The Worst Referee Ever...

Wow...

I have seen a lot of fooball matches in my life. Probably 200 a year for the last decade or so, you do the math. I have seen horrible calls by refs, weird plays, unfair decisions, etc etc, but I have never seen somebody destroy a game of such magnitude and basically dramatically end the career of 2 of my favorite players.

As a professional, regardless of what job it is, you must always be aware of the task at hand, the responsabilities you have and above all the consequences of the decisions you make.

This douche bag decided against granting Barcelona a Goal and opted for giving them a free kick and showing a Red Card to Jens Lehmann... possibly the key player , aside from Henry obviously, in Arsenal's season. This guy had over 900 minutes without conceeding a goal... a week bfore he was named Germany's # 1 and we were all expecting to see him have a stellar game. Up until that point he did. Granted, he deserved a card, etc and the rules my merit him a send off, BUT not in a game like that. Everybody knows that... why ruin a game?!?!!!? THAT game?!?! The final everybody dreamt about.

That's what he wanted... he craved attention and he will always be remembered from wrecking what seemed to be one of the most memorable finals in recent Champions League Final.

We were KILLING Barcelona, KILLING them. Thierry was on fire. Freddie Ljungberg proved he has 6 lungs. Lehmann was brilliant, Gilberto solid, Hleb made runs, Fabregas has a few passes and PIRES did very good marking the wide right side. Campbell, Toure and Eboue completely silenced Ronaldinho, the greatest player alive. He was never double or triple teamed, but indiviually he just had nothing against any of them 3 and I can bet my life he has never had a tougher time with 3 different guys in the same game.

Yes it hurt we lost, but I'll get over it. We have a team that can win many CL's.

What i will NEVER forget, NEVER EVER is the fact that this lousy call effectively ended Dennis Bergkamp's hope of even playing a Champion's League. He deserved it, he EARNED the chance, the opportunity to even step on the pitch , even if we were losing 5-0, but he didn't cuz the ref blew it and more defensive players got a run in.

PIRES is a player whom I love and have always supported. His last game for Arsenal was that one, and this ref ruined it. He had to leave the pitch since other players are more defensive, and just ruined anything magical that could've happened... plus it's the kind of game in which he scores.

I cannot believe my last memory of them in Arsenal colors is that specific one. It blows and it actually hurts.

My great friend Igor, the most loyal,and subjective jajajja, AC Milan and Italy fan I know has time and time again been cheated over by refs... he always said: "you just don't understand" and I am sad to say that I completely understand his pain. I don't remember the last time a ref did my team so wrong or made a horrendous call.

If we lose we lose, but make it fair and square. 11 vs 11 Barcelona were just not as dangerous and determined as Arsenal were.

My team showed true heart and determination. We almost beat the best team on the planet with a man down, help from the ref, and and offside goal.

I am extremely proup of my team and attitudes such as Henry's. He was man enough to give credit to the person who deserved it the most LARSONN.

NONE of the barca players said anything about the ref, the calls, NOTHING.

I love barcelona but be serious, show some respect and then move on. How can you not say that the ref blew it? Be a man and at least say: "We were lucky yo get the call, otherwise i don't know if we could've won"

No clapping arsenal's players, etc... i just can't believe it. I expected soooo much more from barcelona players. However my friends that support barca agree with me, all of them. any soccer follower knows what the deal is.

Real Madrid fans clap opponents, the players clap opponents. They congratulate Cesc, they mention Bergkamp, they Hail henry, the same way arsenal players and coaches give credit, even to Man United, BECAUSE THEY DESERVE IT.

Next year fellas! for Bergkamp and Bobby Pires !!!!!!!!!!!

Peace

David Ellefson ~ Metal Bass Pioneer

There have been many musicians that have influenced my life, career and music. Without a doubt Dave Ellefson is among the top 5. I have been following his career for as long as I can remember and anybody that knows me, regardless of my music nowadays knows that I was obsessed with Megadeth and anybody related to them. Ellefson not only Co-founded Megadeth but was one of the Men responsible for Thrash Metal...

I have been lucky to see him live a couple of times, but yesterday I had the priviledge to meet him and speak briefly to him. It is so cool to meet someone with so much sucess, so many stories and life experiences, gold records. Now it's even better when they are humble, down to earth, inteligent and communicative.

I cannot speak highly enough about him as a musician and even though I spoke to him for 10 mins, i can safely say that as a person he is outstanding.

I am not too familiar with his work with F5, Temple of Brutality but I have heard some of his recordings with Soulfly. He is very open minded and extremely open to new things, new musicians, etc. I hope he is open enough to have some percussion sometime!!

All of his records are amazing, but check out Rust In Peace, Countdown to Extinction and Youthanasia by MegadetH

Peace


traducción pronto...

Champions League Final- Arsenal vs Barcelona

El Lunes 17 de Mayo en el Stade de France en Paris, Francia se jugara la final de la Copa de Campeones. Para mi la final más esperada de la última década...

Si me hubieses dicho al principio de la temporada que el Arsenal iba a llegar a la final de la Champions, pues te hubiese dicho que por supuesto. Desde que sigo al equipo, oficialmente desde 1998, siempre he pensado, quizas muy subjetivamente, que tenian el talento suficiente para llegar a la final y obviamente ganarla. Me es increible pensar que el arsenal de Tony Adams, Lee Dixon, Petit, Overmars, Bergkamp cuando metia mil goles, Ian Wright, Nigel Winterburn, Ray Parlour, David Seaman, jamas ganaron... es más jamás llegaron a los cuartos de final.

Apenas se fue Vieira, todo el mundo pensaba que era el final del Arsenal... que era imposible ganar algo sin el capitán. Siempre confié en Wenger y jamás dudé de su visión, sus metas y su gran plan. Obviamente a mitad de temporada no solo jugaron mal sino que se nos lesionaron muchos titulares... Cole, Campbell, Lauren, HENRY, Pires, Ljungberg y Bergkamp... hasta los suplentes como Clichy, Van Persie, etc lesionados.... En fin, perdimos 11 juegos en total, pero solo uno de ellos en los ultimos 11 partidos, contra ManUnited si no me equivoco, que agradable... fucking rooney! jajaja

Wenger jamás ha comprado una mega estrella... o un jugados ya establecido... El arsenal jamas comprara a ballack, o sheva, o a gerrard, beckham... etc. Wenger tiene la vision, la misma vision que tenia y tiene Alex Ferguson... quien gano TODO con becks, giggs, butt, scholes, neville brothers, etc... pura cantera. Wenger se ha equivocado mal en el pasado con Inamoto, Volz, Vivas, Almunia, etc pero nadie tiene el ojo para ver prospectos como el. Fabregas, Flamini, Senderos, Eboue, Toure, Cole, Van Persie, Clichy, Hleb, tiempo antes HENRY, VIEIRA, PIRES y LJUNGBERG.... no eran NADIE pre-wenger y los descubrio y ahora son titulares en cualquier equipo. Y no me sorprende que convoquen a Theo Walcott sin ni siquiera haber jugado un minuto en la premier... ese si es el CRACK.

Hay una satisfaccion que trae seguir a un equipo con esa filosofia, la de cultivar talento, que no la produce equipos como Chelsea, que compran titulos pero ese es otro tema. El hecho es que jamas dude que llegariamos a la final, con el equipo que fuese pero en verdad pensar que llevamos 919 minutos sin que nos metan gol, jugando contra TODOS del Madrid, TODOS de la Juve, Villareal... increible. Ademas sin Campbell, Cole o Lauren.. eso si jamas lo iba apensar.

El Barcelona es un equipo que tambien he seguido por muchisimo tiempo. Hubo una epoca en la cual seguia mas al Barca porque simplemente no pasaban juegos de la premier a menudo, y bueno siempre me gusto el barca... sobre todo en la 98-99 cuando quedaron campeones con Figo, asco, y como 8 holandeses.

Ronaldinho es el mejor y punto. Cualquier equipo con ese jugador tiene chance de ganarlo TODO, asi de simple. Ademas con Deco, Puyol, Marquez, Eto'o, Van Bommel, etc tienen uno de los mejores equipos que Europa ha visto en los ultimos 6 o 7 Años... claro que el Milan Campeon y el Madrid eran increibles tambien, pero con excepcion de Oleguer, creo que el barca de este año no tiene nada que envidiarle. creo que el barca son favoritos y no me molesta en lo absoluto... también lo eran el MAdrid, la Juve y el Villareal.

Para mi el Arsenal tiene todas las posibilidades de ganar, ademas por mas estupido que suene yo veo muchos numeros que se redondean, muchas casualidades y reuniones y hasta "señales"... finales.

Primero que nada es el ultimo juego EVER de Dennis Bergkamp, el dios, jajaja. Si juega seria su partido # 424 para el Arsenal y si marca seria su gol # 121 .... dandole un promedio de aprox un gol cada 3 juegos. Si no nos marcan gol serian mas de 1000 minutos sin encajar gol... eso NADIE lo ha hecho.

Henry regresa a Paris... su ciudad natal. Vivia a 20 mins del Stade de France y ni de vaina va a jugar mal. No pudo entrar en la final del 98 porque expulsaron a Desailly y el que entro fue Vieira, asi que esta es su oportunidad... Ademas es capitán... el primer capitan que llega a una final, y posiblemente siendo su ultimo juego para el Arsenal va querer ganar y demostrar lo bueno que es, sin tener que jugar en un equipo español o italiano.

Fabregas juega contra su viejo equipo, el Barca, quien dejo que se fuera al Arsenal y donde jamas tuvo el chance que Wenger le dio, asi que me imagino que tienen mucho por dentro que quiere demostrar.

La familia de Philippe Senderos son Madrid rajados, el mismo Senderos lo ha dicho y le va querer ganar al Barca.

Reyes va a estar motivado para ganar ya que jugaria la Super Copa de Europa contra su viejo equipo, el Sevilla.

Cole y Campbell todavia no tiene su puesto seguro en el Mundial, y es su ultimo partido realmente competitivo para demostrar lo pala que son.

Pires es casi seguro que se va y va a querer despedirse de la mejor forma.

En fin, quizas soy patetico pensando en todas estas señales y vaina, pero el hecho de que es la ultima temporada en Highbury, el ultimo juego de Bergkamp, el ciclo de Pires se esta acabando para muchos, no para mi, etc. Bergkamp ha ganado TODO menos la Champions, y ojala pase lo mismo que paso con Jerome Bettis.

Solo se que al fin voy a ver una Final en la cual asi pierda el Arsenal voy a estar relativamente contento, prque sera campeon el Barca, un equipo que me encanta, y perder contra Ronaldinho no es cosa imposible.

Alinacion ideal del Arsenal (4-1-4-1 o 4-5-1 o 4-2-2 jejeje)

Lehmann

Eboue Toure Campbell Cole
Gilberto
Ljungberg Fabregas Pires
Bergkamp
Henry

Conociendo a Wenger va a poner a Reyes en vez de Pires y a Hleb en lugar de Bergkamp. Eso quiere decir que Freddie va a bajar un poco ayudando a recuperar el balon pero tendra la libertad de ayudar a Henry. Es inutil pensar en un jugador clave del partido pero Gilberto y Ljungberg para mi son los mas importantes.

El Barca (4-3-3 mas o menos jajaja) :

Valdes

Oleguer Puyol Marquez Gio
Edmilson
Deco Iniesta
Giuly Ronaldinho
Eto'o

Espero que entre Bergkamp en algun punto del juego y si entra...

1-0 para el Arsenal, Gol de Dennis Bergkamp

Peace



If you would've come to me and said that Arsenal would be playing the Champions League Final I would have said: "of course!" Since i've been a fan, oficially since 98, ihave thought, maybe subjectively, that Arsenal should've not only been to many finals, but even won some of them. I can't believe that past Arsenal teams with: Tony Adams, Lee Dixon, Petit, Overmars, Bergkamp cuando metia mil goles, Ian Wright, Nigel Winterburn, Ray Parlour, David Seaman, never won... they didn't even reach the last 8.

When Vieira won a lot of people said we wouldn't win a thing. I always trusted and will trust Wenger's vision, philosophy and his plan. Obviously we didn't play our best mid season, but we had a ridiculous amoun of injuries and I can say that at one point or another with the exception of Toure and Lehmann, all of the players got injured. Some long term like Lauren, Cole and Campbell.

Wenger has never bought a Star player. He has vision, the same vision Ferguson had bakc in the days when he won it all with his "Fergie Babies" of Becks, giggs, butts, scholes and neville bros. Of course Wenger has had flops in the team like Inamoto, Nelson Vivas, Volz, etc but he has the unrivaled ability to pick out the best prospects. Recent examples are Fabregas, Flamini, Senderos, Eboue, Toure, Cole, Van Persie, Clichy, Hleb, and we can't forget that HENRY, VIEIRA, PIRES and LJUNGBERG were virtually unknown prior to Wenger buying them and giving them a playing chance. And let's not mention Theo Walcott... the biggest thing in Football this summer i believe...

There's a huge satisfaction in being a suppporter of a club such as Arsenal, with a deep rooted phylosophy in bringin up youngsters and developing talent; unlike Chelsea who buy their titles, but that's another story. The fact is that i never doubted reaching the final, but if you would've told me we would've done so, going 10 games without conceding a goal, without Sol, Ashley or Lauren I would've slapped you in the grill. That's 919 minutes including matches against a full Madrid side, a Full Juve side and a Full Villareal side...

I have followed Barca for years. Their games are always shown on tv in venezuela, much more that premier league games so there was a time when I knew their style and player almost even better than Arsenal's. I specially loved their team with Figo and 8 dutch players, etc, incredible stuff. Cocu scored 12 goals that season, yes, COCU.

Ronaldinho is the best there is, and that's that. Any team on the planet has a chance if that guy plays. Add Deco, Puyol, Marquez, Eto'o, Van Bommel, etc and you have one of the best teams in the last decade with the exception of Oleguer. They are the favorites and I don't mind at all... so were Madrid and Juve remember??

I see many "signs" , numbers rounding up, returns and farewells... and I really feel we have a chance, maybe it sounds romantic but Bergkamp cannot loose his last game, that just doesn't happen to players like him.

It's his last game, #424... if he scores it's be his 121st goal...almost an average of a gol per 3 games. If we don't get a goal against it'll be over 1000 minutes... noone has done that EVER in europe.

Thierry returns to Paris, raised in Les Ulis, a bit outside the city. He won the world cup there but did not play since he didn't come on after Desailly got red carded. First Arsenal captain to get to this stage... he thrives in being the first at anything.

Cesc returns to Barcelona... the team that in all fairnes let him go and never gave him a chance.

As far as I know, Senderos' family is from Madrid, at least his dad, and how proud would he be if they beat their bitter rivals BArcelona for old dad??

Reyes' former team, Sevilla, won the Uefa Cup... more than anything in this world he would love to win the CL and play them later this year for the supercup.

Cole and Campbell still have something to prove to Sven and this will be their last competitive game.

Pires, one of my heroes, will probably leave, so he'll want to do so in a correct manner, playing well if he gets a chance, which i hope.

Anyways I hope what happened to Jerome Bettis at this year's superbowl happens to Bergkamp... winning his last game ever.

This is a dream final for me. Ronaldinho is the best in the world and if we lose to him I won't hate my life or hate barcelona. Let's just hope my gut feeling is correct!

My ideal Arsenal lineup: (4-1-4-1 or 4-5-1 or 4-2-2 jejeje)

Lehmann

Eboue Toure Campbell Cole
Gilberto
Ljungberg Fabregas Pires
Bergkamp
Henry


Knowing Wenger neither Pires or Bergy will start. Freddie will Push up and run all over the pitch and support Henry and Reyes and Hleb will do their bit of defending and help out the runs for Eboue and Cole.

Barcelona (4-3-3 kind of...jajaja) :

Valdes

Oleguer Puyol Marquez Gio
Edmilson
Deco Iniesta
Giuly Ronaldinho
Eto'o


Picking key players is simply too hard... there are too many, but I will go ahead and state that Gilberto is the most important defensively and Freddie offensively, i just feel that way... when freddie plays well the whole team gets full of passion and grit and kick ass.

I have a feeling the scoreline will be in favor of arsenal and it will be the old famous one....

One Nil to the Arsenal, curtesy of Dennis Bergkamp