Interlull It’s Saturday. There isn’t much going on. This is going to be a pretty short blog. Will it be a short sentence until the end? I can’t say. I can’t see the future. It just happens.
Spain beat Denmark 2-1. David Raya and Mikel Merino both performed. Poland lost 5-1 to Portugal. Not a good night for the Jakub Kiwior team. Okay, I’m tired of short sentences, so I need to find some rhythm here by putting in some decent-sized sentences. It’s a shame I don’t have much to write about this morning.
Kai Havertz will probably be in action today when Germany take on Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Netherlands will face Hungary, who will see Jurien Timber in action. Ukraine and Oleksandr Zinchenko face Georgia.
A while ago, one of my ‘Teammates’ videos popped up on YouTube, where Zinchenko was asked the same questions about which of his teammates was the best dressed, who was the funniest, etc. There was a question about who had ‘the hardest time’. , he chose Timber. I know we’re a pretty big team and I wouldn’t mess with Gabriel or William Saliba, but picking Timber makes sense to me. He has that look, and one of the hallmarks of his game is the way he makes close physical contact with his opponents. This is especially true in duels around the halfway line.
Of course, the term ‘hard man’ is a bit anachronistic these days. There were players who built their reputations around this, and in many cases it was a way to level things out. They did not have the skills or qualities to live with their opponents, so they used violence and intimidation as a coping mechanism. There have been people who have been very good players and complete assholes, but in this day and age you can’t escape what they did in the past.
But above all, Timber has very good play and while he is not obviously a ‘difficult’ player, you can see why Zinchenko chose him. I like players who don’t get pushed around, but who can make their opponents think for a moment about whether their numbers are going to be 50/50. That moment may be all it takes to win the ball.
I was thrown aside. Speaking of tough guys and fights, here’s a great article about Mike Tyson’s ridiculous fight last night. Written by our friend and Arsenal fan Donald McRae.
Jake Paul, a 27-year-old social media crooner, beat a 58-year-old man with long-standing health problems, both physically and mentally, in a boxing ring late on Friday night.
Read the rest here. I love how when you read an article the first line sings to you like a glorious opera.
Meanwhile, Arsenal Women are away at home today in the north London derby. As before, Tim will provide a full preview of the game, including details on how to watch it on TV, and Arseblog News will also have all of the usual post-game coverage. I hope it’s a good day for Arsenal and a terrible day for the opposition.
Okay, that’s all I have for you today. Sentences are shortened again. That’s it. hi.