Luis Suarez Controversy, Thierry Henry Goal, Barcelona Defeat and More
Saturday proved to be quite an eventful day.
We observed some shocking losses, some late comebacks, a flurry of goals and a great deal of controversy.
Barcelona and Chelsea both lost what would have been routine wins, although Goodison Park is always a tough place to play at.
AC Milan and Arsenal also came back late to win against Udinese and Sunderland, respectively.
And we witnessed the case of Patrice Evra vs. Luis Suarez develop into a full-blown scandal in the game. Here are some thoughts on Saturday.
4. Thierry Henry Shines
1 of 4It was the perfect farewell for Arsenal legend Thierry Henry as he registered a goal in injury time to provide a much-needed win for Arsenal.
Arsenal sit in forth place now, ahead of Chelsea on total goals scored.
Arsenal trailing to Sunderland came back through a superb Aaron Ramsey goal. And in stoppage time, Andrei Arshavin provided a delicious cross, which Henry superbly put into the back of the net.
All of Arsene Wenger's substitutions worked.
All three, Andrei Arshavin, Aaron Ramsey and Thierry Henry were involved in all of Arsenal's goals.
The much-maligned Arshavin changed the game tremendously with his arrival, as he put in some great crosses into the box.
The one that led to Henry's goal showed the class of Arshavin, as he beat two defenders and laid an inch-perfect pass to Thierry Henry.
It was indeed a fairy tale end to Henry's stint, for many people had questioned the loan deal.
In Italy, AC Milan also came from a goal down to win against Udinese. The win means that Milan are on top of the Serie A standings, although Juventus have two games in hand.
3. A Flurry of Goals
2 of 4Saturday was indeed a great day for football if you wanted some goals.
Tottenham Hotspur put five goals past Newcastle United.
Emmanuel Adebayor gave a Man of the Match performance, setting up four goals and scoring one himself.
The chemistry between the Togolese and Louis Saha also looked superb, as if they had been playing with each other for years.
Luka Modric and Scott Parker were their creative and industrious forces yesterday, and Tottenham dominated the game from start to finish.
The game also marked an emotional moment for Harry Redknapp, as fans cheered his name wildly and plead for him to stay.
It is only a matter of time that the FA offer the job to Harry.
In Germany, in what seemed to be shocking match, Borussia Monchegladbach completely ran riots over Schalke, defeating them three goals to nil in the process.
The game was expected to be a competitive one between the two, who were separated by only a point before the match.
However, both clubs are still within reach of the top spot currently occupied by Borussia Dortmund.
Other High-Scoring Games
Swansea City 2 - 3 Norwich City
Osasuna 3 - 2 Barcelona
VfB Stuttgart 5 - 0 Hertha BSC
2. Shocking Defeats
3 of 4On Saturday, we witnessed some shocking defeats.
As mentioned earlier, Schalke were handed a humiliation by Borussia Monchegladbach.
However, the most shocking defeats took place in England and Spain.
Chelsea were completely dominated by Everton, while Barcelona lost to a resilient and dynamic Osasuna side.
Steven Pienaar injected a much-needed level of dynamism to the Everton side, as they ran circles around Chelsea and won by two goals to nil.
The Chelsea defense was in shambles yesterday, the midfield lacked creativity and Fernando Torres was absolutely pitiful in possession.
Peter Cech was beaten too easily on the second goal, and Chelsea looked nothing like the fearsome side of old.
Andre Villas-Boas must go.
Across into the mainland, Barcelona were handed a defeat by Osasuna.
Osasuna scored twice through Dejan Lekic, before Alexis Sanchez pulled one back for Barcelona.
A Man of the Match performance from Raul Garcia, who scored the third goal, meant that Barcelona were left with a tough job at hand.
Although they tried, Barca were simply unable to break down Osasuna.
The La Liga seems to be decided now, as Real Madrid already have a seven-point lead with a game at hand.
1. Luis Suarez vs. Patrice Evra
4 of 4Tensions were high as supporters world-wide wondered what would go down before the pregame handshake.
As expected, Luis Suarez refused to shake hands with Patrice Evra, and controversy ensued all over.
Out came the critics: Sir Alex Ferguson stated that Suarez should be banned, Alan Hansen and Alan Shearer were equally critical of Suarez, and a number of others expressed disgust at Suarez.
However, I am of the feeling that the pregame handshake should have been forgone.
And since that didn't happen, it was reasonable for Suarez to not shake hands.
A turning point in his career—and might I add, football—is indeed the racism scandal involving Patrice Evra.
For those who do not have an overview of the transpired events, they are as follows: After drawing 1-1 with Manchester United on October 15, 2011, Patrice Evra accused Suarez of abusing him along racist grounds.
Subsequently, the FA opened an investigation and decided that the punishment for the alleged crime was an eight-match ban and a £40,000 fine.
Football supporters, players and pundits were divided whether it was a harsh punishment or thoroughly deserved, with Suarez’s club, Liverpool, wholeheartedly supporting Suarez while denouncing the unjust ruling of the FA and also Evra’s statements.
The players from the Uruguayan national team also stood behind Suarez, as did hordes of Liverpool supporters.
In a 115-page report issued by the FA, they claimed that Suarez had "damaged the image of English football around the world."
They claimed that Evra had been a calm, credible witness, while Suarez’s plea was riddled with inconsistencies. So the ban stayed, and Liverpool decided not to appeal.
So here's a man, Luis Suarez, who felt he had not done anything racist.
Not to digress, but isn’t it ludicrous that such a ban was instituted on Suarez on the sole evidence of Patrice Evra, and Patrice Evra alone?
And shouldn’t a ban be instituted for Evra for using the word "South American" in a derogatory way?
Last time I checked, insulting someone on the basis of their nationality also counts as racism.
Let me state: Luis Suarez is not a racist.
This is not the first time that Evra has accused someone being a racist.
Evra is no saint either. You have to realize that this is the man who was the captain of the French national team and forced the entire team into disarray and brought a shameful mark upon his country.
Also, the word he used was commonly accepted all over Uruguay, with even the team captain referred with the same term.
And do you honestly believe that fellow players of African descent don’t use the N-word in England?
If you think so, you’re delusional.
So what makes using the word acceptable to some users and not to others, especially those coming from a different culture and background?
It is even more insane that the ban was instituted against Suarez, who has grown up in a multicultural family himself and has never had a racial issue, although having worked with several ethnicities.
How many of you know that Suarez is sponsor of the social project “From the Streets to the Fields” for almost one and a half years.
Through this project, Suarez has been actively fighting against the racism that was instituted from the days of the apartheid.
At the 2010 World Cup, Suarez, along with Andres Iniesta and Carlos Kameni, even filmed a documentary, whose sales go to stamping out racism in South Africa.
As a Manchester United fan, I am thoroughly ashamed by the actions of Patrice Evra and wish Suarez a long, healthy, controversy-free career.
Latest Update:
Suarez has apologized for his actions yesterday. Here is his statement:
"I have spoken at length with the Manager since the game at Old Trafford and I realise I got things wrong. I've not only let him down, but also the Club and what it stands for and I'm sorry. I made a mistake and I regret what happened. I should have shaken Patrice Evra's hand before the game and I want to apologise for my actions. I would like to put this whole issue behind me and concentrate on playing football.
"
