1. Everton – Liverpool. And yet, no amount of having a soccer blog could keep me from writing email throughout this tedious chore of a match.
2. Espanyol – Barcelona. Madness, violence, confusion, controversy: this was the match of the season for every one of soccer's wicked shadow synonyms. After giving up a goal on a play in which Víctor Valdés demonstrated the tactical shortcomings of diving in the box as a goalkeeper, Barça sent out an attacking unit that included Xavi, Henry, Eto'o, Iniesta, and Messi and still couldn't take the lead until 1) toxic Barça ultras in the upper deck started firing flares into the Espanyol supporters below them, forcing a suspension of play while Espanyol fans tried to tear down the barricades keeping them penned into their section of the stadium, and 2) Eto'o won a phantom penalty in the twelfth minute (the. twelfth. minute.) of stoppage time, teeing up Messi to win the match on its very last kick (its. very. last. kick.) Spain's in a meltdown; romantic liberals the world over are learning what it means to suffer agonies of conscience. Isn't it enough to hate Franco? Shouldn't that be enough?
3. Milan – Inter. Every time I watch one of these tough, deft, fluid Serie A games, I ask myself why I spend so much time covering the Premier League. Then I remember: it's because I know how to read English. Shame about that. Anyway, Ronaldinho's improbable slingshot header will live on as the highlight of the weekend, but Kaka's sublime pass, as well as his sublime ability to be desperately offside, were the real keys to the goal. Shevchenko, as is his habit when Mourinho's in the stadium, spent the first 80 minutes on the bench.
For those who may be interested, there is a long (though disjointed) discussion of the context of the incidents at the Montjuic at the Barca Offside
http://barcelona.theoffside.co.....ment-17231
As to the Milano Derby, the less said the better, though I'm not convinced that Kaka was offside and ursus minor reports that his Milanista classmates were gracious. I wish I could say the same for many of their adult colleagues, who were acting like they won the World Cup.
Oh Brian, try following Serie A for four straight weekends — one or two matches out of the lot will make Liverpool Everton seem like Real Madrid v. Eintracht Frankfurt 1960.
Not true Richard, there hasn't been one game in the Premier League that I've witnessed so far this season which I would swap for the good games in the Serie A.
Even the nil-all draw of Samp-Juve was more enjoyable than some of the so called 'big' matches so far in England.