Yellow Submarine Central

Try http://aupasubmarino.blogspot.com

2011-08-22T08:19:00.001-07:00

Hi All!I have moved to http://aupasubmarino.blogspot.com for a fresh start. Please check it out. The focus will still be Villarreal and Spanish football but there will be more emphasis on Spanish blog posts. CheersRavi

Find me on Forzafutbol

2011-08-19T21:59:00.000-07:00

Hi I am co-managing http://www.forzafutbol.com. All my new blogposts are going to be there. You may reach me on twitter at http://www.twitter.com/aupasubmarinoSee you at forza!

Nostalgia : México x USA world cup qualifier at Azteca March 27 2005 Part 2/2

2011-05-28T02:44:00.000-07:00

KICK-OFF1st Half:Finally the ball is in play. Mexico started with their usual short passing game, passing the ball around in the midfield. US was more than prepared for that, cutting off any long passes. The temperamental 'Cuau'Cuautehmoc is getting frustrated already. Mexican coach spewing up smoke with is cigarettes and generally shouting a lot of instructions. Since I was so close to the

Nostalgia : México x USA world cup qualifier at Azteca March 27 2005 Part 1

2011-05-28T02:40:00.000-07:00

Recycling a very old post of mine.The Azteca Experience - 1Certain events I would have blogged if I had a blog at the time. Here is one of those.Sunday March 27th 2005Mexico City.The Preamble:So the day had finally arrived. Waited for this since the schedule for World cup qualifiers was drawn up in mid-2004. USA @ Mexico. Cant get any bigger in these parts of the earth. The two giants of

Shock in Porto

2011-05-01T00:03:00.000-07:00

Villarreal goes down 5-1 in Porto after taking a 0-1 into the half time.I will breakdown the details closer to the 2nd leg. Barring a miracle of epic proportions, FC Porto will feature in the final of the Europa League on 18th May in Dublin.

Submarine v Dragon

2011-04-23T21:52:00.000-07:00

FC Porto – Villarreal CF Europa League semifinals When & Where1st leg – 9.05pm CET 28/4/2011, Estadio do Dragao, Oporto, Portugal.2nd leg – 9.05pm CET 5/5/2011, Estadio El Madrigal, Vila-real, Spain.IntroductionOf all the 4 semifinals in Champions league & Europa league this is the most intriguing match-up if not the most glamorous. These two teams practice distinct styles of football and are

Hola Hola!

2011-04-17T22:00:00.000-07:00

After almost a year, trying to get back into the old habit of writing. A few big stories to be written.1. Why am I a fan of Villarreal? - I get this question at least once a week, if not more.2. The trip to El Madrigal, Vila-real.3. FC Porto - Villarreal CF : Europa League semi-final preview. Not sure when I will be able to address all three of them but safe to say, I might start with #3 and

The World Cup Final - España Rules

2010-07-12T08:34:00.000-07:00

Hostía! Somos Campeones!(we are the freakin Champions)V I V A E S P A Ñ AThe Opponent :Dutch had a plan. Kick, kick, give the ball to Robben and pray, karate kick and then kick again(not the ball, but the Spaniards). It threw Spain off for the most part but they kept enough composure to win it in the end. It is a disgrace tha De Jong&Van Bommel wernt sent off in 120 minutes of UFC football!

Xavi, is class.

2010-07-09T20:44:00.000-07:00

In a fascinating interview with El País, Xavi: "What did people think? That we were going to win every game 3-0? I can't believe what I am hearing sometimes. Do you not realize how hard it is? Teams aren't stupid; we're European champions. They all pressure us like wolves. There isn't a single meter, not a second on the pitch. We are passing faster and faster and faster. We're playing bloody

Aupa España

2010-07-07T20:51:00.001-07:00

Finally Spain regains something close to the midas touch. And dominate Germany. 1-0 scoreline doesnt reflect the control and dominance of Spain in the game. On to the final now. here is quick analysis. Xabi-Busi X De Jong-Van Bommel ; Edge ESPXavi-Iniesta-Pedro X Sneijder-Kuyt-Robben : Edge ESPVilla X Van Persie : are you kidding?Having said that, football is funny and thats why they play the

Semifinals

2010-07-05T18:26:00.000-07:00

the final week of the world cup. España x Germany - WednesdayUruguay x Netherlands - TuesdayVamos España!

Adiós Argentina

2010-07-04T10:25:00.000-07:00

I got this right in my post ing 5/17 :)http://centrofutbol.blogspot.com/2010/05/world-cup-preview2-argentina_17.html¡¡¡¡¡Aupa España!!!!!

¡Aupa España!

2010-07-01T08:50:00.000-07:00

Vamos España!Vamos a jugar bien y ganar...y ganar y volverá ganar!Vamos La Roja!

Argentina x México - Observations

2010-06-27T15:32:00.002-07:00

1. México started brightly but as luck would have it, the couldnt breakthrough 2. While the offside goal was unfortunate, the killer was the terrible 2nd goal. That was unacceptable. The game was over right there. 3. Looks like Man. Utd have got themselves a talented young striker (no not Rooney). 4. Messi denied a goal again, for the 4th game in a row. I dont think he cares as long as his team

Germany X England - Observations

2010-06-27T15:32:00.001-07:00

1. The new Germany is wicked good, especially when they attack. 2. Having said that, German defence is not that reliable nor is the goalkeeper. England didnt even test them on a consistent basis. 3. Typical England, a world of hype coming in, huge letdown since day#1. 4. England scored 3 goals in 4 games only one of which came from a striker(Defoe). What happened to the 'world's best' striker

World Cup after Day#10

2010-06-20T14:47:00.000-07:00

South America - impressive.North America - very good.Western Europe - fail.Rest of Europe - good.Asia - average.Africa - disappointing.New Zealand - stuff of dreams.

World Cup day 2 - quick hits

2010-06-13T23:52:00.000-07:00

Game #3 Greece x Korean Republic - 0-2It is not just the Greek economy that is in crisis. Their football team is in the same boat if not worse. They looked very poor against a well organized and slick South Korea. I am impressed by the Koreans.Game #4 Argentina x Nigeria - 1-0The 'Maradona circus' has begun. Smashing start to the game with an early goal. Argentina played very well for about 30

World Cup Day 1 quick hits

2010-06-13T23:40:00.000-07:00

Game # 1 South Africa X Mexico - 1-1Mexico started very brightly, forcing the SA goalkeeper into making some point blank saves. South Africa slowly got into the game and took a shock lead on a quick counter-attack early in the 2nd half. The home team grew in confidence every passing minute and were very close to going 2-0 up. However, Mexico battled back and equalized to draw level and thats how

En fin - I couldnt make it

2010-06-09T20:10:00.000-07:00

In the end, world cup coincided with a 180 move in terms of projects at work.akin to riding 3 boats at the same time without knowing how to swim. I have to do a better job once the WC starts

Quilmes Argentina Ad (from 2006)

2010-06-05T20:00:00.000-07:00

This is by far the most intense and emotional ad I have seen for world cup. Quilmes the offical sponsor of the Albiceleste.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKtk1s6zOegLyrics here >>Bendito sea el Mundial con que soñamos.Bendito cada nombre que ha sido designado.Benditos los pibes que siempre sacamos.El peso de la historia, el respeto ganado.Malditos sean los recuerdos dolorosos.Maldita la

Cansado y Ocupado

2010-06-02T22:35:00.000-07:00

Hay tanto trabajo que no me deja escribir sobre el fútbol y el mundial. aún tengo que escribir previstas de 27 equipos! vaya lío. pero lo intentaréThere is so much that I dont have time to write about football and the world cup. I still need to write previews for the remain 27 teams. Looks impossible, but I will try.

World Cup Preview #5 : Brazil

2010-05-31T11:27:00.000-07:00

Other ReviewsMéxicoArgentinaEnglandSpain‘Penta-campeon’ or 5-time champion and eternal favorite Brazil is one of the few teams that announced the squad of 23 players for the world cup with a month to go before the show-piece in South Africa kicks off on June 11th.Coach Dunga announced a squad full of consistent performers, physically very strong players mirroring his own personality, very unlike

World Cup Preview #4: México

2010-05-31T11:24:00.000-07:00

Other ReviewsArgentinaEnglandSpainBrazilMéxico - Can ‘El Trí’ overcome their 2nd round blues?After a bad start to the qualifying campaign under Sven Goran Eriksson, Javier Aguirre returned for a second stint with “El Trí” and ensured that México qualified with games to spare. In the process he built a team which is a goof mix of veterans like Cuauhtémoc Blanco, Rafa Marquez, Gerardo Torrado and

en español?

2010-05-31T06:32:00.000-07:00

volvemoos a español? ahí vamos!

Funny Caricatures of all the world cup teams

2010-05-30T09:30:00.000-07:00

These are really funny, some more so than the other. http://www.marca.com/albumes/2010/05/30/carteles_mundial/index.html

World Cup Previews::Brazil and Mexico

2010-05-25T21:03:00.001-07:00

The wait is almost over, these two should be out in the next 24 h

Jose Mourinho & Real Madrid : The Saga has begun.

2010-05-23T22:43:00.000-07:00

Mourinho is all set to be appointed the manager of Real Madrid this week. This is going to be interesting. A marriage of 2 conflicting models and philosophies. On one side we have Real Madrid, the biggest football club in the world with a very business like corporate structure which includes a board of directors and sporting director who is incharge of all the transfers and signing new players

Inter Milan : Champions of Europe

2010-05-22T17:46:00.000-07:00

Inter Milan of Jose Mourinho completed the League-Cup-Champions League treble with a hard fought 2-0 win. Quick thoughts1. Bayern came out firing and had the upper hand in the initial stages of the game.2. Inter let Bayern keep majority of the possession and counter-attacked effectively3. Julio Cesar made a few great saves and won half the final for Inter, quite probably the best goalkeeper at

World Cup Preview #4 : Brazil

2010-05-20T20:10:00.001-07:00

penta-campeón, five time champions are up next. Can they become sexta-campeón? watch out...

World Cup Preview #3: England

2010-05-19T21:11:00.000-07:00

Other ReviewsSpainArgentinaAfter narrowly failing to qualify for Euro 2008, England under Fabio Capello have made quick work of their world cup qualifying group and qualified for the World Cup with relative ease. While the qualification was never in doubt from what was an easy group, England under Capello have been a revelation, especially the manner in which they overcame Croatia, England's

World Cup Preview #3 : England

2010-05-19T06:05:00.001-07:00

Capello and the Queen's team.Coming soon.. keep watching this space.

Champions League Final Inter Milan X Bayern Munich : Preview Part #2

2010-05-18T17:11:00.000-07:00

Champions League final Part# 1Bayern’s journey to the finalBayern Munich had trouble getting out of their group, just like Inter. They eliminated Juventus in the last group match to progress to the round of 16. They were lucky to eliminate Fiorentina through a clear offside goal. First leg ended 2-1 in Munich and the 2nd leg ended 3-2 in Florence. They faced Manchester United in the Quarter-final

World Cup Preview#2 : Argentina

2010-05-17T11:49:00.000-07:00

When Diego Maradona took the job of managing Argentina's national team, there were mixed reactions. Most thought he neither had the experience nor the tactical mind to take a high profile yet underachieving Argentina to a World cup win. But make no mistake, everyone agreed on one thing. With Diego, it will never be boring.The qualifying campaign was anything but smooth. Argentina made heavy work

Champions League Final Inter Milan X Bayern Munich : Preview Part #1

2010-05-16T17:31:00.000-07:00

When: May 22nd 20.45 CETWhere: Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, Madrid, Spain.The final of Champions League features two unlikely teams in Jose Mourinho's Inter and Louis Van Gaal's Bayern Munich. At the start of the tournament the fancied teams were the defending champions FC Barcelona the losing finalists Manchester United and the hosts Real Madrid, especially after their huge signings including

World Cup Preview # 2 : Argentina

2010-05-15T19:56:00.001-07:00

Mad Maradona's weird squad.Coming soon....

La Liga Season Finale day#1

2010-05-15T19:47:00.000-07:00

Villareal finish 7th and missed out the last Europa League birth. Getafe finished 6th to take their place in the Europa League. I think Getafe deserved it more than they Yellow submarine.Tha brings to an end of a tumultous season for Villareal who touched the depths of being last in La Liga for a couple of weeks, coaching changes, injuries never let the team settle down to a rythm. Good luck for

Opportunity lost

2010-05-15T19:45:00.000-07:00

Tried my luck at getting an opportunity to be a part of the Guardian's fan network. bummer! didnt get selected. This blog will continue nevertheless.www.twitter.com/aupasubmarino

World Cup Preview #1 : Spain

2010-05-12T08:47:00.000-07:00

Spain has to prove its Euro 2008 victory wasn't a fluke - no easy task. They face a very accomplished Chile, a physically strong Honduras and the dark horse Switzerland in the group stage.They will retain the core of the Euro 2008 squad and play the trademark ball possession and passing game. Fernando Torres will lead the forward line, with David Villa, who will drift into wide positions often;

Coming up - World cup previews

2010-05-09T20:34:00.000-07:00

I will start putting up previews of all the 32 teams as teams start to finalize their 30 man lineups. Some have already done it.

Wow!

2010-05-08T14:01:00.000-07:00

wow! matchday #37 la liga was a cracker.Madrid pull away in the 2nd half, Barcelona hold on to their 1 pt lead.Villareal end the game with 9 men but still win keeping the Europa league hopes alive. Everything will be decided in the Liga final next week.Cant wait for the matchday# 38

La Liga jornada 37 : multi-futbol

2010-05-08T11:53:00.000-07:00

Todos los partidos a la misma hora y ya es la hora.Vamos Villareal! Aupa submarino!Madrid o Barça para la liga?Getafe o Villarea para la Europa league?

La Liga Midweek

2010-05-04T21:46:00.000-07:00

Villareal suffer a setback to their Europa league hopes with a 4-2 loss away to Almeria. The yellow team started brightly only to be reduced to 10 men on the 20 min mark and end the half down 3-0. They did make a brief comeback to 3-2 but Almeria sealed their place in La Liga for one more year with a late goal. Barça win but not before some jitters after the modest Islanders from Tenerife

40 days to the World Cup

2010-05-02T09:41:00.000-07:00

w0000000000t :)

Barcelona stays ahead in the title race

2010-05-02T09:31:00.000-07:00

Barcelona kept their lead at the top of La Liga with a good win at Villareal. The final scoreline 4-1 is somewhat deceptive because Villareal played very well in the 2nd half and if not for a few missed chances in the first half, this scoreline would have ended a lot closer.Messi scored a double, Xavi scored with and exquisite free-kick and Bojan scored the goal of the week for Barcelona. Joseba

Atletico de Madrid - the epitome of unpredictability and cardiac

2010-04-30T11:31:00.000-07:00

coming soon.

Adiós Barça

2010-04-28T21:08:00.001-07:00

Barcelona is out of the Champions League. Mourinho laid a defensive trap, and even with 10 men for 60 minutes, Barcelona could not beat the trap. The game ended 1-0 with an 83rd minute goal from Pique but Barcelona couldnt muster the 2nd goal they needed to win the tie.Ibrahimovic cut a forlorn figure for most of the game and got substituted in the 2nd half. Barcelona brought him to make a

Barcelona X Inter

2010-04-25T22:00:00.000-07:00

FC Barcelona is at the beginning of a make-or-break week. Wednesday they will try to revert a 3-1 deficit from last weeks first leg of the Champions League semifinal at San Siro against Inter Milan.The good thing is that they are playing at home. The dice is loaded against them on pretty much every other aspect. Jose Mourinho doesnt lose many ties, let alone when he is carrying a 2 goal cushion

50 Days to the World Cup

2010-04-23T07:55:00.000-07:00

Less than 50 days away from the World Cup kick-off on 11th June in South Africa, the smaller teams which don’t have many players playing in the top European competitions have already started preparations. It is a different story for the top teams though. Their coaches get tense every time one of their players takes a knock playing for their club. They are all hoping all their key players will

Bayern Munich X Lyon

2010-04-19T20:13:00.000-07:00

While most of the spotlight is on the Inter X Barcelona, there is another semi-final to be played between two very capable and well drilled teams. The shiny Allainz Arena, which resembles a space-age balloon, is the venue for the first leg of the 2nd semifinal between Bayern Munich and Lyon (Olympique Lyonnais).Bayern Munich is a much better team than your usual Bundesliga team. Here is stat that

Inter X Barcelona - Champions League Semifinal#1 First Leg

2010-04-19T07:27:00.000-07:00

Last couple of weeks we witnessed a slew of great games in the quarter-final stage of the UEFA Champion League. This time of the year usually brings some of the best games and drama to all the football fans around the globe. This being a world cup year there is an extra buzz surrounding the superstars of the game, their form, and injuries etc., everything is magnified a few times over.

Adiós Felipao! Adiós Aguirre

2009-02-09T18:31:00.000-08:00

Luis Felipé Scolari aka Big Phil (Felipao) has been dumped by Chelsea today. Great coach. It looked like a great fit to start with. But increasingly as time ticked, looked not such a great fit. But the word is that he lost his players.Javier Aguirre the amiable mexican also fired by Atlético Madrid last week. And what do you know they register a thumping in what would their first victory of 2009.

USA x México - WC 2010 Qualifiers begin

2009-02-08T19:05:00.000-08:00

this wednesday.the super-clasico of CONCACAF kicks off in cold and blustery Columbus, Ohio.As the big game is approaching, I found this piece very funny. seems like the Mexican fans are taking to voodoo dolls to end their long winless streak on US soil.http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=616736&sec=us&cc=5901I used to work in México and one of my best moments was watching the March 2005

Hello!

2009-02-06T09:01:00.000-08:00

3..2..1 checking the pulse..I am still alive. But this blog has been dead for almost 4-5 months now.One thing that hasnt changed much is the title of the last post. "Super Barça"they are still super.My beloved submarino Villareal is in a free-fall. :(Champion's League 2nd round starts in about 10 days. Lots of great duels in the offing.The good times of football have returned after this prolonged

Super Barça!

2008-10-06T23:07:00.000-07:00

Barcelona destroyed Atlético Madrid. 3-0 after 8 min. 5-1 after 28 min. Ended 6-1 although it could have been 12-1 without many surprises.Get this : Even Thierry Henry looked fabulous when he came on as a sub in the 2nd half when he scored a great goal.Villareal looked and played tired for 60 odd minutes. But overcame a 1st half goal by Betis within a minute in which they scored twice. 2-1.Real

Vaya La Liga!!!

2008-10-03T19:48:00.001-07:00

La Liga's had the best game day in UEFA and Champions League this past Tue-Wed-Thu.4 teams in the Champions League.Villareal, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atleticó Madrid all won their games to go top in their groups (or tie for #1 as in the case of Villareal and Atleticó)4 teams in the UEFA CupDeportivo, Racing, Valencia and Sevilla all move on to the group stage of the 2nd tier European

Aupa Villareal

2008-09-30T21:40:00.000-07:00

Villareal resumed its 2nd foray into Europe's elite with a 1-0 win over Celtic. Classic Villareal, control the ball, keep a clean sheet and score a goal or two. Along with Manchester United, Villareal will advance from this group in all probability.Super Villareal :) Super Submarino

Out of touch

2008-09-27T15:04:00.000-07:00

Time flies.I havent blogged about football in 2 months! wow!Villareal is #1 in Spain after 5 games, Although Valencia could push them down to 2nd after their game tomorrow on better goal difference.What scenes in the Catalan derby!!! incredible!!! what is the recourse when the visiting fans start violence as was the case in Barcelona today when some idiots of FC Barcelona start throwing flares on

Nothing to write

2008-07-19T20:38:00.000-07:00

Good Football is still about a month away. Until then I dont have much to write.Schedule for 08-09 season of La Liga has been announced. hmm.. all the heavy weight games are stacked in december and the corresponding return games in May.My partisan support for Villareal aside, it will be interesting to see the progress of Pep Guardiola at Barcelona as well as that of the one of the best young

A new era begins tomorrow in Barcelona

2008-07-13T20:17:00.000-07:00

A new dawn.A new era.The Pep Guardiola era at FC Barcelona officially begins tomorrow. And it couldnt have been any more messier, stressful or hyped. On and off the field this off-season has been one of the most turbulent in the history of FC Barcelona. Starting with the horror movie that was their last season, players like Ronaldinho and Etoo showing a lot of dicontent and discord among the

Does Football need Joan Laporta's politics ?

2008-07-10T18:33:00.000-07:00

NO.What a mess this is turning out to be at Barçelona. Completely overshadowing the steady work of new coach Pep Guardiola building a team with a new identity and character at Barçelona with the imminent loss of Ronaldinho and Etoo.Arrgh..Barça is still missing a #9 in the mould of Etoo. Henry.. seems like a spent force. Rest of the Barçelona midfield is very very small and at times is

The Aftermath

2008-07-05T14:39:00.000-07:00

of Euro 2008A flurry of activity followed the Spain triumph in Vienna on the 29th of June. But mostly dealing with the ugly yet unavoidable reality of world football. Transfer talk and the gaudy sums of money associated with them.Luis Aragones goes to turkish giants Fenerbahce. Language and cultural barriers aside, Luís is a very good coach. And Fener is a club willing to buy him any player he

España : Campeóna! Champion!

2008-06-30T08:41:00.001-07:00

Campeones! OooéCampeones! OooéCampeones! OooooéCampeones! Oé Oé Oéeee!!! 1-0 was how it ended. Ended 44 years of futility. They always had the skill and the game to challenge the best. Yet, they would find trouble in one form or the other. A team that believed in winning in style. Winning not only the games but winning the hearts of their supporters and their opponents as well. They always had

A por ellos!!! oooooée

2008-06-28T12:08:00.000-07:00

E S P A Ñ AVamos Vamos!!!It all boils down to this. Spain X Germany. España X Alemania! the final.In less than 24 hours, Spain will step on the field to end a generation of misery, ridicule, 'curse' (maldición) and finally do some justification to the vast talent they had in the past and the present.44 years since their only Championship.24 years since the last time they were in a Final.There is

España - Ya es la hora!

2008-06-21T22:50:00.000-07:00

Vamos España!A final llegó el día.España X Italia en Vienna. Hoy.Todo la afición de la Furia Roja.. espera.. a una victoria ante los Italianos. Ante La actual campeona del Mundo. Ante un equipo que lo sabe como sobrevivir cuando las cosas y la suerte no estan en su lado. Así que una paradon espectacular del Buffon a un penalti de Mutu ante rumania la dejo con vida en el torneo, y luego ante un

Russian Delight!

2008-06-21T22:49:00.000-07:00

Guus Hiddink sinks his home country in an epic game underlining the ascent of the Russians!

day 12 : Russian Delight!

2008-06-18T19:56:00.000-07:00

day 11 - what remains of the group of death?

2008-06-16T22:45:00.000-07:00

Who and what will remain of the Group of death. We know the Dutch have already survived and in great style. Now it is upto Romania, France and Italy to avoid death.Italy seems to have forgotten how to defend and France well they seem all at sea, so much so that their coach either doesnt know or doesnt want to play the best formation to take advantage of the exicting young talent he has at his

day 10 : Córdoba didnt repeat

2008-06-16T14:56:00.000-07:00

Germany huffed, puffed, stalled but won through a powerful shot from captain Ballack.

Day 11 - Cordoba :: the word every Austrian is buzzing about

2008-06-15T20:42:00.001-07:00

Cordoba, Argentina 1978.The last time Austria shocked West Germany 3-2. They have to do it again tomorrow if they want to advance to the 2nd round.Defying all logic, form, strength of squads the Austrians actually seem to believe it. The coach of Austria was a part of the miracle 30 years ago. Even he believes they can achieve this and not losing anytime to point out that the pressure is on their

Calamity C(h)ech

2008-06-15T20:24:00.000-07:00

The Czechs came out firing. Mt.Everest Koller was in sparkling form. Sionko and Grygera swinging crosses at the tall striker.Czechs score in the first half and then again in the 2nd half.2-0 and 15 minutes to go. Turks are truly out of this.. not a bad guess. Only that we forget the Czechs are big-time chokes.Look at WC 2006. They spanked the US in the first game, only to lose their next two to

day 8 adiós Greece! and nobody's is crying for that

2008-06-15T20:16:00.000-07:00

On a day when Spain looked frustrated for most of the night only to bailed out by the poacher's instinct of David Villa deep into injury time, Greece made an uncerimonious exit to the tourney. And they deserved every bit of that. Probably the worst team of this cup. Yes I think even Austria and the Swiss have more to offer than the Greeks and their tactics. They worked in 2004 but 2008 is a

ORANJE ORANJE ORANJE

2008-06-13T13:39:00.000-07:00

Oranje all over Austria and Switzerland.Oranje all over Euro2008.This is still group stage. But 2 games into it, they have decimated the finalists of the 2006 world cup.How long were the odds on Netherlands and Romania advancing from group C last week? No idea but they must have shortened considerably by now :)I am running backlog on reports. I have to do it. What to do? I use up all my time to

day 6 : Croat Ecstasy.. Austria live on to fight another day

2008-06-12T16:57:00.000-07:00

day 5 - Adios Suiza! Portugal wins group A

2008-06-12T16:56:00.001-07:00

day 4 - La furia Roja

2008-06-10T18:45:00.000-07:00

2 words to sum up Spain X RussiaDavid Villa :)El guaje Villa - Que maravillaColor of the day :: RED

day 3 - O R A N J E

2008-06-09T14:36:00.000-07:00

the title says it all. :)The dutch splash Oranje allover Italy and Euro 08.Details soon.

day 2 - recap

2008-06-08T21:54:00.000-07:00

Both games played out on the expected lines.I thought Austria would surprise and they were distinctly unlucky not to get atleast a point against Croatia. After the first 20 min when they looked every bit the 'weakest link' of this tourney, they improved by the end of the 1st half. That fateful 20 minutes included a penalty for Croatia which was well taken by Luka Modric.Austria played much much

day 2 - too much talk about Germany X Poland

2008-06-08T06:15:00.000-07:00

Fact : i found that 2/7 who cared to voice their opinion voted that this blog is lame. :)Its day 2 in Austria and Switzerland.There is a huge buildup for the Germany and Poland game. Mostly due to what was said by the ex-manager of Germany, Klinnsmann in a team meeting (or something similar) and then the photos of a few german players beheaded along with polish coach Leo Beenhakker in a Polish

day 1

2008-06-07T14:47:00.000-07:00

Really boring game to kick-off the tournament. Not that there were any great things expected from the Swiss and the Czechs who are missing their most exciting and entertaining player Rosicky.I fell asleep 10 minutes into the first half. Woke up around the 40 minute mark only to see the disaster of Swiss captain and talisman Alexander Frei limp off the field in tears. I think his Euro 2008 is over

Here we go!

2008-06-07T08:43:00.000-07:00

Just about 15 minutes to go! In BaselOpening ceremony is on.Swiss entertain the Czech's in the first game!I am not a big fan of opening ceremonies but I appreciate the effort these people put to make it happen.That was a quick and crisp ceremony. Teams are running to the pitch. Ou la la!

Brazil x Canada - 31/05/08 Qwest Field, Seattle.

2008-06-02T20:01:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday I paid my first visit to the Qwest Field in Seattle, the home of the Seattle Seahawks American football team and the soon to be home of the Seattle Sounders FC football team to watch an international friendly match between the Mighty Brasil and little O'Canada :).Anyone who follows football (ok, soccer) knows that international friendlies are usually dull and drab affairs which

Same old España

2008-05-31T14:49:00.000-07:00

Friendlies are a waste of time.No seriousness attached to them.Players try to protect themselves from any serious injury.You cant read much into the performances of a friendly, good or bad.But this is España. They are strong favorites to win the Euro 2008. Although, none of their past record gives any indication of that. They have the talent and quality players. Allover the pitch.So when Spain

Counting down to the Big Cup

2008-05-25T20:15:00.000-07:00

The title of this blog and the stuff published so far have had no direct relation.Not anymore.All the 16 teams have been announced. Some surprises like the sudden withdrawal of Clarence Seedorf from the Dutch national team for 'personal reasons' is quite a blow for their plans.Others like Pavel Nedved stayed retired. No Francesco Totti. No Trezeguet. No Raúl. But Materazzi is coming..so opponents

Euro 2008 Widget

2008-05-23T12:23:00.001-07:00

Dag Frank!

2008-05-16T22:32:00.000-07:00

Frank Rijkaard has coached the final game for Barcelona on saturday. Shame on the management of Barcelona for the way they handled the whole affair of him being replaced. But Frank never complained. Took all the blame for the wrongs of some of his extravagant squad.. most notably Ronaldinho. Last year around February, Barcelona was cruising in the league. Had a huge lead over Madrid although

Zenit Glory

2008-05-14T20:09:00.000-07:00

Zenit St. Petersburgh lift the UEFA Cup for the first time in their history. Deservedly so against a Rangers team who were playing for the penalties from minute 0.Its a great run by the Rangers team scoring just 5 goals in 8 games! to progress to the final. Zenit had more enterprise and in the end they won it deservedly. Eventhough the first goal took all of 70 minutes to come, it was inevitable

Celebrating 2nd place

2008-05-11T22:26:00.000-07:00

Villareal is celebrating. Big time.If you see their celebrations spilling over a few days one might wonder if they had won a big cup or league championship. No they did not win the spanish league. They came a distant but comfortable 2nd. Except for a couple of weeks they were never even discussed as serious contendersTruth be told, they never considered themselves as title contenders. Thanks to

Super Geta!

2008-05-10T21:44:00.000-07:00

This is a piece I wrote after the heartbreaking loss of Getafe at home to Bayern Munich in the 2nd leg of the UEFA cup quarterfinal.If they can hold on to their coach and keep playing this way next season, they can be the next Villareal :)-----------No kidding. The UEFA cup quarterfinal between Getafe and Bayern Munich was an epic. Did anyone follow this game?This is the 2nd leg of the

Favorites

2008-05-10T21:20:00.000-07:00

League : La Liga - they are a bit up and down this year but still top to bottom they are still a very good league, Ronaldinho's mess notwithstanding.Team(s) : Villareal CF. El submarino Amarillo. The Yellow Submarine. Aupa! will finish #2 in the league which means direct entry to the UEFA Champions League group stage next year. Losses at key moments meant they couldnt mount a challenge to Real

Here I go Again

2008-05-10T09:50:00.000-07:00

Euro 2008 is less than a month away.A few years ago my dream was to travel to Germany for the 2006 world cup and soak in the atmosphere and experience. As it goes with a lot of dreams, it didnt happen.2 years on.. its Euro 2008. I am not going their either.Lots of passion for football, so much that at times I wish I were a football reporter.The plan is to keep this blog going even after Euro 2008