This was a week-end full of story-lines to say the least...
Let's start with racing where Ebony Flyer flopped badly in the Queen's Plate. There have been no real official excuses for her tame effort from the connections. There are a couple of things that could have undone her. First, her high draw could have taken a bit out of her as she tried to angle for a stalking spot from the start. Second, the hard race might have come too soon for her. Sure, she came out second in her prep race 3 weeks before, but maybe she needed more recuperation time in between races, particularly coming back from a wind operation. Anyways, her no-show was disappointing, and I would need to re-assess her real chances in her future races.
In football, Real won and Barcelona only drew; I am convinced that the silly points that the Blaugrana are losing on the road (think Sevilla, Espanol) will prove their undermining at the end. My recommendation in previous posts to load on Real for the title is looking good at the present.
But the football news of the week-end were the returns of legends Paul Scholes and Thierry Henry to their respective clubs. Scholes' return was necessary to fill the void left by a missing playmaker in the Red Devil's midfield. It remains to be seen if the red-headed genius still has the legs to perform at this level. Henry's return was fairy-tale as he notched the winner on his return. His game is no longer about speed, so it remains to be seen how he fits in the Arsenal attack.
How Man Utd's win at the Etihaad against neighbours Man City in the FA Cup, will affect the title run-in will be interesting. The Red Devils were on a 2-game slide and their mental strength would have been seriously rocked if they had faltered again. Clearly, the game was changed when Kompany was red-carded. If City can cope with his 4-game absence, they will get out of it full of belief and confidence. If not, this could be the turning point of the season. Mancini can complain all he wants about not having a complete squad. Like everyone, he knows has got the best in the Premier League. The title is still theirs to lose.
Showing posts with label Thierry Henry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thierry Henry. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Friday, November 11, 2011
Euro 2012 Playoffs
Enchanted Dream was a disappointing unplaced; reading her trainer's comments, she apparently did not take to the fibresand, but she did well on her last appearance on it. I think that she got outpaced and the 7 furlongs was a little on the sharp side for her. A longer distance would have suited her better.
In a few hours, the Euro 2012 playoffs will commence and I unreservedly think Portugal, Ireland and the Czechs are going to go through. No surprise there as they are favourites of their ties. As regards Turkey against Croatia, I think the underdogs Turks have a great chance to qualify; at this stage, mental toughness will shine through and the Turk national team certainly has the edge over the Croats in this regard. For value punters, Turkey is the one to look at, in my opinion, in these playoffs
Portugal should be able to overcome Bosnia over 2 legs. They not only can count on Christiano Ronaldo, but also a cast of other big-game players like Nani, Meireles etc. The Portuguese to qualify is the recommendation.
Ireland will not have a better chance to qualify as they play Estonia. Trappatoni is a master trainer who will get his tactics right; I hope the Irish go through because of the injustice suffered at the hands (no pun-intended!) of the Thierry Henry fraud in the World Cup 2010 playoffs. I think they will and recommend to qualify as well.
Finally, it looks to be close between the Czechs and Montenegro but the former boast a much richer pedigree in the competition. They are maybe slightly weaker than the Czech teams of a few years back, but still a formidable force to reckon with. I recommend the Peter Cech and his acolytes to go through.
To qualify: Ireland, Portugal, Czechoslovakia
In a few hours, the Euro 2012 playoffs will commence and I unreservedly think Portugal, Ireland and the Czechs are going to go through. No surprise there as they are favourites of their ties. As regards Turkey against Croatia, I think the underdogs Turks have a great chance to qualify; at this stage, mental toughness will shine through and the Turk national team certainly has the edge over the Croats in this regard. For value punters, Turkey is the one to look at, in my opinion, in these playoffs
Portugal should be able to overcome Bosnia over 2 legs. They not only can count on Christiano Ronaldo, but also a cast of other big-game players like Nani, Meireles etc. The Portuguese to qualify is the recommendation.
Ireland will not have a better chance to qualify as they play Estonia. Trappatoni is a master trainer who will get his tactics right; I hope the Irish go through because of the injustice suffered at the hands (no pun-intended!) of the Thierry Henry fraud in the World Cup 2010 playoffs. I think they will and recommend to qualify as well.
Finally, it looks to be close between the Czechs and Montenegro but the former boast a much richer pedigree in the competition. They are maybe slightly weaker than the Czech teams of a few years back, but still a formidable force to reckon with. I recommend the Peter Cech and his acolytes to go through.
To qualify: Ireland, Portugal, Czechoslovakia
Monday, February 14, 2011
The Phenomenon
It is with mixed feelings that I took the news of Brazilian Ronaldo's end to his career. I wish he could play on a few more years, trying to get some of his old game back, and mesmerize fans with his dazzling runs and goals. I suppose that would be really too much asking for a 34-year old who admitted his body just couldn't match his mental desire to stay in the game. Just seeing a snapshot of him now is enough to see that he is right. End of a truly great Phenomenon.
For, at his best, Ronaldo was in my opinion, the best of the best of all strikers. His technique, dribbling, and explosive runs have never been matched by any other forward, and his finishing was there with the best. It is with those images of him taking on defender after defender at full-speed towards goal that I remember most, while statistic-aware fans might think more in terms of World Player of the Year accolades and World Cup goal-scoring records; the speed of Thierry Henry, the power of Drobga, the finishing of Van Nistelrooy, and the finesse of Van Basten all incorporated into one. That was O Phenomeno.
For, at his best, Ronaldo was in my opinion, the best of the best of all strikers. His technique, dribbling, and explosive runs have never been matched by any other forward, and his finishing was there with the best. It is with those images of him taking on defender after defender at full-speed towards goal that I remember most, while statistic-aware fans might think more in terms of World Player of the Year accolades and World Cup goal-scoring records; the speed of Thierry Henry, the power of Drobga, the finishing of Van Nistelrooy, and the finesse of Van Basten all incorporated into one. That was O Phenomeno.
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