06 stycznia 2006
So Much For That
I have had some sort of random crud...the kind that makes you achy and somewhat fevery. This has given me the chance to watch way too many court shows, but also a chance to watch a lot of Fox Soccer Channel. Okay, I watch a lot of Fox Soccer Channel anyway.
Today I watched a game from the French "Ligue 1." I never watch the French league, the best French players seem to be playing in England. Also, I just have a hard time following things when I can't read the names; they are either French names I can't pronounce, or overlong West African names with a lot of "u"s and glottal stops. They did have one Arizonan, Greg Vanney, playing in their league until this season.
This game I saw was actually played on Wednesday, but they showed it today because Rupert Murdoch knew I was sick and he thought I'd enjoy watching it. It was between Olimpique de Marseille and Racing Club de Lens. Marseille had the only player I had heard of, Fabien Barthez, the former Manchester United FC goalkeeper. Barthez earned my mother's undying scorn when he inadvertently showed his hairy behind to the cameras while being treated for an injury at the 1998 World Cup.
The game started off poorly for Lens, they dropped an early goal and then their 'keeper, a fella named Charles Itandje (see what I said about the names?) got into a tussle with Marseille's not too handsome midfielder Franck Ribéry. Ribéry recieved what they call on Telemundo a amonestado, but Itandje got ejected. This left his team a goal down, ten players, and at least a few minutes without a proper goalkeeper.
Then, Marseille did something remarkable: absolutely nothing. Instead of trying to finish Lens off, they just kicked the ball around. For most of the rest of the game, they played the worst sort of boring soccer you've seen. Yes, I'm including long stretches of the last MLS Cup when I grade boring.
Note for next time: game killing tactics only work if the other team isn't willing to fight.
Lens fought like squealing, rabid hyenas. So, guess what happened? Lens tied the game up. For the rest of the game, Marseille's players looked totally deflated. The referee looked happy to blow the final whistle after a game that was on the verge of being really ugly on more than one occasion.
There is a player for Lens named Daniel Cousin. I thought, Cousin, that sounds friendly. Anyway, the announcer refered to him as Coo San. Maybe he's Japanese.
Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.
Today I watched a game from the French "Ligue 1." I never watch the French league, the best French players seem to be playing in England. Also, I just have a hard time following things when I can't read the names; they are either French names I can't pronounce, or overlong West African names with a lot of "u"s and glottal stops. They did have one Arizonan, Greg Vanney, playing in their league until this season.
This game I saw was actually played on Wednesday, but they showed it today because Rupert Murdoch knew I was sick and he thought I'd enjoy watching it. It was between Olimpique de Marseille and Racing Club de Lens. Marseille had the only player I had heard of, Fabien Barthez, the former Manchester United FC goalkeeper. Barthez earned my mother's undying scorn when he inadvertently showed his hairy behind to the cameras while being treated for an injury at the 1998 World Cup.
The game started off poorly for Lens, they dropped an early goal and then their 'keeper, a fella named Charles Itandje (see what I said about the names?) got into a tussle with Marseille's not too handsome midfielder Franck Ribéry. Ribéry recieved what they call on Telemundo a amonestado, but Itandje got ejected. This left his team a goal down, ten players, and at least a few minutes without a proper goalkeeper.Then, Marseille did something remarkable: absolutely nothing. Instead of trying to finish Lens off, they just kicked the ball around. For most of the rest of the game, they played the worst sort of boring soccer you've seen. Yes, I'm including long stretches of the last MLS Cup when I grade boring.
Note for next time: game killing tactics only work if the other team isn't willing to fight.
Lens fought like squealing, rabid hyenas. So, guess what happened? Lens tied the game up. For the rest of the game, Marseille's players looked totally deflated. The referee looked happy to blow the final whistle after a game that was on the verge of being really ugly on more than one occasion.
There is a player for Lens named Daniel Cousin. I thought, Cousin, that sounds friendly. Anyway, the announcer refered to him as Coo San. Maybe he's Japanese.
Hasta la proxima. Do zobaczenia.
