8 Become 4
8 Become 4
The Week In Ball
So, let's start with a few notable things from the past week.
Arsenal signed Zinchenko in a further bid to become Manchester City B and I'll be honest, despite having few positive feelings towards him previously it actually got me excited!
I'm still confused as to whether we should be calling him Oleks or Alex or if it's interchangeable or what (the Arsenal Twitter is using Alex but I've never seen him referred to in the anglicised form anywhere else)
He kicked off his stint with the club with a 4-0 win over Chelsea as part of the US pre-season tour. Goals came from Jesus, Odegaard, Saka and Sambi Lokonga which is exciting! I was up late and saw the team sheet and I was excited! It's a very weird feeling to be optimistic rather than have a 'what will be will be' attitude to the club. Lovely stuff.
Elsewhere Barcelona won the pre-season Clasico with a goal from new boy Raphinha and City beat Bayern in torrid conditions after a solitary goal from Haaland.
Transfers this week have included Kevin Mbabu to Fulham from Wolfsburg. I've not seen much from Bournemouth, though am happy to be corrected, but it seems like Fulham and Forest are making some really astute signings in their bid to make a mark on the Premier League. Mbabu was great for Wolfsburg so let's hope he continues his form.
We've also seen Ben Mee move to Brentford which I also think is a fantastic move. He's shown himself to be an excellent captain with excellent values and I can see him really fitting in at Brentford who seem like a wholly decent outfit.
I appreciate a lot of this comes from expanding my knowledge of European leagues and therefore the players in them but it feels like it's going to be a really exciting season in the Premier League. Lots of teams seem to be making interesting, useful signings, strengthening their squads and therefore upping the levels of competition. Of course with the WC in Nov/Dec it'll be a weird one anyway but I'm super excited to see how it all pans out.
In Africa, South Africa won their first WAFCON in Morocco, beating the hosts 2-1.
They also gave full props to the wider team, I love these shots.
Also, Aliou Cisse, coach of the men's AFCON winning Senegalese side won African Coach of the Year.
Euro 2022
We did it! England did it! AND HOW!
As with the Norway game I wrote about last week, we are now very far removed from the event but the excitement still lingers.
So much of the game was spent in resignation. Where was our zip and verve? The confidence on the ball, the decision making, the passion? And when Spain scored? Worse. I felt disconsolate. My Leah Williamson t-shirt that had not long arrived sitting heavily next to me on the sofa.
And then.
BAM! Equaliser. Ella Toone!
Extra Time. Squeaky Bum Time. The Lionesses started to roar while Spain started to flag.
The again... BAM. GEORGIA STANWAY ROCKET!
Twenty four minutes to hold fast and England did it. They did it! I cried! The emotions of the match were incredible. The game was superb, a truly fantastic game of not women's football, nor like men's football but just football.
The standard continued throughout the quarter finals with Germany defeating a very competent Austria who just couldn't hold on and then Sweden beating Belgium to set up a semi-final against England.
Finally, on Saturday, it was the turn of France vs. The Netherlands. I absolutely loved this game. It was so exciting. France are simply stunning to watch. Their passing is exquisite and Delphine Cascarino is such a hardworking, non-stop baller. At one point there was a turn on the ball by Kadidiatou Diani that caused me to become an irl version of that Antonio Banderas gif.
What they couldn't do however was finish. In part this was down to too many speculative long range shots but it was mostly due to star of the game (and should have been winner of Player of the Match) Daphne van Domselaar.
Having been thrust into tournament football at a moment's notice when Sari van Veenendaal got injured in the first game van Domselaar has been the find of the championship.
I have no doubt that those following the Women's Eredivisie will know her quality but for the rest of us the emergence of a star during a tournament is always an exciting thing to witness. She's been calm, quick and alert throughout and has saved the team on more than one occasion. As I tweeted I hope she leaves the competition with her head held high and a real sense of personal accomplishment.
So now we have our semi-finalists. On Tuesday we'll see a high flying England team who have finally faced and conquered the 'test' everyone has said they needed, as if they were one of the shitty boys in Love Island face the currently underwhelming favourites Sweden. Then on Wednesday we have solid, dependable Germany against the exciting, overperforming France.
For me? I want an England France final. Of course I want England to win but I'm going to the Final and desperately want to see France live too. I'm very often a Germanophile in football but I really love this French team so they're my second team out of those remaining for sure.
Whatever happens I'm sure we'll have two exciting, nervy games and I cannot wait!
The {Offside} Thirst Trap
Not adding anyone official to the Hall of Fame until the new season begins and all the new blood is available. So until then (only one more newsletter to go!) here's a reminder of a few classics.
To start I really need to give a salute to Summertime Hector. He's been looking unbelievably beautiful lately.
Shouts also to Olivier Giroud's new do
And Ruben Días' arms
Merch Stand
There have been so many kit launches lately. So many. As you know I'm embargoing my thoughts on the Premier League (and a couple of others) until next week but I do have the freedom to talk about this utter beauty
You may or may not be aware that artist David Shrigley designed the mascot for Scottish side Partick Thistle, a mascot who regularly wins polls of the Best Mascot while simultaneously haunting dreams.
He has now been immortalised in a special edition kit which is just utterly fantastic.
Extra Time
After France's triomphe on Saturday, 6'1" Wendie Renard comforted 5'2" Danielle van de Donk. We all want to be Danielle right?
A wonderful online florist called Petalon that I occasionally use (their farm flowers are stunning), do two weekly bouquets and this week named them after the stars of England's quarter final
Alisson Becker enjoyed some banter with the lads on their pre-season in Austria.
Meanwhile Eric Dier and Jan Vertonghen had some Tour de France japes
Lacazette did not have a good time during pre-season camp, bit too My Girl for my liking...
Finally, sympathies to all who knew and loved Maria Petri. The Arsenal stalwart died at the weekend and the games won't be the same without her. Rest in Peace Maria.
That's it for this week. Hopefully next week's issue will be an error riddled hangover piece written about England winning the Euros but if not, we can be proud of our Lionesses!
Until then, have a great week!
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