A deserved victory for Bhutia and co.

Three of my most favorite football teams are Manchester United, Atletico Madrid (Spain isn’t just about Barca and Real) and the Indian National Football team. Yes, you heard it right, the very team led by a certain Baichung Bhutia and coached by an Englishman named Bob Houghton. Ask any football fan in India and 8 out of 10 will tell you who top-scored in last season’s Premier League but ask them who the current I-League champions are and they would be clueless. That is football in India for you, where most of us  consider ‘Indian football’ as a non-existant entity.

For all those who saw the nerve-wrecking final of the Nehru Cup between India and Syria, I’m sure it must have been of a one of a kind experience. It was easily by far, one of the best games of football I’ve ever witnessed. No goals in regular time and with less than 10 minutes for penalties substitute Renedy Singh converted a free kick to send the crows to ruptures. He may not be a David Beckham but on that particular day he did much more than Beckham could ever do in his career – help win a trophy for his national side. But then, just when everybody thought the game is over for the Syrians, Ali Diab brilliantly headed the ball past the Indian ‘keeper with hardly any time left for the final whistle.

Ask Roberto Baggio or David Beckham. They wouldn’t think twice telling you that a penalty shootout is the most dreaded affair for any football player. No matter how big a superstar you are, when it comes to shooting the ball from 12 yards with just one person separating glory from you, it is not about skill or talent, rather its about the nerves. Unfortunately for the West Asians, nerves deserted them, along with luck. And then there was super-man Subrata Pal. The three saves he made were nothing short of being called spectacular. The moment Pal leaped to his left to stop Belal Abduldaim, I swear the song Chak De India was playing in my head. The Syrian Coach Fajer Ibrahim commented after the match that Syria could have romped home 4-0 had they scored and the Indians did not deserved the victory. Someone should remind him life, and football are not about possiblities, rather reality. The bottom-line is that Syria lost and India won. But what an irony that in both 2007 and 2009 India won the cup after losing to Syria in the league stages but defeating them when it mattered the most in the final. Lightning does strike twice after all.

India does have a lot of talent. Guys like Chhetri, Pal and NP Pradeep certainly deserve a shot in the European leagues, at least in the smaller ones like in Belgium. It is a pity that Chettri couldn’t make the cut for a work permit with QPR. Else he would have been the second Indian after Bhutia to play in England. What India lacks the most is enough match practice. In the last couple of years apart from two Nehru Cups and the AFC Challenge Cup, the team has hardly played a game. India needs to play more friendlies against better oppositions from Asia and if possible outside. I can’t wait to see India play  the likes of Japan and South Korea in the 2011 AFC Asian Cup.

Football fever is back

So what if Manchester United lost the Community shield game to Chelski? We are still the Premiership champs and have also won the Champions League three times, something the Blues haven’t managed even once. Of course, there was Evra and his penalty kick. Makes me feel I coud guide the ball past Cech with a broken knee. But then there was also blind Mr. Chris Foy. It would be easy to argue about his decisions but it would be wise to say it was an evenly contested game that could have gone either way. Only a fool would play down United’s chances in the Premiership after this loss; the Shield after all only decides who gets to own up the initial bragging rights.

The Red Devils will definitely go into the league as favorites even without Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez. Sir Alex may not have shelled out £50 million on transfers, but Michael Owen, Gabriel Obertan and Antonio Valencia will be eager to prove themselves. The signing of Owen on a free transfer is probably the best move this season so far in the Premiership. He has so far hit top form in the pre-season games. An early introduction of Owen could have swinged United’s fortunes against Chelski. Ecuadorian Valencia is by no means Ronaldo, but his last season at Wigan was nothing short of exceptional. Then there is also the yet to be tested Zoran Tosic. He played a few games for the senior team last year but was largely involved in reserve fixtures.

I really can’t wait for the Premier League to start. I have already started making my presence felt in Fantasy Premier League games on various sites. Like any other Red Devils faithful, I too am praying for another successive title not just in England but also Europe.

Wimbledon final – The greatest game of tennis ever played

Roger ‘Fedex’ Federer (SUI) beat Andy ‘A-Rod’ Roddick (USA)  5-7, 7-6, 7-6, 3-6, 16-14

4 hours and 15 minutes of insanity. This is tennis at its best. If you thought Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon 2008 was astonishing, then what would you say about the battle that just got over? Who would have ever thought in their wildest dreams that an American who last won a Grand Slam way back in 2003 would be the one to challenge the might of Fedex? Anybody who saw the match would say Andy Roddick was chosen by God himself. But then Federer had the last laugh, probably at God himself. Such was the greatness of the match. This is what a friend on FB had to say about it, “Federer, you are a legend. But Andy, you won thousands of hearts today. What a performer!”. Absolutely true.

Russell ‘Gladiator’ Crowe was among the numerous celebrities present at the event. But even he would agree Gladiator is a term that no longer applies to him, rather to a man from the Alps who fought his heart out. Sir Alex Ferguson also present there, might have sold off  Ronaldo and signed Owen. But even the combined greatness of the two could never match that of Roger Federer. I’m sure he would have wished more than once during the match, that either Federer or Roddick was not a tennis player but a footballer. But the person in the stands who mattered more than anyone else was the Legend himself, Pete Sampras. It was his record that Federer was chasing. Something that he did achieve after a marathon 5-7, 7-6, 7-6, 3-6, 16-14 match. Yes, you read it right, 16-14 in the final set. When was the last time you were witness to something like this.

Before this match, I was also among many who questioned the ability of Federer. Of course, it is easy to say it was Nadal’s absence and not Federer’s brilliance that has made him a 15 time Grand Slam champion. It may be true. And it does look at the moment that Nadal might the only person capable of bettering Federer. But till then at least, it would be safe to say, “Roger Federer – The greatest man to have ever held a tennis raquet“. I’m sure that is something even the likes of  Bjorn Borg, Rod Laver and John McEnroe would agree. Hell, even Sampras.

What happened today at Centre court was not just a great match, it was history being made. I don’t think you will ever get to see anything this thrilling in any sport, let alone tennis. Federer won the Championship; Roddick won the hearts.

Greatness was not Federer. Greatness was not Roddick. Greatness was the match itself.