Onion Bag: Birmingham Upsets Pathetic Arsenal To Win Carling Cup
By Ty Duffy
Like din-deaf outfielders, Arsenal’s Laurent Koscielny and Wojceich Szczesny stepped into each other’s paths. The incoming ball bounced between them to Obafemi Martins. His subsequent goal gave Birmingham its 2-1 win and the Carling Cup. Arsenal’s calamitous error cost them their first trophy since 2005, but, in truth, it was a fitting denouement for what was, besides Robin Van Persie’s goal, a regrettable performance. It would be depressing for Arsenal fans, if it wasn’t so familiar.
The goalkeeper/central defensive cockup, conceding a goal on a set piece, listless passing unable to penetrate a deep-lying defense. For fans, the incidents blend into an acerbic soup of aggravation. Arsenal are profoundly efficient in the transfer market. They have the best roster one can buy on a limited budget. Unfortunately, trophies aren’t awarded based on performance per pound spent. Arsenal does not have the quality of player the club had during the early Wenger years, the experience or, most importantly, the solidity at the back.
Goalkeepers are like closers in baseball. In theory they are overvalued for their total contribution. In practice, there are a few key times per year you need one to win things. Having a quality one with composure is worth the expenditure.
Desperate to win anything, Arsenal fielded first teams in a competition they generally deem fit for youth players and reserves. They still lost. More significant than the piffling trophy, is the undoubted collapse that should send the mentally slight Gunners careening from all competitions again for the sixth-straight season. Like Notre Dame football, the question has progressed from “why is Arsenal not winning trophies?” to “why does someone care anymore that Arsenal isn’t winning trophies?”
Empty Words: Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness was confident before facing leaders Borussia Dortmund. Hoeness stressed the need to “blast them away” and to “mow them down.” He claimed the victory would give Bayern “the psychological edge in the title race.” Right sentiment, wrong team.
Dortmund hammered Bayern in Munich, winning 3-1 and taking a 14-point advantage over them in the table. It was Dortmund’s first win away at Bayern in 20 years. They did it without two of their best players and a squad with an average age of 22. Dortmund bought the defender who scored the clinching third goal from Bayern, Mats Hummels.
Dortmund’s “swarming” defense has allowed only 14 goals (second fewest is Schalke with 29). Their 52 goals scored also leads the Bundesliga.
The Special Whine: Real Madrid drew 0-0 with Deportivo La Coruna, dropping back to seven points behind Barcelona who thumped Real Mallorca 3-0. Jose Mourinho blamed Spanish schedulers, who slotted Madrid’s match for a Saturday after a Tuesday Champions League tie. Barcelona had their match shifted to Sunday, following their match with Arsenal, but that match was on a Wednesday.
Power Shift: Italian futility has come to a head. Every Italian club is out of the Europa League. All three Champions League teams are on the brink of elimination. Because of their low coefficient score, Serie A officially has lost its fourth Champions League place to the German Bundesliga, beginning in 2012. It’s a blow for prestige, but tangibly it’s about $60 million per year that won’t trickle down to mid-table Italian clubs.
The Social Network: To identify with the young people, unpopular Schalke manager Felix Magath created a Facebook page. Unfortunately, his side could not match his winning smile. Schalke disappointingly drew 1-1 with Nurnberg last weekend. Fans made their feelings known, by creating their own dislike button.
[Photo via Getty]
Goal of the Week: Kafoumba Coulibaly (Nice) vs. St. Etienne