Another mid-week battle against a top contender, and while a better effort was put forward by Everton, the result was the same, a loss. Arsenal completely dominated the first 20 minutes and the score could have been 4-0 easily, but some solid (desperate?) defense by the Toffees back four kept it at 1-0. RR Drenthe was called offside on a goal late in the half when he clearly wasn't, but those are the breaks. Certainly some promise showed in the second half, as EFC was on the attack, but the game ended at 1-0 to the Gunners.
One of the many aspects of my obsession with the beautiful game has been my need to devour as many books as I can about soccer. Some are funny, others moving, and still others historical. Currently I am reading The Ball is Round; A Global History of Football by David Goldblatt. All 900 pages of it. One of my favorite books of all I have read, not just soccer tomes, is the tremendous and still relevant Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby. Written in 1998, it depicts Hornby's life growing up an Arsenal fan. It is a must read for any sports fan, not just soccer enthusiasts. At the same time, it's both hilarious and endearing, his obsession frightening and understandable, and the details informative and well-written. Ironically enough, the book is the basis for the American movie of the same name about a fan's obsession with the Boston Red Sox. While the movie left a good deal to be desired, one can see the similarities with an Arsenal and a Red Sox fan. The bottom line is that any fan of any team can sympathise with Hornby, and laugh along while doing so.
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