The Malaysian Insider :: Opinion

Posted: 16 Nov 2012 04:21 PM PST

NOV 17 — Did you see Zlatan Ibrahimovic's fourth goal for Sweden against England on Wednesday night? I mean, really, did you see that goal?

If not, I absolutely insist that you do so right now. You'll thank me for it. And if you have already seen it, you'll know that it's well worth watching again. Here you are:

Although I wouldn't necessarily say it's absolutely the best goal of all-time — that can only be a highly subjective choice based on personal preferences — it's certainly got to be up there.

Of course, it wasn't the only overhead kick goal you'll ever see. Wayne Rooney got a spectacular one in the Manchester derby last February, for example.

But the thing that makes Ibrahimovic's effort so special is that it was so unexpected. Rooney's goal — and all the other overhead volleys I can think of — resulted from crosses or from positions close to goal where the player concerned was expecting to shoot. They were already in goalscoring positions.

That clearly wasn't the case on Wednesday night with the mighty Zlatan. Not many players could have scored that goal because not many players would have tried it; not many players would have even attempted a shot from that position with the ball at their feet, never mind with their back to goal and the ball spinning 15 feet over their shoulder.

Having the technique to execute a 30-yard overhead volley is one thing; having the confidence to believe that you can even attempt it is another.

But confidence has never been a personal quality that Zlatan lacks, illustrated by his post-game comment that he would give his international career a mark of "10 out of 10." He wasn't joking either — and neither was he earlier in the season, when he responded to questions about his enormous salary at Paris St Germain by sniffing: "Quality is not free."

Due to the fact that he's never played in the Premier League, Ibrahimovic has always been woefully under-rated by a large number of fans in England, who also frown upon his refusal to run around like a headless chicken in the favoured style of a traditional English number nine.

That peculiarly English attitude was encapsulated this week by former Liverpool and England midfielder Jamie Redknapp, who bewilderingly wrote in his newspaper column that "the world woke up to the mighty Zlatan" after his performance on Wednesday.

Redknapp was half-right at best because the truth is that only England woke up to him — the rest of the world has been well aware of his outrageous talents for a long time.

Ibrahimovic is, after all, the only player ever to have scored in the Champions League for six different teams. He has played for the three biggest clubs in Italy: Juventus, Inter Milan and AC Milan. He has also played for the biggest clubs in three other major European football nations: Ajax, Barcelona and PSG. He has won nine league titles, scored nearly 300 goals and won more than 80 international caps for Sweden. He is 31 years old. It's hardly like he's an undiscovered gem.

There was, of course, far more to his performance on Wednesday night than that miraculous overhead volley — he had already scored a hat-trick, with the final crowning glory making him the only player to ever score four goals in a game against England.

That came just a week after he created every single one of PSG's goals in their 4-0 thrashing of Dinamo Zagreb, becoming only the second player to record four assists in a game in Champions League history.

When you throw in the fact that he's the leading scorer in this season's French Ligue 1 with 10 goals in his first 10 games, it's fair to say that Ibrahimovic is in pretty decent form and more than justifying PSG's decision this summer to make him the world's most expensive player.

Sadly, we'll have to wait a little longer for our next Zlatan fix because Ibrahimovic is banned from PSG's home game against Rennes today, having earned a red card in the recent defeat against St Etienne with a high-flying kung-fu kick on goalkeeper Stephane Ruffier (occasional petulance... it's part of the genius package).

But he's back in action on Wednesday night when he'll be hoping to confirm PSG's place in the knock-out stages of the Champions League by earning a point or more at Dynamo Kiev.

And with Zlatan on their side, PSG's progress in the tournament will be well worth watching. He was signed this summer from AC Milan with the dual purpose of helping the long-underachieving French club win their domestic league and then become a major force on the European scene.

The first of those objectives is on track, with PSG sitting top of the French league (although Marseille and Lyon are both within touching distance with a game in hand).

And as for the second... well, although it might be too soon to consider PSG as realistic contenders for the Champions League trophy, you can be pretty sure that every team in Europe will be hoping to avoid them when the knockout stages get under way. After all, would you fancy your chances against the mighty Zlatan?

* The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.

Coming soon, to a cinema near you, the EPL

Posted: 16 Nov 2012 04:08 PM PST

NOV 17 — It is not often that one can refer to a football match as a "blockbuster" but that is how it will feel when Arsenal supporters gather at a cinema in Kuala Lumpur tonight at 8.45 to catch the "live" telecast of the North London derby (NLD).

The NLD is when the Gunners face their local rivals Tottenham Hotspur. It usually happens twice every English football season, unless the League Cup or FA Cup competitions pit both teams against each other by the luck of the draw. (Trivia: Both teams have never met in the final of a cup competition.)

Spurs and Arsenal have been experiencing rather mixed fortunes this season. Both were fairly active in the summer transfer market, with the exits making more impact news-wise, as arguably the most gifted player in the respective teams — Luca Modric (Spurs) and Robin Van Persie — departed.

While Arsenal began the season with a solid run of matches thanks to some good defensive work, the fine form came to a halt after suffering their first defeat to another London rival, Chelsea, at home. Since then, another two matches have been lost — away to Norwich City and Manchester United — and crucial points have been lost at home too, most notably last Saturday, to Fulham, which ended in a 3-3 draw, after taking an early 2-0 lead.

The defence and the form of some players, who were outstanding last season, have been of the biggest concern for supporters. Uncertainty over Theo Walcott's future at the club is also another burden hanging over the club at a time when stability and assurance is needed to show that the Gunners will continue to be title contenders for years to come.

Meanwhile, Spurs have been having an even more topsy-turvy season, beating Manchester United away, but losing to Wigan Athletic at home, among other unconventional results so far.

Both North London sides would be looking to get their season back on track but it would all depend on which side is on form on the night. Only one point separates Spurs (17) and Arsenal (16) now, and both managers would also look to use this tie to boost the flagging hopes of supporters in terms of being title hopefuls, or at the least, getting into the coveted Champions League qualification positions.

Of course, some may say that the English Premier League (EPL) is now left to the two Manchester clubs and Chelsea to contest. I disagree. Arsenal and Spurs can make a shot at it, as both Arsene Wenger and Andre Villas-Boas are proven winners. Be it in the recent or not-so-recent past, or in another country, their league- and cup-winning achievements cannot be taken lightly.

Great managers like Alex Ferguson, Carlo Ancelotti and Jose Mourinho are proof that no matter what setbacks that come their way, a good manager can and will get their teams back on the title-winning track.

For tonight, the key players to watch will be Santi Cazorla, Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud for Arsenal; and Gareth Bale, Jermain Defoe (if he recovers in time) and Clint Dempsey for Spurs.

Notwithstanding my personal bias, the form book and home ground advantage should give Arsenal the edge but it will not be without some setbacks to Gooner hopes in the course of the match, I am sure.

Over the past five years, the NLD has been experiencing an abundance of goals and that is likely to continue tonight, what with both defences switching off at times, while the forward line works double-shift. So, one can safely back an "over" on a total goals punt, if one is so inclined.

Such a goal fest would also be good news for the neutral fan, or for those who are watching at the stadium and on screens around the world.

Speaking of which, there will not be a bigger screen than that which about 230 Arsenal supporters in KL are going to enjoy while watching the "live" telecast at the Cathay Cineplex at e@Curve in Mutiara Damansara.

It is the first time ever that an EPL match will be screened live at a local cinema hall. Not surprisingly, all tickets for the event, organised by the Official Arsenal Supporters Club in Malaysia and co-sponsored by Astro and Cathay Cineplex, were sold out within a week.

Incidentally, the first time ever that a football viewing party was organised in a cinema in Malaysia was last May, as the Champions League's main sponsor decided to have a fans fest at a cineplex located in the Gardens mall (Mid Valley) for the final between Chelsea and Bayern Munich.

Previously, I had only heard of cinemas in the Philippines screening live telecasts of boxing matches featuring their favourite son, Manny Pacquiao. And that was nationwide, by one of the largest cinema chains in the country.

So, hopefully, with the ardent EPL following in Malaysia, more cinematic blockbuster opportunities will be made possible in future, across different cities and towns.

* The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com

Sabtu, 17 November 2012

The Malaysian Insider :: Opinion

The Malaysian Insider :: Opinion

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