A week is a long time in football
Posted by Gringo Maclure in Arsenal, Birmingham, Brazil, Dunga | 25 February 2008
It's not been an easy week for Arsenal F.C.
1. Dumped out of the FA Cup 4-0 by Man Utd. Eboue sent off.
2. 0-0 against Milan when it should've been a win.
3. Eduardo's leg is unceromoniously cut in half.
4. Jammy injury time penalty (which in my opinion wasn't really a penalty) gives 10-men Birmingham a draw.
5. Other results are sore: Man Utd close the gap by rolling over Newcastle 5-1 and in the final where I wanted no winners, local rivals Spurs take the first trophy of the season.
But, every cloud has a silver lining...
1. We can concentrate on europe and the league.
2. A score draw will do in the San Siro.
3. Van Persie is on his way back...
4. We're still three points clear at the top.
5. At least we're not Newcastle. The looks on the faces of their faithful (and Keegan) during the TV coverage for the Man Utd game said it all.
As regards Eduardo, the Brazilian press have covered this story extensively. Much is made of Eduardo's Brazilian roots in the slums of Rio de Janiero and sometimes the mass media here have even suffered from collective amnesia, forgetting to remind their readers, listeners and viewers that he is in fact Croatian. Eduardo has given interviews from his hospital bed to the Brazilian press and replays of the incident and graphic pictures have been plastered everywhere. One blogger for the national website globo insists if Eduardo wants to repent of his nationality switch he would be welcomed back with open arms to Dunga's national team. I suspect that will have to be after his leg heals.
Either way, Eduardo's horrific injury has been (surprsingly in my mind) deeply felt by the football community in South America. In the comments following an article about him, average Jo Brazilian reveals passionate comradery with Eduardo. If the mob ever got their way, the "criminal" Martin Taylor would be hung, drawn and quartered if he ever set a toe in Brazil.
In my opinion, I don't think Taylor should be banned from football (as Wenger initially offered). A red card was fair as his studs were up and he lives with the consequences of his rash challenge. But, as I see it, this was one mistimed tackle from a player who has generally conducted himself well in the past and has shown genuine remorse for his recent actions.
Comments
I agree that Taylor shouldn't be banned, it was a horrific injury, but I don't believe he went into the tackle with the desire to injure.
I have read elsewhere a view that Taylor shouldn't have been sent off at all! This I don't agree with, it was a tackle that went wrong, and given the nature of the injury, the ref had no choice. Imagine what would have followed if Taylor had remained on the pitch!
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