The Grand Finale..

Yesterday was a big match day. Equally for all, the fans, the countries and most importantly the players. Spain almost dominated the proceedings giving very little for Germans to cheer about. But what made yesterdays match even more exciting for me although I am neither of the team's fan, is the fact that i saw it with the intention of wanting to feel what players would be going through. Trust me, it was gold worth of experience.

As the match started, one could easily feel the intensity and positiveness in the big league players' eyes. Ballack, Torres, Lehmann, Puyol, Casillas, Fabregas, Ramos and out of the league yet Schweinsteiger. All of them knew already that they could do it for their team. It was just about getting into the rhythem together as a team. Spain did it before Germans could but things could well have been different if only a few things changed.

Torres was in right attitude bang from the start. Playing lone striker is much more harder than it looks. Not only does it require a lot of pace and having to be everywhere, but also a psychological edge over the opposition's defence. Throughout the match Torres seemed to have battles with Lehmann and other defenders,more so on personal ends. Like for instance, when Lehmann saved the second strike from Torres (which would have been very similar to the goal if it would have happened), Lehmann gave him a glancing look which clearly meant "this time you cant get away like that you as***le"

But what was more interesting was probably happening on the other end of the field. Ballack seemed to be in helpless situation which made his face change for anger to disbelief to sadness. This is first time ever I have seem a player of his calibre shattered. Spain's defence did not do that great a job as they looked shaky here and there. But then a big stage and powering responsibility does do that to you. Schweinsteiger however looked chirpy and could not make a difference only because all the other players were running on different level of confidence. Oh man, how important is the team chemistry.

Germany however were wrong on one note. Both Ballack and Joachim Loew seemed to be disappointed with the other players' performances and worse, they clearly showed it straight on their faces. Dangerous when your team is anyways looking down and under. Even more dangerous when you know that its not working yet you continue doing it. I still feel that Ballack will somewhere in his mind blame his team-mates for the loss. Poor fellow, you should never get that into you as a sportsperson.

Fabregas, Inesta, Xavi, Silva all of them played well. Xavi's assist was the one which got converted. But all of them were very short of confidence.The goal helped them maintain their composure and get into a bit of groove. Ramos should also be given credit for this. He handled his job with utter professionalism and confidence and delivered in his usual fresh intelligence. Yet they never got their potential out and must have thanked god that Germans couldn't do it either. Germans also were not physically able to overpower Spain's fluent passing. And they were not eady for the otherwise situation. Portugal could have easily passed Germans if only had they studied this aspect which Aragones cashed in on.

However Podolski, Lahm and Hitzlsperger played well below their destruction levels. They, along with Schweinsteiger, could have changed the script of the finals completely. Only if Ballack could have got his approach right. Casillas managed a great success out of his captaincy more because of the freedom he gave to the artistic players he commanded. Add to it his value to the team and there it was, a perfect reciepe of a wonderful team. Guess i will have to go back into their history and watch them play to know why this team has underachieved for such a long time.

And yes, with the kind of beautiful game they played, i surely have made my mind to follow their football. And attitude.

The art of.. ah forget it!

Croatians now crib that Turkey will make for an easy entry into Finals. Germany lost to Croatia only because of poor play. Not that they were not a strong team by any means.

Probably this is one thought where my thoughts go with Mr. Ballack, reluctantly though. Poor Croatians are talking as if they were defending champions and tournament favourites. Wish teams could be more professional footballers on field and lesser of media attention seekers.

Talking about unfair exits, teams like Switzerland and Portugal at quarters could be allowed a few tantrums. But having said that, the flow of the tournament seems to fair enough for deserving teams to progress higher up the ladder.

Croatia will now have to come back stronger in the next version. Rather they should steal a leaf out of Swiss supporters attitude. If Croatians really feel that they were good but unfortunate, they should concentrate on better performance in WC 2010.

WC 2010 also reminds me that teams like France, Switzerland and Portugal will come down with revenge on their minds! Would be a great fun to watch them.. Add England, oh how did I forget them.

Quarters Done.. Semis on...

Hey, first of all Kudos to Russian performance. They could content Netherland in defense and put on a brave attacking performance. As I wished, Arshavin and Pavliuchenko did the trick for them and Holland always ended up with trying to keep pace with Russians and make a come back.

Spain almost sulked into the pressure as they could not settle themselves in their smooth passing tune but Casillas once again proved why he was the best keeper around. Buffon surely was unlucky to have been pitched against him in such a fashion and to loose the battle.

But now with Russians playing Spain in Semis, one really cannot predict much here. Russians have been also smart with their team selection and have avoided carrying and injuries and suspension into this round. Germans might have a much easier and confident time with Turkey provided Turkey doesn't pull off a Greece performance of last competition.

All set, my prediction is that Spain and Germany will make it to Finals.

Atleast a final berth would reduce the chance of Luis Aragones's heart attack further.

Powerful Germans..

1st Quarter Finals lived upto its hype and expectations as Germans demonstrated a powerful display whereas Portugal tried a genuine yet nervous comeback. But there is this one thing that came strongly out of it.

I am referring to the German attitude and approach. The way they overpowered the Portugal team was an indication they could well make it to another Euro finals. With Turkey or Croatia in Semis, Germany will have the anxiety like any person who is positively waiting for very important results.

But what will be more interesting to wait and watch is whether Spain and Holland meet in the Semis. Because if they do, then a very exciting and satisfying match powered with a good night-out with friends and booze is on cards.

And lastly, please do help me with the link for "i hate Ballack" community.

Russia... Russia!!!

Ok. Here I am again going into some trouble. But as I said, I love to fight. This time I have decided to go ahead with Russia as the side to support for the rest of the tournament.

I was really impressed the way they attached the Swedish defense yesterday and given the fact that they play Holland in quarters, they do stand a decent chance. Of course, they have to make most of Holland's defense and not let them through from their own (I know I am asking for too much here). But then on a given day anything can happen.

For me, Pavluchenko and Arshavin hold the key right now and if they manage to be more accurate and on the target this time around. But the real test will be for their defense as we all know how polished Holland is right now with their attack.

Another thing that will be interesting to see in the quarters is how Italy can change their defensive tone to probably more attacking one. Having Pirlo out of the side for the next face-off against Spain surely harms their chances but the way Toni seem to shaping up his form, Spanish defense could well have a tough time (not that they have best of defences though).

By the way, Luis Aragones said that he might call it a quit after his Euro run this year. Wonder if was talking of life or just his career.

Bad luck Swiss and Poor France!!

At the outset of Euro'08, I had little to be passionate about the tournament, being an English Fan. However a tournament like Euro is surely not supposed to be missed if you are a football freak. Having said that, i feel one still needs to passionately support a team to be hands on interested in the proceedings of the tournament. I dont know what was in me when i selected France and Switzerland!

Facing my friends, specially when they know that you are an English Fan, is like being a screen for a comedy movie. You are pointed at and laughed on all the time. So i decided to have some loyalty going into the tournament. I selected France because of my individual loyalty for Henry, Ribery and the ever great Zidane. I also wanted to back Switzerland because.. well i need not reason it for people who saw their opening match against Czech. Bastards Czechs saved their asses with a scrappy goal. Worse, they ended up being eliminated and in the process eliminating swiss.

But what hurts more is the fact that France had the power and class but were almost dead in the area of passion. Henry seemed to have all the responsibility with "i dont know what is happening" reactions all the time on the field. Also Italy were lucky to have Ribery out with injury in the first 10 mins. But given his performance so far in the tournament, giving this reason is like adding another thing to the 'dull' "could have been" list. Same could be said about loss of Frei for Swiss team, although there i somehow feel more positive about what could have been.

Ok, now i have decided to stop cribbing about my 'if' stories and start supporting stronger teams like Holland and Spain. But then it always feels like a fight when you support the underdogs. Although my friends may not like it given the fact that my support doesnt seem to be good for the team's progress in the tournament (evidences in plenty). But please dont blame a person who has already lost his heart people.

And another important thing to mention although i dont know whether it makes even remote sense. Tomas Ujfalusi of Czech should take up Hollywood projects like 300 and others. Asshole would make atleast a better onscreen personality than play pathetic football. Although given his calibre, i doubt his performance there too.

And lastly, best of luck to Spain and Holland for the remaining matches. Early peaking is always a sign of great fall later on (add to it now they have MY support!!).

Cheers!

Manchester First, Ronaldo much later..

Very few young footballers make it to the Under-16, Under-17, Under-18, B team and first-team for a recognized club like Sporting Lisbon. So when a player actually manages to make it to all of them in just one season, there has to be something special about him.

Noticed for the wonders he did from the wings by Ferguson, Ronaldo let the first waves of a sea of fame and recognition wash his feet as he signed on the dotted line for Manchester United, starting out on a journey that has now ran into the transfer saga of the season.

But unfortunately, for all that he has done for Manchester United, Ronaldo falls into that category of extraordinary footballers who are defined more by individual brilliance and one man performances rather than the ability to fit seamlessly into a team structure. Despite (or maybe because of) my unending support to Manchester United, if all the Championship mist and ticker tape is wiped aside and the bigger, long term picture is seen I can’t help but believe that Ronaldo stands to do more harm than good for Manchester United in the long term, if this season is anything to go by.

Ronaldo has no doubt contributed extensively towards the club’s wins in both, the Champion’s League and the EPL, but detecting the true value of that is restricted to just quantification in terms of goals, and misses out on a few important, intangible but qualitatively crucial factors.

Over the course of this season, United showed signs of dependence on a single player, with the team actually building and revolving around an individual. A dangerous symptom not seen too often in the generally glittering history of the club.

The effect this had on their game was clear, more visible in their struggles against Barcelona and Chelsea in the CL and the way they almost succumbed to the pressure in the EPL’s final few matches, especially against Chelsea and Arsenal in the closing quarter, than anywhere else. It had become quite obvious on the field even if not on theory that if you could restrict Ronaldo and you could easily make Manchester reasonably vulnerable, if not entirely beatable.

That United managed to hang on to their silverware was primarily on account of some solid defending by Ferdinand and Co. towards the final lap of the season and also some serious contributions from players like Scholes and Tevez, all of which was largely underplayed in the midst of all the Ronaldo-fawning over.

But the real set back that United had to face because of such overdependence on Ronaldo, which runs a lot deeper than is apparent now, was the loss of touch and form of a player like Rooney.

Rooney’s muted but steady fading away this season was engineered by two factors. The first of these was the change of role that was phased in, if not actually planned, on account of the fact that Ronaldo was averaging a goal in each match and had taken over the duties of the first choice tap-in man.

Ordinarily, Rooney would be the number one hit-man, using cool, point-blank finishes and tap-ins to keep his ego and confidence healthy, and converting unreal half-chances and occasionally creating a few as an additional function.

Now, with Ronaldo taking over the first role, Rooney has found himself with little more to do than trying to pull off the difficult, convoluted finishes, and obviously, enjoy a lower conversion ratio. In the process, he looks to have lost his confidence and control over putting away even some basic goal-line opportunities.

Tevez, on the other hand, has always been a player with reasonable skill as an attacking mid-fielder, or a player operating in the hole behind the two strikers, as seen by the role he plays in the Argentine side. So, as it happened, Tevez wasn’t unsettled by Ronaldo’s dominance of the goal-mouth. The situation now remains that Tevez is still indispensable for United whereas Rooney isn’t exactly on top of Ferguson’s preference list.

The second reason behind Rooney’s reduced efficacy this season is also the reason for the overall vulnerability of Manchester United’s midfield. Scoring goals is the responsibility of the team as a whole, something that was hijacked, if that is the right word, by Ronaldo. Reduced responsibility leads to reduced motivation, and this is true for anyone, even if to varying extents.

Having followed Manchester United’s game for years, one thing that stung this season even as the club scalped a double was that both trophies could so easily have not been. The EPL success last year was decidedly more convincing than the one this year, and the Champions Trophy was won on the back of a penalty shootout and a slippery John Terry.

It wasn’t done with sheer dominance and ‘beautiful’ play. Possibly, Arsenal and Chelsea fans could feel prouder and happier with their club’s performance, given the odds and circumstances both got through (a young, semi-fit squad for Arsenal and all the manager-player turbulence for Chelsea), even though they could not get hold of any silverware.

If Ronaldo were to leave Manchester United this year, Ferguson will possibly have more to cheer about than cry. It will give the club an opportunity to pull itself back above any individual player, while performing more as a unit with a more even goal-distribution. More importantly, it will give them a chance to play the game in their old, beautiful way and not be dependent on one-man shows.

With all due respect and many thanks for his performance this season, which will probably not be matched by any other player in the near future, Ronaldo still remains just a part of the entire unit. Manchester United is a great club and a team with or without him (a statement which may stop being true if we have a couple of seasons more like this one). The moving out of Ronaldo is a situation that calls for a new hero to arise and a team like United has never been short of one. At least it would mean the club has more than just one hero.

When its just not your day at a restaurant....

Visiting restaurants is all about food. When one has no options from home (i.e. mom is angry, wife is angry, you yourself are too bored, you just love this food joint, etc. etc.), one has to resort to visiting restaurants for their meals. Restaurants are invariable known for some of their special dishes and are invariably named and specialized accordingly. One should therefore stick to what is known and tested, atleast by others, to avoid any disappointment. All that I emphasized on till now is BULL SHIT!

Atleast my friend has to agree to this. We visited this Chinese restaurant the other day to relish one of the worst lunch we had in a long time. I relished it because I could see the frustration on my partner’s face (she had done the sin of ordering all the RIGHT stuff) and she relished it for one of her all time favorite reason, she could blame the waiters and the cook. Trust me, if the food would have been good still you could not beat her satisfaction in giving cold stares to poor waiters out there.

As I said, and I repeat as it is important, we had gone to a Chinese restaurant. By my dear friend, btw in whose company I never got a chance to order, asked me to order this time. Feeling privileged, I scanned the menu with a huge smile on my face. But as the constraints started flowing, I felt I was rather given a curse to choose exactly what was there on her mind. How the hell am I supposed to know what’s on her mind? Anyways, putting it as my mistake that I could not finally decide on any item (rather I blame myself for not able to read her mind), she took over for her regular proceedings. And btw, no weird asses around yet. This joint was on for very poor ratings from my friend.

Scanning the menu, she decided on ordering Chicken masala. Beep.. Beep.. I repeat.. Chinese restaurant! Ok, as long as I was getting to eat chicken, I could not question that. But masala when they had around 100 items before that, that to from what they specialize in! don’t blame me. I was here with a girl who had done the ordering part. Could I change it? If I could that against a girl, this world would surely have been more happy their wives and girlfriends. That was not a hyperbole.

As they waiter served us with the masala, we realized that the gravy had only one piece of chicken to be shared by two! The waiter’s hair stood to it’s ends as he received his first cold stare for the afternoon. And obviously any question about tips would come under heavy firing now. As we finished the dish, we realized that we had order something more. I suggested some Chinese starter. Oh my I was so wrong to do that in a Chinese restaurant! As my suggestions never reached her LEFT ear, she decided to go ahead with Chicken Biryani. Why the hell were we in a Chinese restaurant?

Struggling through the chicken biryani which was at its pathetic best, we tried to find any positive in the restaurant. But then Chinese restaurant had to be tested on their non special things. Else they would be like any other ok-ish restaurant. Hssss! Don’t question this. Its her formula. Full marks to her though for such a keen reading of the menu to find out two of their worst dishes. And btw ultimately I was blamed for bringing her to this place at first place. God, when will all the guys learn their mistakes?

Conclusions:

1. The restaurant was bad.

2. No tips. But I had to keep it because of the way waiters handled her cold stares.

3. My college is not cool. Unluckily, this restaurant is near my college.

4. Ordering Kheema Pav (one of my favorites) was still a wrong decision.