Nike: Take it to the Next Level

Sweet Nike commercial:



How many soccer players can you name from the commercial?

Spain at (looong) last!

Well deserved victory for the best and most entertaining team in the tournament. It doesn't happen every time (*ahem* Greece *ahem* Euro 2004), but this time around, the most deserving team took home the trophy.

Cesc Fabregas was undoubtedly the best Gunner in the tournament and deserves tournament MVP considerations. Yes, he only started two games, but has made an impact in every substitute appearance. Fabregas is the spark in the Spanish attack. Robin Van Persie finally is fit enough to step on the pitch and did well in his limited opportunities in a very deep Dutch squad, scoring two goals.

William Gallas is, uh, William Gallas - didn't do enough to keep France from being eliminated in the first round. Phillipe Senderos started all three games but Switzerland never had a realistic chance of advancing. Johan Djourou and Lukasz Fabianski never got off the bench.

Bakary Sagna, Tomas Rosicky and Eduardo missed out due to injuries. Curiously, Gael Clichy and (ex-Gunner) Matthieu Flamini were not picked by Raymond Domenech for the French squad despite both having great seasons. Things may have turned out differently for France if Clichy and Flamini were able to contribute.

Euro 2008 features some great goals, and picking a goal of the tournament is not easy. Wesley Sneijder's no look volley (click for video) takes the cake because of the difficulty and athleticism required and finishes a sweet team effort in a sensational Dutch counterattack.

What's next? English Premier League season starts in 46 days. Wahoo!

Speaking of English Premier League, anyone interested in little Fantasy Football?

Squad Numbers for The Upcoming Season

Arsenal's squad numbers for the upcoming season was officially announced today. Nothing out of the ordinary, really. Manuel Almunia, as expected, took over Mad Jens Lehmann's #1 shirt. Carlos Vela, back on loan, is given the #12 shirt and new signing Aaron Ramsey is the new #16. Vito Mannone took Almunia's old #24.

There are still some nice numbers unclaimed: Freddie Ljungberg's old #8 and of course, Thierry Henry's #14.

Speaking of shirts, The-Cannon.com has a nice list of historic Arsenal kits dating back to the 60s. The Gunners donned some truly hideous shirts in the past: 95/96 away, 91-93 away, 88-91 away (hrmm, I see the problem here... bad things happen when you stray away from the red/white home shirt)

Still on the topic of kits, this is the 08/10 Arsenal home shirt. Can't say I like it. Too much red. Maybe I'll grow to like it, I guess.

Honestly, I prefer this over the one above:


Cesc is the last Arsenal player left in Euro '08. Against Italy, Spain was much more dangerous after Cesc came on as a substitute. Plus, it was his penalty that sent Spain into the semi-finals. It's hard to imagine him continue to ride the bench and he really deserves to start ahead of Xavi or Iniesta.