On Tuesday, Tottenham Hotspur kicked-off the round of 16 Champions League matches with a strong 1-0 victory against Italian league leaders AC Milan at the famed San Siro stadium.
The Spurs fielded a team filled with many a 2nd choice and also-ran, only to break the Rossoneri on the counter-attack with Aaron Lennon's blistering pace on the wing and a clinical finish from the giraffe-like Peter Crouch for a pivotal away goal in the 1st leg of a two-leg aggregate-based round.
The North London side was stubborn, finished every tackle and did a great deal to annoy the opposition. Rossoneri midfielder Gennaro Gattuso, known for his punishing tactics and his bull-in-a-china-shop grace on the pitch, was annoyed to the point of head butting Spurs assistant Joe Jordan on the pitch line at the match's conclusion.
Classy guy to say the least. His inability to control his anger was acceptable 5 years ago, as in his prime, he played a major role in Italy's World Cup win by cementing the Azzuri midfield.
Gattuso wasn't the only Milan player whose emotions raged that night. Tempers flared for many a Rossoneri following several hard tackles and the cancellation of Swede striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic's 90th minute equalizer because of a foul in the box against Hotspur centre-back Michael Dawson. It was a legit foul call, keeping in mind there are few things I despise more than Tottenham, including many a terminal illness.
Needless to say, the Italians were very emotive, more so than usual, which says a great deal about a people who rarely shy from the opportunity to express themselves, whether it be by means of language, gestures or facial expressions. This is not a generalization, but merely an observance based on watching loads of Italian football, attending a private boys high school made-up of predominantly Italians and spending time in Europe amidst many an Azzuri.
Regardless of the root or reason for such expressions, Italian footballers tend to be a microcosm of the people, rarely shying from the opportunity to plead there case with an official, hands outstretched, palms facing up to display a host of emotions.
Speaking Italian is not just about the words, but about the hand gestures and facial expressions that go along with it. It's been said that having a phone conversation with a native Sicilian can be an exercise in patience, while an Italian with a broken hand is considered to have a speech impediment.
I thoroughly enjoy such displays of emotion and thank football every day for allowing outsiders to peer-into a world where cultures are on full display, where individuals stand-out for their performances, yet regardless of ethnicity or creed, great teams are made of 11 different people joined in the commonality of winning.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On another note, it must feel like shit being a Tottenham supporter.
Your bid for the Olympic Stadium in London was foiled by West Ham's more practical application, your club is in great form in the Premier League, only to sit in 4th and stare eyes-wide up the table at rivals Arsenal who sit in 2nd, and adding insult to injury, the day after defeating Italian leaders AC Milan, Arsenal outshines your performance by dismantling Barcelona at its on game, the team arguably considered the World's Best, EVER. Fucking Spurs.
No comments:
Post a Comment