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Patrick Sawyer
climber
Originally California now Ireland
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Topic Author's Original Post - Nov 21, 2006 - 05:42pm PT
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My second attempt...
I'm just sitting around waiting to make my way to the pub to watch Celtic versus Manchester United in European Champion's League action in Group F at Celtic Park in Glasgow. FC Copenhagen take on Benfica in Lisbon in the other group match.
I have been a Celtic supporter since 1969, not an easy thing to do, following European soccer in California back then. Even now American newspapers do not carry many European football results. Now you can be on the moon and find out any result on any game on the planet, thanks to the internet. Back then, I had to wait until I got my driver’s licence in 1972 and then make my way across the Bay to the City to one of the Irish pubs to find out results, as many Celtic supporters living in SF would call back home to get results.
But back to tonight.
United top the group with nine points, then Celtic with six and the other two are each on four points.
United’s surprising 1-0 defeat away to Copenhagen the other week did not bode well for Celtic, who on the same night were being taught a lesson in Lisbon. Up to then, the Bhoys (also nicknamed Hoops because of their jerseys) were unlucky to lose to United at Old Trafford (a draw would have been a fairer result, and I know some United fans who think Celtic should have won), had a comfortable win at home to Copenhagen and certainly deserved the home win against Benfica.
Had United beat Copenhagen away, then they would be sitting on 12 points and assured advancement into the next round, when the knockout phase begins. With a tough Premiership match coming up this Sunday against Chelsea, who lie second in the league behind Man Utd, the Red Devils may have opted to rest some key players against Celtic, but now they will be going guns ablazing tonight. Still, the Bhoys can do it.
I don’t really bet but I have a fiver with my editor (a Chelsea fan who hopes Celtic win tonight), and a fiver with our advertising guy, a Man United fan, that the Bhoys will beat United.
While I know most of you couldn’t give a toss about this, like I said, I am trying to kill time and I have seen sillier threads on SuperTaco.
Just a note, there has always been a special relationship between these two clubs. In recent times, Roy Keane's testimonial for his years of service to United was played against Celtic (who he had moved to in the previous months, fulfilling his dream to play for his boyhood heroes/team - he played the first half for Celtic and the second for United), Ryan Giggs testimonial was also against Celtic while several Celtic players have had their testimonials against United. I could go on but you get the picture.
EDIT we beat United 1-0 through a sublime Nakamura (Japanese International who plays for Celtic in Scotland) and a great Boruc (Polish international goalkeeper) save on a penalty. We are through to the last 16. Yee haw.
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scuffy b
climber
The town that Nature forgot to hate
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Nov 21, 2006 - 05:56pm PT
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Congrats, Patrick.
Bask in it, nay, Soak in it. Lord knows it will pass soon enough.
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Greg Barnes
climber
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Nov 21, 2006 - 07:00pm PT
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Don't you mean "football", not "soccer"?
Here's a SAT question for everyone:
READING COMPREHENSION
Football is a very popular sport in the United States. Football is also very popular in England, but in England football is a different game. The English are wrong to call their game football, because the game that the English call football is actually the game that we know of as soccer. Soccer uses a round ball, as opposed to football which uses a football. The English also have a game called rugby, which uses a ball which looks very much like a football, but rugby is not called football. However, despite the popularity of football in the United States, baseball is still America’s favorite pastime.
1. A good title for this passage would be:
A) America’s Favorite Pastime
B) A Very Popular Sport
C) England, Land of Mistakes
D) Let’s Play Rugby
2. The main idea of this passage is:
A) football is better than baseball
B) baseball is better than football
C) America is better than England
D) baseball is better than rugby and soccer put together
3. Rugby and Soccer are:
A) the same
B) different
C) both silly games
D) all of the above
4. The English are wrong because:
A) They’re not right.
B) They’re not American.
C) They’re stupid.
D) They use the English language incorrectly.
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Fingerlocks
Trad climber
where the climbin's good
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Nov 22, 2006 - 12:13am PT
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I’m an Arsenal fan, so the season could be going better. Always glad to see a team beat Man U; always a friend to someone who wants Man U to lose.
And Greg, the answer to #3 would have to be “D”.
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Patrick Sawyer
climber
Originally California now Ireland
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 22, 2006 - 05:27am PT
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Greg, I usually refer to it as football, but this is an American website, so soccer is the word I used.
Lord knows it will pass soon enough.
Scuffy, I am an optimist, but I hold no illusions. I also realise that, while Celtic perhaps has the best support in the world (80,000 fans travelled to Seville to watch the UEFA Cup final againts Porto several seasons back - just for example), the Bhoys play in a not so great league with not so great opposition week in week out (no offence to any Scottish out there). Therefore, when we come up against top class opposition such as in Europe, we suffer some from not being as honed as we could be (we of course being Celtic, not me).
But that said, football is a funny old game and the draw for the next round could look favorably on the Bhoys.
Fingerlocks, good result last night for the Gunners; 3-1 against Hamburg, coming from a goal behind. Van Persie's goal was good teamwork.
From the UEFA website.
The win takes Arsenal top of the group, level on points with FC Porto whom they play in the Estádio do Dragăo on Matchday 6. A point would be enough for Arsenal to qualify for the knockout phase as group winners, but Fabregas said: "We won't go to Portugal looking for a draw. We'll go there to try to win as usual. When you play for Arsenal you always have to go and try to win the game."
I am not a big fan of the Gunners (who I use to despise as much as the Dallas Cowboys, America's Team, hah), though I have gotten around to thinking highly of Wenger (who I used to call whinger), Mourinho being the manager that I have no time for nowadays. In fact, in England I actually follow Man U (follow, not support, there is a difference, I support only one club - Glasgow Celtic FC), though having lived 18 months in West Ham I follow the Hammers (great footballing tradition) and Newcastle United, as the Geordies are wonderful people and Newcastle is the best party town in England, nay, Britain.
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Fingerlocks
Trad climber
where the climbin's good
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Nov 22, 2006 - 01:03pm PT
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Hmm, yeah, I used to despise the Cowboys too back when they were good enough to be worthy of the attention. But isn’t Man U the New York Yankees? I would despise the Yankees if I cared about baseball.
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burp
Trad climber
Salt Lake City
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Nov 22, 2006 - 02:44pm PT
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LOL Greg!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football
What I can't figure out is that the ball rarely touches the foot in American Football. Kick-offs, punting, fieldgoals. Kick-offs are just a formality, punting is not seen in a good light, and fieldgoals are worth less than other means of scoring points.
There should be a different name for American Football that makes better sense ... what would you call a sport where the foot rarely touches the ball and armor plated, steroid enhanced behemeths run around patting each other on the rump? Football?
Enjoy!
burp
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Scoopy
Big Wall climber
Both feet on the ground
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Nov 22, 2006 - 02:50pm PT
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BUMP.
Ha! I love the SAT question.
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