Bleacher Report - Articles by Kiran Gokarn

Manchester United: Chris Eagles' hour

Kiran Gokarn — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 18:06:39 -0400

With Ronaldo sidelined with an injury for a few weeks, United will look to Chris Eagles for good service from the right wing. The 22 year old has been overshadowed by Ronaldo ever since he was drafted into the first team a few seasons ago.

In the recently concluded Vodacom Cup, Chris' performances were exceptional. He scored two goals and showed that he is not as juvenile as many made him out to be.

In 2007, when United had just won the Premier League, United faced Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in a dull encounter. The outcome of the tie would not decide the fate of the champions as Chelsea had already given away the EPL after drawing with Arsenal.

The game that was touted to be the showpiece of that year's EPL, was reduced to a match between the youngsters of the two clubs. Nonetheless, the encounter was one which decided the one-upmanship, the match ended in a draw that was largely played out in the midfield.

However, Eagles was the bright star for Man Utd that day. He worked tirelessly on the flanks and even nutmegged John Terry once. With fancy footwork and decent pace he was outstanding in an otherwise boring night.

Now, the time has come for him to showcase his talent once again. Having lacked decent opportunities to prove his abilities, he now has the chance to prove his worth.

Everyone will be hoping for a good performance from the youngster and here's wishing him the best!

Platini and Blatter : Brothers in Arms?

Kiran Gokarn — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:01:01 -0400

Michel Platini has been known to be an eccentric fool. His comments, as President of UEFA, are absolutely amateurish and unsuitable to be said by a man of such great responsibility.

The fact that he is biased against English teams is no secret. But his open criticism of teams such as Chelsea and Man Utd is not what you would expect from a person who is supposed to be the unbiased president of UEFA.

He very often makes a mockery of his job and appears not to care the least.

Sepp Blatter, on the other hand, is (was) diplomatic as diplomatic can be. He has often conducted himself with admirable politeness. Unlike Platini, he never used to make outrageous comments and maintained an unbiased stand.

But off late, as the Ronaldo transfer saga has unfolded, both have favoured the departure of the Portuguese winger from Man Utd.

Both have certainly been biased and unprofessional.

Platini has even gone on to say that Chelsea and Man Utd were 'cheats.' Certainly, he does not like the English, but as president of UEFA, he must maintain his composure and professionalism.

Blatter, on the other hand, made a very interesting statement on 'modern slavery.'

From when did honouring contracts become slavery?

Being a professional footballer, one cannot expect one's employer to cater to your every whim and fancy.

Pele and Gordon Banks also countered his statements.

The recent statement made by the president of FIFA has annoyed me a bit.

Please Mr. Blatter, don't go the Platini way.

Being the most powerful man in World Football, Blatter must realise that comments made by him are judged by one and all.

All I am saying is that Platini and Blatter must grow up. Being some of the most influential men in the world of sport, they must first be good professionals.

Especially Platini.

The Portuguese Shortcoming

Kiran Gokarn — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 02:58:09 -0400

Its no secret that the Portuguese lack in the department of strikers.

Since the departure of the wonderful Pauleta, the Portuguese soft spot has been left exposed once again. Since the days of Luis Figo and Rui Costa, the Portuguese have depended on their midfielders to come up with the goals.

The last great striker to have come out of Portugal was Eusebio. And that was in 1960s. Since then the team has depended on below-par strikers to score goals.

Last night's match clearly showed that the Portuguese strikers were just not good enough. A lot of headers were missed and lot of good balls were of no use. Nuno Gomes did score a good goal, albeit with a huge deflection.

But the likes of Gomes and Postiga have never looked classy enough to match the likes of Miroslav Klose, Ruud van Nistelrooy or Alessandro Del Piero.

The team tends to miss a world class striker and their dependance on their midfielders tends to let them down.

In the match against the Germans, their dependence on Cristiano Ronaldo and Deco proved to be decisive, as the Germans effectively kept both at a safe distance from goal.

They severely missed a goal scorer like Pauleta. This is one department that the Portuguese U-19 coach must work upon. He must train and breed strikers from a very young age so that they can be useful to the senior squad at an older age.

Carlos Queiroz is largely credited with bringing up talents such as Figo when he was still playing for the Portuguese youth team. He is identified as the man who brought upon the Portuguese "golden generation".

Someone form the Portuguese FA must take a leaf out of his book and start searching for young striking talent, or else all these brilliant midfielders will be wasted without a good striker to complement them.

The only upcoming star in the striking department for Portugal has been Hugo Almeida. But he too has looked like a very amateurish player and nowhere close to the class of Pauleta.

This striker drought of the Portuguese makes them a very easy team to beat, even though they might have the best midfielders in the world.

If Portuguese football wishes to win trophies in the future they must find a striker who can score goals. Or else another generation of talented footballers will go trophy-less.

Brazil-Argentina: The Heat Is On

Kiran Gokarn — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 02:50:49 -0400

Thanks to Euro 2008, a brilliant fixture is going almost unnoticed.

What is often dubbed the world's greatest football rivalry will unfold once more in the Estadio Mineriao. Brazil will take on a bloodthirsty Argentina side, who have not beaten their rivals on the road in 10 years.

Of late, the two teams have been placed as the best two teams in the world, but also have had some bad form. Brazil were blanked 2-0 by Paraguay in Ascuncion, while Argentina were lucky to escape with a point from their game against Ecuador. Both teams will be eager to return to top form and will be looking to start off with this match.

Brazilian coach Dunga has recently promised that his side will redeem themselves against their traditional rivals. If head-to-head form counts for anything, then Brazil are the clear cut favourites, as they have won their last three fixtures against Argentina in convincing fashion.

Lionel Messi, however, has quickly come out in defence of his team, saying that this will be the perfect opportunity for the Argentines to bounce back and return to winning ways.

Brazil will have the services of Adriano, who has been the nemesis of Argentina of late. Argentina will hope that the brilliant club form of Lionel Messi will resurface in this game.

The last time Argentina beat Brazil in Brazil was in 1998, when Claudio Lopez scored a solitary goal.

It remains to be seen who will come out tops in this encounter.

Euro 2008: Learn something, Raymond Domenech!

Kiran Gokarn — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 19:44:08 -0400

It is said that legendary Inter Milan's coach Helenio Herrera had the biggest ego when it came to football.

I beg to differ.

I believe that Raymond Domenech has earned that title.

Being drawn into the "group of death" at Euro 2008, a smart manager would choose his best team, keeping aside his personal differences with players. But, Raymond Domenech has effectively shot himself in the foot.

After two matches, and a draw and a loss later, Domenech's team looks likely to be knocked out of the competition in the first round. That would be a shock, considering that France was a World Cup finalist two years ago.

Amongst all the teams in the group, France has looked more helpless than any other.

Their inability to break down the Romanian defense was a sign that they lacked the killing instinct. Their next result against the Netherlands showed that they were well below par when it came to playing a world class team.

The Netherlands, on the other hand, have learned from their 2006 World Cup debacle. Coach Marco Van Basten looks to have buried the hatchet with striker Ruud Van Nistelrooy, and things are looking up for the Oranje. As a result of their unity, they have beaten the two World Cup finalists.

They say that smart people are those that learn from their mistakes. I think that smart people are those that learn from others' mistakes, and Raymond Domenech hasn't learned that at all. He publicly criticized star striker David Trezeguet, and selected Bafetimbi Gomis instead.

Gomis has been used as a substitute mostly and has not impressed anyone. France's inability to score without Henry in the squad was evident when they could not split a reasonably weak Romanian defense.

When Henry returned against the Oranje, the result was no different—he looked out of touch, and David Trezeguet's absence was felt.

Trezeguet would definitely be a welcome entry in the team now, but sadly, that cannot be done.

Unlike Henry, Trezeguet had had a great season with Juventus, and was scoring freely. Domenech, on his part, made a costly error by keeping him out. He said that Trezeguet was "nothing special."

I bet that the French players must be missing Trezeguet at the Euros. And now, as the French are on the verge of elimination, all fingers will be pointed at Domenech for faulty squad selection.

I believe that the French coach must learn to overlook his differences with players, and make selections that will benefit the team.

Maybe Marco Van Basten can teach him a thing or two in this department.

Why Cristiano Ronaldo IS Replacable

Kiran Gokarn — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 20:18:20 -0400

With the transfer window open, Real Madrid have been able to persuade Ronaldo to join them says Marca. Of course, this cannot be confirmed as conflicting reports have been surfacing.

Some say Ronaldo is going nowhere others disagree.

The fact that Marca are Real Madrid's mouthpiece is no secret. They had employed similar tactics when Real were signing Ronaldo (the fat one) a few years back. He was initially in two minds whether to join them or not but eventually agreed.

The tactics employed by Madrid have been very controversial and been criticised in England.

The real talking point is what difference will it be to United if Ronaldo is to actually leave ?

Everyone from his mother to his dog wants to see him in a Madrid jersey. Even his god father has come out in public and said that he wants Ronaldo to play at Madrid.

Former Madrista and Red Devil, David Beckham believes otherwise. Having played at both the clubs he definitely had better times at Old Trafford. He has advised Ronaldo to stay at Manchester.

Sir Alex must be having sleepless nights until he signs a new contract for United.

United fans have started to get fed up of this saga. Being a Red Devil myself, I believe that we must let Ronaldo go.

His persona as a player has outgrown the club, and I firmly believe in Fergie's policy of "no player should be bigger than the club."

Although he has won a lot with United in the past few years and has been a driving force this season, he has never looked like one who would remain loyal at all times. After the World Cup incident with Rooney, he had almost signed for Madrid and was later persuaded to stay.

Even last season there was talk of him leaving but that was eclipsed as Real wanted to sign Kaka. This season he has been the crowning jewel in United's success. And going by their policy of signing the best eleven money can buy, Madrid have tabled a multi-million dollar offer that Ronaldo will find hard to refuse.

I don't see United falling into any crisis if Ronaldo leaves. United already have a wealth of talent in the form of Rooney, Tevez, Anderson and Nani. And with money obtained form Ronaldo's transfer a few more talented players could be bought.

A similar situation arose when David Beckham left for Real Madrid in 2003. There was talk of United being doomed and Ferguson being adamant in Beckham's case. However, the man bought to replace him has proved to be only better if not as good as him.

I believe that the same will happen if Ronaldo leaves, someone like a Nani or Anderson will step up and perform better.

So far as my opinion goes I would rather see him leave than stay.

Will AC Milan Get Lucky Again?

Kiran Gokarn — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 18:02:49 -0400

Lady luck seems to favour AC Milan a lot nowadays. At the height of the Calciopoli scandal in 2006, Milan and Juventus were charged with bribing the referees to win league matches. Reggina, Fiorentina, and Lazio were also charged.

What looked like straight relegation for both Italian giants, it turned out to be a few points' deduction for Milan, while Juventus was downsized to Serie B, although charges that were levelled against Juventus were same as those of Milan.

Juventus' appeals fell on deaf ears. Even the points deducted against Milan were the least although no charges were dropped.

What's more? They were also allowed to play in the Champions League.

The Italian media criticised the decision making of the Italian FA, and many experts thought that Milan did not deserve to be in Europe's best league. But, Milan won that year's Champions League against all odds, after having a woeful season in Serie A. Kaka was praised for his playmaking skills, and was heaped with awards.

Now, in 2008, the situation is pretty much the same. CSKA Sofia, a side that has qualified for the Champions League, was asked by the Bulgarian FA to quit this year's tournament participation due to financial problems.

What this does to the Champions League is that Milan is now qualified to get a back door entry. This is quite similar to when Denmark got entry in Euro 1992, and won it.

According to the UEFA coefficient, Milan is the highest ranked unqualified team. And if CSKA Sofia doesn't come up with a solution soon, then Milan will be gifted a spot in next year's Champions League.

The other team that could get an entry if Milan doesn't is RC Lens from the French Ligue 1.

So, it remains to be seen if Milan gets lucky, and places in next year's UEFA Champions League. If they do, I expect them to at least make it to the last four.

Chelsea: Who Can Get the Holy Grail for Roman Abramovich?

Kiran Gokarn — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 21:21:24 -0400

It's an open secret that Roman Abramovich wants to win the UEFA Champions' League more than any other trophy. To him, it is like the Holy Grail, always elusive and mysterious.

He had his best year in terms of getting that Holy Grail when Chelsea reached the UCL finals in 2008. He couldn't have been happier when John Terry stepped up to take the penalty. However, a few seconds later, the ultimate prize was once again as far as it was at the very beginning of the match.

The man who plotted to win, Avram Grant, has been dismissed from his post, and now Abramovich is in the hunt for the perfect Grail Hunter. He tried out Ranieri, Mourinho, and Grant—all to no avail.

The likes of Rijkaard, Mancini, Ancelotti, Hughes, and Deschamps are in contention for the new head at the Bridge.

Recently, Deschamps, who is Chelsea's former player, announced himself to be the favourite for the post, but that turned out to be a boast more than a claim. Then, there was the speculation of Chelsea having landed Ancelotti, but he insisted that he was not leaving Milan.

The likes of Scolari have also been mentioned for the job. However, his comments were vague and pointed to no clear conclusion.

The million dollar question now is—who will be the next manager at Stamford Bridge?

Whoever becomes the manager, their objective is clear—win the UEFA Champions League.

Let's have a look at the contenders.

Frank Rijkaard

As former manager of Barcelona, his record with the club was impressive at the beginning, but as the years passed, the record looked more of a mid-table team, rather than that of a club of Barca's status.

But, he has the experience of winning in Europe as a player as well as a manager. That could tempt Abramovich to sign him. To me, he is the front runner.

Roberto Mancini

The deposed former Inter manager was replaced by Mourinho. His record with Inter is impressive, winning three consecutive Scudettos.

However, his teams have been very bad in cup competitions, which makes him look like a league specialist. He might not be signed because of his woeful cup competition record.

Carlo Ancelotti

Two-time UCL winner as a manager, Ancelotti might be the perfect fit for Abramovich, as he looks to win the UCL again.

But, his commitment to Milan is very strong and he doesn't look like he is leaving.

Then again, you never know.

Mark Hughes

Chelsea's former super striker, Mark Hughes has been phenomenal with Blackburn as a manager. With limited resources and mediocre players, he has turned Blackburn into a formidable force.

He also has great foresight, and his signing of Bayern reject Santa Cruz proves that. However, his lack of experience in managing a big club would go against him.

Didier Deschamps

A former World Cup, Euro, and UCL winner as a player, he still has a point to prove as a manager. He had already reached the UCL finals with AS Monaco, only to lose to Mourino's Porto.

He guided Juventus back to the Serie A with a depleted side, and then resigned. He recently announced himself as favourite for the job, but that has been proved wrong.

Luis Felipe Scolari

The former World Cup winner with Brazil, his teams have always performed well in big competitions, which just might lead Abramovich to sign this genius. He has won the South American equivalent of the UCL, and is yet to manage a European club. However, it is still not clear whether if he is really in the running.

***

With one of these high-profile managers to arrive at Stamford Bridge, Abramovich will be hoping to win the Holy Grail of European football sooner rather than later.

But legend has it, the Grail only goes to those who are worthy of it.

EURO 2008: The Group of Death

Kiran Gokarn — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 22:52:37 -0400

When the groups were being drawn a few months back for EURO 2008, few expected three former World Cup finalists to be in the same group.

It was joy for the neutrals like me and was terror for supporters of the football teams involved. The Netherlands, Italy, Romania, and France were all drawn into Group C.

The group of death.

To most, the favourites would be France and Italy, the two World Cup finalists of 2006. But if we look carefully, Romania and Netherlands are more than capable of springing surprises.

The Netherlands will be looking to erase memories of the World Cup, where they were knocked out in the early stages. The performances of Marco van Basten as a manager are nowhere to what he was as a player.

His rift with Ruud van Nistelrooy was one of the chief causes for their early exit in the World Cup. Such off-field problems have really affected their game and damaged the team's unity.

There will be a lot of pressure on van Basten to quit on a high note. Ryan Babel's injury does not help him either. Although his chances look very few and distant, a spirited performance is all that they require to go through. Well, then again, that's easier said than done.

The Romanians are the least favoured team to go through. Victor Piturca's men will have to emulate their 1994 predecessors to even get out of the group stage, let alone win the tournament.

The team is a promising one, with the in-form Adrian Mutu and Christian Chivu, but the group they have been drawn in means that only a fool or a soothsayer would bet on them winning the tournament.

They also have young talent in the form of Ciprian Marica.

But it seems that the Romanians do not have enough to compete in this group. I think they will be bottom of their group.

In 2006, the Italians repeated history by winning the World Cup for a fourth time. They were less fancied then, and preferred the underdog role. However, here in 2008 they are considered one of the favourites.

With world-class players in every position, it will be hard to beat the Italians. But even the greatest of teams have failed under pressure, and the Italians are under some serious pressure.

Their hopes will be resting on the in-form Luca Toni, who is making a mockery of Bundesliga defences. Another man to watch out for is Alesandro Del Piero. the veteran has shown his class at Juventus this season and earned a place in the squad—it would be foolish to count him off.

The French have been a team that is under some rebuilding state. With the retiring of Zinedine Zidane, Franck Ribery has taken over as their new playmaker supreme.

However, they were not convincing in the friendlies, and failed to make most of their chances against Paraguay.

The hopes of the French will be resting on the wonder-kid Karim Benzema. He has had a dream season with Lyon and has attracted interest from the likes of Real Madrid and Manchester United.

Benzema will have a point to prove. But I think that France will struggle against their opponents. The absence of David Trezeguet might also be a mistake. Bafetimbi Gomis hasn't really had any experience.

So, I think that Italy and the Netherlands will make it to the next round. But in the end, my guess is as good as yours.

Sachin Tendulkar, Time to Give It Up?

Kiran Gokarn — Thu, 29 May 2008 17:38:30 -0400

The IPL's most expensive franchise, the Mumbai Indians' campaign came to a sad end this week. After having a horrible start of losing four matches, they redeemed themselves and won six on the trot.

However, they lost again, to be knocked out this time. The win against The Royal Challengers Bangalore was just a consolation.

The form of Sachin Tendulkar was one of the reasons of the failure of the team he captained. He failed to score big when his team required it the most and in the last match his inability to score was evident when he could not connect simple sweep strokes against Bangalore.

The question arose in my mind, has Sachin lost his batting form that he was so feared for ?

Truly a batsman that can give Shane Warne sleepless nights is a great batsman. But since the 2003 World Cup Sachin Tendulkar has never been the same. He looks like a completely different batsman altogether. The very aggressive, attacking Tendulkar is long gone and what remains now is a shadow of that legend.

His injuries have been blamed for his dip in batting but even in fielding or bowling, he does not look the same. He has put on a lot of weight and is slow to react. That fact is that Tendulkar has moved past his prime and should call it a day. But instead of that he still plays on, for money or for fame we would never know.

For the past few years, he has been selected regularly for India, no matter what kind of form he is in. His performances do not justify his claim as the world's best batsman ever.

He occasionally comes up with a century and is in no way a pressure performer, but does this occasional big score justify his place in the team?

I think not.

I also believe he did the right thing by ruling himself unavailable for the tri series. His age is beginning to tell on him. His inclusion would mean that a promising youngster would have had to sit out.

It is sad to see a legend like him struggling to keep up with the demands of the new faster version of cricket.

Well, I guess it is time to give it up and retire gracefully.

Inter Milan Sign Jose Mourinho, Roberto Mancini Left in the Dark

Kiran Gokarn — Tue, 27 May 2008 18:01:58 -0400

Tabloids have confirmed that Inter Milan have signed Jose Mourinho as their new coach, and have parted ways with Roberto Mancini.

It is not surprising to see Jose move to Inter. This move was one that was expected. Roberto Mancini's inability to win cup competitions is supposed to be the chief reason for his exit. but who wouldn't want to sign Jose anyways?

This move will have Roman Abramovich on his toes, as the possibility of Lampard, Drogba, and Terry moving to Inter increases. Jose was supposed to take the three with him when he made an exit.

What happens with Mancini is yet to be seen. Although he was touted to join Chelsea after Grant's sacking, Rijkaard or Deschamps look more likely to take over at the Bridge.

The move is great news for Serie A, as it will make the league a little more exciting to watch.

Jose's antics and comments will add to the spice.

All in all—good decision, Jose.

Cricket: Will T20 Save The Game?

Kiran Gokarn — Tue, 27 May 2008 03:06:04 -0400

The game of cricket seems to have found a new saviour in the form of the IPL, or the 20-20 at least. Cricket was a sport played mostly by the commonwealth nations and held very little appeal outside the formerly British-ruled countries.

Attempts made by the ICC to popularise the sport in the Americas were all but in vain. The sub-continent is where the sport will always thrive. And so, the BCCI seems to have found the answer. The club version of the 'gentleman's game' has been embraced by one and all.

Cricket was always considered a boring and complicated sport having very little appeal with the masses. All of that changed in the late 1970s, when Kerry Packer introduced the 50-50 version, now known as the ODI. And now, the T20 format seems to have become the newest craze.

In the late '90s and early 2000s, The England Cricket Board was going through a crisis. Attendance was dwindling at boring county games. So, in order to attract the crowds, The ECB introduced T20 cricket with each playing only 20 overs.

The trick worked, Crowds came back and attendance reached record highs. The game was revolutionised when the T20 World Cup was played in South Africa. India were the first champions in a thrilling final. The ODI World Cup debacle of the West Indies was all but forgotten, and now people believe that this is the new ODI.

The ICC was under fire when they were accused of mismanaging the ODI World Cup. Truly, they did. The competition was disastrously lengthy, and the death of Bob Woolmer was the talking point. Australia were crowned champions for the Fourth time and the third time in succession in a final that was concluded virtually in the dark.

All in all, it was very boring for a neutral because the biggest talking points were all negative, with the early exits of the Indian and Pakistani teams, along with Woolmer.

However, the T20 World Cup in South Africa was one to remember. After a great start with a 200-plus score chased, India and Pakistan met in the finals, which lived up to the hype. India won the Cup by a narrow margin.

And now, the introduction of the the IPL seems to been the final move in the resurrection of Cricket. Already, it has been a great show in the league matches. The game of cricket seems to have been saved from obscurity by the T20 format.

Hopefully, the T20 craze will last, and the game will spread to new countries.

Cricket and the Death of Indian Football

Kiran Gokarn — Fri, 23 May 2008 19:40:07 -0400

The Indian subcontinent has been ravaged by a new kind of epidemic, one that forces people to stop all work and sit in front of the television by 7 o'clock every evening. Fierce rivalries have been formed and the country has been divided by the game of cricket.

With the launch of the Indian Premier League with all the pomp and glitz, the death knell of Indian Football has been sounded. With names like Shah Rukh Khan and Mukesh Ambani (the Indian Johnny Depp and the fifth richest man on the planet, respectively) purchasing franchises shelling out some serious cash, Indian Football has never looked so bleak.

When in 2007 India won the less fancied Nehru Cup, there was an atmosphere of optimism. It looked like Indian football was finally on the rise. However, that has proved to be a false dawn. The interest of people in the game of football has fallen to an all-time low. It doesn't seem likely that this condition will improve. The fact is that Cricket has outgrown all other sports in the sub continent.

The rise of cricket in India has been so meteoric and effective that even India's national sport, Field Hockey, is in the dumps. Indians were once the undisputed kings of field hockey; today they are struggling to stay in the top 10. Clearly, cricket is growing to be unhealthily popular for other sports.

The coverage of the sport is such in the country that people refuse to watch sport if it is not cricket. And the IPL is just adding more fuel to the fire. It won't be long before all other sports in the country die out.

Football is a popular sport in the country. Often played in the monsoon or the rains, the game is followed by millions and also played by many more, but it lacks professional participation. The money associated with football is peanuts compared to the money associated with cricket.

What a professional footballer earns in one year in India is what a professional cricketer earns in one match. This is keeping the endorsements part of earning separate. The other reason for football lagging behind is the Indian FA itself, the AIFF.

The AIFF does nothing to encourage more participation, the stadiums are dilapidated, the coaches are paid meagre salaries, the players are treated like garbage and there is no publicity. Most matches played by the national side are not even telecasted by TV channels, citing poor ratings. By contrast, there are multiple channels covering cricket matches around the clock.

With the introduction of the new 20-20 format in cricket, it seems that Indian football is dying a sad and silent death. The popularity of cricket has claimed another sport. And now, with the new IPL with all its glitz and glamour, the sport of football will soon be a part of ancient Indian history.

God save Indian football.

Manchester United-Chelsea: Did the Best Team Win?

Kiran Gokarn — Wed, 21 May 2008 20:34:47 -0400

After what can be termed only as one hell of a match, United triumphed at he expense of Chelsea.

The Red Devils commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Busby Babes in the best possible fashion, by winning the trophy the Busby Babes lost their life trying to win.

Chelsea again came in second-best and were deserted by lady luck at the crucial moment. Their double dreams have been crushed by United.

Although the shootout decided the eventual winner, the question arises—did the best team win?Lets recap a bit.

The first half undoubtedly belonged to United,who could have wrapped up the game by the 40th minute—but Ronaldo's brilliant header was cancelled out by a scrappy and lucky goal by Lampard.

Chelsea played better in the second half, dominating most of it and hitting the upright once through Drogba. Malouda could have provided a potential winner, but his attempts were thwarted by a great piece of defending by Michael Carrick.

Chelsea started even more aggressively in first half of extra time, but United managed to hold their ground. The second half saw Drogba being sent off and United had better of the game.

Winning through penalties is like winning a lottery. Anyone can win. However, United triumphed.

Looking at the larger picture, Chelsea might have had the edge, but Chelsea also used some despicable tactics. Whenever the ball was put out due to an injury, United would return the ball back to a Chelsea player. However, Chelsea players would throw the ball into touch, so that they get a few minutes to regroup.

Although there is no rule that states that Chelsea had to return it in the same way that Man Utd did, it is an unspoken law that keeps parity in the game.Chelsea clearly looked like they were managed by Mourinho and not Grant.

Also, Didier Drogba's sending off was a party spoiler in what was English football's greatest night.

The slap was completely unnecessary, no matter what the circumstances. Also, Chelsea players ganging the referee was not something one would like to see happen in such a big game.

United probably deserved to win after they had created more chances. Chelsea's chances were more or less United's mistakes. Even the goal by Lampard was after two deflections and a slip by the keeper. Clearly lucky.

Chelsea seemed to have been the luckier side of the two the entire season, having a host of referee decisions going their way in the league. However, luck deserted them when it mattered the most.

United had got harder draws than Chelsea and did very well to beat all of the teams they faced. Chelsea I think, got out of jail with Riise's own-goal at Anfield.

I guess United deserved to win it by a single goal's margin. And they did.

Manchester United Beat Chelsea: in the End, the Game of Football Won

Kiran Gokarn — Wed, 21 May 2008 11:26:34 -0400

It was a night of magic in Moscow. The momentum of the game was swinging like a pendulum but, in the end, Man Utd came out tops.

It all started with a brilliant Ronaldo header that had Cech stunned. United could have easily gone two up in what could have been the Champions League best goal ever. Cech saved brilliantly twice to deny Tevez and Carrick. Again, United could have gone three up inside 40 minutes when Tevez failed to capitalise on a Makelele error.

However, the pendulum swung Chelsea's way when Lampard scored after a mis-cleared ball by Vidic and Ferdinand. Truly, it was going to be a long night. The second half saw Chelsea dominate exactly the way Man Utd dominated in the first, with Essien coming forward more frequently. Ballack and Drogba hit the bar once and had a couple of freekicks.

Extra time saw Chelsea press even more however Man Utd held on. Giggs had a great chance when he could have shot it straight into the goal after a brilliant move by Evra, but Terry somehow got his head to it.

Penalties it was.

Tevez took his penalty coolly, so did Ballack. Carrick shot his in calmly, Belletti reciprocated.

Then man-of-the-season stepped up, Ronaldo who had earlier missed against Barcelona had his shot saved. Suddenly, Chelsea were tops. Lampard the scorer, did some more damage. Hargreaves, Ashley Cole and Nani had all scored their respective spot kicks.

Then stepped up John Terry, who had to score to win. But his shot hit the post and suddenly United were back in it.

Anderson scored in sudden death and so did Kalou. Giggs, who broke Sir Bobby Charlton's record of appearances, scored as well. However, Anelka who never quite looked comfortable had his shot saved by Van Der Sar.

However, this win was the game's win as Utd proved that hardwork and determination can get you through anything.

The Recurring Debate: Pele or Maradona?

Kiran Gokarn — Sun, 18 May 2008 17:59:16 -0400

The reason I have decided to write on this topic is a debate I had with a friend the other day.

I am a Maradona fanatic and he is a Pele worshipper. Things could not have gotten worse.

The two are undoubtedly the greatest players ever to have kicked a ball. But amongst themselves it is very hard to decide who is the better one?

Firstly, both played in different positions. While Pele was a conventional forward, Maradona was more of an attacking midfielder who played behind a striker.

Secondly, the two never played together or against each other, which makes it even harder to compare the two.

My father was the person who used to tell me tales about Maradona and Platini and how they used to tear defences apart. Never once did he mention Pele, even though he had witnessed Pele in full flow in 1970.

The reason that he gave for his silence on Pele was simple: he did not feel that Pele was anything special.

According to him, Pele was just a clinical finisher who would pounce on anything inside the 18-yard box. Maradona was a creator of goals; Pele, according to him, lacked that magic touch.

The explanation my father gave me was thought-provoking. Even though Pele won three World Cups with Brazil, he always had a great team that played alongside him. Maradona was usually the only star in the Argentine side for majority of his time in the blue and white jersey.

Pele had the likes of Vava, Garrincha, Zito and Zagallo to fall back on in 1958. In 1962, he had the same players to support him as well. And in 1970, he had the likes of Carlos Alberto, Jairzinho, Tostao, Gerson and Rivelino. Brazil would have won the World Cup even without him, I suppose.

Maradona, being a substitute in first World Cup in 1982, had the class of 1978 behind him. Passarella, Kempes, Ardiles, Bertoni and Tarantini. Stars in their own right.

In 1986, when Argentina won the World Cup, Maradona was one of the only mentionable player (Valdano being the other.) All the other players were mediocre to say the least.

In 1990, he had the likes of Cannigia, Ruggeri and Burruchaga. All those players put together could not come close to the strength of the 1970 Brazilian side.

Which made it that much easier for Pele.

Lets also look at their club records. Maradona has played for the likes of Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli and Sevilla. He scored a total of 311 goals for all these clubs.

On the way, he won the Copa del Rey, Copa de la Liga, Serie A, Coppa Italia, UEFA Cup and the Italian Super cup.

Pele on the other hand, has played for Santos and the New York Cosmos, winning every trophy possible with Santos and scoring 1000+ goals.

However, the fact that Pele never played in Europe is also an important factor. He never in the true sense played against the world's best defences. Besides, a large portion of his goals have never been recorded and confirmed by statisticians.

Maradona, however, scored the majority of his goals in Europe against the best of teams. He played for Napoli which was, at that time, a mid-table club and won major honours with them in Serie A, the best league in the 1980's.

All throughout his career he played for mediocre clubs and teams and made them look world-class.

If not for his substance abuse, he would have achieved a lot more.

To me, the very fact that Maradona could make a cricket-lover like my father sit and watch football was reason enough to believe that he was the best player ever.

Maradona or Pele...???

Take your pick.

The Argentine Connection.

Kiran Gokarn — Wed, 14 May 2008 21:53:19 -0400

Of late a lot of talent has been coming out of Argentina, with the kind of youngsters they have got it won't be foolish to say they have a world cup heading their way in the next few years... as the European clubs dig into the Albiceleste gold rush, lets have a look at the young prodigies:

LIONEL MESSI

Some would call him an established player by now, with an assured spot in the Barcelona starting 11, but the fact that he hasn't played much for his country and still has to win big on the international stage will have him hungry to win something for his country.

CARLOS TEVEZ

Another regular, single handedly won Argentina gold in the last Olympics, but lest we forget, he still is only 24 and has a lot of years to serve his country. Sir Alex might not regret signing Torres after all...

FRANCO DI SANTO

Chelsea fans will be drooling watching him play in their reserves side, but after all, who wouldn't? He is tall, strong and is a dead eye in front of goal, with great vision and positioning skills he is every goalkeeper's nightmare.

SERGIO AGUERO

When Torres left Atletico for greener pastures, people wondered, who would fill in his shoes? Well they have the answer now, "Kun" Aguero is the next big thing in Madrid nowadays, this pint sized powerhouse already won the U-20 FIFA World Cup with Argentina and was the team's captain and best player... Atletico have found the perfect replacement for El Nino.

EVER BANEGA

When Boca Juniors clashed with AC Milan, a certain Banega was the star midfielder locking horns with Seedorf and Kaka. His performances with Boca, saw him being picked up by Valencia in January. Hope Valencia put him to good use.

FERNANDO GAGO

Another Boca man, his holding ability in midfield was compared to that of the Madrid legend and compatriot Fernando Redondo. And so far, he has lived up to his billing. He plys his trade at Real with great success.

GONZALO HIGUAIN

For every Boca prodigy there has to be a River prodigy, and Higuain was one. Signed with Gago by Real, Capello's finding has proved to be very handy this season, scoring crucial goals and setting up goals, looks like Gonzalo has finally come of age.

EZEQUIEL LAVEZZI

Napolitans love Argentines. After the legendary Maradona, it is Lavezzi's turn to be loved. He has proven himself to be a real good striker scoring the first hat-trick by a Napoli player in 14 years... this boy is bound for greatness.

OSCAR USTARI

Some would argue that he has had a terrible season, but every player has one. Oscar is on his day comparable to any of the top goal-keepers today. Hope he does well.

MAURO ZARATE

Alex McLeish signed him with the hope of good performances, and boy did he deliver... with some great goals from midfield he has attracted attention from top clubs, its a pity Birmingham couldn't stay in the Premier League, would love to see more of him... well, we still might...

EMILIANO INSUA

Another of those Boca youngsters, this defender, even though small, is a mean and dogged one... signed by Liverpool, Rafa Benitez loves to play him out of his normal position, his performances however have been great... and yes, he won the U-20 WC with Argentina.

ANGEL DI MARIA

Formerly linked with Arsenal and Man United, this winger is another one of those pacy brats. "Little Angel" still packs a punch.

FERNANDO CAVENAGHI

In the Ligue 1, the title race is on and down to the wire, thanks to Cavenaghi. His match winning performances have kept Bordeaux in the race when all the others gave up. Another one to watch out for.

PABLO ZABALETA

At 5'8", this defender is the perfect replacement for the irreplaceable Roberto Ayala, according to many. At Espanyol he has been consistent and already won the Copa Del Rey once, looks like he will be picked up by a big club some time soon.

EZEQUIEL GARAY

This Mallorca central defender was one short of Marco Materazzi as last season's best goal scoring defender. With great heading ability and a vicious free kick, he is often linked to Barcelona. No matter where he plays, he is sure to shine.

With such players I don't think Argentina will fare badly in international competitions in the next decade.

What do you think???

Please reply if you think there is anyone I have missed out on.

EPL: Are the Cash Rich Monopolising the Transfer Market?

Kiran Gokarn — Tue, 13 May 2008 09:23:05 -0400

Since the millennium, the transfer fees of players have revolutionized. The basic units today are not thousands or hundred thousands but millions.

The minimum denomination of any transaction in the Premier League is one million. It is scary to think what kind of money may be changing hands during transfers.

The ways of collecting revenues are numerous: TV rights to official sportswear all play a part in the club's earning, but does the increase in revenue mean that the players earn a greater share?

The world record for transfer fee was broken by Real Madrid to obtain Zinedine Zidane from Juventus at the tune of some 46 million pounds. Thankfully for Madrid, Zidane performed and was successful. So was Luis Figo who had held the previous record of 38.7 million pounds. Surely it was Madrid who started the trend of spending big with their galactico policy. An infectious trend that has seen the players demand exorbitant sums from clubs in return to their services.

Rank	Player	From	To	Transfer Fee (£ millions)	Transfer Fee (€ millions)	Year
1	Zinedine Zidane	Juventus	Real Madrid	46.0^[1]	76.0	2001
2	Luís Figo	Barcelona	Real Madrid	38.7^[2]	58.5	2000
3	Hernán Crespo	Parma	Lazio	35.5^[3]	53.6	2000
4	Gianluigi Buffon	Parma	Juventus	32.6^[4]	49.2	2001
5	Christian Vieri	Lazio	Internazionale	32.0^[5]	48.3	1999
6	Andriy Shevchenko	Milan	Chelsea	30.8^[6]	46.5	2006
7	Pavel Nedvěd	Lazio	Juventus	30.6^[7]	46.2	2001
8	Wayne Rooney	Everton	Manchester Utd	30.0^[8]	45.3	2004
9	Rio Ferdinand	Leeds Utd	Manchester Utd	29.5^[9]	43.9	2002
10	Gaizka Mendieta	Valencia	Lazio	29.0^[10]	43.8	2001
11	Ronaldo	Internazionale	Real Madrid	28.49^[11]	43.0	2002
12	Juan Sebastián Verón	Lazio	Manchester Utd	28.1^[12]	42.4	2001

The table clearly shows that all of the top ten transfers made in footballing history were from the year 2000 onwards (barring the transfer of Vieri).

The big buying continued with Manchester United spending big for players such as Rio Ferdinand, Wayne Rooney and Juan Sebastien Veron. Although Rooney and Ferdinand are considered as successful buys, Veron proved to be a costly error to Sir Alex and was sold for half the price to Chelsea.

Clubs such as Parma and Juventus, who haven't had a history of spending exorbitant sums for players, also spent big. Truly, the price-rise was infectious. Certain players such as Nicolas Anelka moved from club to club in search of better paymasters.

Chelsea was the next team to spend lavish sums in return for glamorous transfers. Roman Abramovich's financial muscle was almost the size of a small country's economy and hence Mourinho made the most of this treasure.

Michael Essien came for a whopping 24 million pounds, although his transfer was a success and his performances justified the price tag, a certain Andrei Shevchenko flattered to deceive. The 31 million pounds spent on him were far from what he deserves.

What classifies as a big transfer fee depends on the player involved. John Obi Mikel, an African youngster who was with Manchester United, was paid 16 million pounds to leave United and join Chelsea. This was clearly a deal made in haste and the strategy to acquire-the-player-at-all-costs was used. A characteristic of transfers involving Roman Abramovich.

It is not impossible to transfer good players at a reasonable cost. Nemanja Vidic, a hot transfer target during his days at Spartak Moscow, was literally stolen by Manchester United at 7 million pounds. Today, he is one half of Europe's best defensive partnership and his deal is considered a bargain.

Another great buy was Thierry Henry, who joined Arsenal for only 10.5 million pounds, a bargain considering teams such as Real Madrid and AC Milan were after him.

Due to this rise in prices, the mediocre players are also getting an amount that just does not justify their level of football. Darren Bent, who was priced at around 10 million pounds, was purchased by Tottenham for 16.5 million pounds. He has been one of the flops of the season.

The effect of the price rise is felt by smaller clubs who cannot afford to dish out millions every transfer period, hence they overprice promising players from their squad, hoping that their sale will get them the cash to fund more transfers, hence the cycle continues.

FIFA and other football-governing bodies must keep a check on these rising prices and pompous wages paid to clubs and players respectively, or else it won't be long before a club's greatness will be judged by its financial strength.

In the long run, cash-strapped teams will dominate football as a result of having all the good players. The underdog teams will be completely outclassed.

Hence, for the good of the game, provisions must be made that benefit the smaller teams.

What do you think about this trend of spending carelessly? Please share your thoughts.

Sir Alex Ferguson: The Stuff of Legends

Kiran Gokarn — Sun, 11 May 2008 20:38:47 -0400

Bryan Robson, Steve Bruce, Mark Hughes, Eric Cantona, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, David Beckham, Peter Schmeichel, Andy Cole, Dwight Yorke, Jaap Stam, Ole Solskjaer, Roy Keane, and Teddy Sheringham have all been a part of United folklore; their contributions and feats towards the club have made them legends at Old Trafford.

But the constant that has been there and consistantly overlooked has been the resurrection of Manchester United by Sir Alex Ferguson.

When he took over in 1986 from Ron Atkinson, United was a club with a great past but was spiralling downwards into obscurity. Ferguson's desire and commitment slowly got United into the top league. Today his United side is on the verge of becoming England's most successful footballing outfit.

His principles of player discipline have seen many great names leave Old Trafford: Paul McGrath, Jaap Stam, David Beckham, and Ruud Van Nistelrooy have all been dispatched from Old Trafford without a second thought.

He might just be one of the greatest managers ever. His ability to spot talent is also brilliant. Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Cristiano Ronaldo were all young when they were signed by Fergie.

Another brilliant characteristic is his boldness in making decisions. Dispatching players like Stam, Beckham, etc. took lot of courage as he was answerable to millions of fans worldwide.

Although he wouldn't mind admitting that he made some costly mistakes in the form of Juan Sebastian Veron and Diego Forlan. Some of his signings such as Eric Djemba-Djemba and Kleberson were total flops, but he admits he made mistakes and is not afraid of making mistakes.

He has had some great rivalries in the past like with Kevin Keegan, Kenny Dalglish, Arsene Wenger, and Jose Mourinho, faring pretty well against most of them.

His legendary status is also backed by his impressive CV. 10 Premier League titles, one Champions League, five FA Cups, two League cups, one Cup winners Cup, one Super Cup and one Intercontinental Cup later he is still hungry for more.

However, he has still preserved the attacking football that Sir Matt Busby introduced at Manchester United when teams were playing more and more technically perfect, robotic football.

Over a period of 22 years he has had a brilliant winning percentage of 58.06. Truly amazing for any coach managing over such a long time span.

It is not wrong to say that we are witnessing a genius at work whenever Manchester United plays.

My salutations to Fergie and his brilliant footballing genius!

Manchester United-Chelsea: The Battle of Nerves

Kiran Gokarn — Sat, 10 May 2008 19:13:45 -0400

Over the past few weeks, we have seen a very different atmosphere develop in the EPL. The battle for the title will be decided on goal difference if the contenders don't lose on the last day. Grant and Ferguson have developed a new rivalry and players from both camps are wasting no opportunities in passing comments on the opposition.

Both teams are optimistic about their chances of doing a double. However, more than a battle of skills or quality on the pitch, this is a battle of nerves.

Being in the shoes of any of the players involved will not be an easy task. The pressure they are facing is enormous, and the fear of losing is on everybody's mind.

Part One of this battle will see both teams taking on weaker opposition for the title of English Champions. Bolton and Wigan will be unfancied opponents. The ties might be easy to predict on paper, but in reality the mind games played by both managers and players will be play a part.

On any other given day, Manchester United and Chelsea would have easily beaten the two, but today they will be a little more careful and think twice before playing any ball. If there is a shock result, it will be due to the mind games more than a bad performance.

Whoever is mentally superior on the given day will win the title.

Part Two sees the two behemoths of English football face each other for the third time this season. Both teams have won one game each. The occasion will be the UCL finals.

The will to win is equal in both teams. One wants to win it for the first time and the other, one more time. The game looks very delicately balanced on paper but in reality, both teams will be cautious of each other and will play very calculatedly.

And once again the capability of players to withstand the pressure will be tested. The game will be played in the mind more than on the pitch.

So, all is to play for and the team that holds its nerves will win all.

Barclays Premier League : The Penultimate Hurdle.

Kiran Gokarn — Tue, 06 May 2008 21:51:37 -0400

It all boils down to this weekend. All the hard work of the season comes down to this last round of matches.

Teams like Chelsea and Manchester United are slugging it out at the top of the table, whereas teams like Reading, Birmingham and Fulham are looking for survival.

I will however focus at the top of the table dog fight.

The form book says that in the last month Chelsea have had the better results compared to Manchester United. Both the teams won their matches last time out.

Man Utd brushing aside a lacklustre West Ham and Chelsea getting two at St. James' Park.

The last week sees Man Utd scheduled to play Wigan and Chelsea will face Bolton. Wigan are placed at a comfortable 13th position with 40 points. Bolton on the other hand have 36 points and face probable relegation if they lose by a big margin.

On the top, Chelsea will hope that Man Utd slip up, whereas Man Utd will be confident of winning against Wigan. The side managed by Steve Bruce, has performed wonders since his arrival at the JJB and have already got a point from Stamford Bridge.

Bolton are no no-hopers themselves. Last time at the Bridge they came away with a point in a hard fought encounter. This Bolton side, although weaker than last time on have Gary Megson who has already master minded a win over the reigning champions.

Chelsea will have the comfort of playing at home and Avram Grant will be praying for a slip up from Man Utd, his managerial record at the Bridge is nothing short of impressive.

Sir Alex will however not feel the heat as he has been in plenty of such situations. All that he will look to avoid are injuries. He will be hoping that they go into the UCL final with a positive result from the JJB.

So there is all to play for in the BPL and be prepared for nerve racking moments... not only from the top of the table but also from the bottom.

Ryan Giggs: The End of an Era

Kiran Gokarn — Mon, 05 May 2008 20:17:41 -0400

"Ryan Giggs, Ryan Giggs running down the wing, Ryan Giggs running down the wing, Feared by the blues, Loved by reds, Ryan Giggs, Ryan Giggs, Ryan Giggs."

It hurts me to see Ryan Giggs give a below par performance in matches nowadays. A master of the trade a few years back, he is clearly over the hill now. His commitment to the game, to the team, is as it was in 1992 when he made his debut. But his body has given up on him.

The fact that this may be his last season is evident after the statisticians at Old Trafford reduced the matches played by Bobby Charlton from 759 to 758. Somehow I feel that this has been done so that Giggsy breaks the record this season and can retire later on. His performances up till this season have been as consistent as ever. But it seems like age has finally caught up.

Should Manchester United win another league title or European cup,which they most probably will, he will break the record of Phil Neal as the most successful British player. A record he thoroughly deserves.

All these years he has been a loyal servant to the club.The rise of Ryan Giggs and the rise of Manchester United are so similar, that if two graphs would be plotted of the two, they would be identical in every aspect.

Discovered by Sir Alex as a youngster, he was signed by Fergie as a fifteen year old from rivals Manchester City.

He has played a significant part in Manchester United's success over the years. His injury time wonder goal in the FA Cup in semifinal against Arsenal in 1999 is still considered as the FA Cup's best ever goal.

He also struck at Old Trafford in extra time against Juventus in the semi final first leg of the UCL in the same year.

But more important than his goals have been his assists. Eric Cantona still consideres Ryan Giggs responsible for half of the goals he scored with Man Utd. Fergie once said that "if he scores one, he will set up two."

Of late, his experience has been vital for the youngsters that play at Utd. His maturity has helped Ferguson groom players like Ronaldo and Anderson. Next week, as he equals Sir Bobby's record appearances for Utd it will be a milestone not only for him, but also for English football.

As the career of such a great player comes to a close, I fail to see how Manchester United will replace him. The Welsh Wizard will forever be part of English footballing legend, and thoroughly deserves to be.

Manchester United: Time To Wrap It Up

Kiran Gokarn — Sat, 03 May 2008 18:18:16 -0400

It's been a nervy finish to a fantastic season of football. The EPL probably shows us why it is called the world's best league through these close finishes.

If things continue to be the way they are right now, Manchester United will be celebrating their 10th title win, their closest victory so far. The early form of Arsenal, the late flourish of Chelsea and the exciting relegation battle has crowned this as the most entertaining season of football.

But the past few months have been the most exciting part of the entire season, Arsenal's flop show, Chelsea's rise and Man Utd's last minute hiccups have all got us clinging to our seats.

With one last week and still the possibility of having Chelsea or Man Utd as champions the league has shown its competitive nature. Ronaldo's dazzling form, Torres' heroics and Grant's managerial success has shown us that it "isn't over till its over."

Even though Arsenal started off in spectacular fashion, their lack of experience and good leadership saw them drop from first place to third place, Chelsea have shown steel off late and have had luck on their side to climb to second place from being virtual no hopers in mid season.

However, Man Utd seem to deserve this title and the UCL more than any other team. I am not saying this because I am a Manc or hate Chelsea, but simply because they have maintained their scintillating form throughout the season, and gotten here after having their worst start of the season.

The kind of form that Man Utd showed against Barcelona and West Ham is one that champions are made of, if not for that luckless result against Portsmouth in the FA Cup, they might still be chasing a treble.

And even though Chelsea's late renaissance has made them title contenders and probable European champions, they have had a lot of luck as well as refereeing decisions go their way, whereas Man Utd have had exactly the opposite.

But now as the season ends, I think its Man Utd's glory to lose. I consider them favourites to win the EPL, and slight favourites to win the UCL. And it will be poetic justice if Ronaldo delivers them both the titles, as he is the driving force behind their success.

All that we can say is Que Sera Sera.

The Battle of Moscow : Manchester United vs Chelsea

Kiran Gokarn — Thu, 01 May 2008 00:43:06 -0400

A season full of European football culminates into the final at Moscow in May.

After all the struggles, comfort, tactics and criticism the two best teams of European and possibly world football have been decided.

After a tense first leg, Manchester United managed to overcome Barcelona in spectacular fashion at Old Trafford, Paul Scholes, ironically, was the scorer of the lone goal.

A match that was supposed to be a goal spectacle was decided by a lone goal. Nevertheless, the standard of football played over the two legs was great and for football lovers was a joy to watch.

On the other hand, Chelsea progressed by beating Liverpool 4-3 on aggregate, a match that had lots of goals scored but was marred by errors. Chelsea's Didier Drogba, silencing Benitez and his critics on the way. Lampard had a spectacular night as well.

Now all eyes are on Moscow where Chelsea will take on Manchester United, in what promises to be a great match.

Manchester United have been favourites to win the UCL ever since they started the season and have so far lived up to their billing.

Chelsea have been the dark horses of sorts and have reached here for the first time. Avram Grant has done in one season what Jose Mourinho couldn't do in three seasons.

The final will see two very different styles of football clash. Man Utd's free flowing, passing football against Chelsea's disciplined, almost mechanical, nonetheless effective football.

Chelsea will also enjoy a lot of crowd support as Roman Abramovich will make sure that he uses his resources to the fullest in getting maximum crowd support for Chelsea.

Is it third time lucky for Chelsea or will Manchester United add another European trophy to their already glistening trophy cabinet??

The will to win is present in both teams and so is the quality in the individuals, however, it will be the teams' form on that day that will decide whether the trophy goes to London or Manchester.

At least by the looks of it, Chelsea look like favourites to me, with the crowd support, it will be like a home game to them. But, Manchester United cannot be counted out, they have won in the toughest of circumstances.

Winning in Europe will also be the perfect tribute to the Busby Babes on their 50th death anniversary, who died returning from a European game.

So, game on!!

Barcelona: They Came, They saw, They were Conquered...

Kiran Gokarn — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 18:03:37 -0400

When United drew Barcelona in the Champions League semifinals, people were expecting a mouth watering encounter without an abundance of goals.

However, on Tuesday night, it was a solitary strike from Paul Scholes that was enough to send United through on their way to Moscow. Such was the glory of the strike that Victor Valdes could only watch the ball sail into the net. It was a typical Scholes strike.

The match started off with Barcelona winning a free kick on the edge of the United penalty area in the 25th second.Barcelona were clearly the dominant force in the early proceedings. However, in typical United fashion, the Red Devils hit Barcelona on the break in the 13th minute and caused considerable pressure on Gianluca Zambrotta. As a result of his clearance, the ball fell to Paul Scholes,who on finding acres of space, blasted the ball with such power and precision that United fans could only drool at the beauty of the strike.

From then on, United enjoyed more of the possession and created several chances that should have converted into goals. Barcelona were riding on the excellence of Lionel Messi, who was mesmerising to say the least. His pace and ball control were a joy to watch. His shooting though was non present.

Cristiano Ronaldo, who has been United's 'Man friday' this season did not see much of the ball, however he did brilliantly with whatever possession he got. The striker role in absence of Rooney, was clearly not his favourite position.

Deco, who had the best shots on goal,should have got a goal. Nani was an average performer. However United's two centre-backs, Ferdinand and Brown were outstanding and the absence of Vidic was not felt.

Patrice Evra deserves a special mention as his attacking runs into the Barcelona half gave Zambrotta a real headache. Puyol was solid in defence whereas Milito was a bad performer.

The match saw Old Trafford being transformed into a sea of red with giant banners of 'Dare to Believe' in the crowds.The crowd was as loud as at the Camp Nou,if not louder. All in all, this match turned out to be the spectacle that it was billed to be even though it was marked by a lone goal.

Attacking football prevailed and counter attacks were many in number. Messi really dazzled with the ball and showed why he is counted amongst the world's top two players at the moment.

In the end, the deserving team won and United's horror run of the past few weeks ended in style. Sir Alex's team, even though marred by injuries, showed the class of champions.

If such football will be played, the final promises to be a spectacular one.

Manchester United: Under Pressure...

Kiran Gokarn — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 18:10:04 -0400

Its been a tough week for Manchester United in both England as well as Europe.

United have had a mini collapse of sorts since their 2-2 draw against Middlesborough. A last gasp draw against Blackburn and a loss at Stamford Bridge, saw Chelsea draw level on points at the top of the table.

In Europe the most anticipated semifinal in a long time turned out to be one of the most disappointing ones as Barca failed to score and United preferred to sit back. Since the loss at The Bridge it has been a tense few days for Sir Alex Ferguson. A bad run of form has pushed them from favourites to leaders.

Cristiano Ronaldo has not scored of late and the defence has not been upto the mark. Vidic and Rooney are flirting with injuries and people don't know what to expect from the side. All in all the manager is not a happy person.

This is not the first time that he has been under such pressure, he has been in such situations numerous times, and that will make things easy for the club. However, most of the players are facing such a crisis(??!!) for the first time.

Cristiano Ronaldo, who has been the driving force behind United all throughout the season will be thoroughly tested now and his true character will be revealed. Whether he is a pressure performer or not will be assessed this week.

Other like Ryan Giggs will have a point to prove as many fans have begun to lose faith in the veteran's capabilities owing to his performances over the past few weeks. He is clearly over the hill ,at least physically if not mentally, and his staying power will be tested against Barca at Old Trafford.

United have seemed to run out of steam at the very end of the season, and Chelsea have gained momentum at the same time. Barcelona having rested a horde of players in the weekend will be a fresh bunch, whereas United will be a tired lot having played 3 matches in 6 days. Also psychologically, Barcelona will have an edge as they know that all they need to do is get a goal scoring draw against United.

United on the other hand, will have the weight of the world on their shoulders. Also the added pressure of fixture congestion would have tired them. However this is what Sr Alex calls 'squeaky-bum time', his favourite time of the season.

How well his team can do in such circumstances will test the team's credibility as champions?

No matter who wins or loses we are in for a great few weeks of football. Can United dominate and win or will we see a repeat of Leverkusen 2002..??? So near yet so far..

EPL: Oh Ref, Give It a Second Look...

Kiran Gokarn — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 19:00:57 -0400

Over the past few weeks,or months should i say,referees have been quite partial against United.

Now,I'm not supporting United or being too critical of the referees either.But if you give it a second look,you will notice that United have been denied quite a few points in the title race.For example,yesterday's match against Chelsea is a good example of bad refereeing.Call it a close call or crowd pressure,Micheal Carrick's handball decision was a hard one.

It was clearly an unintentional foul and his hand too was not raised over his head or outstretched in anyway.It was definitely impossible for Carrick to get his hand out of the way(unless he dislocate it from his socket).

Moreover,he did not deprive Chelsea of a clear goal scoring oppurtunity,Rio Ferdinand was present just behind Carrick and could have provided cover.This supports the case that the penalty was a wrong decision.

In no way was the referee to be blamed in yesterday's case as he had absolutely no chance of calling it a penalty.The blame has to go on the linesman who hastily gave away a title affecting decision.He should have thought twice .

Another example of bad refereeing was in the FA Cup clash between Man United and Portsmouth.The 80th minute penalty was fair,but the sending off was too harsh.Maybe a yellow card would have sufficed since Anderson was standing on the line and Baros was not denied a clear goal scoring chance.Then again,maybe Baros would have scored,but the rule-book states that a red card can be given to a goalie only when he obstructs the striker from scoring what is a sure goal,which might not have been the case since Anderson was there on the goal line.

Having said that,the standard of refereeing has been dismal this season.I dont know whether it is coincidence or biasedness but refs give their worst decisions against United.In the game against Bolton at the Reebok Stadium,United were denied a few clear freekicks and handballs.

Even in the match against Blackburn,a few weeks back,Man United were denied a clear penalty when Ryan Nelsen rose to head the ball away and it hit his hand instead.Now,the penalty was a clear one as Nelsen was almost six feet in the air and in clear view of the referee.That penalty was also not given.

Even teams like Arsenal have had a hard time with the refs this season.A bad decision in the first leg of the quarterfinal of the Champions League saw them being denied what was a clear penalty.

Even though the referee was not a premier league official,I have decided to mention it as it was a bad decision.

It might be due to crowd pressure or media pressure,but the referees cannot get away with these blatant errors.The standard of refereeing has been absolutely dismal in what is being touted as the world's best football league.

Mark Clattenberg has been one of those referees who wilts under crowd pressure,he has consistently been giving bad decisions throughout the season.Such referees must be handled appropriately by the FA.

I am not blaming the referees completely here,they do tend to make mistakes under such immense pressure,but I think,that they must be taught to be calm under such situations and not give decisions in haste.

The Premier League might be the best league in the world now,but in matters of refereeing I think it is one of the worst in Europe this season.This season,somehow,the referees have been especially very harsh on Man United and their decisions have played a big part in the title race.

It maybe yesterday's decision against Carrick or the week before against Blackburn,but the referees have particularly harsh on United.

One Club Man: A Dying Breed

Kiran Gokarn — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 06:05:40 -0400

Paolo Maldini, Ryan Giggs, Tony Adams, Berti Vogts, Paul Scholes, Francesco Totti etc.

The above mentioned belong to a select category of footballers, one that is fast dying out i.e.they have all spent their entire careers at a single club.

Call it passion or love for the club or anything else, their achievement is something worth talking about. Besides all of them have been extremely successful in their respective clubs and have not just been there to make up the numbers.

Lets begin with Mr.Roma, the great Francesco Totti. When he joined the club in 1993, not even he would have imagined the success that he would get. 15 years later and one scudetto and a World Cup later he has been the club's best ever. Several times in his career he was tempted to leave Rome for more successful teams such as Milan or Madrid, but his loyalty for the club was much greater than any amount of money.

His loyalty is so highly regarded in Rome that he even has a chapel dedicated to him. He is truly an example setter in more ways than one.

Then come the trio of players from Manchester United. Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville. All three have epitomised the club throughout the Alex Ferguson era. In a time when the fortunes of the club changed significantly, they can proudly say that they have been there and done that.

The trio has been responsible for the rise of Manchester United over the years and have featured for the club in almost all of its greatest victories under Ferguson.

Paolo Maldini is another player that needs no introduction. His achievements are so numerous with the Rossonieri that i would have to write a completely different article to cover them all. In his 24 year career with AC Milan he has served them as loyally as one could. It's hard to imagine that he had played alongside the legendary Baresi and is still plying his trade today. Quite an achievement I must say.

All the players mentioned spent their careers at "big" clubs. What about the ones who were at less glamorous ones..??

One example is Matt Le Tissier. A legend among the Southampton faithful, Le Tissier refused to join AC Milan and Chelsea, just because his heart was with The Saints. He is even reported to have torn up a contract he had signed with Tottenham Hotspurs in 1991. A true loyalist I must say. His refusal to leave a struggling Southampton exemplified all that makes legends out of men.

These are just a few of the players who have been dubbed as ONE CLUB WONDERS. In today's footballing world where money is the lingua franca, it is hard to imagine any player spending his entire career at one club.

Gone are the days where the likes of Lev Yashin and Giancinto Facchetti refused large wads of money for contempt of heart. It would not be entirely wrong of me to say that the 'one club wonders' are a dying breed and probably will only exist in smaller clubs.

All these men chose loyalty over money and fame. It hurts me to see someone like Nicolas Anelka change clubs like one changes clothes. It only points out to the fact that football has developed an enemy in form of wealth.

Well, it only remains to be seen if someone can carry on this tradition of being loyal to one club.

Gerard Pique: Manchester United's Man?

Kiran Gokarn — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 03:54:24 -0400

In summer 2004 a youngster by this name was signed from Barcelona and was touted to be the next Jaap Stam. He made his debut a few matches later and impressed everyone with a good performance.

Four years on, and today he might just be the most important man in Manchester United's quest for glory in Europe and in England.

With the ever reliable partnership of Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand broken once again by injury problems, mighty Manchester United seemed to have been hit back.

At Middlesborough over the weekend, Ferdinand looked distinctly ill at ease without the reliable Vidic by his side. The result was two goals conceded...two very soft goals conceded. Nothing that would make you stand up and applaud at the creativity of the goals.

And just when it seemed that things wouldn't get worse, out goes Ferdinand with a groin injury, an injury that has been haunting him for the past few months.

In comes Gerard Pique, and after a long time it seemed that United had stability in the back. It was a good perfromance when called for, and he recieved special mention from Sir Alex Ferguson in the post-match conference.

However, looking at the bigger picture, Pique's role looks even more important than ever.

Tonight Roma will go all-out to seek revenge for last year's thrashing, and will try to make the most of every ball that finds its way into the Man United half. With goal poachers like Mirko Vucinic in their ranks, Roma is fully capable of doing the unthinkable.

Come Sunday, United has another make-or-break fixture against bitter rivals and fellow Premiership contenders Arsenal. With a heartbreaking loss at Anfield in the week, the Gunners will be doubly determined to bounce back, after they were humiliated at Old Trafford by United in the FA Cup few weeks back.

Also, Vidic will not be available during this game and this will heap pressure on the young Spaniard's shoulders.

This daunting prospect of being the wall for Man United will be frightening for any defender now, but Gerard Pique is no rookie or novice himself. Having spent an entire season at Real Zaragoza where the team was a very successful outfit, he has had a lot of exposure to cope with such pressure.

Overall, his physical prescence of 6'3" is very impressive and he is also very good in the air, and has also scored this season against Roma.

All these things will definitely boost his confidence and help him in the encounter.

But the question remains...will he or will he not be able to cope up? With the Arsenal tie looming, and with the injury to Ferdinand, Ferguson might put Pique with Wes Brown, who isn't that good at centre back.

However, Franz Beckenbauer once remarked, "If there is one thing that a defender should have in abundance, it's pressure." According to "Der Kaiser", a carefree defender is a bad defender.

Pique tonight finds himself in a position that could either make or break his club's chance of glory thsi season. A few good performances by him and United might not miss Vidic and Ferdinand after all. No matter how he performs, the coming few weeks will be one of the busiest times of his life.

Considering his past performances for Man United, Pique seems to be a mixed bag; even though he might lack the defensive acumen that the likes of Sergio Ramos possess at this age, he certainly makes that up for with a keen eye at goal from corners.

This season might be his coming-of-age after all. Only time will tell how good a defender Pique will turn out to be, but as of now I think he is fully capable of filling in Ferdinand's shoes.

My prediction is that he will perform well in the upcoming games and be a better defender overall. But there is no denying that Gerard Pique might be the most important man for Man United at the moment, probably even more so than Cristiano Ronaldo himself.

Will he stand up tall against the challenges thrown at him?

ONLY TIME WILL TELL.