Clockwork Oranje

The following is an article of mine which got published in Deccan Chronicle Bangalore dated June 10, 2010 in page 38.

Inventors of Total Football which is today the trademark style of European power houses, Barcelona and Arsenal, the land which gave rise to football’s greatest talents like Johan Cruyff, Marco Van Basten, Frank Riijkard, Ruud Gullit, Dennis Bergkamp, Ruud van Nistelrooy; the list is endless when talking about Dutch football. L’Oranjes have always been billed as ‘the chokers’ who falter at the final hurdle. For several reasons, I believe a Dutch World Cup win is due.

The Eredivisie(the Dutch domestic league) is one of Europe’s most talented leagues, though considered a ‘feeder league’ today by many. It was in the Netherlands that people like Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben, Mark van Bommel and several others started their careers and went on to achieve greatness. Unable to hold on to its talented players, the Eredivisie has lost its fame in Europe today. But the fact that the youth system of teams like Ajax is considered one of the best in the world is indisputable. A country’s football team thrives on a strong domestic league which breeds young talent. The Dutch clubs are masters at it.

In the current squad, Holland have two visionary playmakers in Rafael van der Vaart and Wesley Sneijder. Sneijder, who has been the string puller of the Inter orchestra this season, is devastating with his incisive passes and strong free kicks. Mark van Bommel and Nigel de Jong act as anchors in a strong defensive midfield. For the forwards, Bert van Marwijk has plenty of options at his disposal in the likes of Arjen Robben(who terrorized Europe this UCL), Robin van Persie, Huntelaar and Kuyt(all clinical poachers). With Robben fit, I see no reason why L’Oranjes won’t go all the way this World Cup in South Africa. The highest honour in football is long overdue for the Dutch. Billed the underdogs during every tournament, I would love to see them win and breathe new life into the world’s greatest sporting event.

L’Oranjes FTW!

Catenaccio rules!

Catenaccio or ‘the door bolt’ system of football is the best style of football. Period.

The art of catenaccio, made famous by Helenio Herrera, who was at the helm of Inter Milan in the 1960s, calls for colossal amounts of discipline and patience. The style focuses on putting out a highly organized defensive system to thwart the opponent. After several years of criticism, Catenaccio has earned its much deserved reputation in Europe, with Inter Milan beating European powerhouses Chelsea, Barcelona and Bayern Munich to win the UCL. The art has been under severe criticism by many and I don’t understand why. Many liken it to ‘anti-football’. I think this kind of criticism is baseless and comes from people who are not open minded to change.

Opposites exist everywhere in nature; matter and antimatter, light and dark, and total football and catenaccio. It’s important to appreciate this fact. I reckon that the anti-catenaccio camp thinks attack is what drives football; and attacking football is the most entertaining style. True, the kind of football played by Barcelona, Arsenal and The Netherlands is always high on entertainment. For arm-chair football fans with pop corn, watching these teams play is like watching a commercial blockbuster movie. But football is more than entertainment. Imo, it takes a lot of courage and hours of tactical thinking to sit back and defend, spurring your opponent on telling him ‘Come on hit me!’. The lofty levels of discipline and patience required to concentrate on stopping your opponent is the hardest thing in football. And in that aspect, Catenaccio wins hands down. Like Rocky Balboa says, “It’s not about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward, how much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done.”

It’s sad to see defenders like Lucio, Samuel, Zanetti, Cannavaro, Vidic and many others are not spoken about in the same breath as players like Messi, Ronaldo and Robben. What irked me the most recently was when Diego Maradona left out Cambiasso and Zanetti out of the Argentina WC squad, perhaps in fav0ur of sending out an attacking line-up, despite their pivotal contributions in Inter’s glorious campaign. Catenaccio is an acquired taste for football fans. But once you realise how hard it is, every other style looks meek.

Catenaccio forever!

Looking for the King

Eric 'The King' Cantona is arguably the greatest footballer ever, remembered the most for his efforts in reviving Manchester United's fortunes in the Premier League. During the five years he spent at Old Trafford, he helped the Red Devils win 4 Premier league titles and 2 FA Cups. Known for his explosive temperament, magnificient goals and inspirational leadership, King Eric's name is chanted by the Old Trafford faithful even today. He is, quite simply, the man who transformed English football the most by bringing a sense of authoritarism to the field, which later inspired the likes of Roy Keane and Wayne Rooney.

'Looking for Eric' directed by Ken Loach is a film that caters strictly to the Man Utd faithful. The story is about a postman Eric Bishop whose personal life is in ruins. Eric is a die hard Cantona fan and begins to have hallucinations of meeting with his idol every day. Cantona inspires him and helps him get his life organised, and the film has captured the King at his philosophical best. The best part about the film is the message it leaves behind that footballers transcend their exploits on the pitch. They are sources of inspiration to many, affecting the fans' lives in unimaginable ways. For those who breathe and live for the greatest sport on earth, footballers are Gods. Man Utd fans will love this movie because Eric Cantona is worshipped as a deity at Old Trafford. In capturing on film how football affects lives, Ken Loach has packed a punch.

Hail King Eric! Glory Glory Man Utd, the greatest football club ever!

Quotes from 'Into the Wild'

'Into the Wild' has some spell binding quotes which influenced me heavily.

"I'm going to paraphrase Thoreau here... rather than love, than money, than faith, than fame, than fairness... give me truth."

" ...And I also know how important it is in life not necessarily to be strong but to feel strong. To measure yourself at least once. To find yourself at least once in the most ancient of human conditions. Facing the blind death stone alone, with nothing to help you but your hands and your own head. "

"If we admit that human life can be ruled by reason, then all possibility of life is destroyed. "

"The core of mans' spirit comes from new experiences. "

"When you want something in life, you just gotta reach out and grab it. "

And finally, "Happiness is real only when shared."

Truly, mindblowing!!

Catenaccio - an art form

Catenaccio - invented by Helenio Herrera. Resurrected by Jose Mourinho. Inter Milan are in the European cup final after 38 years. This has been long overdue.

After Barcelona tore Arsenal to shreds, it was easy to say they were going to do the same to every opponent who stands in their way of back-to-back CL trophies. Inter, with their rock solid defence, were too mighty for the champions. When you're reduced to 10 men within 30 minutes(Boo Busquets) against the fire power Barca have, you need to play out of your skin to contain them. Barca played the entire match inside the Inter half. Gerard Pique played centre forward(excellent goal btw). Victor Valdes was feeding from the half way line. The 98,000 capacity stadium was rocking. Despite all this, Inter were happy doing what they do best : defend like a rock. It's noteworthy to remember that Julio Cesar had to make few saves in the match(the Messi save is the second best I've seen). Cambiasso, Lucio, Maicon, Samuel and Zanetti were top class. Eto'o played left back. Diego Milito was sprinting with his heart dangling out of his chest, playing defensive midfield.

Barca play total football where the entire team goes on the attack. To have contained the likes of Messi and Xavi, magicians with immaculate vision, Inter receive full marks. This, I feel, is the resurrection of Catenaccio, an art form which was dying due to lack of recognition for Italian clubs in Europe. Mourinho has re-invented it. It was fireworks all the way, watching catenaccio vs. total football. Just priceless. To have beaten the reigning champions convincingly, Inter deserve to win this CL. Like Mourinho said, reaching the final is a 38 year old dream come true for Inter. I'm going to yell at the top of my voice "Forza Inter" when they take on Bayern.

FORZA INTER!!!!

Numb3rs : A tribute

“We all use math every day; to predict weather, to tell time, to handle money. Math is more than formulas or equations; it's logic, it's rationality, it's using your mind to solve the biggest mysteries we know.”

Numb3rs is the TV show I grew up watching, for five years. Now that the show has come to an end, I want to put into words my feelings of a great show which has been my great companion. Being an ultra introvert and considered cold by almost everyone, I turned to different things over my schooling years to keep my sanity. Out of them, Numb3rs stands out distinctly for making me think rationally, teaching me that math was cool and making me nurture a dream of making it to academia.
The cool way the title was spelt was how the show caught my attention, when I was in 9th grade. Since then, sitting glued to AXN at 8 O’ clock every weekday night became a ritual for me. Watching the inimitable math genius Charles Eppes almost pull equations out of the air was the first time I learned that math and science are super cool. Attending a school of losers, Numb3rs was where I started to appreciate and wonder at science. Before this show, things like Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle were mumbo jumbo to me. But then came Prof. Charles Eppes giving a classic example of the principle explaining to his brother how his action of observing a group of robbers changes their actions. I felt like there was an eruption inside me! Man, science was damn awesome, I thought. The water sprinkler illustration, graph theory, Vornoi diagrams,steganography, the friendship math, game theory : there are so many things I learned which intrigued me and gave me a sense of purpose, after being socially detached.

Apart from the math, Numb3rs was a factor in making me meet my first ‘intellectual friend’, Sid, who redefined my life. Numb3rs gave us a common ground to talk about so many things. The night time walks at Sreevatsa staring at the stars, the late night chats in his home about string theory, us trying to understand time; the memories are indelible. I’ll have to write an entire post about how Sid put me on a different universe. Later.

About the characters in the show, I grew up watching Charlie crack cases in a way that appeared super human to me, Larry chipping in with great philosophical insights about physics and space, and watching the lives of the other characters. Charlie and Larry are the ones which stuck with me, and I identify with Larry a lot for his frequent foray into reveries about the world, his constant search for a sense of purpose, and getting lost in his quest several times. This was the point when the world of academia appealed to me, the world of people who make a significant contribution in understanding the meaning of our existence in the universe and improving it. I haven’t given up on that dream yet.
Watching the supposed finale of the show, I felt a gush of emotions. Numb3rs filled a great void in my life and influenced me immensely. Thanks to Nicolas Falacci, Cheryl Heuton, Ridley and Tony Scott for a great show!!

New York Knicks

How the New York Knicks got their name? Follow the link.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/top-ten-lists/unmentionables/knickers.html