FUTBOL NEWS: | Five things we learned from this year’s CLEAR Dream Match | Mika Palileo, special to InterAKTV · Sunday, August 25,2013 · 2:32 pm When the rain settled and the puddles subsided, Team James emerged victorious in the second installment of the CLEAR Dream Match, winning 4-1 over Team Phil. James Younghusband evened the score against his brother Phil, after losing 5-1 a year earlier. This year’s CLEAR Dream Match proved to be more entertaining and interesting in more ways than one. Here’s what we’ve learned along the way. 1. It was a “dream” match for everyone involved Well, maybe except for Phil. The younger Younghusband was gracious in defeat, though, congratulating his brother’s team after the match. The consolation for the striker? The match’s opening goal and possibly, bragging rights to say he got past Fabio Cannavaro. James, meanwhile, stated that the victory made the dream so much sweeter and was effusive in thanking fans — adding that it was a dream to play with Fabio Cannavaro, Dennis Wise, and his friends. 2. Yet, it could have easily been a nightmare of a match Sure, there are no league games in August, which makes sense to hold an extravaganza like the CLEAR Dream Match on this month. Then again, this is the second year in a row that a water logged pitch greatly affected the game. Players were slipping and sliding all the time — and CLEARly, a concussion or a red card was waiting to happen in such conditions. Here’s an idea for the next CLEAR Dream Match: If it really needs to be staged in August, the next edition should have the likes of Dani Alves, Angel Di Maria, Nani, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, Didier Drogba, Gareth Bale, and yes, even CLEAR endorser Cristiano Ronaldo. After all, a waterlogged UMak pitch is the perfect playground for divers. 3. You can also call it the CLEAR Grudge Match We all love the drama of a sibling rivalry, and really, if Team Phil dominated for the second consecutive year, the CLEAR Dream Match would have lost its pull. This year’s CLEAR Dream Match wasn’t purely just for entertainment — it was pure competition. Players were hungry for the ball, complaints to referees abound, and jockeying for position was never this precarious. Yep, even Daniel Matsunaga was roughing it with everyone else (well, he did have the whitest socks last year). 4. There’s a reason why the Berlin Wall no longer stands The Berlin Wall fell in 1989, and well, the Muro di Berlino is no longer the fortress he once was. I love Fabio Cannavaro, but it’s apparent that age and injuries have slowed him down. Team James’ collective backsides owe their victory to their goalkeeper Saba Garmaroudi, who has turned a fine performance for the second time in a row. Going back to Cannavaro, he does continue to pose like a boss on the pitch though — and that is enough to satisfy football fangirls present. As for Dennis Wise, a few may claim to know him prior to the CLEAR Dream Match, but this man stamped his authority on the midfield. His vision and accuracy in passing was quite impressive. 5. The opportunity for the perfect product placement was missed With the strong rain showers throughout most of the match, a canopy of CLEAR shampoo bottles should have fallen from the sky. Waterlogged pitch, rain-soaked players—the stageis set for a perfect post-match product demonstration. Kidding aside, that’s probably why the CLEAR Dream Match shouldn’t be scheduled during the thunderstorm season. Let’s not subject the players to a situation that could easily injure any of them. As for the fans, sometimes, getting soaked is well worth it, if only to see the Younghusbands, and a Fabio of their choice — seems like Ide competed with Cannavaro for the shrieks and squeals. ~J.E.~
Posted on: Tue, 27 Aug 2013 14:40:16 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015