§ Raiders
ABOYNE (vb.) To beat an expert at a game of skill by playing so appallingly that none of his clever tactics or strategies are of any use to him. —The Meaning of Liff, Douglas Adams & John Lloyd 1983 The only defence I can offer Raiders coach Art Shell and offensive coordinator Tom Walsh is my theory that Oakland’s latest... more
I didn’t even get to see this game. So why the match report? Because I’ve been waiting for a reason to expose Fulham manager Chris Coleman as Little Nicky for quite some time. Coleman has likely ditched this uber-geeky style by now, but I will never understand what would have compelled a wealthy ex-footballer turned young manager to adopt such... more
I’ve always enjoyed watching Alan Smith play football. The former Leeds striker plays with a ferocity and commitment to the cause that is unparalleled in professional football. However, what’s even better than watching Alan Smith bang in a last-gasp, injury-time goal? It’s watching Alan Smith notch a point-saving goal in the red shirt of Manchester United. Even if Sir Alex... more
He may be both arrogant and smug, but new Chelsae manager Jose Mourinho has now managed to topple Sir Alex’s Manchester United twice in less than an year. Last season, Mourinho got the better of Sir Alex when his Porto side eliminated United from the Champions League. This time, Chelsea’s Eidur Gudjohanson helped his new manager begin his premiership... more
Greece 1 - Portugal 0 Are Greece one of the best international teams in the world? Probably not. But, are the unheralded mediterranean side worthy of the title European Champions? Definitely. Any team that can defend in the European Final like they did for 90 minutes deserve their rewards. Coming into the final as massive favourites, tournament hosts Portugal were... more
Group D provides the other marquee matchup of Euro 2004’s initial slate of games. Both Germany and the Netherlands have the ability to win this tournament, yet both sides have also been notably inconsistent in recent years. Lending credence to the belief that these heavyweights are both talented and awkward at the same time, this match provided one bizarre goal... more
Latvia, isn’t that the country that Dr Doom rules with an iron fist? Either way, as the most unfortunate underdogs of the tournament, Latvia inhabit a Group D that also harbours Germany and the Netherlands, this little known team from an ex-Soviet territory gained much respect today as they nearly upset the powerful Czech Republic. Right before half time, Latvia... more
In what was first commanding victory of the tournament, Sweden made up for Euro 2004’s miserly goal tally with five succesful assaults on the Bulgarian net. It was a fine display from the Swedes who took their one goal lead into the second half and then completely dominated the Bulgarians. Freddie Ljungberg opened the scoring against Bulgaria on the 32nd... more
Perhaps a more appropriate scoreline for this match would read: Italy’s Gianluigi Buffon 0 - Denmark’s Thomas Sorenson 0. This Group C match proved to be another tight, defensive encounter in what is appearing to be a very tightfisted European Championship. But rather than blame poor finishing, the Italian and Danish goalkeepers defined this game through their clutch shot-blocking and... more
It’s been a long time since plucky little Croatia won the hearts of neutrals with their dazzling third-place performance at World Cup ‘98. Gone are the glory days of a strike force led by Davor Suker and Alen Boksic. Instead, after the goal-less draw of today’s match, this latest generation of Croatian footballers seemed as ordinary as the little known... more