Saturday, July 31, 2010

Post Arsenal-Milan comment

1-1 is the final score for Arsenal and Milan. It was a really entertaining match. Despite it's only a friendly match, both teams showed great determination to win the match. Arsenal took lead by new-striker Marouane Chamakh, before AC Milan equalized by Alexandre Pato's header goal. Both teams also had great chances, but not-so-good finishing letting them to waste their chancess

THE POSITIVES
Youngsters and Newcomers has been pretty impressive. Laurent Koscielny stopped Alexandre Pato well, and Marouane Chamakh scored a goal. While Jack Wilshere took Fabregas' role in the midfield and eventually did well, Emmanuel Frimpong was also impressive, he was so determined in the midfield. Kieran Gibbs was very lively on the left back, giving some good croses, which unfortunately none of them leading to a goal. Second-half substitute Mark Randall was also quite good, had two chances but failed to convert it. Prone-error goalkeeper, Lukasz Fabianski also didn't do anything wrong even he was underpressure sometimes. That's good sign for the Polish goalkeeper

Arsenal's attacking face wasn't too different from last season, still playing feet-to-feet ball, one two pass, and short pass. Arsenal created many chances, more than Milan did last night, and also all defenders could play with the ball and had some chances, even they are the centre backs.


THE NEGATIVES
Arsenal lost concentration for a while and Milan maximized it. There's gap between the midfield and the defence, although in overall they still defended well.

But the main problem in match against Milan was final touch. Besides Chamakh's goal, Arsenal's players are lacking of finishing touch, they had many chances, and only one goals scored, that's a problem. There's an argument than Cristian Abbiati has been brilliant, it's true, Abbiati played well yesterday, but some of the clear chances, which Abbiati wouldn't have saved, if they hit it on target, the result could've been different.

Another negative side is Arsenal were losing focus after conceding one goal, that's a problem, when you lost focus after conceded. Arsenal almost conceded again two times after Pato's goal, and they need to improve their mentality, not to down after conceded one goal.

In Overall, Arsenal was quite good. Draw isn't the best result Arsenal could get, but hopefully it brings experience for youngsters.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Justice in Football

We all already know that Spain is the champion of World Cup 2010. But what I wanna emphasize here is not how Spain could become a champion or failure of my favourite team, Brazil in the first World Cup held in Africa.

I just wanna emphasize some Justice in football.

First, let's begin with Slovenia, which has seen USA's clear goal disallowed by the referee, and the match ended with 2-2, and Slovenia got advantage from referee's bad decision. They tragically fail to qualify from Group C, following to 0-1 lost from England and USA's 1-0 win against Algeria.

Next team is Serbia, who saw Miroslav Klose sent off after slightly obstructed Serbian player. Serbia won 1-0 against Germany. But they failed in Group Stage as Australia beat them 2-1 while Germany beat Ghana 1-0, which gave Germany and Ghana ticket to the next round.

Brazil also got advantage from the referee when Luis Fabiano controlled with his hand before scoring to Boubacar Barry's goal. In that match, Brazil win 3-1, which resulting them to go to next round. In round of 16, they still won against Chile 3-0. But in the quarterfinal, Netherlands defeated them 2-1, sending them home.

Don't forget Germany who saved by the referee which disallowed Lampard's goal, in the last 16 match against England, the scoreline when that accident happen is 2-1 for German's lead, but if England had scored, who knew the momentum will change into Capello's side. Argentina has also got advantage from the referee when Carlos Tevez's offside goal is counted, when Mexico had more chances to score. Mexico lost concentration, and lost 1-3 in the end. When Germany and Argentina meet, it's 'advantaged' vs 'advantaged', so it's no problem which teams won, which in the end Germany thrashed Argentina four goals without any reply! But in semifinal, Germany outclassed by 'tiki-taka' performed by Spain, 0-1.

Paraguay, which played hardly in Second Round match against Japan, could easily conceded a penalty, after one of their defender fouled Japan's player, but they eventually won 5-3 over penalty shootout. In quarterfinal, they were defeated by Spain, from David Villa's only goal.

Uruguay, which dramatically win against Ghana, with 'Hand of Evil' Luis Suarez saved Ghana's 99,9% chance of scoring goal with his hand. They win 4-2 in a penalty shootout, after Asamoah Gyan's penalty hit the crossbar. in the end got two consecutive 2-3 lost - against Netherlands and Germany, and ended in fourth place. They were lucky when Ghana failed to score from the spot. But they were unlucky when they saw Netherlands offside goal is counted, and in the next match against Germany, Forlan's freekick only hit the post.

Netherlands, the finalist, got an offside goal counted against Spain, lost 0-1 over an extra time.

Lastly, France which qualified from Henry's two times handball, followed by Gallas' goal to beat Ireland 2-1 in aggregate, was destroyed in South Africa, with one draw and two lost, with only one goal scored. The team squad themselves even had a bad disharmony with each other, with Nicolas Anelka argued with Raymond Domenech and sent home by the France Football Federation, followed by Patrice Evra's captaincy continued in training boycott, France is completely destroyed in South Africa, mainly by themselves.

Well, teams might had got advantage(s) - unfairly - by the referee, or maybe got a high luck in one match; in one match would lost in next games, could be said it's the price they sacrifice to get the 'advantage', even if they never wished for get it. That's Justice in Football, which happens in this World Cup.

I write this without any disrespect any teams, I know most of teams playing in World Cup have already fighting at their best in South Africa.