9/18/2003
The good and the bad...
Yesterday started out horribly, as far as my sports teams go. Both Arsenal and Celtic had big Champions League matches, and while they went about it in different ways, both suffered crushing losses. Celtic not only put up a valiant fight, but they actually took the lead against Bayern Munich (IN Munich!) with Alan Thompson's diving header. But, Roy Makaay equalized, and then Magnus Hedman's HORRIBLE misjudgment of an attempted cross cost us the game, as it sailed into the net (Makaay again, and in the 86th, no less). Meanwhile, AT HOME, Arsenal lost 0-3 to a weakened Inter Milan side (missing Christian Vieri and Alvaro Recoba). No valor here...they spread their legs faster than Jenna Jameson when the camera's on. Actually, it was 0-3 by the 41st minute, and as Italian teams are wont to do, simply packed in nine defenders, and occasionally came out to counter (Mohammed Kallon hit the post once, and they had a few other chances...WHEN THEY WEREN'T EVEN TRYING!). Our boy Thierry Henry had a weak-ass penalty saved by Francisco Toldo, and I believe it was Freddie Ljungberg who missed a sitter (which would have made it 2-3, and maybe forced Inter to open things up a little). As if that wasn't bad enough, the next match is against my old favorite Timmy Howard and Manchester United...at Old Trafford. Hopefully, the Gunners will take out their anger at this performance on the filthy, dirty Manks.
However, on the other side of the coin, a 7-3 win over San Diego, coupled with Los Angeles' 0-2 capitulation to Arizona, means my San Francisco Giants are N.L. West champions once again. Now, it's just playing out the string, and waiting for the playoff crapshoot begin (really, once we get to the playoffs, No. 1 has just as much of a chance to win as No. 8...like it's Stanley Cup Playoffs all of a sudden).
Random: The WUSA folded, which is sad, in one way...I'd hate to be an 18-year old star just coming out of college, who now has nowhere to play. On the other hand, even a die-hard soccer fan like me couldn't stomach those games...they just weren't all that entertaining. I watched the very first MLS match (San Jose vs. the Scum, San Jose won when Jeff Causey missed an easy save), which was horrible...but, the product's improved greatly. The WUSA never did, even though it had the distinction of having just about every single one of the world's best female players. The games just weren't aggressive enough for me (along with the absolutely appalling defending, which was probably the league's weakest point). Oh well...as long as MLS survives, I'm a happy guy.
However, on the other side of the coin, a 7-3 win over San Diego, coupled with Los Angeles' 0-2 capitulation to Arizona, means my San Francisco Giants are N.L. West champions once again. Now, it's just playing out the string, and waiting for the playoff crapshoot begin (really, once we get to the playoffs, No. 1 has just as much of a chance to win as No. 8...like it's Stanley Cup Playoffs all of a sudden).
Random: The WUSA folded, which is sad, in one way...I'd hate to be an 18-year old star just coming out of college, who now has nowhere to play. On the other hand, even a die-hard soccer fan like me couldn't stomach those games...they just weren't all that entertaining. I watched the very first MLS match (San Jose vs. the Scum, San Jose won when Jeff Causey missed an easy save), which was horrible...but, the product's improved greatly. The WUSA never did, even though it had the distinction of having just about every single one of the world's best female players. The games just weren't aggressive enough for me (along with the absolutely appalling defending, which was probably the league's weakest point). Oh well...as long as MLS survives, I'm a happy guy.
