The False 9 - World Cup Buzz
The world’s most popular sport, on sports grandest stage. It doesn’t get much bigger than the Soccer World Cup and it is less than a week away.
World Cup Scavenger Hunt
It’s the greatest team sports event in the world because it’s so exciting, so competitive and so unpredictable. But even at the FIFA World Cup there are still a few things that you can always expect to happen.
Fergie's Chewing Gum - June 3
The first semi-major deal of the summer has gone through with Liverpool completing the signing of a Southampton star – though not the one they want most. Boyhood Reds fan and one time beetroot factory worker Rickie Lambert will return to the club he started at as a junior for a fee of around about 4 million pounds.
Who’s Gonna Win The World Cup?
No messing around here. Straight down to brass tax. Who will win the 2014 FIFA World Cup?
Footy Rhubarb - World Cup Fever
So I had a horrible nightmare the other night, and it was a sobering reminder on how the World Cup affects me and all you football fans out there.
Fergie's Chewing Gum - March 27
Hala Madrid, as they say.
Real Madrid the Real Deal
92 minutes into this match and La Decima was still just a dream. Then the man who has been scoring goals at will, no not Christiano Ronaldo, but Sergio Ramos planted a trade mark header into the bottom corner to tie the match up at 1 apiece. Up until that point Real had pushed and pushed but couldn’t seem to crack the stubborn defence set up by Atletico Madrid. This was their first final in about 40 years or so and they weren’t going to give this match up without a fight. However after they conceded the equalizer there was only going to be one winner.
The game had started semi pear shaped for the underdogs as their marquee man Diego Costa went off with a reoccurrence of his hamstring injury. Obviously the horse placenta treatment he was getting to heal that hammy didn’t do the drink. I’ve learnt from my time on the TAB you can never trust a horse. Without their main strike weapon many would’ve thought this match was well and truly over, but Atletico definitely disagreed with that. Gareth Bale missed what some would say was a sitter after not giving the ball to Ronaldo on his right. In fact he left me screaming at the TV because I wanted my boy Ronaldo on the scorecard. Because of his greediness, god wasn’t happy and therefore punished the Welshman. Atletico bounded down field, earned themselves a corner and subsequently got a bumbling goal over the line after a mistake from St Iker. There was one hell of a buzz in the stadium when that goal went in. The game was finally taking shape and if Real were to win their 10th Champions League trophy.
Into the second half we went and even I was starting to get just a tad worried for my Real Madrid fellas. They weren’t creating as many clear opportunities as they should’ve been and boy was there some frustration. Just give Cristiano the damn ball!! But in all honesty the man making waves was Angel Di Maria for Madrid. He was in everything and was a right nuisance most of the time. A few long range efforts and the odd classy passage of play was all Real Madrid could muster together. I really thought Atleti were going to hold on and defeat their cross town rivals. They seemed solid on attack and under not much pressure at the back. Maybe this was their time...
However as we all know Ramos came and broke their hearts when the Trophy was just about to be engraved. Extra time was a non-affair with Real Madrid bossing the whole 30 minutes as Atleti were just left out on their feet, struggling for air, and survival. Once lord Bale grabbed his 100million euro goal, there was only one thing left to do. Get the home town hero on the board. And that they did. With not long to go, Cristiano took matters into his own hands and won himself a penalty because everyone else was just being selfish. He took the ball, marched to the spot and coolly drilled it into the bottom corner. Cue shirt off, and screams everywhere. Ronaldo sealed the deal and Real had finally won that elusive trophy that had kept them waiting for 12 years.
All in all the big guns didn’t really turn up on the day, the likes of Costa, Bale and Ronaldo, however they did so much for their teams leading up to the match, that they can be forgiven. In the end the best team in the competition probably did win, but you couldn’t help but feel for the Atleti lads. Their coach tried to take the result into his own hands by going after a Real defender after the final whistle, but that showed more intensity and passion then his side could muster in Extra time. For both these sides it has been a tremendous year, and for Real Madrid a year in which they have etched themselves in Football folklore.
Senor Spectre's FA Cup experience
Ohh what a night…
For 9 long years I have been waiting for just one piece of silverware. Well to be honest it’s been the last 6 years that have really been hard to take as I felt emotionally involved with the team you could say.
Footy Rhubarb
The Premier League season may be over and the curtain may have been drawn on the season with Arsenal winning the FA Cup but football never stops. In just the space of 48 hours huge decisions have been made off the pitch that will shape English football for the foreseeable future and beyond.
Fergie’s Chewing Gum - March 20
Ah, Arsene. Just when they started to say you were through you go and pull this one off. Why did we ever doubt you?
The Magic of the FA Cup
Magic. That’s the word they always use to describe the FA Cup. A stage where miracles are enacted and dreams are made true. Usually when people use that epithet they’re talking about some unlikely underdog story; David defeating Goliath and all that. And certainly for the first 15 minutes of this year’s final that Magic was there for all to see.
English Premier League: 2013/14 Season Review
Uncle Dysfunktional:
Luis Suarez – Top goal-scorer, most creative player, and best to watch, Suarez is no doubt the player of the season. Basically without him Liverpool wouldn’t have been so close to winning the title.
Debating the Underrated
So the Premier League season is over, a time where people look back and choose their picks of the season. Players of the season, teams of the season, and games of the season have all been debated and us at The Niche-Cache will hit you with ours soon but for now I want to debate those that have slipped under the radar over the years.
Fergie's Chewing Gum - May 14
Ladies and gentlemen, your 2013/14 English Premier League Champions are Manchester City! For the second time in three years the former noisy neighbours have claimed the league title for their own, though this one was a little more comfortable than 2012’s heart-stopper.
Flying Kiwis – May 12
Maybe it’s not the way he’d hoped to finish his season, but Winston Reid was given a front row seat for the Manchester City coronation at the Etihad. After a long and gruelling season, it all came down to game 38.
The False 9 report with Senor Spectre
So I was all ready to divulge into the drama of a Premier League race that had gone down to the wire. On top of that a relegation battle, where each goal counts for so much, and heroes are made...
Picking The England World Cup Squad
Roy Hodgson sure has a big job on his hands. Every four years the English football team trot off to a World Cup with inflated expectations and ’66 comparisons. Only to lose in the quarter finals. In a penalty shootout. Usually, anyway. It’s been so long since England were a genuine contender at this thing. But fans have long memories.
Fergie's Chewing Gum - May 7
Liverpool. What can you say? Joe Allen gave them the half time lead against Crystal Palace with a headed effort, and they extended that lead after the break thanks to one for each of the SAS marksmen. 3-0 down at home with nothing left to play for and only 25 minutes left, Palace threw on Dwight Gale, and it proved inspired.
Flying Kiwis – May 5
Flying Kiwis will keep you up to date on the endeavours of New Zealand sports folk overseas. Not the battlers, mind you, but the genuine overlooked and underappreciated superstars that for some ridiculous reason don’t get a look in on local media.
Fergie’s Chewing Gum - April 29
Chewing over the recent happenings in the top European footy leagues. So to speak...