Category: Sports

It’s now Bale vs Neymar

4 years ago, when Ronaldo joined Real Madrid and confronted Lionel Messi, we thought nothing can top this. I mean seeing Ronaldo and Messi head to head in the same league was exhilarating enough, but now arrival of two best promising youths into the team has doubled the excitement, and tripled the anticipations. Neymar, already dubbed as the next Messi arrived in Barcelona earlier in the transfer window, while Bale was brought at the last moments to fill up the void created by the departure of Ozil and Kaka. The ‘transfer market enthusiasts’ were behind Bale from quite some time; well he’s a good catch and will prove that in no time.
It’s pretty safe to predict Bale to be a successor of Ronaldo (if he ever caved in to the homesickness he has for Old Trafford). Madrid seems to be one fully balanced team. Though fans aren’t very thrilled by the selling of Ozil to Arsenal, but with Isco and Di Maria performing well, they might not even miss him once the season’s on the way.
Tottenham have really dealt well with Madrid’s negotiators to have extracted 85.3 M£. With that price tag, Bale has crossed Ronaldo’s amount of 80M£ (paid in 2009), not accounting for inflation.
The Champions League has a solid chance to be in possession of one of these teams at the end of this year.

La-liga has never been so awesome and the rivalry between the two giants was never so fierce. The expectations have even superseded EPL limelight and it would be a treat watching how everything pans out.

 

As a matter of fact, both have started the season well, with wins without fault. In fact, Bale scored on his debut, promulgating his arrival and making a solid mark to commence another rivalry that will go long way.

HATS OFF to the MAESTRO

Sir Alex Ferguson retires. Citing health reasons, he said, “The decision to retire is one that I have thought a great deal about and one that I have not taken lightly. It is the right time. It was important to me to leave an organization in the strongest possible shape and I believe I gave done so. ”
Well, I am not a great fan of Red Manchester, but I do respect this man. I have always appreciated his composure, intensity on the pitch. The way his sheer presence inspires his team and the respect he incurs from adulating fans is one that only greats can achieve and he is no exception.
For the 27 years that he served the club, not once did the United administration must have thought about installing a new manager. He has been calm, unruffled and dedicated in making a team that is balanced in every sense, be it age-wise, or position-wise and stardom-wise as well.
He has been a solid inspiration to the young crops of managers that take cues from him in managing their respective clubs. The large numbers of good-bye messages on Twitter reflects so.
He joined Old Trafford in 1986 from Aberdeen and never looked back as the Red Devils have dominated not only the English but European scene as well. His tally includes 13 Premier League titles, 5 FA Cups, 4 League Cups and 2 Champions League titles. The 71-year Scotsman will join the team’s board members and will serve as ‘Ambassador’ in the upcoming season. Till now, United have two games left and one of them is a home game against Swansea where we may expect some emotions from the not-so-much expressive coach.
                Well, talking about replacing him is a contentious issue. United never had to think about the position of manager, it was already in very capable hands. It’s always hard to replace a veteran; plus the void left for the first time in 27 years, is a thought that United administration would always have dreaded. But it’s time to answer that. Rumour has it that Everton boss David Moyes may be stepping in his shoes, but before the confirmation from the official website; it’s going to be a matter of fierce debate. Former Chelsea and current in-charge of Real Madrid’s Jose Mourinho is also a sought-after name by the grim fans. The administration is also in pressure to declare the new name, as Manchester United are listed on New York stock exchange, so any change in administration will have to be reported back to its shareholders. So, the secret can’t and won’t be held long.
                Whoever is chosen as a manager, he will have a tough time handling the pressure but it would not be so gruesome on the pitch considering Sir Alex has left his team in the strong possible shape.
#RESPECT and good luck on your future endeavours Sir Alex!

 

Ronaldo vs. Messi battle- My take

 A common debate encountered between football fans is: Who is better??
Ronaldo or Messi
When it comes to hardcore fans, opinions don’t concord. Messi sure has the lead with his 4th Ballon d’Or but it isn’t enough when he has a fierce competitor like Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ronaldo’s transfer from Manchester United to Real Madrid in 2009 made them stand head to head and pit against each other. The rivalry between their clubs fuelled up the comparison talks between them. While Messi was product of a brilliant product of Barcelona academy that they exhibit ostentatiously, Ronaldo was brought at Bernabeu on popular fan appeal.
Although both have different roles, different positions, different methods at their respective clubs, but the comparison between them is inevitable owing to the fact that they have shared last 5 Ballon’dor amongst them. Both give 100% to their clubs.
Ronaldo has an unflinching pace that takes defenders with surprise; his sharp acceleration helps the cause.  Messi likes to take defenders one-on-one while inching closer to the opponents’ goal-line.
                Well, I am not taking any sides, but every individual has a right to have an opinion, so in order to facilitate that I have garnered some points that can ease you into making your judgment.
  1. Pace and acceleration: Ronaldo has a pace like a leopard, out-beating his markers is a walk in the park for him. Messi has sufficient pace to do the out-pacing and he puts his dab body in good use by making low profile supporting runs.
  2. Ball control and Dribbling: Dribbling is the Magnus opus of Messi. Infact most of his goals are the result of his gifted supremacy in dribbling. On the other hand, Ronaldo though has a supremacy in the step-overs (or the scissors), but he has been seen a little shy of perfectly executing at times.
  3. Assists: I consider both players selfless, though Ronaldo is often touted as a selfish player, but having played at winging position myself, I know that wingers don’t get many chances to prove their selflessness.  
  4. Strategy: Both players are good at crafting clear-cut opportunities for their teams. They are not only great cool finishers but are equally expert in engineering opportunities that literally beg for finish.   
  5. Shooting: Shooting from a distance is what has made Ronaldo a priceless treasure. His thunderous shots are a scary sight for even best of the goalkeepers. Messi hasn’t been seen much with the long shots but he can’t be underestimated for that.
  6. Acrobatics and weak foot ability: Messi has been termed weak in this particular department, and it is quite true owing to his meager 5’7” height, but in recent seasons, he has been making constant progress to subdue such allegations. Statistically speaking, he scores a fair amount of goals with headers. Ronaldo leaps over jumping defenders is a constant sight in Real’s game and its quite clear that there’s no dearth in his aerial abilities. Weak foot ability is a thing, though isn’t a necessary quality but is a great quality to have when bailing out from a compromising situation. Both wizards have excellent weak foot ability, which helps them to gain extra points and fan appreciation.
Another quite impressive quality to consider is free kick taking ability. But I believe when you are in a 5-star team, it isn’t a much needed one. Generally such teams already possess a free kick genius, for example Barcelona has Xavi while Madrid had the services of Beckham and Roberto Carlos.
The discussion will not end, and may never end, but one thing’s for sure that the duo will keep us entertained in the years to come.

Change the Game

With the advent of EURO CUP-12 and departure of IPL, the tide of entertainment has turned to football once again. The football fever is catching people by surprise. I mean that’s not normal in India where cricket is a religion and cricketers gods. But the time has changed now and the new ‘Gods’ are rising!
When I realized this shift in trends, I was forced to ponder, what on earth is wrong with people of India. What changed? Where is the mob that devoted themselves for cricket? Where are those people of small cities that relied on radios for the latest scores? Where are the toddlers that knew no other game than cricket which they played even in the scorching sun? What is bringing the dismissal of cricket as the ‘major sporting event’?
 The answer lies in the following paragraph.
 One of the major reasons that football is taking over the world is that there is a whole lot more passion in this game. The crowd, the jeering, the Mexican waves, the enchanting, the loyalties; all entwine together to make it an exquisite entertainer. Now, unlike cricket, football doesn’t has to break-off every five minutes, thus the momentum and thrill is maintained. Audience can enjoy 90 minutes of pure athleticism without boredom. Plus the 90 min limit enables one to plan out everything before and after the game. The thrill and excitement knows no bound, and the non-anticipatory action adds salt to the taste. Maybe, the business mindset of IPL’s accounts for the lost interest in the game, or it may be the overdose of it. In all, football gives a totally different feel that is not insured in the willow driven game.  At a teenage level, since it requires not much arrangement; just grab a ball (for starters) and remember few ground-rules, and you are ready to go. It may not be the best choice in the sultry summers of India, but who cares when you have donned a Messi’s jersey and have the ball. The passion driving makes up for the fatigue.
So, don’t be surprised the next time you see the teenagers following up the ‘Change the game’ mantra……because football is the next big thing after cricket that’s going to surface on Indian subcontinent soon.

A dramatic end!

Alas!!! Manchester City won the prestigious English Premier League, pretty much to the dislike of teams like Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool (they don’t seem to really care now) and especially Manchester United. To many of the die-hard devotees of MANU, this may be the end of the world. They would have been ready to paint the town red, when Sergio Aguero’s impossible goal in 94’ shattered the hopes and forced the cheerful RED part of Manchester to mourn.  A person active on the fan pages of MANU would be feeling like an idiot that just realized that he has now been blabbering for a whole year and now expecting some respect.
 Now the thing that’s concerning is that, with title in City’s hands,  all the things; the hustles the crazy fans make,  cheering in the stands, the hooting, some dying from forwarding the ‘Mexican waves’…the question worth asking is…..does it really mean anything now. BPL in City’s hands, a team without history, but certainly powerful enough to buy the best footballers, it makes one wonder where is the passion that drove the fans crazy? One might raise his voice against this opinion, since undoubtedly City earned the trophy, they worked hard for it, but it’s not the wins or losses that in the talks in here, but the thrill and pride that the game brings it in itself. Fans make the game and City doesn’t look like they need a fan- base to gain their accomplishments.
                Now with City’s only trophy in their trophy shelf, they will have their heads high, but the truth is that the players know that they were like a mini World XI, assembled in a short time that managed a stopping time grab on the title out of the blue. Many City fans 0will sure find it contentious to swallow but something is surely missing in the triumph. Plus, now being only the 6thdifferent winner of the EPL, it puts on an added pressure of the expectation of consistent performance. And that according to the pundits may not be as easy as it sounds. The way is too tough for them and being new to ‘the business of defending’, they are like a boy dressed like Santa with a million dollar in the hood, with every hoody bullying him for his share. Defending the title will certainly pave them in hell’s path.
                Well anyways good luck to them and congratulations for the gain. Well, everyone loves competition and a team like United will like to take positives from the season (that’s pretty much they can do now) and hope they get their 20thtitle soon.

World Cup 2011

Finally after 28 years of waiting, India has won the World Cup. With celebrations heard all around, every city, state, in every nook & corner of India, one can easily imagine how much the Indians expected this trophy to come back in India.
Indian team did fallout against South Africa in the group stages, but after rising from that hiccup, they never turned their back at the challenges. Qualifying for the knockout stages was expected to be a walk in the park for them, and they didn’t seem to be very much concerned about it. Then came the real fight for survival, first theKangaroos, and then the mighty rivals Pakistan. After getting win in these 2 games, the confidence returned to the team, and it showed in their body languages, in terms of their fielding and much improved bowling.
I was in Allahabad at the time of WC, and saw an immense excitement in the locals. They used to colour their faces in tricolors, and take the TV sets in the open and watch the entire match with enthuse and dancing at every possible chance. And every awesome show of an Indian win would increase their hopes, anticipation & vigour manifolds. As we all know, cricket is more like a religion than a game in India, so it was not a surprising to see them showing off their emotions at the opponents.Talking of the finale, the toss was won by Sri Lanka, and they put India to field first. On papers, a 6-wicket win may look like a comfortable chase, but it wasn’t like that; India, especially Gambhir & Dhoni chased up the game to show the door to the Lankans.

This WC win becomes more pronounced due to the fact that it was the last WC for Sachin, and he hadn’t had any WC wins in his account, so the WC also puts an end to his WC drought.
After the match, the team took a winning lap, with Sachin on the shoulders to show him gratitude for his services to the Indian team.
I wish all the good luck for the Indian team for their future round of matches, wish they continue their consistent run.

Well done team INDIA!!!!

For the World Cup 2010

While I was writing this, the two teams in the World Cup finale were getting prepared for the showdown (I took a fair time in posting the blog). Well, I have been the fan of this game for over 3 years now. You may find it a very short period, but I became fan of this game after I played the FIFA 07 in my PC, that’s when it all begun. And now from ‘I know nothing about soccer’, I am suffering from 24×7 soccer mania.

Now returning to the topic, this World Cup has been a success, nevertheless of the failures of some big names, the biggest upset being the departure of two giant finalists from last World Cup, the French & the Italians from the group stages. Nonetheless, we saw some great matches, individual plays, long shootings, skillful plays, great team efforts. Apart from these, we experienced some great predictions from ‘Octopus Paul’ too, he has been judging correctly (breaking hearts & inviting unwanted attention on the way) till the finals & moreover it has chosen Spain to be its favorite team. Let’s see if it gets this one right. (I came to know afterwards that it judged it correctly too).

I had been supporting Argentina, to be more precise, Messi was my reason for supporting Argentina. Which team would not be the favorites if it has the FIFA World Player of the year in its squad? Even though he couldn’t score a single goal, he was there’s best players & he played his part pretty well.
Now, the major surprise was some great actions shown from the senior players viz. Wesley Schneider(NED), Diego Forlan(URU), Iniesta(ESP), Landon Donovan(USA). These really showed us the meaning of ‘Old is Gold’, stealing the attention from a lot of players that were expected to shine in the WC.
Thomas Muller getting the prestigious ‘Golden boot’ was a slap in the face of Maradona, who thought of him as a ballboy at their first meeting.
The closing ceremony was breathtaking too. With every anticipating a ‘Waka Waka’ from Shakira, the performers were brilliant too.

With this, I close my first blog. Thank you friends for reading my blog, & forgive me for any grammatical or spelling mistakes. I would love to get suggestions &  comments from you.