Blog Archives
England Leaves EUROpe
It’s official: Iceland’s most famous export is no longer the hockey squad from D2: The Mighty Ducks.
France is hosting the Euro 2016 tournament, which has seen many of the power teams advance through the group stage and to the single-game elimination rounds (Germany, Italy, France, Portugal). Keep in mind though, this tournament, during the past 12 years, has seen small nations rise to super human levels. Greece, defying all odds and constructs of reality, won Euro 2004 by defeating Portugal 1-nil.
It’s important not to make a direct comparison (yet), but Iceland continues to make a case in Euro 2016 that’s increasingly morphing into something genuinely mind-boggling.
So mind-boggling that its soccer announcer, Gudmundur Benediktsson, can barely believe what he’s seeing. Last Wednesday, Iceland upset Austria on a stunning last minute goal. Mr. Benediktsson had a mildly excited reaction. Yesterday, Iceland (pop. 330,000) was leading England (pop. 53,000,000) 2-1 in the last minute of extra time.
How can you watch and listen to him and not love the beautiful game?
Barring a surprise tournament entrance by Gordon Bombay: The Minnesota Miracle Man, the now famous Icelandic commentator may not be chilling out anytime soon.
P.S. Do you think Brits are more distressed over leaving the EU or being upset by Iceland? The answer may be more surprising than England losing to, well, you know…
P.P.S. Two unbelievably dramatic departures in less than a week. Is it time to call the U.K. the new Cleveland?
The Brexit.
The Björking.
P.P.P.S. The MVP of Euro 2016 thus far: Gudmundur Benediktsson.
The Icing on the Cake
Soccer has the power to cast other-worldly spells on people.
For non-soccer fans, it can be difficult to understand why scoring a single goal warrants a celebration normally reserved for a nation’s revolution. This passion, intensity and patience are qualities that make the beautiful game special. Without diving into a comprehensive analysis of soccer, this sport has a connection to the psychology of chess. In soccer, like chess, the back-and-forth dynamic enhances the match and deepens the resolve and strategy of both competitors. This is why, after hours of playing without a major breakthrough, that one move or goal validates every previous positive and negative act.
And that goal or checkmate represents so much more than the game alone. The sports we enjoy tend to reflect our personalities and mentalities towards life. In the Euro 2016 match between Iceland and Austria, the men in blue pulled-off a spectacular goal at the very end that sent the Austrians back to, well, Austria. However, the goal was only the second best part of this sequence.
Do you think soccer is important to this Icelandic announcer?
That’s beautiful.
Cleveland Rocks!
It’s unanimous: The Cleveland Cavaliers are the NBA Champions!
Favorite son LeBron James, who was forgiven for “taking his talents to South Beach” based on his personal letter rededicating himself to his hometown and the people in northeast Ohio, led the Cavaliers to Cleveland’s first professional championship since 1964 (more than half a century) by making NBA Finals history.
The Cavs beat the Golden State Warriors (regular-season record 73 wins) in game 7 in Oakland 93-89 in dramatic fashion. At 92-89, LeBron attempted to put an exclamation point on the title and went for a spectacular dunk with around ten seconds left, but was fouled by Draymond Green and fell awkwardly.
Not again…
Akron’s superstar was on the court, curled up in agonizing pain having fallen on his right wrist (shooting hand). This ending was almost “too Cleveland.” After missing his first free throw, he managed to put in his second shot to give the Cavs a four-point lead. Stephen Curry had a chance to put up a 3 with about four seconds left, but nobody fouled him and he missed anyways.
The voice of Al Michaels popped into every fan cheering for Cleveland and answered in booming fashion, “Yes, I do believe in miracles!”
LeBron James was his MVP-self (third player ever to earn triple-double in game 7 of an NBA Final), Kyrie Irving proved he’s the best point guard in the NBA, Kevin Love showed up on the boards when it mattered, Tristan Thompson was a beast down low, J.R. Smith hit clutch shots on the perimeter and Richard Jefferson was a force off the bench.
For the first time in NBA Finals history, a team trailing 3-1 came back and won the championship. That statistic alone will keep the people of Cleveland smiling for generations.
“You remember the time when…”
For so many reasons, that was the only way Cleveland should have and could have won the NBA title. With their backs against the wall, the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the basketball giants in the Golden State Warriors with three-straight wins (twice in Oakland).
We all witnessed Cleveland’s hometown king raise an entire city from a place of heartbreak and lifelong struggles to renewed belief and an almost incomprehensible victory that extends far beyond sports.
The Drive.
The Shot.
The Fumble.
The Curse.
Last night, today and tomorrow, Cleveland will be known for The Win.
Congratulations to my fellow Ohioans with connections to Cleveland!
Pep’s Boys Won, Yet Lost
(Pep Guardiola)
“I’ve done the best I can do,” said the Bayern Munich manager, searching for the best way to convey his feelings after his side were eliminated from the Champions League by Atletico Madrid on Tuesday. “I don’t have any regrets. I’ve done my best and, I don’t know — that’s what I would like to say.”
–ESPN FC, Nick Ames
There is some disillusioned beer drinking occurring in Bavaria tonight.
Despite a spirited, thrilling second leg of Bayern Munich’s Champions League semi-final against Atlético Madrid (one missed penalty by both teams at the same end shooting to the same side), the Bavarian kings could not score that necessary third goal. Though Thomas Müller had his shot/PK.
Rightly or wrongly, the fact that Pep Guardiola went 0-3 for winning the Champions League will define his mostly successful, victorious venture in Munich.
“In his first campaign he collected the UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup, German Cup and, with a record seven games to spare, the Bundesliga title. He secured his second successive Bundesliga title by ten points the following season…”
–UEFA
Even with all of this, Pep’s time at Bayern Munich will be viewed by many as a losing campaign. The German giants won a lot throughout the past three years, but they lost the most important games with the acclaimed Pep Guardiola as the manager.
The coaching mastermind behind Barcelona’s epic run from 2008-2012 could not defeat Spanish sides Real Madrid, Barcelona or Atlético Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals during his three years coaching Bayern Munich. If it weren’t for Mr. Guardiola’s public intention to sign with Manchester City this upcoming season, the cliché “3 strikes and you’re out” would be an aptly borrowed metaphor from the sport’s baseball counterpart.
In Pep’s case, trying to craft a winning strategy for his third consecutive Bundesliga title and a German Cup championship is what remains as achievable goals this season. For most, that would be enough. Most, however, are not named Pep Guardiola.
The expectations for Pep moving to Munich, Germany after his yearlong break following his exit from Barcelona were sky-high. Actually, if there’s a place above sky-high, that would be more appropriate.
Pep’s spell at Barcelona has been labeled as one of the greatest club teams in history with one of the best players in history being Lionel Messi. Everyone knew Pep would win in Germany, but people expected him to win everything with soccer itself gasping for air at his conquests wearing sharp suits (and lederhosen for beer drinking). Granted, Jupp Heynckes didn’t do Pep any favors by leading Bayern Munich to the prized treble (included the Champions League title) literally before his arrival in Bavaria.
Mr. Heynckes sort of served his successor a championship team on a platter.
Each coach has different tactics that require different types of players, so maybe Mr. Heynckes did or didn’t leave Pep with everything he needed. That’s a debate that will continue. In the macro, Pep’s inability to win his first season with a remarkably similar squad was disappointing, but understandable if his style of play and injection of “his” players led to a championship(s) down the road.
Sadly, those two subsequent titles never arrived, which means Bayern fans never got to enjoy the immediate or prolonged Guardiola magic in Champions League. This is a failure that will not soon be forgotten and incoming manager Carlo Ancelotti (56) will be tasked with solving this puzzle with one of the best rosters on the planet.
The young innovator makes way for the elder statesman.
Pep Guardiola was hired to win trebles. Yes, that’s trebles plural. Fair or not, that’s the truth. The pain, suffering, talent, patience, resilience and magic-in-a-bottle needed to win one treble qualifies for a lifetime of glorious storytelling and recounting in your local pub.
Just ask Jupp Heynckes.
For loyal Bayern Munich fans, like myself, the pain of today’s 2-1 win at home at the Allianz Arena in front of 75,000 fans (but 2-2 aggregate loss to Atlético Madrid) in devastatingly heart-pounding fashion will not heal for some time. The infinitely popular question, “how did they not win?” will not merely focus on this season, but will fiercely grab onto the past two seasons of mirror image outcomes and never let go.
Some may argue that Pep can finally breathe a little easier now. The German press will continue to crush him, sure, but the pressure has been eased a bit.
Quite the contrary.
If Man City pulls off a miracle and wins the Champions League this year, Pep will experience precisely the same high-pressure situation in England, except to a harsher extent. Even if Man City fails to pull off said miracle, the situation is practically identical. He won the biggest prize at Barcelona and not at Bayern Munich. That’s resulted in a knock to his other-worldly aura. If he cannot deliver the biggest prize at Man City, then it’s probably fair to anticipate another sabbatical.
Pep Guardiola is a world-class manager and a brilliant tactician, but he now finds himself in a concerning loop of Champions League semi-final shortcomings to Spanish squads.
And the only way out, at this point, looks as trying as breaking through Atlético Madrid’s back line for goal number three.
Jimmy's Daily Planet 