French Open 2011: Rafa's Reign Rolls On - Final Report & Game-by-Game Analysis

Rafael Nadal won the 2011 French Open after a scintillating final against Roger Federer, beating him 7-5 7-6 (7-3) 5-7 6-1, on the Court Philippe Chatrier at Roland Garros.

The Spaniard won his sixth French Open championship, equalling Bjorn Borg's record, and retained his title as World Number One, in a four-set match that involved both players playing to the top of their game and proving why they have been so dominant in previous years in Paris. Nadal has now won 10 Grand Slam titles from 12 finals.

After winning the coin toss, Federer chose to serve, taking the first game with relative ease. However, Nadal made some costly mistakes in the second game, but managed to take it to deuce, but Federer took the fourth break point on offer, before winning the third game with a brilliant ace and the classic Federer serve-volley, extending his lead to 3-0.

Nadal avoided a second break, winning a highly-contested game, but it wasn't enough to settle his nerves. Federer's third service game saw more unforced errors from Nadal, as Federer's powerful backhand began to pull off angles only possible here at Roland Garros, with the swirling wind. Federer proved his dominance, with a cross-court return in the sixth game, which he ploughed into the back corner of the court, but it wasn't enough to avoid losing the game.

Federer played some exceptional cross-court shots to take the score to 5-2, before Nadal called for the trainer, unveiling a heavily-taped foot, which the BBC's Andrew Castle said 'may explain what has happened so far'. The Spaniard looked to have taken his eye off the game, serving a wild double fault, before Federer's incredible form shut out Nadal, winning four consecutive points to take him to set point, but Nadal recovered to allow for Federer to serve out the set. Not all went to plan though, after further unforced errors allowed for Nadal to break and take the set to 5-4.

The sun-baked clay was slowly becoming the scene of a great tennis match, with the wind, heat and crowd all becoming factors as to who would take the trophy home. Nadal's comeback was led by his serve, and after winning his third consecutive game, and taking the set to 5-5, Federer's earlier supremacy had diminished and the world number one started to prove why he had that title. Incredible rally after incredible rally followed, but Nadal's new-found confidence brought another break point, which he took, and then in his service game, brought a set point, and after 62 minutes, Nadal took the first set 7-5.

The first 12 games of the 2011 French Open Final could not have been more different. The on-court movement from both men saw some quite remarkable shots being played, but since the appearance of Nadal's trainer, it was all about the Spaniard, and Federer could not get a foot in the door. If he was playing anyone else, however, he'd have already won the game, never mind the first set, but it proves just how good these two are - the greatest of all time versus the world number one.

Federer's confidence looked to have completely disappeared, and shots that would have seemed so simple to the Swiss early on in the match ended up in the net, allowing for Nadal to break again, and then serve out the second game too. Federer won the third game to break the run of seven consecutive games for Nadal, but could not return to the form that has won him 17 Grand Slams, and further errors allowed for Nadal to take the fourth game of the set, and lead 3-1.

Two big aces and two incredibly powerful one-handed backhands pulled the next game from double break point to Nadal to a Federer win, and the elegance of the former world number one's shots led to a roar from the crowd in Paris. These shots continued, however Nadal also joined the party, pulling off some quite brilliant down-the-line shots to take the score to 4-2.

A big 40-0 game win for Federer pulled the set back to 4-3, and further encouragement from the crowd saw his confidence return. Some quite exquisite shots, including a beautiful back-court backhand and an incredible rally where he forced Nadal into every corner of the court whilst playing with ease, saw him break Nadal for the first time since the third game of the first set. However, despite playing some more wonderful tennis, Federer could not get a grasp on the ninth game, and Nadal took another break point to lead 5-4. Again, Nadal took a stronghold on the next game and looked like to win the second set, but at 40-40, we saw the expected rain, and play was suspended.

The 10-minute rain delay allowed for the players to have a brief rest, but Nadal returned with a slight unease to his game. Federer managed to save set point, and gain a break point himself, which he won after an unforced error from the Spaniard, who seemed a little shaken after the rain. The clay, although very moist, retained the heavy bounce we have seen throughout the tournament, which Federer used to his advantage, using the momentum gained from the previous few points, winning the eleventh game, and turning the score around to 6-5.

The crowd were behind Federer, but Nadal's determination won him the game, taking the set to 6-6, and a tie-break. Nadal took the initiative, and led 4-0, before the Swiss began to up his game. However, Nadal's forehand was far too much, and he won the tie-break 7-3, to lead the match 2-0.

Federer needs to wake up now - he is playing thinking his reputation will win the match for him. Although his shots are elegant and beautifully played, he isn't playing well enough to force his way into the game. Nadal is playing some great shots, and winning the games, but at times he is riding his luck, and Federer needs to react to that. You get the feeling that if things stay like this, the match will be over very, very quickly.

Nadal, who recorded an Open Era record-equalling sixth victory at the French Open, played some very simplistic shots in order to open up the third set, but Federer continued to make unforced errors, and the Spaniard took the first game. A strong service game from Federer, including a majestic ace, managed to pull the score back to 1-1, but the world number one silenced the crowd with some great serves, to lead the set.

A closely-fought fourth game was won through brute force, with Federer attacking the ball and taking the score to 2-2. Nadal completed the next game in a very efficient way, taking each point in three or four shots. Federer's next game was a disaster, with Nadal winning three break points to take the set to 4-2. His serve was nowhere to be seen, and the lacklustre performance in the game summed up his match.

But three break-back points was enough for Federer to turn his game around, and several drop shots allowed for the set to hit 4-4. Nadal won the game on his serve, before he won the game on his serve, and suddenly the Swiss looked to be on top of this set. Crucial shots began to go in his favour, and the powerful elegance we saw all through the match broke Nadal, put Federer 6-5 up in the set, and allowed him to win two set points on his serve, and take the third set 7-5. The Roland Garros crowd made a noise never heard before, as the court erupted with eager tennis fans cheering.

What a third set - back and forth, back and forth. Federer looked dead and buried at the start of the set, but he turned it around and his mentality changed, allowing for a change to his game, and suddenly he was hungry to win that trophy. After three games, he looked a broken man. After three sets, it's now all to play for.

Nadal started the fourth set with a look of dismay in his eyes - the expectation of winning in three sets suddenly over in 20 minutes. Within minutes he was facing three break points, but he turned it around to take the game and start the set in a manner in which he wished it to continue. Federer has a way with the tennis ball that he can place it wherever he wants on the court, and he used this to his advantage to take the second game with such accuracy. However, Nadal can do the same, and with such precision, placed the ball in areas that Federer could not reach, to lead the fourth set 2-1.

A double fault led the Spaniard to three break points, which he took, but this was no excuse for Federer's poor serve during the fourth game. He dragged his serve, allowing for faults to appear. The crowd booed Nadal at the end of the fifth game, as he walked off the court before the umpire had confirmed an 'out' call. Federer played some great tennis, but Nadal, again, played better, allowing him to lead 4-1.

Another break led Nadal to 5-1, despite Federer's incredible fightback. His poise was wonderful, likewise his movement on-court, but Nadal was just a little bit better, allowing for Nadal to serve for the championship. As the sun again lit up Paris, the King of Clay was crowned again, winning three championship points and blinked away tears. Federer, always magnanimous in defeat, embraced the Spaniard at the end, but it wasn't enough to stop the disappointment showing on his face. Nadal's unbelievable tournament finished in style, but leaves both players in great shape for Wimbledon in two weeks' time.

An incredible game that neither player deserved to lose. If Federer had played anyone else, then he would have crushed his opponent. But Nadal is too strong on clay, and this will lead to a three-way tug at Wimbledon between these two greats, and Novak Djokovic. A prospect to savour.

Big thanks to the BBC Sport team for the photos used in this post.

Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://www.gmoai.com

F1 2011: Five Red Lights, Two Red Eyes

This weekend, as it does every year in Britain, signalled the start of summer. The clocks went one hour forward, meaning an hour more sunshine - and an hour less sleep for me. So when my alarm started beeping at 6:55 this morning, I was a bit pissed off, to be fair. So I went back to bed.

And when I did eventually surface at gone quarter past 12 (it was a bit of a heavy night Saturday...), I realised I had missed the first race of the 2011 Formula 1 Season, in Australia. Thankfully, not Bahrain, the most dull, boring race of the season, as it was 'postponed'. Nor was it Japan, as had been stuck in my head for the last week.

And in the first of what will apparently be 19 posts over the 2011 season (I've been told I promised this at the end of last season. I do not remember this. I hope Prince Kazoo in Nigeria is not scamming me.), I'm gonna be lobbing my thoughts on today's race onto a page.

So having watched the race through very red eyes, I was able to watch it in HD. I've been waiting for this for about 4 years, and it lived up to expectations. Cannot wait for Abu Dhabi now, to see it in all its hi-def glory.

Now the general consensus is that today's winner, Sebastian Vettel, won by a clear mile in a very dull, boring race. I'm gonna go against this. I reckon he was very lucky and had a lot going for him in today's race, and not only that, but it was a great way to start the season too.

We've had so many changes in the off-season too. We've had the big Lotus vs. Renault argument, which is now in the High Court to decide who can be called 'Lotus'. Hmmmmm, tricky one...

And there's been 10 driver changes, with plenty more to take place at the end of this season too. There are new tyre suppliers, in Pirelli, and something called DRS - Drag Reduction System - where the rear wing moves to decrease drag and increase speed by 12 km/h. Very clever, when you see it working with graphics all over the screen telling you exactly what it's doing.

Today the DRS system didn't seem to be given a lot of opportunity to get going, because of the lack of area for it to be used. One final corner, and on the long straight didn't seem to give it the 'ooomph' needed to get the thing going. But team it with the revolutionary KERS system, and we could have some quick, quick cars on our hands. But until then, sort it aaaaarrrt, Bernie.

Red Bull won't run away with it like the 2010 season, like many are predicting. There are too many competitors this time around. McLaren have built a car that is matching the speed, if not quicker, than the Red Bull, and Ferrari will pick up the pace over the next few races. Not only that, but Sauber, Mercedes and Force India all look to be a force to be reckoned with.

One question I was asked this morning on Twitter was 'Who are your favourite driver and team?' So, in response to that, it has to be Kamui Kobayashi, and obviously, the Sauber team. Kobayashi is kamikaze, to say the least. When he filled in at Williams, you could tell he wanted to get out there, and enjoy himself. He'd take the smallest of gaps, exploit it, and somehow manage to pull it off every single time. He's entertaining, more than anything, and he's bloody good too.

Sauber just seem to be the small team, with a small budget, who get the most out of their car. They have a knack of picking some absolutely beautiful strategies, and making them work. And with Sergio Perez, it looks like they've made one of the best signings of the season.

Oh, and if you fancy getting in touch on the ol' Twitter, I'm @Adam9309. I've even done the hard work for you. Go on, click. I'm sure you'll think of something to ask.

So what are we in for over the next 8 months? Crashes, fall-outs, team orders, quick lap times, big upgrades, and shocks all round. All in all, another frigging good season.

All my rather gorgeous pics aren't mine. I wasn't there, funnily enough. But anyway, thankyou to the lovely Guardian Sport team for these beauties.

Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://www.gmoai.com

Music Musings: Elbow

Before 2008, no-one had even heard of them. They were 'counter-culture', if you were. Now they're 'mainstream', and everyone wants a piece of them. Mainly their elbows.

God I need a new sense of humour.

For those of you who have been living under some large rock for the last three years, this is Elbow. Their new album, 'Build A Rocket Boys!' was released earlier this month, and is another absolute masterpiece.

I'm an absolutely massive Elbow fan - and I didn't think they'd better 'The Seldom Seen Kid', their previous album. It won a hell of a lot of awards, including the Nationwide Mercury Music Prize, as it was then, which propelled them onto the cover of every music magazine, and onto every radio station. Then 'One Day Like This' arrived, and people began urinating at quite how good that song was. Six minutes of incredible ingenuity to display the talents of Guy Garvey, Mr Frontman himself, to a world stage.

So what am I going to whittle on about tonight? Well, the new record. Obvs.

So let's go through it, in a nice logical, tracklist order. Like most normal people would. We begin with the 8-minute epic that is 'The Birds', which has an infectious hook threaded through it that sends you into a trance. Next is 'Lippy Kids', a song written by Guy to represent the British youths; a song that combats 'the anti-hoody shit that goes on in the media, the thought that if you hang around on a street corner you're a criminal.' It's a beautiful song, that includes an amazing storyline that musters up all sorts of personal memories stored in your head. Third is 'With Love', which starts heavy, and ends it too, and has a thumping beat that will have you whistling along in no time.

Next was the first single, 'Neat Little Rows', which has some very odd effects layered over it, and for me, isn't single material. Doesn't take away from the song though. The wonderfully-titled 'Jesus is a Rochdale Girl' follows, and is a stripped down love song, basically. It sounds very summery, put it that way.

'The Night Will Always Win' is a slow burner, but is a haunting song, that stops you thinking about all the heavy drums and beats, and just takes you back to another beautiful grown-up love song. Just oozes gorgeousness. Then 'High Ideals' comes next, and that returns with a brilliant, almost Brazilian-style beat and horns that just set the song up for constant smiles. Or what about the piano simplicity of 'The River', which has a beautiful choir that sets Guy's vocals to something new. I dunno if it was intended, but I can only think of rivers and water when this is on. Stunning.

Track 9 was featured last Friday on Comic Relief, for those of you who saw it. Titled 'Open Arms', again this features a choir and a rather-techno beat that thuds along with fast-paced drums, and is by far my favourite song on the album. Never fails to make me smile. A reprise of 'The Birds' manages to sneak in just before the end, with vocals from John Moseley, that sound like it should be at a funeral. It is truly, truly beautiful. One of those tracks you just have to sit back and listen to. Until it's destroyed by a Spotify advert. Finally, wrapping up the album, and indeed this post, is 'Dear Friends', which sums up tonight's mood. A beautiful, serene track that plods on and makes everything better. A genius way to end.

I'm seeing Elbow next Tuesday, so keep an eye on my Twitter feed for photos and videos, when I can be arsed to get my phone out. So the majority of the time.

If you haven't heard of Elbow, then why not?! You can listen to them on Spotify right here, have a listen on iTunes here, find them on MySpace by clicking on this one, follow them on Twitter here, or just visit their own website here. HYPERLINK CRAZINESS.

Anyway, this is a live version of 'Open Arms'. Please enjoy.

Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://www.gmoai.com

Music Musings: Elbow

Before 2008, no-one had even heard of them. They were 'counter-culture', if you were. Now they're 'mainstream', and everyone wants a piece of them. Mainly their elbows.

God I need a new sense of humour.

For those of you who have been living under some large rock for the last three years, this is Elbow. Their new album, 'Build A Rocket Boys!' was released earlier this month, and is another absolute masterpiece.

I'm an absolutely massive Elbow fan - and I didn't think they'd better 'The Seldom Seen Kid', their previous album. It won a hell of a lot of awards, including the Nationwide Mercury Music Prize, as it was then, which propelled them onto the cover of every music magazine, and onto every radio station. Then 'One Day Like This' arrived, and people began urinating at quite how good that song was. Six minutes of incredible ingenuity to display the talents of Guy Garvey, Mr Frontman himself, to a world stage.

So what am I going to whittle on about tonight? Well, the new record. Obvs.

So let's go through it, in a nice logical, tracklist order. Like most normal people would. We begin with the 8-minute epic that is 'The Birds', which has an infectious hook threaded through it that sends you into a trance. Next is 'Lippy Kids', a song written by Guy to represent the British youths; a song that combats 'the anti-hoody shit that goes on in the media, the thought that if you hang around on a street corner you're a criminal.' It's a beautiful song, that includes an amazing storyline that musters up all sorts of personal memories stored in your head. Third is 'With Love', which starts heavy, and ends it too, and has a thumping beat that will have you whistling along in no time.

Next was the first single, 'Neat Little Rows', which has some very odd effects layered over it, and for me, isn't single material. Doesn't take away from the song though. The wonderfully-titled 'Jesus is a Rochdale Girl' follows, and is a stripped down love song, basically. It sounds very summery, put it that way.

'The Night Will Always Win' is a slow burner, but is a haunting song, that stops you thinking about all the heavy drums and beats, and just takes you back to another beautiful grown-up love song. Just oozes gorgeousness. Then 'High Ideals' comes next, and that returns with a brilliant, almost Brazilian-style beat and horns that just set the song up for constant smiles. Or what about the piano simplicity of 'The River', which has a beautiful choir that sets Guy's vocals to something new. I dunno if it was intended, but I can only think of rivers and water when this is on. Stunning.

Track 9 was featured last Friday on Comic Relief, for those of you who saw it. Titled 'Open Arms', again this features a choir and a rather-techno beat that thuds along with fast-paced drums, and is by far my favourite song on the album. Never fails to make me smile. A reprise of 'The Birds' manages to sneak in just before the end, with vocals from John Moseley, that sound like it should be at a funeral. It is truly, truly beautiful. One of those tracks you just have to sit back and listen to. Until it's destroyed by a Spotify advert. Finally, wrapping up the album, and indeed this post, is 'Dear Friends', which sums up tonight's mood. A beautiful, serene track that plods on and makes everything better. A genius way to end.

I'm seeing Elbow next Tuesday, so keep an eye on my Twitter feed for photos and videos, when I can be arsed to get my phone out. So the majority of the time.

If you haven't heard of Elbow, then why not?! You can listen to them on Spotify right here, have a listen on iTunes here, find them on MySpace by clicking on this one, follow them on Twitter here, or just visit their own website here. HYPERLINK CRAZINESS.

Anyway, this is a live version of 'Open Arms'. Please enjoy.

Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://www.gmoai.com

Music Musings: Elbow

Before 2008, no-one had even heard of them. They were 'counter-culture', if you were. Now they're 'mainstream', and everyone wants a piece of them. Mainly their elbows.

God I need a new sense of humour.

For those of you who have been living under some large rock for the last three years, this is Elbow. Their new album, 'Build A Rocket Boys!' was released earlier this month, and is another absolute masterpiece.

I'm an absolutely massive Elbow fan - and I didn't think they'd better 'The Seldom Seen Kid', their previous album. It won a hell of a lot of awards, including the Nationwide Mercury Music Prize, as it was then, which propelled them onto the cover of every music magazine, and onto every radio station. Then 'One Day Like This' arrived, and people began urinating at quite how good that song was. Six minutes of incredible ingenuity to display the talents of Guy Garvey, Mr Frontman himself, to a world stage.

So what am I going to whittle on about tonight? Well, the new record. Obvs.

So let's go through it, in a nice logical, tracklist order. Like most normal people would. We begin with the 8-minute epic that is 'The Birds', which has an infectious hook threaded through it that sends you into a trance. Next is 'Lippy Kids', a song written by Guy to represent the British youths; a song that combats 'the anti-hoody shit that goes on in the media, the thought that if you hang around on a street corner you're a criminal.' It's a beautiful song, that includes an amazing storyline that musters up all sorts of personal memories stored in your head. Third is 'With Love', which starts heavy, and ends it too, and has a thumping beat that will have you whistling along in no time.

Next was the first single, 'Neat Little Rows', which has some very odd effects layered over it, and for me, isn't single material. Doesn't take away from the song though. The wonderfully-titled 'Jesus is a Rochdale Girl' follows, and is a stripped down love song, basically. It sounds very summery, put it that way.

'The Night Will Always Win' is a slow burner, but is a haunting song, that stops you thinking about all the heavy drums and beats, and just takes you back to another beautiful grown-up love song. Just oozes gorgeousness. Then 'High Ideals' comes next, and that returns with a brilliant, almost Brazilian-style beat and horns that just set the song up for constant smiles. Or what about the piano simplicity of 'The River', which has a beautiful choir that sets Guy's vocals to something new. I dunno if it was intended, but I can only think of rivers and water when this is on. Stunning.

Track 9 was featured last Friday on Comic Relief, for those of you who saw it. Titled 'Open Arms', again this features a choir and a rather-techno beat that thuds along with fast-paced drums, and is by far my favourite song on the album. Never fails to make me smile. A reprise of 'The Birds' manages to sneak in just before the end, with vocals from John Moseley, that sound like it should be at a funeral. It is truly, truly beautiful. One of those tracks you just have to sit back and listen to. Until it's destroyed by a Spotify advert. Finally, wrapping up the album, and indeed this post, is 'Dear Friends', which sums up tonight's mood. A beautiful, serene track that plods on and makes everything better. A genius way to end.

I'm seeing Elbow next Tuesday, so keep an eye on my Twitter feed for photos and videos, when I can be arsed to get my phone out. So the majority of the time.

If you haven't heard of Elbow, then why not?! You can listen to them on Spotify right here, have a listen on iTunes here, find them on MySpace by clicking on this one, follow them on Twitter here, or just visit their own website here. HYPERLINK CRAZINESS.

Anyway, this is a live version of 'Open Arms'. Please enjoy.

Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://www.gmoai.com

Music Musings: Elbow

Before 2008, no-one had even heard of them. They were 'counter-culture', if you were. Now they're 'mainstream', and everyone wants a piece of them. Mainly their elbows.

God I need a new sense of humour.

For those of you who have been living under some large rock for the last three years, this is Elbow. Their new album, 'Build A Rocket Boys!' was released earlier this month, and is another absolute masterpiece.

I'm an absolutely massive Elbow fan - and I didn't think they'd better 'The Seldom Seen Kid', their previous album. It won a hell of a lot of awards, including the Nationwide Mercury Music Prize, as it was then, which propelled them onto the cover of every music magazine, and onto every radio station. Then 'One Day Like This' arrived, and people began urinating at quite how good that song was. Six minutes of incredible ingenuity to display the talents of Guy Garvey, Mr Frontman himself, to a world stage.

So what am I going to whittle on about tonight? Well, the new record. Obvs.

So let's go through it, in a nice logical, tracklist order. Like most normal people would. We begin with the 8-minute epic that is 'The Birds', which has an infectious hook threaded through it that sends you into a trance. Next is 'Lippy Kids', a song written by Guy to represent the British youths; a song that combats 'the anti-hoody shit that goes on in the media, the thought that if you hang around on a street corner you're a criminal.' It's a beautiful song, that includes an amazing storyline that musters up all sorts of personal memories stored in your head. Third is 'With Love', which starts heavy, and ends it too, and has a thumping beat that will have you whistling along in no time.

Next was the first single, 'Neat Little Rows', which has some very odd effects layered over it, and for me, isn't single material. Doesn't take away from the song though. The wonderfully-titled 'Jesus is a Rochdale Girl' follows, and is a stripped down love song, basically. It sounds very summery, put it that way.

'The Night Will Always Win' is a slow burner, but is a haunting song, that stops you thinking about all the heavy drums and beats, and just takes you back to another beautiful grown-up love song. Just oozes gorgeousness. Then 'High Ideals' comes next, and that returns with a brilliant, almost Brazilian-style beat and horns that just set the song up for constant smiles. Or what about the piano simplicity of 'The River', which has a beautiful choir that sets Guy's vocals to something new. I dunno if it was intended, but I can only think of rivers and water when this is on. Stunning.

Track 9 was featured last Friday on Comic Relief, for those of you who saw it. Titled 'Open Arms', again this features a choir and a rather-techno beat that thuds along with fast-paced drums, and is by far my favourite song on the album. Never fails to make me smile. A reprise of 'The Birds' manages to sneak in just before the end, with vocals from John Moseley, that sound like it should be at a funeral. It is truly, truly beautiful. One of those tracks you just have to sit back and listen to. Until it's destroyed by a Spotify advert. Finally, wrapping up the album, and indeed this post, is 'Dear Friends', which sums up tonight's mood. A beautiful, serene track that plods on and makes everything better. A genius way to end.

I'm seeing Elbow next Tuesday, so keep an eye on my Twitter feed for photos and videos, when I can be arsed to get my phone out. So the majority of the time.

If you haven't heard of Elbow, then why not?! You can listen to them on Spotify right here, have a listen on iTunes here, find them on MySpace by clicking on this one, follow them on Twitter here, or just visit their own website here. HYPERLINK CRAZINESS.

Anyway, this is a live version of 'Open Arms'. Please enjoy.

Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://www.gmoai.com

Better Late Than Never... Brum Win The Carling Cup

Birmingham's on-loan striker Obafemi Martins pounced on a catastrophic error to score late on to beat Arsenal 2-1, and win the Carling Cup at Wembley

The 89th-minute goal earned Birmingham their first major silverware since 1963, after a truly brilliant game between themselves and the 2nd-placed Arsenal. 6ft 8 inches Nikola Zigic flicked a header over the Arsenal defence in the 28th minute to give Birmingham a deserved lead, but Robin van Persie scored a superb volley in the 39th minute to pull it back to 1-1, as half time approached.

Alex McLeish's side came out of the home dressing room the more fired-up of the two teams, but with Ben Foster making some great saves in the second half, Arsenal began to crank up the pressure, and were looking more likely for the winner. However, it was Martins late goal, capitalising on a horrific mix-up between Szczesny and Koscielny to flick the ball into the back of the empty Arsenal net.

Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://gmoai.posterous.com

Superbowl XLV: Lombardi's Heading Home

The Green Bay Packers won a fourth Super Bowl last night, beating the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25 in a stunning game of football at the Cowboys Stadium, in Texas.

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers' three big touchdown passes and a long run following an interception from Neil Collins was enough to secure the Vince Lombardi Trophy returned to Wisconsin for the first time since the 1996 season.

A relatively quiet first quarter was finished by a flurry of attacks from Green Bay, and Rodgers' 29-yard pass to wide receiver Jordy Nelson gave the Packers a 7-0 lead. It took just another 17 seconds for Collins to intercept the ball, and return the 37 yards on a jinking run that gave them a 14-0 lead going into the second quarter.

Shaun Suisham kicked an early 33-yard field goal for the Steelers to pull 3 points back, but Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger was very distant in his passing, and plenty of interceptions followed. The Packers regained the ball, and with 2:31 left on the clock before half-time, Greg Jennings caught a 21-yard pass from Rodgers to push the scoreline to 21-3, and all hope looked to fade for Pittsburgh. However, with little under 40 seconds left, Roethlisberger threw an 8-yard ball to Hines Ward, who completed a 79-yard drive and put the scores to 21-10 at the whistle.

The half-time show this year was awarded to the Black Eyed Peas, who rolled out hundreds of dancers covered in neon lights, Slash, of Guns 'n' Roses fame, and Usher was welcomed in on a wire too. It was a big performance - one that each team then had to live up to in the second half.

The first big play was from the Steelers, and a short run from Rashard Mendenhall resulted in another touchdown, and the Packers lead was cut to just 4 points. It stayed like this until the start of Q4, when another Jennings catch from another Rodgers throw ended in the fourth Green Bay touchdown, and put the score at 28-17.

This game wasn't over, though, and the Steelers' Mike Wallace scored another touchdown, with a two-point conversion, taking the game deficit to just 3 points. The Packers then scored a 23-yard field goal, meaning one touchdown for Pittsburgh would take the Super Bowl to over-time, but Roethlisberger's passing was off-target on all four downs, and the Packers regained the ball and ran out the clock.

The Green Bay Packers lifted the trophy for the first time in 14 years, Aaron Rodgers was named MVP, and the 103,219 fans who had managed to get to Texas through all the snow witnessed one of the greatest comebacks that never was.

To watch highlights of the game, and to read other reports, click right here. Go on, you know you want to.

Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://gmoai.posterous.com