It is un-believable how a series of things you look forward to pass you like the speed of light, or the speed of Louis Hamilton winning the British Grand Prix, Which ever one liner you prefer is upto you.
The European Football Championships 2008 all over with for another 2 years and Wimbledon aka SW 19 done for another year, case of two down and one major to go, The Beijing Olympics, woohoo, but all the reviewing mullarkey for that is yet to come.
Just like that, two of the years major sporting events flew by. Firstly the European Championships was a brilliant staged event and a great final topped it all off. It was Germany versus Spain, winner takes all to become the Champions of Europe.
The tall, strong, powerful, collosal football team that is drowned in history and silverware, Germany. The Germans who contain very little world class talent against the technically gifted, dribbling wizardry and pinpoint passing play of Spain, which in addition have world class players in abundance, but very little prominance on the silverware side of things, lets say the Spanish Trophy cabinet possibly has more dust than trophies.
Germany, who looked defensively shaky throughout the whole tournament, especially in the 3-2 win against Turkey, showed they could again make an embarressment of themselves with another defensive blunder.
This time the tournament goal drought ended for the one and only, KOP legend to be, Fernando Torres. He broke through the German defence like a hot bread knife through butter, turned the wing back of the tournament Philip Lahm easily, near the right side of the german box and shrugged him off with pace and power and chipped-placed a shot over the encroching Jens Lehmann. The ball settled into the back of the net to German woes.
Germany never looked to be in the final to win it. It seemed though they took a look at the Spanish before hand and gave in before Kick Off. Spain won 1-0 but they fought the Germans and the Germans tried to fight back but the match was won in the midfield battle and the German fight back was stopped before they even got a chance.
The German midfielders Torsten Frings and Michael Ballack could not keep up with the wit and cleverness of the movements of Xavi, Iniesta and Senna.
Marcos Senna was the stalwart for the Spanish, he was a player who showed his true class. He gave us a "how to" with his calm, experienced defensive midfielding. He broke up the German play and even un-characteristically made bounds forwards and almost scored himself.
UEFA gave the player of the tournament to Xavi Hernandez but for me it was Marcos Senna who was the world class talent who made me want to watch. My player of the tournament Spain and Villareals midfield maestro, Marcos Senna.
That night 44 years of hurt stopped, the wounds finally cast over, no scars in sight, no talk of past spanish forgotten wann-a-be heroes who never proved themselves, the talk was of 2008 and how a team of Spanish warriors put their names into Spanish footballing folklore of how they won the European Championships. It has been 44 years in the making and Spain deserve every accolade they get. True Champions, great football and deserving winners.
If that was not enough for Spain, all the partying and celebrations had to be put on hold when another Spanish victory could be in foresight. Wimbledon was on the horizon, and taking the weight of Spain on his shoulders was Rafael Nadal, the world number 2 and Wimbledon number 2 seed.
Rafa, the clay court specialist and a constant thorn in consummate world number 1 Roger Federers side, knew this year was his best chance of taking the crown from the form slipping Federer.
In 2008 the media highlighted the fact that Roger Federers form started to dwindle slightly. He was beat off Mardy Fish, Andy Murray, Andy Roddick and Rafa himself in the French Open.
Federers 2008 upto Wimbledon in some senses was a nightmare. He suffered a few slight injury setbacks and also had sickness on a few occaisions even though some of these problems persisted for a short while, Roger still battled on and played through the barriers to compete.
Rogers never say die attitude led him to his 12th Grand Slam victory at the US Open, in tears has he took the trophy from one of his Tennis idols Rod Laver. The victory put him 2 behind Pete Sampras's record of 14. Fed knew if he won Wimbledon it would be his 13th Grand Slam victory putting him one Grand Slam away from equalling Pistol Petes record and two away from making the record his own.
Nadal on the other hand still wanted to grasp hold of his first Wimbledon crown and his first Grand Slam win off a clay court. His life ambition is to win it and all he had to do was beat the superhuman figure of Roger Federer on Feds favourite surface, at Feds favourite tournament.
The European Football Championships 2008 all over with for another 2 years and Wimbledon aka SW 19 done for another year, case of two down and one major to go, The Beijing Olympics, woohoo, but all the reviewing mullarkey for that is yet to come.
Just like that, two of the years major sporting events flew by. Firstly the European Championships was a brilliant staged event and a great final topped it all off. It was Germany versus Spain, winner takes all to become the Champions of Europe.
The tall, strong, powerful, collosal football team that is drowned in history and silverware, Germany. The Germans who contain very little world class talent against the technically gifted, dribbling wizardry and pinpoint passing play of Spain, which in addition have world class players in abundance, but very little prominance on the silverware side of things, lets say the Spanish Trophy cabinet possibly has more dust than trophies.
Germany, who looked defensively shaky throughout the whole tournament, especially in the 3-2 win against Turkey, showed they could again make an embarressment of themselves with another defensive blunder.
This time the tournament goal drought ended for the one and only, KOP legend to be, Fernando Torres. He broke through the German defence like a hot bread knife through butter, turned the wing back of the tournament Philip Lahm easily, near the right side of the german box and shrugged him off with pace and power and chipped-placed a shot over the encroching Jens Lehmann. The ball settled into the back of the net to German woes.
Germany never looked to be in the final to win it. It seemed though they took a look at the Spanish before hand and gave in before Kick Off. Spain won 1-0 but they fought the Germans and the Germans tried to fight back but the match was won in the midfield battle and the German fight back was stopped before they even got a chance.
The German midfielders Torsten Frings and Michael Ballack could not keep up with the wit and cleverness of the movements of Xavi, Iniesta and Senna.
Marcos Senna was the stalwart for the Spanish, he was a player who showed his true class. He gave us a "how to" with his calm, experienced defensive midfielding. He broke up the German play and even un-characteristically made bounds forwards and almost scored himself.
UEFA gave the player of the tournament to Xavi Hernandez but for me it was Marcos Senna who was the world class talent who made me want to watch. My player of the tournament Spain and Villareals midfield maestro, Marcos Senna.
That night 44 years of hurt stopped, the wounds finally cast over, no scars in sight, no talk of past spanish forgotten wann-a-be heroes who never proved themselves, the talk was of 2008 and how a team of Spanish warriors put their names into Spanish footballing folklore of how they won the European Championships. It has been 44 years in the making and Spain deserve every accolade they get. True Champions, great football and deserving winners.
If that was not enough for Spain, all the partying and celebrations had to be put on hold when another Spanish victory could be in foresight. Wimbledon was on the horizon, and taking the weight of Spain on his shoulders was Rafael Nadal, the world number 2 and Wimbledon number 2 seed.
Rafa, the clay court specialist and a constant thorn in consummate world number 1 Roger Federers side, knew this year was his best chance of taking the crown from the form slipping Federer.
In 2008 the media highlighted the fact that Roger Federers form started to dwindle slightly. He was beat off Mardy Fish, Andy Murray, Andy Roddick and Rafa himself in the French Open.
Federers 2008 upto Wimbledon in some senses was a nightmare. He suffered a few slight injury setbacks and also had sickness on a few occaisions even though some of these problems persisted for a short while, Roger still battled on and played through the barriers to compete.
Rogers never say die attitude led him to his 12th Grand Slam victory at the US Open, in tears has he took the trophy from one of his Tennis idols Rod Laver. The victory put him 2 behind Pete Sampras's record of 14. Fed knew if he won Wimbledon it would be his 13th Grand Slam victory putting him one Grand Slam away from equalling Pistol Petes record and two away from making the record his own.
Nadal on the other hand still wanted to grasp hold of his first Wimbledon crown and his first Grand Slam win off a clay court. His life ambition is to win it and all he had to do was beat the superhuman figure of Roger Federer on Feds favourite surface, at Feds favourite tournament.
To be Continued...
Next time see part 2 of the Wimbledon review, see more sports news including football transfer gossip, and also watch out in the near future for new sports quote daily which will be seen in one of the side columns, also soon to come interviews with local sports faces.
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