The FA Cup Final
Well Arsenal just won the FA Cup Final on penalties.
I congratulate them for possibly the most pyrrhic victory I've seen since today's opponents, Manchester United, won the European Cup against Bayern Munich in 1999. Conservative estimates suggest that United deserved to win today's match by about 43 goals: Arsenal only had one meaningful shot on goal.
I won't speak out against penalties, as both teams knew the format before the game. It's just a shame that United didn't have a little more of the luck virus during today's game, as Arsenal winning that trophy after that performance is nothing short of a scandal.
Sometimes it's clear that the best team on the day isn't always going to win.
Woo - an email I sent containing the jism* of this blog entry was read out on 6-0-6. :-)
NB: jist.
Comments
Like the previous two years I've been in Catalonia, Catalan TV were due to show the FA Cup final live. After listening to Abide with Me on Five Live, I got all excited as the weekly show "Futbol Int" began. After showing some of the demonstrations by Man Utd fans, they went to the studio and said: "We have some bad news. We are unable to show the FA Cup final, as at the last minute the host broadcaster dramatically increased the amount of money it was asking for.
Surely they sort out these contracts beforehand? They then went on to say that it was not being shown anywhere else in the "Spanish State" (a euphamism for "Spain"), but I could have gone to the English pub if I had known earlier.
I think it's the first time since I was doing a Saturday job before I started Uni that I've missed the FA Cup final, so I'm rather annoyed. Still, there is a much more important cup final on Wednesday, and I'm definitely not going to miss that one!
Posted by: Timothy Barton | 21 May 2005 at 23:48