Recently, the Santiago Bernabeau bore witness to an absolute footballing exhibition as Spain tore apart Italy 3-0. Interestingly, Spain played without any strikers in this game with coach Julen Lopetegui opting for a 4-6-0 formation. It’s not as if Spain hasn’t done this before. Under Vicente Del Bosque, this idea was used to great effect; especially during Euro 2012 where Fabregas played as a false striker. That Spain though was different. Continue reading
I remember first watching Batman Beyond somewhere around 2001. Back then, the digital era was in its infancy and the Toonami programming block had just been introduced to Cartoon Network. Episode/s would release just once a week on the weekends. There was a special feeling to this airing schedule as you waited all week just for that 1 episode. No YouTube, no Netflix back then and episode re-runs would air at odd times which made it impossible to catch otherwise. Oh and boy was Batman Beyond worth that wait. Continue reading
I really didn’t want to be the one writing this piece but the apathy, chaos and politics that has plagued Indian Hockey over the last…. (Forever) years; has forced my hand. The first ever hockey tournament that I witnessed as a kid was the Champions Trophy in 2003. The Indian team were a talented bunch and there were some memorable games. The one where they conceded 4 goals in the last 5 minutes against the Dutch after leading 3-0 stands out (Not the best memory, I know). However, the day I truly fell in love with the Indian National Team was its memorable comeback against Pakistan. After being down 4-2, they pumped in 5 goals in the last 20 minutes to win 7-4. I can never forget Gagan Ajit Singh’s effortless brilliance in that game. This is the stuff that dreams are made of. Continue reading
When Batman: The Animated Series (B: TAS) premiered way back in 92, it was quite unlike any other cartoon or batman show of its time…. or before. The dark feel, the very 40s-esque art deco look and mature story-telling set a precedent; which to this day (In my opinion and many others) has yet to be surpassed. Of course, there have been fantastic depictions of the caped crusader on the big screen. Tim Burton and Nolan especially have really provided the audiences with some of the grittiest batman-stories ever seen. Animation however, is an entirely different story. Continue reading
What can I say about Zizou that hasn’t already been said? Was there ever doubting this man when he took over the managerial reins at Los Blancos ? The enigma that is Zidane always seems to answer all our questions in a manner that belies his quiet personality.
Isco Alarcon Suarez, the new poster-boy of Spanish Football, the new Golden Boy of Spain, the bandy-legged bearded beauty (Thank you, Ray Hudson) …. Call him what you want but there is no denying the Malagueño’s silky skills and footwork. The Real Madrid maestro is another in a long line of talented midfielders, especially No.10s to don the colours of La Furia Roja…… Continue reading
I don’t know how often people get the feeling of “I was meant to be here today” but this was exactly what happened to me two weekends back when I decided to spend my birthday in Manhattan. To be honest, I’ve had this kind of feeling before but there were times when I wondered what exactly I was doing in Manhattan. Although I kept visiting random places of interest while making plans on the fly, I never really had any concrete plan. It seemed aimless but yet ended in the culmination of that very wonderful feeling I just spoke of. Continue reading