Vishal's Blog

  I try telling my daughter about Diego Maradona but she shrugs and continues playing with her dolls. She escapes when I persist. She never returns so I catch hold of her to tell her about Maradona's dribbles, his audacity, his shrewdness and the ‘Hand of God’. She listens as if un-listening. She enquires about her birthday gift. I tell her I would buy her a no. 10 Argentina jersey with Maradona’s name printed at the back. She makes faces and is not interested. Knowing well that lives of great sportsmen can inspire, I hit the keyboard to draft a letter for her to read in the future… to tell her about Maradona hoping she would seek inspiration from it few years down the line. That letter goes this way…   My dear Vidita, Diego Maradona? Who? You’d wonder. Different things to different people, I’d say. To some he was like a graceful dancer with the ball at his feet. To others he was a brilliantly gifted footballer but also flawed. To many like me, he was a gen...

A section of British media has gone gaga over the marvelous virtuosity of Tottenham’s Gareth Bale. They see a Cristiano Ronaldo in the making (not sure if they are being pragmatic here). But the fact that Tottenham are currently placed 4 th on the premier league table and Bale has played a huge role, speaks volumes of his skills. Still in his early twenties, whether Bale becomes the worlds best or not remains to be seen. However like CR-7, Bale too has earned a name for being slippery as a squirrel (read faking dives). There are a few writers like Rob Hughes who have given him a benefit of doubt though. He writes “Some might say that, at the exceptional speed at which Bale moves, the slightest kick or tug might unbalance him”. But Bale has involved himself in such incidents with chilling efficiency and was recently awarded suspension as well.  There are many such cry-babies in world football today. Liverpool’s Luis Suarez and Manchester United’s Ashley Young are other e...

Thank you for the memories, Scholesy. In 2008 while Manchester United, the defending Premier League champions were on course to their third Premier League victory on the trot, Sir Alex Ferguson set his eyes firmly on winning the Champions League that year. However, FC Barcelona was to be tackled in the semi final which boasted of players like Messi, Iniesta and Xavi. The winner of the semi final was supposed to set up a dream clash with either Liverpool or Chelsea. United’s hopes were slightly dented as Wayne Rooney was side lined due to hip injury, but in his absence their best player stood up and delivered. It was none other than the one whom Xavi Hernandez recently designated the best midfielder for the last 20 years - Paul Scholes. In the 14th minute of the match, Cristiano Ronaldo lost the ball when tackled by Gianluca Zambrotta, who in turn lost it to Paul Scholes about 25 yards from the goal post. This was a perfect position for him, who thrived on it and rightly put the ball in...

Chelsea – The deserving champions Chelsea eventually became the English Premier League champion last week end. They are without any doubt, the deserving winners this year. Didier Drogba, the epitome of Chelsea’s iron will won this year’s Golden boot award for scoring maximum number of goals (29) this season. The only team which came close to Chelsea was the team who won the championship for three consecutive years, Manchester United. They lost by only a solitary point. As expected, the title race went down to the wire. Many however feel that Manchester United’s title dreams ended when Chelsea won against Liverpool the previous weekend. Manchester United, were left stranded and have themselves to blame as they were unable to win important matches like the one they lost against Burnley at the start of the season. They also lost against Chelsea both at home and at Stamford Bridge, which were considered to be important matches of the season. The most experienced manager of the Premier Lea...

Man United loses Champions League title The clash between the two best football teams in Europe has to be a big ticket event. The fans expected the match between the two teams Barcelona and Manchester United in Champions league final 2009 would be of a ferocious one. With the best players in either team available to play in the final, it was expected to be a lip smacking encounter. But more often than not, big tickets are often a big letdown. Even this one was as Manchester United was easily and comprehensively beaten by the more agile Barcelona team in the final played in Rome yesterday. With two successive titles already in their kitty, United was looking for a third title this year and wanted to be the first team to do so. However, they appeared a tad numb on the big occasion compared to their opponents who appeared exhilaratingly alive. Barcelona defenders were spot on to deny any freedom to Ronaldo and Rooney whereas serious defense errors by the Man United defenders cost them not...