ARSENAL 2 – BARCELONA 1

It’s official. We just beat the best team in the world!

To put it into perspective Barcelona’s stats in the Spanish league this season are as follows: Played 23 Won 20 Drawn 2 Lost 1 Scored 71 Conceded 12.

Frightening stats. They also have the best player in the world in Lionel Messi (you may have heard of him!) in their ranks, with a staggering 35 goals in 28 games to his name. If that wasn’t ominous enough, it wasn’t the ideal start for Arsenal, with David Villa easily sliding the ball home from Lionel Messi’s sublime pass.

1-0 at half time.

But as the Arsenal mantra goes ‘In Arsene We Trust’ and in the 78th minute Van Persie (who has been on fire since his return from injury) scored a cracker from an almost impossible angle.

5 Minutes later, Barcelona were left stunned as our magic little Russian Andrey Arshavin curved a bending shot around Barcelona keeper Victor Valdes – sending the 60,000 strong spastic at The Emirates!

Andrey Arshavin is hugged by teamate Eboue after his winning strike.

We still have the 2nd leg away in the Nou Camp and Barcelona will be gunning for revenge – but we’ve just shown tonight, that we have the firepower, talent, belief and skill to beat them. It’s time like these, that make me truly proud to be an Arsenal supporter.

Bring it on!

Follow @alexwain

p.s. Full match report here or read a fantastic fan review here or finally, see more stunning photos

If you’d asked me at the start of 2009 if I would get the chance to see Arsenal play at The Emirates Stadium in North London as part of their 2009-2010 campaign, I would have said “No chance in hell sadly!”

But due to sheer luck, I was able to see my favourite team not once but TWICE this season. Both times I used a Thomas Cook Match Day Break package, you essentially get one night in a cool hotel in London and tickets to a premiership game. There’s no way the public can access tickets because every game is a sold out to members. People who have season tickets to see Arsenal keep them in the family haha they’re like the golden ticket handed down from generation to generation. I saw them take on Aston Villa December 27th 2009 and West Ham March 20th 2010.

I’d see them play previously back during The Invincibles campaign back at Highbury, but this was the first time I’d seen them at the new stadium. The date December 27th 2009, the opponent Aston Villa. It was a truly amazing experience sitting in that stunning stadium watching my heroes. From staying up early to watch their games online, to reading club updates every day, to buying the shirt and wearing the merch, from engaging in banter with all my soccer friends and championing the Arsenal cause, all the way back to supporting them at highschool – to be sitting there, part of the new era for the club, in a wonderful stadium swelling with 60,000 red shirts really did blow my mind.

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Aston Villa December 27th 2009
It was a fantastic game, one of the highlights of the season for the team. Locked at 0-0 after an frantic first half and desperately needing a win to stay in the title chase, Arsene Wenger opted to bring on the Arsenal Captain and talisman Cesc Fabregas (aged 22).

This is what happened in 28 short minutes. Absolute genius.

Arsenal 3 Vs. Aston Villa 0 In The Preimer League 09\10, Round 19

The match actually ended 3-0 to Arsenal, with Abou Diaby sliding in a neat finish right near full time.

As you can imagine, I went home a very happy camper indeed! To see your team win is one thing, to see them win in such dramatic fashion really was the icing on the cake. The atmosphere as you can imagine, was simply electric, literally you could hear the energy of 60,000 people going bananas crackling in the air.

West Ham March 20th 2010.
Less than three months later, I got to see them play again, this time against relegation threatened West-Ham – who were literally fighting for their lives. I was actually in the UK with my mum at the time, so I thought it would be great to bring her along and let her enjoy the atmosphere and see how football SHOULD be played in the purest sense of the word. One touch passing, vision, skill, tricks, twists and turns – all carried off with confidence, class and style, the Arsenal way.

It was another standout game of the season, not because we went 1-0 in 13 minutes, but because defender Thomas Vermaelen we red carded soon after for what can only be describe as a “dubious” tackle directly in the box. West Ham stepped up for the penalty, if it had gone in Arsenal would have had a mountain to climb, a man down and drawing level inside 20 minutes….but instead this happened!

Arsenal v West Ham United

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So there you go, two visits to Arsenal in the 2009-2010 season, two stunning wins, a world-class cameo from Captain Cesc Fabregas, a fine penalty save from Manuel Almunia and 60,000 friends hugging, screaming, chanting and rejoicing at the effort, performance and dedication the team displayed.

As it stands, Arsenal finished the season a very very respectable 3rd (considering the amount of injuries we had) and I am so proud to have been a part of their season, it’s an experience I’ll never forget.

GO THE GUNNERS!

Follow @alexwain

THEY DID IT!

My beloved Sydney FC were officially crowned the minor premiers on February 14th 2010, after beating Melbourne Victory, 2-0 at home in front of 25,000+ Sydneysiders! Melbourne needed only a draw to win the championship, but in one of the most dramatic endings to a fantastic season, Sydney FC put on stunning display to seal a 2-0 win and claim the championship by one point.

Sydney FC 2009-2010 A-league Minor Champions!

To win the championship is one thing, to win it at home against your biggest rival and to do so, with such a spectacular performance is quite another. I’m so proud of the team, after being a member for 4 seasons now, I’ve experienced all the different highs and lows it comes with being a loyal supporter of any team – from seeing them hammered at home 3-1, to days like yesterday which were simply brilliant.

Last year we didn’t even make the final series, this season we’ve won the league. The contrast couldn’t be any different. And it’s all down to our brillant new coach Czech coach Vitezslav Lavicka who has installed in the team, a genuine European style of quick paced attacking football.

Two phenomenal goals, one a 25-yard volley from Karol Kisel and a sublime 20m finish from John Aloisi was enough to ensure the championship came home with Sydney FC in the first time in their history.

See video highlights, including those two utterly mesmerising goals right here

Karol Kisel celebrates scoring against Melbourne Victory

Here’s hoping we can beat Melbourne in the Grand Final too.

So happy!!!



Follow @alexwain

p.s. You can follow Sydney FC on Twitter here and make sure you snap up your Sydney FC membership for the 2010/2011 season – they’ve going to go fast.

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Kisel Thrilled With Triumph
Sydney Claim The Premiership
Sky Blues Take The Title
Newly Crowned Minor Premiers Prove Their Big-Match Temperament

SYDNEY FC’s A-League season remains bleak but the long-term future looks much brighter after the 1-0 win over Wellington at Sydney Football Stadium.

Ghana-born 17-year-old Kofi Danning, in just his second A-League appearance, scored in the 85th minute to end Sydney’s four-game losing streak and leave coach John Kosmina believing they can still sneak into the finals.

See the goal here

Kosmina fielded a youthful starting team with an average age of just 23, but it was 63rd-minute substitute Danning who broke the deadlock with the game looking headed for a scoreless draw.

The promising midfielder, who grew up in Australia and trained at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra, combined with late substitute Steve Corica and Alex Brosque to coolly slot home his memorable first A-League goal.

“I saw my opportunity and I just took it and it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” a beaming Danning said after the match.

“Kossie always told me the harder I worked, the more opportunities I’d get to play and I finally got my chance and worked hard and I’m very grateful.”

Kosmina was delighted not only with Danning’s performance, but also those of 17-year-old defender Rhyan Grant and 19-year-old Zach Cairncross, who was handed his debut.

Sydney’s team also included 20-year-olds Brendan Gan and Adam Biddle, while promising striker Chris Payne, 18, also come on in the second half, boding well for the future of the club.

Kosmina said he would continue to rely on youth though Sydney will lose both Danning and Grant for next week’s clash with Sydney FC with both set to represent Australia at the Youth Olympics in Sydney.

With two matches remaining, sixth-placed Sydney are now five points outside the top four.

Asked whether his side could do the unthinkable and sneak into the finals, Kosmina said: “Mathematically, yes.

“If we win next week and the week after, we’ve got 29 points.

“(Third-placed) Queensland have got three games to go, they might lose three and (fourth placed) Central Coast have got (to play) Adelaide and Melbourne, so anything is possible.”

Source FoxSports

Alex