Modern Romance
Watching Charlton this season, it was easy to forget what attracted one to the sport of football in the first place. Luckily the drama that unfolded in Cardiff this afternoon 'hammered' it home to me.It was pure theatre. Surely one of the best finals ever - it was like the good old days.... Ricky Villa, Tommy Hutchinson, Norman Whiteside. The fact that neither team had any subs left just added to the drama - the FA Cup needed some romance back after some of the garbage that has been served up in recent years. It is reassuring to know that the big clubs haven't completely ruined the aura of the FA Cup despite their best attempts at killing it off.
West Ham played with great fervour and spirit but sadly lost their bottle during penalties. It reminded me so much of our play-off final in 1998 and it was nearly as exhausting to watch. Am I envious? Of course I am.
I've always had a soft spot for West Ham, partly because we usually do pretty well against them. Moreover my Mum was brought up in East Ham (how come there is an East Ham and a West Ham, but no 'Ham'?). Anyhow, they've had a fabulous season and deserve the plaudits that their brave efforts will bring them today.
Frustratingly for me, and as mentioned in an earlier post, they are not a team that has been built with money, but are a mere collection of misfits, wannabees and value signings whose manager has them playing with ambition and not fear. They beat four Premiership teams to reach the final, more than we have beaten in over a decade of FA Cup football.
What a player that Benayoun is; how can the likes of Bryan Hughes call themselves 'midfielders' when they watch performances like his? And frighteningly, he cost the same as Marcus Bent.
And more importantly, how on earth can England be heading to the World Cup with their hopes potentially resting on Peter Crouch's lofty shoulders? Thankfully for those of you who still care about England's chances, we do however have the best midfielder in the world.
ps - By the way, Alan Wiley is a terrific referee. He set the tone by not booking Konch in the first minute, a decision that allowed him to keep his cards in his pocket until the second half and thus ensure 22 players remained on the park. Mike Riley, Rob Styles....were you watching?
posted by New York Addick @ 5:39 PM
3 comments
Yes totally agree with those thoughts, it was an excellent show of how football should be played in the spirit of the game and no play acting. ( Were you watching Drogba, Roben and the rest of you...)
Do you think that the game was so enjoyable because both sides actually went out for a win knowingly that the result actually had no impact on europe ie the thing to play for was the cup and you had no 'worries' about losing since both already qualify for their respective competion next season thus playing a game of open football ?
Anyhow lets hope the champions league final can produce some good advert ofr the game too.
Joe
There is a Ham, its between Kingston and Richmond in Surrey, a handy 90 minute drive to the Valley for match days.
I went to the match today ( kept a hammers mate company) and have to admit it was a fantastic experience, and the Hammers fans were superb.
Dave from Ham
It was an amazing final and yes, Benayoun is a fantastic player and has been for us all season. He does not disappear on cold, away day nights like so many other foreign players have (stand up Di Canio, but don't salute) and his mercurail talents have been a joy to watch all season.