Que te vaya bien, Frank
Que te vaya bien, Frank
I’m not generally one for too much sentiment when it comes to sports. I bid players and coaches farewell about as emotionally as I do laundry, but somehow this is different. Franklin Edmundo Rijkaard will certainly be missed around these parts, despite the on-again-off-again relationship most of us have had with him over the last [...]
I’m not generally one for too much sentiment when it comes to sports. I bid players and coaches farewell about as emotionally as I do laundry, but somehow this is different. Franklin Edmundo Rijkaard will certainly be missed around these parts, despite the on-again-off-again relationship most of us have had with him over the last two years.
Let’s look beyond the recent “turmoil,” beyond the tabloid headlines decrying this or that folly, and let’s look at the good that Frank Rijkaard has done for this club. Two La Liga titles, a Champions League title, and 2 Spanish SuperCups in the span of 5 years, along with 2 runner ups and a 3rd place finish in the league, and a Champions League semifinal appearance to boot. Then there’s the final of the FIFA Club World Cup in Japan and a Copa Catalunya title last year (though I don’t know if Frankie can take credit for that one).
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How to Build a Better Team (and have fun doing it!), part 1
Now, I will admit right here that I considered titling this post “Defense Against the Dark Arts” or some such nerdical nonsense, but changed my mind in order to protect my good name. Then, obviously, I went ahead and made a Harry Potter reference by posting the picture above. Great. And yeah, for the record, [...]
Now, I will admit right here that I considered titling this post “Defense Against the Dark Arts” or some such nerdical nonsense, but changed my mind in order to protect my good name. Then, obviously, I went ahead and made a Harry Potter reference by posting the picture above. Great. And yeah, for the record, I do like the Potter series, but no, I’ve never written any fan fiction. So stop planning your comments around which powerful ancient wizard Yaya Toure reminds you of.
Onward and upward, since that’s the only direction to go after that start…
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El Clásico!
I know that the rumors about who is leaving and who is arriving are flying thick and fast from all over the world (should we get Anakin Skywalker Rodrigo Palacio? How about Jozy Altidore, David Villa, or Peter Parker?), but there is something much more important afoot: El Clásico! Seriously, though, it’s the most important [...]
I know that the rumors about who is leaving and who is arriving are flying thick and fast from all over the world (should we get Anakin Skywalker Rodrigo Palacio? How about Jozy Altidore, David Villa, or Peter Parker?), but there is something much more important afoot: El Clásico! Seriously, though, it’s the most important game of this half of the season and while it may be meaningless for our rivals, it means the world to this fan and to avoiding Champions League qualifiers. So there’s “heckaton” to play for and no doubt Real Madrid will want to put on some sort of a show against us as we give them the guard of honor (el pasillo, or tunnel, in Spanish) before the match. I’m sure that hurts the players’ pride and they don’t want to do it, but to be honest that sort of gesture has never bothered me. But seeing as it means nothing to me, I don’t see why we keep it around either because it doesn’t seem to be a gesture with any meaning anymore other than to hurt the opposing team who happens to be there on that day.
Anyway, it’s morbo time in the Bernabeu and our boys, including the recently cleared Toure, will be there. Here’s the full squad: Valdés, Pinto, Zambrotta, Oleguer, Thuram, Márquez, Puyol, Abidal, Sylvinho, Touré Yaya, Edmílson, Xavi, Gudjohnsen, Bojan, Ezquerro, Giovani, Henry, Messi.. We’ll be missing a few key players through suspension and injury, namely Eto’o and Deco who both picked up needless and stupid yellows in the win over Valencia. Milito and Iniesta are out through injury, the former for 6 months and the latter for as long as it takes to recover from a slipped meniscus.
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