We play 4-2-4.

my response

2011-08-18T16:08:00.000+02:00

Final

2011-07-17T23:44:00.004+02:00

So Japan are World Champions. I think it hasnt quite sunk in for anyone, neither the japanese nor the americans nor myself, that japan are world champions.

i have been saying that usa shouldnt be here, but today, they showed up and were the better team. japan never played to their level, and the back 6 were somehow leaden in their movement. it seemed as if the americans were always one step faster, one step stronger. i think the japanese were maybe a little rattled by the americans' strong and physical start, and maybe gave the americans too much respect because of their really inferior record against the americans. what the us did really well was that their front 6 formed 2 banks in the middle of the pitch, preventing the japanese from passing their way through the middle. there was really very little space and the japanese were forced to play long balls which the defence handled. the fact that the 2 fullbacks were stuck in their half showed how pegged back the japanese were. and that was a key reason why the japanese couldnt really get their game going, although when they did somehow get the ball into the attacking third, they could play balls right through the middle of the us defence, causing some panic.

it was only in the second half where japan raised their game a little. the us started leaving gaps as well, and the japanese fullbacks managed to get forward more. usa scored first through alex morgan. and i thought the centrebacks were just caught out by that long ball.

miyama stabbed home the equaliser 8 minutes from time.

the match went into extra time and abby wambach headed in alex morgan's cross at the end of the first period. and i thought japan were buried. but miyama's corner was flicked home by sawa and the match went into penalties.

to be honest, i thought the americans would be clear favourites in penalties because they had won one here and hope solo is the better keeper.

but kaihori saved with her legs against boxx. great reflex save. carli llyod, who was for me a contender for player of the match, blasted over. and tobin heath's was saved by kaihori as well. nagasato's miss was irrelevant as miyama, sakaguchi and kumagai all dispatched theirs with zen-like composure. japan won 3-1 on penalties.

over 120 minutes, usa had more chances, especially in the first 20 minutes. but japan kept coming back. i think the pressure got to the americans in penalties, while the japanese kept their cool.

i think the god of football was with japan today.

japan had played the best football in the tournament. it is a pity that they didnt win this game with the football that they have shown so far. not that they would care.

it is funny how sometimes you play well but lose and you get outplayed but win. i wouldnt have begrudged an american victory today.

Dream Team (Looks)

2011-07-17T20:37:00.002+02:00

gk: Melissa Barbieri (Australia)
dl: Sonia Bompastor (France)
dc: Natalie Garcia (Mexico)
dc: Sophie Bradley (England)
dr: Alexandra Krieger (USA)
mc: Caroline Seger (Sweden)
mc: Louisa Necib (France)
aml: Josefine Öqvist (Sweden)
amc: Kelly Smith (England)
amr: Eugenie Le Sommer (France)
fc: Lotta Schelin (Sweden)

final preview

2011-07-17T15:06:00.001+02:00

i will just keep it short and sweet:

beauty and the beast. future and the past.

let's hope the best team wins.

Team of the Tournament

2011-07-17T14:46:00.003+02:00

i already came up with the team after the Semi-Finals, because i felt i have seen all i needed to see.

gk: Hope Solo (USA)
the japanese keeper kaihori ran her close, but hope solo got the nod, because she saved 2 penalties(unofficially) and is a great shot stopper, whereas Kaihori has impressed not because she is the best keeper, but because she functions so well in her team.

left back: Aya Sameshima (Japan)
the best left-back in the tournament, solid at the back, swashbuckling going forward. she weaved her way into the swedish box 3 times at least and also did the same against the English.

centre back: Laura Georges (France)
to be honest, after the game against Sweden yesterday, i seriously reconsidered my choice. but it was just one game and the 2 mistakes against USA. other than that, she has been the best defender in a suspect French defence. the only constant (along with Bompastor)

centreback: Charlotte Rohlin (Sweden)
i don't understand why Nilla Fischer is captain when Seger isnt playing. Rohlin is the real voice in the team, next to Seger. commanding centreback, organised the solid swedish defence well.

rightback: yukari kinga (japan)
basically the same thing for sameshima applies to her as well, just that going forward, she is less a silky dribbler, more power in her style of going forward.

centre mid: homare sawa (japan)
current joint-top scorer with 4 goals. heart of the japanese team. tackling, distribution, goals, leadership. what more do you want in a central midfielder?

centre mid: mizuho sakaguchi (japan)
for me the unsung hero in the japanese team. quietly doing her job in defensive midfield. she reminds me of amandine henry with her play because she is also so skilful and composed in her distribution.

other contender: lisa dahlqvist (sweden), elise bussaglia (france)

left wing: aya miyama (japan)
first name on this team sheet. interestingly, if not for her, this place would really have been up for grabs, with gaetane thiney(france), therese sjoegren(sweden) and megan rapinoe(usa) all putting strong claims for this spot.

amc: louisa necib (france)
disappointing end to the adventure, but necib is a joy to watch on the ball, her passing bettered by only Miyama.

amr: abily (france)
not her natural position, but does well there, playing the Lara Dickenmann role for France.

forward: Lotta Schelin (Sweden)
excellent finish against France. has got only 2 goals so far, but it is really her intelligence and movement that impress and really make the difference for the Swedes

contender: abby wambach for her heading, but schelin is a much more complete player.

supersub: megan rapinoe (usa)
i have said that she makes an impact every time she comes on.

coach: norio sasaki (japan)
i think he has been shrewd tactically and also the personnel changes.

the interesting thing in this world cup is perhaps the lack of a right-sided attacker. it is like every team plays its best attacker on the left flank, hence the competition for that spot if not for aya miyama. these same left-sided attackers are all predominantly right-footed, suggesting that the idea is to let them shoot or whip in inswingers with their right foot.

france 1 Sweden 2

2011-07-17T14:38:00.002+02:00

this was a very disappointing match because
1) necib had to come off after just 30 minutes. i think she is too fragile
2) france never got into the game
3) the game was marred by the öqvist incident

basically, france's defence with renard and franco coming into the team was suspect all evening. even laura georges was very poor: positioning, pace, strength and clearing. there were a few occasions when scheline was stopped by the ref's whistle, apparently for fouling georges. to be honest, i thought georges was lucky there and could understand schelin's frustration. in attack, le sommer was well-marshalled by the swedish defence.

öqvist was sent off midway through the second half for kicking bompastor. deservedly so. but i must say that bompastor was not entirely innocent there. in the tangle before that, bompastor lashed out at öqvist too.

sweden seemed to play better with the numerical disadvantage, and hammarstrom got the winner when she hammered the ball in after evading le sommer and bompastor. great goal. sweden were deserved winners and certainly showed more fire.

i think this was a disappointing end to the french adventure. they imploded and didnt show what they could do, what they have shown before this game.

france v sweden preview

2011-07-16T01:55:00.002+02:00

the OL bronze medal game.

ok that's a little obnoxious, considering that on the french team, only 4 OL players are guaranteened starters (Abily, Bompastor, Georges and Necib) and Sweden has only one OL player (Schelin). but these are basically the best players on the field.

i will say again that if france play their game, if the keeper doesnt screw up, they should have no problem against sweden.

for me, this is how the teams should be ranked: 1) japan 2) france 3) sweden 4) usa

france somehow threw it all away; or you could say usa somehow stole it from them.

caroline seger has been ruled out of this game, though i wonder if the french should rejoice, because it means nilla fischer will play, and she is an out and out destroyer in midfield. i expect her to put in some rough challenges on soubeyrand and co.

it will be interesting to see schelin play against georges.

i think the swedish defence really struggled against the clever japanese. the french attackers have a similar style, so i am curious as to how they will fare. the french love to shoot, and they really can, so the keeper lindahl will be really tested for the first time in the tournament with long shots.

usually, a third placing match is a match no one really wants to play in. but i have no doubt that both teams will be fully motivated because france have never been here, and they will want to end on a high, while sweden wants to prove that there is life after the retirement of the old guard like victoria svensson.

france to win 2-1.

japan 3 sweden 1

2011-07-14T10:40:00.002+02:00

sweden took an early lead, öqvist pouncing on a stray pass from midfield to defence to race clear and put it beyond the keeper.

but after that, japan started playing football, and boy, what football did they play. until the 70th minute, sweden had only one shot and didnt get near the japanese box at all.

japan pressed, passed and ran to perfection. if france were a joy to watch, japan were on another level all together when they fully expressed themselves. you can see the idea behind every pass. the decisions they made were top notch. it was all very zen.

the swedes had no answer, and fell 3-1 behind. the attacking changes were then made, and even then, they only carved out 3 shots (1 on target).

the crowd started the game supporting sweden, understandably, considering japan had spoilt the german party. but by the end of it, they were applauding the japanese.

good football played with fairness, sportsmanship and heart will always be appreciated.

and that is what japan played.

i think their keeper was outstanding. i know i criticised her distribution against england, but the way japan plays, they need other qualities in their keeper and she has those: quick off the line to play as a sweeper, solid on the crosses. she is not the best keeper, but the kind of keeper japan needs.

norio sasaki the coach is quite a genius. the personnel changes he's made have all reaped rewards. maruyama came on at half time against germany and got the winner. kawasumi started against sweden and got two goals.

japan will face their biggest test against the americans, because this is one team that won't hesitate to send those high balls in. and in wambach, they have the best header in the game.

france 1 usa 3

2011-07-14T10:25:00.002+02:00

for a game billed by many as 'david against goliath', all i saw was david running circles around goliath and goliath chasing shadows. aside from the 10 minutes after usa secured a shock lead, france was playing all the football.

so much so that from the worry on the usa coach pia sundhage's face, from the body language of the us girls, you know they know they were being outplayed.

france were having all the ball and controlling the midfield. the inevitable came, albeit with a stroke of luck. bompastor's cross went all the way into the far corner; gaetane thiney didn't touch the ball at all. gaetane thiney had 2 other golden chances in the game, put through superbly by necib, but she did not put them away. in light of this, perhaps it wasn't surprising that thiney didnt quite get to the ball.

but in 5 minutes of madness, the question from when france would seal the win became a ticket to the final handed to the americans on a silver platter. a poor clearance from sapowicz, the weakest link in the french defence all evening, fell straight to rapinoe and the french managed to clear it for a corner. sapowicz flapped at the corner and wambach scored.

then a rapinoe ball wasn't met cleanly by georges and alex morgan broke through. i seriously wondered why sapowicz was so far off her line. she was neither here nor there, and while morgan's chip was excellent, you felt that sapowicz should have stayed on the line, because the other centreback was moving to pressure morgan.

by then, it was too late.

the usa got out of jail again.

for me, the french lost because of their keeper. and you know i have complained about the second choice deville. now, i can only conclude that they don't have a good keeper. and they lost because georges made her only two mistakes in the whole tournament and was roundly punished today.

abby wambach was named the player of the match, but let's be honest. aside from that second goal and another header late in the first half, i didnt see her at all. neither did i see any american girls. but if u have to give it to an american, i would give it to megan rapinoe, because once again, she came on and gave an impetus, made things happen in attack.

the way necib picked out her teammates was a joy to watch. france were a joy to watch, though i felt they were a little too trigger-happy with their long shots. but hey, they really can shoot from anywhere, abily, thiney, necib, soubeyrand, bussaglia and bompastor. just that sometimes you feel they could still have passed instead of shootng straight away.

the litmus test is always if you want the game to end. for france, you can watch them forever.

i think they know it: they are better than usa and have thrown it away themselves.

semi finals

2011-07-11T20:21:00.002+02:00

france-usa

in my opinion, if france can play their game and beat hope solo, this is their game to lose. many people will look at this fixture and tell you that usa are the favourites.

france plays the better football and are the better team. though of course we know that the better team, the better football doesn't always win.

let's talk about usa first.

they got out of jail against brazil. i think against brazil, they looked very inhibited. perhaps it was the effect of the shock defeat against sweden. so triumphing against brazil will do their confidence and morale wonders.

but if you look at their team, it is actually quite limited in terms of ability.

hope solo is a great keeper, as she has shown against brazil. abby wambach is a powerful striker who worries defenders just with her presence. the rest of the players are just cogs in the machine: athletic players with decent skills. amy lepailbet at leftback and rachel buehler at centreback are weak links in the defence. rachel buehler is suspended for the semi-final. and i do wonder if her replacement is going to be any better; why else would buehler be first choice?

usa play a traditional flat 4-4-2. all 4 midfielders can advance with the ball. abby wambach can hold up play while her strike partner amy rodriguez is more mobile and has licence to roam. but that's it. for me they are very rigid.

they will send in crosses and take long shots, because these are their strengths. like germany, norway, sweden, they don't have a playmaker or a great passer of the ball.

france have 3: camille abily, louisa necib and gaetane thiney. these are the 3 who play in the 3 in france's 4-2-3-1 behind marie laure delie. the thing that struck me about them is how all 3 swop positions during the game, underlining how comfortable they are both on the flank as well as in the middle.

the only question is: will renard partner georges in defence in light of the wambach threat? i think the key is to stop the ball from going into the box. this means closing down the americans quickly and having possession. against england, france had all the possession and isolated ellen white up front. the americans will pose the same aerial threat as the germans, and renard didnt look good against the germans. so i really don't know. i think renard will play. and i hope she will show up.

if they can handle the physical aspect and abby wambach, then what's left is just to play their game and beat hope solo. use their technique, use their intelligence.

japan v sweden
this will be an interesting contest. sweden started the competition with jessica landstrom in attack but josefine oqvist has since established herself as lotta schelin's strike partner. jessica landstrom is strong in the air while oqvist is a very quick player. so the question would be: would dennerby try to go the aerial route and bring in landstrom again?

my advice would be no. the japanese are shorter but germany didnt find any joy with that. in any case, i think schelin, sjoegren, the two key players in the swedish attack prefer to keep the ball on the ground. that's why oqvist has broken into the team. they function better as a team.

sweden are solid at the back, though i think japan will really test them with their quick passing and intelligent movement.

what i like about the swedish game is that they switch flanks very well. they make use of the space well. lotta schelin is the kind of forward that occupies the whole defence and it allows sjoegren and oqvist to play. forsberg, the other attacker plays abit of the dirk kuyt role, a runner upfront.

i mentioned playmakers and fluidity earlier. japan has a playmaker in aya miyama. kozue ando is also a clever forward who drops back to link up play. their two fullbacks are probably the best attacking fullbacks in the tournament.

sweden do not have a real playmaker, but they are more advanced tactically than the usa because of schelin and sjoegren. schelin's intelligence gives them a natural fluidity while sjoegren is the next best thing to a playmaker. nominally a winger, she is very comfortable on the ball and likes to drift in, adding another dimension to the play. you can say that she plays the nasri role for sweden.

i think sweden will be content to let japan play and try to hit them on the counter. i expect a game that flows from end to end. japan are slight favourites, but with lotta schelin, you know that sweden always has a trump card.

development of the game
in a way, this quartet highlights the development of the women's game. in men's football, systems have moved towards the incorporation of intelligent, fluid players who are able to play between the lines. before this world cup, before ol feminin's triumph in the champions' league final, women's football was based on power and athleticism. it was alot about having the stronger, faster, fitter player who can get past her marker first and foremost with her physical attributes, coupled with the basic technique to control the ball.

in this respect, france and japan, interestingly the smallest teams among the top 8 teams, have shown the way, playing attractive football based on technique and intelligence.

as i mentioned, sweden with schelin and sjoegren are halfway there, while usa are the relics of the past. but even their coach has acknowledged the need to be able to play football and has slowly tried to incorporate it into the american system. but compared to the other 3, they are still behind.

the word to describe this kind of football that we are moving towards is 'sophisticated'. it is about having ideas in your head, being one step ahead of your opponent in the head and having the technique to realise your idea.

being a strong advocate of beautiful, intelligent football, i am hoping for a france-japan final. i think it would be a treat with the two best footballing teams in the tournament up against each other.

what drama

2011-07-10T20:27:00.003+02:00

what drama in the game between usa-brazil. aside from the drama and the controversies, it was for me actually a poor game in terms of football. the poorest among the 4 quarter finals.

usa made a dream start, with daiane diverting a cross into her own goal after maybe 2 minutes. but after that the game died down. usa played with inhibition, while brazil were self-indulgent.

the controversy came early in the second half. buehler was rightly sent off and hope solo saved the penalty. but it was allowed to be retaken. a decision i didnt understand.

down to 10, usa managed to hold on to extra-time.

then maurine was offside when she crossed for marta to make it 2-1. and to be honest, it was looking bleak.

but the americans upped their game in the second half of extra-time and applied pressure on brazil, who were resorting to time-wasting. erika and abby wambach jumped for the ball. she looked ok when she landed, looked around and saw that the usa had a throw-in, and promptly collapsed on the ground. she was stretchered off, but jumped off the stretcher to quickly make her reentry. pathetic.

3 minutes of injury time was awarded, and after 90 seconds of that, rapinoe sent in one last cross, and abby wambach headed it in to send the stadium into raptures.

'believe' was the word of the day.

usa prevailed on penalties to send brazil home.

and i can honestly tell you that i have no sympathy for the brazilians even given how cruelly everything has fallen apart for them at the last.

they are spoiling women's football. no sportsmanship, no fair play, theatrics, bitching to the ref at everything, time wasting. even the great marta. she is a great player but not a class player. she has got no class with her behaviour.

and they don't play great football. just individual, self-indulgent tricks. more suited for the circus. you want to watch football, you watch france and japan.

and in the earlier game, sweden were comfortable 3-1 winners over australia, who once again made too many individual errors.

conclusions from the first 2 quarter finals

2011-07-10T00:55:00.003+02:00

you need a playmaker to break down well-organised defences. germany were lacking that player. they had good wingers, good strikers, but no one with that creativity who can come up with a different approach rather than just launch the ball into the box. someone who can find that space, who can find that pass. france has abily and necib, japan has miyama.

i think that was the main flaw in the german team. they have such a great 4-2-3-1 system that is very much based on their wingplay that they lack the creativity in midfield. so when they don't get their headers on target, or you cut out their crosses, they have a problem.

i am disappointed that we didnt get to see the best of kelly smith.

japan's win in a way is a victory for women's football because it shows how far women's football has progressed, developed. it has become much more competitive that you can't show up and expect to win. of course i would prefer it if it were brazil or usa on that other end of this 'groundbreaking' result. as it turns out, germany are, unluckily that 'sacrificial lamb'

of course i will be hoping that france beat usa/brazil in the semi-final to make it complete.

the big question now after germany's defeat: what next?

i think women's football is well established enough in germany not to suffer a fallout from this result.

i hope that people will still go to the stadiums, people will still watch at home, because it has been a fantastic tournament, and they won't be doing the other girls justice if they shut off simply because germany are no longer in the running.

as for germany, i think it is time for the new generation to take over. some tweaks in the system, some tweaks in the player selection could help. it is no secret that i am not a big fan of silvia neid because of the way she runs things. i am sure she will reevaluate things and come to the same conclusions as i had a while back.

for england, they have shown a lot of fight, alot of guts, but they know themselves that they didnt play to their potential. fara williams, coming back from injury, has been anonymous. kelly smith not making that impact. maybe too much burden has been placed on ellen white, playing in her first major tournament. for me, karen carney was england's best player. the only attacker among aluko, smith, yankey, jess clarke who really showed why i raved about them. she gave bite to the english attack.

for france, i am relieved that sapowiecz will come back for the semi-final. wasnt convinced by deville. and i think aside from jill scott's goal, where viguier and lepailleur collided into each other to give scott the route to goal, the defence with bompastor, viguier, georges and lepailleur did well, and bini should continue with this. france had 33 shots, apparently. only one went in. but i have faith in le sommer, abily, necib, delie and thiney. what is important is that they banished some ghosts with this penalty win. (remember em 2009 against holland and the champs league final in 2010 when ol lost to turbine on penalties)

japan were outmuscled by germany. mana iwabuchi couldnt show her stuff, because she was just being bumped off the ball.she will have to learn how to deal with it better. sweden and australia will dish out more of that physical treatment in the semi final.
the germany game was probably the first game in a while that they were on the backfoot for much of the game. to be honest, i didnt think they would prevail, but they did. hopefully they will be able to play their football against sweden or australia. for japan, what has been impressive is how their substitutes have come on and made an impact in the attack.

france-japan would be the dream final. and it is definitely possible.

japan 1 germany 0

2011-07-10T00:42:00.003+02:00

japan recorded a famous 1-0 win over germany in extra time.

how did germany lose this game? to be honest, i still can't quite believe it. the germans sportingly praised the japanese' organisation and determination. surely a factor... but germany had enough chances, but didnt get their shots or headers on target.

there was of course an element of luck when you consider the chances for both sides.

but the japanese coach made one change at half-time which i think in hindsight, was brilliant. he took off yuki nagasato for karina maruyama. i was shocked, because an attack without nagasato was unimagineable. but maruyama gave the japanse a focal point in their counterattacks. she could hold the ball, knew when to hold it, when to pass it, when to take on the defender.

and of course, she got that winner, running onto sawa's throughball and putting it into the far post from a tight angle. fantastic finish.

when i saw the ball go in, i had to raise a fist in triumph, because japan were being bombarded with high balls all game, under pressure, but i always knew that one chance is all you need to score. and they did just that. one lapse in concentration it was from the germans too. the two midfielders didnt close sawa and ando down when they got the ball in midfield from the defence. and bartusiak was somehow already flatfooted when maruyama made her run.

there was a stunned silence after the goal. germany pressed for the equaliser, but japan held on for that famous win.

france 1 england 1 (france 4-3 on penalties)

2011-07-10T00:30:00.002+02:00

marathon today. england got the first chance within 30 seconds or so with kelly smith latching onto the throughball but not putting it away with her weak right foot.

france got into the game and started dominating it. fara williams, kelly smith couldn't get into the game at all. france were dominating and creating chances, but you felt that england could always steal that one goal with one chance. and they did just that in the second half.

the keeper deville was beaten too easily from jill scott's long shot. positioning was all wrong.

after that, france were clearly shellshocked but managed to recover and searched for the equaliser, which they finally did, with bussaglia blasting it from outside the box late in the game to force extra time.

ellen white shot wide in england's only chance in extra time, while france didnt convert their chances.

penalties came. and to my horror, abily's penalty was saved by bardsley. your best player missing. shes that one french player i least expect to miss.

kelly smith was limping but blasted hers home to put all the pressure on france. bussaglia, thiney, bompastor converted for france, carney and stoney for england.

then claire rafferty pulled hers wide. i was thinking: why was she taking that penalty? where was fara williams? where was jill scott? ellen white? why claire rafferty, the young leftback who has come on late in the second half for the tiring rachel unitt?

le sommer was as cool as a cucumber, rolling the ball into the other corner as bardsley dived one way.

faye white sent hers against the bar, and the french were through.

i know i have put faye white under scrutiny, but i can tell you that she was the last player i wanted to see miss that penalty.

france were the better team, by a lot. but i was so torn between the two teams that maybe you could say that penalties was the best way to decide it. lottery.

albeit a very cruel way.

France v England Preview

2011-07-09T13:42:00.002+02:00

France versus England is like Olympique Lyonnaise versus Arsenal Ladies again.. just that this time, it is more the 2007 vintage of the Arsenal Ladies.

imagine: kelly smith, karen carney, rachel yankey, alex scott, faye white, anita asante in the england squad were in that quadruple-winning team from 2007.

now they are joined by ellen white and steph houghton.

it is a shame that katie chapman, gemma davison, emma byrne, julie fleeting and kim little can't be here to join in the party.

and for OL: laura georges, sabrina viguier, sonia bompastor, camille abily, louisa necib, eugenie le sommer, wendy renard, elodie thomis, sandrine bretigny.

a shame that amandine henry, lara dickenmann, shirley cruz and lotta schelin are missing out.

if you look at the fact that aside from fara williams and jill scott, all the important england players have played for arsenal, you will understand why i stress that england is essentially arsenal ladies.

quarterfinal preview

2011-07-07T12:41:00.003+02:00

england v france
i won't make any predictions, because to be honest, i am quite torn between these two teams. it is like arsenal ladies v ol feminin again.

france will not have keeper sapowiecz available, thanks to her red card against germany. otherwise, bruno bini should field his first team, though the big question would be if wendy renard plays. personally, as i have explained, i am not in favour of playing her at centreback.

the key to this game is the flanks. stop the wingers from getting the crosses in. it is about markign the space rather than the player, especially since jill scott would be running from deep.

for the english, the question is whether faye white will return to the starting lineup. sophie bradley did very well in her place. i think the change was made because japan has a very mobile and pacy attack, so the idea is that bradley would be able to cope better with that. with france having a similar style to japan, i think bradley might well stay in the starting lineup.

in the england-japan game, japan were able to work out numerous openings but shot wide or over. the english defence, despite keeping that clean sheet, isn't the most solid defence. unlike japan, france have players who can get their shots on target: abily, le sommer, necib. and most importantly, delie is a poacher. japan were maybe lacking that poacher.

so i think france will definitely score. the question is: can england score? aside from the high balls, i think the french defence has been not bad. and i think it might have something to do with understanding and organisation. renard spent much of the season playing rightback, and georges has a superb understanding with viguier, so why don't they play that?

and i realise that bompastor will be up against alex scott. mouthwatering direct duel between the two fullbacks. matchup of the game.

as i said, i won't make predictions. i am just disappointed that one team will go home after this game.

germany v japan
germany will look to use their physical advantage and i think that is going to be a problem for japan. what impressed me alot in the japan-england game is that japan were able to recover and play their passing game. this is something they need to do even better against germany. and of course, they need to take their chances.

it may well be another case of japan playing the football, but germany getting the goals and the win. i will be cheering for japan, but i think the odds are against them.

brazil v usa
i am putting my head out on this to tell you that usa will beat brazil. people are shaking their heads after the american defeat to sweden, saying brazil are better than usa. but i think if there is a team that can expose the tactical shortcomings of the brazilians, it is usa.

usa is a team that produces the goods when the chips are down, so i am backing them to put on a show. of course, amy le pailbet worries me since marta will be smelling blood. but if hope solo and christie rampone can come to the rescue, i think usa will once again prove critics wrong.

sweden v australia
australia will be up against a better version of norway, in a way. a much better version. i think it will be interesting to see how the australian coach lines up his team. will he go cautious, or aim to dominate the game? it is a tough decision because you only have 90 or maybe 120 minutes. what makes things even trickier is that sweden themselves can play on the counter or control the game.

surprisingly, i think the swedish defence will face their sternest test against the australians. i think the colombian, north korean and american attacks haven't been dynamic enough.

i think however, that lotta schelin will prove to be the difference between the two sides.

team of the group phase

2011-07-07T12:10:00.002+02:00

so, the group phase has ended and the 8 quarterfinalists are confirmed.

here is my team of the group phase:

keeper: hedvig lindahl (sweden)
you won't recall any great saves that she's made (i don't either), but what i like about her is how she plays with her team, quick to sweep things up. solid, unspectacular, but keeps up with the team.

leftback: babette peter (germany)
i think she's had the most number of touches so far in the german team. not bad for a leftback. easily the most consistent player on the german team

centreback: charlotte rohlin (sweden)
the organiser in the solid swedish defence which conceded only one goal from a corner.

centreback: christie rampone (usa)
in a tournament where the captains have come under fire, she stood out for her commitment and reading of the game. but perhaps what is most impressive is that she is probably doing the job of 2 players(1+0.5+0.5), having had to clean up after amy le pailbet the leftback and rachel buehler, her partner in central defence.

rightback: yukari kinga (japan)
that i pick her ahead of alex scott says it all.

centremid: homare sawa (japan)
hattrick heroine against mexico, tough uncompromising midfielder who distributes the ball well.

centremid: simone laudehr (germany)
all-action midfielder

left wing: aya miyama (japan)
for me, she is a genius passer of the ball. as simple as that.

attacking midfielder: louisa necib (france)
outstanding against nigeria and canada. people were raving about her after the nigeria game, wondering why her name is not listed under the stars of the french team.

right wing: celia okoyino (germany)
strong, skilful, fast and clinical. there is life after birgit prinz.

forward: lotta schelin (sweden)
the complete forward.

you might wonder why there are no players from brazil or australia or england, the other 3 quarterfinalists.

most people would look at the statistics and tell you that brazil are the best team, because they scored the most number of goals(joint with germany and france) and conceded 0 goals and won all 3 games. but to be honest, brazil haven't impressed me at all. they show some nice individual tricks here and there, but so have many players. brazilian football is first marta, then individual tricks.

australia really gave them problems, and norway and equatorial guinea were dispatched with convincing scorelines, but perhaps not convincing performances.

likewise, england haven't played to their ability. different players have stepped up to the rescue in each of the games.

australia have impressed, but it is more a team effort. probably the only player who stood out would be collette mcCullum, but i feel that aya miyama and the midfielders i have chosen have had bigger performances. lisa de vanna is a livewire in attack, but the real stars of australia are the team and the coach, whom i think is quite astute tactically.

sweden 2 usa 1

2011-07-07T12:04:00.003+02:00

and so, sweden pulled off the upset no one saw it coming. i think the turning point in the game was the penalty. it gave sweden an early lead. and dahlqvist did very well to put it away, not allowing herself to be distracted by hope solo's mind games.

after that, usa struggled against a well-organised swedish defence. things got worse when amy lepailbet, who gave away the penalty, deflected fischer's freekick the other way. luck deserted the americans, and sweden went into half time 2-0 up.

usa didnt have the ideas to unlock the swedish defence, and were reduced to taking long shots. they did pull one back from a corner.

but sweden held on, and shouldnt have had the schelin goal disallowed very late in the game. she was onside.

schelin might have not scored in this tournament yet (officially), but she is really leading the line, pulling her team up.

the one moment which confirmed that she is one level above her team is during the last 30 seconds of injury time, when sweden had a corner. obviously, no one went into the box. the short corner was taken and schelin held the ball, then weaved her way on the goalline past 2 americans into the box, cut it back, but no one ran with her.

that move underlined her class, as well as her attacking instincts.

germany 4 france 2

2011-07-06T11:41:00.002+02:00

i missed the first 30 minutes, and france were already one nil down. then minutes later they conceded a second.

then i realised that abily, bompastor and delie were not playing.

at half time, abily and delie came on for necib and thomis.

the game had a friendly-feel to it, though i feel that germany' changes meant they were closer to playing their best team than france, with bajramaj and grings all starting.

delie made an impact almost immediately, pulling one back from a corner soon after the restart.

hopes of a french comeback was dealt a huge blow when the keeper was sent off and grings scored the resulting penalty.

amazingly they pulled one back from another corner- this time from laura georges.
it could have been 3-3 soon after, but she shot just wide after being put through by abily.

but 2 minutes from time, renard allowed grings to head the ball to okoyino, who had all the space to volley in the 4th goal.

germany will revel in this win, but i think bruno bini won't be too concerned aside from the red card.

i think he had made it clear to the girls that they didnt need to win this game.

for me, germany has shown all their cards whereas bruno bini knows that should they meet again, he should be able to play bompastor, necib, abily, delie all together right from the start, and that they wouldnt be playing with 10 players for the last 20 minutes. so he would still have a few cards up his sleeve.

i say 'should they meet again' because that would be in the final, and first france have to play england.

i don't like the second choice keeper, because she makes half-hearted jumps and the ball ends up grazing the crossbar. reminds me too much of almunia with the way she assumes she's got it all calculated; the ball was going out. hopefully, she can survive england.

wendy renard was also disappointing. brought in obviously for her height, she lost the three headers that resulted in the 3 goals from open play.

to be honest, for the england game, bruno bini should revert back to sabrina viguier because viguier and georges have handled ellen white before. and i do think viguier is a better centreback than renard, otherwise why would renard be playing rightback for lyon?

as for the problem of the 1,8m tall jill scott, leave her to the rightback lepailleur, who is 1.75m.

yesterday was a day in which both england and germany dropped their captains and got the victories. sophie bradley, faye white's replacement hardly put a foot wrong. germany were more dynamic without birgit prinz. i think it says something about the development of women's football that great players approaching the ends of their careers are finding it difficult to impose themselves on the game.

in the past, they would still have been able to shine, but the younger players have really taken a step up thanks to better training etc that you can't say you are birgit prinz and expect to be the star.

of course for the old guard, it is a little sad to be so unceremoniously dumped, undermined. you have to give them credit for that hunger to still want to play at the highest level and win, but all great champions know when to stop, when to accept that they need to change their roles. they could still be in the team, but maybe as backup and mentor.

i think the coaches were also slow to recognise that they can't get away with it anymore, making things even more awkward when they have to finally ring in the changes during the tournament itself.

as a player, you would feel that the authority of your captain has been undermined.

england 2 japan 0

2011-07-06T10:23:00.002+02:00

Japan 0 England 2
i was at the stadium in augsburg for this game. you could say that japan played all the football, but england got the goals and the win. japan took a while to settle, with england's physical approach certainly making them uncomfortable for a while. england looked to play the ball behind the japanese defence, and it was from one such ball that ellen white got the breakthrough, cleverly lobbing the keeper.

that goal took the pressure off england, and they knew that it would be difficult for them not to qualify for the quarterfinals. so they were content to sit back and play on the counter, even taking off kelly smith after an hour for aluko. eventually, yankey got that second goal.

the japanese never gave up but they just couldnt score.

i got this feeling that all the neutral german fans in the stadium were every bit as disappointed as the japanese girls themselves, because they felt that the football japan played had warranted at least a draw, if not a win.

i am very impressed by the technical ability of all the japanese players. even the centrebacks had outstanding technique.

i think the two japanese fullbacks are the best attacking fullbacks i have seen in the tournament so far. the right back kinga, like alex scott for england, pushes so high up that when you look at it from above, the game is skewed like a parallelogram, with both rightbacks starting level with their midfields.

aya miyama once again underlined her creativity and genius. i will always remember that corner when shinobu ohno came up to her offering the short option. she jsut stood there and gestured for ohno to take one step to the side, because she had seen kinga lurking free outside the box. she proceeded to pass it to kinga.

then there was another freekick where everyone was getting ready for her to whip it in, but she took it very quickly, passing it down the right for the rightback to get really close to the box and cross it.

i am really impressed by the quick-thinking, by the ideas in her head. it seems like she is always one step ahead.

so england got the win, as i had thought they could. i told you that england is a team that will grow into a tournament. they haven't been convincing, but they have avoided germany.

for japan, it is a familiar story. yet again winless against top european opposition. there is a sense of disappointment, having come into this game on such a high but not getting the result they wanted. they have to pick themselves up, because germany beckons next.

group c and group d

2011-07-03T15:46:00.003+02:00

group c:

sweden 1 north korea 0
this game once again proved that i was right about north korea not having the quality to go all the way. in a game where they needed a result more than sweden, they had much of the ball but without any penetration. on the other hand, sweden is a team that could play on the counter, and were more dangerous despite having less of the ball. in the end, lisa dahlqvist slammed the ball home to send sweden through.

colombia 0 usa 3
colombia's youth and naivete were fully exposed by the old heads of usa, who had little problem sealing their passage.

sweden v usa
sweden needs to win to go through as winners, but they look an ordinary team without lotta schelin. usa on paper are stronger than sweden, so unless sweden can come up with a good plan or usa don't show up, it is hard to see sweden pulling off an upset.

group d
equatorial guinea 2 australia 3
australia were actually so dominant that 3-0 would have been a fairer reflection of the game. but centreback servet uzunlar probably would want to forget this game in a hurry, losing her footing twice to gift anonman 2 clear passages to goals. unlike against norway, anonman was clinical with her finishing today and australia were glad to see the whistle finally go.

the difference between australia and norway is that australia have collette mcCullum, who is a brilliant passer of the ball, and a great deadball specialist as well. she should have gotten a goal, with one freekick coming back off the crossbar, and the other curling just wide. lovely left foot.

the other interesting observation is that australia made 5 changes to the starting lineup today to change their approach and style. these changes certainly paid off, and highlighted the depth and versatility of the australian squad.

leena khamis impressed me with her incisive running, scoring one and creating one. but i think the player who really made the difference was collette mccullum.

brazil 3 norway 0
while marta's first goal should never have been allowed given the clear push she gave to the defender while chasing for the ball, norway can only kick themselves for that sloppy start to the second half that saw them concede two goals in 5 minutes. from that moment on, there was no way back.

norway v australia
norway will fight australia to join brazil in the quarterfinals. norway needs to win, thanks to goal difference. it will be an interesting game, because the norwegians need to step up and be more aggressive while australia have shown that they are able to sit back and hit on the counter.

to be honest, i think only the most ardent fans will believe that norway can pull it off. australia have been quite impressive. the coach is tactically astute.

as i said, norway lacks that playmaker. perhaps an early exit will be good for them, because clearly norwegian football needs an overhaul. qualification for the world cup and a semifinal finish in euro 2009 may have glossed over the glaring deficiencies in the team, but it is clear right from the start that they are no longer a top team. they have good, young players, but no world class players, and they lack a coherent game plan.

group a and b summaries

2011-07-01T21:20:00.002+02:00

england v japan
england needs just a draw to confirm qualification. a win would see them through as group winners, with japan already qualified.

the interesting thing about this game is that under normal circumstances, both teams would want to qualify as group winners to avoid germany. however this time round, it is very possible that germany will not top their group.

my advice, however, would be not to think that much and aim to win the group. ultimately, to win the tournament, you need to beat the best. in any case, i don't really think that germany are necessarily better than france.

i will be there in the stadium watching this game, and i am excited about it, because japan has produced the best football i have seen so far (i did miss both of france's games) and while england has started slowly, as usual, i am convinced that kelly smith and co will show up for this big game. i think i am in for a treat.

mexico v new zealand
mexico has a very slim chance of sneaking through, provided they beat nz and japan beat england, although even so, the goals have to flow freely for that to happen. the nz girls have fought valiantly this tournament, and it is a shame that they are going out, but i am sure they will put up a big fight to help their english cousins get through.

germany v france
france should fancy their chances, although i must warn them that this will be a very difficult game.

germany hasnt set the tournament alight, having had to labour to victories over canada and nigeria.

while germany beat canada 2-1, france strolled to a 4-0 win over the same opponents. i didnt watch both games, but i would caution against comparing, even though i am a big fan of the french. the reason is because canada probably set out for a draw against germany, whereas against france, they knew that they had to get a result and were thus more vulnerable at the back.

likewise, germany so far were up against teams out to defend and get a draw. hence they have found little joy. france however, will not do that. i think the germans are looking forward to the game, because they know it will be a football game with both sides looking to attack. it would also mean that they might have that little bit more space that they didnt get against the rather negative opponents so far.

thus, the french girls need to be up for this game, especially with germany out to prove a point. beware of a backlash.

having said that, i think the germans are also facing alot of pressure. i think not winning the group would be seen as an embarrassment and rightly so, though i think it means nothing because england and japan are different teams but both have quality. it also means nothing in terms of who lifts the trophy in the end. there is no law that states that a team that finishes second in their group cannot lift the trophy. perhaps a little setback will help the team grow. but yes, it will be more of a pride matter to beat france and secure the group win.

with all this pressure on the germans, france should fancy their chances. scenes of birgit prinz disgusted with her own performance and her substitution are playing all over german television, sparking debate about her future.

with star player bajramaj sitting on the bench, birgit prinz the captain not on form, things arent going smoothly for the germans at present and you would wonder if maybe there is a storm brewing. i think the players are focused enough to want to win this tournament on home soil, and silvia neid is a strong enough character to deal with all these.

i think the french should just relax and enjoy the game. the pressure is all on germany.

england 2 new zealand 1

2011-07-01T20:22:00.002+02:00

a gutsy new zealand performance was not enough, as they crashed out after a 2-1 defeat.

england's defending was atrocious, with perhaps only alex scott not really culpable. but faye white, rachel unitt, casey stoney all made glaring errors.

i am not convinced by faye white. and i think it is always awkward when you talk like that about an experienced player, a captain. but birgit prinz and faye white's underwhelming performances so far in the world cup underline why i never believe in age being a really important factor.

just look at the mathildas, who played with a maturity that belies their age against brazil.

these two players seem like the liability in their teams. but because these players are the captains, it is difficult to drop them when maybe that is the best way forward for the team.

of course i am crossing my fingers and hoping that birgit prinz won't make me eat my words with a show against my France.

anyway england didnt play well, but managed to turn the game around through determination and their quality.

england are almost through, barring a heavy defeat against japan and a mexico win against nz, or a defeat against japan and a big mexico win against nz.

silke rothenburg was saying that looking at the performance of england so far, it is hard to see them go far.

i always believe that the team that grows into a tournament wins the tournament. it is not about winning 4-0 in all 3 games in the group stage and then going out 1-0 in the next round.

germany arent playing well at the moment, but that doesnt mean they are no longer the favourites, because they have that inherent quality.

france and japan won 4-0 but that doesnt mean they are now favourites. in fact, i am more concerned that they won 4-0. it is about peaking at the right time, so i hope the french and japanese girls still have more to give.

should england qualify but not go far, it will not be because they don't have the quality, but because france and germany, either of which stand in their way in the quarterfinals, are quality teams.

in fact, should england qualify, all the 4 qualifiers from group a and b are quality teams.

i have seen brazil, germany and usa, and i can tell you that these 3 top favourites are all very beatable.

so from the quarter final onwards, every game is a final. and in a final, anything can happen.

japan 4 mexico 0

2011-07-01T15:29:00.004+02:00

i am impressed by the japanese's interpretation of 4-4-2. their two forwards upfront yuki nagasato and kozue ando are not your typical out-out-out strikers usually employed in a 4-4-2. yuki nagasato is fast and her natural position is the side attacker in a 4-3-3. kozue ando is a skilful, intelligent attacker who is not particularly strong or fast, but has a wonderful touch. the right winger ohno loves to switch with ando. the two full-backs also push very high up in support

the japanese are also very mobile and have a lot of off-the-ball movement, which is the key to their passing game. pass, move, pass, move, pass. it is a very simple concept but requires intelligence and discipline.

aya miyami is a genius crosser and passer of the ball.

japan were 3-0 up at half-time, captain homare sawa heading in a miyama corner, then a miyama freekick. that a 1.6m tall player could beat taller opponents twice proves my point that crossing is not about tall players. of course it takes two hands to clap: a quality ball delivered, and a quality run to meet the ball. homare sawa made intelligent runs to find the space to meet the ball miyama delivered.

miyama's crosses are high to beat the defence, then dropping at the right time to sawa's height.

a normal cross requires the attacker to still beat the marker. a great cross does that work for the attacker. of course the attacker must still be intelligent enough to read the cross. otherwise the crosser will look like a fool. thankfully for miyama, she has intelligent fellow attackers in ando, nagasato and sawa.

japan were dominant from start to end, running out 4-0 winners with homare sawa getting a hattrick.

i was a bit surprised by how overrun mexico were. but their play was too simple, too overreliant on captain and star striker domingues. they had no answer to japan's high-tempo robust intricate passing game. but don't take any credit away from the japanese: they did what every team is obliged to do in an easy game. win big.

player of the match: homare sawa
when a midfielder gets a hattrick, or any player for that matter, it is very difficult to deny him or her the honour, unless it is some 10-0 thrashings with two players getting hattricks. but sawa was outstanding in midfield, spreading the ball wonderfully, making superb runs into the box.

if sawa hadnt gotten that third goal, which was wonderfully set up by rightback kinga, miyama would have been my player of the match. reverse passes, crosses, she seems to be able to pick out teammates at will, sometimes without looking.

brazil 1 australia 0

2011-06-29T18:33:00.003+02:00

both teams have players who are comfortable on the ball and love to run with the ball, so the game started brightly, flowing from one end to the other.

australia looked really good. aggressive pressing, able to play football, passing their way out of tight situations. when building up, they are not afraid to pass the ball to a backtracking central midfielder in midfield which is something you don't see often because it is rather risky and requires alot of movement and composure from the midfielders, so most teams prefer to play the ball to the flanks or just pump it forward. they hold the ball well and release it at the right time, something which i always value: knowing when to do what.

australia were dominating the game after 15 minutes but brazil managed to carve out chances despite clearly not playing to their own and the spectators' expectations. it was a warning for the australians that any mistake could be costly.

0-0 at half time, no sign of australia's youth (and thus lack of experience). in fact, they played with such maturity that they more than matched brazil.

australia paid for a moment of carelessness in the 54th minute. christiane should never have gotten that space and time to set rosanna up for the goal; the ball should have been cleared long before that.

1-0 in the end. australia never gave up and could have gotten that equaliser from the goalmouth scramble from a corner in the last seconds of injury time.

it was a great match. australia really impressed but football can be very cruel.

norway 1 equatorial guinea 0

2011-06-29T15:21:00.004+02:00

norway were very disappointing in the first half. attacks break down before even reaching the attacking third, passes easily cut out. they didnt put any pressure in midfield and equatorial guinea took quite a few good long shots, testing hjelmseth who was up for it. the norwegians were not in the game, both offensively and defensively. they were too static, not enough movement to create space, and not enough pressure to destroy space. the guineans caused problems with their pace and long shots. once again, hjelmseth was keeping her team in play.

norway started coming into the game in the last 15 minutes of the first half, but were playing too many long high balls into the middle.

norway took off giske for mykjaland at half time and started the second half better. mykjaland added some impetus to the attack though norway were still lacking in terms of creativity.

to be honest, equatorial guinea looked more likely to score, but in the 84th minute, norway cruelly grabbed that redeeming goal, emilie haavi getting on to the end of kaurin's drilled ball across.

norway triumphed 1-0 in the end, but equatorial guinea should have won this game.

it was basically ingrid hjelmseth versus anonman. and where hjelmseth was already stranded, anonma couldnt hit the target.

norway have gotten the 3 points, but not in the emphatic manner i was expecting. i was looking forward to this game, because this should be the game where norway shows if they have the attacking quality that you need to go far.

as it stands, it appears that norway will have problems even in defence, their supposedly strong suit.

they don't seem to have a plan. if you take off madeleine giske at half-time, then her replacement lene mykjaland on 70 minutes for leni laursen kaurin, then i have to wonder if the coach knows her team well.

and before that lisa-marie woods' blog entries seem to hint of massive politicking in the team, though she has since clarified and denied it.

these make me wonder if all is well in the norwegian camp.

equatorial guinea, on the other hand, can hold their heads up.

usa 2 north korea 0

2011-06-28T19:49:00.003+02:00

the first half was an excellent contest, with usa controlling the ball, but north korea just as dangerous on the counter. amy rodriguez was a livewire in the first half, constantly popping up everywhere.

the americans started the second half stronger, using their athleticism to cause problems for the north koreans. the breakthrough eventually arrived and the americans never looked back. north korea did have a late rally, but the result was already beyond doubt.

the americans look like they are back in business. as i said, you can never write them off. amy rodriguez and abby wambach form a formidable strike partnership.

while north korea are the secret favourites for some, this game, just like the friendly against germany showed why, while they are a good team, a good opponent, they lack that mentality to go all the way. their game plan is based on defence. that's great if it's 0-0. your next counter could be that 1-0.

but once they are 1-0 down, they don't have that mentality to dictate play, whereas the opponents will sense that the wall has crumbled and they can plunder more.

defensive football, like greece in 2004 and mourinho's inter milan could pull it off sometimes, but attacking football will always triumph in the end... because to win, you need to score, and to score, you need to attack.

colombia 0 sweden 1

2011-06-28T16:27:00.004+02:00

sweden controlled the game. they showed some really good (surprisingly) combination play to move the ball around. they made use of the pitch well. key to this was dahlkvist and seger in centre mid, who were everywhere. sweden were compact without the ball and pressed very aggressively, especially the two fullbacks who made numerous interceptions just inside the colombian half, allowing them to counter from there.

lotta schelin was the player of the match. she was drifting out to the flanks, dropping back, making runs between and behind the central defenders.

the colombians are very skilful, but unfortunately don't use their skill intelligently enough. a nice piece of skill, and then nothing else happens after that because there was no coherence in their play. it was a bit like wait and see. they didnt know what to do after executing the skill, and then the window of opportunity(if it had existed) was gone.

sweden had all the chances, but couldnt get the breakthrough until the 57th minute, when schelin set up landstrom for a simple tap in after a great run to the byline before cutting the ball back.

the problem is always that when you don't get that second goal, you panick a little when the opponents come up with one or two half chances in the end. but sweden rode the game out.

2011-06-28T16:16:00.002+02:00

i wasnt around for the first two days of the world cup, but have caught the highlights and read the match reports. here's a quick summary

france 1-0 nigeria
marie laura delie is a goal machine in the qualifiers and once again got that goal.

the interesting thing is that for the second match in a row, the captain soubeyrand was taken off at half time. i think they switched tactically from 4-3-3 to 4-2-3-1.

germany 2-1 canada
germany had many chances but conceded a late goal to set up a nervy finish. that is the lesson for all teams playing against germany. get that one goal, and they will get nervous.

england 1-1 mexico
an england keeper howler resulted in shared points. england didnt start well in 2009 but went all the way to the final, so i think they will grow into the tournament, since the team is more or less the same team.

japan 2-1 new zealand
a wonderful free kick from miyama puts japan in a strong position in this group.

World Cup Preview Reloaded

2011-06-22T12:55:00.003+02:00

now, what i have given in my previous post will probably turn out very wrong, not because i am no clairvoyant, but because the future is always changing in the biggest of ways, by the smallest of things.

it is really difficult to say so in advance how everything would play out.

but there are a few things we can be certain of.

the favourites (in this order):
germany
brazil
usa

the dark horses:
england
sweden

my dark horse:
france

teams that can hope to reach the last 4
japan
norway

teams that can hope to get out of the group phase
north korea
australia
new zealand
canada

teams that can really cause some upsets
colombia
mexico
nigeria

team that i really don't fancy having any sort of chance
equatorial guinea

i am personally rooting for france and england because most of my favourite players play for these two countries (such a shame that katie chapman, amandine henry and lara dickenmann are not in the world cup)

with this, i think the world cup can begin!

World Cup Preview: how it could unfold

2011-06-22T12:24:00.002+02:00

with 4 days to go, here's how i think the tournament could unfold:

Group Stage

Group A
Germany
Canada
Nigeria
France

germany should qualify easily from this group as winners. nigeria have nothing to lose and may surprise with their energy. canada will look to impose their physical game on opponents. but i think france should have the quality to join germany in the quarter-finals

match of the group: germany-france
the last game could decide who wins the group. with 10 players from the lyon team that beat german champions potsdam(which actually only has 2.5 representatives in the german squad; lira bajramaj has since moved to frankfurt), france should fancy their chance at an upset.

Group B
Japan
Mexico
England
New Zealand

a rather open group with japan looking to finally come of age, mexico and new zealand looking to impress, and england looking to consolidate their rise in women's football.

on paper, japan and england are favourites, but mexico and new zealand cant be underestimated.

match of the group: japan v england
again the last game could decide who wins the group. the two teams drew 2-2 in the last world cup with kelly smith getting the equaliser. kelly smith could again decide this tie, though a certain mana iwabuchi may choose this game to announce her arrival on the biggest stage.

Group C
USA
North Korea
Sweden
Colombia

the group of death.
USA comes into this tournament on the back of a narrow 1-0 win over mexico and a 1-3 defeat to norway. nevertheless, usa have enough pedigree and experience and seem to deliver the goods when their backs are against the wall.
north korea has the youngest team in this tournament and look very organised and disciplined, although they are no longer the powerhouse they used to be.
sweden have a rather poor record at big tournaments considering their reputation, often starting with all guns blazing, only to crash out early.
colombia, like mexico and nigeria, know they have nothing to lose and will play with the pressure off.

i think usa and sweden will progress with sweden topping the group with an impressive group stage performance

match of the group: north korea v usa
the two rivals meet in their first game which should set the tone of the group.
i have a feeling usa, fired up to make amends for that defeat to norway, would fight hard to break down north korea and eventually get that breakthrough for a narrow, but vital win.

Group D
Brazil
Australia
Equatorial Guinea
Norway

the mathildas are the reigning asian champions, although their squad has somewhat been decimated by injuries. brazil have marta while norway come into the tournament off an impressive 3-1 win over usa. equatorial guinea are the lowest-ranked team and have withdrawn their two key players due to gender controversies.

brazil should have the quality to win the group. norway should just about squeeze past australia for the 2nd place.

match of the group: australia v norway
last game of the group could see a straight fight between two teams looking to join brazil in the next round.

quarter finals
germany v japan
japan could give germany a run for their money, but germany would ultimately prevail.

sweden v norway
a potential repeat of euro 2009, where norway somehow saw off their rivals who had impressed in the group phase.

england v france
a very close match. the girls of lyon could yet break english hearts again.

brazil v usa
a match between two heavyweights with usa finally finding their tournament form to send the brazilians home.

semi finals
germany v norway
once again, norway would hold the germans at bay, but the germans eventually find the breakthrough in the last 15 minutes or so, and score a few rapid goals to add gloss to the victory.

france v usa
usa overwhelms france with their physical game, but france can take pride in their achievement at having come so far.

final
germany v usa
the first time these two teams meet in the final. possibly a titanic battle, with germany eventually triumphing in berlin to complete the sommermärchen.

why i watch women's football

2011-06-20T13:32:00.002+02:00

with the world cup coming in 6 days, i thought i would shed some light on why i follow women's football and debunk some myths as well.

the number one reason why i follow the women's game is because i think it reminds me of a time when football is a sport, a passion, and not an obscenely-bloated circus.

most of the players juggle a day job and football. that's really passion and commitment for you.

some people say that the standard is poor. well, there are different levels. i would advise those people to watch a team like olympique lyonnaise. frankly, players like necib and abily will kick our balls.

some people say women's football is boring. i find man utd boring. and i am not talking about their ladies' team, because they havent even got one.

the women's game is less based on power. it looks slower. that is true. but i think you can better appreciate the technical and tactical aspects of the game.

so all in all, i don't believe the women's game is any less entertaining.

what i do like is that there is very little play-acting. watching some barcelona players really put me to shame. and to think the sacked sexist sky commentators could make the comments that they made?

the girls just get on with the game.

unfortunately, much as i would wish otherwise, there are player struggles and players forcing moves.

what is different from the men's game however is that there are only 3 reasons: money, another challenge and disagreement with the coach/club

these 3 reasons in the women'S game are acceptable to me, even if i may not be happy about some of the moves. let me explain.

money: you must understand that there is really very little money in the women's game, and if they can go to the WPS in america to play professionally in a 'super league' (even if in my opinion, it is a mickey mouse league, but more on that later), they will jump at the opportunity. i won't call them greedy, because the money they are getting is what someone else doing a normal job would be receiving, not the obscene amount the men get.

another challenge: again the WPS where they have succeeded in attracting some top players from around the world. seriously when you are kelly smith or camille abily, playing in a league where you go into every game knowing you are going to win..you are going to need a new challenge.

conflicts: happens quite a lot in the german game.

the major difference i think is that agents don't really play a very big role in transfer dealings. which is really good, because i have realised that agents are the ones who fill the players' heads with silly ideas for their own interests. agents have their own interests first, then the players'. let's don't kid ourselves that the order is the other way round. so it's less of a circus in terms of transfer dealings.

the players whom i have seen moved on from arsenal ladies to the WPS all moved on because they needed a new challenge and better wages. much as i am disappointed by the departures, i really can't fault them for that when you look at the state of the game in england.

of course, with the new Super League, they are looking to change that.

why i think the WPS is a mickey mouse league:
there are only 6 or 7 teams. sorry, franchises. and they really come and go at such a frequent rate that i am no longer sure which are the franchises still in the league.

and boston breakers play their home games on an american football pitch. what an insult.

the fact is that aside from some dodgy dealings that are always present in american sports (such as the draft pick system, which i still don't quite understand), they do have infrastructure in the sense that the game is well-supported, there is tv coverage, there is sponsorship, there is a certain standard of football.

in europe, the only leagues that can be considered comparable are the WSL and the Frauenbundesliga.

i am not even sure if the lyon players will stay at lyon, now that they have fulfilled their ambition of being european champions.

lara dickenmann is wanted by turbine potsdam(ironically the very same team she helped lyon defeat in the final). why would she want to go there? because the level of competition is much higher in germany than in france, where lyon won all 22 of their games this season.

so, lest i digress into a lengthy tract arguing for the formation of a European Super League as a better alternative to the WPS, i shall reiterate that some unpleasant stuff happens in women's football off the pitch, but they are not as absurd as what we get in men's football, and thoroughly understandable.

on the pitch, the games are more affordable and sometimes even more entertaining. but you always know that the players out there are playing because they love the game, and not strutting about like spoilt brats or rolling around like wussies.

i think it is great that germany is hosting the world cup, because women's football is big here, so the players will be cheered on by big crowds. it is something they deserve, really, having been so put down by some people.

as i said, some of these girls can really kick your balls, so you ought to show them some respect.

Dream Team

2011-06-17T11:08:00.003+02:00

here's my starting XI not based on the World Cup roster.

gk: emma byrne (arsenal, ireland)
dl: ingrid ryland (arna bjonar, norway)
dc: katie chapman (arsenal, england)
dr: alex scott (boston, england)
mc: anouk hoogendijk (bristol, holland)
mc: julia simic (bayern, germany)
mc: caroline seger (west new york, sweden)
aml: lara dickenmann (lyon, switzerland)
amc: kelly smith (boston, england)
amr: louisa necib (lyon, france)
fc: lotta schelin (lyon, sweden)

this is a lineup that won't work on the field, because it is too attacking, and the fullbacks are really fullbacks. and katie chapman, while she can play in central defence, is essentially still a central midfielder. but pretty centre backs are rather hard to find.

squad updates

2011-06-16T23:04:00.002+02:00

France:
Amandine Henry, to my great disappointment, is on the backup list. now, i am really interested to see what the other midfielders called up by bruno bini can do.

England:
no real surprises from Hope Powell. but bassett made the squad instead of buet. though i doubt it will make much of a difference.

Australia
Australia called up 7 teenagers due to injuries and retirements.

Sweden
no place for Kosovare Asllani and Louise Fors. i am really surprised by the exclusion of the former.

Norway

2011-06-16T22:21:00.003+02:00

Group D: Brazil, Equatorial Guinea, Australia

Background: another traditional powerhouse, but their star has somewhat fallen with lacklustre performances in the recent Euros and World Cups. somehow reached the semi-finals of euro 2009, beating sweden 3-0 with something like 3 shots.

Tactics: 4-5-1, focusing on keeping things tight at the back before trying to launch a counterattack.

strength: physical presence

weakness: no ideas in attack, lack of creativity

key players:
trine roenning
it seems like roenning will be playing in centre midfield for this tournament. norway's most experienced player. norway will count on her to organise the midfield pressing and launch the counters.

ingrid hjelmseth
solid keeper who has already saved her team on countless occasions. good shot-stopper and reads crosses well.

maren mjelde
only 21 years old, but i think she is already the senior member in central defence, with her partner in euro 2009 moving up to midfield. lots of heart and commitment. courageous defending will be needed and she will provide that.

players to watch
cecilie pedersen
20 year old forward playing in the 3rd division, but hailed as the great talent. she has lots of confidence, attempting an audacious lob in the friendly against germany. a lot of burden is resting on her young shoulders, being the lone striker.

lena mykjaland
making her return to the international team after a self-imposed exile following a disagreement with the former coach. hopefully she will be raring to go.

starting lineup

based on what i saw in the game against germany, i would play
hjelmseth
berge-lund-mjelde-knutsen
roenning-stensland
kaurin-mykjaland-giske
pedersen

i do think norway has good attackers in pedersen, giske, kaurin and mykjaland. the problem is that they don't have someone who can playmake and bring out the talents of these 4 attackers.

outlook: i think norway will be fighting with australia for 2nd place. i won't bet against them frustrating and holding brazil to a draw. to go far, however, they would either need to sort out their attack, or have everything go their way, like the game against Sweden in 2009.

look factor: i think norway are early favourites to be the cutest team in the tournament. what i mean is not that every player is super hot, but that when you look at the whole team, it is a group of very pleasant girls. the whole package. maybe it is barney stinson's cheerleader effect. but they do have cuties like madeleine giske, lene mykjaland, ingrid ryland, maren mjelde, guro knutsen mienna, leni larsen kaurin, ingrid hjelmseth and erika skarbo.

Germany3 Norway0

2011-06-16T21:31:00.002+02:00

Germany started with a 4-2-3-1
Angerer
bresonik krahn bartusiak peter
kulig laudehr
garefrekas prinz okoyino
grings

celia okoyino surprisingly started on the left, highlighting her versatility.

norway started with a 4-5-1, with cecilie pedersen the young forward alone upfront. trine roenning played in centre mid.

0-0 at half time. norway matched germany physically for 35 minutes or so, but didnt have any idea going forward. they lacked creativity in midfield. the set pieces, normally their strongest weapon, were disappointing.

germany started carving out chances in the last 10 minutes, but hjelmseth was excellent to keep the score level.

bajramaj, popp and behringer came on for the second half, joining okoyino. these changes gave germany a more direct approach, with behringer loving to shoot from range and bajramaj..well we know all about her dribbling.

norway showed more in attack in the second half, leni laursen kaurin and lene mykjaland adding drive.

german pressure finally paid off in the 78th minute, laudehr arriving at the far post to head home a behringer corner.

a horrendous mistake from the subbed-in centreback Vikestad gave popp a goal on the plate.

then behringer's cross was met by popp for the third goal.

3 goals in 4 minutes.

norway's problem in the second half was that the central midfield went missing. they pressed up together with the attackers, leaving space in midfield because they couldnt or didnt track back.

the good news for them is that the last 15 minutes can't be taken seriously, because they substituted in their second choice keeper and the 2 last minute call-ups. they were really just letting everyone get a run-out. i think they made 8 substitutions. it was definitely more than 6. and by then, their game plan has lost all coherence, especially when you take off your key players roenning, giske and hjelmseth.

in the end, it was business as usual for germany, it seems.

wow moment: came from a norwegian player, trine roenning, who met a german high ball with her left heel, like a scorpion kick, but with right foot on the ground

First XI

2011-06-14T01:26:00.003+02:00

here's my pre-tournament starting 11 based on looks.

gk: melissa barbieri (australia)
lb: ingrid ryland (norway)
cb: maren mjelde (norway)
cb: sophia bradley (england)
rb: alex scott (england)
cm: simone laudehr (germany)
cm: caroline seger (sweden)
aml: louisa necib (france)
amc: kelly smith (england)
amr: eugenie le sommer (france)
fc: lotta schelin (sweden)

and here's another picture of the girls off the pitch

germany 5 netherlands 0

2011-06-08T12:07:00.002+02:00

i watched germany thrash holland 5-0 yesterday.

holland played well for the first 40 minutes or so, having numbers behind and really stifling the german attack, which found little joy.

they did score with probably their only clear-cut chance in the first 30 minutes, birgit prinz slipping a perfect pass into the path of celia okoyino who clinically slotted it home. then on the 43rd minute, holland failed to clear the ball from the box, and the ball fell to laudehr at the edge of the box, who promptly curled it brilliantly with her left foot into the far corner, beyond loes guerts' despairing reach.

the problem with trying to defend against a team like germany is that sooner or later, you will start making mistakes and will pay the price.

indeed, it became much easier for germany to carve out chances in the 2nd half, though holland did produce 2 promising moves. but you could argue that it was late in the game, and germany had already taken a foot off the pedal.

for teams up against germany, i have good news and bad news.

the bad news is that they have 18 quality players.

the good news is that only 11 can play at any one time.

what the game showed is that you need to attack against germany to have any chance.
and because you might not be able to attack much, you need to be really clinical and efficient. holland wasnt. they lacked the idea in the final third. they were capable of stringing nice passes from defence to midfield, but lacked that idea in the final third.

i still don't know who silvia neid will play, or if she will even have a fixed starting 11.

celia okoyino really impressed, playing from the start.

it has been argued that for germany, it is easier to play coming off the bench because the player you are replacing has already softened the opponent for you. there is some truth in that. but celia okoyino, making a rare start, grabbed her chance with both hands, impressing with her pace, runs, technique and strength.

to be honest, i have never really believed in the prinz-grings partnership. perhaps that's because in 2009 prinz was really a pale shadow of herself. this time round, grings hasnt been on top form.

i would play okoyino and prinz, since prinz is the captain and it is unthinkable that she won't start. and looking at yesterday, maybe silvia neid will play that too. that would mean bad news for the opposition.

i do think silvia neid knows who she wants to play, but is pretending that it isnt, to fire up the players and especially to shake things up a little, because maybe a few players were thinking their place in the starting 11 was safe.

the one player who really didnt make an impact was bajramaj. perhaps it was the pressure, but she hasnt have had a stellar season as well. yet, i won't write her off.

germany made an interesting change yesterday, switching to a 4-3-3 in the second half, but with a twist. a bit more like a 4-1-2-3.

it really gave them alot of impetus in attack, because you have okoyino and popp who are explosive forwards, and laudehr and behringer in central midfield who are capable of playing on the wing. so it's like you have 4 players ready to run up from midfield. it is a very direct approach, and because the germans are strong and fast, it plays to their strengths. they can overrun a weak opponent like this easily.

the last game against norway next week will be interesting, because they will be playing against a team that is playing in the world cup. italy and netherlands, both thrashed 5-0, arent.

my 16

2011-06-03T01:44:00.003+02:00

come next week, the final squads for the world cup would be announced.

you know, barring injuries, you would expect a core of 16 players: the starting 11 and 5 subs who can come on and change things tactically during the game. the rest of the players won't get much playing time unless qualification has been assured and the coach decides to play the second team for the last game.. in fact, most coaches will have 11 starting players and 2 main subs.

but i think 5 subs is the right number. a defender to bring on if you really want to go all out defence, a midfielder to steady the ship a little, and 3 attackers who are different from the 3 you already have out there.

so here's my 16 from the 16 nations that have qualified:

gk: ingrid hjelmseth (norway)
i thought she was the best keeper in euro 2009 because she was constantly tested. she certainly kept norway in the game against sweden. she did what she could in the two games against germany.

leftback: sonia bompastor (france)
one of the most solid leftbacks around.

centreback: trine roening (norway)
versatile, ball-playing centreback who can play anywhere in defence and midfield. played euro 2009 with a knee injury. for me, that's really commitment. i have no idea where she will be playing in this tournament.

centreback: charlotte rohlin (sweden)
ball-playing centreback who is a threat at corners.

rightback: alex scott (england)
rightback who just loves to pop up in the opposing penalty box.

centremid: amandine henry (france)
played as defensive midfielder with so much style that it would be a shame if she doenst make the world cup squad.

centremid: caroline seger (sweden)
all-action box to box swedish captain.

attacking midfielder: camille abily (france)
france's most complete player.

left forward: louisa necib (france)
they call her zidanette in france.

centre forward: kelly smith (england)
the Robin van Persie of the women's game.

right forward: lotta schelin (sweden)
complete forward who can play both centrally and on the flank.

subs

defender: linda bresonik (germany)
playmaking rightback who can play in central defence and midfield

midfielder: katie chapman (england)
defensive midfielder with a lot of heart and a powerful long shot. big match player who comes up with big goals in big games. pity that she definitely won't be playing in this world cup.

attacker: karen carney (england)
pace, technique, eye for goal and always plays like a woman possessed.

attacker: mana iwabuchi (japan)
the teenage prodigy who reminds one of messi with her play.

attacker: alex morgan (usa)
the rising star of usa, a right-sided forward with a wicked left foot.

Germany World Cup Squad

2011-05-27T17:09:00.003+02:00

silvia neid has announced her squad.

gk:angerer, holl, schult

defenders: peter, bartusiak, faißt, bresonik, krahn, goeßling, schmidt

midfielders: kulig, laudehr, hingst, behringer, garefrekas

attackers: bajramaj, okoyino, prinz, grings, popp, müller

the big surprise is anja mittag being dropped. it must be a big blow, coming less than 24hours after losing the final. it is true that she hasnt been in devastating form, but i must admit i am quite surprised.

France

2011-05-27T01:55:00.002+02:00

Group A: Germany, Nigeria, Canada

Background: France have been quietly impressing observers with their technical brand of football. women's football in france has traditionally been dismissed and not taken seriously by the establishment, but in recent years, they have been slowly making an impression, culminating in lyon's triumph in the champions league this season.

tactics: they will likely play a 4-2-3-1 or something along that line, with emphasis on short passing

strength: technically outstanding, one of the best in the world

weakness: lacking steel and that efficiency in goal-scoring

key players:
camille abily
at the heart of everything, makes the team tick

louisa necib
stylish attacking midfielder capable of that moment of magic.

sonia bompastor
i always emphasise the need to have fullbacks who understand the game, and they have one of the finest leftbacks in vice captain sonia bompastor

the OL factor
newly-crowned european champions olympique lyonnaise will provide the bulk of the french team. a defence comprising the entire backline of lyon could conceivably be played by bruno bini.

i am sure bruno bini have been watching ol, have been thinking about how to transfer that success to his team.

what he must be wishing is that lotta schelin, shirley cruz and lara dickenmann were french. 3 players who are very important to the ol system.

i am not sure if he has the replacements in the other french teams.

players to watch
eugenie le sommer
she could answer france's problems in attack. an exciting forward who can play in the centre as well as on the right. she was france's best player in the u20 world cup in 2008 and looks ready to establish herself on the A team. certainly capable of scoring goals.

amandine henry
at the moment, i am not sure if she'S going to germany, because her name wasnt on the list of 21 players for some sort of gathering. but that list is by no means the final squad list. i would be surprised if bruno bini doesnt bring her along, especially since he must have been watching the champs league final as well.

i am impressed by her technique, tackling, decisions, composure and distribution in defensive midfield.

outlook: france should definitely be aiming to get out of their group, despite being drawn with germany. they need to convert their beautiful football into chances and goals. i think mentally, the success of OL will give them a boost. they could be the dark horse.

personally though, i feel that it should be recognised by now that elodie thomis' pace is an option but her poor decisions on the whole would be a liability to the team, so she should be a sub rather than a starter. this is how i hope bruno bini will select his team.

i would really like to see france do well, because they play good football and i am a fan of good football.

Champions' League Final

2011-05-26T22:46:00.004+02:00

Olympique Lyonnaise 2 Turbine Potsdam 0

Aside from a 10, 15 minute period early in the second half, Lyon were clearly superior to Turbine.

Bernd Schröder didnt spring any surprises in his starting lineup, with kerschowski replacing the injured Nagasato in attack.

Patrice Lair, on the other hand, opted to my horror for Elodie Thomis.

Lyon dominated, with Turbine looking to attack on the break. Turbine lost both tactically and individually. their key players never got into the game or were nullified by the Lyon players, and their 3-women defence was simply exposed when Lyon went direct, exploiting the pace of Elodie Thomis, who did well in the first half, showing surprising skill and composure, though the final ball was lacking.

why didn't Schröder make any changes? his best team was already out there. he had no cards left to play. i think looking back, he would rue the chances they didn't put away in that spell where they really threatened.

bouhaddi 7.5
was stable in goal. i haven't been the most ardent of believers in her ability, but she plucked the crosses turbine put in out of the air with ease and the defence wasnt afraid to play the ball back to her. she was a decisive and calming presence at the back.

bompastor 7.5
her class showed, winning the 1v1s against bajramaj, which was so crucial in lyon's game plan. the experience and class that she brings to the team cannot be understated.

georges 6
had a poor start where she was responsible for some confusion which put lyon under pressure, but recovered and adopted a safety first approach.

viguier 7
solid and aggressive in defence. i think anja mittag didnt find much joy against georges and viguier.

renard 7
was brilliant in the first half, her long legs stealing the balls off kerchowski and bajramaj on the right. faded off towards the end of the game.

henry 8
superb skills for a defensive midfielder, calming presence, brilliant in her tackles, winning and holding the ball, and distributing it

cruz 7.5
worked in tandem with henry. the duo were like the cogs in the lyon machine, allowing the attackers to play their game

abily 8
kept things going in attack, and was back there to provide that extra woman in midfield to win the midfield battle.

necib 6
a quiet game by her standards. was given little space, but held the ball well and linked up well with bompastor. but i felt that she didnt show what she was capable of.

thomis 6.5
her performance in the first half brought me surprise and relief. she thrilled the crowd with some great skills, but the final ball was lacking. she was threatening to undo all her good work in the first half in the second half, not making the right decisions

schelin 9
my player of the match. that perfect forward. intelligent in her use of the ball, her link-up play, pace, technique and strength to beat her marker, and vision to pick out her fellow attackers. the only thing missing was a goal.

dickenmann 8
she added drive down lyon's left flank. made use of the ball well. her confidence and ability were best summed up in that decisive second goal.

le sommer 7,5
showed superb strength to create that space to send in the cross for dickenmann's goal. i thought she was bright in the 20 minutes she played.

patrice lair 8
patrice lair had a game plan that worked perfectly. i am not sure if he really wanted to bring off necib so early. necib could have had picked up a knock, thus forcing his hand. but in any case, his 2 subs swung the game back towards lyon.

sarholz 6
the heroine of last year's final. did pull off a few good saves, but simply wasn't as solid as bouhaddi.

peter 6
didnt have the best of days.

wesely 5
misjudged le sommer's cross, allowing dickenmann to score. but in truth, the young defender was out of her depth in this game. she hasn't been convincing in the league, and was cruelly exposed today.

henning 5,5
like the whole defence, didn't have a good game.

kemme 5,5
great last ditch tackle on le sommer in the last 10 minutes, but was otherwise largely cancelled out by renard.

schmidt 5,5
ran her guts out, but it was not enough

zietz 5
tried to rally her troops towards the end, but the midfield battle was lost.

odebrecht 5
anonymous in the game.

anja mittag 5
her legs didnt respond to her. probably had the clearest of chances to equalise but missed the ball. totally off day.

kerchowski 6
put in a few crosses and got to the end of a cross early in the game, but bouhaddi was equal to everything she threw in.

bajramaj 5,5
was cancelled out by lyon. even in turbine's best phase of the game, she was not quite in it.

schröder 6
schröder had his hands tied.

turbine could give the following excuses for their failure today:
1) the national team preparation hampered their own preparation
2) the problems in their hotel on arrival, making some players feel ill
3) nagasato's injury
4) lyon really invested and have strong financial backing

but i think schröder himself would admit that they have been second best.

i have always argued against the 3-4-3, and in my preview, noted that lyon's 4-3-3 on paper would counter it perfectly. so in terms of tactics and system, lyon already had an edge. what was crucial was the individual performances. if the turbine players could beat their opponents on those 1v1s, then that could still make a difference. but lyon were really up for it, turbine perhaps less so and paid the price.

it was a rather comprehensive victory for lyon in the end.

so, lyon have finally succeeded in their mission to become champions of europe. and they have done it in some style.

now what?

champions' league final

2011-05-24T18:56:00.004+02:00

less than 50 hours to the big game, olympique lyonnaise versus turbine potsdam. basically the rematch of last season's final.

last season, ol lost on penalties to turbine, even leading 3-2 at one point in the shootout. herlovsen and thomis missed, and the rest was history.

i believe this season represents the best opportunity for ol feminin to win their first ever champions' league. but more on that later.

turbine team news
no sign of any injuries even after the international weekend, so i assume bernd schröder will have a full squad to choose from. turbine plays a 3-4-3. in fact 9 of the starting lineup is cast in stone:

sarholz in goal, peter and henning in defence, zietz and odebrecht in midfield, nagasato, bajramaj and mittag in attack.

schmidt will definitely play.. the only question is where? in defence or as wingback?

basically, where she plays will determine the other starters:

if she plays in defence, isabel kerchowski and tabea kemme will play on the flanks.

if she plays in midfield, inka wesely will play in defence, and tabea kemme will start, with kerchowski ready to come off the bench to add attacking impetus.

personally, i don't know what schröder will do. i would prefer to play schmidt in defence, but wesely has more or less started much of the season. schmidt was playing in defence last season. will schröder switch back to that system, or would he play schmidt in midfield to take advantage of her running ability?

what i know for sure is that if turbine are chasing the game, natasa andanova, the teenage macedonian prodigy, and isabel kerchowski will be on the pitch to provide the direct pace.

knowing the wily old fox that schröder is, he will probably start out with a conservative formation, because he knows he can up the tempo if he needs to. that's why i think schmidt will play in midfield.

lyon team news:
corinne franco and ingvild stensland are back from injury. i am not sure how positive that news is, because i think lyon have been coping well without them, and they haven't played a competitive game. i don't think, while patrice lair has named them in the squad travelling to london, that they will start.

which means we have the expected back 4 and 2 defensive midfielders.

the big question is really whether necib will start. i am a big fan of necib. and i hope she starts and ends the game and decides the game for ol. but i know turbine's strengths and acknowledge that it is going to be a match of attrition, and necib is not exactly the kind of player to engage in 'trench warfare'.

given the options that turbine has, the last 20 minutes will be crucial. and necib will most certainly be the player coming off, knowing patrice lair. as a fan, i would prefer that she is on the pitch when the final whistle is blown.

I really don't know who patrice lair will start in attack, aside from schelin and abily. dickenmann, necib, le sommer or god forbid thomis?

tactical matchup:
turbine plays a 3-4-3, which is a curious formation, in my opinion. 3,4 years ago, i was an advocate of it, but have since been convinced otherwise. yet, turbine has been very successful with it.

if we look at it statically, the 4-3-3 that lyon plays will cancel a 3-4-3 out. in fact, abily, of all players, will be that free player.

i think abily will be the key player for ol in this game. if she can find the space, i am confident that ol will triumph.

how the match will likely unfold
i think turbine will be content to soak up the pressure, given that lyon is a team which likes to keep the ball, and that turbine's greatest strength is their counter-attack.

what is important here is that necib, schelin and dickenmann can take up the attention of all 5 turbine defenders(the wingbacks will surely drop back), leaving abily and cruz to take on zietz and odebrecht. henry or bompastor must be ready to push up.

the important thing is that abily must find the space to play her passes, and schelin and necib are able to find the little pockets of space between the lines.

turbine's counterattack basically means get the ball to bajramaj or nagasato, let them run with the ball and shoot or cut the ball back. if anyone else can catch up, that's great news, otherwise they are content to attack with their 3 attackers.

for lyon, it means that if henry attacks, bompastor stays and vice versa.

in terms of substitutions, as mentioned earlier, turbine will be bringing on andanova and kerchowski. patrice lair will hope that he won't be chasing the game, because realistically speaking, he only has le sommer to bring on. let's face it: thomis has pace, but pace alone won't do any damage to a team like turbine.

i remember that lair didnt even shake thomis hand after taking her off in the first leg against arsenal and i wasnt surprised.

if he wants to protect the result, he knows that he can bring on stensland or franco.

i hope the ol girls are up for the fight, because this is their best chance to beat turbine potsdam.

turbine haven't been firing on all cylinders unlike last season. in fact, bernd schröder has admitted that he himself was surprised that they won the frauenbundesliga.

ol have strengthened, while turbine hasn't. abily, bompastor have returned to the club, schelin is fit again: three very big players. plus le sommer to come off the bench instead of herlovsen.

it will not be an easy game, because turbine will be very fit, very physical, very organised and very determined.

but i believe that ol have the technique and intelligence to become the queens of europe.

Arsenal Ladies

2011-05-23T13:08:00.004+02:00

so, Arsenal Ladies brought back the FA Cup on Saturday with a 2-0 win over Bristol.

11 FA Cup titles in 12 final appearances. Last season's 3-2 Extra time defeat to Everton threatened the end of an era, the end of Arsenal dominance of women's football in England. The girls bounced back to win the Premier League.

This season had promised to be difficult and challenging. The formation of the Women's Super League which saw the consolidation of talent into 8 teams narrowed the gap between Arsenal Ladies and the other teams even further, compounding the loss of key players such as Alex Scott, Kelly Smith, Karen Carney to the WPS in USA.

Personally, i was dealt a big blow when i learned that Gemma Davison had gone to the US as well. She, together with Kim Little represented the future of Arsenal Ladies.

Arsenal Ladies are currently second in the WSL, 4 points behind Birmingham with a game in hand. This alone shows that the situation has changed. Arsenal Ladies to win every game comfortably can no longer be expected.

The FA Cup was important, not just because the two finalists will represent England in next season's Champions' League, but it is also the first test of the mettle of this team.

They passed it. Bristol started brightly, but Arsenal recovered and after Kim Little put them ahead with a wonderful solo effort, jinking and twisting her way past 3 defenders ala Nasri, it was all Arsenal. Julie Fleeting added a header. 2-0 at half time, though it should have been more.

Bristol were more positive in the second half, and put more pressure on Arsenal. i was disappointed by the way Arsenal played in the second half. Some unconvincing defending served to put more pressure on themselves. They neither killed off nor controlled the game and that gave Bristol that glimmer of hope. Nevertheless, it was Arsenal who came closest to scoring. Substitute Jennifer Beattie's first touch of the game was a knockdown into the path of Little(who else) who forced a magnificent save from the Bristol keeper with her volley. Then substitute Danielle Carter showed remarkable pace to charge down the keeper's clearance of an overhit throughball (she started her run from her own half). the ball went to the touchline, and she didn't realise she had the time to control the ball, opting to head it into the side netting.

So, Katie Chapman lifted the trophy in place of the injured Ludlow and Faye White.

I like the way the team was set up to play in the first half. i am sure the girls weren't satisfied with their own performance in the second half.

i have been interested in the 4-2-1-3 for a while now. in fact, the first time i saw it was an Arsenal Ladies game last season.

the key difference between a 4-2-3-1 and this is the mentality, traits of the two winger-forwards. in a 4-2-1-3, they are able to go up and lead the line, play with their backs to goal or attack the penalty area.

i am quite satisfied with the front 4 that we have.

Ellen White is a no9 striker by nature, yet she can play on the flank. this new breed of forward is not new. Thierry Henry, fittingly, was probably the first striker who spends a lot of time roaming the flank. Ellen White reminds me of Lotta Schelin, probably the best example of this kind of forward in the women's game. The good news is that though Ellen White plays like she has been around forever, this is her first champions' League campaign, and she is only 22.

Rachel Yankey is a winger with an eye for goal.

Julie Fleeting is like a cross between Robin van Persie and Ruud van Niistelrooy. she is a very elegant player to watch and links up play intelligently. But she is also a poacher who gives you the impression that she can score from anywhere, anyhow. There were two shots that she took in the Final which made me sit up. One was an audacious overhead kick, and the other was a snap side volley. The speed of thought is amazing. I think she would have made a difference against Lyon. She did score one after coming on in the second leg, but it was already too late then. She just brings this touch of class to the team.

Kim Little. She was EVERYWHERE. given the free role. putting in crosses, playing in the passes, getting into the box, scoring the goals. She's a hell of a player, the only player who could match up to the guile of the Lyon players during those two games. And she's only 20.

So what i like is that you have two players on the flanks who can come into the centre and attack the space Fleeting will leave when she drops back or drifts wide to link up the play. And these two players are fast, strong and skillful enough that you can play the balls direct down the flank(maybe not so much down the flank per se, but the 2/3 width) for a direct approach or even a counterattack. Then you have Kim Little pulling the strings behind, popping up in the spaces.

Katie Chapman and Jordan Nobbs do the dirty work in midfield. but i know that both are capable of shooting from range. Nobbs is only 18 and in her first season with Arsenal, so give her a bit of time and see how she develops. but at the moment, things look promising.

my only gripe is the lack of depth. off the bench, for the attack, there are only two players who can come on: jennifer beattie, nominally a defender, but can play as target woman upfront and surprisingly spreads the ball well with her back to goal and danielle carter who is really quick and can cause problems with her pace.

One player i would have liked to have on the team, in addition to Gemma Davison, is Karen Carney, who came back from America and joined Birmingham, leading their charge up the table. I don't know if Arsenal tried to re-sign her, or decided that both parties should move on. i know that Arsenal still means alot to Carney, so it is a big shame.

It is good for women's football though, that it is more competitive. The neutrals and the other teams would be happy. That's the problem when you are the incumbent. everyone is gunning for you.

So one trophy won. To win the WSL, there can be no more slipups. I think the team should still be good enough to win the WSL. still. if they can remove the errors in defence and convert more of their chances. in any case, despite all the upheavals, Arsenal Ladies are still one of the top teams in the country. at least at the moment.

On the other hand, the run to the top 4 in this seaason's Champions' League was somehow flattering, given that the way it was achieved was more grit than class. Spirit is of course necessary, but the underlying quality has to be there, and that was exposed by Lyon in the semi-final.

it is clear that this team is in a stage of renewal. The young players like Ellen White, Gilly Flaherty, Steph Houghton, Jordan Nobbs and Danielle Carter need to step up to Kim Little's leve to guarantee future success, both domestic and european.

Germany

2011-05-22T13:32:00.002+02:00

Group A: France, Nigeria, Canada

Background: defending world and european champions looking to enact the summer fairy tale at home.

Tactics: a standard 4-2-3-1 with strong wingers.

yesterday's friendly was the first of 4. germany have been involved in a gruelling preparation phase, showing they really mean business.

silvia neid will announce her squad after the champions' league final between turbine and ol feminin. personally, i feel that there won't be many surprises, because silvia neid has a set of players that she trusts.

gk: angerer, holl, weiß
defenders: bresonik, peter, krahn, bartusiak, faißt, fuss(goeßling)
midfielders: kulig, laudehr, hingst, garefrekas, behringer
attackers: prinz, grings, bajramaj, okoyino, mittag, popp, müller

there are maybe three places that are uncertain. silvia neid is very loyal to her experienced players, but the time for renewal is slowly approaching, and it would be prudent to bring a few of the young players along for the experience. this would mean sacrificing some of the old guard.

in this scenario, fuss or martina müller would be sacrificed for goeßling.

i think the biggest disappointment is that dzenifer maroszan, the great talent was injured in the preparation and would not be in the world cup squad.

starting lineup
as i said for euro2009, the difference between germany and the other teams is that they have 15 quality players, while the other teams have 5. that is the difference.

silvia neid wanted versatility from her players, and she has gotten it. there are many possible combinations looking at the players that they have, but i feel that there will be just one formula that she will use for all the games, and two players who will always come on in the second half.

gk: angerer
undisputed no1

rightback: linda bresonik
a player i rate as germany's best central midfielder, she wears the no10 as well. she started in central midfield in 2009 but ended up playing rightback to solve the problem in that position. i find it a pity, but germany's best rightback is their best central midfielder. this means that they have someone who can play from the back.

leftback: verena faißt
the problem position now that the rightback problem has been solved. babette peter played euro2009 as leftback, but more out of necessity than anything. i do think germany have a natural solution in verena faißt now. yet you don't know how much silvia neid trusts her. i would play verena faißt. but i have had enough disagreement with her team selections that i can fully expect babette to play here.

centrebacks: babette peter and annike krahn
peter is the rock in turbine potsdam's defence, while krahn is the standout centreback of euro2009 but has had an injury-blighted season.

ariane hingst is silvia neid's favourite, so i won't be surprised if she plays in place of krahn.

central midfield: kulig and laudehr
basically the same pairing from 2009. judging from yesterday, no real need for change.

of course, hingst could also come in here.

left wing: bajramaj

right wing: garefrekas
an old warhorse. tireless runner, good crosser, good shot and good header of the ball. a very effective player who lacks the class of the other attackers. but you could say shes the ray parlour of this german team.

centre forward: birgit prinz
had a poor euro2009 by her standard, but has enjoyed a relative injury-free season this time round. looks in better form.

striker: inka grings
goal machine.

key players:
fatmire bajramaj
she will just take the ball and run. she had such an outstanding 09/10 that i was convinced she would be the star player of this World Cup. this season, turbine and bajramaj haven't been as scintillating and she looked tired, injured, pissed off at times. she was the impact sub in 2009, and i always had her in my fantasy team, because 'bajramaj is always worth a goal when she comes on'
this time round, i think she has 90 minutes to do her job instead of 20minutes.

birgit prinz
had a lacklustre euro 2009, but her season then had been plagued by injuries. looks in better shape this time round. i am sure she will want to silence her critics, including me. to be honest, i have never seen the all-conquering birgit prinz that is such a legend in women's football.

kim kulig
only 21 years old, but already a key player. i first saw her in the 2008 u20 world cup, where she was the key player together with julia simic. she played as a forward then, so the first time i saw her play for the full national team, my jaws dropped when i saw that she was playing in central midfield.

box to box midfielder.

players to watch:
celia okoyino
complete forward, with strength, speed and skill. she will definitely start from the bench, unless silvia neid surprises me, which is highly unlikely. as in 2009, she will be the impact sub. but like bajramaj, she has since matured as a player and is ready for more responsibilities.

alexandra popp
only 18, one of silvia neid's favourites as well. has catapulted overnight to one of the most talked about players in germany. powerful striker who was the top scorer in the u20 world cup last year.
i remember the first time i saw her play. it was a cup game between bayern and duisburg. rain was beating down mercilessly, and she was struggling on the left flank. i must admit that i never knew she would become so highly-rated.
but even today, i will say that she's a good player, but not my kind of forward.

Overall, whoever they play, you can expect a team that is very strong and powerful, capable of beating opponents in 1v1. they will be organised, they will pass the ball abit, but they will play direct and aggressive because they know their players are strong enough to beat the opponents 1 on 1. this team is a well-oiled machine that makes few mistakes and punishes mistakes by opponents severely. backed by home support(tickets are already sold out for the germany games), they will probably be the hardest team to play.

this Germany is similar to the one in 2009. the system will be the same, with just a few changes in personnel. now they have a leftback, if they choose to use her. and they have bajramaj ready to play from the start. and they have home support.

but there are also tougher opponents like brazil and usa.

they expect to win the world cup, and they are surely one of the favourites.

North Korea

2011-05-21T18:06:00.005+02:00

so the friendly against Germany gave me the chance to look at a team rated as dark horses for the World Cup- North Korea.

Group C: Colombia, Sweden, USA

Background: a traditional powerhouse whose star has since faded a little.

Tactics: the North Koreans play a 4-1-4-1. They are well-organised at the back, always having the numbers. defence is the priority. they play a simple, effective passing game, moving the ball quickly, making use of the whole pitch well.

Strengths: Organisation, hardworking, teamwork

weakness: too passive approach

The fact is that North Korea remains an unknown entity. they lost 3-0 to Germany last year, lost 2-0 yesterday. but it was a completely different game. they gave Germany a much stiffer test, being hard to break down until a rare defensive error forced a penalty which Kulig converted, before a late second goal that perhaps could have been disallowed because Celia Okoniyo obviously gave the defender a push to get to the throughball. and they carved the German defence open on a number of occasions, hitting the post once.

even their most glaring weakness last year, the lack of aerial ability, considering germany scored all 3 goals from headers, was not apparent yesterday. they dealt with all the balls crossed in comfortably.

Was this their best team? the commentator said that 6 or 7 players didn't make this trip. North Korea, as ever, remains an enigma.

But you could see from yesterday the basic idea of their game play. soak up the pressure, build up from the back with quick short passes to get out of tight areas, then a long pass to switch flank or forward for the striker to lay the ball back again for an advancing attacker who then releases another attacker. what struck me was the calmness with which they played. always very calculated decisions. they could always make the best decision, ie we as viewers looking at the pitch from a vantage point could see the big picture, see where the ball should go, and you can expect them to try and get the ball there.

Prospects:
my gripe is that they seem to be essentially a counter-attacking team. i always feel that a team, if it wants to win a tournament, must be able to dominate possession, control the game and attack. yet this approach could suit them, considering they are up against sweden, usa, who are similar to germany, and colombia, an all-out attack team.

having said that, looking at the way they passed the ball, i suspect that they are more than capable of camping outside the opposition box, slowly prying before releasing a killer pass.

how good they really are, we will only know after their opening game. but one thing is certain: they will make lives difficult for their opponents. Germany had selected North Korea as their first test opponents for this reason.

We play 4-2-4

2011-05-19T17:08:00.002+02:00

so, i have resurrected my blog. in line with tradition, i have chosen a new name.

We play 4-2-4.

why these words? why 4-2-4? somehow, i always can picture a manager at the sideline, when his team is 1-0 down with 10 minutes to go, and they are chasing the win, he would be making changes and telling his players, both those on the pitch and the ones he's bringing on:

We play 4-2-4.

In these 3 words, you could feel at once, the desperation, the guts, the gamble.

that last throw of the dice.

England

2011-05-18T10:42:00.002+02:00

Group B: New Zealand, Mexico, Japan

Background: England are definitely a rising power. Runners-up in Euro 2009, just seen off USA and Sweden.

tactics: 4-2-3-1. england have so much talent in attack that Hope Powell is going to have a nice selection headache. England's greatest strength is their counter-attack. they play a very direct style, with their 4 attackers, whoever is playing, being more than capable of taking on the opponent.

Based on yesterday's game, i am really looking forward to the announcement of Hope Powell's squad.

for some reason, each squad will comprise of only 21 players.

if i were hope powell, i would name the following players
gk: karen bardsley, siobahn chamberlain, carly telford
defenders: alex scott, faye white, rachel unitt, sophie bradley, casey stoney, claire rafferty
midfielders: fara williams, jill scott, steph houghton, anita asante, dani buet
attackers: kelly smith, eniola aluko, karen carney, rachel yankey, jess clarke, ellen white, natasha dowie

i think this would be the best combination of youth and experience, and covers all the positions as well.

starting lineup
gk: karen bardsley
i think it is a straight fight between bardsley and chamberlain, with telford clearly one for the future. i think bardsley is more commanding at the back and was solid last night in the 70 minutes she played.

defence(left to right): unitt-stoney-white-scott
i think the defence picks itself, based on experience. but hope powell would be happy to know last night that youngsters like rafferty and bradley can step up if the need arises. in fact, bradley was quite impressive in central defence. while she didnt have to play directly against schelin, she did had to play against 2 powerful forwards. hope powell also knows that asante and houghton can play in defence.

midfield: fara williams-asante
fara williams is currently injured, but she is such a key player for both england and everton. the midfield engine. the last time i saw asante play in 2009, she was the centreback. quite surprised by how well she acquited herself yesterday in midfield. so sure on the ball.

of course, the biggest name missing is katie chapman. a real shame. i seriously still believe she should wait till after the world cup to retire.

jill scott will be the impact sub. to be honest, i don't really see houghton and buet playing much in the tournament. they are really going to be there for the experience.

attack: this is where it gets interesting. how does hope powell want to play?

for me, despite carney's performance in the no10 position in the second half, leading to talk that she could start there, kelly smith is still untouchable. kelly smith will start in that central position. but at least hope powell knows that if kelly smith gets injured or tired, she can put carney there.

wingers wise, yankey is probably the cooler head, while clarke will just take the ball and run. i personally feel that carney is the most complete winger who can come in and stay wide. aluko, with her pace, is also an option.

upfront, hope powell can stick to the no9 forward ellen white, or put the pacey counterattacker Aluko. Natasha Dowie is a fantastic youngster. lots of potential to be that complete forward. i am not sure if she will play, but they have to take her along because she is one for the future.

another option for powell would be to go the arsenal way and play kelly smith in the RVP role. then she could put aluko on the flank, carney behind smith and clarke/yankey on the other flank.

that's why i say hope powell has a nice selection headache in attack.

key players:
kelly smith
England's robin van persie. she is such a brilliant player to watch. i just hope that she stays fit. She was struggling with injury during Euro 2009, but still played such a big part in England's run to the final, so imagine her impact when fully fit.
Fara Williams
engine in midfield, vice captain.
alex scott
right back who pops up in the box. her weakness is perhaps her small size. i always believe that having fullbacks who understand how to adjust themselves according to their teammates is crucial to a team's success. how alex scott plays, how she links up with whoever is playing ahead of her will be important to england.

players to watch
Karen Carney
a key player in 2009, seemingly pushed to a sub's role this time round. if she gets her chance, she will play like a woman possessed to prove a point.
natasha dowie
perhaps hope powell's secret weapon.

outlook: lucky to be drawn in a relatively straight-forward group, though every team will know they have nothing to lose. They will be up against two technical teams in Japan and Mexico, which could suit them, allowing them to play on the counter. they started euro 2009 slowly and grew into the tournament. Recent success should give them the confidence to approach the tournament knowing they can win it, yet without the burden of 'favourite' tags as in the case of Germany and USA.

Sweden

2011-05-18T10:03:00.004+02:00

Group C: USA, North Korea and Colombia.

Background: One of the traditional powerhouses of women's football, I think the key question after the Euros 2009, when Sweden were so strong in the Group Phase only to go out somewhat anti-climatically in the Q-Final against eternal rivals Norway was how they were going to rejuvenate with the retirement of captain and talisman Victoria Svensson.

Tactics: With Victoria Svensson, they played a traditional, rigid 4-4-2. Based on what i saw yesterday, i think they are looking to play with more fluidity, more swapping of positions in a 4-4-2/4-3-3. They have players who are very comfortable on the wing like Sjogran, Schelin and Asllani.

Strengths: Strong, tall and physical team which is technically good as well and blessed with a number of long range shooters. I thought back in 2009, they were that one team who could have pushed Germany all the way.

Weaknesses: dodgy goalkeeper, mental strength?

Key Players:
Caroline Seger
Heartbeat of the team in midfield, all-action midfielder who arrives late in the box and packs a powerful shot as well.
Sara Thunebro
Marauding left-back, responsible for the set-pieces and loves to shoot from range.
Charlotte Rohlin
Ball-playing centre back who reads the game well and always seems to score from corners.
Lotta Schelin
The name says it all.

Players to watch:
Sofia Jakobsson
Made her debut yesterday. Young forward who is both strong in the air and good with her feet, in line with the Swedish tradition.
Kosovare Asllani
Didn't play yesterday. Skilful pacey forward who i think can be the impact sub in the tournament.
Louise Fors
the girl with the golden left foot. i remember her coming on as a sub against Norway in 2009 and hitting the woodwork with her free-kick. I am not sure if she's still in the coach's plans. I hope she is, because she has got such a sweet left foot.

Chances: I feel that Sweden has a solid team that can definitely challenge. However, i feel that they lack that little bit extra to win the tournament. They have maybe 5 really outstanding players while the rest of the team is just good. they have to come up with a robust system to make up for it. Another problem that i see is a potential reliance on long range shooting and setpieces to score. the only problem with Schelin playing on the flank is that the forwards they have are not really prolific goalscorers from open play.

It must be stressed that Sweden have been drawn in the group of death. while north korea seem dodgy nowadays, based on reputation alone, they should be respected. usa are ranked no1, and colombia try to play with flair and will know they have nothing to lose.

39 Days

2011-05-18T09:15:00.006+02:00

39 days to the Women's World Cup in Germany.

i watched England take on Sweden in their last friendly before the tournament yesterday and have decided that i should revive my blog for this World Cup.

It was an interesting friendly because you got to see two of the main contenders in action. England won 2-0. It was a game of two halves. Sweden were strong both physically and technically as they put England under pressure right from the start.

The interchangeability of Forsberg, Landstrom and Schelin gave England problems and created space for Seger and Sjogran to pop up in danger areas. Sjogran hit the post and Bardsley saved on the line during a corner.

It was only when England started pressing the Swedish back 4 that they saw more of the ball as Sweden made mistakes at the back.

But Sweden couldn't make their chances count and the teams went in at half-time level.

Hope Powell made 4 changes at HT, and they scored 2 minutes after the restart, after the lively Aluko won a corner. Yankey delivered, Jill Scott rose highest to head home. In truth, the Swedish keeper had been dodgy with crosses all night.

The Swedish blonde heads really dropped and England always threatened on the break. Aluko, Carney, Yankey, Jess Clarke is about the fastest Quartet you can have in attack. Aluko should have done better when put through twice.

Carney won a penalty on the 71st minute and converted it herself.

Sweden piled on the pressure in the last 5 minutes in a bid to score a consolation goal, but England held firm.

I think the injection of pace really changed the game. The timing of the first goal was really crucial as it dealt the Swedes a huge psychological blow and gave England the lift, having been second best in the first half.

It also forced Sweden to take more risks and left them vulnerable to the counter-attack. Again, a vicious cycle.

Overall, it was a massive result for the English girls because they have now beaten two of the top 5 nations in women's football (USA). And they have done it without captain Faye White and midfield dynamo Fara Williams.

Hope Powell will also have a selection headache in attack.

Photos

2010-09-13T17:36:00.000+02:00

The neighbours must have been talking amongst themselves: the gaijin is moving out, after two years.

I survey my tiny room, now an empty shell. I have sent most of my belongings away yesterday.

Another train whizzes past, and I smile. The sounds of the railway tracks have kept me up at night and woken me up in the mornings at the start of my two-year sojourn here. I have gotten used to it over the months. Perhaps I will even miss it.

It is still early. I couldn’t really sleep. Would you, if it had been your last night in a city that you have called home for the past 2 years? Thousands of thoughts would be running through your head, memories would be flooding back.

Breakfast, I think aloud to myself.

I grab my camera on my way out. The elderly Mrs. Morimoto is just entering her house next to my building, back from grocery shopping. She must be 80, but still going strong. I greet her with a bow.

She smiles and stops to talk to me, “Claire-san, good morning. I hear you are leaving today.”

“I am.”

“Well, you are going home. You must be happy to go home.”

I smile and nod my head.

“Then, enjoy your last day here and have a safe trip back,” she gives me her well-wishes, before disappearing into her house.

I follow the railway track, walking underneath it, past the 2 convenience stores, and the ubiquitous vending machines.

I climb the steps and turn around at the top. I love watching the sunset here; the sun slowly descending, into the low houses sprawled before me, spreading its warmth into the households to get them through the night.

I will miss this view. My neighbourhood.

I carry on my way and come to the train station. I walk past it and down the steps at the other side of it. This is the neighbourhood center.

I walk into the 7-11, ordering a few pieces of Oden from the friendly robotic employee before joining a man on a nearby bench.
He is leaning back, relaxed. He smiles and nods, when I gesture to ask if the seat is free.

“Beautiful day,” he says in English. “A beautiful spring day.”

“Yes, it is a beautiful spring day,” I reply in Japanese.

He smiles, “You speak good Japanese. How long have you been here?”

“Two years. I am leaving today.”

“Oh? Pity isn’t it? You won’t get to see the cherry blossom. Or are you glad to leave?”

“I am sad, actually.”

He smiles, leans over and pats my shoulder. “Don’t be. People come and go. People stay and move on. It is life, and life is beautiful.”

I smile and nod.

He notices my camera, “That’s a good camera. Are you a photographer?”

“Just for hobby.”

“Why do you take photographs?”

“Because I want to remember what I saw, what I was feeling…and who I was.”

“I see… so have you taken some nice photos of Tokyo?”

I nod.

“Show me your favourite,” he says.

I ponder for a while, before whipping out my camera and switching it to display mode, browsing through the photographs. I come to the one I am looking for, and pass the camera to him.

The picture of a blonde girl laughing as she holds a sushi just before her open mouth with her chopsticks. Happier times.

“That’s you?”

I nod.

“Where are you from, actually?”

“I am Irish.”

“So, what’s an Irish girl doing in Tokyo?”

“To find myself.”

“Have you?”

I do not answer, but eat my oden.

“We humans are always searching. Words; colours, someone, ourselves. Sometimes we succeed, sometimes we fail. But I always think it is better to spend your life searching, than to spend your life in the wrong place. What do you think?”

“I agree with you.”

He laughs, “Just a random thought. Let’s not get too serious or philosophical. So I take it that you have been around the world much, haven’t you?”

“I guess you could say that.”

“Show me some other favourite photos of yours. From other places. If you have them on your camera.”

I show him my favourites.

The photo of a little girl skipping behind her mother on a cobblestone street of Paris, carrying a baguette almost as long as her.

The photo of a girl sitting on the window ledge of her ground floor apartment in Munich, leaning against the window frame, writing in her journal.

The photo of a girl stopping in her tracks on the platform of the Berlin Alexanderplatz station and turning as the S-Bahn rolls in, tears on her face.

The photo of a lady standing beside her scooter before a fountain in Rome, having a smoke, her long tresses flowing from beneath her helmet.

“Show me the photo that you didn’t show me,” he interrupts me. “If you don’t mind.”

The man is sharp. He has noticed my hesitation with that photo.

I smile but shake my head.

He nods. “I understand.”

We sit awkwardly for a while, side by side, becoming wordless strangers again.

“What about you? What do you do?” I ask.

“I translate. I translate books.”

“Really? That’s interesting. English-Japanese?”

“Mainly. But I know Spanish, German, French and Italian as well. I love languages.”

“That’s many!”

“You are not too bad yourself.”

“So tell me, what is it like to translate the works of authors?”

“When I translate, I feel like I am taking on the form of the writer, telling his story, looking at things through his eyes, feeling his emotions as if my own, absorbing his essence. Like a shapeshifter transforming myself into him. Or maybe a spirit possessing his empty shell. Or simply a giant sponge, soaking up everything.”

“Tell me about these writers. What are they like? What do they feel?”

“It is always different…but I think most of them…they write for redemption. Or maybe they are writing to find themselves. Or to tell their stories, to anyone who would listen… but even a monologue would be fine.”

“Have you thought of writing your own book?”

“What would I write about? About these poor people?” he laughs. “This is already my life, my work: telling the stories of others. I have nothing more to say about myself.”

“Tell me a word. Tell me your favourite words.”

He thinks for a while. “My favourite French word is allez. Because I used to love an Italian girl named Alessia. It reminds me of her.”

“Used to?”

“Used to,” he affirms. “But the current word I am obsessed with is ‘saudade’. It is Portuguese, which I don’t speak. But I came across it one day, and fell in love with it. It is such a beautiful, non-translatable word. Hauntingly beautiful.”

“I know that word.”

“You do?” he asks in surprise.

I nod. And we withdraw into our shells again.

“But why Tokyo? Why did you come to Tokyo in search of yourself?”

And I show him the photo.

London 2005. The two of us in front of Highbury.

That was us

2010-08-20T01:14:00.004+02:00

He hurried past the full bars and restaurants on the main streets of Trastevere, clutching the paper bag tightly. A car swerved past, just about avoiding hitting him. The driver honked. He did not care, and ducked into the side street.

He finally came to the house he was looking for. Number 28. Two girls in summer dresses were standing outside the door, having a smoke while holding a glass of wine in the other hand.

“Buona sera,” he said.

“Sera,” they replied.

He pressed on the doorbell.

“Hallo?” came her familiar voice, somewhat distorted over the loudspeaker, but nevertheless clearly hers.

“It’s me.”

“Come in. Third floor, if you still remember.”

A buzz signaled the unlocking of the door, and he pushed it open, nodding to the two girls as he entered.

Of course he remembered that it was the third floor, the apartment on the left. How could he forget?

She was standing at her opened door, her head resting against the doorway. She was sporting a bob now instead of the long tresses from two years ago. But her smile when she saw him appear at the stairs was the same Chiara smile that he knew.

“Come stai?” she asked.

“Bene. E tu?” he came to her.

“Bene.”

They hesitated, laughed, and embraced.

“Come on in,” she beckoned.

“Sorry to have come at such short notice… but I was busy with work till tonight. To be honest, I wasn’t really expecting you to be free, let alone at home on a Friday night…”

The truth was that he had deliberated and hesitated before calling. Not just because he was afraid she wouldn’t have time, but also because he was afraid that she would have changed her number…without informing him. They have had so little to do with one another in the past two years that he was afraid he had ceased to exist in her life.

“Staying at home with a nice bottle of wine is nice too,” she said, without turning back.

“Alone?”

She shrugged, “Well, you are here now, so I don’t have to drink alone. But being alone is nice sometimes too.”

He surveyed the apartment. “Everything looks pretty much the same…”

His eyes fell on the side table. The photograph of the two of them on Castello Sant’Angelo with the setting sun over Rome as the backdrop was gone.

“Why should anything change?” she asked, turning around. “So are you going to drink with me? What’s that in your hand?”

“Oh,” he remembered the paper bag he was clutching. “Mochi cream.”

“What’s that?”

“A Japanese confection. Mochi filled with ice cream. I saw the shop on Via Nazionale, and remembered I had it in Kobe, and it was delicious. So I decided to get it. Can’t show up here empty-handed, right?”

“No, you can’t,” she laughed. “Some wine? We can have the, what do you call it? Mochi cream? We can have that after the wine.”

“Sure. What do you have?”

“A Chiaretto.”

“Chiaretto? Chiara e Chiaretto,” he laughed.

“What? Even after two years, you are still stuck on that joke.”

“Sorry. The wine just suits you somehow, no? If someone were to ask me what kind of wine would Chiara be, I would have answered Chiaretto.”

“Why?”

He shrugged and smiled. “Somehow? But it’s a good comparison. I love a good Chiaretto.”

“Well, you loved me,” she said, handing him a glass.

“Thanks,” he said. “Cin cin.”

“Cin cin,” she touched her glass against his.

“There were two girls outside the door, with wine and cigarettes. So much like you.”
She laughed, “Except that I have quitted smoking.”

“What?”

“Why are you so agitated?”

“Well, I tried so hard to make you quit. And now you tell me you quitted, just like that,” he glared at her.

And they both laughed.

“Those were the days, huh?”

“Indeed.”

“So, what brings you back to Rome?”

“Work. They are letting me handle the partners in Italy, because of my Italian.”

“So finally you have some use for it again.”

“Yeah.”

“So you said you are leaving tomorrow?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s fast.”

“Pity, huh?”

She nodded, sipping her wine. “So…Are you still fighting alone?”

“Unfortunately, yes… I was seeing someone, but it didn’t quite work out…”

“Was she Italian?”

“Why must she be Italian?”

“Well, remember the first time we met, I was asking you why you were learning Italian, and you said-”

“Perché amo una donna italiana.”

She laughed. “Esatto. So was she Italian? Or have you sworn off Italian women because of me?”

He laughed, but answered with a question, “What about you? Are you seeing anyone?”

She shook her head. “No. Nothing serious in these 2 years. I was focussing on work…and I picked up cooking.”

“Really? I am so proud of you! You couldn’t cook at all.”

“Well, the next time you come to Rome, I will cook for you.”

“That’s what you say.”

“Of course. You know I always mean what I say. More wine?”

“Another glass. And then basta. I have a plane to catch in the morning.”

She refilled his glass, then hers.

“Are you still painting?”

She nodded. “But I am more into portraits now. The look in the eyes. It captivates me. I want to capture that gaze. The gaze tells a story.”

He smiled, “Have you done any self-portraits then?”

“No...”

“You should. I think it would be interesting. It would be beautiful.”

“Hauntingly beautiful?”

“Hauntingly beautiful.”

They laughed again.

“You know I love your eyes. I fell in love with your eyes.”

“And I fell in love with your mouth. What a glib tongue you have. Are you sure you are not Italian?” she laughed.

“Maybe, who knows?” he shrugged and walked over to the large window in the living room.

“More wine?”

“Just one more glass. One last glass.”

“You said that just now,” she said as she refilled his glass.

“Well, you keep asking. Are you trying to make me stay?”

“Why should I?” she laughed. “You don’t belong here.”

“But I love this area. I love the atmosphere. The narrow streets, all the buildings so close to each other, the bars, the restaurants, the shops. This place has so much character,” he said, looking out of the window to the street below. He could make out the two girls below, still outside, enjoying the lovely night.

“I know. That’s why I am living here. That’s why I was born here.”

He laughed. “Is the Cigarini bookstore still around?”

She nodded.

“Still going strong at eighty. Amazing. Signor Cigarini. What do you think you would be doing when you are eighty?”

She shrugged, “Well, maybe dead and buried in the cemetery. We all have to go some time. And if I have led my life to the fullest, I wouldn’t have any regret not being around at eighty. Probably for the better. I probably would look hideous at that age.”

He laughed, “I am sure you would look just as beautiful.”

“Thank you. That’s why I keep refilling your glass. So that you keep the praises coming in.”

“Well, I have no complaints. It’s a good wine. It really is.”

“Glad you liked it then,” she smiled. “But I have no more to offer now. Unless you want me to open another bottle?”

“There’s no need for that. Time for the mochi cream?”

She nodded and they went back to the couch. “Well, let’s see if they are really as fantastic as you claim.”

“So…” he took out the box from the bag and opened it. Inside were 6 ball-shaped pieces of the Japanese confection.

“What flavours are there?”

“Well, this is vanilla, chocolate, matcha, raspberry, milk tea and grape.”

“3 each?” she asked, looking at him with earnest eyes.

“3 each.”

“Matcha.”

“Ok, I will take the raspberry.”

She bit into the confection, and chewed carefully, her eyes lighting up as she savoured the explosion of flavour in her mouth. She raised a thumbs-up. “Superb. Absolutely superb. You are right.”

“Right? Right? Ok, next pick. I go first?”

She nodded, popping the other half of the mochi into her mouth. “Mmmmmm.”

He took the grape, and she took the milk tea. She offered him the other half of hers, holding it to him. He looked at her, before opening his mouth and she popped the mochi into his mouth. He offered his half, which she took with relish. He wiped the bit of ice cream that had smudged her cheek. She laughed, somewhat embarrassed.

“So, the last two.”

“I know which one you are going to take,” he said.

She smiled. “You know me well.”

She took the vanilla mochi.

“So, this is it,” she said when they were finished.

“Sadly.”

They sat on the couch wordlessly for a while. Then, he took a look at his watch, and announced, “I guess I should get going. It’s almost three now.”

“Should I call you a taxi?”

“I would like to walk a bit through Trastevere, and when I get tired, then I guess I will take a taxi.”

“You still love walking, don’t you?”

He laughed, “It’s really nice to walk in the night, listening to your mp3. It feels like you can keep walking…forever.”

“To where? Where does forever lead to?”

He stared at her for a moment or two, before breaking into a laugh, “You have to spoil it, don’t you? My last moments in Rome.”

She laughed. “Mi dispiace. But at least, you leave with a sweet taste in your mouth. From the mochi. And that, is sweeter than forever.””

He nodded and got up. “Ok, I should get going.”

She saw him to the door, and leaned against the doorway, her arms folded.

“I am glad we got to talk tonight. Just like old times. You know, talk and not just speak.”

“Siamo amici. Friends always have things to talk about,” she replied.

“Friends?”

“Friends,” she affirmed.

“Friends,” he repeated, and winked. “Arriverderci, Chiara.”

They embraced.

“Arriverderci,” she whispered.

He released her, smiled and turned, as she leaned against the doorway again, arms folded.

He took two steps and turned. “By the way, I love your hair. I am not used to it, but I think it suits you. Take care, Chiara.”

She smiled.

As he came down the stairs and stepped out of the door into the cool night of Rome at 3a.m., the girls were gone.

Louise/Louiza

2010-08-19T18:53:00.002+02:00

They stood side by side wordlessly, while the other parents around them bantered casually amongst themselves. Little schoolchildren started streaming out, shrieking in delight. It was Wednesday, and Wednesday afternoons are free. They watched as the other children found their parents. Finally, they saw their daughter trudging behind some other kids. They waved to her. Her face lit up when she saw them and she ran over to them immediately.

"Hallo Papa, hallo Mama," she flung her arms around his legs, before repeating the same ritual for her mother.

"Hallo, darling. How was school? What did you learn today?" she asked, ruffling her daughter's hair.

"Today was boring!" she made a face.

"What about lunch, Louise? Are you hungry?" he asked.

"Yes!"

"What do you want to have for lunch?"

"Frites!"

He stole a sideways glance at her, before bending down to the little girl, "I am not sure if..."

"It's all right. Let's go for frites," she smiled.

"Yay!"

"There's a good one just around the corner, by the church," he told her.

"I was thinking of that one as well. La Friterie de la Place de la Chapelle."

The little girl had run off a little in front of them, but noticing that they hadn't moved, she ran back, grabbing their arms. "Hurry!"

"The frites' not going to run away, Louiza," she laughed as she let herself be dragged along by the little girl.

"3 portions," he ordered when it was finally their turn.

"Right. And what does the little Miss want for her sauce?" the fritkot man asked with a twinkle in his eye.

She contemplated a while, before announcing grandiousely, "Andalouse."

"Andalouse it shall be. And what about you?" he asked them.

"I will have Sate."

"And for me, Aioli," she said.

"So, here you go," the man said, handing the girl her portion, before handing her parents' to her mother. Her father handed over the money.

"Sweet little family," the man smiled as he received the money. "Enjoy."

Her parents smiled awkwardly and looked away as she skipped off to the bench that had just been vacated by two men in suits, no doubt returning to their nearby office.

"Have a nice day," he finally said to the man, and they followed their daughter.

They sat on either side of their daughter. She swung her legs as she munched on her frites, looking dreamily into space.

"What are you thinking about, Louiza?"she asked.

"Thinking about how nice if every day could be like this!"

"Oh," she looked away as she thought of something to say. "Well, you can't have frites every day for lunch. It's too unhealthy."

"Spending more time together with both Mama and Papa would be nice," she said matter-of-factly.

"How's the frites, Louise?" he asked.

"De-li-cious."

"Can I have a bit of your sauce? You can try mine as well."

The little girl nodded and held out her sauce container to her father, at the same time reaching for his with a frites.

"You want some of it?" he asked, holding the container to her.

She hesitated before dipping one of her frites into the container, and offered hers in exchange. Her daughter quickly dipped her frites into her mother's sauce and giggled, as though she had won some form of competition between father and daughter. He laughed, before taking up on the offer.

"So, what do you want to do now?" he asked, as they cleared the rubbish.

"Shall we go for a walk?" she asked.

The little girl nodded and held their hands again as they went for a walk. Neither parent spoke, as they allowed themselves be led by their daughter.

"Look!" she dropped their hands and ran forward.

They caught up with her. She was pointing through the doors, to the interior of the church. "A wedding."

A smile tugged at their lips, and briefly their eyes met, but they quickly turned away again.

"Yes, it is a big day for them, so let's not disturb them," she said, pushing her daughter along.

They soon came to a playground by the crossroads, and she stole a look at her mother, who nodded, before running off to join the other children.

"Time flies, huh?" he remarked casually as they sat down on a bench.

"Yeah... can't believe she's already 7. Running around, jumping around like that. She was this small," she held up her hands about 50 centimetres apart and put them down again, smiling, "And 8 years ago, we were the ones in that church."

"What happened to us?"

"Maybe we got tired along the way. We were young back then, unafraid of everything. Look at us, we are old and jaded now," she laughed, with a tinge of bitterness.

He placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Is this the end for us?" she asked.

10 metres in front of them, their daughter was waving to them.

"Or maybe we can try and make it work."

Jesen U Zagreb

2010-08-18T01:40:00.002+02:00

As she had promised, it took me just 5 minutes to fall in love with Zagreb from the moment I stepped out of the Glavni Kolovdor and made my way to the main square Trg bana Jelacica.

Fallen leaves, flowers, a slight evening chill, beautiful old buildings, the smell of warm food wafting through the air, narrow alleys, the rooftops, the courtyards, a girl hurrying past and turning to steal a glance, people strolling down the streets, sitting on the benches, vendors peddling sweet corn and chestnuts at every corner… what could be more autumn than this?

I reached Trg Bana Jelacica, and saw the clock she told me about. "Everyone knows what you are talking about when you say 'by the clock.'" Although I have to admit, I was somewhat disappointed that it was just a rather ordinary street clock. When she told me that, in my mind, I was picturing something romantic, something that would capture your imagination. Like a work of art.

I found the shop selling ties; the address I looked up on the Internet took me to a chic shop off the main square. I entered the shop tentatively. There were three salesgirls, all dressed in maroon blouses, black pants and ties. Two of them were attending to customers. The face of the third one lit up when she saw me and she came over immediately.

"Dobar dan. How may I help you?" she asked.

"Actually, I am looking for someone who works here...or used to work here..."

She looked uncertain, "I am not sure if I can help you, because I am new here... What's her name?"

"Mia."

She shook her head apologetically.

I shrugged, "Well it's all right. It has been a year. So many things could have happened in this one year... Look, why don't you pick me a nice tie? I hear that ties originate from Croatia..."

She brightened up and proceeded to offer me a few designs. I ended up buying two, and stepped out of the shop. It was slowly getting dark.

I checked into my hostel, located above a courtyard just off the main square. I freshened up before asking the reception for recommendations for dinner.

I followed the instructions to the side street Skalinska behind the Dolac Market. But I didn't go to the recommended restaurant, because I saw the salesgirl from the tie shop sitting alone on the sidewalk outside the restaurant at the corner with a glass of wine. She was still in her maroon blouse and black pants, even though her tie was off.

"Hello," I went up to her.

"Hi... you are from just now..." she looked surprised.

"Yeah, I am the guy from just now," I laughed. "May I join you?"

"Sure," she said, pushing the chair beside her out, towards me.

"Thanks...Hvala," I ventured.

She smiled, "Where did you learn to speak Croatian?"

"The girl I am looking for, she taught me."

"So you came here to look for her? Just to look for her?"

"Sounds silly right? Like all I have is her name, and where she works...nothing else. What was I expecting? To bump into her just like that at a traffic light? In a city of one million people?"

"Like in the movies...why not?" she smiled.

"Oh well..." I shrugged.

The waitress came out and handed me a menu. I ordered a glass of the wine the salesgirl was drinking.

"So, what's your name? My name is David."

"I am Mia...but I know I am not the girl you are looking for."

"Mia, huh? What a coincidence. So, nice to meet you again, Mia."

"Nice to meet you too."

"What's good here? Are you getting anything to eat?"

"I ordered Cevapcici... you know, it's like the national dish...Here it comes."

The waitress came with Mia's food.

"Looks good...Can I have that as well?" I ordered from the waitress.

"So what are you going to do?" she asked.

"What do you mean?"

"What are you going to do in Zagreb? You did not manage to find her."

"I don't know. I am staying here for two more days. Tell me what I can do here. And please go on and eat. You must be starving after work."

"I am. You know, this was my first week of work. That is why I came here for dinner. To reward myself a little," she said, tucking in.

"That's a good idea. The first week is always a milestone, no? But why alone? It's Friday night, where are your friends?"

"I moved here not long ago. I am from the countryside. Most of the people I know are from work...I need to have a break after seeing them the whole week."

"I see. I am sorry if I spoiled your plans to be alone."

"No, it's not that I want to be alone. It's just that I need a break from them," she reassured me. "Besides, you are alone here too. So maybe you could use some company. It's not so good to be alone on a Friday night outside, right? When everyone else around you is laughing with friends, having fun, and you are alone, it really feels...sucky."

I laughed at her use of the word 'sucky'. "You are right."

"So, tell me about this other Mia. Where did you meet her?"

My food came. I waited until the waitress was gone before I spoke, "I met her last summer. In Dubrovnik."

"Ah...Dubrovnik. Very pretty, no?"

"It was like a dream. The perfect summer vacation."

"So you met her there...and fell in love with her?"

I laughed amidst a mouthful of the meat. "You got that."

"So summer came and left... you said goodbye, and all you got was her name, and where she worked?"

"Pretty much," I admitted.

She laughed, "I am sorry if I am being rude... but we live in the era of the Internet. We have Facebook, email, Skype, so many means of contact...and you didn't get anything else other than her name and her workplace?"

"Actually, she told me the name of the shop, and said it is very famous in Zagreb, and I looked it up on the Internet."

She looked at me, shaking her head in disbelief and laughed, placing her hand on my arm.

"Why?" she asked, when she had pulled herself together again.

"I thought it was just a summer fling. Not real. Like a dream. An illusion."

"Do you believe in dreams? Do you have dreams?" she asked quietly.

I didn't answer her.

We finished dinner in silence.

"Do you want me to show you my secret place in Zagreb?" she asked.

"If you want to?"

She smiled mysteriously. "Follow me then."

She led me back to towards my hostel, but took me through a winding alley that gently climbed up the hill. We came up to an observation deck of some sort, midway up the hill. Zagreb, as I found out, is hilly and consists of the Gornji Grad and Donji Grad, Upper and Lower Town respectively.

We stood at the railing, looking out over the city rooftops, at the Lower Town.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" she asked.

"Yeah, it is."

"I come here whenever I need to be alone, to think."

"Do you like Zagreb?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I have always wanted to come here. Since I came here as a kid on a class trip. The city gets under your skin. What about you? What do you think of Zagreb?"

"It is really beautiful in Autumn, as the other Mia had said."

"Is she from Zagreb?"

"Yeah. She was the one who told me I should come and see Zagreb."

"So if you had planned on coming to Zagreb, why didn't you get her contact?"

"I didn't know I was going to come."

"So why did you still come? Because you realise it wasn't a fling after all? That she means more to you?"

"I don't know. Maybe I am just trying to chase after something that's long gone. Like that summer."

"Is that summer that important to you?"

"I hear the sea sometimes. Even though it must be miles and miles away. It is calling me back."

"Summer. The sea. Love in the air. People are always sad to see summer go."

" You know, like when the past year has been going badly, when nothing is going according to plan, you just think: What have I achieved in the past year? Then you start thinking about getting away from it all, about happier times. Try to remember what it was like... Maybe that is what I am trying to do here. Maybe that is why I came here. To her Zagreb. It is like the last whiff of that summer. All that's left."

"Was the past year that bad for you?"

I nodded.

"I am sorry to hear that. Things will get better."

"Let's hope so," I smiled. "So, what about you? Do you have dreams?"

She nodded.

"What are your dreams?"

"Give me your email. Or Facebook. Whatever. I will let you know, when I have achieved them," she turned, facing me.

Our eyes met, and I felt her confidence, hope and belief in the future. In her future.

She handed me a notebook, opened to a blank page, and a pen. I wrote my contact.

"You know, people are always sad to see summer end. I always ask: why? Why? Autumn is beautiful too, if only you give her a chance."

"Maybe you are right," I acknowledged. "Tell me, Mia...tell me, what's the best thing you have ever eaten in Zagreb?"

"It's this Bakalar, a cod stew at Kerempuh. Above the Dolac Market."

I smiled. "Funny, I remember Mia saying something about that."

"Maybe you will meet her there. If it's her favourite place. You know, Zagreb isn't that big...one of the girls told me that you can run into someone you know easily in Zagreb. Maybe you will run into her."

"Maybe. Hey, how do you say 'Autumn in Zagreb' in Croatian?"

"Jesen U Zagreb."

"Write me. I will be waiting," I returned her notebook and pen.

That Autumn, I was in Zagreb for 3 days. I came to Zagreb looking for her, but I found myself instead. That afternoon before I left Zagreb, I went to Kerempuh and had the Bakalar. It was the best meal I have had in a while. After that, I went back and got on with my life.

I want to be able to tell Mia my dreams too, when she writes to me.

I truly believe she will.

Walking With Ghosts

2010-07-28T10:30:00.003+02:00

She was already at the entrance when he came down the stairs from his pension.

"Hello!" she called out.

"Morning," They exchanged hugs. "How's it going?"

"Good, good," she replied.

He laughed, shaking his head and pointed to the bright pink scooter, "Yours?"

"Yup. Got it 3 months ago. Helps me get around the city you know. Pretty, isn't she?" she asked, patting the seat of the scooter lovingly.

"Suits you somehow. But not so my colour," he said.

She grinned. "So, slept well last night?"

"More or less. Didn't sleep a lot though."

"Did the tikiteo?"

"I had to," he replied.

"Told you didn't I? The pintxo here is the best. Here, put this on," she said, handing him a purple helmet.

"What? We are going to ride this?"

"What else? Come on!" she put on her own helmet.

"You gotta be kidding," he said as he put on his own helmet.

"Hop on!" she urged.

He got on behind her. She grabbed his hands and placed them on her waist. "Hang on tight."

The engine roared to life and he held on as the little pink scooter suddenly threw itself forward. The few people already up from the previous night's exertions looked amused as she navigated the narrow streets of San Sebastian's Old Quarter expertly, albeit noisily. Soon, they came to Paseo Nuevo. A few people were gathered there, watching the waves crash against the sea wall. She slowed down, as though she was contemplating making a stop to join them, but picked up speed again. They rode along the coast, past the white beaches that have made San Sebastian popular as a summer vacation getaway.

They stopped somewhere before the El Peine del Viento, the sculpture of one of San Sebastian's most famous sons Eduardo Chillida.

She removed her helmet, and her hair flew from the winds blowing from the Atlantic. He removed his helmet too, and came up to her side. She was looking at the waves crashing relentlessly against the sculpture.

She turned to him, brushing her hair away from her eyes, "I don't understand what he was doing. Was he trying to make a stand? What was he trying to prove? What is the point of putting that in the sea?"

He didn't reply her.

"Ridiculous," she said and stared out at the bay, this time eastwards, at the Island of Santa Clara, lost in her thoughts.

She reached into her sling bag, taking out a flower, which she stared at for a second, before flinging it out into the water, where it was instantly devoured by the incoming wave, only to reappear moments later, further out on the sea.

She sniffed, and he put an arm around her.

"I am ok, I am ok," she said softly, patting his arm, before removing it.

"He's still here, you know. I can feel it. Everywhere. His laughter, his nagging. Everything. It is like walking with ghosts. The other day, I went up Igeldo and I was looking out at San Sebastian, and I heard him say, 'Look, the bay is the oyster and the pearl is San Sebastian.' He has been telling me that since I was a child. When I was 5, and now when I am 20. Doesn't he get tired of it?"

"San Sebastian is your grandfather's life. It meant everything to him, the city, the sea…"

"That's why he gave his life to the sea. I know. I know," she nodded furiously and wiped away a tear. "That's why I respect his decision to try and swim across to the island with all the other people. But I have never forgiven him for it."

"It's been a year. Why don't you let it go?"

"He's my only family. I have never seen my father. I never saw my mother again after she brought me here. And… I am sorry. You are right, you are right. I shouldn't keep going on and on. You didn't come all the way back to San Sebastian to listen to me rant."

"I came to see you, see how you are doing. And also your grandfather. He is a good man… Try and forgive him…and yourself. I know you blame yourself for not being able to stop him," he said, putting his hand on her shoulder.

"I will…try," she finally said.

"Good," he sucked in a huge breath of air. "It's beautiful here. I never cease to be amazed by this view, this place."

"You know, sometimes I feel like I need to leave this place."

"Where do you want to go?"

"I don't know. I have been here almost all my life, all that I can remember. It's everything I know. Where can I go? Where do the people who come and go every summer come from? Where do you come from?"

"Somewhere far away. Without a sea. That's why we come here."

"Without a sea, huh? That sounds good. I don't know, I feel like I can't look at the sea sometimes; I can't listen to it; I can't live for it anymore. My grandfather died for it."

"What is worth dying for, is worth living for, don't you think?"

She looked at him.

"Your grandfather said that to me last year." He smiled at her. "We talked late into the night. You know, when I first came here, I was so burnt out. So tired of everything. Nothing was just going right. I came here on a whim. I just wanted to get away. I found myself again, and was at peace with myself. But I also realized that my place isn't here, but where I came from. This place, the sea, the people, your grandfather, you, gave me the strength to go back and live on. "

"How have you been this past year?"

"Sometimes good, sometimes bad. Like the waves, you know. Up and down. But I know it is all part of life. Like the seasons. Summer comes and goes. What about you? Summer's ending. Did you fall in love this summer?"

"No. At least not yet."

"Have you ever seen the Pacific?" she suddenly asked.

He nodded.

"I have never seen the Pacific."

"It's beautiful too. It's different from the Atlantic. You should go and see it one day."

"I think I will. See the Pacific. Maybe fall in love too. But I think I will come back… I know I will come back."

And they both stared silently as the waves crashing against Chillida's sculpture in the sea, again and again.

Even the stormiest of seas can be soothing .Look at it, listen to it, become one with it, and you can find peace within yourself.

Her grandfather seemed to be saying in his soft, gentle voice, amidst the noisy waves.

Margriet

2010-07-21T02:21:00.002+02:00

She put on the pearl earrings her mother had given her on her 16^th birthday, earrings normally reserved for special occasions. She examined herself in the mirror. Her blonde hair was neatly bundled up in a bun. She had on a grey pullover with a hood, jeans and sneakers. Your average girl next door. A student perhaps. Gone was the promiscuous girl in a skimpy outfit gyrating at one of the numerous glass windows in Amsterdam's infamous De Wallen red light district, soliciting passers-by.

"So, ready for Amsterdam?" an older girl asked sleepily.

She nodded.

"Enjoy yourself in the city."

She had been here for two weeks but had not seen the city, having spent most of the time working or resting. She loves sex, and thought it was an easy way to make money, so she had found her way to Amsterdam through a friend who had done it before. At first, it seemed fun and exciting, but it didn't turn out to be as easy as she had thought. For one, most people just wanted to look; the red light district had become a tourist attraction. And those who did wanted more weren't exactly nice, so much so that she sometimes had to close her eyes and simply hope it would end sooner rather than later.

So, the day before she was to leave for home, she thought she would go see the city, so that at least she could say she had been here.

Her first stop was the Central Station. She had seen pictures of it when she was younger and loved the façade. She arrived to find it under reconstruction, denying her an unobstructed view of the façade. She entered, and wandered through the cavernous main hall, perhaps the only person amongst the crowd not in any hurry. She went to a platform, and a train from Brussels was just easing into the station.

Her father used to work at the Gara de Nord station in Bucharest, so she had spent a lot of time as a kid at the train station, watching the trains… and people parting and reuniting.

She decided she shouldn't be spending her one and only day in Amsterdam at the train station, much as she would have liked, so she left and found herself at the canals.

Concentric levels of hell. Some writer had described the canals of Amsterdam so. One of those old books her mother had. She tried hard to remember. Dante? No, Inferno was the name of the first part of his Divine Comedy.

"Alles kits?"

"Huh?" she turned around, and sitting on the steps leading up to one of the many picturesque townhouses that line the canal was a man with a newspaper spread out to one side, and a plate with a croissant and a cup of coffee presumably on the other side.

"Everything ok?" he repeated, this time in English.

"Yes…" she replied hesitantly.

"I thought you were Dutch. For some reason. That's why I spoke to you in Dutch."

She smiled awkwardly, not having understood everything he had said.

"First time in Amsterdam?"

She nodded.

"How long have you been here?"

"Two weeks."

"Where are you from?"

"Romania."

"Romania…Bucharest?"

She smiled, her eyes lighting up. "Yes."

"Are you here on holiday, or exchange?"

"Exchange?"

"You know, students go to another place for half a year or a year…"

"Oh… yes."

"Why don't you come up? It is easier to talk. Come," he beckoned.

She made her way up the stairs.

"Sit. Coffee? Croissant? Fresh from the bakery. Still warm."

And she realized she was hungry; she hadn't eaten all morning.

"Stay here," he said, and disappeared into the house. She instinctively peeked, as he disappeared into the house. She couldn't see much of the interior of the house, though she could tell he must be well-to-do.

He appeared again, with a pot of coffee, a cup, and a basket of freshly-baked croissants.

"Here you go, help yourself. Go on," he encouraged.

She hesitated, but finally took up his offer.

He smiled, leaning back and stretching his legs in front of him. "It's a good way to spend a Saturday morning isn't it? Just lazing around with breakfast and newspapers. With the sun in your face. It makes you feel alive."

She was sipping her coffee and hurriedly nodded.

"Sorry, I talk too much… So, what's your name?"

She hesitated. "Anna," she finally said.

"Anna. That's a nice name. Short and sweet. I am Marco," he offered his hand, which she shook. "So, Anna, what are you studying?"

"Study?"

"You say you are here on exchange…"

"Art."

"Art?"

"Art," she replied with more emphasis, as though she was trying to convince herself rather than him.

"Well, then I guess you are at the right place. Do you like the works of the Dutch Masters?"

"Yes…"

"Any favourites?"

"Erm…"

"Hard to choose, isn't it?"

She nodded.

"Have you been to any of the museums?"

She shook her head.

"Would you be interested in going later? Maybe the Rijksmuseum?"

She hesitated.

"I will take it as a 'yes'."

She smiled.

"Shall we go after this?"

"Yes."

After they were done, she helped him with the clearing up, and hence stepped into his house.

"You like art?" she asked, looking around, impressed by the paintings on display.

"Yeah. I used to draw," he said, taking the last plate from her and putting it into the dishwasher. "Ok, done. Let's go now."

"Used to?" she asked as they stepped out of the house.

"I have a condition that makes it hard for me to hold, for example, a pencil properly. So I can't draw anymore. Let's walk, shall we?"

They followed the Prinsengracht and he pointed out the Anne Frank House and the Westerkerk to her, where Rembrandt was buried, he added. They finally came to the Rijksmuseum.

"Wow," she exclaimed softly, awed by the architecture of the museum.

"It gets even better inside," he promised, smiling.

He followed her quietly when they were inside, leaving her to choose how she wanted to spend her time in the museum. She stared keenly at the paintings, and seemed to lose herself in them. She did not once speak to him. It was like she was so engrossed that she had forgotten his presence. But he did not mind. Something about this girl had struck him. He was content to observe her metamorphosis from the hesitant girl at breakfast to the girl now who seemed to have rediscovered the spark that had gone missing in her life.

She spent the most time at the works of Vermeer: The Milkmaid, The Love Letter, Woman in blue reading a letter.

They finally adjourned to the museum café. As he returned with coffee, he found her sitting there, staring into space. She turned, facing him when he placed a cup in front of her. And he realized she had been crying.

She tried to smile, but her eyes were all red and watery.

"Everything all right?" he asked gently.

She nodded, but started sobbing uncontrollably. He pulled her towards him as the other people threw curious or concerned looks at them.

After a good ten minutes or so, she pushed herself away from him and murmured, "I am sorry."

She wiped her tears off her face with the back of her hand, and stood up. "Shall we go?"

They were now sitting on the Museumsplein.

"I am sorry. I shouldn't have brought you to the museum."

She shook her head. "It's not your fault. I just remembered some stuff."

"Stuff?"

"Who I was 4, 5 years ago. What I am now." She bit her lip.

"What is wrong with the Anna now?"

She shook her head, smiling sadly. "I can't tell you."

"Tell me. Maybe I can help."

She shook her head again.

"You have helped me."

"Huh?"

"I lied. I don't have any condition. I just couldn't accept the criticisms of my works, so I stopped. I gave up. But after meeting you today, after seeing how affected you are by the works in the museum, I am reminded of my love for painting. So, I want to try again."

She stared at him.

"Thank you. How do you say that in Romanian?"

"Multumesc."

"Multumesc," she corrected his pronunciation.

"Multumesc."

"Good," she smiled.

"You like Vermeer, don't you?"

"Who is Vermeer?"

"A great artist. You were looking a lot at his works just now."

"I don't know. I just looked at what I liked."

"Most of them were from Vermeer. Do you know his most famous work? The girl with the pearl earring. It is in a museum in Den Haag. We can go there and look at it. I am sure you will like it."

"I leave tomorrow."

"What?"

"I go back Bucharest tomorrow."

"I don't understand."

A little ball rolled over to where they were sitting. She picked it up. A little girl ran up to her but hesitated. Her smiling parents came up and said something to their daughter in Dutch.

She smiled and handed the ball over to the little girl, who took it. She patted her on the head, and the little girl smiled shyly and ran to her mother, hiding behind her leg. Her mother laughed and said something in Dutch.

The girl, from behind her mother, peeked out and said, "Dank U."

She smiled, and bade the family goodbye.

"Shall we go?" she asked.

He nodded. They walked in silence up to the canal.

"How do I go to the train station?"

"Straight here, all the way. I will take you there. Why do you want to go there?"

"It is ok. I want to go alone. And you need to go back. I have taken up enough of your time."

"It is ok. I like being with you."

She shook her head.

"You go back to Bucharest tomorrow?"

She nodded.

"I thought you would be here for a semester?"

"I lied. I have to go. Thank you, for the breakfast, and for showing me around. Goodbye," she held out a hand.

"You say you leave tomorrow. So we still have time today. Stay. Don't go. I like you."

"You can't like me," she put down her hand.

"Why not?"

"You don't know me at all. You only met me this morning."

"So what, Anna?"

"I am not Anna. It is not my real name."

"What?"

"You see? You don't know me at all."

He looked at her, at a loss for words.

"I am sorry I lied. You are very nice. That is why I lied. I go now. Bye bye."

She turned and started to walk away in the direction he had pointed out earlier.

"Wait."

She didn't turn back.

"What's your real name?"

She stopped.

"What's your real name?"

She turned. "Margareta."

"Margriet."

"Margareta."

"I know. In Dutch, it would be Margriet. Pearl."

She nodded, smiling.

"Multumesc," he said.

She smiled, and turned.

"Hey! I don't know your problem. Because you don't want to tell me. But you remembered the old Margareta today. I am sure you can find her again. When you get back to Bucharest, find her."

She started making her way back.

Mr Broken-Hearted Man

2010-07-15T03:21:00.002+02:00

In the heart of Berlin. A rooftop. Alexanderplatz in the distance, the TV tower a beacon in the night. Guiding broken hearts home...

"A cigarette?" a girl appeared beside him, taking him by surprise and interrupting his thoughts.

"I don't smoke."

"Do you mind if I smoke?"

"No."

She lit her cigarette and inhaled deeply, then exhaled, turning away from him. "Nice view isn't it? Berlin looks fabulous at night."

"It does."

"So what are you doing in Berlin?"

"Would you believe me if I tell you I came here to salvage a relationship?"

She laughed. "No way. You think what, like in the movies?"

She noticed his silence. "I am sorry if that was rude. It's just that…you see, I don't believe in love. I don't believe in relationships and stuff… so, any luck?"

He shrugged.

She placed an arm around his shoulder. "Look, I don't know her, so I don't know how fantastic she might be and all, but look, look at this city. There are thousands of girls out there. So why waste your time over one girl?"

He frowned.

She removed her arm and laughed, shaking her head. She flicked her cigarette butt over the railing and it disappeared into the night. "I am going in. Cheers, Mr Broken-Hearted Man," she clinked her glass against his, and disappeared down the stairs, back to the bar.

With the girl gone, peace and quiet was restored. But he couldn't continue from where he had left off.

Saturday, Hackescher Markt. Weekly market. Homely grandmothers peddling their ware. Gruffy grandfathers carefully slicing cuts of meat for their long-time customers. Little kids begging their parents to buy them the colourful sweets. Just like any Saturday. But strangely, it feels a little different now.

And then, he saw her. Sitting by the side of the courtyard, sipping from a cup of freshly-squeezed orange juice. The girl from the night before. He wasn't 100% sure. She was taking in the hustle and bustle around her. Calmly. Their eyes met. She didn't show any sign of recognition and proceeded to fixate her keen eyes on the little girl holding her ice cream with both hands, breaking into a small smile. And just like that, he became part of the background again.

Crossing the Spree. Friedrichstrasse. You loved the overhead railway tracks. Character, you would declare. And you loved the little shops tucked beneath. Like secrets of the city, you described.

Our secrets.

Gendarmenmarkt. The cathedrals gleaming in the sun. People sipping beer or wine at the cafes. A couple cuddling on a bench, laughing in delight, oblivious to the world staring at them. We were like that once, weren't we? It could have been us.

Döner.

And he remembered how she used to drag him all over Berlin, searching for the best Döner, the best currywurst, the best this, the best that. She would be looking intently at whatever was on the agenda that day, almost studying it, before taking a careful bite. She would then chew slowly, closing her eyes, savouring it, before proclaiming her judgement.

And he found himself back at the bar again.

He got himself a drink, and climbed the stairs to the rooftop.

Someone was there. She turned around upon hearing his footsteps. It was the girl again. "Oh, it's you, Mr Broken-Hearted Man."

She smiled. And he knew it was the same smile he saw hours earlier.

He joined her at the railing.

"So, how are you feeling today, Mr Broken-Hearted Man?" she asked, staring out at Alexanderplatz.

"I saw you at Hackescher Markt today."

"Oh? It's one of my favourite places. There's a weekly market on Saturdays."

"Yeah I know."

"You know Berlin well, don't you?"

"I used to come here a lot. Like every two weeks."

"I see."

"What about you? Do you live here? Why are you always at this bar?"

"I live around the corner. I don't have such a great view of Berlin from my apartment."

"So… you don't come from Berlin right?"

"Ich bin ein Berliner," she said and laughed. "But yeah, you are right, I don't come from Berlin."

"So why did you come to Berlin?"

"I fell in love with this place, and thought I would stay here forever," she answered simply, and they drifted off into their respective thoughts.

"So, what are you going to do now, Mr Broken-Hearted Man?"

"What do you mean, 'going to do now', and could you please stop calling me that?"

"I mean, when are you going back to wherever you came from, and what are you going to do between now and then, Mr Broken-Hearted Man?"

"I am leaving tomorrow morning. I guess I have no reason to stick around. It's like there is no place for me. Even the city itself seems to have changed. It's like I don't know it anymore…"

She smiled and shook her head. "Hopeless."

"What?"

"Well, Mr Broken-Hearted Man, you looked so sad the first time I saw you. And you still do." She put an arm around his neck, pulling his face close to hers. She grinned. "Smile."

She released him, and patted him gently on the cheek, winking. "Remember that. Good night, Mr Broken-Hearted Man. Leave Berlin and start afresh."

She walked towards the stairs, and before going down the steps, she turned and pointed a finger at him. "Smile. Remember that."

And he was alone again.

It took him a while to react, but when he ran down to the lift, it had already reached the ground floor. He ran down the stairs.

Stepping out into the cool Berliner night, he knew she was gone.

Berlin Hauptbahnhof. A monument to our dead love. They demolished the old Lehrter Bahnhof, and built a new, sterile juggernaut in its place. As my train pulled away, I saw, amongst the people waving from the platform, firstly Lisa, whose face blurred as the train picked up speed, and then I saw her.

Smile, she seemed to be saying.

Berlin Hauptbahnhof slowly disappeared from sight.

I haven't been back to Berlin since. But I am sure she still believes in love.

Faith

2010-05-02T12:13:00.002+02:00

i haven't been blogging, because i have a journal, and i haven't got any new stories.

a quarter of a year is gone. just like that.
---
a season comes to an end. i say the same thing as in 2008.

the moment i will always remember from this season is that of the players huddling together after the comeback win against stoke.

i honestly thought we were going to win it.
---

how i met your mother is the story of my life.

---
inside of love, nada surf
meravigliosa creatura, gianna nannini
incancellabile, laura pausini
angel on the moon, thriving ivory
fight for this love, cheryl cole

2010-02-28T00:14:00.002+01:00

all i ask for is a fair trial.

for people to be objective, to give us credit where it is due.

for referees to do their jobs properly.

i don't ask for extra protection. we don't deserve anything extra. but i just want referees to touch their hearts and be honest with themselves.

it is not just about one bad tackle. it is about all the unpunished fouls we have had to endure. it is about all the ungiven penalties.

i want referees to ask themselves, was it right, was it fair?

i also ask for the FA to do what they preach. respect and fair play. tell me, is it fair when people announce before games that they are going to kick you?

when we win the title, it will be in spite of the gods of football having sold their souls, it will be in spite of the incompetence of the referees, it will be in spite of the corruption of the FA.

it will be the ultimate triumph of football.

Remember

2010-01-31T13:48:00.001+01:00

I watched him enter the gallery, tentative at first, as though he wasn't sure if he should be here. He stood there and looked around, turning with his body, but never leaving the spot he was standing on, and I saw the pain and anger creeping into his eyes. It was a look I haven't seen in a while. He's always had a temper, which he managed to control. More or less.

A furious him is a scary sight.

He shut his eyes, as though he was trying to block out the pain.

Was it the memories that came flooding back, or was it because he saw that he was being shut out? Shut out of her life, deliberately being erased from her life.

He turned towards the exit, to leave, as though he realized there was no place for him here; that he should leave.

But he stopped. Something had caught his eye. He strode towards it. He stopped in front of it and looked at it intently. He bit his lips.

She appeared beside him. They spoke. She was looking at the exhibit, while he was looking away. She had this dreamy look, and a slight smile as she talked. But all this while, he looked away. Pain flashed across her eyes and she turned to him, burying her face in his shoulder. When he finally turned to face her, I saw his eyes were red.

He gently pushed her away and turned to leave. She reached out an arm, grabbing his. He removed hers and left.

She stood alone, staring after his departing figure for a while. She shook her head, shut her eyes and bit her lips.

I walked to her.

"Are you all right?" I asked, putting my arms on her shoulders and pulling her to me.

She pushed against me, freeing herself from my embrace. Her eyes were still shut as she nodded.

"Yes…it's just…"

And I saw the tears on her face.

"He came back, didn't he?"

She opened her eyes, which pleaded with me to stop.

"You don't really love me, right?"

"I tried," she finally said.

A tear dropped from my eye on to her face.

She pushed me away. "I am sorry, I need to clear my head."

After she was gone, I turned to look at the exhibit.

It was that only untitled photograph in her exhibition "Signs of Love". I asked her back then, "What does this photograph have to do with love?"

She said back then, with the slightest of smile, "Can't you feel the love?"

It was a photograph of a flood-lit football field, taken from afar.

I looked closer, and saw two figures sitting in the middle.

And I finally understood why she had insisted on including this photograph.

It was a part of her memories which I wasn't a part of. I wasn't in her life back then. I thought I knew everything about them.

"Hi."

"Congratulations. Seems like it is quite a success."

"How are you? I haven't heard from you in a while."

"I am doing well. And you? Are you happy?"

"Do you remember this field? Can't believe we were only 18 back then. We are old now, aren't we? Do you remember that time when you threw bottles after bottles against the wall because you were so angry that your teammates were drinking happily when your team had lost?

Or that time when you were sitting on the bench, it was raining, and you asked: why are we always talking about goals, where we want to be 5 years, 10 years down the road? I am sick of all this talk.

And then you poured the water over your head.

Or that time you were sitting on the pitch after the Cup defeat. You were just sitting there, tears on your face. I had never seen you cry. I went to you, grabbed you by your arms and tried to pull you up. I was shouting, 'Get up, get up, get up!' I was crying as I was shouting that. I had never seen you like that.

After my parents passed away, I was standing there, crying in the rain. You came with the others and you grabbed me by the shoulders and said, 'This is your team from now on, do you understand?'

'You always say: Believe, believe. Tell me, what do you believe in then?' you asked me once.

Do you remember? Have you forgotten?

Why did you come back?"

"I have to go."

"I believed in you."

the hypocrisy of english football

2010-01-23T11:40:00.002+01:00

before arsenal games, you hear opponent players saying: arsenal are sissies, we are just going to kick them out of the game.

my first question is: why does the FA not do anything about such comments? isn't it against the name of fair play, to come out straight and tell you they are going to kick you?

kicking someone is not legal. not on the pitch, not on the streets. you don't need a pretty jura girlfriend to tell you that.

the second question is: why do the neutrals not say a thing when they see it happen? why do they not say, that's not right. instead, they say: serve you right.

and then a 50-50 happens, and the opponent player is injured. we were trying to kill him, apparently.

the double standard amuses me, because people don't know anything. do you honestly thing we are interested in kicking legs when all we want to do is to kick balls?

i think it is an insult, because firstly, Arsenal Football Club is interested only in playing football. we are different from teams like bolton, stoke etc that announce proudly they are going to kick some legs.

i can't believe how they can say it so unashamedly to the whole world.

who are the thugs, i ask you.

and let's talk about diving. let's don't pretend rooney, lampard, gerrard don't dive. go watch their games and tell me.

cut the shit that rooney, lampard, gerrard, terry, joe cole, ashley cole, rio ferdinand are perfect gentlemen, examples our kids should follow.

england has never won a world cup since 1966 because they are so narrow-minded and believe themselves to be the best.

that is why they can't accept that arsenal is achieving everything without any key players who are english. and achieving it in style.

arsenal 4 bolton 2

2010-01-22T00:44:00.002+01:00

it was not a foul. it was a 50-50 ball. the unintended consequence was that davies got hurt.

well, sorry about that. but the referee did not blow the whistle, and we were playing to the whistle.

if this had happened to us, people will be saying: well, the referee did not blow the whistle, arsenal should be playing to the whistle.

the reason it is controversial is because davies SEEMS badly injured (more on that later), and also because we scored the equaliser.

i wonder how many pundits will be out of job after this season. so much for arsenal finishing out of the top4. they should worry about their darling liverpoo.

we just gave everyone another reason to hate us. why can't we just follow the script and get ourselves relegated is everyone's question.

no one likes to see an opponent get injured.

ok i lied. when the referee allowed play to go on, and the commentators were talking about davies still on the ground, i screamed for us to push up... and probably called davies a diver. to put it politely. i forgot what i actually said.

and after we scored, i said: take that you sucker. whether it was sucker or another similar sounding word, i am not sure. and maybe there were two other words before that. as he was being stretchered off, i knew what i said wasnt along the lines of "get well soon".

this is the only writer who managed to keep things in perspective:
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/sport/jeremywilson/100004932/mark-davies-paid-the-price-for-breakdown-in-trust-between-footballers/

and the good news for bolton is that davies wasn't that badly injured after all. just a bruise or something. and he was screaming like a wussy. so much for the tough men of bolton.

you know, i wouldn't have been sorry if we had broken the leg of any bolton player yesterday. that would have taught them a lesson not to mess with us.

owen coyle claimed it was an assault by gallas. well, what do you say about taylor going for fabregas' neck, mr coyle?

yesterday was a game in which emotions really ran high. it was a terrific comeback from us. honestly got all worked up, urging our players on, and hurling abuse at bolton and the referee. completing the comeback and doing the minimum to go top was satisfying. but give me a 5-0 win any day. the adrenaline is just different.

and just for laughs:
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=728895&sec=england&root=england&cc=5739

i always enjoy reading harry harris.

"Arsenal continue to mesmerise both their own fans and neutrals alike with their superior brand of pass and move football, but the Gunners really don't have the strength in depth to maintain that lofty position,"

strength in depth. we have van persie, djourou out for the season. fabregas, clichy, rosicky, eduardo, denilson, walcott just came back. gibbs, ramsey, nasri, wilshere, bendtner out. song and eboue in africa.

and we are top of the table, yes having played a game extra, but after being 11 points behind. we have done this with our injury situation.

if this is not strength in depth, i don't know what is.

on another note, nowadays we hear news of the dire financial situation of epl clubs. even mighty man united. heard that the owners wanted to ask if the players could give back some of their wages.

thank god we have arsene wenger.

football needs to wake up. the bubble has burst.

when we consider how things will develop, we will be able to appreciate the fact that thanks to wenger, we are many steps ahead of the other teams.

i think i finally know why people dislike us so much. they are jealous. they are jealous because we stick to our beliefs, we stick to our ideals, we remain true to ourselves.

whereas they have sold their souls a long time ago. if they had any in the first place.

and the other reason, i am sure i have said it before. because we don't have messrs "i will never dive" rooney, gerrard and lampard, nor mr "perfect gentleman" john terry.

fucking hypocrites.

2010-01-18T19:32:00.002+01:00

the last thing we need now is for a takeover by stan kroenke. regardless of how beneficial it can turn out to be, i hope that arsenal will be left alone until the end of the season.

new players,new managers can galvanise a team midway through a season. but a change in management, unless your team is bankrupt, is more detrimental to beneficial, because it will send ripples of uncertainty throughout the club. bankrupt we certainly are not; our financial position is probably the best in england, thanks to a certain arsene wenger.

i believe we can truly win at least the league this season. the most crucial ingredient to success is stability on the pitch and off the pitch. in my opinion, if stan kroenke is someone who understands sports, as his supporters have made him out to be, he should leave arsenal alone until the end of the season.

my own hope is that he doesnt come in at all. the story with him and usmanov is really a story of the lesser of two evils. would they improve the team? would having 100 million to spend on one player improve the team?

it wouldn't, because the foundations of the team is there. we need a specific kind of player, which may not be available even if you have all the money in this world.

i am hoping for the board to make a stand. that arsenal is more than just an avenue of revenue.

the last thing we want is for arsenal to be taken over by businessmen. look at liverpool, man u, chelsea and man city. we at arsenal have the honour of saying we are different from those clubs. i hope the board does not forget that.

i must admit that prior to the opening game at everton, i was nervous because things hadn't looked good, and everton wasnt exactly the place you wanted to begin your campaign.

as the season unfolds, i am confident that we will win something this season.

my belief stems from the fact that players have proven me wrong and have started to repay the faith arsene wenger has in them.

where the team in 2007/2008 was naive, you get this feeling that this team has a mental toughness that was missing in recent seasons.

everyone thought we were out of the race after the chelsea game. but we can go top on wednesday if we beat bolton by at least two goals. i cannot think of any simpler way to motivate the players:

guys, let's go top of the table.

of course the only standings that counts is the one after match 38. but this would be a big psychological boost, and put the pressure on chelsea and man u as well.

arsene wenger was being polite when he said 5,6 teams are in the title race. only 3 are.

Quotes for 2010

2009-12-09T10:20:00.001+01:00

1. Don't worry, I am with you.

2. Simple football is the best.

3. Life is about the people who are there, not those who aren't.

4. Now is not the time to be hero.

5. Just go in and enjoy the game.

6. When you lose the ball, you are left chasing only shadows.

7. Style is a philosophy, a mentality, an attitude.

8. Like an orchestra, a team must play to the same tune.

9. It's about you, the ball and the goal.

10. The real business is creation, not destruction.

11. If you have to go alone, you go alone.

12. believe.

13. Bang, bang, goal.

14. Information is king.

15. Even if you don't believe in yourself, believe in the people who believe in you

16. There is always luck: just good or bad.

17. You need to outfox the gods.

18. Just go in and win the game for me.

20 songs for 2010

2009-12-01T22:39:00.001+01:00

1. Goodbye My Lover, james blunt

And as you move on, remember me

Remember us and all we used to be

2. Angel on the Moon, thriving ivory

To know I am alive

This is to all of us, to all of us

Don't tell me if I am dying

3. With You, lisa and park hyo shin

I believe my time is here with you

I believe my life is here with you

4. Forever Love, xjapan

Will you stay with me kaze ga sugiaru made
mou dare yori mo soba ni

5. Tian Gao Di Hou, Shin

想飞到那最高最远最沙陀

想拥抱在最美丽的那一刻

想看见陪我到最后谁是朋友

你是我最期待的那一个

6. We Change Rules, 7^th floor

It's just a concept, an idea, a philosophy.

Always be happy, don't worry about judgement,

Always do what you want

7. Do You Mind If I Play, france'98 ost

This is the way we want to play, allez allez.

Do you mind if I play, do you mind if I win?

8. Kiri, monoral

You complete my fate, the heavens stroll inside of me

9. Prisoner of Love, utada hikaru

Oh mou sukoshi da yo
Don't you give up
Oh misutenai zettai ni

10. Invincible, muse

And tonight we can truly say

Together we are invincible.

11. The Blower's Daughter, damien rice

And so it is, just like you said it would be

12. Lies, glen hansard

You are moving too fast for me,

And I can't keep up with you,

Maybe if you slowed down for me,

I could see you are only telling lies lies lies…

Breaking us down with your lies lies lies

When will you learn?

13. Ashes and Wine, a fine frenzy

Cut it out

I've got no claim on you now

Not allowed to wear your freedom down

14. It's not goodbye, laura pausini

And what if I never kiss your lips again

Or feel the touch of your sweet embrace

15. Deeper and Deeper, long vacation ost

If I ever broke down, gave you what I felt now

Would you still hang around?

16. Ta Main, gregoire

C'est comme ça, c'est comme ça

17. Don't You Dare, alexz Johnson

I could say that I don't care

But the truth is I'd follow you anywhere

I've been waiting such a long long time

Don't you dare change your mind.

18. Man in the Mirror, michael Jackson

A willow deeply scarred,

Somebody's broken heart

And a washed-out dream

19. Gold, b'z

Dare yori ichi-ban, anata no
Kokoro no heiwa wo inoru
Nani mo shinpai shinaide ii kara
Asu e to mujaki ni suzume

20. Hitoiro, nakashima mika

Sono yume no naka de…oyasumi.

Sweet dreams baby, sweet dreams baby.

The Pier

2009-11-19T21:47:00.002+01:00

The old man was sitting on his chair outside the house, staring out at the ocean. Again. I wordlessly took my place beside him, leaning against the wall.

"What is it?" he asked.

"It is the same dream again. A baby's cries, a telephone ringing in the night, a woman's voice, speaking in hushed tones. That raspy voice. A door opening. And then I wake up, in sweat. For three nights now."

"For the third time, I will ask you: Why are you telling me?"

I didn't know.

"How long have you been here?"

"Two weeks."

"And you don't remember anything."

"I don't."

He leaned back, "We remember what we choose to remember. Actually, you have been here for almost two months. You were just in a coma during much of that time. Two months ago, you jumped from that cliff. My granddaughter saw you jump and ran to me, pulling at my arm, gesturing wildly. We got the police over. It was a miracle you didn't die.

But maybe it is a curse. You were looking to die. No one who jumped from that cliff wouldn't have wanted to die. My friend tried to kill himself from there, just like you did. You were probably like him, trying to run away from something.

Trying to seek salvation in the sea."

"But you are naïve to think you can run away just like that. To think you can end it just like that. No, you can never get out. It is a bottomless Hell. Endless agony. Condemnation. He was condemned, condemned to eternal damnation for his betrayal. For betraying his comrades to save himself. That poor damned soul. As if he had one. He tried to kill himself, but he didn't die. God wouldn't let him get away with it just like that. That would be too light a punishment. Don't you agree?"

"It isn't your friend's story, is it? It is your story," I spoke for the first time.

He froze, but recovered his composure. "Come over, young lady. Don't stand behind me. Come to me."

I walked gingerly over to his side. He turned his head towards me and raised a hand. "You have a raspy voice…Bend lower, let me touch your face…I can't see very well…"

I did as he was told, and felt his hand on my face. His fingers, his palm, were rough.

"What is a pretty lady like you doing in this godforsaken place?"

"I am looking for someone."

"A man."

"A man," I affirmed.

"Who is he?"

"My husband."

"Why are you looking for him here… this is a place where only the hopeless come to. Like me, an old man waiting to die. Like my granddaughter, mute, abandoned by her useless mother. Like a man trying to kill himself. Why would your husband, married to a pretty wife like you, be here?"

"I had an affair with a colleague. It was on an overseas trip. I got pregnant. He didn't say a thing, but I know he suspected. I thought of abortion, creating an accident to have a miscarriage, but I didn't have the guts to do it. I gave birth to a baby girl. At first everything was all right, he seemed to have banished his doubts. We seemed to be a happy young family. Then the phone calls started coming. It was the father. He was telling me he wanted to see his daughter, that he wouldn't let us shut him out of it. I was terrified. I couldn't let him destroy everything. And then one day, he showed up at the door. I opened it and tried to get him to leave. Then my husband came down to see what the commotion was."

She broke down, falling to her knees. "After that he left. He packed his bags and left."

I put my arm around her shoulder, and she buried her face in mine.

"Why are you looking for him? Do you think he will come back to you?" I asked gently, brushing my fingers through her hair.

"I just want to know if he is all right."

"Does it mean a lot to you to know?"

Sobbing uncontrollably, she nodded.

"He was here," I whispered into her ear.

She looked up.

"He was here for 2 months. He left three days ago."

"How is he?"

"He is doing good. He was sad at first. But he is all right now. He has found salvation."

She looked at me with wide eyes. "Is he really all right?"

I nodded. "Now, go. Your daughter needs you."

After she left, I was all alone again. I stared at the rundown pier. I couldn't really see, but in my head, I was imagining my granddaughter walking the length of the pier, the planks creaking with every step she took. Right at the end, she would stop and place a bouquet of flowers, close her eyes for a prayer, and then walk back. It has been her routine for three days now.

I closed my eyes, listening to the ocean, enjoying a few moments of quiet before my granddaughter's return.

supporting arsenal

2009-11-12T19:38:00.002+01:00

i have been supporting arsenal since 1996. more than half my life. probably for the rest of my life.

i have been thinking.

for a season where we are supposed to drop out of the top 4, we have started well. we go into international week 5 points behind chelsea with a game in hand, level on points with manchester united, ahead on goal difference and with a game in hand.

we have scored freely, but have gifted away soft goals. the latter must change.

nick hornby said recently that arsenal fans are spoilt, because of the kind of football they watch week in, week out. indeed, if you watch arsenal play, and you watch other games, you start wondering why do you even bother.

nick hornby wrote fever pitch, an autobiography based on his relationship with arsenal. it is a book i would like to read, but i fear it is a book i may not identify with, because the arsenal hornby grew up with, and the arsenal i grew up with are essentially different teams.

i have been watching old arsenal clips. the previous teams of arsene wenger. past players like tony adams, patrick vieira, marc overmars, dennis bergkamp, thierry henry, gilberto silva, robert pires, freddy ljungberg.

it brings back so many memories.

football has changed alot. football will continue to change. whether for better or worse.

i think people tend to look back on the football they saw when they were young, and talk about the good old days. and the teams of arsene wenger will be teams i talk about when i grow old.

you know, arsene wenger won't be around forever. he will leave a legacy behind. a legacy that i pray will withstand the test of time.

because if i have kids, there is only one team they will support, and that is arsenal football club. and i hope the arsenal they will be watching will be the team that plays football, like the team today.

have you ever watched arsenal play?

i think people who write off, who belittle arsenal don't understand what arsenal is about.

go watch arsenal play.

it is a joy, a love, a belief, a philosophy, a way of life.

as nick hornby said: people who don't enjoy arsenal's football can't really like football very much.

my top 5 arsenal moments
october 23, 1999
nwankwo kanu's last minute winner from a tight angle, completing his 15-minute hattrick and the 3-2 comeback victory over chelsea at stamford bridge.

march 2,2002
newcastle 0-2 arsenal
pires pass, bergkamp's flick, goal. voted by arsenal fans as the greatest goal.

april 9, 2004
a thierry henry-inspired comeback against liverpool in 2004. we were watching the game at wei ming's place. arsenal were down 2-1 at half-time. henry got his second with a solo goal, then completed his hattrick as arsenal won 4-2.

april 1, 2006
arsenal 5-0 aston villa.
it was the season of contrast. we would reach the champs league final in paris, but on the domestic front, it was a disaster. although we recorded big wins like this. our inconsistency had cost us.
van persie's goal was wicked. it seemed as though he had taken the ball too far, but a defender slipped, and somehow he left the keeper flapping at thin air as he toyed with the keeper before blasting the ball home.

january 22, 2007
arsenal 2-1 manchester united 1
83rd minute, cross sent in, henry flicked the ball under his foot to the back post, van persie arrived and slammed the ball in.
thierry henry would rise to head home a cross in the last minute to seal the victory.

July 16, 2008

2009-11-01T23:57:00.001+01:00

Today is an important day of my life. Today, I say goodbye to many things, many beautiful things in my life. Things that were once important to me. Even now, even in the future, when I look back on them, I can only smile and have fond memories of them.

But I know it is time to let go and move on. It is not an easy decision to make, because these things have been such a big part of my life. Even right up till the very end, more than anyone else, I have always believed, I have always been there, I have always fought, and I have never given up.

I feel that sometimes people take things for granted, do not cherish, appreciate some things enough. Maybe it is because they have always had other options, other alternatives. I have never had much, only these. So I have always been holding tightly, not letting go.

But what is important to you may not be as important to other people. So in the past months, I realize I have mostly been alone. It is not easy to be fighting alone. It is not easy to be the one shouldering the responsibility all the time. At some point in time, you feel totally alone out there, and I can tell you, it is very overwhelming; humbling, even. Many people can laugh about this, but they don't understand loneliness. They claim to, but they don't.

The last few months have been mostly disappointment. Even amidst this, I have held on…yet the questions keep coming…so much so that I have to start asking myself some questions…questions that I have always tried to avoid. And this is the conclusion I have arrived at.

It is not a decision made on impulse, but one reached after careful thought. To come to it, to admit that it's the end, that I have done all that I could, that I have nothing more to give…it took a lot of courage, because I think even the people closest to me do not realize how important these things were to me.

People may say I have changed. I haven't. Deep down, nothing has changed. I am just realigning myself, as others have done so before me. This is nothing to be proud about, but I am the last.

That is why, today, I can stand here and face tomorrow without any regrets. It feels as though a huge load have been taken off my shoulders.

A Wine Story

2009-11-01T01:26:00.002+01:00

“I am sorry, Miss, but we are closed.”

He called out, “It’s all right.”

“Ok...I shall get going then. Bye!”

He raised an arm in acknowledgement, then beckoned her in. “I have been waiting for you.”

She stepped in, and surveyed her surroundings briefly, before proceeding to the bar.

“You have come for this, haven’t you?” he asked, producing a glass container with a bottle of wine in it. “I thought you weren’t coming.”

She smiled. “I almost forgot about it. You are closed already right? So I should get going. Thanks for waiting…”

“Well, you can stay if you want to.”

“Really?”

“Uh huh.”

“Can I drink it here?”

“Sure.” He took the container from her.

“Will you drink with me?” she asked.

“Well, technically, I am not supposed to,” he replied, handing her the rolled-up message kept with the bottle.

“But you are the boss. Make an exception today. For me. Please.”

“All right,” he said.

She unrolled the message and read it silently. Then, she put it aside, stifling a tear.

“Everything all right?” he asked casually, placing a glass of the wine in front of her.

She smiled and nodded. She took the glass and raised it. “Cheers…”

“Cheers,” he acknowledged.

“Happy Birthday to me. Belated,” she added on.

“It is your birthday?”

“It was my birthday.”

“Still, happy belated birthday.”

“Thank you. You know, this is my birthday gift for myself.” She swirled the wine in her glass. “I am not sure if I deserve it.”

“Do you remember the you who came in here a year ago?”

She looked up.

“A year ago…”

“A year and a day ago,” she corrected.

“A year and a day ago. I still remember the girl who walked in here that day.”

“What was she like?”

“She was sitting right here, sipping her wine.”

“She was crying right? She was just breaking down…a pathetic sight, right?”

“She was trying her best not to cry. She was trying to be strong.”

She sniffed and looked away.

“In the end, she let it all out. She felt much better after that. Before she left, she reserved a wine to be opened a year from that day. She promised to come back for the wine, happier.”

Her eyes were shut.

“Tell me, how have you been this past year? Do you remember the promise?”

“I thought I could leave him. I thought I could end it once and for all. But I couldn’t. The moment he called, the moment I heard his voice on the phone again, everything fell apart. It’s like walking along a dark road, and you have been warned to never turn back when your name is called, or you will be just sucked back into the darkness. I turned back.”

“Uh huh.”

“He told me he would leave his wife. He told me he would divorce her. We would go somewhere else. Start afresh. Just the two of us. I listened to all his words and believed him. But they were all lies. I woke up one day to find a note he left behind. He told me he still loves his wife, and they would try to make it work. For everyone’s sake, he would be taking up an overseas posting. He wouldn’t take my calls. I tried looking him up at his office, but they told me he was on leave, because he was leaving soon. I managed to find out the date he was flying off. I went to the airport, and saw the two of them. Smiling, laughing, hand in hand, walking through the gate. That was when my world fell apart. The moment someone is gone, that’s when you realize you love him.”

“You love a man like that?”

She laughed, “I am the mistress. Do I have any right to criticize?”

“So what are you going to do?”
“I don’t know. I really don’t know. He’s gone. Really gone. Just like that. 7 hours ago. His plane… must be somewhere over the Pacific now.”

He sucked in a breath of air.

“I am a loser right. Deep down, you must be laughing at me. A year ago, I came here, promising to move on. And one year on, I am back here again, same old story.”

“You were just trying to hold on to something dear to you. It is the inevitability of goodbye that hurts, isn’t it? That is why we are always trying to prolong it. Trying to stay awake for one more moment, because if we close our eyes, it will just end. A lingering gaze; a lingering touch of the hands... We don’t want it to end. We want to capture that moment, that magical moment forever. Like in a vial, or a time freeze. So that it becomes trapped forever. Eternity. But it is a paradox. How can it be eternity, if it is just standing still?”

She stared at him.

He laughed, “Ok, not exactly the topic to talk about at 3 a.m. But to cut a long story short. The magic is not in eternity or the moment that we try to freeze. The magic lies in the fact that it comes and goes. That there is a beginning and an end. Only when we accept the inevitability of goodbye and embrace it, can we treasure the memory and find peace within ourselves. And move on with life.”

She was still staring at him.

He smiled. “Think about it. Now, you have to go.”

She realized their glasses and the bottle were empty. “I guess I have to get going, huh. Get on with my life. Thank you for keeping me company. Do you think I could reserve a bottle to be opened a year from now?”

“I am afraid that is impossible. You see, yesterday was the last day. I am closing this place for good. I wanted to close it last year. But a girl came and made a reservation. So I waited for her. My work is done. It’s time for me to get on with my life.”

goodbye special

2009-10-29T06:59:00.002+01:00

goodbye my lover, james blunt
goodbye, the melody
goodbye, fly to the sky
must say goodbye, il mare ost
goodbye, sad movie ost
it's not goodbye, laura pausini

Interview with a Writer

2009-10-22T21:23:00.002+02:00

I inserted the tape, and pressed 'play'.

So, first things first. Tell me, are you writing under a pen name, or is this your real name?

It is my name.

Is it your real name then? I mean, were you given this name by your parents, or down the years, you decided to give yourself this name…

What's in a name? A rose that we call by any other, would smell as sweet.

You are evading the question.

Is this really that important to you?

Yes.

It is my name. My real name.

Are you happy now?

It is not about that.

Look, we know I don't do interviews. And I know I am probably the last writer you want to be interviewing. But since we are here, let's just get the job done all right?

All right. So let's talk about your work. It has won critical acclaim all over the world, especially in this country, because it is a story set in the time of the Revolution, about reconciliation, and that resonates with the people. You say the work is semi-autobiographical. Tell me, which part is true, which part isn't.

That is too personal, don't you think?

Perhaps. But I am really interested to know, to what extent this work is based on your own life, your own experiences.

To some extent.

That isn't really very useful.

Maybe you have to ask specific questions. Or did you even read the book?

I did. I had to. For this assignment.

You make it sound like it was a torture.

It was. But you want specific. In the book, the protagonist claimed that his dream was to be a journalist. Does that apply to you?

I have always wanted to be a writer.

Of books?

Do you know what the difference between a writer and a journalist is?

You tell me.

A journalist distorts facts to please his superiors; a writer distorts facts to suit himself.

So what they do is essentially the same.

You can say that. Tell me, was it your dream to be a journalist?

No…

Why did you become one then?

I am the one doing the interviewing.

Sorry. I got carried away.

So in your novel, the protagonist was betrayed by his best friend. Or at least that seemed to be the case. After that, he developed a distrust of people. Do you share his distrust, and did you have a similar life-changing experience?

Yes I did. If you were in my shoes, you would understand why I trust no one, not even myself.

You don't trust people, yet you write about them.

One of Life's ironies.

In the story, there was also a love triangle between the protagonist, his girlfriend and his best friend. Do you think jealousy was the main driving force behind the betrayal?

Yes.

What is jealousy to you?

It is when the line between hate and love is blurred. And out of it, obsession is born. It is a fire that consumes and condemns you.

You seem to understand jealousy quite well.

I have had 10 years to reflect on the matter.

In the conclusion of the story, the best friend was forgiven. Is that a fact that you distorted?

I have never forgiven the best friend.

But you wish the protagonist could.

I think it is no longer relevant.

So in the story, the protagonist forgave the best friend, and it was happily ever after for him and his girlfriend.

Yes, that's the story.

Tell me: in the real story, the protagonist died, didn't he?

I switched off the player, and began to write.

…He claimed that writers distort facts to suit themselves. Although that may be harsh on his own profession, there might be a ring of truth to that.

After all, as I watched him stare at the television with the sound turned off, I saw someone writing in search of the person he lost years ago.

Perhaps with this work, he can finally find peace within himself.

If that is what he wants.

'Because you can never rewrite history,' I whispered.

2009-10-19T23:12:00.001+02:00

building your life around arsenal...

that sounds like a good plan.

2009-10-15T15:59:00.001+02:00

flair and flamboyance have to be backed up by reliability and consistency.

quality first, then quantity.

a guide to english football

2009-10-04T18:56:00.002+02:00

if you believe the longer the game, the more value for money it is,
go watch manchester united.

if you like to see old men play,
watch chelsea.

if you love money,
go watch manchester city.

if you like listening to people talk about the good old 80s,
go watch liverpool.

if you want to watch football,
you watch arsenal.

2009-10-01T14:38:00.002+02:00

so arsene wenger becomes the longest serving manager of arsenal.

if we continue to fight for one another,
i can tell you that we will win something this season.

2009-09-30T17:00:00.002+02:00

http://www.goal.com/en/news/9/england/2009/09/29/1531274/tim-collings-arsenal-analysis-fabregas-on-fire-but-gunners-still-

this article left me shaking my head.

his 2 main points are:
1) fabregas should play deeper
2) fabregas is on form

well the second point is quite unclear. as in, you get that from the title, but in the article itself, it is not really dealt with.

anyway, in case people share his opinion, that fabregas is on form, i beg to differ. fabregas isn't firing on all cylinders. in fact, he isn't playing particularly well. lots of stray passes uncharacteristic of him. the fact that he still notches up assists is simply down to the fact that he is a class player. class players can be off for 89 minutes and produce a moment of magic that decides the game. fabregas is a player who can still come up with assists or goals even when he is not playing well.

so on to the main point of contention, that fabregas should play deeper.

i said in 2006 or 2007 that fabregas should play in an advanced position, because that is the position that best utilises his abilities.

tim collings argue that fabregas should play deeper because
1) he is a good tackler
2) he is not a goal-scorer in the mould of lampard or gerrard
3) playing deeper means he can dictate the game better

if you are a good tackler, does that mean you should play as a defender?
i think arsene wenger would want his team to press as high up as possible. in modern football, everyone has to defend. the ball has to be won as early and as far from your goal as possible. if i have an attacker who can tackle, i should be very happy and leave him to play forward. it is a bonus.

on the second reason, everyone has to score. and playing in an advanced position doesn't mean you alone are responsible for scoring goals.

the third reason is just a narrow way of looking at things.

actually, the 2nd and third reasons just show that the writer doesn't really understand how arsenal plays.

so i will tell you how arsenal plays.

most teams set out to defend against arsenal. this plus the fact that arsenal can keep the ball very well, means arsenal will almost always have the lion's share of possession.

when you are playing against 11 men behind the ball, if the opportunity arises, you have to get forward. that is why arsenal is perhaps the only team where even the centre-backs look to get forward as much as possible. fabregas is not the only player responsible for getting into the box.

it is just that the midfielders are in the best position to do so. and they should get into the box. they should make the late runs into the box, because this creates flux. flux, as i said in 2006 or 2007 is very important in creating goals, because flux changes the temporary situation, resulting in the opposition having to react accordingly. if they can't, well, they are in trouble.

that is why movement off the ball is one of the most important aspects of attacking.

it is all about flux. van persie, eduardo, arshavin moving outwards to create space for the midfielders, including fabregas to move in. goal-scoring is the responsibility of everyone. goals ahve to come from every source.

the idea of fabregas playing deeper is probably inspired by pirlo at ac milan. it is not necessary for fabregas to play deep, because teams will concede space and possession to keep their shape behind. so in the middle of the pitch, what arsenal needs to do is to keep the ball moving. simple passes.

what about long penetrative balls from deep, you ask.
the opportunity of playing early, quick penetrating long through balls is limited because of the defensive nature of teams playing against arsenal.

and clichy and vermaelen have proven that they are capable of playing such balls.

in any case, a very big flaw in the writer's argument is that he equates playing in an advanced position as playing in an advanced position literally. i think arsene wenger's idea is that fabregas basically has a free role. he will move to where he is needed. so he would still be there to play those early balls.

which is precisely why i think fabregas should play in an "advanced" position, so that he has freedom to play. you need a basic defensive shape comprising of the 4 defenders and the defensive midfielder(alex song). if fabregas were to play deep, then you are forcing him into this defensive shape. as i say, he may be a good tackler(i am not entirely convinced), but his real business is attacking. so let him do what he does best.

because teams will sit back, the real attack happens just outside the penalty area. that is where the attack is being dictated. so that is where you put fabregas- in that advanced position. any deeper is not where the playmaking takes place, but just simple passing, keeping the ball moving. which the defence and alex song can do. if denilson is there, all the more the better. that is his specialty. so why restrict fabregas?

in any case, we tried playing fabregas in a deep position, partnering either song or denilson. it wasn't effective, because fabregas was being stifled. as part of a midfield trio, he is really being unleashed. though the downside would be that if all our attackers are fit, many have to sit on the bench, because there are only 3 places. unless rosicky and nasri can slot into that midfield trio.

so i hope you will see my point that that guy who wrote this article didn't really know what he was talking about.

goodbye

2009-09-30T12:18:00.000+02:00

do you realise that songs with "goodbye" in their titles are usually great songs?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lE8r58dmmUE

2009-09-28T20:09:00.001+02:00

if someone can't be helped, then they don't want help.

2009-09-18T15:35:00.004+02:00

i am amused that people are still running stories on arsenal's inability to challenge for the title.

hey, i thought it has already been concluded by people 423423423423 years ago that arsenal would finish outside the top 4? so what's new? why keep repeating the same thing? it has become boring you know?

the man city game. you know it wasn't a 4-2. the chances we had in the last 5 minutes could have seen us win 5-4. there are a lot of what-ifs. what if adebayor had been rightly sent off, etc etc.

but there is no point.

harry redknapp adding his two cents' worth to the adebayor scandal. well well, did i really believe that he would shut up? of course not! he is spurs.

someone gotta defend adebayor right? he is leading the way. shame on all the others! keeping quiet when they realise that this time round, they can't say "serve van persie right!" without being ridiculed by the rest of the sane world, though i bet you millions that they wanted so much to say: serve all the arsenal players right!

when all they did, was to create the 234254325034593 chances for adebayor to score 30 goals in one season.

this is the screwed up world of football for you. english football.

people who gloat about arsenal's misfortunes don't understand something.

they don't understand that it is not a clash of style. because man city have no style, but that is besides the point.

it is a clash for the soul of football.

if you care about football, if you care about the non-football world, if you understand things, you will know that this is not about who finishing first or last. this is about what we want football to be.

that is why i can tell you we must win.

2009-09-15T16:06:00.003+02:00

so eduardo's ban has been overturned.

adebayor is being charged for violent conduct and improper conduct.

you start to think maybe there is some hope in this world after all.

in case you think people who leave arsenal can make it, think again:

ashley cole never really hit the heights of his arsenal career, and it is because england doesnt have any left-backs that he is first choice there.

pires is past his prime, but always still a class act.

henry struggled in his first season with barcelona, and although he won everything last season, you know he wasn't the same player anymore. still a great player, but not the same player as he was at arsenal.

these are the three who still managed to enjoy success, although you would agree that they had peaked at arsenal. all others have slipped into oblivion.

the only players who have left arsenal and really established themselves further are the ladies.

2009-09-13T10:50:00.001+02:00

even if the gods have abandoned us, we will not lose.

2009-09-11T21:06:00.001+02:00

style is a philosophy, a mentality, an attitude.

team of the tournament

2009-09-11T10:42:00.002+02:00

gk: hjelmseth (nor)
dl: thunebro(swe)
dc: ronning(nor)
dc: rohlin(swe)
dr: scott(eng)
mc: bresonik(ger)
mc: abily(fra)
mc: seger (swe)
fl: smith(eng)
fc: grings(ger)
fr: carney(eng)

bench: panico(ita), williams (eng), stensland(nor), svensson(swe), mjelde (nor)
i chose the players who made a difference to their teams, who brought something extra. i don't have any german defenders, because i feel that no one stood out, not even annike krahn, who looked erratic at times.

and with this, as i promised, i bring a close to this chapter. it has been a great tournament. too bad louisa necib and her france couldn't see off holland.

business as usual from now on.

final

2009-09-11T09:45:00.002+02:00

so i was proven wrong. germany won 6-2.

would you believe me if i tell you despite the score, england more than matched germany for 60 minutes?

tactically, they started as i had recommended. jill scott in midfield in place of a winger. tactically, they got it right. but you can't stop a 30metre shot. you can't prevent the individual errors.

it is a bitter defeat for england. they took the game to germany. i even dare say until the first 2 german goals, they were better than germany. and they did superbly to pull one back. game on.

den 1-3. 2-3. still fighting back. 2-4 on 62nd minute. 2-5 on 73rd minute. tts when it was really over. and england lost all shape.

england lost because the defence made so many individual errors. and germany are just so, so clinical. as they have been against norway and france.

i feel sorry for kelly smith. a great goal, a great assist. normally, that would have been enough.

final preview

2009-09-10T14:05:00.004+02:00

let me make this clear:

i am behind england, not because i ahve anything in common with the english fans. at least those supporting the men's team. i think the supporters of the women's team are probably different. and i stick to my opinion of the english media and pundits.

i am behind england because of faye white, anita asante, alex scott, katie chapman, kaz carney and kelly smith. arsenal/ex-arsenal players.

i am behind england because i want to be proven right. that germany has weaknesses waiting to be exploited. that the gap between nations has decreased such that a german victory is no longer a given.

england are not my favourite team in the tournament. i don't think i have one. though at the start of the tournament, i was sort of behind germany. which comes to the next point

why i am not behind germany. i saw how other teams play. france caught the attention. sweden as well. even norway with their battling displays. i just don't agree with everyone else that this is germany's tournament. it is like not giving credit to the other teams. and i like to be proven right.

in any case, i also disagree with germany's team selection.

so if i were hope powell, i would play jill scott and drop sue smith. jill scott is tall and can head the crosses carney will be sending in. and she is an all-action midfielder. the game has to be won in midfield.

bresonik has been ruled fit. i see her maybe slotting at right-back, allowing laudehr to start in centre mid.

one possible scenario is that birgit prinz will finally get everything right and lead germany to victory.

what i am hoping to see is kelly smith making this her final, her tournament.

but may the best team win.

semi finals roundup

2009-09-07T20:22:00.002+02:00

england 1-1 holland (2-1 aet)
kelly smith finally showed her class, though england needed extra time to see off a very stubborn holland. amazingly, carney didnt start. i could only think of 2 reasons: injury or tactical. perhaps hope powell was thinking to bring her on only when the dutch are tired, and secretly hoping she wouldnt need to because maybe they would have wrapped up the game without her. but she was needed, and made the impact when she came on, giving directed impetus to the team. i admire the fitness of the dutch. 2 consecutive games that have gone to extra time. it was only after jill scott's goal 4minutes from the end of the second extra time period that you notice a drop in their level. maybe because even they know that it is beyond them now.

norway 1-3 germany
norway got a goal after 10 minutes from a corner, their variation with 5 players crowding the keeper. germany was never in the game in the first half. norway moved the ball well, amazingly, and got close a few times. but a different germany showed up in the second half, started creating chances. a 2 min lapse saw norway go 2-1 down. same old story as in the opening game. but it wasn't over. norway actually still threatened and it took the last kick of the game to bury them, with bajramaj tucking in the ball, after hjelmseth made a point-blank double save against grings and prinz.

team of the semi-final
gk:hjelmseth (nor)
dl: huse (nor)
dc: mjelde (nor)
dr: scott (eng)
mc: laudehr (ger)
mc: stensland (nor)
mc: chapman (eng)
aml: bajramaj (ger)
amc: smith (eng)
amr: carney (eng)
fc: herlovsen (nor)

you would have thought norway won instead of germany, judging from my selection. but norway really grew as a team. they were actually very close to pulling it off, despite the scoreline, despite the fact that they were chasing the game for the last half an hour.

prinz-grings partnership
declared by the commentator as the best in europe. well i don't really think it is working, because both are too similar. i will take grings but not prinz. prinz looked like prinz in the second half, but this has been a disappointing tournament for her. if you don't consider the second half, i would even go as far to suggest that she was a liability. it is not because she isn't good, but because she is struggling in terms of fitness. it has been an injury-hampered season. what i feel is that silvia neid didnt dare to drop her, and is hoping that her class would see her through. but that is assuming germany are heads and shoulders above everyone else in terms of quality. despite winning all 5 games so far, i can assure you that this isn't the case. look at how italy and norway pushed them. france as well, despite the 5-1 scoreline. the gap between nations has decreased.

of course with the german machine still rolling on, though not all too convincingly, my words have less weight. i was hoping for sweden to prove me right. but things took an unexpected twist. for a while, norway looked as if they could pull it off, but they didn't.

so i am hoping england will prove me right. they better, because you will never catch me supporting england in men's football. but i like this team. or at least i like the arsenal and ex-arsenal players. and i feel that they are the team that has grown the most. everything that could go wrong went wrong. red cards, injuries, falling 2-0 behind after just 20 minutes. but they have recovered.

personally, i am rooting for kelly smith to make it her final.

Autumn

2009-09-06T13:39:00.005+02:00

First day of Autumn today, they remind us on the news. What does the end of summer mean to you? The end of pretty girls in dresses, shorts and tank tops?

But it still feels like summer, doesn't it? That lady there in the black dress. Summer making her last stand. But the temperature will drop, the boots and jackets will come out, and we know Autumn's here. This is life. A cycle.

But you know, much as we love Summer, Autumn is really our season. Autumn defines us. We are a city of romantics. Melancholic, grandiose, we are like that.

See those steps? Where the students, the office workers, young mothers with prams are? Well, we jokingly call it 'The Italian Steps', after the Spanish Steps in Rome. I think it is very picture-perfect. Imagine, a pretty lady in work attire, sitting on the steps, shades pulled up to her hair, a cigarette in hand, nonchalance.

That girl across the street listening to her mp3? Well, we are certainly in a league of our own, no? Traffic lights have almost a mythical place here. Next to cafes, trams, launderettes, supermarkets and bookstores.

Bookstores? You look at me in disbelief. Everyone here has his or her own bookstore. Just around the corner, up the slope is mine. Giovanni's.

Ah, the smell of old books! Open one, and what swirl before you are not just the words the writer has painstakingly chosen, but also the memories, the thoughts of the people who have held this book before you. That, is the charm of books. Didn't Coehlo say that books are meant to undertake their own journeys?

Ever removed a book from a shelf to see a face in the space left behind?

It is a small shop, as you can see. Giovanni lives on the second floor. He has a balcony and we can go up.

I can see Giovanni here, looking down at the street, at the people hurrying by, looking across at the rest of the city. The cacophony of tiled roofs, chimneys, the TV antenna, windows and balconies. There is beauty in chaos.

Giovanni's lover used to say, according to him. She was a book lover, so after she died, he opened this bookstore, selling books she loved.

Sunset, balcony, wine. If you ever date a local girl, remember these three words. But it is time to go.

The evening has just come to life.

Up for some tapas? A Spanish Kiss. Possibly the best Spanish place in town. No, the owner isn't Spanish, he's a local, though the chefs and waitresses are all Spanish. This place is a second home to most of the Spaniards here.

Well, I know the question on your mind. When he was still a student, he was out drinking with his friends. They got so drunk that he didn't know how he got separated from his friends. Next thing he knew, he was on the tram floor, in the arms of a girl. A very pretty girl, he said. She was asking him in English if he was all right. 'Are you ok? Are you ok?' He nodded, and she asked him where did he live. He told her, and she told him he must change trams. All this while, her friends were talking to her, and they seemed to be arguing. Finally they all got out and she walked off. A guy told him he had to change here and they had to get on their way. He replied that he was all right and could manage on his own. So as they were leaving, he asked the guy: 'What's her name? Where is she from?'

'Her name is Aida. From Spain.'

He spent the rest of the summer searching for her, because he was sure she was an exchange student. Summer passed. 10 years have passed. He never found her. About 5 years ago, he decided to open this place. Maybe because he never gave up.

Hope is the absence of reason, huh.

The air's noticeably chillier, no? We always say, people meet in summer to snuggle together in winter. Autumn is when the relationship deepens, the romance and all.

Sluts and Bitches. How did they come up with this name, I won't know. But it certainly catches the attention, no? Don't worry, the people who come here are nice. It is really a misnomer. And this place is where the best of the best gather. It is actually the perfect place to start. Good food, good ambience, pretty waitresses and hunky bartenders. Something for everybody. A winning combination.

Midnight, a new day has begun. A toast to me. New start. I am getting divorced. Went home one day and found my husband cheating on me. That's why I am back in this city. My city. Why did I leave in the first place? Home is where the heart is. A toast to my city.

Trudging revelers on their way home. Whether you drank out of joy, or to drown your sorrows, you have to go home at the end of it. You have to go, because life goes on.

That guy on the steps in front of that townhouse. He looks a wreck, doesn't he? Now you think we are a city of broken hearts. But hey, you know, we are a city of romantics. We believe that somewhere out there, the person for us is trying to get here as fast as he or she can. Hope for the hopeless.

The sun is coming out, the autumn air is crisp and fresh. The smell of freshly-baked bread from the bakery, the newspaper boy making his delivery, the girl in tracksuit on her morning run.

Like a dream, wasn't it?

Reach home safely and take care.

quarter-finals roundup

2009-09-04T21:10:00.003+02:00

england 3-2 finland
england spent the last 10 minutes defending as the home crowd cheered finland on. and i was wondering how did it come to that. 2-0, 2-1, 3-1, 3-2. england made it hard for themselves by conceding those 2 goals from corners.

france 0-0 holland (holland 5-4 on penalties)
god doesn't give you a third chance. france took the penalties first. 4-4. den french miss, dutch miss, french miss, dutch miss, french miss.
and i knew it was over.
a reversal of fortune instead. usually, it is the dutchmen who play the football and go out on penalties.

germany 2-1 italy
the expected goal rush didn't happen, even after grings scored after just 4 minutes. as it was panico pulled one back with a classy finish. that goal saw 18 points for my fantasy team become 6. and in the very last minute of injury time, only a superb save from angerer was to stop panico's diving header from forcing extra time.

sweden 1-3 norway
the gods abandoned sweden. i think even norway didn't know how they got into the second half with a 2-0 lead, after a crazy last 6minutes of the first half. sweden hit the woodwork 3 times. and norway did it again. sweden just can't get past norway. and as with all derbies, the form book is thrown out of the window.

my fantasy team
is a total disaster. how carney and kelly smith weren't involved in the 3 england goals, i really have no answer. and when louisa necib was withdrawn after 55minutes, i knew it was not going to be my day. too early, don't you think, bruno bini? and well, i should have trusted panico's class. and what happened between sweden and norway also left me speechless. victoria svensson did give me some consolation with her goal, but like her goal, it was too little too late.

birgit prinz
birgit prinz has had a really poor tournament so far. it is not about her not scoring. people are quick to say she is playing for the team, she is playing deeper, etc etc. but i feel that she is really struggling, and maybe it is time for change.

france's defeat
france's defeat hurts alot. because i like their football. i like their passing game. but more significantly, it means no more louisa necib.

sweden
what can i say. this was the only game in which rohlin and segerstrom made mistakes, and they paid dearly.

victoria svensson
as the final whistle blew, i seriously thought about what was going through her mind. disappointment, sadness, and the realisation that this was the end, of the tournament as well as her international career.

the playmaker
in any team that wants to play possession football, there has to be someone who can dictate the tempo of the game. sweden didn't have one. they didn't make use of the ball well against norway. france has 2- abily and necib. but against holland, i think abily pushed too far forward and necib couldn't get into the game. abily should have played from the back because holland didn't have a midfield.

team of teh quarterfinals
gk: hjelmseth(nor)
dl: thunebro(swe)
dc: ronning(nor)
dc: georges (fra)
dr: bresonik(ger)
mc: hoogendijk(hol)
mc: williams (eng)
mc: giske(nor)
fc: grings(ger)
fc: aluko (eng)
fc: melis (hol)

thunebro is there because the balls she whipped in were dangerous and she didn't really have a bad game, norway did a perfect hit-and-run.

bresonik moved to right back at half-time. i like her playing right-back because then you have someone who can play from the back. but unfortunately, i feel she is still the best centre mid for germany. play laudehr on the flank.

hoogendijk is there, because she did a great job, well the whole dutch team did, in hassling the french. and she was the one who scored that winning penalty. well, after watching 5 pple miss before you, you need to be really calm to put it away.

holland-england
holland's fast and direct attack against england's slow defence. england, interestingly, since casey stoney got sent off after just 30 minutes in the first game, have not played with their first choice defence, which other than alex scott, is not fast anyway.

norway-germany
norway lost 4-0 the first time round. to be honest, i really don't know if norway can repeat their feat. germany are not invincible, despite everyone saying otherwise. i feel that sweden and england would be able to exploit their weaknesses, but norway, i am really not sure.

i see an england-germany final.

the whacky world of football

2009-09-03T17:13:00.002+02:00

recently, platini announced that uefa would look into club finances, and apparently, there may be a change in ruling in that clubs are only allowed to spend within their means, or something along that line.

Platini said, “They do not want to pay out any more…. Roman Abramovich is a football person and passionate about the game. He loves football. He has come to me and said that we must do something about this.”

so fifa decided to step in, and banned chelsea from the transfer market for 2 years.

how helpful.

i am really just laughing my head off.

2009-09-03T11:32:00.003+02:00

a crime constitutes both action and intent.

can you prove intent simply because the defendant didn't tell the referee it wasn't a penalty?

i can tell you that the only player i have ever seen in 10 years of watching football, who told the referee it wasn't a penalty by raising a finger and shaking it, is andriy arshavin, playing for arsenal in one of the last games of last season.

so everyone else had intent.

but if you ask me, we should appeal, even if it won't succeed. the outcome has already been cast in stone. we certainly could do with some squad rotation, and the 2-match suspension is actually welcome in that sense.

unless the internationals end with us having only 11 fit players or less.

the problem with men's football is that it has lost touch with reality.

platini is at last looking at the finances of the clubs.

whether he understands anything...

anyway, don't count on him doing anything.

2009-09-01T16:40:00.004+02:00

to the men's world for a bit:

the eduardo affair has become a ridiculous circus, with everyone desperate to add his opinion to it. honestly, we brought it upon ourselves, because the media were running out of things to write, because everything they wanted to write is irrelevant because we did not lose 1-6, 1-4 and are still in europe.

it is a witch-hunt.

what happened at old trafford is also a farce. that arsene wenger would be getting an apology for it says it all.

the english fa is a big joke. so is uefa.

it certainly feels as if everyone is against arsenal. i even get this feeling that everyone is suddenly for some reason that i don't know, is scared of arsenal. so everyone is trying to stop arsenal with whatever means they could think of.

you know, as with all things in life, there is only a certain limit to what you can achieve when your mentality is tuned to destroying, to hindering.

so my friends, i say, let them do what they want, just keep creating, because creating is the real business.

matchday 3 round up

2009-08-31T22:49:00.003+02:00

finland 0-1 ukraine
ukraine leave the tournament with their heads high as finland made 5 changes to their starting lineup.

holland 2-1 denmark
denmark again failed to convert their chances, and holland in 2 incisive counter-attacks made them pay the price. denmark have been the disappointment of the tournament. could neither attack nor defend.

norway 1-1 france
elodie thomis can't score. the kind of chances she has had throughout the tournament, and no goals. her pace and trickery are key weapons in the french arsenal, but they have to find someone to be on the receiving end of the chances rather than her. france are vulnerable to crosses and are suspect defensively.

germany 1-0 iceland
germany made 6 changes and a sole inka grings goal ensured their 100%record.

sweden 1-1 england
england are very reliant on carney, because they focus on the flanks, and when the other winger is useless, carney has to do everything. the english team is slow, aside from aluko and carney. but they managed to shut out sweden, who scored from a penalty. you could also say sweden shut out england. basically the two teams cancelled each other out, though england looked sharper.

russia 0-2 italy
russia laid siege. italy changed to a 5-3-2 midway through the second half and got 2 goals.

team of the round
gk: picarelli (ita)
dl: thunebro (swe)
dc: white(eng)
dc: koster (ned)
dr: scott (eng)
ml: pekur (ukr)
mc: abily (fra)
mr: carney (eng)
aml: rasmussen (den)
amr: melis (ned)
fc: herlovsen (nor)

and so,
finland-england
france-holland
germany-italy
sweden-norway

i wonder if england were secretly smiling to themselves when they knew italy won their game 2-0, because they were just hurtling towards a date with germany. it is ironic sometimes how finishing third may be better off.

this is what we mean when we say: lose the battle win the war.

of course, if you want to win the tournament, ultimately, you have to beat everyone.

i see england, france, germany and sweden going through.

team of the group phase
gk: hjelmseth(nor)
dl: thunebro(swe)
dc: rohlin (swe)
dr: scott (eng)
dmc: bresonik (ger)
mc: seger (swe)
mc: abily (fra)
amc: kalmari (fin)
aml: van de ven(ned)
amr: carney(eng)
fc: panico(ita)

hjelmseth- a keeper who conceded 5? well if you don't take into account the three late german goals, and the fact that she almost got to bresonik's penalty, and that she made 40 saves in 3 games, she essentially only conceded the abily goal, which was a class goal. necib passed, abily pirouetted, and while falling, tucked the shot in.

scott and thunebro- the england-sweden game was a battle between the two full-backs, facing off one another. both are similar in that they can run and run and run, they can play ball, keep possession and attack.

rohlin is probably the steadiest centre-back in the tournament. hardly put a foot wrong, hardly a skewed clearance.

carney- other than kelly smith's goal, carney was involved in every england goal. won the penalty in the italy game, scored one, created one against russia, faye white headed in her freekick against sweden.

panico- i chose panico, despite the fact that italy's 8 won 2 player of the match awards, because she is the captain, she played alone upfront most of the time, and it is her intelligence and class that bring other teammates into the attack, and why the no8 could score. and she was the one who got the equaliser against england with an acrobatic shot.

you can tell that this is a very objective team selection, because louisa necib, my favourite player in this tournament is not in it.

matchday 2 round up

2009-08-29T00:02:00.004+02:00

denmark 2-1 ukraine
denmark stole it almost right at the death. scoring goals is a problem. ukraine are thus out.

finland 2-1 holland
holland sat back for the last 20minutes instead of going for an equaliser, to protect their goal difference, as their coach later explained apologetically. full marks for pragmatism. it means they just need a draw against denmark to go through as second. if they lose, they can count on their goal difference to go through as one of the 2 best third-placed teams.

germany 5-1 france
the chances france had were not inferior to that of germany's in terms of quantity and quality.

norway 1-0 iceland
norway has the same problem as denmark- scoring. but their defence is solid. they were almost perfect against germany for 90 minutes. what happened after that cannot be explained.

sweden 2-0 italy
sweden look very very good, very complete. won every second ball. the attack is clicking. asllani, schelin and svensson are growing into tournament form.

england 3-2 russia.
england went 2-0 down after 22 minutes. i thought it was over. then kaz carney scored on the 24th minute. the look in her eyes told me england was still alive. she played like a girl possessed, pardon the cliche, but she was everywhere, playing with this intensity. she created the second. the russian keeper cleared the ball to kelly smith just inside the russian half and kelly smith lobbed her from there for what would be the eventual winner. all within the first half.
amazingly, the player of the match went to kelly smith. i am an admirer of kelly smith, her presence, vision and passing helped the english cause and that goal was worthy enough to win any tournament, but i thought carney was simply outstanding.

team of the round
gk: hjelmseth (nor)
dl: saari (fin)
dc: roenning (nor)
dc: rohlin (swe)
dr: scott (eng)
mc: seger (swe)
mc: bresonik (ger)
aml: van de ven (ned)
amc: svensson (swe)
amr: carney (eng)
fc: osterberg kalmari (fin)

germany verdict
germany are like the men's germany of the 1990s, that efficient juggernaut. not firing on all cylinders, got a few soft goals. the quality of the team is there, no doubt. but i feel that they have not found the right balance. can a team win a tournament without finding the right balance, without peaking? i think even with germany's quality, it would be hard, because teams like sweden, england and france, for the latter two, despite their recent results, are not that far behind. i think they recognise that the results have flattered them. if they havent, they could very well be punished for the complacency in the later stages.

growing into the tournament
we talk about growing into a tournament, building upon each game. teams win tournaments like this.
at the moment, the team that has grown the most is surely england. if france can bounce back from their defeat, things will get interesting. but i feel that france's biggest problem is that they can't protect the talents of necib and abily.

group a
you may have suspected it. group a is a weak group. denmark are a pale shadow of their illustrious past. finland hasn't exactly impressed me, although they do have home support. holland are fresh to watch, but will struggle against even tougher opposition. ukraine is already out.

fight for their lives
denmark v holland
france v norway
sweden v england
italy v russia

i would say russia's chances are really very slim. at best, they go through as one of the two third-placed teams.
england need at least a draw.
france and norway, because of their inferior goal difference thanks to the games against germany, need a draw for both to go through and a victory in one of the other games(not for just any team. group c is tricky- but the key thing is to make sure that at least one group has a third-placed team with 3 points or less) if a victor is produced, the loser will almost certainly go home. i hope both teams go through.
holland will probably sit back against a not-very-potent denmark. could be a boring game.

2009-08-27T21:18:00.001+02:00

"Tactics? I don't know about tactics. Sometimes I have a dream and they come from there."- Pietro Ghedin, italy coach

2009-08-27T09:19:00.001+02:00

finland are the first nation through.

germany may lose to france today. remember, you read it here first.

matchday 1 round up

2009-08-26T09:18:00.002+02:00

this blog is a football blog until 10.9.2009

first round of matches over in finland.
quick summary of results

group a
ukraine 0-2 holland
2 quick goals within 10 minutes left ukraine with too much to do, despite an improvement in the second half. but holland were not interested in pushing for more by then. 3 points more than anything else was the philosophy. holland were stronger than expected. the 4 attackers upfront are fast and direct.

finland 1-0 denmark
a freekick cross which evaded everyone landed in the goal. disappointing for denmark, who failed to make their chances count.

group b
germany 4-0 norway
the score is unfair to norway. yes, germany largely dominated proceedings, but it was 1-0 until the 90th minute. 3 goals in injury time. norway actually defended well, held the line well, very organised in defence up till that point. the first goal was a penalty.

france 3-1 iceland
the french impressed with their technique and passing. the midfield will also be responsible for getting the goals, i feel, because the system they employ is such that the forward's job is to hold the ball up.

group c
england 1-2 italy
the shock of the round. but england played an hour with 10 players, so it was always going to be difficult. england has strong midfield runners in fara williams and jill scott. essentially, england is an arsenal reunion, with 6 players with arsenal connections.

sweden 3-0 russia
sweden never looked in trouble after taking the lead. the team kept possession well and won the ball back easily. caroline seger ran the midfield and even popped up to score the third goal, a long range drive. i think things will get more interesting when their strikeforce takes off.

setpieces
interesting variations on corners were seen. norway put 4 players around the german keeper and simply cross the ball there. let's hope premiership teams don't learn from that against arsenal. italy looks to play the ball just outside the box for long shots all the time.

quarter-finals
because the top 2 from each group and the two best third-placed teams all go through to the quarter-finals, one may think it is more difficult not to go through. but i think it may be very tight in the end, not within the group, but between the three third-placed teams. it could be that all 3 have 3 points. a clearer picture will emerge after the second round of matches.

misfiring strikers
only 4 goals of the 17 goals scored came from the forwards. quite a low return when you consider the names on show: inka grings, birgit prinz, victoria svensson, lotta schelin, patrizia panico, kelly smith.

team of the round
gk: korpela(finland)
lb: gama (italy)
cb: annike krahn(ger)
rb: bito(ned)
ml: sjoengran (swe)
mc: kulig(ger)
mc: seger (swe)
mr: abily(fra)
fl: bajramaj(ger)
fc: panico(ita)
fr: necib(fra)

i love panico's play, all about exquisite flicks. playing against a solid english defence as a lone striker, she held her own, scored a goal and in my opinion, should have been the player of the match.

germany plays france on thursday, one of the three teams that can really hurt them, next to sweden and england, should england go through. i say england can hurt germany, even if you may think otherwise, based on their loss to italy, because they actually have a solid defence and midfield that can match germany's physically, and at the same time, they have kelly smith, capable of delivering that moment of magic.

it will be a stern test for germany, though not one that will decide the champions, because it is a group phase game after all. even if you lose and meet them again in the final, it doesn't mean you will lose again. not too much should be read into the result of the game.

the french's ability to retain the ball means the german defence will be tested more than in the norway game. and louisa necib and camilla abily are the players to watch.

one centimetre

2009-08-23T21:54:00.002+02:00

Quotes from Bruno Bini, coach of France's women national team.

"The ball can go one centimetre inside and you're a hero. The ball goes one centimetre outside and you're a zero."

"They can score four against us tomorrow, as long as we score five." -on Iceland being the only team to have scored against France.

"Everyone! You think they are higher than the others? So give them the prize now and everyone else will fight for second place. I'd have preferred a group with Liechtenstein, Malta and so on, to achieve our goal of advancing to the quarter-finals but, hey! Do you know how many coaches would like to be at EURO and lock horns with Germany, Norway and Iceland? It might look simple, but I always look down to realise how happy I am to be in my position. So we'll make the most of this happiness to play at such a level. But don't believe we have no ambition." - on Germany

anyway, so the party in Finland has finally begun.

my pick for the 8 quarter-finalists: germany, france, denmark, finland, sweden, england, norway and holland.

i would say germany are the favourites, sweden are second favourites, england and france are the dark horses.

the kashima antlers mystery

2009-08-23T12:20:00.002+02:00

2 things have been bugging me.

first, how is it that the team that has won the past 2 j-league titles has only one regular in the japan national team?

second, how is it that the team that has won the past 2 j-league titles and currently holds a 8-point lead do it, with basically the same team?

to the first question, i agree that japan has very good players. i think each team has one or two very good players, but kashima has a very good team. i sometimes wonder if you take the kashima players out of the kashima system, they will not do as well.

to be honest, i will have to think twice about replacing kengo nakamura with nozawa, or yasuhito endo with aoki. but these players didn't win the past 2 seasons for nothing. surely you don't mean to tell me that only uchida is good enough for a place in the japan squad? maybe not as a starter, but in the squad, to provide another option.

and if you are thinking kashima are a team that relies on its foreign players, you got it all wrong. it is true that marquinhos is an integral part of kashima, but only one other regular is foreigner- partk joo ho, the left-back. marquinhos is not the only one banging in goals; the whole team chips in.

the keeper sogahata is outstanding. totally what i look for in a keeper. safe hands, always there when needed, steady with crosses, and most importantly, spreads the ball well. someone who can play with the team. for the past 2 seasons, the antlers have the best defence in the league. not for nothing.

it is ironic that when coaches talk about trying players, they tend to be referring to unknown players from smaller teams, whereas my advice for takeshi okada would be to try the antlers players. the players from the champions.

one player whom i don't expect to see representing japan any time in the future is mitsuo ogasawara. a shame really.

the fifth of the Golden Quartet comprising Nakata, Nakamura, Inamoto and Ono.

now, there is still no place for him with the likes of Nakamura, Nakamura, Endo and Hasebe.

i think he has given up on playing for japan. maybe he wasn't interested in the first place.

but he is still one of japan's best midfielders. the brains of kashima antlers.

football matters

2009-08-22T22:24:00.003+02:00

the talking point of the arsenal-portsmouth game is the gallas incident.

i didn't see it. i really didnt, thanks to the lag in the livestream.

but dear portsmouth, you can't see it as a conspiracy. the world isn't against you; it is against us. anyway, arsenal isn't the kind of team that gets favours from the ref. so if it were a penalty, then the referee made a mistake. full stop. please.

we are public enemy no1 until jack wilshere establishes himself as the new Messiah of England.

regardless what happens, we will never be left alone. faults will always be found, or invented.

but at the moment, there are flaws. why did we concede that goal from Saha in injury time, why did we give portsmouth that goal on a platter? the defence doesn't have to be the best in the world, but almunia ought to do some serious reflection.

wenger put his head on the chopping board to back him. in the whole squad, he is the one who has the least justification of his place in the starting eleven. age is not on his side, and his age did not come with experience or trophies. i wouldn't say he has bags of talent as well. van der sar, cech, reina all made the difference for their teams. did he?

such a mistake was disappointing. don't let wenger down.

anyway, what the media and experts say, take it with a pinch of salt. realise that even if we were to thrash man u and man city 5-0 in the next two games, we will still be blasted.

and so what if we do become the new favourites for the title? it means nothing. the media and experts are just a load of bullshit, frankly speaking. we don't need it.

i want all 4 titles. give me at least 2. give me the champs league and the premiership. 53 games, 53 victories. we have 3 now. 50 more to go.

2009-08-17T01:48:00.001+02:00

love yourself.
respect your opponent.
love who you want to love.
this is me.
i am me.
i've got nothing to prove.
take it or leave it.