Soccer Made in Vancouver

 

 

When I found out Vancouver was going to host an actuarial conference and at the same time, there was a home match of the Vancouver Whitecaps FC, I had to be there.

 

Vancouver also happens to be the home of my good friend Karl, an avid Whitecaps fan. He got me a good seat to a match against one of the 'local' rivalries, Portland Timbers.

 

I was familiar with the Whitecaps from the North American Soccer League days. Growing up, I often watched them on TV. They had well known British players (Phil Parkes, Alan Ball, Peter Lorimer , Willy Johnston, Peter Beardsley, etc.) as well as the legendary Liverpool goalie from Africa, Bruce Grobbelaar.

 

When the Whitecaps was admitted to Major League Soccer in 2011, they bought 3 players from the Swiss League. So for a while, the Swiss media was very interested in this team more than 8000 km away.

 

Of these 3 players, only one is still with the team: Alain Rochat, formerly a defender with FC Zurich. His face was in the local newspapers advertising for the match at BC Place.

 

 

 

When I saw BC place, I had to say it is one of my favorite stadiums in the world. It is located in downtown Vancouver, it is near the water, and from the outside, it reminds me of the stadium in Zurich with these 'candle look alike' features at the top. 

 

 

BC Place, Vancouver

Letzigrund, Zurich

 

I also like this sign inside BC Place, something I have not seen in any soccer match in Europe.

 

 







Vancouver is very civilized!!!!

 

While the stadium in Zurich may be beautiful to look at, it is a terrible place to watch soccer as there is a running track between the stands and the field.

 

In BC Place, the seats are very close to the field.

 

 

I felt like I was sitting in my living room and there was the huge screen hanging over the middle of the field. The match was shown in this screen simultaneously and it was in high definition. As good as the view from my seat was, I spent a lot of time looking at the screen.

 

Before the game, I read in the local newspapers and learned that the games between the 3 Northwest teams, Vancouver, Portland and Seattle are called Cascadia games. At the end of the season, the team with the best Cascadia record wins the Cascadia Cup.

Since joining the MLS in 2011, Vancouver had played 10 Cascadia games and won ZERO.

for their 11th MLS Cascadia game, the Whitecaps started the game with their star defender, Alain Rochat on the bench and with their star striker, Scotland international Kenny Miller injured.

Still the Whitecaps scored 2 fabulous goals and was winning 2-1 late in the game when Rochat came on.  Portland already had defender Futty sent off.



With 5 minutes left, a desperate lob from the middle of the field put the ball near the Whitecaps box. There was only one Timbers player near the ball and there were about 5 Whitecaps players and the goalie around him.

I could not believe it. Portland scored, game ended 2-2 and the Whitecaps remained MLS Cascadia winless.

It was an entertaining match.

The day started with an autograph from and a photo with Kenny Miller outside the stadium. Then I met the Whitecaps mascot at the game. When I got back to my hotel, I found out the Timbers were sleeping at the same place and I met number 5,  the defender Harrington in the hotel Starbucks.

I think he looks like Robbie Savage.

check out the photos!


 

 

 

 

 







The Europa League Final in Amsterdam 2013

can you hear the cheers, Fernando?
I remember long ago another European night like this

I went to Amsterdam with my friend Karl from Canada this past week for the Europa League Final between Chelsea and Benfica.

 



That was the fifth time I saw Chelsea played this year.



At every Chelsea game, I was hoping the fans would sing the Abba song 'Fernando'. They did not.

Both Chelsea and Benfica started this season playing in the Champions League and both were eliminated after the Group phase. But both finished third in their respective group so they were allowed (I think it is a silly rule) to move over to the Europa League.

Chelsea won the Champions League last season so this Final was a bit of a step down for them.

Benfica has not won any European trophy for 50 years. During that time, their rival Porto has won 4.

The Portuguese fans were very loud and passionate during the game, much more than the English. The Portuguese team also outplayed Chelsea for most of the game.

 

but often, rather than try to score directly, Benfica players preferred to pass the ball around.

 

we had great seats for the match, especially when Oscar Cordozo scored for Benfica.

 







The game was tied at 1-1 at 90 minutes and I thought we would have extra time and then penalty kick. The last 2 European Finals involving Chelsea have gone to penalty kick.

I started to dream of the penalty kick taking place in front of us but then the little Brazilian Ramires won a corner for Chelsea in injury time. Juan Mata delivered the corner and the defender Ivanovic got away from his marker, rose up and headed the ball into the opposite corner.

Chelsea beat Benfica 2-1 to become the first English clubs to win all 3 types of European trophies. Only Bayern Munich, Juventus, and Ajax Amsterdam have accomplished this feat.

Karl and I left the stadium before the award ceremony. The subway was full of Benfica fans and it was very quiet. No one was singing.

After seeing Chelsea so many times this year, I had learned a few of the songs popular with their fans (we know who we are - champions of Europe, Jose coming home, super super Frank, there is only one England captain, etc.)

but in the metro after the game, the song I sang in my head was ABBA's Fernando.

Minute 59. The Chelsea goalkeeper had the ball and made a long throw toward the center circle. Juan Mata tried to control the ball but could not but he got a touch of it. The ball went forward and Fernando Torres beat a Benfica defender to it. He then dribbled past the Benfica captain Luisao and then past the goalie and scored.

It was a beauty.

I was happy for Torres. He had not scored a lot of goals for Chelsea since the move from Liverpool.
Many people said he was not good anymore.

there was something in the air tonight
the stars were bright, Fernando
they were shining there for you and Mata
for Chelsea fans, Fernando
though I never thought that we could lose
there is no regret
if you never score a goal again
i's ok , my friend, Fernando.

from Amsterdam, this is a singing Sebastian

 

 

 

 

March Madness Part 3 - Who will end the Spanish dynasty?

 



 

 

for about 25 Euros, I had tea and the pastry above at the Hotel Bristol in Paris.

 

I do not normally spend this kind of money at tea time but when it includes a meeting with the World Champions and the European Champions in football, well...

 

I came to Paris at the end of March for the 2014 World Cup qualification between France and Spain.

 

These 2 teams have dominated football for the last 15 years. There was a time around 2000 when France were both World Champions and European Champions and people were talking about a dynasty and about how any team could stop them.

 

But then things fell apart for France until 2006 when they made the WC Final, facing Italy.

 

The defining moment of that Final was the reaction by Zidane to the provocation of the Italian defender Materazzi.

 

If you go to Paris today, you can see a sculpture of that encounter outside the Pompidou Center.

 

 

After WC 2006, Spain started to dominate football and now we are talking about the Spanish dynasty and who could stop them.

 

France had a great chance. Already they played Spain in Madrid and came away with a draw.

 

After 4 games, France led the Group with 10 points and Spain was second with 8 points. A draw in Paris would be good enough for France.

 

Inside Hotel Bristol, I met the Spanish team as they were leaving for the bus to bring them to the Stade de France.

 

 

 

 

When Mr del Bosque walked by me, I told him 'Suerte' and he said to me 'Gracias'

 

But I was only polite. That night, I was supporting France. I had just ordered this special shirt and I wore it to the stadium.

 



 

 

The match was a disappointment. France started defensively and was happy to sit back and waited.

 

That worked for almost 60 minutes until Pedro received a pass on the right. He dribbled past several French players to get to the middle and then put a high pass to the left for Monreal. Pedro continued to run past at least 6 French defenders to get into the box.

 

Monreal crossed a low ball and Pedro got to the ball ahead of the passive French defense. Still his soft shot could have been saved by the French goalkeeper but it was pushed into the net.



 

 

Only then did France begin to apply pressure and to attack with more urgent.

Spain held on to win 1-0 and now lead the Group with 3 games left.

After the game, the reaction from the French fans, players and media was too polite. Instead of anger at losing a great chance to beat Spain, the French accepted the defeat like it was a foregone conclusion. The attitude was 'Spain is a great team and it is ok to lose to them. We do not mind losing to Spain'

When Zidane was playing for France, they were a team that instills fear into the opponents.

Today, France is a team that is afraid to win against better teams.

France will not be the team that will end the Spanish dynasty.