Manchester United 1 - 0 Liverpool

United Stun Rivals


YEAH!!!

This was a tightly fought game all about pride and passion. Although a draw would have been fair, if a winner had to be chosen, Man Utd certainly deserved it. With the pitch in such a poor condition, most of the game of was filled with scrappy passing with few chances for either side. The reason I felt we deserved to win was that we never gave up. Even in the last 10 minutes, it was all about fighting for the victory.

Liverpool were more content to sit back and fight for the draw which was obvious from the substitution of Kromkamp for Sissoko. But that was exactly Liverpool's undoing as Kromkamp's failure to mark Ferdinand was all it took for the game to be decided.

Once again, Rooney was all over the place, displaying the fighting spirit that makes him favourite player. He looked to be the most dangerous player on the field during the 2nd half.

On to the talking points of the match. I don't really see what's all the fuss about Rooney's tackle on Sissoko. The replays show he got the ball. Fair enough, he caught the man as well, but if Gerrard's 2 footed tackle on Evra's knee went unpunished, Rooney's tackle shouldn't even be mentioned. Besides, tackles like that are common in derbies. At most it was a yellow card, which Rooney got.

Also, the foul that led to the free kick in stoppage time was such an obvious one. Finnan's hands were on Evra's back and anyone who plays football knows that once you hands are on your opponent's back, it's a straight foul. I learnt that the hard way playing for my secondary school team when I did the exact same thing, causing my team to concede from the eventual free kick.

Liverpool fans might point to the moment when Ferdinand tugged Crouch's jersey to claim a penalty but I felt that the tug wasn't enough to impede him at all. Besides, if you're fouled but don't fall down, and instead continue to tussle for the ball, it's highly unlikely that the referee will give you a penalty. I've learnt that from experience as well.



"F*** off wanker!" is probably the message the home fans have for Cisse judging by their expressive hand gestures.


Lastly, thank God for Djbril Cisse. He's the new Emile Heskey of Liverpool. Like I always say, even my dog could have scored from that chance. And literally that might even be true, considering how close he was to the goal. It was a good thing he missed too, because Cisse was wrongly judged by the lineman to be offside. If that had gone in, all the Liverpool fans today would be grumbling at how they should have won the game but were let down by the referee, that Man Utd won by luck, etc.



Captain Gary Neville celebrates in front of the Liverpool fans. I'd have done the same.
(Picture credit: Stoned Nerd)


Considering that Liverpool were the favourites for this game, closest contender for 2nd place and our biggest rivals, makes this victory all that much more sweet.

At Last,

VICTORY!


Finally, my company team finally managed to win. And what a important win it was. I'll update the next time I manage to go online. My uncle and aunt have been sleeping in the living room the past few nights, so I haven't been able to go online at all. (The modem is in the living room.) Why are they sleeping in the living room?

I'll blog all about it when I get back. I have to rush off to work now. It sucks to work on a weekend.


UPDATE:

So, our VICTORY.

Yep, my company team finally managed to our very first game in aeons. On top of that it was against our rival team, another branch of our company. From all the talk that I heard before the game, they really wanted to win this game badly. The last time they played, we lost the game 3-1.

I thought the weather was going to be good, until it started to rain at 30 mintues before the game. At least it fizzled down to a drizzle when the match started. Our captain started off with the "old men" in starting lineup, planning to substitute them out when they got tired. As I watched the game from the sidelines, I just couldn't wait to get in. The other team wasn't good at all.

I was able to come in about 35-40 minutes into the first half when the score was 1-1. Not long after I got in, my colleague chipped the ball from midfield beyond the last defender. I chased after it, got behind the last defender, and raised the ball over the diving goalkeeper.

Now if I'm going to describe all the goals like that it's going to take me forever, so to summarise, we won the game 9-2, I scored 6 goals and the game was called off after a player in the opposing team got a serious neck injury.

Apparently he had collided with the goalkeeper and knocked the back of his head on the ground as the both of them tried to stop me from scoring the last goal. I didn't know what the heck happened because as soon as I poked the ball into the goal, I jumped up to try and minimise the collision. But one thing I know for sure, they both were coming in hard.

Usually when it's 2 people coming in on 1 guy, you'd expect the lone fellow to be pancaked or crushed like an ant, but surprisingly, they were both the ones laying on the floor after the collision while I landed on my feet. As soon as I landed, it was obviously that one of the players was injured badly. He was shaking a little and I could see the whites of his eyes. But he was still breathing. An ambulance had to be called later on. I felt quite bad for the injured player, but my team mates all told me not to feel bad as it wasn't my fault.

After the game, we had a small post game celebration as pizza, KFC, and drinks were ordered and brought in. I don't really know how to describe the atmosphere, but if I could sum it up in one word it would be "celebratory".

I'm just really glad that now our team finally has something to be happy about after that long record of losing and I played a part in it. Even now, whenever one of my colleagues sees me, he'll start singing "We Are The Champions".

So now, we've just got to keep this unbeaten run going. But honestly, it's going to be hard. Hahaha.


Wikipedia Topic Of The Day: The Lady of Shalott

So It Goes On And On

Remember the football game I mentioned in my last entry?

Well, we lost 3-1. Everyone was pretty still pretty happy though, because the last time we played with the same team, we got hammered 9-1. But I have to admit, the loss was partly due to my fault because I missed 3 really good chances to score. As I always say when a player misses a good chance on tv, "Even my dog could have scored from that".

It's all a lack of match sharpness really, since the last time I played field football was when I was still in poly. Before the match I slept only 3 hours, so that might have been a factor too.

In any case, our beaten run goes on. Much like this.


Wikipedia Topic Of The Day: Augustus

Losing Run

In a few hours, I'm off for a football match with my company's team. I hope it doesn't rain and that it isn't too hot either, or else I'll end up with a headache for the rest of the day from my brains being fried.

I've played in a game for my company's team previously and we lost that game 3-1. Since it was my first game, I was talking to my other team mates and asking about our team. I asked one of the Japanese guys. Let's call him Kira.


Kira: "You know, I joined this company in August."

Me: "Really? So that's around 4 months right?"

Kira: "Yes. Up to now, we haven't win a single game."


No wonder. I was wondering what all the excitement was all about at halftime when I had equalised to level the game at 1-1.


Me: "Eh Andy, you know, Kira said ever since he joined the team in August, we still haven't won a single game."

Andy: "Yah la! Ever since I join also we haven't win a single game yet."

Me: "Wah. Really ah. How long since you joined?"

Andy: "1 year."


That has got to be a record I tell you. Well, hopefully our 1+ year losing run will come to an end soon.


Wikipedia Topic Of The Day: Plato

Rain

I've never liked the rain. Sure, when it rains it makes sleeping so wonderful but it always comes whenever you're at work, school, or some place where you just can't sleep.

The most irritating part though, is when a football match has been arranged, those wussies who are afraid of the rain either refuse to play or cancel the game.

Bah. I hate those buggers. And the rain.


Wikipedia Topic Of The Day: Alexander of Aphrodisias

Conversation Of The Day #5

Lecturer: "So tomorrow's test will be at 9am and you have 2 hours. But please, if you finish already don't leave so early okay?"

Student: "Why sir?"

Lecturer: "Last time when I set the paper, people started leaving after 30 minutes. I became the laughing stock of the whole department.

(The whole lecture hall roars out in laughter.)

Lecturer: "I know the paper is easy. But please, don't start leaving after 30 minutes. Leave after 1 hour okay?"


Wikipedia Topic Of The Day: Opus Dei

CE 2006

I know it's a bit late but anyway, Happy New Year everyone. =)

It's only natural at the end of the year that one looks back and sees what he or she has done or gone through. I thought of doing an entry like that, but I'm feeling rather tired to start reminiscing right now. Actually the only reason I'm up so late is to watch the Arsenal-Man Utd game later on.

It's a bit hard to believe that 2005 went by so fast though. Doesn't feel like 2006 at all. Today at work I was even corrected by a customer when I said that the expiry date of November 2006 was next year. So what's everybody's resolutions for the New Year?

For me though, I don't have any because I don't believe in New Year resolutions. I just believe that if you resolve to do something, you don't need an occasion as an excuse to do it.

Anyway, since I've got nothing much to blog about (I'm much too tired to think of anything to write), here's an incident in church that I think sort of embarrassed my uncle a little. Hahaha.


It's another sunday at church and my uncle's giving a sermon.


Uncle: "Just greet, smile and thank. It's so easy. Tell me, who can resist a smile? No one can get angry at a smile."


Now here's one of the bad things about reading too much philosophy and apologetic books. You tend to overanalyze things at times. So I thought to myself, "Wow. Is he declaring an absolute?". One of my friends started nodding in agreement with my uncle.


Me: (leans over to him) "Got.. There's someone can resist a smile."

Friend: "Who?"

Me: "A blind man."


At that point a few people around me started laughing a little because they overheard what I had said. My uncle probably knew what I had said (he was looking in my direction, maybe he read my lips) because he then covered himself by putting it off as a joke.


Uncle: "Of course, except a blind man, because he can't see your smile. Ha Ha."


A few people around me were still laughing.


Wikipedia Topic Of The Day: Ontological Argument