prince of venprek

20 September 2007
Next up, we travel to Venprek, where Bayern Munich takes on hosts Venpreker.
Carlo Demaurigny returns for the first time to his hometown Venprek since his shock transfer to Bayern during the summer. In an interview, he said it would be an emotional return for him. Emotional, it certainly was. His name was announced to cheers from the home crowd.

One would really wonder how the home fans really felt, as Bayern took only five minutes to tear their team apart, the chief perpetrator being their former hero Carlo Demaurigny.

Demaurigny robs Yannick of the ball in his half and immediately launches a long ball forward, finding Franck Ribery. Ribery cuts the ball back and Luca Toni’s header gave the Bavarians the lead after only just five minutes. 3 minutes later, it is 2-0. This time, Miroslav Klose rises highest to head home Demaurigny’s corner. Bayern go into the break with a 3-0 lead, as Bastian
Schweinsteiger exchanges a 1-2 with Demaurigny before blasting into the top right hand corner.

Bayern seems to have taken a foot off the pedal in the second half, but still have enough to find a fourth goal. This time, Demaurigny himself latches on to Klose’s knockdown before firing an unstoppable rocket into the top left corner of the net. However, he sportingly did not celebrate the goal.

10 minutes to go, Demaurigny makes way for Hamit Altintop, earning a standing ovation. Final score: Venpreker 0, Bayern 4.

14 February 2008
Valentine’s Day today. But expect no love between Royale Venprek and Bayern Munich here at the Allianz Arena. First Leg of the Round of 32. We will have the starting lineup shortly.
Oliver Kahn starts in goal, with Philip Lahm, Lucio, Daniel van Buyten and Christian Lell in defence. No Carlo Demaurigny in midfield, as Ottmar Hitzfeld opts for Mark van Bommel, Ze Roberto, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Franck Ribery. Upfront are Miroslav Klose and Luca Toni.

Royale are expected to come here to defend. They have built their entire campaign on their tightness at the back, leaking in only 4 goals so far, as well as these two players, whom Bayern must pay particular attention to: Frederick Michalak the number 9, as well as Florian Giovinco, the number 11.

An hour gone, still 0-0 at the Allianz Arena.

Lucio…dispossessed by Michalak! Giovinco…GOAL! What a fantastic goal by Florian Giovinco! Look at this again, sloppy play from Lucio. He simply did not notice Michalak coming up on him. Michalak with a superb sliding tackle. The ball falls loose and look at this, how fast Giovinco latches on to it. One touch, two touch, goal. What a lob. From all of 30 yards. Superb technique, superb awareness to spot Kahn off his line.

What did I say before the game? These two players are dangerous. One chance, one goal. That is how Royale play. And it looks like Bayern might just pay for not taking their chances. 20 minutes for Bayern to salvage something.

Ribery with the cross…overhit.

Another loose pass from van Bommel as yet another Bayern attack breaks down.

The crowd’s beginning to turn against their team.

Demaurigny and Podolski are warming up. The crowd is calling for Demaurigny. Hitzfeld is still not making any changes. Slightly more than 10 minutes to go.

80 minutes gone. Double substitution for Bayern. Podolski and Demaurigny coming on for Ze Roberto and Schweinsteiger.

Demaurigny with a delicious ball to Klose. Over the bar!

Podolski. Demaurigny. Ribery cuts in. Last ditch tackle by Cigani.

3 minutes of injury time.

We are in the last minute of injury time now. The ball falls loose to Giovinco. Giovinco with the ball. He might be headed to the corner flag. Giovinco, so quick with the ball. Demaurigny chases. Demaurigny with the sliding tackle. Giovinco falls as the ball rolls away from him. Was that a foul? The referee blows the whistle.

It’s full time!

Giovinco springs up grabs the ball and kicks it into the stand as the Royale players surround him. Demaurigny stays on the ground, unable to believe it. As the Bayern players exit the ground to jeers from their own fans, the Royale players stay on the pitch savoring the moment. Royale have come away with a very famous victory over the German giants. But all is not lost. The return leg in a week’s time, at Royale’s Stad Rouchoda. Let me tell you, there is no other team better than keeping a clean sheet than Royale.

21 February 2008
Welcome to Venprek. Bayern’s second visit to this wonderful city this season. The last time round, they visited the Hell Cathedral, where they more than convincingly beat their hosts Venpreker 4-0 in the Group Stage. Today, we are here at Stad Rouchoda, more affectionately known as the Queen, homeground of Royale Venprek, the arch rivals of Venpreker.

Bayern comes into this tie 1-0 down, losing surprisingly to a wonder goal from the flamboyant winger Florian Giovinco. Ottmar Hitzfeld will look to this man on your screen now to set things right. Carlo Demaurigny, the hero the last time they came here knows everything there is to know about Royale. And he simply loves this stadium. Last season, he led his former team Venpreker to a stunning 4-0 win over Royale here, completing a hat-trick.

Royale retains the team which won in Munich, while Bayern makes 2 changes to their midfield, Demaurigny and Hamit Altintop coming in.

Long ball upfield… Klose with the flick. Cigani heads clear. Demaurigny..! What a sensational volley! The clearance from Cigani not far enough, falling to Demaurigny, who simply volleys the ball into the goal, before it touches the ground. 6 minutes was all it took for Bayern to break Royale down.

Here comes Bayern again. Demaurigny with a perfectly-weighted ball behind the defence…Klose…rounds the keeper, 2-0.

Klose with the flick…Schweinsteiger is behind the defence. Cuts the ball back. Toni on hand to blast it into the net. 3-0.

Ribery. Ribery to Demaurigny. Demaurigny to Klose. Klose lays the ball back into his path…Demaurigny…tucked away into the bottom left corner. 4-0.

Frustration for the home team. Wild tackle by Michalak on Demaurigny! He’s already on a yellow. Yes, it’s a red. No questions about it. Michalak simply lost the plot. There is just no way back for Royale now. 1-4 down on aggregate, down to 10 men.

Luca Toni will come off for Lukas Podolski.

Podolski, 1-2 with Demaurigny. Podolski is free…GOAL! Just 3 minutes after coming on, Podolski scores to make it 5-0.

Schweinsteiger. Podolski. Podolski skips past one, another, rounds the keeper…oh what a clever
ball across the face of goal. Demaurigny…that’s his hat-trick. 6-0 to Bayern. And it is this man, Carlo Demaurigny again. He just loves to score here, doesn’t he?

The whistle finally goes, ending Royale’s torment. They simply have no answer to Bayern, to Carlo Demaurigny. There is Giovinco, so quiet tonight exchanging words with Demaurigny.

And so final score, Royale 0, Bayern 6. Goodnight from Venprek.

numbers

what's in a number?

why is it that some numbers, when we see it at random, make us simply pause and stare at them?

why is it that some numbers are just so able to capture our attention?

what connections do we really have with numbers?

101 Steps

It snowed today, on the anniversary of his death. I climbed the 101 steps up the hill, to the Cemetery of the Nameless Soldier. 101 steps. They say that each step taken brings the fallen closer to God. Like a prayer. With each step I took, I said a prayer under my breath. A prayer for him.

He looked up at the narrow stairs leading up to the cemetery. He walked up the steps, counting as he did so, with some difficulty; he was after all already seventy.

I reached the top at last. There was only a simple plaque in the middle, with numerous bouquets of flowers placed atop, all laced with the powdery snow. I clutched the bouquet in my hand tightly as I approached it.

He was staring at the same plaque now, although time had since taken its toll on it. Looking at the faded words inscribed on it, he choked with tears.

Here lies the nameless Soldier,
A Father, A Brother, A Son,
Fallen in Defence of the Fatherland,
His Loyalty and Courage,
We will always Honour,
Till the end of Time.

I placed the bouquet on the plaque, on the snow. Every bouquet placed is a fight against the snow, against oblivion. So that the snow would never cover the plaque. So that we would always remember. So that we would never forget. I wiped the snow off the words, tracing them with my bare fingers. The Nameless Soldier. Yet his name, I would always remember.

I could only watch him cry. Nothing I do could take away fifty years of pain. Fifty years of thinking she was dead.

I left as silently as I had come. Leaving only my footsteps in the snow, and that bouquet. Leaving with the knowledge that he is now closer to Heaven.

When I was young, my grandmother used to tell me about the man she loved, whom she loved more than my grandfather. A young man who died in the war, like most of the other men from the village, like most of the people from the village. The men died on the frontlines, the women and children in the bomb raids. She died about two years ago, leaving me with an old diary and a request that on 10 January each year, I am to climb the 101 steps up to the Cemetery of the Nameless Soldier to place a bouquet of flowers on the stone plaque. Yesterday, on the 9th, while I was chilling out with my friends, I caught an old man staring at me. He was old enough to be my grandfather. Then, he came up to me and asked me if I know a Caitlin Tennenkaum. I took a while to remember, because while I knew a Caitlin, I never knew her as Caitlin Tennenkaum.

This diary belongs to Caitlin Tennenkaum.

i am online.

everything's working.

i am back.

anna baranska

poland lost the final. they still have a chance to qualify for beijing, but if you look at the game, the first two sets were lost because of their own mistakes. poland played like champs in the third set, 25-11 can you believe it. then the fourth set was won. the fifth set was going well at first, and then russia just turned it on. if you ask me, the second set should have been won. poland threw this game away. and most disappointingly, anna baranska wasn't there. i feel tt marco bonitta made a mistake. she came on too late in the fifth set. she should have started in the fifth set. i know she din play in the third and fourth and poland had won these, and that she wasnt on top form tt day, but she is a match winner. she should have been in, if not fr the start of the fifth, at least come on earlier. esp when they started falling behind.

but to be really honest, anna baranska played poorly in the final. did have some important points, but she was much better against holland and serbia.


anyway marco bonitta is like volleyball's jose mourinho.


here's my dream 12 fr wad i have seen

starting 6

anna baranska (pol)
the stylish number 11 is, like i mentioned, a match-winner. but she is also very versatile in that she can play behind and in front, although i think she is better staying on the flanks and attacking the ball fr there.


debby stam (ned)
the classy number 16 is a very consistent player. plays at the back, reliable in defence, yet has the ability to pop up to score some important points for the team. she is very competitive, very perfectionistic, very demanding of herself.

manon flier (ned)
the number 12 is probably the pin-up girl of dutch volleyball. she is simply the star of the dutch attack. looking at her spikes and scoring record, it is not difficult to see why.

ekaterina gamova (rus)
the 2.02m tall number 11 is half of the world's tallest block in the world. i dun really like her because i think she is not arrogant, but condescending to her opponents. she is a very good player no doubt, one of the reasons why the russians are so good, but i dun really like her personality, cos i think she has crossed the boundary of arrogance. anyway i think a very big reason why she is so good is really her height.

liubov sokolova (rus)
the number 5 and captain of russia is quite an all-rounder, consistent and steady, bringing stability to the team.

eleonora dziekiewicz (pol)

the number 3 makes very, very few mistakes. all-rounder who comes from deep to score important points.

Bench

milena sadurek (pol)
the number 13 is at the heart of most of the polish attacks, setting up teammates for spikes. and i think she does a pretty good job as well.

britzika molnar (serb)
the number 7 controls play from the back and also comes up with important points for the team.

maja ognjenovic (serbia)
what i like about the number 10 is her clever play, especially her lobs. very classy player, i must say.

ivana djerisilo(serbia)
the number 3's play is very balanced. like sokolova, she has a stabilising effect on the team.

malgorzate glinka (pol)
the number 7 played like a woman possessed against russia to pull poland back from the brink. of course they lost in the end, but i was wondering at the end of it all why she isn't the captain. the polish captain spend half the game on the bench. i dun really understand. the captain has to be there playing, making things happen, and i thought that was what glinka did very well.

katarzyna skowronska (pol)
the number 1 is basically an outside hitter. i think she does her job well, which is to score. not quite in the league of gamova or flier, but nevertheless still important to poland.

coffee prince

so much has happened.

Football
ajax 6-1 alkmaar to end the 3-game winless run.
maduro signed for valencia.
van persie is injured again, not to mention that 1-1 draw against birmingham.
fulham today, not tonight.

Tennis
henin survived a few scares before seeing off schiavone.

Volleyball
the stylish anna baranska inspired poland to a 3-1 win over debby stam and manon flier's holland. and holland lost to turkey 3-1. needing to beat germany 3-0 in the last game to go through, they won only 3-1. so no holland, no debby stam, no manon flier in the olympics. it was lost in that turkey game.
one out of these 4, serbia, russia, poland and germany will go to beijing. i dun believe germany can see off russia, even with home advantage; russia's really strong. frankly, it should be holland instead of germany. poland and serbia are evenly-matched; the key to a polish victory is which anna baranska show up- the one against holland or the one against germany.

watched coyote ugly yesterday. i can't believe how long ago it was. piper perabo alleviates a little of the disappointment of not being able to see holland in action

a few nice songs
the melody's Goodbye
http://kreah-craze.com/good-bye-lyrics-singer-the-melody-coffee-prince/
choi han sung's version of ba da yeo haeng, fr the scene in coffee prince where he sang to han yoo joo
http://www.ijigg.com/songs/V2A47CFEPA0
timbaland's apologize
nicole scherzinger's baby love
cascada's what hurts the most
ashley tisdale's he said she said
tokio hotel's 1000 meere
yvonne catterfeld's erinner mich dich zu vergessen

i can't believe yvonne catterfeld is still here after 4 years.

of dramas
i recommend coffee prince. i think channel u is still showing it. the story is ok, but i think chae jung ahn and yoon eun hye are good enough reasons to watch it. so far, japan, korea and taiwan all have dramas with the female lead passing off as a male. all i can say is that of the three of them, ella is really the least good-looking.

of cities
i think if you were to put me in any modern city, i would get by fine. kobe, osaka, tokyo, kyoto, munich, berlin, stuttgart, cologne, taipei, singapore.

everyday every night
every single day I want you
please don’t leave me alone
don’t leave me alone
I want you
I need you love you
I’m gonna take you

if you go say good bye
but you know this
I will always love you
bye bye if you go
say goodbye
but you know this
I will always love you

random update

what can i say about life here?


it's different from an east asian kind of lifestyle.

for one, things are slower here, and not as accessible.

sometimes i wonder if i am too impatient. after all, i have only been here for 12 days.

in many ways, it's like coming on as a substitute. you want to come in and make an immediate impact. but it is actually very hard, and the manager understands that as well. so sometimes i guess we should be easier on ourselves.

sometimes all we need is a chance. a chance for us to speak our mind, to show that we aren't that different after all.

not everyone will give you that chance.

one of the biggest enablers is time. time with a capital T. a lot of things cannot happen until a certain bit of time has elapsed. and sometimes when things don't happen, it's probably a sign from god.

we can only wait patiently. once things start moving, then move quickly and decisively. liek a ruthless counter attack.

eveyrhting's very random here. thoughts fr 13 days of wandering in koeln, aachen and duesseldorf.

i seriously need a proper net connection soon to get things back in order.

it's time to start writing again.

i miss football.

1 week

unknowingly it has been one week here.

i realised a few things.

1, i am not going back to singapore for a while.

2, some things can only be done after some things have happened(enablers)

3, i actually can live without the mp3, internet and handphone for a week, although that should change shortly

4, it is really humbling to be finally here

5, some time later, you will probably understand why some things happen, and why some don't.

6, it's nice to walk in the cold

last words

to remember is a form of respect. respect to the people who were once important to you.

but still, we will all go on.
**

i know that the questions will not stop until the season ends. when we drew portsmouth and lost top spot, everyone was out with knives drawn, predicting our demise. i want to say, look at the standings again. the fact is that out of the last 5 games, we took 13 points. of course i am not happy about that because it should be 15. but if you look at the way we beat everton, the way we beat west ham, you will know that this season is different. we beat everton with 3 long balls. i guess that kind of shut those people up, those who say we can't play rough, we can't play ugly, we can't play dirty. i think we actually fouled everton more. it's kind of ironic to hear david moyes complain that the better team lost. come on, you wanted us to show you championship form, and we have just shown you that. and the way we beat west ham was clinical. the second half was exhibition football. when dean ashton fell on his butt after being played for a monkey by our defence, that summed up west ham's day.

it was just like that great Ajax team of the 1970s. they could play any style. they could kill off opponents early and then play with them. All so simple.

if adebayor plays like this every week, i can have no complaints. but this game against west ham was one of the best i have seen in a while. it's nice to see fabregas back to his best in the second half.

a stern january awaits. nothing is won yet; questions will still be asked.

but just answer to yourself this question: how much do you want it?