Thursday, April 06, 2006

Go Gunners!!

finally there's something to cheer about, after the pre-mature conclusion to the season of the only other team that i feverently support.

For the first fucking time in Arsenal's 120 year history, the Gunners have finally reached their first European Cup semi-final after defeating Juve over two legs.

The only European final which i've ever watched in my 8 years as a gooner was that disappointing UEFA cup final defeat against Galatasaray back in 00'. Those fucking cheats. They pushed their way to the top through pure psychological intimidation, and it was that year where a couple of Leeds fans were stabbed (one fatally) by those crazy Turkish fans and i think a couple of Gooners got stabbed too. It's stuff like that, that really fucks up the team morale, and it was probably no surprise that the final was eventually settled in a penalty shoot-out.

Now, if Arsenal go through the semis against Villareal (which seems to be the more probable outcome on paper at least), chances are it would be a Barca-Arsenal showdown. There's every reason for Gooners to relish in that showdown, beside the prospects of mouth-watering football.

I hated Barca back in 00' when they were effectively acting like the Chelski of the Primera Liga before that dubious honour went to Real Madrid when Florentino Perez took over as chairman and started his madness 'Championship-Manager-like' fantasy purchases.

I hated Barca becos' they bought Marc Overmars and Emmanuel Petit. It was a huge heartbreak since it was my adolation for Overmars that made me follow Arsenal in the first place.

I hated Barca cos' Ronaldinho pipped Henry to become the World Player of the Year.

But i also kinda liked Barca cos:

i. if not for the sale of Overmars and Petit, Henry and Pires would never have gone to Highbury

ii. Barca is the symbol of Catalan pride and is perhaps one of those few heavy-weight football clubs that remain truth to the community spirit that they're founded on cos' it's apparantly not a PLC and the it's is almost exclusively owned by the community in Catalonia. ie. equity is held by thousands, if not millions of small shareholders.

iii. They're a fucking good team to use in Winning Eleven 8.

Grudge match aside, this is probably Denis Bergkamp's final season at Highbury and if Arsenal do indeed make it to the final, that match would most probably be his swansong for Arsenal. For someone who has devoted 11 years of his professional career to Arsenal, he really deserves a glorious curtain call.

Pragmatically, that long await piece of silverware is probably what it takes to convince Thierry Henry to commit his future to Arsenal. We lost one captain last season, and we're staring up at Spurs' butts on the league table. I hate to imagine how life will be like withou Henry.

'Victoria Concordia Crescit'.
'Victory grows out of harmony.'"



'Good O' Arsenal, we're proud to say that name.
While we sing this song we'll win the game!
While we sing this song we'll win the game!'

3 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

good luck to the arse. barca were my 2nd team in the tournament(after the current european champs who have won it 5 TIMES) due to their exquisite football, and I'll be happy if either arse or barca win to show the world that football can be both beautiful and successful at the same time.

though nothing the arse will do in this tournament will ever top istanbul 2005=p

robin

Thursday, April 06, 2006 8:36:00 PM  
Blogger the virgin undergrad said...

yeah bro, i would hate to see another boring technical team like AC win the champions league again.

and if Arsenal make it to the final, i would much rather they win the game outright then to top Liverpool's outrageous comeback. i'm getting old, my heart can't take that much excitment haha.

Saturday, April 08, 2006 4:10:00 PM  
Blogger kachuaz said...

dropping by to say hi.

no comments for ur current post. lol.

read 1 of my old posts to know why.

cheers.

*no longer in perth*

Wednesday, April 12, 2006 8:43:00 PM  

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