...and I'm back. Murph, thanks for covering for me while I was on vacation!
It's cold and rainy here in Massachusetts where I'm writing this week's post. Normally this wouldn't bother me, but for the past seven days I was in the Caribbean enjoying my first cruise with my wife and in-laws. As we speak, my bronzed roman god physique is reverting back to its naturally pasty state and I'm feeling a little bit sun-starved.
If you live in New England long enough (or Olde England as well I suppose), you start to forget what real sunlight feels like. The closest we come to it is during the summer months when we escape to Maine or Cape Cod. Which is great of course, but it's not quite the same as this...
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| View of Magens Bay from "Mountain Top" St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands |
The above picture was taken out on the deck of "Mountain Top" St. Thomas, which is allegedly the home of the first Banana Daiquiri. I have no way of verifying this claim (the internet says it was either invented in St. Thomas in the 1950s or in Cuba in the 1800s), but who cares about details when someone is handing you banana puree mixed with a triple shot of rum?
Snorkeling off the coast of St. Martin was probably my favorite part of the trip. We saw a sunken ship and a cannon, which admittedly led me to entertain the hope that I might find a chest full of gold doubloons somewhere on the ocean floor.
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| Searching for pirate treasure off the coast of St. Martin to offset our bingo losses |
Back on board the ship, I was ecstatic to find out that ESPN FC would be broadcasting the Cardiff City-Arsenal match. The members of Bluebirds USA (i.e. aforementioned wife and in-laws) and I caught the entire game in one of the ship's bars.
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| Dedicated Bluebirds fans or just people waiting for "Napkin Artistry, Level 2" to begin? |
I like the fact that watching a sporting event has the ability to bring complete strangers together. An Aston Villa fan and a Bayern Munchen fan sat next to us watching a Bundesliga (i.e. the German equivalent of the Premier League) match. I'm pretty sure those two guys didn't know each other when they came into the bar, but by the end of the match they were hugging and snapping photos of each other.
OK, I think I've kept you in suspense long enough. Down to blog business. Did Cardiffy City manage to pull off another miracle like last week?
Unfortunately not...the Gunners sank the HBMS Bluebird.
Cardiff City 0 - Arsenal 3
- Ramsey (ARS) 29'
- Flamini (ARS) 86'
- Ramsey (ARS) 90'
You'd be forgiven for thinking that anything is possible for the Bluebirds after they defeated Manchester City and drew against Manchester United. But Arsenal is a different beast. Coming into this match, they were the leaders in the Premier League standings. And you could see why when you watched them play.
Less than two minutes into the match, Arsenal's Jack Wilshire launched a rocket that almost squashed Cardiff City's hopes before they could even get their footing. Luckily, Wilshire's shot hit one of the goal bars and the game marched on.
A moment ago I said that the Gunners were a different beast, and I think it's fair to say so too were these Bluebirds from the ones that lost their season opener to West Ham United. As fast as Arsenal were on the field, Cardiff City were able to keep pace with them for the majority of the match. Just a few minutes after Wilshire's near-goal, Bluebird Fraizer Campbell had a solid attempt of his own.
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| Ten minutes into the match, Frazier Campbell barely misses the goal (Image Credit: Cardiff City FC Official Website) |
About thirty minutes into the match, Arsenal star Aaron Ramsey netted the ball and gave the Gunners a lead they would never relinquish. I wasn't kidding though when I said Arsenal was up against a credible opponent. Cardiff City's Kim, Mutch, Whittingham, Cowie, and Theophile-Catherine all had legitimate attempts during the match. And they kept the score at 0-1 for most of the game...until Arsenal's Mathieu Flamini added to the tally.
Ramsey's second goal in stoppage time was just gravy on top of an already cooked bird.
After the game, I did a little research on Ramsey. I knew he was Welsh, but I was surprised to learn that he actually came up through the Cardiff City academy system. And he also started his professional career with the Bluebirds before joining Arsenal. Remembering the debt he owes to Cardiff City and its fans, Ramsey showed a ton of class by not celebrating either of his two goals.
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| Ramsey does the Cardiff City "Ayatollah" as a gesture of respect to the Bluebirds' fans (Image Credit: Cardiff City FC Official Website) |
Speaking of classy Welshmen, Jody Davies (@jodylaforge) was once again in attendance at the Cardiff City Stadium and emailed me this game shot...
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| Somewhere down there, Gary Medel is resisting the urge to bite someone |
Thanks, bud. And if anyone from the Cardiff City establishment is reading, how about allowing Dodgem-X to perform a punk rendition of "Men of Harlech" for an upcoming home game?
At the end of the day, no matter how well they acquitted themselves, the Bluebirds still find themselves in 17th place with 3 wins, 4 draws, and 6 losses. The table below captures the full Premier League standings as of 12/03/13. The table columns are: Club Name, Matches Played (Pld), and Rankings Points (Pts).
Technically, Cardiff City are just one spot away from the relegation zone. But things aren't quite as bad as they may seem. The Bluebirds have two matches in the next five days and by this time next week, they could be sitting as high as 10th place. So keep the faith!
Speaking of faith, I hope you haven't given up on the Cardiff'rent Strokes! They've had a few good weeks and are now slightly better than mediocre. This is due in no small part to Aaron Ramsey whose goals, while detrimental in reality, helped propel my fantasy team forward in their journey to greatness. Here's the summary of my FPL status...
- Rank (This Week): 1,477,728
- Rank (Last Week): 1,582,387
- Total Players: 3,077,104
That's it for this week. Cardiff City will face Stoke City away on December 4th and then Crystal Palace away on December 7th. I have no idea why they have two games in one week, but it's the same story for all the other Premier League clubs as well. Which means that next week will be a super-sized post from Dragon and Bluebird, so tell all your friends!
You should also tell all your friends that they can download the Dodgem-X EP "After the Horse has Bolted" for free at dodgem-x.moonfruit.com
I checked the album out. It sounds similar to the screaming bits from Linkin Park mashed up with the Dropkick Murphys. You can find more songs from Dodgem-X on iTunes and follow the band on Twitter (@DodgemXofficial).
Thank you as always for reading Dragon and Bluebird! You can find me on Twitter as well, @dragon_bluebird.
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