, sports on TV & all other miscellaneous stuff that I stumble across & find joy in while mucking through this thing called Life. Movies. Literature. Music. Globetrotting (dreams of it, anyway!). A certain wonderful "red-and-white" football club in North London. Lots about it. And of course, life in general. If there's just one or two things above that also strike your fancy, do come by often & share your thoughts as well!

Ok, till later. Have a great Tuesday!

(Posted 28 Mar 2006 6:38 pm UTC+8 on snowysolace.blogspot.com)