Out of all of the annual events, meaning the World Cup and Olympics, do not count no event in the world is more watched than today's UEFA Champions League final. Having gone to London, home of one of the finalists Arsenal, and been hooked on any thing sports since I came out of the womb I have continually followed world Football, especially the Champions League and the English Premier League.
So here's a quick synapses of what today's match means for the typical uninformed American.
Every country in the world plays Football, even us Americans. So if you think the best athletes in the world play in the NBA or the NFL than think again. The talent pool that soccer teams around the world have an opportunity to pick and choose from is multiple times more than that of the NBA or NFL or any American based sport.
So picture this. There are multiple NFLs, one in Mexico, one in Canada, one in Brazil etc. All of equal skill level and you pit the best of the best against each other in one tournament. This is the UEFA Champions League, the best of the best from the best leagues in the world.
Here in America we are also overly concerned about parody in our sports. Nothing is good unless every team in every league has a chance to be succesful and a chance to win a title. So leagues put forward drafts and salary caps and luxury taxes and free agent restrictions to limit high spending teams and create balance. But in Europe oh no, there are no limitations the best of the best go out and get the best of the best. There is no Kobe Bryant with a sad supporting cast. Oh no in Europe Kobe would be surrounded with all all-stars. And teams from Cleveland and other cities that no one cares about would be terrible.
Today's game pits two teams from two of the best leagues in the world respectively, the Premiership and La Liga. It pits the best player in the world a Brazilian named Ronaldinho who can do imazing things with his feet and has turned FC Barcelona into one of the best teams in the world. Versus the best striker in the world, Frenchman Thierry Henry who has captained the North London side Arsenal FC to a surprising run in the champions league.
In case you missed it, last years final pitting Liverpool vs. AC Milan goes down as one of my favorite two sporting events of all of last year (The other being the Castillo v. Corrales fight). Liverpool down 3-0 and looking completely dead in the first half came out swinging scoring 3 goals in a short span in the 2nd half and eventually shocking Milan on penalty kicks and taking home their Fifth European Championship.
So basically I'm telling you if you watch any sporting event today or this week for that matter it should be this game. This game will show you why everyone else in the World loves Football. Why everyone else sees the sport as graceful and compelling?
For me, I have a work outing at 2:30 at a bar, which I will immediately go to the bartender and say can you put on ESPN 2 and I will enjoy myself for 2 hours. Man did I luck out.
So here's a quick synapses of what today's match means for the typical uninformed American.
Every country in the world plays Football, even us Americans. So if you think the best athletes in the world play in the NBA or the NFL than think again. The talent pool that soccer teams around the world have an opportunity to pick and choose from is multiple times more than that of the NBA or NFL or any American based sport.
So picture this. There are multiple NFLs, one in Mexico, one in Canada, one in Brazil etc. All of equal skill level and you pit the best of the best against each other in one tournament. This is the UEFA Champions League, the best of the best from the best leagues in the world.
Here in America we are also overly concerned about parody in our sports. Nothing is good unless every team in every league has a chance to be succesful and a chance to win a title. So leagues put forward drafts and salary caps and luxury taxes and free agent restrictions to limit high spending teams and create balance. But in Europe oh no, there are no limitations the best of the best go out and get the best of the best. There is no Kobe Bryant with a sad supporting cast. Oh no in Europe Kobe would be surrounded with all all-stars. And teams from Cleveland and other cities that no one cares about would be terrible.
Today's game pits two teams from two of the best leagues in the world respectively, the Premiership and La Liga. It pits the best player in the world a Brazilian named Ronaldinho who can do imazing things with his feet and has turned FC Barcelona into one of the best teams in the world. Versus the best striker in the world, Frenchman Thierry Henry who has captained the North London side Arsenal FC to a surprising run in the champions league.
In case you missed it, last years final pitting Liverpool vs. AC Milan goes down as one of my favorite two sporting events of all of last year (The other being the Castillo v. Corrales fight). Liverpool down 3-0 and looking completely dead in the first half came out swinging scoring 3 goals in a short span in the 2nd half and eventually shocking Milan on penalty kicks and taking home their Fifth European Championship.
So basically I'm telling you if you watch any sporting event today or this week for that matter it should be this game. This game will show you why everyone else in the World loves Football. Why everyone else sees the sport as graceful and compelling?
For me, I have a work outing at 2:30 at a bar, which I will immediately go to the bartender and say can you put on ESPN 2 and I will enjoy myself for 2 hours. Man did I luck out.
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