El Clásico 1-3

Well there are all my opinions and don't get me wrong, I absolutely love Barca and always will but that is why it hurts so much more to see us fail. I know we are better than this and I also know that we have what it takes to turn it around. I hope that maybe today was a wake up call and that we can easily be beaten if we dont give our all. I hope this will inspire us to have a phenomenal performance against AC Milan. A performance where when all us cules watch we know it's the real Barca. I hope we can recover this weekend. Even though we don't need the points, we certainly need the confidence.

Stunning Siesta

I know the media will point out that it was a win against the bottom team, a team that is struggling and a team we should be beating. They’ll probably even highlight that defensively we weren’t top notch again and conceded two goals. Some would even suggest that this is yet another false dawn and that this is the false face of Arsenal. To all of that, I say stuff it. We won at the Madjeski Stadium by beating Reading 5-2. Our aim was to get three points and that’s what we did in emphatic fashion. Case closed.

Stunning 45

The boss threw up a surprise, as Theo started up front flanked by Podolski and Ox. Cazorla, Wilshere and Arteta continued in midfield as Sagna, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Gibbs and Szczesny all took their places as well. We started brightly and while there were a couple of early Reading half chances, we were dominant. Our passing and movement were potent and we were in a lethal mood as we raced into a 3-0 lead. Podolski opened the scoring after Gibbs’ dinked pass that the German controlled past two Reading defenders and fired home. Then came the Santi show as he notched two goals in quick succession. It was easily the best first half of the season for us. In the second half we dropped off a little after going 4-0 up around the hour mark when Cazorla scored again to complete his treble. Reading pulled two goals back from LeFondre and Kebe but Walcott halted any signs of a wobble with a fifth 10 minutes from time. Defensively both goals conceded could have been avoided but I’ll take the away win and the three points. A job well done.

Hat Trick Hero

Last night was Santi Cazorla’s first professional hat trick. Cazorla was brilliant against Reading. 1 assist, 3 goals from 4 shots on target, 7 successful dribbles and he created 6 goal-scoring opportunities for his teammates. I thought the magical little Spaniard looked rugged the past few weeks but he exploded back into form at the Madjeski. Santi is such an example for any young player. He always wants the ball and has two great feet. On song, he’s so hard to read and last night he reveled in the space between Reading’s defense and midfield. His first came after some good work by Gibbs on the left who beat the Reading right back and put in a cross that Santi headed home from close range. The second was a swivel and hooked finish after Theo’s cross was headed back to Cazorla by Gibbs. And the final was an easy tap home after good work from Wilshere and Podolski who fired in a low cross that left Santi with an open goal.


Central Theo

I wasn’t sure if Walcott would start against Reading. Not only did he start but he also got the chance he’s been craving, at center forward. I’ve had my doubts about Theo has a striker. Scoring goals as a winger means running in from wide positions and finding space on the flanks you can work from. In the middle, gaps are minimal and you have two central defenders to deal with and not just a slow left back. But Theo did very well in his first official game as an Arsenal striker. His movement and pace were brilliant. While he did forgo a couple of good situations, he scored a beautiful goal after being released on the right by Santi, cutting in past two defenders and curling a low shot home. Wenger says he was convinced to play Theo as a striker from “training sessions” and in a way I have a feeling AW is saying to him, well if you’re only going to sign a contract once you get a chance at center forward, then here you go. Now sign the thing!

Same Ol’ Defense

It’s harsh to criticize anyone after a good win but our defense was shoddy in parts. Gibbs had a brilliant game offensively as he laid on three assists but defensively he was caught out of position a couple of times. And he gave away the ball to Reading’s Tabb after attempting a lazy pass across our own half. Tabb beat a slipping Wilshere and released LeFondre for Reading’s first. The second Royals goal came when Robson-Kanu was given room and time to beat the offside trap and he picked out Kebe who fired low past Szczesny. We could have stopped both strikes and once again we made an individual error on a goal. The boys are trying harder but we just have to be sharper next time. There needs to be total concentration and even a sense of pride in keeping clean sheets.

Still Early

I don’t think we can completely say that we’re back to our best but there were signs of fluency and potency in the final third again. Theo’s pace means teams sit deeper which gives our midfield more room to maneuver. And we always thrive when there’s more space. Jury is still out on if Walcott will start there again but he’s doing his bit and that was his 11th goal of the season in all competitions. So there is an argument to give him a run. This win was important because for us it’s yet another step in a long marathon. We needed to build on that WBA game and the boss was quick to point out that while we did lose to Swansea, we have lost only one game in the last six where we beat Spurs but also had to travel to Villa and Everton. And while the results weren’t the very best, they weren’t that bad either. But that’s the past. We just have to continue in our current vein and keep picking up wins.

The Real Truth

It’s interesting to note that we’ve been supposedly in this massive crisis. Now I don’t think everything is fine and dandy. Far from it but the media loves to harp on our impending doom every year. But if you look at the hard facts, in our WORST START TO A SEASON UNDER WENGER, we are currently in 5th place and two points off Spurs and a Champions League spot. We have conceded more goals than only Chelsea, City and the awful bore of a team Stoke and have scored only fewer goals than City and United – the top two teams. So all this doom and gloom is severely exaggerated. Don’t get me wrong, we’re still amidst a big struggle but there is light at the end of the tunnel. Wilshere says that we saw glimpses of the old Arsenal against Reading and that anything can and probably will happen before the season is out. If we can go on a run and get some consistency, there is no doubt in my mind that we’ll be closer to the top than currently expected.

Feliz Cumpleaños, Little Spaniard!

Happy birthday to our little Spaniard, Santi Cazorla

3-2

Wow, it's been two months since my last post, I usually post something at least once a month. I'm currently absolutely blank about what to post. So, I decided to share my thoughts on the latest El Clasico.

I can’t feel good that Barca won because of what Valdes did. I know he didn’t do it on purpose, but that doesn’t do anything to me. I don’t know how we threw everything away like that. If we’d won 3-1, the game at the Bernabeu wouldn’t be filled with as much pressure as it is now, and the boys could go there calmly, and not thinking everything is depending on those 90 minutes. It’s difficult to play at the Bernabeu, so that’s why I am not as happy as I usually would be. Real Madrid is a great team, and them being home is an incredibly good advantage.

The match on itself was good. The first half was kind of boring, though. Real Madrid only defended and waited for a chance to counter-attack Barcelona. Ronaldo was practically playing beside Casillas. The whole first half consisted on Barcelona attacking and Real Madrid defending. Even thought that was great and Barcelona was clearly superior, it didn’t make much of a match. I loved it, though. I loved that Mourinho is a wimpy-ass who was afraid of taking the offensive against Barça. After the 5-0, Mourinho and Real Madrid go to matches against Barcelona with the mentality of defending and waiting for the chance to counter-attack. I think that, if you’re Real Madrid, you can’t afford to think like that. Yes, Barcelona is a very difficult team to play against, but Real Madrid is also a good team. The least that’s expected is for Real Madrid to go look for a goal, to try and try and keep trying. Not hide in their field defending and relying on their goalkeeper. 

The second half was clearly more exciting (Hello, 5 goals were scored). The first goal, Ronaldo’s, was just a sheer stroke of luck. And I’m not saying this because I hate his guts, I’m saying this because it’s what I saw. After the goal, Barcelona seemed to wake up and remember they were playing a match against Real Madrid. In the previous half, Barça seemed to be playing not wholeheartedly at all. They did just like they would play a match right before the Sunday BBQ. And that shows how superior Barcelona really is. Anyway, after the Ronaldo goal, Barcelona woke up and started really playing. Pedro scored, a great goal, in fact. Then the penalty, which Messi scored, and, lastly, Xavi’s incredible goal. Everything was nice and peachy after this, which was fine with me to tell you the truth. As a Barcelona fan, there was nothing more I wanted than to end the match that way.  But then Valdes made a mistake. And I know it wasn’t on purpose, as I said before, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t stare at my TV with a WTF look on my face as my anger rose inside me. I mean, if football is your job, and you get paid just to kick balls around all day, you can’t make that mistake. It’s just not acceptable. Media pila! as we would say in Espanol.

LOLOLOL

Barcelona was way better than Real Madrid, in my opinion. When Barcelona had the ball, Real Madrid ran behind it. But when Real Madrid had the ball, Barça players were fresh (because of the amount of passes they make, they don’t get as tired as others) to pressure the rivals into making more mistakes. I’m not saying Real Madrid did an awful match, because they didn’t, but I’m saying Barcelona is superior in more ways than one. Thanks, Coentrao, it’s good to know you can play a fair and clean game. Not. I sincerely hope Busquets, Iniesta, Messi and Pedro are not too bruised after the match.

I liked the starting Barça team. In the defence, it surprised me that Puyol wasn’t playing, though it was reasonable because he’s coming back from an injury. Adriano surprised me, too. I didn’t think he was that good. He played amazing, and so did Pique and Dani Alves. Mascherano was in a category all by himself. His match was incredible, almost too good. Accurate passes, clean defending, one of his best matches yet. Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets. Another wonderful trio. It always amazes me how talented they all are. The only thing I highlight in this is that poor Busquets has hit 4 times in only the first quarter of the game. That’s sad. And not because he was hit (although it is), but because dirty playing was what Real Madrid had to resort to to take the the ball away from Busquets. In the attack, Messi was unbelievable, as always. He didn’t participate as much as he usually does, but that didn’t stop him from scoring and showing everyone how talented he is. It’s really breathtaking. Pedro was good, but leaning onto average, in my opinion. The was he played was not remarkable, except, of course, the goal. That was really awesome. From Alexis, I felt like he just wanted to pick a fight with a Real Madrid player. He made mistakes often, and was always falling (on purpose) and looking for a penalty. I, in particular, do not appreciate this kind of playing, so I didn’t like the way Alexis performed today. I was a little disappointed. Fabregas came in more to the end of the match, so I didn’t see a lot of him. What I saw, though, I liked. Same happened with Jordi Alba. And Tello. Though what surprised me the most about him was his new haircut. I miss long-haired Tello. But I liked how he played. Even though it was for a very short time, he was a good addition to the team.

All in all, it was a very entertaining match, really fun to watch. I  loved how Barca played, I’m really proud of all of them. Some more than others, but still proud of them. It was a tough match, but Barca was able to make the most of their chances and score. So, yeah. #ViscaElBarça!!

The Danes and the Dutch: One of Those Games

I and everyone else in the world (I hope) with the exception of Denmark watched this match hoping and thinking the Dutch were going to win. I am still in shock over the upset Denmark gave the Netherlands with a 1-0 win to give them three points, an important win to have in this Group of Death. 

Here's the thing. The Dutch played well. They dominated most of the game and had many, many more chances to score than Denmark had. From Van Persie (16) to Robben (11) to Afellay (20), I could name every player on the Dutch team who tried to score a goal and how close many of them were. For every missed chance we had scored, the Dutch would have blown the Danes out of the water. We had twenty-eight shots total and only eight of them were on target. It's frustrating as a fan to see this happen to such a great team.

I'll be the first to admit Van Persie should have been subbed off in the second half after his dismal performance. Yes, he had chances, and yes, he tried to score on those chances, but compared to how he's player previously and what made him a key part in this Dutch National Team, he didn't show up. Afellay did, beating defenders left and right to make a shot, and Sneijder (10) tried numerous time to set up chances to his teammates or make a goal himself. It's frustrating to try and try and try and not get the result you want and in this case, need.

The only goal of the game and one of only eight shots the Danes made came from Krohn-Dehli (9). I have to give the Danes credit. This was a wonderful play with everyone in the right spot and the right kick from Krohn-Dehli to produce the winning and only goal. Of course, Dutch keeper Stekelenburg (1) should have easily deflected this shot, but he didn't and it cost him precious points.

As a Dutch fan, I still have hope for the Orange. In 1988, twenty four years ago, the Dutch lost their first match of the tournament and went on to win it! Still, the Dutch have plenty of talent, as seen in Afellay's gravity defying shot for goal, and if we keep pushing for goals, we'll get them.

Just me and my sis

• Me: *Watching Bolton reserves online and the Arsenal game on TV*
• Sister: Why are you watching two football matches?
• Me: Because I have to.
• Sister: Why not just watch one?
• Me: No.
• Sister: Can't you just read it online after?
• Me: No.
• Sister: But can-
• Me: No.
• Sister: Bu-
• Me: No.

She doesn't understand.

Happy Birthday, Hilarious Keeper!

happy 22nd birthday, Wojciech Szczęsny!

18/04/90

neither here nor there

Hello again, dear Reader. Have you thought about your version of the Story today? I won’t let it die; I’ll keep asking.

The Netherlands defeated England today 3-2, with two typically awesome goals by Arjen Robben. You may or may not have known before this very moment that I am quite passionate about Dutch heritage, but now we are all on the same page.

Now, I am about to ask you a question which may make you upset or angry with me, but which I am willing to ask anyway. That is, Is your patriotism just a euphemism for nationalism? And a follow-up (which I won’t get to in this post), What has nationalism led to over and over again in the Story?

When people say (and I used to say this all the time), that “the Indonesia is the best nation on the planet,” what does that even mean?

First of all, since when are there objective qualities that define “the best nation?” Don’t get me wrong, I like many things about this country, and enjoy them to boot. But the best food I have ever tasted was not from this country. The coolest buildings I’ve ever seen were not in this country. The best soccer in the world, wherever it is, is (clearly) not in this country. Indeed, the Lord of the Rings movies were not made in this country.

So, even if there were objective qualities to define “the best nation,” I would say that at the very least the Indonesia fails to meet some of them, and could perhaps not be the best nation in the world. But anyway, that is all a moot point, because all the things I just mentioned were solely tied to my personal preferences. And because everyone has preferences, we all will choose different reasons for liking one country (generally our own) rather than another. I could argue with my friend till I was blue in the face about why the android are better than blackberry. But if I’m going to be realistic (and this is difficult for me to do), then I must realize that the foundational reason I say android is better is simply that I like them better.

Where this gets all the more interesting is that unlike our sports preferences, our (Indonesia) patriotism/nationalism is rarely based on any real observation of other countries. Whereas I have seen Germany play dozens of times, and have seen them beat many countries on a number of occasions.So what kind of right do I have to say anything about better? At least with Germany vs. England I have a body of work to go on. I can appeal to playing styles; I can appeal to coaching personalities; I can appeal to colors. But even then, as I have already said, it comes down to subjective preferences. Many of us who have grown up in the Indonesia have never spent any significant time outside of this country, and yet we act as if we have at least four legs to stand on when we claim that we live in the best nation.

So then, it seems as if what we are really saying when we claim that is, “I’m not really sure what the other countries are like, but the Indonesia is the best because I like it.”

 I wish we could just stick with, “I like the Indonesia.”

Because I do, I like this country. I think that in some ways, no matter where I go or don’t go, Indonesia will be my favorite place to be. But I also would love to go visit the Netherlands. And New Zealand. And Rwanda. And Iceland. And Japan. Why? Because there are people there—people who, like you and I, have these crazy and astonishingly different stories to tell. Because they all fit into the Story in some integral way, with a wide array of foods and songs and books and ideas and hurts and pains and diseases and on and on down the list.

And also because I love those black and orange Dutch soccer kits.

The bottom line? Well, keep thinking of your version of the Story. Does it put other people groups down while putting your own on a pedestal? If it does, I really hope you’ll reconsider, because the subtlety of that idea in no way lessons its consequences in our lives.