Now, not sure if Europeans have a cliche similar to the Canadian phrase "desperate hockey," but Liverpool was hard up for a win today, and got one, scoring three times in the final 20 minutes of of the first half and beating Aston Villa 3-1 at Anfield.Backstory: After the World Cup ended in July, I vowed to find Premiership side to support by the end of the 2006-07 season. So far Aston Villa (3-1-6) has the inside track. Of course, they would have to suffer their first loss against Liverpool, the Reds, the team whom my friend Neil Acharya supports.
Anyway, Villa was probably due for a loss. The bright side, at least to this soccer dilettante, was that came back well in the second 45 -- manager Martin O'Neill took out a couple of non-responsive regulars and the shock troops came through with a goal, courtesy of Gabriel Agbonlahor. So while Villa lost, they probably took some positives from the match.
Why Villa? They're not an obvious pick -- like Arsenal, Man U, Chelsea or Liverpool -- nor or they going to be flirting with relegation every year. Plus they share a common trait with two of my more enduring sports obsessions. As is the case with the Toronto Maple Leafs, no one under 30 can remember the last time Villa won anything of consequence; just like the Queen's Golden Gaels in Canadian university football, they have jerseys that to an outsider, are plug-ugly, but to a true believer.
This football thing is going to take time; it's not as easy as memorizing player names, watching Footballer$ Wives and buying the UK version of Fever Pitch on DVD. Well, there's that, and a true football supporter would have started drinking as soon his workday ended on Friday.
Previous:
Soccer Dilettante, No. 2: ... Feeling a Little Villa (Oct. 19)
That's all for now. Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment