A trademark performance from 2 months ago leaves Tottenham Hotspur right in the hunt for
Champions League football still. 2 wins down, 2 to go. Adam Nathan reflects on the match from last
night.
Let's take a vote. At 1-1 last night, was there anyone who thought that Spurs, our Spurs, with
two wins in ten miserable outings, would pick themselves up, transform into the players we all know
they can be and dismantle a spirited Bolton on a ground that we had never recorded a league
win?
Everybody wants to talk about Luis Suarez. He was charged with racism, served his suspension,
and has returned to play. Done. Was he petulant before the game? Yes. But since when was that
novel? I'm more interested in this little thing called the field. On said field, players kick
balls. In fact, just yesterday, a game was played on said field.
In less than two weeks' time, we'll bid adieu to the finest Manchester United keeper since Peter
Schmeichel, as Edwin van der Sar will stroll off into the sunset after the (hopefully victorious)
Champions League final against Barcelona.
Is the end also approaching for another United veteran?
When Liverpool win with a brilliant, unfathomable goal after creating very little from open play,
when Liverpool's opponent hit the woodwork and miss chance after chance, we probably shouldn't
complain. I doubt it need remind it was the absolute opposite last season, all season long.
Stoke never make it easy. Liverpool needed two superlative goals, two vibrant wildflowers in an
otherwise barren field, to cancel out an unlucky concession and return to Wembley for the second
time this season.
Other than Suarez and Downing's rays of sunshine, we were treated to typical Stoke attrition.
We all know about John Arne Riise's traction engine of a left foot, but that's not what really
interests me. I watched enough Brazil games growing up to know that having a left back who can belt
the ball at or beyond the speed of light is not as useful as it is fun. So while we can be sure
Riise will bust a net or two with a thunderbolt at some point, this is the cherry on top of the
cake, not the cake itself.
We all know about John Arne Riise's traction engine of a left foot, but that's not what really
interests me. I watched enough Brazil games growing up to know that having a left back who can belt
the ball at or beyond the speed of light is not as useful as it is fun. So while we can be sure
Riise will bust a net or two with a thunderbolt at some point, this is the cherry on top of the
cake, not the cake itself.
My favourite Arsenal picture may seem a strange choice. It's taken in
April 1998, at a tense moment of Arsenal's 3-1 win at home to Newcastle United at Highbury (the
programme from which you can see above). All eyes are on Toon striker Alan Shearer, who was
preparing to unleash one of his scud missile free kicks towards Arsenal's goal.
Arsenal 1-0 Manchester City Premier League 8th April 2012
Coming into this clash at the Emirates, Roberto Mancini knew that if his gold-plated team was to
keep alive their title hopes, then they needed to win.
Even with City's dodgy away form in recent weeks this game was always going to be a test of
Arsenal's abilities. Was the QPR result a blip or the beginning of yet another slump? On the back
of that performance there can be no arguments. The macro-level stats in the following tweet make
the case quite clearly.
Even with City's dodgy away form in recent weeks this game was always going to be a test of
Arsenal's abilities. Was the QPR result a blip or the beginning of yet another slump? On the back
of that performance there can be no arguments. The macro-level stats in the following tweet make
the case quite clearly.
Mikel Arteta has hailed Arsenal team-mate Robin Van Persie as one of the world's greatest
strikers. Gunners skipper RVP led AW's troops to a magnificent, glorious and resplendent hammering
of the team that dare not speak its name at the Emirates yesterday to boost our chances of
snatching a top four spot and in so doing claim a Champions League place.
With 3 defeats in the last 4 games and an unconvincing win against Leeds in the last round of
the FA Cup, Arsenal fans were feeling far from optimistic ahead of this 4th round clash against
Aston Villa.
Rumour had it that the Gunners injury list was starting to ease, and so it
proved with Sagna, Henry and Arteta all named on the bench and also the young Frenchman Coquelin
was deputising at right back.
With 3 defeats in the last 4 games and an unconvincing win against Leeds in the last round of
the FA Cup, Arsenal fans were feeling far from optimistic ahead of this 4th round clash against
Aston Villa.
Rumour had it that the Gunners injury list was starting to ease, and so it
proved with Sagna, Henry and Arteta all named on the bench and also the young Frenchman Coquelin
was deputising at right back.
Having given your verdict on the player of the season, it's time to have your say regarding your
favourite goals from the last campaign.
As you would expect from Spurs, there were some stunning strikes and many of our goals from
2010-11 featured on Match of the Day and Sky's regular competitions, but which of these really
stands out?
How about that then, eh? Fulham were absolutely fabulous, and deserved to score more than two
against a good Sunderland side. More than anything it was a win that confirmed Martin Jol's nous
for teambuilding, taking Roy Hodgson's stalwarts and making them thrilling. Everywhere you looked
was someone at the top of their game and Sunderland may very well have traveled back north shaking
their heads: how could they have seen that coming?
How about that then, eh? Fulham were absolutely fabulous, and deserved to score more than two
against a good Sunderland side. More than anything it was a win that confirmed Martin Jol's nous
for teambuilding, taking Roy Hodgson's stalwarts and making them thrilling. Everywhere you looked
was someone at the top of their game and Sunderland may very well have traveled back north shaking
their heads: how could they have seen that coming?
So which was more shocking for you: Clint Dempsey's menagerie of missed sitters or Bob Bradley
finishing the game with Dempsey as his lone striker? It's not an idle question. My notes, even from
early in the first half, mention Dempsey looking heavy-legged and lacking his usual spark. I think
it was about a half hour in that I wondered why Bradley hadn't started the energetic Bedoya, saving
Dempsey, coming off a long club season, for emergency sub duty and the latter stages of the
tournament.
Pick that out the 'met Mehmet Topal'ın muhteşem golü. It's safe to say that Valancia didn't have
the most comfortable of evenings at the Britannia Stadium last night, so you can imagine the
Spanish outfit were pretty pleased when Mehmet Topal stepped forward to deliver this thunderbolt.
The strike gave a precious away goal and [.
It's MLS goal of the year time, and MLSS is handing the reins to the fans this year. You'll pick
between four goals in four pods from groups A-P. First-round voting ends Oct. 29, when we move on
to the second round and on and on we go until Eric Hassli wins by a LBJ-esque landslide. Hassli's
thunderbolt isn't included in the first four groups, but you can be sure he'll be in there
eventually.
The end of Colombia came almost anticlimactically in extra time after 90 minutes of spectacular
shots which had both goalies jack knifing through the air, a missed penalty by Radamel Falcao, and
two reprieves for Peru as the ball blasting Dayro Moreno and Fredy Guarin threatened to end the
match.
Ruthless Germany looking ominous in early Euro 2012 - originally posted on Soccerlens.com
Wednesday night served up two exciting and enthralling Euro 2012 fixtures, with the ‘group of
death' starting to take shape. Portugal made it hard for themselves in beating Denmark but got
there with a late goal, whilst early favourites Germany continued their winning streak by all-but
damning Netherlands to a competition exit.
Sometimes it is so, so nice to be so, so wrong. Spain's 4-3 win over Yugoslavia in Euro 2000 was
memorably described at the time has "having everything except full-frontal nudity." Given
Equatorial Guinea's celebration of their astounding 2-1 win over Senegal in the ACN last night, I
expect we had that as well.
2012 is flourishing, but it's not too late to look back on the best goals from last year. Messi
is on the list. Ronaldo too. But you already knew that. Some brilliant golazos you might not have
seen are on here too.
Highly recommended hidden gems:Hernán Barcos' exquisite dribbling for
Liga de Quito (#94), Nikica Jelavic's bicycle kick for Rangers (#91), Julio Gómez with another
bicycle in the U-17 World Cup (#87), Pa Modou Kah coming out of nowhere with a thunderbolt of a
strike (#62), Gualberto Mojica's one-two to back of the net strike (#55), Lisandro López's
textbook bicycle kick for Arsenal de Sarandi (#21), and Cleiton Xavier's surreal touch for Metalist
Kharkiv (#10).
Iniesta's goal takes first leg of Copa del Rey 0-1 (Photo: AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
A 42nd minute thunderbolt from Andres Iniesta proved enough to see Barcelona past modest third
division rivals CE L'Hospitalet in the blaugrana's first Copa del Rey match of the season.
The game was moved up several weeks due to Barcelona's participation in the Club World Cup next
month.
Who impressed you the most last season? Who disappointed?
Dave:
David Stockdale. After all the talk of Schwarzer leaving it was a mighty relief to find that we'd
got a readymade replacement already in the ranks.
Lauren Cheney and Megan Rapinoe celebrate Rapinoe's 50th minute goal
There was a tremendous atmosphere inside Rhein-Neckar-Arena tonight, the likes of which have
probably never been seen before for the U.S. WNT match on foreign soil. The sold-out crowd of more
than 25,000 was decidely pro-American, bolstered by a large presence from the U.
There was good news for Spurs fans as Tom Huddlestone came through eighty minutes of action at
the Lodge yesterday as a Tottenham XI beat Barnet by two goals to one.
The game was also notable for the return of mystery man John Bostock and it was Spurs who opened
the scoring on five minutes with a penalty from Kudus Oyenuga.
