1-0 to the Arsenal
Talking of football, sorry - I mean soccer - as I write this every Irish person I know is following the UEFA Champions League final - descendant of the European Cup and biggest Club game in European soccer.
Televisions all over Ireland, and scattering of a few in Kansas City, are receiving the reverence befitting Europe’s premier competition.
It’s the second half and Barcelona with the world’s greatest footballer are losing to the ten men of Arsenal 1-0. Back in the seventies Arsenal had a plethora of Irish footballers on their books including the great Liam Brady who when he left for Italy left behind thousands of broken-hearted men who had wanted to marry his left foot.
Arsenal have retained a huge Irish support since then (though not me - I just have a certain fondness for a massive misery they inflicted on another team seconds from the end of a season some years back) and although, ahem, going through a transitional phase this year in domestic competition, have somehow found themselves in the Euopean Final and are 20 minutes from sporting immortality.
Will Mr Ronaldinho co-operate?
UPDATE: Cameroon striker Eto’o has equalized for Barcelona 15 minutes from the end. Oh dear.
UPDATE 2: Barcelona are now 2-1 up with ten minutes left. Oh dearey dear.
Both Barca goals were made (you might call it an assist) by Henrik Larsson who I like to think of as Irish even if he is Swedish.
Why? Because Larsson is so much a Glasgow Celtic legend that he is the only non-Scottish footballer to be voted onto Celtic’s all-time greatest ever team. The long-tongued wonder scored 242 goals in 315 matches during his seven-year spell at the club. Quite a strike rate in the modern game.
Celtic (the Bhoys) were formed by the Irish immigrant population in Scotland, and went on to become the first British club to win this here major European competition back in 1967 - a huge date for Irish football fans.
UPDATE 3: Final Score: 2-1 to Barca.
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