Gunners in Germany: Part 3 + FREE Wallpaper
863 comments June 20th, 2006
It’s some time since my last World Cup update, what with the excitement of the new kit being unveiled. (Of course, I realise that the blurry image we’ve all gawped at is not in the least exciting. However, the World Cup starves us of club news. Thus, that fuzzy picture becomes about as exciting as Arsenal announcing that Arsene Wenger is, contrary to popular belief, a womble).
When I last updated on our boys in Germany, England were expected to comfortably beat Trinidad and Tobago. Heady days. As it happened, Ashley Cole played 90 mins as England stumbled to a 2-0 victory, both goals coming in the last ten minutes. Sweden were equally reliant on a late goal, with Fredrik Ljungberg‘s 88th minute header granting them victory over Paraguay.
On Friday, we bid Auf Weidersehn to Kolo and Manu‘s Ivory Coast, who lost 2-1 to an impressive Holland side, for whom Robin van Persie blasted in a brilliant first. Robin also completed a vital clearance off the line in an excellent performance. Ivory Coast now face Serbia & Montenegro with nothing to play for except pride, of which they ought to have plenty.
Tomas Rosicky failed to recreate his opening game heroics as the Czech side crashed 2-0 to a Ghanian team led by the fantastic Stephen Appiah. More embarrassment for Arsenal stars as, despite scoring France’s first World Cup goal for eight years, Thierry Henry missed a great chance to double his team’s lead before South Korea grabbed a shock equaliser.
Gilberto Silva made a brief cameo as an unimpressive Brazil side-stepped former Korea coach Guus Hiddink’s Australia, whilst yesterday’s Togo – Switzerland saw Emmanuel Adebayor come up against Philippe Senderos. Whilst the former was probably the more impressive of the pair, it was the Swiss who came through to win 2-0, putting Togo out of the tournament. Adebayor’s plight was only made worse by the fact that his sandwich became invisible.
Last but certainly not least, Cesc Fabregas, who came on at half-time and almost single-handedly swung a game into Spain’s hands. Trailing 1-0 to Tunisia, the teenage tyro set up two goals and nearly grabbed one himself as Spain ended up 3-1 winners. A 45-minute master-class in the art of simplicity that should see Cesc start against Saudi Arabia.
Attached today is a fantastic Thierry Henry wallpaper, produced by Tres Rapide, the site’s resident clever person. Feel free to adorn your desktop with Thierry’s stylised but still impressive form. Here you go.
And have a good day.
