Entries from July 2006 ↓

In our own way, members of ArsenalAmerica and AjaxUSA paid tribute to Dennis Bergkamp by participating in a 5-a-side indoors match at Chelsea Piers in Manhattan.

Only two members of AjaxUSA showed up, so it ended up being ArsenalAmerica vs ArsenalAmerica for the most part. Yours truly played goalkeeper for the majority of the match, and I’m ashamed to admit that I gave up six goals in an 8-6 loss. Still, it was a lot of fun, and we’re planning another match sometime in September.

Click the image above to view larger versions of the shots. (Thanks to Angie for the photos!)

In a fitting tribute to an absolute legend, Arsenal bade goodbye to Dennis Bergkamp while christening their new home, the awe-inspiring Ashburton Grove.

The first half featured an Arsenal reserve side with a few starters against Ajax’s first team. Klass Jan Huntelaar scored the first goal of the game - the first at Ashburton Grove - to put Ajax up 1-0 at the half.

The second half was the much more entertaining of the two, as it was played by an all star cast of Arsenal greats from the past ten years, some who’ve retired; including Ian Wright Wright Wright, Mark Overmars, Lee Dixon, Manu Petit, Gilles Grimandi, Martin Keown and David Seaman, and some who haven’t including Paddy Vieira, Edu, Kanu and of course, Thierry Henry (who hired a private jet to fly back from his holidays in America in order to be back in time to honor Dennis). The same was true for Ajax, which included Dutch legends Marco van Basten, Danny Blind and Johann Cruijff.

Thierry Henry scored the first Arsenal goal at Ashburton Grove after about 54 minutes, and Kanu scored in the dying moments to give Arsenal the win. However, the best moment of the match was when ex-Tottenham scum Edgar Davids had nothing but goal in front of him and Gilles Grimandi karate-kicked the bastard in the back of the legs rather than let him ruin Dennis’ day.

It was also nice to see and hear the reception Paddy Vieira received. He obviously was the enemy when he came last Spring with Juventus, but at the Testimonial, he received the thank you he deserved.

The stadium looks amazing, and from all accounts, will prove to be an incredible place to watch football:

I can’t wait to make the trip.

Finally, what more can be said about Dennis that hasn’t already been said. He’s one of my all-time favorites. I’ve replayed his amazing goal against Newcastle in my mind a million times. I’ll never tire of watching it:

Bergkamp scored 121 goals for Arsenal in 424 appearances, and set up a further 166 goals in his Arsenal career.

He will be missed.

It’s been quite the four days for Bruce Arena. On Friday, US Soccer announced that they would not be retaining Arena’s services as head coach of the men’s national team. Today, the worst team in the history of MLS, RedBull NY (formerly Metrostars), have named him Sporting Director and Head Coach.

There’s no arguing with Arena’s track record (bar the most recent World Cup). He does have a history of success. One needs to remember how bad the situation was when he started as head coach of the US team. The squad had finished dead last at France ‘98, and by the next World Cup, they were in the quarters.

It was obvious that he chose the absolute wrong tactics in Germany, but here in MLS he gets a new slate. He certainly has nowhere to go but up.

I’d love to hear Scott H’s thoughts on this.

Composer’s hard at work on ‘The Harry Potter Opera Cycle’ sans official approval

By James Hebert
UNION-TRIBUNE ARTS WRITER

July 16, 2006

As if magical powers and literary immortality (not to mention a seven-picture Hollywood deal) weren’t enough, the world’s most popular wizard now can add another notch to his broomstick.

Harry Potter has an aria.

He’ll have more soon, as far as Tiffany Moon is concerned. For now, though, the local composer has completed one Potter opera solo. It’s among the first components of what she envisions as a seven-part opera cycle based on the J.K. Rowling series of children’s books.

Moon, who teaches piano and voice at a Rancho Bernardo home studio, is a wizard of ambition: She sees the Potter project as taking up “a good 10 to 15 years of my life.”

For the rest of this article from the San Diego Union Tribune, click here

Thanks to everyone who helped make Mikeapalooza 06 a success. We had a great time, and I’m already looking forward to next year, where it’ll be even bigger and better!

First pre-season match of 06-07. The scoreline says it all. Just a lazy summer afternoon, but one that certainly whets the appetite for next weekend and beyond.