UEFA 2020 Euro Championship – Day 23

Switzerland (0) 1 – 1 (1) Spain (FT: 1-1. Spain won 3-1 on penalties)

Goalscorers: Switzerland – Shaqiri (68′). Spain – Zakaria (8’og)

Krestovsky Stadium, Saint Petersburg

Really not sure what to make of this Spanish team. They play at times lovely, quick, intricate and incisive football, but yet again in this encounter failed to turn that into goals. In simple terms, pundits seem to agree that they are just a  decent striker away from being a very good side. Thankfully for La Roja, they weren’t punished in this game as they made it through to the semi-finals on penalties, but you have to wonder if Italy will be so forgiving in that clash at Wembley.

The Spaniards got off to the best possible start, when another OG was recorded after Alba’s shot was deflected past Sommer by Zakaria. Chances were few and far between in the opening half, with the best all coming from corners, as Spain had headers from Azpilicueta and Torres go wide, whilst Zakaria for the Swiss was unable to control his header when well placed. One-nil to Spain at the break.

As the Swiss showed in their game against France, they are not a team to bow to the ‘big’ teams and on sixty-eight minutes got their reward. With seemingly no danger as a Swiss attack broke down, Laporte and Torres contrived to give the ball away which fell kindly for Freuler who squared for Shaqiri, to sweep home. However, parity was short-lived and just nine minutes later and Switzerland were a man down. Now depending if you are a Spanish fan or a Swiss fan your view will be decidedly different. If you follow La Roja, you’d say this was a challenge that Freuler was not in control of and his contact with Moreno was dangerous. Flip to the Rossocrociati view and it will be that the player got the ball and that his momentum took him through into the Spanish player and was unavoidable. I’ve watched it a number of times since and can honestly see it both ways. I’m presuming Michael Oliver saw it as a reckless challenge in which the player wasn’t in control of the tackle and therefore had to be a red card. Who’d be a referee?

It meant it was an uphill battle for the Swiss from there on in. However, they made it to extra-time and eventually to penalties, thanks to ‘keeper Sommer who made a number of saves and the poor Spanish finishing, with Moreno particularly guilty. With Spain hitting the post with their first spot-kick you just wondered whether the Swiss were going to pull off another surprise. However, where their penalty takers had been perfect against France, they imploded here, although credit to Simón who saved two penalties, leaving Oyarzabal to seal the win 3-1.

A point of discussion from this game once again as the commentators praised the standard of referees especially with respect to letting games flow. I have to disagree on both counts. In far too many games I have seen the referee get in too close to the action, causing issues to the teams, some of the sending-off decisions have been questionable even with the aid of VAR, and if letting the game flow is when obvious fouls have been committed then count me out.

 

Belgium (1) 1 – 2 (2) Italy

Goalscorers: Belgium – Lukaku (45’+2’ pen). Italy – Barella (31′), Insigne (44′)

Allianz Arena, Munich

This was described in some quarters as a classic, with exhilarating football played by both sides. And to some extent I have to agree. However, what will stick in my mind over all the great football played, will be the playing-acting of Immobile in the build-up to Italy’s first goal. As the ball was played into the Belgian box, the forward went down in a heap, and stayed down (impeding the passage of play in my opinion) allowing Barella to fire in. With the ball in the net, up popped Immobile with a look at the referees assistant and jogged over (no limp) to celebrate with his teammates. There is no other word to apply to the player than CHEAT. The goal should have been struck off for simulation and or his prone body interfering with play. It left a bitter taste in my mouth to be sure.

Of the rest of the game, Insigne’s strike just before the break was one of the goals of the competition and Lukaku’ s penalty was supremely executed to get Belgium back in the game in time added-on at the end of the first-half. After the antics of Immobile in the first period I was willing the Belgians to level, but despite the best efforts of Lukaku, De Bruyne and Doku, they couldn’t find an equaliser and yet again FIFA’s No1 ranked side leave a Finals tournament without a trophy.

You have to think Italy will win the competition overall, they look the most complete side left, but for me the image of Immobile and his actions will be hard to shake-off if the Azzuri go on to lift the European crown.

 

Czech Republic v Denmark (Olympic Stadium, Baku)

This is a repeat of the 2004 Quarter-Final when the Euros were held in Portugal. The game took place at the Estadio do Dragão in Porto and was in the end a conformable 3-0 win for the Czech Republic with goals from Koller (49′) and Baros (63’, 65’).

The Danes are a side riding on the crest of emotion and their fans will hope it is a repeat of their 1992 Euro win against all odds. The Czechs looked very ordinary in the group stages, but then produced one of the performances of the tournament in knocking out the Netherlands 2-0 in their own backyard.

Not an easy one to call, but I’m going for the Danes to continue their incredible run.

 

Ukraine v England (Stadio Olimpico, Rome)

And so to the last of the Quarter-Finals and the no doubt gut-wrenching experience that is watching England.

These two have met in the Euro Finals before, back in 2012 at the  Donbass Arena in Donetsk with the Three Lions winning 1-0. It was the final match of the group stage, with Wayne Rooney scoring three minutes after the break, with a header from a yard out, after Steven Gerrard’s cross was somehow reached Rooney through three Ukrainian defenders and ‘keeper. It was a classically nervy performance from England, and in truth they were lucky to win, as John Terry’s theatrical over-head clearance was shown in replays to have crossed the line but was missed by the officials. VAR would have awarded the goal.

Whilst Ukraine only just made it out of the groups stage as one of the best third placed finishers, they did see off a more than useful Sweden team in the Round of 16. England should not take the Blue and Yellow lightly and will have to do it without home advantage that they have been afforded so far as they play over in Rome. It could be another old stressful evening.

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UEFA 2020 Euro Championship – Day 20

England (0) 2 – 0 (0) Germany

Goalscorers: Sterling (75′), Kane (86′)

Wembley Stadium, England

For all those dodgy traders making up face masks with ‘Euro2020 Winners – England. It’s Come Home!’ stop right there. Yes, the win over Germany was a joy to witness, but as the 2018 World Cup should have taught us, nothing can be taken for granted. Whilst not being the voice of doom, it was a late afternoon of joy. Raheem Sterling scored for the third successive game with fifteen to go after great work by Shaw out wide and the icing on the Black Forest Gateaux came five minutes from time when substitute Jack Grealish crossed for Harry Kane to seal the 2-0 win. Credit though to Jordan Pickford who has had an up and down season between the sticks for Everton but made vital saves when required in this game and has after four games yet to concede. There were great performances all over the park, but the Germans will look back at the miss by the usually lethal Thomas Muller when the score was just 1-0 as he dragged his shot wide when one-on-one with Pickford. The reality is that the Three Lions have to for the first time this tournament leave their Wembley home to take on Ukraine in Rome. We have to enjoy the result, but ultimately as Gareth Southgate has stated, this result means nothing if England don’t go on to win the competition. All roads lead to Rome…

 

Sweden (1) 1 – 2 (1) Ukraine AET (1-1 FT)

Goalscorers: Sweden – Forsberg (43′) Ukraine – Zinchenko (27′), Dovbyk (120’+1’)

Hampden Park, Glasgow

Sweden ranked 18th in the current FIFA table with Ukraine 24th, so on paper a seemingly evenly matched game, and so it proved to be. It was a pretty cagey opening, but Ukraine got their noses in front after twenty-seven minutes, as a cross-ball fell nicely for Zinchenko whose powerful drive beat Olsen in goal. Sweden though responded with a free-kick from Larsson. With the Ukraine defence and ‘keeper expecting it to be launched into the box, Larsson instead went for goal and Bushchan had to scramble across to make the save. The Swedes though were level two minutes before the break, Isak played in Forsberg, with his shot from outside the box, deflecting off Zabarnyi. All square at half-time, 1-1. Into the second-half and both sides were denied by the woodwork. First Ukraine, as Sydorchuk saw his curled effort strike the outside of the post, whilst Forsberg had two efforts that on another day would have gone in. His first came after a driving Isak run which struck the base of the post, and the second created by Forsberg himself as he collected out wide, jinked across the box, with his shot hitting the crossbar. So to extra-time, with both sides looking tired and the defining moment of the first period. Nine minutes in, Danielson, cleared from a Ukrainian flick-on, but in following through he took out Artem Besedin. Referee Daniele Orsato blew for a free-kick and showed a yellow card to the Swedish player. It was referred to VAR and after consultation it was upgraded to a red. It’s a difficult one. In slow motion this looked a horrible challenge as Besedin’s leg took the full impact of the challenge. But there’s a reason why slow-mo is used in TV and film – impact. Depending on which side you sit, either Danielson should only have received a yellow due to him clearing the ball and then making unintentional contact in the unavoidable momentum he had, or you perceive it as a reckless challenge. I go with the former, as to me there was no intention to foul the player, his aim was to clear the ball, plain and simple. ON the back of this, are we saying a tackle can only be made with no possible contact through momentum afterwards? For those of a certain age please look at the 1970 FA Cup Final for football of a different age and what tackles used to be and considered legal. Despite being down a man Sweden battled on and it looked like they had earned the chance of penalties as the last minute of extra-time was played. However, these dramatic last sixteen games had one last twist for us as the Ukraine swung one last hopeful ball into the box, where Artem Dovbyk headed home to win the game 2-1 and set up a Quarter-Final with England in Rome. Phew! A fitting climax to so simply mad last sixteen games.

 

So after a truly breathless set of last sixteen games, we have a break now until the Quarter Finals which begin on Friday 02 July and are as follows:

Friday 02 July 2021

Switzerland v Spain (Krestovsky Stadium, Saint Petersburg)

Belgium v Italy (Allianz Arena, Munich)

Saturday 03 July 2021

Czech Republic v Denmark (Olympic Stadium, Baku)

Ukraine v England (Stadio Olimpico, Rome)

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1992/93 European Cup Winners’ Cup Final

Wednesday 12 May 1993

Venue: Wembley Stadium, London, England.

Attendance: 37,393

PARMA (2) 3 – 1 (1) ROYAL ANTWERP

[Parma scorers: Minotti  9′, Melli  30′, Cuoghi  84′]

[Royal Antwerp: Severeyns  11′]

Parma: Marco Ballotta, Georges Grün, Lorenzo Minotti (c), Luigi Apolloni, Antonio Benarrivo, Alberto Di Chiara, Marco Osio (Fausto Pizzi 75’), Daniele Zoratto (Gabriele Pin 26’), Stefano Cuoghi, Tomas Brolin, Alessandro Melli.

Unused Substitutes: Marco Ferrari (GK), Salvatore Matrecano, Faustino Asprilla.

Royal Antwerp: Stevan Stojanovic, Rudi Taeymans, Nico Broeckaert, Rudi Smidts (c), Wim Kiekens, Didier Segers (Noureddine Moukrim 82’), Ronny Van Rethy, Dragan Jakovljevic (Patrick Van Veirdeghem 51’), Hans-Peter Lehnhoff, Francis Severeyns, Alexandre Czerniatynski. 

Unused Substitutes: Wim De Coninck (GK), Geert Emmerechts, Garry De Graef.

Referee: Karl-Josef Assenmacher (Germany)

 

This was the 33rd Final of the Cup Winners Cup and the first at Wembley since West Ham United played in the 1964/65 Final against 1860 Munich.

Parma started brightly and went ahead within the opening ten minutes. Alessandro Melli had a diving header brilliantly saved by Antwerp ‘keeper Stevan Stojanovic, however from the resulting corner, Stojanovic flapped at the ball allowing Parma skipper Lorenzo Minotti to acrobatically hook home into the net. The lead only lasted two minutes, as the Parma defence was put under pressure with Alexandre Czerniatynski putting through a clever ball to Francis Severeyns who ran onto it and clinically finished past Marco Ballotta. On the half-hour mark, Parma went back in front and again the Antwerp ‘keeper didn’t cover himself in glory. Marco Osio crossed into the box and Stojanovic came out only to be well beaten to the ball by Alessandro Melli, who headed home into an unguarded goal. Melli had the ball in the net once more before the break but was aggrieved to see the flag up for off-side, leaving the Italian side 2-1 up at the break. Parma dominated proceedings in the second-half, but only sealed victory six minutes from time, when a ball over the top found Stefano Cuoghi clear of the Antwerp defence, he took a single touch in the box before curling over the advancing Stojanovic for I Gialloblu (The Yellow and Blues) first European trophy.

The low attendance on the night is said to have contributed to the thinking that the competition had a limited future. Indeed just six years on from that Wembley game, in 1999, the last ever Final in the tournament was played out at Villa Park.

The programme from the last Final in 1999 summarised the game under the following headline:

Parma outgun brave Antwerp

The Wembley final was a glittering occasion but both clubs took a tortuous route to London. Parma AC squeezed past Ujpesti TC 2-1, then drew 0-0 at home to Boavista FC before winning 2-0 in Portugal. After beating Sparta Praha (conquerers of defending champions SV Werder Bremen), they won the away leg of their semi-final against Club Atletico de Madrid 2-1, only to lose 1-0 at home.

Royal Antwerp FC needed a penalty shoot-out to beat the Irisj part-timers of Glenavon FC in the first round. Then, having beaten FC Admira Wacker 4-2 in Austria, they contrived to lose 4-3 at home. IN the quarter-final against Steaua Bucuresti an 82nd minute goal by Alex Czerniatynski let them through on the away-goals rule and, in the semi-finals a controversial penalty allowed them to beat Spartak Moscow 3-2 on aggregate.

Walter Meeuws’ side showed similar resilience in the Wembley final. Parma AC opened the scoring in the 10th minute when goalkeeper Steven Stojanovic misjudges a corner and allowed Parma’s captain, Lorenzo Minotti to hook home the ball. But the Belgians replied within two minutes, Czerniatynski playing a lovely through ball to Francis Severeyns. The Italians began to dominate an end-to-end game and Alessandro Melli headed them 2-1 ahead after half an hour. Antwerp offered sterling resistance in the second half, but the game was put beyond their reach six minutes from time when Stefan Cuoghi curled in the third. Parma had become the eighth Italian team to win a Europen trophy.

Two players from Parma that night will be familiar to fans in England from the 1990s, are Tomas Brolin and Faustino Asprilla. Their pen-pics in the programme for the Final were as follows:

Tomas Brolin: Striker. Age 23 (born November 29, 1969) with 22 caps for Sweden (12 goals). Brolin was the hero of Sweden when he led the European Championship hosts to the semi-finals last summer – scoring a brilliant goal against England along the way. Sweden’s current top player, Brolin began with Leksands IF, then GIF Sundsvall and played for Sweden at youth, under-21, and Olympic level before exploding into the senior national team as a 20-year-old in the spring of 1990. His debut was a World Cup warm-up friendly against Wales and Brolin scored twice in a 4-2 win. The next time out he scored two in the 6-0 thrashing of Finland. Those goals took him from nowhere to the 1990 World Cup in four months. Brolin was outstanding at Italia ’90 and Parma surprised bigger rivals by snapping him up. The £900, 000 deal has proved excellent value; Brolin led Parma to a UEFA place in his first season, to the Italian Cup in his second and now – despite knee injury problems last summer – to the club’s first European club final.

Faustino Asprilla: Attack. Aged 23 (born November 6, 1969) with 12 caps for Columbia. One of the most exciting players to have been seen in any of the three European club competitions this season. Parma took a major gamble when they signed Asprilla from the former South American champions Atletico Nacional of Medellin, last summer. But they have been rewarded with some spectacular performances and equally spectacular goals – including the goal which helped end Milan’s 58-game unbeaten run. Asprilla scored both Parma’s goals in the first-leg victory over Atletico Madrid in the semi-final in Spain. But he missed the return after gashing a leg in a bizarre domestic accident whilst visiting his family back in Columbia on between the ties.

Brolin stayed at Parma until November 1995 and moved to England to play in the Premier League for Leeds United. His stay in Yorkshire was unsuccessful to say the least, with his cause nor helped by an ankle injury which meant he never hit the heights of his time in Italy. Brolin’s two-years at Elland Road saw his go out on short loan spells to FC Zurich in 1996 and his old club Parma in 1997. His last hurrah came with a move to Crystal Palace at the back end of the 1997/98 campaign, but with The Eagles relegated from the Premier League at the end of that season he was released, and Brolin returned to Sweden where he retired from playing.

The Columbian stayed at Parma until February 1996 when he moved into the Premier league with Newcastle United. Asprilla was at times brilliant for The Toon but in equal measures inconsistent on the pitch and never far away from incidents off of it. He returned to Parma in January 1988 collecting another European medal in the 1998/99 UEFA Cup Final win over Marseille in Moscow. Asprilla left in 1999 to then see out his career (effectively retiring in 2004), with a number of clubs in South America, including Palmeiras, Fluminense (both Brazil), Atlante (Mexico), Atletico Nacional (Columbia), Universidad de Chile (Chile), Estudiantes La Plata (Argentina) and Cortuluá (Columbia).

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Book Review: The Long, Long Road to Wembley by Dave Roberts

Following his previous football titles, The Bromley Boys, 32 Programmes and Home and Away, Dave Roberts brings us his latest offering, The Long, Long Road to Wembley. Once again at the heart of his book, is his beloved club, Bromley FC.

This time the inspiration for another excellent tale of the Lillywhites, is a framed picture of the Bromley skipper carried shoulder-high by his teammates, celebrating the 1948/49 FA Amateur Cup win at Wembley against Romford, which the young Roberts remembers adorning the tea-bar at Bromley in his early years supporting the Club. The image inspires in Roberts the desire to see his side repeat that journey and so begins the story as the sub-title of the book details, One man’s fifty-year journey towards his ultimate football dream.

The book is divided into two parts, the first (covering nine chapters) finds the author excitedly anticipating the 1968/69 FA Amateur Cup draw and takes readers through to 1979 and a visit to Wembley, at the Arena, rather than the twin-towers of the stadium, for a five-a-side competition involving a number of Isthmian league teams. During that time the FA Amateur Cup was ended in the 1973/74 season as the FA abolished the amateur status, with the FA Trophy beginning in 1969/70 and becoming the senior competition for non-league clubs. Whatever the title though of the tournament, Bromley never go near a return during that period to walking up Wembley Way.

One of the great strengths of Roberts writing is that it isn’t just tales of events on the pitch, and it brought a smile to the face to read of the author’s growing pains in the first part of the book. Readers are treated to Roberts in his Bryan Ferry phase, resplendent in white suit and smoking French cigarettes, Disque Bleu, from a black holder ivory, through to his punk transformation, black bin liner et al. with a tale of a near fatal experience with a three-wheeler, thrown in for good measure.

Part two covers the period from the end of the 1970s up to the 2017/18 season, as Roberts moves around the UK and even has spells abroad in New Zealand and United States, limiting his visits to Bromley’s home ground, Hayes Lane. Of the remaining eight chapters (and Epilogue), five are dedicated to the 2017/18 season, as Bromley, now a National League side, make another assault on reaching a Wembley Final.

Once again, the author in this book has captured what it is like to be a non-league fan, capturing the bond that exists at that level between its players, volunteers and die-hard fans. It also reminds us that as fans we should never give up on our dreams, and that despite all the ups and downs, our teams are in our blood.

(Unbound, August 2019. Paperback 212pp)

 

 

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Book Review: The Great English Final – 1953: Cup, Coronation & Stanley Matthews by David Tossell

David Tossell’s book about the 1953 FA Cup Final when Stanley Matthews’ Blackpool beat Bolton 4-3 makes a grandiose but puzzling claim. It says that the “…legendary game continues to occupy a prominent place in English football legend…” (sic) because it has, “…come to represent a Golden Age…” But it doesn’t even leave things at that. Not content with such a mighty claim about the game’s footballing pedigree, it makes wider claims for the match that cannot possibly be substantiated. The raw material for a really good story about football is there all right, but he nearly messes it up by trying to bring in too many different themes. Happily, he is saved by the fact that, finally, the Final delivered.

It is hard to work out exactly why people who want to read about a football match that has come to be known as ‘The Matthews Final’ have to wade through so much that is not actually about the game itself, nor indeed even about football. That is, until you realise that most of the match up to the climactic ending was rather dull. In searching for something more to say about it, Tossell greatly widens his remit to look at the “…merging of historical, cultural and personal narratives…”

Some of the things he says are pretty much beyond question; the game did take place in Coronation year, Mount Everest was conquered for the first time, it was watched by a much bigger television audience than any previous one, post-War food rationing did stretch out till that year, the Duke of Edinburgh apparently did say the Bolton kit made them look like a bunch of pansies. However he tries, particularly in the first half of the book, to make the 1953 FA Cup Final carry much more weight, culturally, than is fair for what was, after all, a football match. He makes a nod in this direction himself when he says, “…the threat of nuclear obliteration notwithstanding…”

A major problem with the book is its structure. Even before the account begins, we are given pen pictures of the players, curiously called the ‘Cast of Characters’, something that could surely have gone to the back of the book to ease the narrative flow. Except that there is no narrative flow. He repeatedly breaks away from his match report of the Final itself, gleaned from having studied the DVD, to explore his themes. Therefore, his first interlude arrives after a mere seven and a half minutes of uneventful football. He continues to encounter difficulties with this approach until the game itself takes over narrative duties. But before that, we are torn away from our match report yet again, this time to get, er, a match report of the Semi-Final.

Although a little credence can be given to the Final having had some degree of cultural impact since it was watched by so many, it is always dangerous when authors generalise, especially about things like the public attitude to Elizabeth II’s Coronation. People never did and never do act with one mind. Tossell seems much more comfortable and is on much safer and more interesting ground when he talks about the players and supporters. This is, in any case, what most readers of football books want all along. An over-generous helping of social enlightenment is not what they crave.

Isn’t it more real and interesting to read about Stanley Matthews having personalised boots made in Heckmondwike? Isn’t the reader more engaged by the many and varied attempts made by fans to get tickets for the Final? Isn’t everybody happier reading about Blackpool fans presenting a huge stick of rock to Number 10 Downing Street in the days when you could actually walk up to the door and knock?

Once the author has bravely trudged through the historical and cultural narratives, and most of the personal ones, he relaxes much more into what the match itself has to offer and it is amusing to note how he can barely tolerate the legendary commentator, Kenneth Wolstenholme’s commentary of the legendary game. And he teases the reader throughout, being unprepared to admit it was ‘The Matthews Final’. He does have a fair point since Mortensen and Perry made pretty important contributions, too, in actually scoring the goals. Yet the match, in an era when substitutes were not allowed, was turned on its head by Matthews in the final minutes as Bolton tired. They let a 3-1 lead slip and the nation’s most popular player, Matthews, won his medal aged 38. The book’s clanking title ‘The Great English Final’ obstinately launches a counter-claim, but its cover admits the reality. One picture of little Queen Elizabeth, no Everest, no Bolton pansies, but three shots of Stan. 2nd May, 1953 – The Matthews Final.

 

Review by Graeme Garvey

 

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2011/12: FA Cup Final – Liverpool v Chelsea

It’s difficult to know what to make of the game on Saturday. As I sat watching the action at Wembley at home, my head said ‘yes, it’s the FA Cup Final’, but my heart said ‘it’s just another game’. The sheer volume of live football and the fact that I simply tuned in just 10 minutes before kick-off, meant there was nothing ‘special’ about watching the game. Where has the magic gone? Are those memories of Cup Finals past clouded by nostalgia? My take on the reasons for this are detailed in my other pieces about the Final, but as the game started, I was distinctly underwhelmed by the whole occasion.

Of the action. Well, Liverpool gave a damn fine impression of a dormouse for an hour, as Chelsea rarely seemed to need to get out of first gear. However, that was still enough to give the Londoners a 2-0 lead early in the second half. Ramires fired Chelsea ahead on 11 minutes, as Pepe Reina gambled on the path of the shot and was made to look silly as he watched the ball beat him at the post. On 52 minutes the Blues doubled their advantage as Didier Drogba scored a record breaking fourth FA Cup Final goal, squeezing a shot across Reina. Kenny Dalglish responded by bringing on Andy Carroll on 55 minutes and at last Liverpool woke from their slumber. The ex-Newcastle striker finished powerfully on 64 minutes and suddenly there was some urgency in the game. The last half hour definitely belonged to the Reds, but for all their possession, they only created one real chance of note. With 82 minutes on the clock, Carroll headed goal-ward, however Chelsea custodian Cech produced a stunning save, clawing the ball up onto the crossbar and out. Liverpool claimed a goal, but it wasn’t given, with television replays showing the whole ball had not crossed the line. Time-added on came and went and Chelsea had claimed victory. Gabriel Clarke tried manfully to breath some life into the post-match interviews in asking the protagonists about whether it was a goal or not, and was greeted by the expected responses according to whether the player was Red or Blue. And before the confetti had even chance to settle on the Wembley turf, the commentary team was busy telling the viewers about the upcoming Champions League Final.

Whilst ITV was quick to try and pack away this seasons Cup Final, I then remembered that first FA Cup tie for me at Hemsworth back in August last year. Funny how football throws up some little coincidences. It was 2-1 that day too, but I know which I enjoyed more…

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2011/12: FA Cup Semi-Finals

Friday 13 April 2012

When the FA Cup reached the Semi-Final stage it used to be said that the teams were just 90 minutes away from Wembley. However, that all changed in the first weekend of April 2008 when the games were no longer played at neutral venues. The FA in their wisdom, ensured another tradition was removed from the World’s Oldest Cup competition, and found another method of taking yet more money from fans. It doesn’t enhance the Cup and in fact creates a massive dilemma for supporters. A friend of mine (a Stoke City fan), last season had to decide whether to go to the Semi-Final or take a chance and see if they got to the Final, as they were simply not able to afford attending both games. Is this what The FA see as improving the fan experience? My hope is that in the near future, Semi-Finals will return to neutral venues. With stadium improvements in this country, we have enough suitable grounds that can host large crowds. However, the sound of ker-ching as coffers grow at The FA is probably set to continue to drown out the voice of tradition.

So this weekend the pockets of fans particularly from Liverpool and Everton, and also Chelsea and Spurs, are severely stretched as Merseyside and London derbies take place at Wembley. Everton and Liverpool have meet on four occasions in the FA Cup Semi-Finals. The first meeting was in 1906 at Villa Park, when Everton beat Liverpool 2-0. The Toffees then went on to overcome Newcastle United in the Final. The Reds had to wait until 1950 before the next Semi-Final meeting with Everton. At Maine Road, Liverpool triumphed 2-0, but were unable to overcome Arsenal in the Final.  Old Trafford was the venue for the next meeting of the Merseyside giants in 1971. Everton lead at half-time 1-0 thanks to a goal from Alan Ball, however back came Liverpool and goals from Alun Evans and Brian Hall sent the Reds through. However as in 1950, Arsenal were waiting in the Final and as then, The Gunners took the Cup in 1971. The last Semi-Final meeting took place in 1977. It turned out to be a bit of a classic in which Liverpool went ahead twice through goals from Terry McDermott and Jimmy Case, with Everton equalising through Duncan McKenzie and Bruce Rioch. With the game at 2-2 and less than five minutes to go, Everton thought they had won the game when Bryan Hamilton scored, however referee Clive Thomas disallowed it and the replay was more of a formality as goals from Neal, Case and Kennedy saw Liverpool romp to a 3-0 win. The Reds took the League title that year and their first European Cup, but they didn’t add the FA Cup to that list, as Manchester United won 2-1 in the Final.

Liverpool have already secured the (Carling) League Cup this season after a penalty shoot-out win over Cardiff City, but their recent form in the Premier League has been of real concern. Of their last 10 League fixtures, Liverpool have won only two. Prior to the win this week at Blackburn, their last victory ironically was against Cup opponents Everton. The Reds will go into the Semi-Final on Saturday with third choice keeper Brad Jones likely to play in goal, as both Pepe Reina and Alexander Doni are suspended. Is that an FA Cup story in the making? By contrast, Everton have only lost two in their last ten games and are riding high after a comprehensive 4-0 win over Sunderland in their last Premier League outing.

The second Semi-Final takes place on Sunday when North London meets South West London. Chelsea and Spurs have never met in the FA Cup at the Semi-Final stage, although did meet in the 1967 Final when Tottenham emerged winners 2-1. Chelsea have gone through a mini-resurgence under Roberto Di Mattaeo, progressing through to the Champions League Semi-Finals, although they looked a little leg weary in their Easter Monday draw at Fulham and were fortunate with decisions in their 2-1 win over Wigan. Spurs lost at home in their last Premier League outing to Norwich City and the North London club have only won two of their last ten fixtures. Has all the talk of Redknapp’s departure for the England job unsettled Tottenham? They have some talent in their squad, but it’s a bad time to hit a rocky patch as the business end of the season approaches.

To the fans of all four teams, enjoy the game and the occasion, even though for two clubs their FA Cup dream will end this weekend. My kiss of death (I mean prediction) is for an all-Blue Final with Everton and Chelsea to come through and set-up a repeat of the 2009 Final. But with my lack of tipping skills, expect Liverpool and Spurs to take to the Wembley turf in May for the Final!

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2011/12: ECQ Group G – England v Wales (Wembley)

The Friday night win by England in Bulgaria was made all the sweeter by Wales victory over Montenegro on the same evening. These results meant that England now had a lead of 3 points at the top of the Group going into their home game against the Welsh. A victory at Wembley would all but seal qualification for England; anything else would mean a nervy final fixture in Podgorica next month.

Whilst pleased that England came away from Sofia with a win, the assertions by some quarters of the media that this was a ‘new dawn’ from a ‘young England’ has left me a touch apprehensive. The reality is that Bulgaria are a pretty ordinary international team, yet still tested England. This result and indeed the performances in this Qualifying campaign have left me feeling that up against the top world sides in the major competitions England will continue to struggle.

As the game approaches tonight, I have that feeling in the gut that it won’t be plain sailing tonight. Wales will have their dragon-tails up after their victory on Friday night and would like nothing less that denting England’s hopes of Qualification at Wembley. Many people consider that England failed to Qualify for the 1974 World Cup in West Germany because of the 1-1 draw in the final fixture against Poland on a damp October night in 1973. However, Wales played their part in ensuring England didn’t make it through. Having beaten Wales 1-0 in Cardiff in November 1972, Sir Alf Ramsey must have thought his England team would do the double over The Dragons when the Welsh came to Wembley in January 1973. Wales hadn’t read the script and lead on 23 minutes through a John Toshack goal. Norman Hunter did level the scores just before half-time, but England couldn’t find a winner in the second half and their World Cup dream was coming apart at the seams. Nine months later and it was kaput. Signor Capello you have been warned.

Well the only positive thing to say is that England won the game. As with many others who have just witnessed the 90 minutes at Wembley, I am left with a feeling of disappointment and no little relief. The opening 30 minutes England had plenty of possession, but it was mostly in the defensive third of the field. When on the ball they looked ponderous, lacked movement and were without ideas or inspiration. Is it just me, but are James Milner, Gareth Barry or Stewart Downing really international class footballers? The ten minutes before half-time when Ashley Young scored offered some hope, when there appeared to at last be a vibrancy and purpose about their play. Indeed for the opening ten minutes of the second half, England took the game once again to Wales and I was hopeful that a second goal would follow. However, that was as good as it got for Capello’s team as they withered away in the remainder of the game. Wales took control and England were unable to retain any sort of possession. The Dragons were comfortably the better team in the second half and but for Rob Earnshaw missing what can only be described as a ‘sitter’, would have deservedly taken a point from this fixture.

As is it England travel to Montenegro next month knowing a point will see them through to the 2012 Euro Finals in Poland/Ukraine next June. However, you can only agree with the Welsh fans who by the end of the game were taunting their English counterparts by chanting, “…Fourth in the rankings, you’re having a laugh…”

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2010/11: ECQ Group G – England v Switzerland (Wembley)

Sometimes you just know with England that it is not going to be easy. You get that sick feeling in the gut. A leisurely late afternoon on a sunny Saturday sat on the sofa in front of the television should have ensued for me as England took on Switzerland at Wembley, but it just wasn’t to be. Yet again it was one of those occasions when watching the national team is a disappointment.

After the tempo England displayed in their last fixtures against Ghana and Wales, you hoped that a ‘same again’ approach would be evident in securing the three points. However, it was obvious from the opening exchanges that this was not to be. The young Swiss team buzzed around and the English played short passes to each other, often without pace and usually in a backward direction. My stomach ached after 32 minutes as a floated free-kick from Barnetta eluded first Ferdinand and left Hart diving in vain as the ball crept in. A knife was twisted further into the gut just three minutes later as the two-man wall of Walcott and Wilshere parted to allow another Barnetta free-kick to embarrass Hart at his near post. A crazy five minutes was completed when Wilshire driving forward, was brought down by Djourou. Lampard put in the resulting penalty to become England’s leading scorer from the spot and put the Lions back in the game. 2-1 down at half-time, things could only get better – couldn’t they?

Well it all started so well. Ashley Young replaced Lampard for the second half and within six minutes the Villa man had levelled with a crisp finish. However, that really was about it for England. Having got back into the game, the fizz went out of the home team and they reverted to the lacklustre display of the first half. Having said that, Darren Bent had a fantastic chance to win the game but lazily blazed over the bar. As the final ten minutes were played out, the Swiss kept hold of the ball and England looked devoid of ideas once more. In the final minute of time added on Downing had a chance to win it, but only found the side netting. In truth that would have been cruel on Switzerland. England now look nervously to the evening game in Montenegro, where if the home team beat Bulgaria they will lead Group G by two points and leave England once more having work to do to qualify for the UEFA Euro 2012 tournament.

As if the 2-2 draw wasn’t enough to endure, there was then the post match Capello interview. Three years of the Italian and interviews which are still senseless and on the occasions of a poor result, full of excuses. Gabriel Clarke pounced on the limp offering from Capello that the England players were tired, with a riposte that the Swiss players didn’t looked tired and that if we qualify, twelve months hence the issue of “tiredness” does not bode well for England. As ever, more incomprehensible words from the England manager and the moment was gone. On the box, “Britain’s Got Talent” Final was up next. What had gone before had shown, England currently doesn’t have talent.

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FA Cup Final 2010/11: Sweet dreams are made of this….

And so the 2010/11 season comes ever closer to finishing, with the FA Cup Final this weekend. A reassuring date in May that sits there in the football calendar and marks the passing of time. An event that has always for me had the, “…I remember where I was…” tag-line. Something that grows up with you, a constant that is there as you go through life.

In the year I was born 1962, the FA Cup Final was between Tottenham Hotspur and Burnley. In a game that has become known as “The Chessboard Final” due to the tactical and cat and mouse nature of the play, Spurs emerged winners 3-1 with goals from Jimmy Greaves, Bobby Smith and a Danny Blanchflower penalty. The Clarets had equalized with a goal from Jimmy Robson on 50 minutes, but the North London team went ahead 2-1 within a minute and sealed Cup Glory with just ten minutes remaining.

However, it wasn’t until 1970 that I have any recollections of watching my first FA Cup Final and then it was the replay at Old Trafford and not the first game at Wembley. The picture of being sat at home with my dad watching that game on 29 April 1970 is still a vivid one in my mind. We didn’t have a colour television, so it was black and white images that we watched that night. I remember my mum coming into the room just as Leeds scored through Mick Jones on 35 minutes and in typical football superstitious style, she was banned from coming into the room until the game was over. These days that Replay is viewed as something of a brutal encounter, but 1970’s football was a very different and physical beast to that of the game today and so watching that night it didn’t seem as though this was a “dirty” game. Chelsea got back into the game in the second half but left it late with a Peter Osgood header just 12 minutes from time. Extra-time followed and for some reason we didn’t put the lights on, so black and white shafts of light flicked across our faces as in the last minute of the first period of extra time, a long throw from Hutchinson caused confusion in the Leeds defence and Dave Webb headed home what turned out to be the winner.

Subsequent years and FA Cup Final days are linked in with my dad’s and my passion for cricket. This meant that for a number of years, any glimpses of the Final “live” were restricted to the tea interview in between innings. Even though I loved playing cricket, when Cup Final day came around I invariably prayed for rain! If the gods of precipitation had done their work I could sit myself down and take in the full glory of the BBC’s coverage (I was and am a BBC man!) that included down the years special editions of Mastermind, Question of Sport and It’s a Knockout all featuring fans of the Cup Final teams. It was a real marathon which featured players at their team hotel, their journey to the ground and more analysis than you could care to take on. It was a feeling of real excitement once the game started. It was only once the game was over and the Cup was presented (barring replays in those days), that you could rise from the sofa, head muzzy from 8 hours in front of the television and stomach full from snacking during this period to get back to the rest of Saturday.

With the knees having called time on my cricket career, this weekend as the City’s from Manchester and Stoke battle for the Cup, I’ll be once more adorning a sofa to take in the action. More likely though I’ll settle down to watch 30 minutes or so before kick-off, but it’ll give me the chance to reflect and savour the memories of Cup Finals past and toast the winners and losers.

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