Liverpool 3-1 Aston Villa
With Manchester United losing 3-0 to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and allowing them to get their second consecutive Premiership title, Liverpool still had the chance to fight for second place, but first they had to beat an Aston Villa side who needed at least one point to be absolutely safe from relegation, if other results around England didn't go their way.
Rafa called back a significant number of first team players after resting most of them earlier this week against West Ham United, probably to ensure that they would not lose their match-fitness. A win for Liverpool would put them level on points with Manchester United for second place, although the Red Devils would have a game in hand.
Today's game marked the return of Milan Baros to Anfield for the first time. Would he score against his former club?
Liverpool dominated the game from the kick-off and it took just 4 minutes for them to go ahead. A fabulous through-ball from Xabi Alonso found Fernando Morientes at the edge of the box and he took one touch to control it, another to take it past Olof Mellberg and the last to finish it beautifully into the bottom corner past Thomas Sorenson.
This is the type of class we have been expecting from Morientes and should he continue to reproduce this type of form, he'll definitely be a favourite at Liverpool for years to come.
Liverpool looked good attacking down the right where Cisse was always a threat with his speed and crossing. Aston Villa soon warmed to their game though, and Alonso and Gerrard could not utilise the pace of Cisse too often. Liverpool could not find the second goal, and they decided to sit back and defend. A mistake, as they let Aston Villa back into the game, and Milner had the opportunity to cross into the Liverpool box which only had two Liverpool defenders but three Aston Villa men. Luckily for Liverpool Gareth Barry could only head Milner's great cross into the ground and see it bounce over the bar.
Milan Baros' return was cut short when he was subsituted at half-time for Juan Pablo Angel as Aston Villa looked to try a different dimension of attack. The substitution nearly paid off straightaway as Angel charged down Reina's clearance, bouncing the ball goalwards before seeing it cleared. Reina looked shaky and nervous at times, perhaps the mid-week rest wasn't too good for him.
Liverpool responded to that minor scare and nearly doubled their lead when Cisse's persistence and pace took him to the byline where he fashioned a great cross for Crouch, who could only hit it wide 6 yards from the goal. Morientes then came close as his deflected volley was pushed away by Sorenson.
Aston Villa never gave up though, and Gareth Barry put them level in the 58th minute as everybody missed Hughes' cross except him, and he had a simple finish to make it 1-1.
Liverpool were woken up roughly after that goal, and under the leadership of Steven Gerrard, took the lead again just two minutes after the restart. Alonso took a low corner from the right which saw Gerrard, making a great diagonal run, half-volley it at the near post. Sorenson had no chance as his shot was too hot to handle.
Liverpool took the game to Aston Villa and just five minutes after his first goal, Gerrard hit an absolute cracker into the top corner of the net from 25 yards out. 3-1 to Liverpool and we were rocking.
Aston Villa looked lost after those few minutes and Liverpool tried to push for Gerrard's hat-trick. However it wasn't to be as Aston Villa finally galvanised themselves and nearly pulled it back to 3-2, but Reina made a great save to deny them.
Liverpool have pulled Manchester United back to level points, but it still remains to be seen if Ferguson's men will drop points in their last two matches. Our fingers are crossed.
Liverpool team ratings:
Jose Reina - 7
Looked a little clumsy at times, was not very reassuring. Made a great save towards the end though and that saved his rating.
Jan Kromkamp - 8
Was great in defence and attack, more potent an attacker than Riise was down the left flank. Looks to be a reliable replacement for Finnan.
Djimi Traore - 7
An average performance for Traore, did not do much supporting Riise down the left, but did well defensively.
Jamie Carragher - 9
Was very solid in defence, denied Aston Villa many chances at goal with his superb defensive abilities and tackling.
Sami Hyypia - 7
Paled in comparison to Carragher. Hyypia looked great in the first half, but faltered and made a few mistakes in the second half.
Djibril Cisse - 8
Was always a threat down the right and also down the left occasionally. His crossing is good and there was a moment when he outran two Villa defenders from way behind them to get to the ball. His is getting more persistent and can only be good for Liverpool.
John Arne Riise - 7
Did not look very effective in the left of midfield, relied on his left foot a little too often. Doesn't perform as well as he normally does when he's on the left of defence.
Steven Gerrard - 10
A fantastic two goals from the captain as he produced a man-of-the-match performance.
Xabi Alonso - 8
Protected his defence superbly and produced many threatening long balls from the centre of the park to the flanks.
Peter Crouch - 7
Did not make much impact on the game. Crouch needs to work on his heading and his shooting strength more.
Fernando Morientes - 8
Produced a performance that was worthy of his days at Real Madrid. Excellent finish to give Liverpool the lead.
Substitutes:
Robbie Fowler - 7
The man who scored 14 goals in 15 games against Aston Villa came close but put his effort just wide.
Mohamed Sissoko - 7
Came on and protected the defence well alongside Alonso.
Stephen Warnock - 7
Looked a greater threat down the left compared to Riise. Full of running and energy.
Final score: Liverpool 3-1 Aston Villa
Archangel's Man Of The Match: Steven Gerrard
"You'll Never Walk Alone"
Archangel
Archangel left silently at ... 11:16 am
straeh modgnik
Hoho, im just before the final boss of kingdom hearts. Organization 13 (nobodies) have proven to be a far greater challenge than heartless. In fact, the minion berserker are so scary, i will run from them 90% of the time if they come as a crowd (3). Their claymores are impenetratable, the reaction command appears once in a blue moon, they have huge hp, the reaction isn't helpful in a crowded* situation, THERE IS NO ESCAPE FROM THE MERCILESS POUNDING OF THE DAMN CLAYMORE IF YOU HAPPEN TO GET HIT BY IT EVEN IF IT IS JUST ONCE.... *shudders* The other difficult ones include dermyx for his irritating water puppets, xaldin for his ultra long lances and cool moves, and well, many more.
Haha, now i know where the world 'space paranoid' came from--- the disney production called Tron. 1980's. Kept losing in one of the mini quest. It was to get across on a solar sail. Heartless will keep appearing and after the total weight acting on it reach a limit, the player loses. Because the BIG, FAT, PURPLE GIANTS WITH ULTRA FAT HP AND MASS LIKE TO APPEAR, i had one hell of a time trying to kill them before they sink the sail. The one way i figured out was to spam goofy's limit and drive into master form to spam lightning. Haha, interestingly, on the successful attempt, I DROVE INTO ANTI SORA FORM, which usually garuntee a loss. Thank god only one giant remained on the sail, so it wasn't weighing down the sail too much, and i had loads of fun just spamming the x button to see the cool moves of antisora.
The story isn't the best around, but not bad, i must say. Haha, the love affair between kairi and sora is so predictable, but kinda touching. Just a really close hug. But the most touching moment (for me at least) so far is the part where Sora realise that Ansem (heartless) is actually Riku. Riku had sacrificed himself to the forces of drakness so that he can use the power to save sora and the world. He took on the form of Ansem and all this while, the only feeling sora had towards Ansem was hatred. I feel for you kid. I do, considering my right eye got slightly wet at that scene of reunion. But well, its just slightly :p
Well, considering i could advance so quickly on proud mode, I MUST BE PRO!! HAha, ego speaking! Fun Fun Fun
Macad_rage left silently at ... 10:35 pm
Science Made Stupid
Visit this site, and I can guarantee you you'll laugh like crazy.
http://www.besse.at/sms/smsintro.html
Haha... Thanks Liangze for the link!
"You'll Never Walk Alone"
Archangel
Archangel left silently at ... 10:59 pm
D--O--A--E
Written on the m.r.t. Bored, nthg to do, so i might as well write sthg now.
Morning, was thermometer check. And i forgot to bring.. Goodness.. Oh well :p
I thought, and was confident of conquering the pull up barrier. I am already seeing bulging muscles which was never visible. Is it to say its not enough? Im so frustrated... Im already strong enough, compared to many others. Why does ns need arm strength? To lift themselves up right? I can jump soo damn high... Crap, those are just excuses afterall. Must really work out liao, gdi...
Maths lesson and gp was a chance for chem s! Which is also why i am most confident for chem s today! I could do almost all! It was about grasping the concept of the mechanisms, which i did!! But too bad, its electrochem next. Well, i still regret not taking maths s... Sigh
Confucius says, write about me and my works, or suffer my wrath. Or miss lim's wrath. Gdi again. I don't feel like doing it, but i have to. It is interesting and povokes many thoughts, but i have so little time. Especially since i have cip today.
Anw, it is ending soon! Which means tuesday can be used to mug!! By the time i finished, i had burst a few blood vessels. How to convince my mentee to help himself? Can i not be a mentor? And i feel really lousy cuz even though the things i thought him was true, the words were too advanced for primary school, so he was marked wrong... Man... And i had best in science in primary school....
Photog meeting after chem s was boring... Sz said lots of really stupid stuff and i burst more vessels, but i survived. Talked abt handover and party and stuff. Whats cool? I no longer feel like an actor during such meetings. I suppose thts cause i know a few people slightly better. And im so thankful :)
Like i mentioned, i was bo liao. And so i msged someone* for no apparent reason. Got daoed..... Pfft, i must choose who to msg such stuff to wisely next time. Feeling so foolish. In fact, whatever i did... nvm
It all ends with me watching dicovery channel on how a building collapsed. Kinda made me realise that a small mistake is enough to escalate into big ones. And how human lifes are so precious. To the person who foolishly gave up his life just cuz he is not blessed there, im so so sorry.... Realised, there are a couple of eye candies in judo. Why did i quit judo for band in sec1 again? Short sightedness...
Final phrase, to the girl im fond of
"If only..."
Macad_rage left silently at ... 12:00 am
I Do My Own Reviews
Just to clear a dispute... Some of you are sorely mistaken that I copy and paste my match reviews from somewhere else. Let me assure you that I write every match review from scratch after watching the broadcast of the match, the ratings I give are purely my own, and the Man of The Match is awarded by me. There is no plagarism or copying involved whatsoever. Thank you.
"You'll Never Walk Alone"
Archangel
Archangel left silently at ... 6:22 pm
Predictable
You're so predictable
I knew something would go wrong
So you don't have to call
Or say anything at all
So predictable
You're so predictable
I knew something would go wrong
So you don't have to call
Or say anything at all
So predictable
Archangel left silently at ... 1:16 am
We're Off To Cardiff For The FA Cup Final In May!!!
Chelsea 1-2 Liverpool
Starting as the underdogs in this match, Liverpool took a 2-0 lead before holding on to their one-goal advantage to win this vital match 2-1 and book their place in the FA Cup Final in the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff. Goals from John Arne Riise and Luis Garcia silenced the Chelsea crowd and left Jose Mourinho stunned as Liverpool took the game to Chelsea and dominated the soon-to-be-crowned Premier League Champions for over 60 minutes.
Liverpool, fielding a full-strength side, started the match very brightly against Chelsea, with Kewell flashing a cross across the face of Chelsea's goal just after 5 minutes. Chelsea, fielding an interesting choice of midfield (leaving their prominent wingers Damien Duff, Joe Cole and Arjen Robben on the bench), rarely threatened Liverpool as Liverpool looked to control the early stages of the match.
Kewell and Riise were owning the left-hand side of Liverpool's midfield, with Kewell's brilliant play and Riise's bulldozing runs leaving Paulo Ferreira and Njitap Geremi for dead. Liverpool's first real chance came from the left-hand side, incidentally, as Alonso curled a shot that Cudicini could only parry.
Drogba then had a fabulous chance to put Chelsea ahead when he was put through one-on-one, although he looked offside. He put his shot quite wide of the post. Liverpool then responded with their first goal in the 21st minute.
A dangerous challenge by John Terry on Luis Garcia led to a free-kick on the edge of the Chelsea box. Riise took a touch to Gerrard, who rolled it back to Riise, who then curled a shot through the wall into the back of the net. It was a rather lucky goal acutally as the ball slipped through a gap that formed between Lampard and Ferreira in the Chelsea wall. Cudicini saw it and immediately complained to the two of them for their cowardice in defending the free-kick. Full credit to Riise though, his shot was well placed.
Liverpool nearly doubled their lead in the 25th minute as Kewell, from the right-hand side, dribbled past two players before shooting just wide of the near post. John Terry nearly gave a goal away in the 36th minute when he headed tamely back to Cudicini, giving Crouch a glorious chance, but he collided into the desperate Cudicini as he chased the ball.
As the first half came to a close, Liverpool showed their defensive prowess as they restricted Chelsea to shots from outside the area. Chelsea needed more creativity if they were to get past Liverpool's defence, and Mourinho injected that creativity into his team, replacing Asier Del Horno with Arjen Robben for the second half.
Chelsea pushed for an equaliser and from Robben's corner Terry thought he had got it with a header at the far post in the 50th minute. However he had climbed all over Riise to get to the ball and it was a definite foul. Liverpool were not daunted by this though, and struck again in the 53rd minute was Luis Garcia was put through by a poor defensive header. He took the ball in his stride, let it bounce, looked up and placed a half volley beautifully into the far corner. Cudicini didn't even make an effort to save it, so good was the shot.
Mourinho put in two more wingers as Damien Duff and Joe Cole came on for Geremi and Hernan Crespo. Chelsea started to dominate the match after that as Liverpool looked comfortable to sit back and defend. It was a mistake, however, as a poor headed clearance from Riise looped through the air to Drogba, who headed it beyond Reina into the back of the net. 2-1 and Chelsea had hope.
Chelsea dominated the match from then on, and Liverpool looked tired as Gerrard and Sissoko picked up minor injuries. However, Liverpool still managed to hang on for the win as Joe Cole shot over the bar with his glorious chance to make it 2-2 in the 90th minute.
Liverpool have beaten Manchester United and Chelsea en route to the Final and are definitely strong favourites to lift the cup this season. Now it remains to be seen who they will face in Cardiff. Let's go Reds!
Liverpool team ratings:
Jose Reina - 8
Was not really troubled in the first half. But when he was called upon (a lot in the second half), he did the job well. The Chelsea goal was not of his fault, Drogba got lucky.
Steve Finnan - 8
Assured performance at right-back. As usual, did his job very well.
John Arne Riise - 8
Excellent attacking on the left-hand side, great defending at the back. Scored the first goal as well. However, made a wrong decision when he decided to head the ball clear instead of controlling it, leading to the Chelsea goal.
Jamie Carragher - 8
Very solid performance from Carragher. Hardly gave Chelsea room to manouveur in the Liverpool box and was even there to challenge Drogba for the header for Chelsea's goal.
Sami Hyypia - 8
Solid performance from Hyypia as well as he was a towering presence dealing with corners, free-kicks and crosses. Made a few vital blocks as well.
Steven Gerrard - 7
Made all the early running in the first half as he dominated Frank Lampard, but was hampered in the second half by a minor injury to his knee.
Harry Kewell - 9
As I said before, Liverpool don't look as good as an attacking side without Kewell in the team. Magnificent play on both flanks and was involved in almost every Liverpool dangerous attack. Deserved a goal to cap off a great performance.
Mohamed Sissoko - 7
Chased every ball down, was a great physical presence in midfield. Some of his touches were poor though, but he's still young. Great potential.
Xabi Alonso - 8
Protected his defence superbly and is really settling into his holding role. His passing was superb as usual.
Luis Garcia - 8
Excellent finish for the goal. You need to see it to believe it.
Peter Crouch - 7
Did well in holding up the ball for Liverpool in attack, but did not threaten Carlo Cudicini much.
Substitutes:
Djibril Cisse - 6
Was put on to chase balls the Chelsea defense would pass around, but he didn't do his job very well. Went offside a few times as well when Liverpool needed to keep possession.
Djimi Traore - 6
Was a defensive option and he did his job quite okay.
Fernando Morientes - 7
Was tremendous for Liverpool when they needed to keep the ball as Chelsea pushed for the equaliser. Great possession by Morientes as he frustrated Chelsea with his persistence up front and then his possession-keeping late in the game.
Final Score: Chelsea 1-2 Liverpool
Archangel's Man Of The Match: Harry Kewell
"You'll Never Walk Alone"
Archangel
Archangel left silently at ... 2:32 am
Radius, circumference, distance
Nthg much has happened so far. The most interesting stuff? Kingdom hearts and prize for SSEF bronze ($150). SSef was fun in a way. Met all the vj friends i made during the fair. Very fun pple, thought i ps one of them who was in Kh was cool considering i read alot about the speculations for KH3 which will probably come out 4-5 years later and emphasise on the destructive capabilities of a key blade. Thus my MSN nick.
"The Keyblade is said to hold phenominal power. One legend says it's weilder saved the world while another says that he wrought chaos upon it. I must know what this keyblade is. A key which opens doors..."
On a slightly sad note, i haven't been talking to anyone the past 2 days. No one msg me, i msg no one, save for hy. Go hy!! What im stressing is that i ain't talking to her either. Which kinda sux abit, especially when we used to talk very often. This probably means we are probably just friends. I mean, even when i saw her pop online moments ago, we didn't talk. Ahhh. When i decided to talk, she disappeared! Talk about luck.
At least, i don't feel any sense of loss when i do not see her or hear from her yet. Which means im not madly in love yet. Which is a very very good sign. As much as i can say that i really like her, it has not reach a point of love. And well, i will just have to keep it as that.
Macad_rage left silently at ... 9:18 pm
Just Close Your Eyes
Archangel left silently at ... 10:21 am
Practicality of Love - None
Sometimes i think that jc is simply not the time for such things -what with a levels, ns and what not..it simply isnt practical..more likely than not the relationship will not last. Yet who is to say that love is practical? You give your all and risk getting nothing in return..is that practical? You spend sleepless nights wandering and wondering..all for the sake of a single person who probably doesnt even know how you feel..is that practical? there is no practicality in love..no more than there is in all the good things in life - talking crap with friends, watching movies that are forgotten with time, eating prata with friends in the middle of the night, playing sports that you are no good at all for good plain fun; and the list is endless. love is more about giving than receiving, and anyone will tell you that such a notion is simply impractical. love is impractical, so don't bother your head over it. Sometimes, let the heart, and not the head decide.
So i say, why not? you live but once, and you'll regret the things you did not do much more than the things you did. Not that you go all out to look for love, but if you are lucky enough to be found by love, why not hang on to it?
"The course of true love never did run smooth."
- A Midsummer Night's Dream
Anonymous left silently at ... 7:01 pm
Etriprob
Oh dear, etrio, troubled by the same thing. All with the same encounters. What can i say, we are the trio after all. It is just amazing what our hormones can do to us so subtley. It is always a decision of following the heart or following the mind. Striking a balance, that is the most important thing, i must say.
Take a stand, stand by it, and never look back, and have no regrets. That way, you can never go wrong. Never, let me stress that again, never. Well, if you wonder why i was curious about it for a while, i think i guessed it, and well, its true. The line between a friend and someone more is so thin, so small...
Sigh, the power of love is so great, it is becoming a caffeine, keeping me awake on nights when i should be too shagged to even open my eyes. Instead of being dead tired in the morning, my mind is very clear. Thts the power. Yet it is not because im receiving it. Rather, it is placed just out of reach. To yearn for it so so so much, only to realise the impossible, is so painful. And that pain is now haunting me.
Haunt me, you will. Succumb, i will not. I am trying and trying to be a just a friend. And i must say, after guitar where my feelings were taken to the extreme, i could deal with whatever that is thrown at me much more easily. After being overwhelmed by the immense feeling of love, loss and pain, a resistance has developed. The ability to resist love. I don't know how long it will last, but if it is not going to be mutual, then i hope the wall never breaks. At least, the pain will not strike twice.
On a more happy note, I MADE IT TO THE DSO AND DSTA SCIENCE SYMPOSIUM! which means a chance to win $1000. Well, wish me the best of luck.
Macad_rage left silently at ... 10:21 pm
Sunburnt
If only I had stayed back in school till 6 today... Sigh. Ah well... Guess you can't always get what you wish for. Haha.
I'm sunburnt! Haha... Result of swimming 50 laps for 1.5 hours... I'm radiating heat all over... Hahaha... Ouch. Good news is that I think my wrist's getting better... Can begin doing my chin-ups again. I think I've dropped again from 8 to 6... Bleah.
Yes I've managed to find most of the WWE Superstar Entry music I wanted! Wow the songs rock man... Though I've not heard most of the bands before... Haha... Nice songs, but probably only if you're into rock as much as I am...
Tomorrow's physics SPA Skill A... So sian... Have to go mug later... Haha.
"You'll Never Walk Alone"
Archangel
Archangel left silently at ... 7:16 pm
Not Again
It's happening again.
Everything, happening, all over again. I swore I would not get myself trapped again. But I can feel it calling to me...
It's happening again.
These past few days, since you told me about your internal conflict and the tragedy which befell you after, the tough decision you had to make, to sacrifice a part of you; To this day I am still not sure why you chose me to pour your confessions to.
It's happening again.
I've been deluding myself since then, not sure of where I'm going, where I'm heading towards... I've tried not to be foolhardy, I've told myself not to try so hard. I swore I would not get myself trapped again. But I can feel it calling to me...
It's a terrible feeling. I do not know where to go now. I can only wait and see what happens.
I can only pray that what I hope for will happen, but I know it may and will not.
It's happening again. Should I let it take it's course? Or pull out and save myself from further damage?
I do not know. I do not know.
"You'll Never Walk Alone"
Archangel
Archangel left silently at ... 9:17 pm
Taking a small step back
http://macadish.blogspot.com/2006/04/taking-small-step-back.html
The stikfas model is damn fun. Like it!!
Macad_rage left silently at ... 12:36 am
why won't the past just die?
it has been such a long time since it ended..yet why are we still so strained when we happen to meet each other? why wont the ghost of the past just die and let things return to what they were? i guess that's too much to ask.. yet how i wish it could be so. there was a time when i really cared for her; when we were more than friends..that time is past i guess. if only this awkwardness would pass too..
love makes fools of us all.
arghh the search for love, so elusive and yet so alluring, with such potential to hurt or heal..it seems hard to believe it now..but i was happy then. guess it couldn't have lasted, no matter what..but the fool is always hopeful, and filled with foolish hopes.
love makes fools of us all.
Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind;
and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.
-"A Midsummer Night's Dream"
a lovely quote isn't it?
sj
Anonymous left silently at ... 9:28 pm
Parallels
I just realised today what uncanny parallels there are between Liverpool's Champions League campaign last season and Arsenal's this season... Here are a few I've noticed...
1) At this time last season, Liverpool's derby rivals, Everton, were in the fourth position of the Premier League and Liverpool were just behind in fifth position. This season, Arsenal's derby rivals, Tottenham Hotspur, are in the fourth position of the Premier League and Arsenal are just behind in fifth position.
2) Both teams beat Juventus in the quarter-finals of the competition to reach the semi-finals. Both of them drew with Juventus at their home stadium, Stadio delle Alpi, 0-0!
3) There was speculation last season that Steven Gerrard would leave Liverpool if they did not achieve success in Europe. There is speculation this season that Thierry Henry will leave Arsenal if they do not achieve success in Europe. Both are team captains of their respective clubs. Both of them are/were linked to Real Madrid.
Freaky? Maybe. The most freaky thing will be if Arsenal make it to the final and face AC Milan... Milan score 3 goals before half time and... well you know how the story goes from there... Haha. Who wants to bet on Arsenal winning the Champions League this season? The omens are in their favour.
Well... I'm going to rest a bit (just got back and had dinner) before running... Sigh. Painful painful legs.
"You'll Never Walk Alone"
Archangel
Archangel left silently at ... 9:10 pm
Larky
Ok. I completed reading NMR. AND UNDERSTOOD ALMOST EVERYTHING. This is the coolest thing that has happened to me this month. Really. I am so happy, im bloggin instead of sleeping. It am giving up on the rest of organic chem for now. So boring, all memorization work, especially the reactions and conditions. Yawnz....
Anyway, guess what. my cousin from overseas initiated convo and we started talking about games. Lotr, wc3, dota, KH2, vrooom..... Apparently, he bought KH2 and have it mailed to sg to his bro. Which means, if i burn, I CAN PLAY KH2! That is my little heart jumping 2 days in a row. But talking to him is kinda weird (He knows not what is mug). I have to reduce my singlish to virtually zero, lest he complains to my aunt, and aunt to my mum. And well, you know.....
Still, im a happy lark once again.
*This is the life.
Its a beautiful life.*
Kairi! Mmmmm
Macad_rage left silently at ... 12:28 am
Sacrifice
Incredible. Talked to this friend for so long... Shes so cool. Can talk about anything, everything. Though i think, after talking abit about the heavy topics, i lost my drive to go back to talking stupid lingoish. Still, i think i made a really cool friend. Not everyone will talk about their life with a person they know for lets say, 1, 2 months and chatted with like 4, 5 times. It is still too early to say if she will be a close friend (yeah, i mean close, nthg to do with bgr), considering i don't know how i will fare when talking to her one on one. Cause I can talk the whole day, non-stop with really close friends. Well, the only bad thing that happened, I sacrificed the time i planned for my chem to talk to her.... Gosh... Need to mug... Don't read this cause it is some msg of hate. Should be in another post, but in case i forget*Wah, i am starting to dislike someone in class. I will definitely not show it, but i don't think i will want to have anything to do with him after this year. Who does he think he is. Gives that stupid look like he is serious when he knows best that he is not. Think that whatever others say is a suan or sthg. So what if somebody has a poorer command of english? Does it mean you have the right to poke that guy abt it? All the time? Laugh at it, and get over it. Don't act like im insulting your intelligence, as much as i think you have little of it now... * And the special girl? Well, maybe, i'll just stay at the circumference that define friends. And wait. Maybe, like what a friend say, the feeling will die. Which is good. In a way. I hope.
Well, i think it is an accomplishment, considering i definitely need more female friends. Well, i guess its a worthy sacrifice of part of my personality which i lost along the way. My social circle, i command you to widen. Complain, you will not, for im in total control. Muahahah
Still, i need friends whom i can just sit with, and don't talk at all. Its like silent communication. I have one friend whom I could do that in the past. Think i have changed quite a lot, cuz i am no longer the silent guy like lst time. Sacrifice...
Yawnz
"you will always be inside my heart
you will always have your own place
I hope that I have a place in your heart too
now and forever, you are still the one
it's still a sad song
until I can sing a new song"
Macad_rage left silently at ... 11:53 pm
Happy Birthday Rafael Benitez!!!
Liverpool 1-0 Blackburn Rovers
Last Sunday it was Robbie Fowler's 31st birthday. Today it's Rafa Benitez's 46th. Robbie Fowler, who gave himself a birthday gift last week with a goal, decided to give Rafa one as well today! And we all say: Give Fowler a contract!!! I say he's done enough since coming here on his six-month contract to deserve a longer deal.
The match was mainly about Blackburn's attack against Liverpool's defence as both sides decided to play pinball instead of football. Neither could string proper passes together in the first half as the midfield was packed as players fought tooth and nail for every ball. As a result, both teams had few moments in attack and little incident in defense in the first half as each struggled to get control of the game.
Cisse had everything that could happen to him in this match... except a goal and cards. The first controversial incident came in the 11th minute when Cisse attempted to dribble past Robbie Savage at the throw-in line on the right. Savage slid in for the ball, didn't get it, but didn't touch Cisse either. Yet Cisse went falling down like a sack of potatoes. Result: Yellow card for Savage. I do not condone diving, even if it's by your own players. There's more to come from Cisse, Mr Controversial for this match.
The next incident of note came in the 23rd minute, when the ball was played to Fernando Morientes in the box, where he executed a deft flick over the head of Ryan Nelson before doing a smart turn to get the ball. Nelson had other ideas, though. With both arms wrapped around Morientes' torso, he attempted to perform a front suplex (or belly-to-belly suplex) that Kurt Angle would be proud of (from a footballer). Result: No penalty! Myopic linesman and blind referee results in poor decision-making... The linesman, later in the game, ruled Liverpool offside twice when they clearly were not.
Even Liverpool's solitary goal was a controversial one. From a throw in from Riise, Fowler chested the ball, seemingly to Mr Controversial. Cisse, who was offside, looked like he wanted to play the ball as he raised his leg. Fortunately, he had the presence of mind to not touch the ball and hence not interfere with play, raising his hands to claim that he was not interfering. The ball then fell to Morientes, who was NOT offside, and he took one touch into the box, before cutting it back to Fowler who made no mistake as he slotted it past the keeper.
Was it a goal or wasn't it? The very fact that Cisse raised his leg to try to play the ball showed that he was in fact interfering with play, but the very fact that he chose not to touch the ball and claim he was not interfering shows that he was not. What a 50-50 decision by Cisse. For me, I think it was a good decision and good play from him to not touch the ball at all, but it would have been better if he had not raised his leg.
Naturally several Blackburn players surrounded the referee and complained that the goal should not have stood, but he would have none of it and pointed to the centre circle. 1-0.
Cisse was involved again at the stroke of half time as he had a wonderful opportunity one-on-one with the keeper. Alonso played a magnificent ball over the top for him and he raced clear of the despairing defenders who were claiming offside. He glanced up to pick his spot and took a shot... and saw it saved by Brad Friedel. Brilliant save, although Cisse should have done better. The ball was punched upwards by Friedel and it landed on the crossbar before going out.
Blackburn took control of the game in the second half as Liverpool looked content to sit back and soak up the pressure. This was where Carragher and Hyypia looked their best as they cut out Blackburn's lobs, crosses and attempted shots. Blackburn huffed and puffed, mostly on the counterattack, but could not break the defensive fortress of Carragher and Hyypia, and when they did manage to land a shot or a cross, Reina was there to gather. Excellent defensive display from the centre-backs and most notably, the goalkeeper.
Liverpool nearly got another goal as substitute Kewell's cross found Morientes who flashed a header just wide. Cisse got another marvellous chance as he was put through one-on-one again, but he chose to try and shoot through Friedel's legs and failed. All was not lost though as the ball bounced free and Cisse pounced on it again, knocking his shot towards goal... and see it hit the post and go out. Poor finishing.
Liverpool held out for the win though and the three points confirmed a top-four finish for them and Champions League football next season... Unless Arsenal win the Champions League of course, but that's a different story altogether. Reina set a new record, conceding only 29 goals in his first 50 appearances for Liverpool, beating Ray Clemence's previous record of 32.
Liverpool team ratings:
Jose Reina - 9
A very assured performance from Reina. Was commanding when he came for crosses and free kicks, grabbing and punching the ball well. Had little to do originally but when called upon, was very reliable.
Steve Finnan - 7
Another comfortable performance from Finnan. Didn't make headlines, but he did his job well.
Stephen Warnock - 6
Looked a little unsure at times and tried to play long passes which were not very good and either missed their target or were cut out. Was taken off the pitch due to injury to his thigh muscle.
Jamie Carragher - 8
Was captain for the day as Steven Gerrard was rested. Looked a rock in defence and never made a mistake.
Sami Hyypia - 9
The towering centre-half was there for virtually every cross and lob, excellent heading and defending.
Djibril Cisse - 6
Had a better game for Liverpool today but spurned three great opportunities. A player of his calibre should be putting those away easily. Dived as well which was not becoming of a Liverpool player. Was quite smart however when it came to the controversial goal... I bet most strikers would have touched the ball instead.
John Arne Riise - 7
Didn't cause much trouble in attack when he was employed on the left of midfield. His throw led to the goal though. Was much better in defence when Warnock was taken off for Kewell.
Xabi Alonso - 7
Played a different game as it was one of containment. Didn't shine as much as he did against Everton.
Mohamed Sissoko - 8
Looked a brilliant player as he chased every loose ball and tackled players very well. Needs to work a bit on his anticipation though, he misses or miskicks airballs sometimes.
Robbie Fowler - 8
Was a class act up front as his experience showed when he played the ball with great vision for his teammates. Virtually created the goal on his own when he chested the ball to Morientes.
Fernando Morientes - 6
Does not look the player he once was. There was a chance when he flashed his header wide, when the old Morientes would have thumped it into the back of the net. Needs to do some serious re-assessment of his striking abilities.
Substitutes:
Luis Garcia - 7
Was an attacking option for Liverpool and played well first on the right, then just behind Cisse. Nearly got a goal as well, and hit a volley over the bar.
Harry Kewell - 7
Liverpool look much better in attack with Kewell on board, and his crosses from the left were deadly.
Jan Kromkamp - 6
Didn't have much time and opportunity to impress, came on as a defensive right midfielder.
Final Score: Blackburn Rovers 0-1 Liverpool
Archangel's Man of the Match: Sami Hyypia
"You'll Never Walk Alone"
Archangel
Archangel left silently at ... 11:41 pm
You'll Never Walk Alone
To all those people who have been hurt, faced setbacks, or have been put through immense pain and suffering, here's a message to let you know, you're not alone.
Archangel left silently at ... 8:50 pm
My Legs Hurt
I'm super super bored so I'm blogging for the second day in a row... Hahaha... Hey Jon, relax, no one likes to go to a party where they have no idea who everyone else is, but it's your friend from a long time ago, right? Must show him some face... hahaha... Sincerely hope you have fun tomorrow :)
I STILL dunno how to do my Mathematics S Paper homework... Haha... Maybe it's cos I haven't touched it since attempting it last night :P
Wow my fitness programme is starting to show progress... Today playing soccer I hardly got tired... Breathing and stamina-wise. My legs hurt like hell though, I guess from the daily running/swimming... Hahaha... Had so many long shots today, only one went in hahaz... Spasticated.
I went to school today to play soccer... No chorale prac for the non tourgoers... Haha... I actually wanted to stay behind to watch the tour group get tortured by our conductor but he failed to show up for some reason... :( haha sadistic old me... But I stayed behind to watch them prac though... I wish I was doing "Verbum"! It's SUCH a beautiful song... Sigh... Ah well, studies come first and no matter how much our conductor persuades me, I'm not going for the tour :P:P:P
Tuba wouldn't let me watch his station at fencing camp! So unfair... He stole ideas from our RI Choir camp of two years ago la! Then don't let me watch some more... Stupid tuba. Hahaha... I bet the fencers having a lot of fun in school now...
Yup yup... Besides the rhythmic gym having a performance tonight in school nothing much else to say... Didn't wanna watch that anyway... Not interested.
Man U drew with Sunderland 0-0!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!!! That means the title is effectively Chelsea's, unless Bolton can draw with them or beat them tonight... Actually the match is on now. And according to soccernet, Chelsea are winning 1-0. SIGH...
Ah well. The only thing to look forward to Liverpool's season is a possible FA Cup. But first they must beat Cheatsea, sorry, Chelsea, in the semi-final.
Does anyone know where I can get a large database collection of WWE Superstar Entry Theme Music? Some of the music themes are really good. Haha... If got post on the chatterbox k... Thanks :P
Ok gonna go watch "Drake & Josh" soon... That show always cracks me up. Yeah!
"You'll Never Walk Alone"
Archangel
Archangel left silently at ... 8:34 pm
Never to be forgotten, for now
Coming sunday, a day i will probably not forget. It is basically the day where i will celebrate the bdae of a close friend. 3 other people will be going---------- someone ok, someone i like and someone i don't like. Complicated? Not yet. At least i hope not. Half of the convo involving me will probably be staged and scripted, which is not something i will like especially on a fun occasion of someone's bdae. I mean, i can never express my displeasure, no matter how i hate him/her. I will just stay away, and when i do talk, it will be very forced on my part. But it will show very tell little about my displeasure. What to do...
This has forced me to make a comparison. To go out with you guys, it is always carefree, plain excitement, no hidden words nor feelings. Fun, no doubt, and extremely enjoyable. However, on sunday, it going to be a party where you know only the host, half of the people attending the party, and no one else. OK, its not that bad, but really, i would prefer a party where i know everyone and everyone knows me. Sadly, life don't always follow my preference. It is his party, and is is his friends that matter, not mine.
Then there is this minor problem. For the girl who is going, she will be the only one girl there. Asked her to get someone else, but she said its ok. Well, if she doesn't mind, why should I?
Okok, the bright side. I haven't seen him for quite some time liao. So im really really looking forward to it! It would be best if it was just the two of us, maybe another friend, because thats when i can talk best. Maybe after the party. So much to talk about.
Speaking of 'long time no see', K.H.B!!!! Argh, why are you so busy? How long has it been? One year? As much as i know you won't read this, please, take a break. we need to catch up!
Okok, have a goood day!!
Macad_rage left silently at ... 2:23 pm
Where love matters
"l love you without knowing how... or when... or from where.
I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride.
I love you because I know no other way than this.
So close... that your hand on my chest is my hand.
So close that when you close your eyes... I fall asleep."
A simple word, denoted by the L, the O, the V, the E, has caused so many complications, complexities in life. I, in no way, think thts bad. It is a feeling that gives us hope in times of distress, yet ironically, it is the cause of most of our distress too. My distress... To love something is because it has given you a pleasant feeling, regardless of whether directly or indirectly. I love chocolates, cause the warm and sweet never fail to pick me up. I love science, because the thought process interest me, and also because im comforted that what i am doing would help the lives of many other people in the future. Love, as it seems, is just a simple a feeling.
Yet, in life, there are always exceptions. And in the case of love, there is no exception. (Paradox....) To love someone, it means so much more. A love from a parent comes without condition. It is a selfless act for the best of the child, and for that, we must love them back till the end of time. The love often results in sacrifices, and it may not be a pleasant feeling, especially if the undying love is not reciprocated. And that is where complexity arise. When love no longer brings with it the pleasure we seek. When all that love brings is hatred and dissent. When there is nothing worthy of our love.
To declare such a conclusion is definitely too harsh, since love has once again proved to be more than just a simple feeling of pleasure. To love someone, it is no longer for one's own happiness, but for the happiness of that special someone. Love should never be selfish, never caged. Let it soar, because true love can only be found where the soul belongs. Our heart. To imprison love would mean to lose our soul, our heart, and ultimately, our love.
So philosophical, yesh. They are subconsciously written to relieve the strees which my heart has experienced. My heart, me stress. It pains, to finally confirm what I fear*. As thankful as i am that it lasted for such a short while, it still aches. Aching not because it is over, but because of the clash between logic and heart. Aching because she deserve so so much more. Aching because she doesn't know. Behind the facade of a guy who talks about girls, he is really troubled by one. Just one, girl...
Affairs of the heart is never easy to deal with, and the best wayt to do so, is to treat it with maturity. Do not turn back, do not regret. Take a stand and do it.
Macad_rage left silently at ... 12:11 am
Professionalism
Wah at least you have a camp... Our camp NEVER materialised cos of darn admin matters with the school and the concert's too near. I was supposed to be group leader too... Haha. Not that I can work with the rest though, but the J1s are quite fun.
I got Band 1 for Project Work! ...and I dunno how to do my Math S Paper homework!!!
I can't believe that the previous post came through... there was some stupid error and it told me it could not publish, so I thought I lost the whole thing!!! Haha...
Ok let's talk about today's subject: Professionalism. Guess where I'm coming from again? I used to think that the reason that I couldn't work with the others had something to do with me. Now I know that it's the mentality of the majority of them, rather. That has to do with professionalism, or rather, the lack of it.
Do you take pride in your work? I know I do. For me, there is no greater satisfaction than a job well done. Sadly, either that does not apply to the others, or success is not their main reason for joining.
Why did I join? I had experience in that area, and I thought this would provide me a more mature and professional experience as compared to my previous groups. We-ll... It did, albeit marginally...
It comes as a simple task, listen, note it in your mind, then perform. It's easy, but it fails to materialise. Result, ultimate screwing by the conductor. You know what I hate? And you know what I think other people in the chorale like me hate? Like Adrian and Wenze? I hate it when I get scolded or blamed for something that I have not done. I hate it when I put in the effort to remember and perform something, but other people don't, and I get screwed along with the rest for "not doing" it. It's ridiculous.
Granted, I'm not the most perfect of people, I do make mistakes. But when I do, I acknowledge it, not hide behind other people and pretend nothing's wrong. So don't go around telling other people what's wrong with their singing when there's nothing wrong at all. Go check your own singing first, not as if you're a perfect singer. Jackass.
See that's my point. Why did the other people join chorale? Do they REALLY love to sing? Or do they love someone in the chorale and are joining it for them? Or do they just want to have a good time?
That's professionalism for you. Something's got to give, and I must admit I nearly gave on Wednesday. I can't work with unprofessional people. Perhaps I'll quit even before the concert comes. Wednesday was really the last straw. We'll see.
"You'll Never Walk Alone"
Archangel
Archangel left silently at ... 11:10 pm
Camp!
yay! tomorrow's fencing camp! staying over at hongyun's hse tonight..looks like there's gonna be lot's of late night dota and stuff..the only problem is tat hongyun's hse is all the way at clementi, while the camp is at 8 on sat..it seems that we will have to wake up reeeeaaaal early just to get there on time..
now for the camp itself..wahahaha..zhu and I have absolutely no idea what we are supposed to do at all..looks like we'll just have to take things as they come..i dont even know if we are supposed to be involved in the activities, or just simply watch from the side..wooohooo..fantastic group leader arent I? =)
sj
Anonymous left silently at ... 11:53 am
Happy Birthday Robbie Fowler!!!
Ok I know this is like two days late but since I was too sian on Sunday night and too sleepy yesterday... Here's wishing Robbie Fowler a great 31st birthday as he marked it with a well taken goal against Bolton Wanderers to give Liverpool a 1-0 win they didn't really deserve...
Ok the match was boring. By boring I mean REALLY boring. Liverpool rarely threatened Bolton's goal in the first half... Bolton were organized both in attack and defense and they really should have scored when Stelios was put through but Reina made a good save to deny his weak shot. That was Bolton's best chance of the first half as Hyypia and Carragher were rock-solid at the back with Riise and Finnan providing good support and cover for them down the flanks.
Cisse was terrible down the right flank. For someone so fast, he doesn't put in the effort to chase the long balls punted to him. I mean, I would be pissed too if I had nothing but long balls to chase all day but for God's sake the others are trying to use your speed so please use it! I was so happy when that jackass was substituted for Luis Garcia at half time.
I will now take a moment to talk about Crouch's aerial ability. For someone so tall, he doesn't make use of his height advantage. He wins most headers, but they're so weak they hardly threaten the goalkeeper. That's just about strength. Direction-wise, his heading is woeful. When he wins the "second balls" as Benitez likes to call them, he never heads it to an available player. He prefers to give possession back to the opponents, which in my opinion is rather retarded. He needs to work on aerial awareness and his neck muscle strength.
That said, Liverpool scored a goal RIGHT before half time, with Crouch linking up well with Fowler. Fowler got to a long ball and headed it to Crouch, who controlled it (for his woeful heading, his control of the ball with his chest and legs is pretty good) and passed it back to Fowler, who hit it through two Bolton players' legs into the bottom corner. It was totally against the run of play but it was a great birthday present for "God".
The second half was uneventful with neither side really threatening one another. Liverpool came really close as they made the early running in the second half, with Xabi Alonso hitting the post with a powerful shot. Other than that it was a good defensive display from Liverpool.
Liverpool Team Ratings:
Jose Reina - 7
An average performance for the goalkeeper. Did not have much to do but made a crucial save against Stelios early in the first half. Made a blunder when he came out to fist the ball once though.
Steve Finnan - 8
Ever reliable down the right flank, Finnan was superb both in overlapping and in defensive duties.
John Arne Riise - 8
Like Finnan, was a bomb in attack and a rock in defense.
Sami Hyypia - 7
Had a quiet game for Liverpool as Bolton did not threaten much.
Jamie Carragher - 7
Like Hyypia, had a quiet game for Liverpool at the back.
Djibril Cisse - 5
Was terrible down the right flank, slacked when he was supposed to chase long balls, and always delayed his crosses, attempting to beat his opponent first. Poor.
Harry Kewell - 7
Was quiet in the first half but really came to life in the second, threatened with many crosses and runs down both flanks. Took a shot at goal when he was put through but he really should have passed to Gerrard instead.
Steven Gerrard - 7
The captain did not do much in this game, did not influence the game as he should have. Was great in attack though as his surging runs provided Liverpool with the foundation for attack.
Xabi Alonso - 9
Great defensive display from the Spaniard and was probably the main reason why Bolton could not breach Liverpool's defense - because they could not get through to it. Nearly scored with a well taken shot but unluckily deflected off the post.
Peter Crouch - 6
Not a good game for the striker as once again his heading proves woeful and he hardly tested the Bolton keeper. Had a chance from a cross but he headed the ball directly into the keeper's legs.
Robbie Fowler - 9
On his birthday Robbie Fowler gave himself the best birthday present with a great finish into the bottom corner of the goal. Looked full of running and was Liverpool's main force in attack.
Substitutes:
Luis Garcia - 6
Pretty average game for Luis Garcia. Was potent in attack but lost the ball too much for my liking
Dietmar Hamann - 6
Was average as well as he came on to boost Xabi Alonso's fierce defense of the back four, and allowed Steven Gerrard to play further forward.
Djimi Traore - 6
Did not have much opportunity and time to impress, and was played out of position on the left wing.
Archangel's Man of The Match: Robbie Fowler
"You'll Never Walk Alone"
Archangel