A Very Disappointing 4-Days

These last four days have been a let down and quite painful for me on a footballing scale. On a scale of 1 out of 10—1 being the most intolerable and 10 being the most euphoric—I’m at a 2 1/2. 😞

Images via Reuters

Why am I so down-trodden? My two favorite football clubs for decades, Arsenal and Barcelona are in a slump at the moment. Arsenal lost a league game this past Sunday to Aston Villa, and their Champions League game today against Bayern Munich. Barcelona was eliminated yesterday from the Champions League by Kylian Mbappé and Paris Saint-Germane.

Declan Rice dejected after Aston Villa result Sunday, April 14, 2024 — Action Images via Reuters

And if that heartbreaking defeat wasn’t enough for my fragile heart, then came the 2nd leg of the UEFA Champions League Quarter-final today against Bayern, in Munich. As I watched the match, I became acutely aware of my Gunners’ young inexperience in huge pressure-filled games in one of the most elite, acclaimed tournaments in the world, certainly in Europe. Arsenal just did not have the savvy or the savage predatory hunger to take it to Bayern Munich. Credit Bayern for being well-disciplined in defense along with their pedigreed experience in big Champions League fixtures.

Kylian Mbappé scores sending PSG thru to the Semi-finals — Getty images

And my beloved FC Barcelona were eliminated by PSG, Dembélé, Vitinha, and the phenomenal magic of Kylian Mbappé. Despite the disappointing losses of my two clubs, the level of football played, the offensive creativity exhibited by the top clubs in the world, and the exquisite number of goals scored, made this weekend and mid-week truly a footballing experience to last a long, long time! Below is my #1 pick for Best Goal of these CL Quarter-finals, Frederico Valverde’s smasher in the 79′ minute to tie the aggregate. Watch the highlights and be amazed…

Now it is on to the Premier League title race against Man City and Liverpool, and on to the LaLiga title race for Barcelona against Real Madrid and maybe Girona if they gain momentum in these remaining weeks of league play.

“Football-Soccer: The language the world speaks fluently.”

The Professor’s Convatorium © 2023 by Professor Taboo is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 

More Footwork, Or Lack Of

This Saturday, Oct. 28^th, I watched the ever popular El Clásico between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. Every year this match promises to be a spectacle of the most gifted, world-class players and football artistry on the planet, certainly in Europe. For the most part it did not disappoint.

Being a Barcelona fan the final score line was not what I was hoping for. The Blaugrana dominated possession and on the whole created the best scoring opportunities over Real’s chances, but failed to make them count with poor shot-execution putting at least three attempts to the Moon or the ISS in low-Earth orbit. However, after my recent post Footwork, Footwork, Footwork! covering the necessary skill all goalkeepers must perfect no matter their height, I have to repeat once again my battle-cry after a perfect example was demonstrated in yesterday’s El Clásico.

What might have saved Barcelona with a 1–1 draw against their biggest rival was their German goalkeeper’s footwork, or the lack of it, on Jude Bellingham’s 68^th-minute equalizer. Simply put, the critical part of a goalkeeper’s skill-set was not there, it was non-existent. Marc-André ter Stegen’s feet were seemingly glued to the pitch when Bellingham unleashed his 27-30 yard shot. Examine closely the game highlights and replays of Real Madrid’s first goal below. I have the clip set to start at the 1:22 mark, the shot and goalkeeper mistake in question:

Watch repeatedly ter Stegen’s lack of lateral footwork to his left. He had more than enough time to take take at least ONE quick shuffle, probably two to easily save/parry Bellingham’s long-distance shot

As I preached in my recent blog-post on a keeper’s quick, lateral shuffling movement or footwork—a MUST acquired natural, second-nature, drilled-in habit—one of the world’s top-ranked goalkeepers did not do it and it quite probably cost Barcelona all three valuable points at home! I guarantee you and anyone in the world at top-flight football clubs that had Marc-André ter Stegen taken one or two fast lateral shuffles, he absolutely would’ve easily saved Bellingham’s 28-yard cannon-shot; no doubt in my mind whatsoever.

“Football-Soccer: The language the world speaks fluently.”

The Professor’s Convatorium © 2023 by Professor Taboo is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0