Arsenal: Needs of Pragmatism Over Price

What a difference a week makes in football. Arsenal were riding high
in the league prior to the defeat at Goodison Park. They had gone 14
league games unbeaten since the opening day defeat to Liverpool at the
Emirates. But following in poor second half displays against Everton
and Manchester City they ended up throwing away six points from
winning positions thereby granting the initiative back to their title
rivals as both the leading pack and chasing pack all won their
matches.
Yet it all smacks of familiar failings for Arsenal as the same turn of
events as become all too common. If comments are compared with
previous seasons as regard how the team have fallen away by losing
concentration in key matches, you could find the same thing all over
again.

The argument in the past was that the team needed to spend to match
its rivals or to mount a title challenge. And that was exactly what
Arsene Wenger has done in recent seasons. The signings of Mesut Ozil
and Alexis Sanchez were a signal in the change of direction of the
club in terms of its spending power. Even when nobody was signed last
summer, the club still signed Petr Cech for £10m. Something that would
have been unthinkable when the purse strings were tight.
Coming to this summer there were huge outlay for Granit Xhaka and
Mustafi which totaled up to £65m for both players.

But despite Wenger's declaration at various times this season that his
players are now more matured in terms of their ability to come back
from difficult situations, that assertion as so far proved once again
that it is a false dawn at least for now.

With the way the league is shaping up, with Chelsea setting a high bar
with consecutive wins, Liverpool imposing their game on opponents, and
Manchester City coming back from adverse situations, Arsenal choosed
the wrong time not to pick of any point from six available in the
North West of England inside a week.

The cries of spend the money from many of those of Arsenal persuasion
has dissipated. Why because, money has indeed been spent, but old
weaknesses persist. Despite the spending, Arsene Wenger has remained
the only constant in this never ending circle of mental flakiness that
continually pervades the consciousness of the Arsenal players. They
are not tough enough to stand up to difficult situations in matches.
And Wenger's in game management leaves much to be desired these days.

When the team is under pressure, a modicum tweak or a substitution
could aid in assuaging such a pressure, but the usual 70th minute
substitution has become a theme of Wenger's era. And if not that, a
reactive step not to freshen things up, but to react to his team going
behind, when he could have taken the initiative by carrying out the
substitution much earlier.

For the match at the Etihad on Sunday, Mesut Ozil had no business
playing the full match. The German was poor on the day. If he had been
substituted, he would have had few complains. The game repeatedly
passed him by. A player like Lucas Perez could have given Arsenal
something different on the day.

Arsene Wenger would have to address the midfield conundrum going
forward. The absence of Santi Cazorla has robbed Arsenal's midfield of
its most important player. Besides, his technical ability, his two
footedness is a feature of his game that is underrated. With all of
Granit Xhaka's qualities, that is something that he doesn't have.
This is not to say that he doesn't possess something that can carry
Arsenal forward as he is becoming an integral part of a midfield that
is clearly missing the finesse of Cazorla.

Francis Coquelin's limitation in possession means Arsenal essentially
plays almost with one man down when they are faced with certain
opponents. As was evident against Manchester City, Arsenal regained a
measure of possession when Mo Elneny came in for the injured Oxlade
Chamberlain.

Arsenal the season, lack certain element to their game. They cannot
stay deep to defend when they are under pressure without Per
Mertesacker. There is an obvious lack of compactness to their game in
the absence of the German. Besides, Mustafi's absence was clearly felt
in the two defeats recently as the German's passing ability from the
back is something Gabriel doesn't possess.

For once, Arsene Wenger would have to adopt some measure of pragmatism
going forward if he is to get Arsenal's season back on track. Clean
sheets have become a rarity. And a chance for Rob Holding in place of
Gabriel as the young centre half has fare better alongside Koscielny
this season than the Brazilian.

For all the individual criticism of players, it is Wenger's duty to go
beyond saying that his squad possess the mental toughness to rise from
adversity and for the players to start translating that into
consistent performances.

Arsenal's Motions In November

For a number of years now, particularly in the Arsene Wenger era, the
month of November has always been a tricky one for Arsenal on the
pitch. For inexplicable reasons the club often suffer from a sudden
loss of form or a number of injuries to players.
Last season, the club's season technically came to an end in November
when both Santi Cazorla and Francis Coquelin succumbed to ligament
injuries against West Brom. Although, the club only lost one match in
December, a 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Southampton, they secured
wins in the other matches played that month. But the soft underbelly
due to a dyfunctional midfield was obvious.

Though, this season has not been different in terms of the form in
November, the only difference is that the team has remain unbeaten
going into the last match for the month which is against Southampton
in the League Cup at the Emirates today.

Arsenal are unbeaten in 19 matches since the opening day defeat to
Liverpool in the premier league. Though they have managed some tricky
fixtures in November, the unbeaten run has continued. Wins against
Ludogoret and Bournemouth in the Champions League and Premier League
has been unsetted by draws against Tottenham, Manchester United and
PSG in the League and Europe respectively.

The usual fluency that was the hallmark of Arsenal's attack in
September and October has been missing throughout November, with the
team having to abandon its free flowing style for more steel.

The failure of the team to adopt a free flowing style in recent weeks
is linked to the injury to Santi Cazorla. The 31 year old ambidextrous
midfielder who has been sidelined since October with an Achilles
problem has been a revelation since he was deployed as a deep lying
playmaker by Arsene Wenger. His two footed-ness allows him to keep and
recycle possession at close quarters and he is responsible for setting
the tempo of Arsenal's build up play after collecting the ball from
the centre halves. Incidentally, his presence always bring out the
best from Mesut Ozil as the German strives in the final third without
having to go searching for the ball in deeper positions whenever the
Spaniard is absent.
Besides the absence of Cazorla, the recent knock suffered by Alexis
Sanchez during the last international break meant he struggled against
Manchester United. But he was back to his best against Bournemouth
when he got a brace taking his tally for the season to ten goals.

The struggles reminiscent of November when it comes to Arsenal has
been reflected by inconsistent form, but not in results. With
different midfield combinations being deployed this month, with
Elneny-Xhaka, Coquelin-Elneny, Xhaka-Ramsey, Elneny-Xhaka as a
partnership either being deployed at the start of a match or during a
tweak as it was against Manchester United when Xhaka-Ramsey finished
that match in the middle.

One thing though, is that the closest midfielder Arsenal have to
Cazorla is Xhaka. The Swiss international brings a similar tempo
setting ability that the Spaniard has, and his ability to pick a pass
from deep prevents the likes of Ozil to fall deep to search for the
ball when there is an absence of a central midfielder who can pick a
pass inbetween the lines.
The 24 year old had one of his best games in an Arsenal shirt against
Tottenham, and his presence seem to bring out the best from Elneny
against Bournemouth last Sunday.

Though, its just 13 games into the Premier League season, the table is
already shaping up to be a four horse race, with a little gap emerging
in the table. But the hectic fixture list in December would determine
the direction the season takes.

With the League Cup, the least of Arsenal's prorities, a number of
players would want to go all the way in the competitons as the likes
of Martinez, Jeff, Rob Holding and a host of youngsters know it is an
opportunity to get more playing time for the club in a tight squad.

So its dateline Southampton as the Emirates on Wednesday with what
should be a completely different team from what obtains in the league.
Likely lineup should be:

Martinez, Jenkinson, Gabriel, Holding Gibbs, Oxlade-Chamberlain,
Ramsey, Xhaka, Jeff, Iwobi, Lucas.

Arsene Wenger confirms signing of Shkodran Mustafi and Lucas Perez

Arsenal manager has confirmed the signing of 24 year old German
central defender Shkodran Mustafi and 27 year old Spanish striker,
Lucas Perez. Both players have passed their medicals with paper works
left to be sorted before it would be announced.

Arsene Wenger confirmed the signings during his post match press
conference after Arsenal's 3-1 win over Watford at Vicarage Road in
week three of the new season.

"We have bought two players, Mustafi and Perez. We had to work very
hard to get signings done," he said.
"We have no plans for anyone else now

Both signings are for a combined fee of £52m with Mustafi at £35m and
Lucas Perez at £17m.

The 6ft Shkodran Mustafi arrives from Valencia with a reputation as a
German international with 12 caps, and he was part of the German squad
that won the World Cup in Brazil and played twice at Euro 2016,
scoring Germany's first goal against Ukraine in the group stages and
coming on as a substitute against France in the semis for Jerome
Boateng.
He is not new to the Premier League having spent three years with
Everton without making a senior appearance before leaving for
Sampdoria in Italy.

Lucas Perez has been described as a late blossomer in the mode of
Jamie Vardy, after his standout season last season. Where he scored 17
league goals for Deportivo la Carouna in the Spanish la liga.
The 5ft 11' striker has had something akin to a nomadic career having
had spells playing in Greece and Ukraine.

He is a different kind of striker from Oliver Giroud, though left
footed, he is a pacy forward, who developed from playing more from the
wings before he blossomed as a striker last season.
A tireless player, who delights in putting defenders on the back foot
with his running, which should make him a different foil up front for
Arsene Wenger.

The signing of both players brings to six the number of signings
Arsenal have made this summer. With Granit Xhaka, Takuma Asano, Rob
Holding and Kelechi Nwakali being the others.

Already, Japanese striker Takuna Asano has been sent on a season long
loan to German second divison side Stutggart.

With a squad that is huge on numbers in spite of the long term
injuries to Gabriel, Per Mertesacker and Danny Welbeck as well as the
short term cases of Aaron Ramsey and Alex Iwobi, some players in the
Arsenal squad could be heading out on loan before the transfer window
closes next Wednesday.

Calum Chambers has been linked with a loan move, while it remains to
be seen whether Chuba Akpom will be kept in the squad for the first
half of the season.

Arsene Wenger's Transfer Poker

Once again, Arsenal go into the new season which starts on Saturday
without the necessary signings that would strengthen the team. For a
number of years, Arsenal's goal output has significantly reduced
because of the dearth of quality strikers at the club. It was the
team's lack of scoring that has cost it valuable opportunities to win
the title, but this is not forgetting it defensive frailties that is
well documented.

And going into the new season, the team is more in need of a defensive
signing than the equally important centre forward that it needs. With
Per Mertesacker ruled out until at least the new year with a knee
injury and Gabriel's ankle injury that has ruled him out for up to two
months, Arsenal are left with the inexperienced trio of Calum
Chambers, new signing, Rob Holding and Kristian Bieliek as central
defensive options going into the match against Liverpool on Sunday.
Laurent Koscielny's extended break after his participation at the
Euros means this weekend's match would come too soon for him. The same
applies to Mesut Ozil and Oliver Giroud. All of whom only just resumed
training this Wednesday.

Arsene Wenger can still choose to feature either of Mathieu Debuchy or
Nacho Monreal in central defence, but it could largely be a risk
against a Liverpool side that would be keen to start the new season on
a high under Jurgen Klopp.

For all of Arsenal's dithering in the transfer market, they have
brought in a midfielder in Granit Xhaka way in May, who should add
much needed physicality in central midfield, and his technicality and
passing range means he would add further pose to a midfield that was
devoid of Santi Cazorla's calmness in possession last season.

From the pre-season games and his performance at the Euros, the 23
year old Swiss international has shown that he would be a quality
addition to the Arsenal squad. The presence of Mohammed Elneny, Aaron
Ramsey, Francis Coquelin, Santi Cazorla and Jack Wilshere, if he can
stay fit makes the central midfield Arsenal's strongest position.

However, the same cannot be said of Arsenal's current defensive and
striking options which is in dire need of an upgrade. Before the
defensive injuries in pre season, the team was in need of a central
defender. And the attempt to sign a striker has not been successful
for a number of years with failed bids for the likes of Higuain, Luis
Suarez and the recent bid for Jamie Vardy.

Now, with 21 days to the end of the transfer window, Arsene Wenger
would have to deploy his best poker skills to sign the players his
team needs.
During the course of the summer, he has bemoaned the inflated prices
of the transfer market, but at other times, he has also been quick to
say it is something Arsenal have to accept as the prices are a
reflection of the huge sums avialable to English clubs because of the
new television deal.

In spite of the shortage of signings this season from Arsenal, they
have continually been linked to several players. Mustafi of Valencia,
the 24 year old German international defender has virtually been
linked every week for the last one month with reports claiming that
both clubs are still in talks to bring the former Everton defender to
the Emirates. He has valued at £25m. If Arsene Wenger intends to have
him in place against Liverpool, he must be signed and registered
before 12 GMT on Friday to be eligible to feature against Liverpool.

While the Frenchman has stated on several occasions that he is still
in the transfer market, he has also emphasised the importance of
concentrating on the players already at the club's disposal. A line of
assertion that means there is unlikely to be any new face ahead of the
match against Liverpool.

Arsenal under Arsene Wenger have always deployed an approach of being
reactive in the transfer market rather than being proactive. Little
wonder that Wenger remarked that they are waiting for an opportunity
to arise to sign certain players. Most times, such opportunity never
arises, instead it is left for the club to create such an opportunity
by putting in a bid the club would be unable to turn down. However,
Wenger always has his valuation of players so, it is not unusual that
certain deals over the years has fallen through as a result.

With the increased competition in the English Premier League, the
Frenchman cannot afford to do what he did last season when he made
Arsenal the only club not to sign an outfield player in Europe's top
five leagues. Although, he has already signed three players in Granit
Xhaka, Rob Holding and Takuma Asano this summer, the transfer window
will be considered a failure by Arsenl faithful if he agains fails to
bring in a striker and the defender his team desperately needs.

He has often compared the transfer market to playing a game of poker.
It is now left to him play it the way it would be favourable to his
team's needs.

What Can New Coach Gernot Rohr Bring To The Super Eagles?

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) appointed 63 year old German,
Gernot Rohr as the new Technical Adviser of the Super Eagles on
Tuesday. The appointment puts to a close the protracted attempt by the
football house to bring in a foreign coach after Paul Le Guen rejected
in the job in July.

Now with an appointment in place, the attention has shifted to the
upcoming World Cup qualifiers which starts in October against the
Chipolopolo of Zambia.

Gernot Rohr is not a stranger to coaching teams in Africa. He has
previously managed Burkina Faso, Niger Republic and Gabon. He was also
one time manager of Tunisian club side Etiole dul Sahel.
As a result, he would not have to adapt to conditions that are
prevalent in Africa in terms of having to deal with the difficult
traveling around the continent and the unforgiving playing surface in
some African countries.

He remarked that he is a German, and he is a winner in his first
comments when his appointment was confirmed. He went further to state
that Nigeria not only has the potential to qualify for the World Cup,
but they can get to the latter stages of the tournament.
Yet, every new person coming into a new job would always be upbeat
about the chances of the team.

At the moment, the Super Eagles are in their lowest ebb with their
failure to qualify for the African Cup of Nations in 2015 and 2017. As
a result, the team has fallen to 71st in the FIFA rankings.
The Super Eagles have never been short of talents, but issues of on
field indiscipline and the inability of past coaches to mould
individual talents into a formidible team.

In terms of emerging talents, that could transform the fortunes of the
Super Eagles, Nigeria have not had it so good for a long time. With
the likes of Alex Iwobi, Kelechi Iheanacho, Leon Balogun, Moses Simon
and even the uncapped Sadiq Umar, who is currently setting the Rio
Olympics football events alight.

In terms of attacking players, there is alot of players coming through
at the moment and others that have been around for a number of years
in Ahmed Musa and Victor Moses.
However defensively and in midfield, the team cannot fully boast of
talents coming through like others in the attacking areas. But such
shortcomings could be mitigated against by using the sum of the teams
part to achieve a greater cohesion defensively.

Though Gernot Rohr has worked in Africa before, he would not have
worked with the kind of quality players that would be at his disposal
when he finally resumes his job fully. The pool of talents available
to him would be bigger than anything or anywhere he has been involved
in in the past.

At his age, experience is not an issue. He would bring his wealth of
experience to the team as a old warhorse. His experience of having
previously worked on the continent would be especially valuable as he
doesn't have to adapt fully to the demands of the job here.

The German would be Nigeria's first foreign coach in six years after
the ill fated spell of Lars Largaback who was in charge for the 2010
World Cup. Previously Clemens Westerhof (1989-1994) and Philippe
Troussier (1997) were the last foreign coaches to qualify the Super
Eagles for the 1994 World Cup in the United States and the 1998 World
Cup in France. Although, Bora Milutinovic was the coach that took
Nigeria to the tournament in France as Troussier was sacked after he
qualified the team for the tournament with a game to spare for the
bizarre reason that those in the football house were not comfortable
with his 3-5-2 system.

It was Amodu Shaibu and Stephen Keshi that qualified the team for the
2002, 2010 and 2014 World Cup respectively.

Gernot Rohr would be attempting to be the third foreign coach to
qualify Nigeria for its sixth World Cup. And this qualification should
be the toughest yet with Algeria, Cameroun and Zambia the opponents
that Nigeria would have to overcome in order to qualify for the World
Cup in Russia in two years time.

Amaju Pinnick has staked his reputation with the appointment of a
foreign coach. He has been vocal about this since Sunday Oliseh
resigned from the position. Now that he has gotten what he wants, its
left for him to create the enabling environment for the German to
perform his duties. Something he failed to do when Stephen Keshi and
Sunday Oliseh were in charge. Still date, they are still being owed
salaries and allowances the NFF never paid.

Gernot Rohr is fully aware of what it takes to work in Africa,
although Nigeria is not Burkina Faso, Gabon or Niger Rep. as the
pressure of these jobs are different.
And the organisation is better in those country than Nigeria. It is
his ability to cope that will determine whether his two year stint
will be a success.

Above, the issue of sentimentalism should be a thing of the past,
invitation should be based purely on merits. Something our local
coaches aren't particularly known for.

A Tired U23 Dream Team Pulls Off Miracle of Manaus

Score line: Nigeria 5, Japan 4

Team Line up: Emmanuel DANIEL (GK), Seth MUENFUH, Abdullahi SHEHU,
William TROOST-EKONG, Oghenekaro ETEBO,Imoh EZEKIEL, John Obi
MIKEL(C), Sadiq UMAR, Azubuike OKECHUKWU, Stanley AMUZIE, Usman
MUHAMMED

Scorers: S. Umar 6'
E. Oghenekaro 10', 42', 51', 66'
S. Koroki 9'
T. Minamino 11'
T. Asano 70'
M. Suzuki 90'+5

Nigeria's U23 football team pulled off a remarkable win over Japan in
the football event of the Rio Olympics. The result was remarkable
because of the circumstances that surrounded the team's departure from
Atlanta and arrival in Brazil.

After training and camping in Atlanta, United States for over three
weeks ahead of the tournament, the team was scheduled to leave on
Monday, but with less than 24 hours to the match, they were still in
Atlanta without an iota of certainty that they would be at the
tournament. After their initial flight was delayed, a chartered flight
was arranged, but it turned out that the plane was too small to take
all the players and officials.

Eventually it was Delta Airlines that came in at the last minute to
take the team to Manaus with less than 15 hours to the match. The team
boarded their flight at 8am Eastern Time, in the United States. They
arrived Manaus in Amazon, Brazil at about 2:15pm Eastern time, less
than seven hours to the match.

With the terrible travel arrangement that the team had to endure
arriving few hours before the match, after over six hours flight,
having to deal with jetlag and other inconveniences.

So it was no surprise that the U23 team tired visibly towards the end
of the match. S. Umar and Oghenekaro Etebo were inspiring in the
match. The former Warri Wolves O. Etebo was in its usual elements
arriving late from his midfield position to score four goals. With the
fourth goal the pick of the bunch being a 30 yard shot. He picked up
from where he stopped from the U23 African championships in Senegal
where he was the highest goal scorer when them won that tournament.

Roma's S. Umar was a menacing presence up front for Samson Siasia's
team holding up play and getting an assist with the penalty he won for
the Dream Team.

Samson Siasia's teams have always been known for entertaining
football. They would always score goals, but defensively, his teams
are always suspect. But due to the peculiar circumstances which
surrounded the team's travel arrangement, that they can be forgiven
for some of the defensive lapses that plagued the team in the last
quarter of the match as some of it was due to the tam being leggy.

The team was comfortably 5-2 up with 20 minutes left to play, but
conceded two goals to endure what was a nervy finish.

When taken into context, what the team achieved was nothing short of a
miracle. Physically and mentally the players would be drained after
arriving for the match. That they could pick up themselves to play
they way they did against a very energtic Japanese team is a huge
feat.
The Japanese had been in Brazil for a number of weeks, and they were
settled unlike the Nigerians that were in disarray before the match.

Several pundits have asserted that when a Nigerian team is not under
pressure they then to play well, and well beyond expectation. Few
expected them to even win the match due to the untidy nature of their
late arrival in Brazil, but when a draw would have been a bonus, they
got a win which was more than many bargained for.

With the other group match between Colombia and Sweden ending 2-2, the
Dream Team can secure passage to the quarter finals with a win over
Sweden when they play their second group match on Sunday.

Samson Siasia has a remarkable record and success in managing
Nigeria's youth teams. Coming runners-up with the Flying Eagles in the
2005 U20 World Cup, and winning Silver Medal for the Dream Team in the
Beijing 2008 Olympics footbal team. And at both times, his team lost
to Lionel Messi inspired Argentina.

It remains to be seen how the team goes from the high of this
remarkable win over Japan to approach other matches.

The Triumph Of The Underdog Is What Makes Football Romantic

Football brings about thrilling moments that lives long in the
subsconcious for years.

Whether its a free kick from metres out that nests in the far corner,
a spinning dribble to create space, a sixty yard pass from deep in
midfield to set up a goal or a tackle to stop an imminent goal scoring
opportunity, football reveals different kinds of moment to different
people.

A goal scored to clinch a title or to win a tournament is always like
a signature in the memory that never fades.

Many fans would always remember Diego Maradona's hand of God goal
against England in the 1986 World Cup quarter final and his
mesmerising run and dribble that took out the entire English midfield
and defence in the same match.
This is how others would also remember Emmanuel Amuneke's goal that
clinched the gold medal in the footbal events of the 1996 Olympics in
Atlanta against Argentina. His brace two years earlier against Zambia
that won Nigeria its second Afcon title in Tunisia 94 remains an
abiding memory.

Sunday Mba's goal against Burkina Faso at 2013 Afcon which gave
Nigeria her third title is even more so, because its happened just
three years ago.

Just as there are abiding memories of joy and esctacy, so also there
are moments of anguish brought about be missing a vital goal scoring
opportunity that would have made a club or country to win a tournament
or advance to the next stage of a competition.
Asamoah Gyan's penalty miss that struck the post in the quarter final
against Uruguay in the 2010 World Cup stands as an memory of
disappointment because if that ball had gone in, Ghana would have made
history as the first African semi finalist in a World Cup. As it was
the Black Stars lost the penalty shoot out that followed.

Few would forget Victor Ikpeba's hands on head after his penalty kick
struck the under side of the bar and crossed the line, but to him it
was a miss, which handed Cameroun the Afcon title in Lagos sixteen
years ago.

There are numerous moments like this that remembers football fans of
what the game is all about. Be it moments that creates joy, or moments
that brings sadness like a Sunday Oliseh crying after the defeat to
Cameroun in the Afcon finals in Lagos in 2000, and a Buffon shedding
tears after Italy lost on penalties to Germany in one of the quarter
finals of Euro 2016.

Yet, all these moments put together whether good or bad doesn't
compare to the triumph of an underdog in football. It is such unlikely
triumphs that makes football what it is. An unpredictability that is
hinged on several factors that makes it romantic. Just like a
beautiful love story that results in a marriage.

Leicester City's run to the Premier League title last season is the
sort of thing that makes football a romantic sport. A triumph that was
never in the dreams of anybody, talk less of it happening in reality.
But it did happen, and it is a sporting triumph that would be told for
generations to come just as the William Shakepeare's Romeo and Juliet.
What made Leicester City's triumph so romantic, was that it didn't
occur by chance, they were simply the best side in the Premier League.

Leaving Leicester City's triumph, the exploits of Iceland and Wales at
the European Championships in France has provided a romantic scene to
a tournament that has been devoid of moments that will live long in
the memory.

Iceland's win over England was reminiscent of Leicester City's triumph
as they were the better side on the day. If a big team beats a smaller
team in a tournament, it doesn't make much of a news as it was
expected, but when a smaller team in every sphere of the word causes
an upset by beating a much more bigger team, the news reverbrates for
ages, and it becomes a tale that is told to generations which makes it
take the form of a romantic story in people's heart.

The Icelandic adventure might end or continue against France on
Sunday, but one thing is clear, the beautiful moments they have
created in football sphere will never be forgotten by the 330,000
Icelandic people. It will ring on for ages, just like the tales of the
Vikings.

The Welsh win over Belgium in the quarter finals created another
romantic sub plot to a tournament that has seen the underdogs come to
the party as the centre of attraction when many bookies and football
fans alike would have flirted with the more bigger teams.

These teams might not go on to win the tournament in France, but
looking at the story from another angle, an average football fan would
always remember what these teams did, because the triumph of the
underdogs certainly makes football romantic just like a love story.