The Audacity of Dope

Since the living legend himself came back yesterday to score a winner for Arsenal in the FA Cup versus Leeds, I thought I’d take a trip down memory lane and post this clip of some of Henry’s best. Number 7 is one of my all time favorites, but I love them all. No matter what team you root for, you have to give credit to this man. One of the greatest strikers we’ve ever seen, with a sliding stare down goal celebration so epic, they made it into a statue:

(the Tottenham fans weren’t so appreciative…)

Swag.

I meant to post this soon after it happened, but better late than never…especially for those of you who don’t follow soccer and may have missed Robin van Persie’s game winning volley for Arsenal vs. Everton. You’ll notice that US National Team goalkeeper, Tim Howard, doesn’t even move, knowing that if RvP connected as he planned, he didn’t stand a chance. What a beautiful pass from Song too. Fabregas-esque.

Cheeky.

It’s the eve of another London derby between Arsenal and Chelsea, but before I get some sleep, I thought about one of my favorite moments from this rivalry: Michael Essien’s unbelievable 30 yard strike in 2006. While the game ended in a 1-1 draw, it was one of the most exciting matches I’ve ever seen. World class talent all over the pitch, an intense rivalry, and huge stakes all culminated in this late game tying goal.  To come up from right back, where he was only filling in from his natural defensive midfield position, to slam a shot like that off the post and in…unreal.  Definition of a stunning strike.

I can’t believe he even attempted this, let alone that it went in.  You’ll want to watch until the final replay for a close look at how he pulled it off.

Legos make everything better.

Fast forward to 3:13 to see the build up for a truly incredible goal from the big homey Didier Drogba.  Everything about it – Ashley Cole’s long ball, Didier’s first touch, his strength and balance, and perhaps a lucky bounce after Corluka’s tackle – combined to make this a flawless moment from yesterday’s 3-0 win by Chelsea over Tottenham.  The Blues are not only looking like the team to beat in the EPL, but they could quite easily be the best in the world.

The scary thing is that Spurs actually played pretty well…and still got hammered.  Despite the lopsided scoreline, it was a great match to watch.  Top notch football at its best.

Sidenote, your boy has been playing well recently too.  Dropped in 2 goals and 2 assists in a game yesterday FTW…

One of the reasons why he’s the best player in the world. That’s flawless.