Here’s a timeline of my morning/afternoon spent supporting my Arsenal in the Carling Cup final against Birmingham City:
9:00 AM EST Slept in late so as to avoid pre-match build-up nerves, I wake up but lie in bed another half hour.
9:30 AM I finally get up & then go walk my handsome collie mix dog, Bosco, to waste some more time & get a little blood flowing for the match.
10:10 AM Get back from the walk & fix some coffee, turn on the computer & shakes a head a little bit as there were no stories of miraculous recovery by Cesc Fàbregas.
10:45 AM almost switch to beer but decide to stick with coffee before match starts but decline breakfast as the butterflies won’t allow me to eat
11:00 AM GULP! We’re under way
11:10 AM Thank Lady Luck for us avoiding a really good penalty shout for Birmingham but they were ruled (wrongly) offside in the build-up.
11:12-11:20 AM I become a little pensive as we don’t look too sharp & we look a little hesitant (ok, dammit, we look a little scared; happy now? 🙂
11:23 AM I become a little worried
11:28 AM a little worry turns into a little dread as Nicola Zigic scores for Birmingham to go up 1-0 on the Arsenal
11:33 AM my dread continues as match heats up with Brum looking to wind us up a bit now that they have the lead
11:34 AM I switch to a rally beer from coffee hoping to turn our mojo around
11:41 AM dread does a 180 & turns to joy as an Arsenal swift attack ends with Robin Van Persie levelling with a great, deft volleyed finish. 1-1!
11:48 AM panic as my feed cuts out & have to scramble to get another one; luckily next one on the list loads right away; give a slight curse to the worse picture quality, however
11:52 AM Mike Dean blows for halftime after 5 minutes of stoppage time due to a couple of injuries
12:02 PM I emerge from the restroom feeling a new man!; but still only go for a fruit bar for something to eat as the nerves still won’t allow a full meal
12:06 PM second half begins!
12:08 PM Arsenal try to counter but Birmingham get back & defend well
12:09 PM Tomas Rosicky JUST wide on a half-volleyed shot
12:11 PM Birmingham sub on Jean Beausejour for Craig Gardner who must be injured
12:13 PM I become a little encouraged as Arsenal look a good bit more energetic in defending & working to get the ball back than in the 1st half
12:15 PM “CR*P!,” I say as Birmingham win a corner where we always look like conceding from
12:17 PM I throw an imaginary brick at Mike Dean for awarding a foul for Brum when seconds prior he let one go against us
12:19 PM I breathe a sigh of relief as Keith Fahey of Brum smacks the post with a shot from 20 yards out
12:22 PM “COME ON, SONG!,” I bellow as the Cameroonian gives the ball away then gets torched near the byline
12:24 PM I grab another beer
12:25 PM I make a quick check of scores from around the continent as Brum’s stout defender, Roger Johnson, is attended to to pretend I’m not nervous
12:28 PM “Ooooooooh!!!,”as Rosicky’s ball cut across the box is blocked off well by Brum
12:29 PM There’s brief confusion as virtually all the players look around to have the play stopped for an injured Brum player but Mike Dean in his ever all-knowing erudite ways just waves play on
12:31 PM Über Confidence Man (Niklas Bendtner) comes on for Robin Van Persie who picked up a niggling knock on his goal
12:32 PM I run & give my handsome dog, Bosco, a couple of pats on the noggin’ for good luck!
12:36 PM “Ooooooh!!,” again as a swift Arsenal counter almost leads to a goal
12:37 PM More confusion as Barry Ferguson goes down following a Jack Wilshere challenge but Dean again just says play on with everyone looking a bit confused & moments later Arsenal shot in the box is blocked well by Foster & Samir Nasri can’t get to the loose ball before the England #2 smothers
12:39 PM I take a deep breathe as there is 12 1/2 minutes left; Marouane Chamakh also comes on for Andrey Arshavin.
12:40 PM Foster again blocks well, this time from a cheeky (or dumb) backheel shot from Rosicky.
12:41 PM Foster AGAIN saves well, very well in fact, this time from a Nasri stinger; 10 minutes to go, still knotted at 1-1 at this point & getting eager as Arsenal pile on the fairly constant pressure
12:43 PM I thank the Maker that Zigic is “only” 6’8″ & not 7’3″ as he just misses getting a header in the box
12:44 PM Former Geordie, Obafemi Martins, comes on for Keith Fahey as Brum go for it.
12:45 PM “OH COME ON, CHAMAKH!,” as a poor pass form the Moroccan gives away possession in a promising position
12:47 PM 5 minutes to go! A late winner for someone or extra time?!
12:48 PM I raise my hand to say, “Zigic is offsides!,” but then sheepishly notice Johan Djourou had kept him on but luckily for us the ball is cleared seconds later
12:49 PM “Bacary Sagna is BEAST!,”as he does well to win a throw deep in Brum’s half but nothing comes from it, unfortunately.
12:50 PM CALAMITY!!! A long, hopeful punt from Ben Foster is knocked on by Zigic & then Wojciech Szczesny & Laurent Koscielny pick an inopportune time to re-anact the Keystone Cops & the ball bobbles free where Obafemi Martins was on hand to pounce & knock home from 6 yards into an empty net. 2 different versions of the goal here & here.
12:52 PM Alex McLeish stalls for time as he brings on Cameron Jeromeas an injury time sub for Zigic; 4 minutes of schedule extra time
12:56 PM I look on dejected & in stunned disbelief as Mike Dean blows for full time. 2-1, final to Birmingham City. Congratulations to Birmingham, they certainly never gave up & stayed committed to their gameplan. Fair play to them.
1:00 PM EST I go off to fix some lunch now that the gloom has settled the nerves & I can eat. When I finish lunch, I’m off to murder some kittens! Fluffy, cute ones too! Or maybe I’ll just wallow in this: