Arsenal 2 - 0 Juventus
What can I say? Arsene said last year that "this young team will surprise you". Up until yesterday, I always considered that as something he said out of faith rather than fact.
I was thrilled when we won against Real but I maintained that this young side wouldn't have done so well against a more compact and disciplined teams such as.. Juventus. In Capello, they had one of the very best tacticians in the game. They know how to grind results and they are efficient.
But last night? I was totally dumbfounded. This young team surprised me, big time!
You sense the fear in those black and white army. THIS JUVENTUS TEAM, CONSISTING OF PLAYERS WHO HAVE SEEN ALL, FEAR THIS ARSENAL SIDE. Yes we had quite a good history against Juve but I am sure that was not the reason. These old veterans had fear for our young side simply because we were playing against them without fear.
How could players such as Flamini, Eboue, Senderos and Cesc play without fear against them?
Camoranesi probably never heard of Flamini two months ago. Mutu probably never knew about Eboue as well.
Makeshift defense? what makeshift? This is our best defense line this season. They have surpassed all expectation, so much so that you could hardly miss Campbell, Lauren, and to certain extent, Cole.
I predicted that Juve would be able to force Arsenal into playing their cautious game. I was wrong. Horribly wrong. We forced them into catching up with us instead. The Juve side who have played on Saturday were slowly exhausting themselves in the process.
Although, as Capello said, that was not the reason why they lost. Gut and determination were the reason. The gut you never expect would come from Pires as he dispossessed his ex-captain, passed it to Henry who in turn fed Cesc who didn't even notice that he was up against the great Thuram. One twist, one shot, and Highbury went crazy.
Pires has got his fair share of criticism this season but he proved last night that he was still the Pires who was always up for such big games. He did very well to compensate for the loss of Ljungberg. Partly I believe he was motivated by this little 18 years old Spaniard who played with such determination.
Cesc Fabregas is one of the major driving forces who carry the team forward. Liam Brady said that he has always been the brain of the team. More than that, he has been the heart of the team. Heck we should have got him under contract till 2020!
Reyes, though not as spectacular, was hugely impressive, playing the way he did against Real. I said that Camoranesi would be a great threat down the flank. Again I was proven wrong. He was under great threat instead. He even got himself a second yellow for a foul on van Persie later on. I don't know when Reyes would start scoring but his spirit and hardwork alone are good enough for me at the moment.
Kolo's pace, as I said, was essential as he times and again denied Juve's attempt to score. Senderos was equally solid and overall the defense was magnificent.
This Arsenal side, they are different from the one which played against Real. They have grown in such a short space of time. The joy of witnessing how fast a child can pick up language.. can you see the similarity? This young side learn fast. They are willing to learn from mistakes and change.
I don't know how the Turin game would turn out. It is in our hands now but everything is possible in football. I don't want to talk about it now. Let's savour the great moment and that's it. Players such as Eboue, Senderos, Flamini, Cesc, Reyes, Hleb, and van Persie- they will be the first generation of the new stadium era. Three years down the road, they will be the backbone of the team.
I have not talked about PV so far. There were so many things in the game that seem to underline the fact that we have really moved on. It's sad that he was booed. I believe he was hurting. Yes many footballers nowadays are playing for money and fame. But PV is different. He might have looked cold during the press conference but you can't expect him to be in tears right? He has to look strong even if he is in turmoil. When his contract with Juve ends I would love to see him return to his spiritual home, the way Brady did, and get involved in coaching. Cesc is a prodigy but PV is a legend. Cesc is a Catalan but PV is a GOONER.
I wish him many great perfomances with Juve ahead (as long as it is not against us).
I was thrilled when we won against Real but I maintained that this young side wouldn't have done so well against a more compact and disciplined teams such as.. Juventus. In Capello, they had one of the very best tacticians in the game. They know how to grind results and they are efficient.
But last night? I was totally dumbfounded. This young team surprised me, big time!
You sense the fear in those black and white army. THIS JUVENTUS TEAM, CONSISTING OF PLAYERS WHO HAVE SEEN ALL, FEAR THIS ARSENAL SIDE. Yes we had quite a good history against Juve but I am sure that was not the reason. These old veterans had fear for our young side simply because we were playing against them without fear.
How could players such as Flamini, Eboue, Senderos and Cesc play without fear against them?
Camoranesi probably never heard of Flamini two months ago. Mutu probably never knew about Eboue as well.
Makeshift defense? what makeshift? This is our best defense line this season. They have surpassed all expectation, so much so that you could hardly miss Campbell, Lauren, and to certain extent, Cole.
I predicted that Juve would be able to force Arsenal into playing their cautious game. I was wrong. Horribly wrong. We forced them into catching up with us instead. The Juve side who have played on Saturday were slowly exhausting themselves in the process.
Although, as Capello said, that was not the reason why they lost. Gut and determination were the reason. The gut you never expect would come from Pires as he dispossessed his ex-captain, passed it to Henry who in turn fed Cesc who didn't even notice that he was up against the great Thuram. One twist, one shot, and Highbury went crazy.
Pires has got his fair share of criticism this season but he proved last night that he was still the Pires who was always up for such big games. He did very well to compensate for the loss of Ljungberg. Partly I believe he was motivated by this little 18 years old Spaniard who played with such determination.
Cesc Fabregas is one of the major driving forces who carry the team forward. Liam Brady said that he has always been the brain of the team. More than that, he has been the heart of the team. Heck we should have got him under contract till 2020!
Reyes, though not as spectacular, was hugely impressive, playing the way he did against Real. I said that Camoranesi would be a great threat down the flank. Again I was proven wrong. He was under great threat instead. He even got himself a second yellow for a foul on van Persie later on. I don't know when Reyes would start scoring but his spirit and hardwork alone are good enough for me at the moment.
Kolo's pace, as I said, was essential as he times and again denied Juve's attempt to score. Senderos was equally solid and overall the defense was magnificent.
This Arsenal side, they are different from the one which played against Real. They have grown in such a short space of time. The joy of witnessing how fast a child can pick up language.. can you see the similarity? This young side learn fast. They are willing to learn from mistakes and change.
I don't know how the Turin game would turn out. It is in our hands now but everything is possible in football. I don't want to talk about it now. Let's savour the great moment and that's it. Players such as Eboue, Senderos, Flamini, Cesc, Reyes, Hleb, and van Persie- they will be the first generation of the new stadium era. Three years down the road, they will be the backbone of the team.
I have not talked about PV so far. There were so many things in the game that seem to underline the fact that we have really moved on. It's sad that he was booed. I believe he was hurting. Yes many footballers nowadays are playing for money and fame. But PV is different. He might have looked cold during the press conference but you can't expect him to be in tears right? He has to look strong even if he is in turmoil. When his contract with Juve ends I would love to see him return to his spiritual home, the way Brady did, and get involved in coaching. Cesc is a prodigy but PV is a legend. Cesc is a Catalan but PV is a GOONER.
I wish him many great perfomances with Juve ahead (as long as it is not against us).
posted by phoenix chix at 9:48 AM
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