Photo by Michael Janosz/ISIphotos.com
By ADAM SERRANO
While the scoring prowess of Edson Buddle and Landon Donovan and the stout defending of Omar
Gonzalez have been crucial ingredients to the success of the Los Angeles Galaxy, it is the play of
a newcomer that may play just as important of a role in the team's good fortune.
The Champions League starts for us tomorrow as we take on Portuguese side Braga at the
Emirates.
Arsenal have in recent years attained quite a bit of success in this competition without winning
it. We've made it through the group stages 10 consecutive seasons, and have made the quarterfinals
4 out of the last 5 seasons, including an appearance in the final in 2006.
If you, like me, don't follow the Portuguese league or the early stages of the Champions League
then you probably don't know much about Braga. That's the reason I was quite interested in
listening to Arsene's opinion about our opponents on Wednesday night. These are the points I got
from the press conference,
Braga are team that is physically strong, well organized, play with quick transition from
defence to offence, and are good with shots from distance.
When was the last time we failed to qualify for the knockout rounds of the Champions League? Not
being a historian I cannot tell you but it was a rare occurrence and some time ago. Which is why I
am not over enthusiastic about tonight, it seems a diversion from the real target of the
Premiership. I realise this is a purely subjective view but I would swap the winning of the CL for
the PL (both would be best but unlikely).
In a rare moment of me saying something interesting on Twitter, I dredged up the statistic that
Arsenal haven't lost at home to a foreign team since 2003. And a dark day that was. 40-odd quid to
stand on the North Bank and watch Arsenal get spanked by Inter Milan.
But since then, part of the reason we are always a danger in the Champions League is that we are
exceptionally hard to beat at home.
It seems to be true. Well, at least if you only include Europe and the Arab football leagues.
Brazil has lost its post as the world's greatest footballer factory to all-time rivals Argentina:
according to a report from sports marketing consultants Euroamericas, it has replaced Brazil as the
country exporting the most professional players.
