San Moix, Mallorca, Tuesday 11th September 2001
UEFA Champions League. Stage 1, match 1
Scorers: Engonga 11 (pen)
Arsenal:
Seaman
Lauren Keown Campbell Cole
Pires (Parlour) Vieira van Bronckhorst Ljungberg (Jeffers)
Henry Wiltord (Kanu)
subs: Wright, Jeffers, Parlour, Grimandi,
Inamoto, Upson, Kanu
The game started with what seemed like a second of
silence in honour of the people killed by today's
tragic events in America.
Arsenal lined up much as expected, except for the strip:
the dark blue third shirt with bright yellow shorts and
socks. Yuk. Perhaps understandably, they played as if
they had the flight home on their minds. Or like their
socks were made of custard.
Patrick Vieira gave the ball away softly in midfield
after a minute (bringing back horrible memories of
Ryan Giggs), but Lauren got back to tackle.
Lauren put a good cross in from the right a little after
that, but neither Henry or Wiltord made a run into the 6
yard area to turn it into a dangerous situation for Mallorca.
Nadal hit a great long ball for Campano, allowed tons of space
on their right wing. His cross found Luque who'd got away from both
Martin and Sol, but he placed his free header over the bar.
On 10 minutes the nightmare started. Mallorca had been getting
into the game a bit more after a strong Arsenal start. Following an
unfortunate tackle which went straight to the playmaker Ibagapa,
he was allowed to run through midfield and slip the ball through
to Luque. Cole went for one of those challenges where he tries
to get his foot around from behind (like the one for
England the other week which should have been a penalty).
and brough Luque down. It was right in front of Seaman,
and so it's hard to argue with the penalty or the red card.
Engonga stepped up to take the penalty (Luque having missed
their last penalty) and cooled chipped it down the middle as
Seaman
dropped to his left.
Van Bronckhorst moved into the left-back position, where he
plays for Holland. But does anyone know if he's played there
for Arsenal before, even in training?
Vieira lost the ball to Luque who tried a very long-range shot
which rolled wide of the goal and which would have been an easy
save if on target.
Pires was booked chasing back after losing the ball softly, sliding
in late from behind, again there was little ground for complaint.
Seaman gave the ball away softly, throwing the ball straight
to Eto'o who fortunately rushed his shot so it went through easily
for Seaman, who got back well.
We defended like statues for a moment, allowing Luque in
down the left. His cross went behind 2 defenders but the third,
Campbell
just got a foot on it to stop the player on the far side getting
a free shot at goal. They played it back to Engonga who hit a
good shot which Seaman did well to parry. Campbell got in to
clear.
Henry managed to get a corner out of a speculative turn and shot.
Bronco played it into the box where Keown headed up in the air
and the keeper came to catch it.
It was all looking very dodgy. Pires and Vieira kept giving the
ball away (although it's probably unfair to single anyone out,
you do notice when it's them). Campbell was being made to look
very ordinary a few times by Luque. And Mallorca were closing down
quickly and creating lots of half chances.
Gio ran across Olaizola's run into the side of the box, and did
appear to make slight contact before the Mallorca player went down.
A heart-stopping moment but the ref judged there was no contact
and booked Olaizola for diving.
Luque beat the offside trap down our left, with Gio nowhere in sight,
and found Ibagaza beyond the far post. He headed into the box where
Keown stooped to head clear. But not with any power - the ball
dropping to left-back Soler who hit his shot well wide.
After Vieira gave it away another time, we got off lightly as
Luque failed to turn in time, or didn't know that Ibagaza had
made a run into acres of space ahead and to the left. Keown
was abel to get over to dispossess the striker before he saw
the chance.
Ljungberg went on a good run down the left, but with plenty of
time to place his cut-back he hit it straight to a defender.
To be fair, the defence had got back well and the crowded
box denied him an easy ball to Henry or Wiltord. Mallorca
broke quickly and effectively up the other end where the shot from
the right side of the box fortunately took a deflection to slow it down and
it rolled safely into Seaman's arms.
Wiltord created space for a shot just before half time but from
20 yards it needed to be
hit more strongly. Then something went our way. Ibagaza went off injured
(possibly caused by a big, and legal, Vieira challenge).
Ljungberg had a shot charged down at close range from the
edge of the box.
Just before the end of the half Luque was given too much room again,
and he hit a good dipping shot from the edge of the box which
Seaman did well to tip over the bar. There wasn't time for the corner.
Mallorca started the second half with a couple
of decent chances. Luque went on a run from right to left across
and outisde our box. Keown tracked across well to deny him a
clear shot but it didn't go that far wide of the near post.
Then Keown did well again to scramble the ball out of our
crowded box for a corner, and Seaman was foced to make a couple
of saves.
Nino was booked sliding in on Henry, when Thierry was running
nowhere. We came up for the free-kick but lost possession quickly
and Keown did well to win the ball back with both him and
Sol stranded up the right wing. He got it through to Pires who tried
a slow curler inside the far post, which never really curled. The
opening deserved more.
We got let off the hook big-time when Luque was wrongly given
offside.
Nadal was allowed to go clear down the left but Lauren got
across to put him off and he tried a shot from a narrow angle.
Into the side-netting when he coiuld surely have taken time to
pick someone out in the box.
Keown's presence was crucial again, heading out a cross
from Campano from their right. Then 2 Mallorca players combined
superbly on the other side with a couple of quick one-twos
at the corner of the box, creating loads of space for a shot
which flew into the side-netting. Very good chance, defence
made to look ordinary again (at best).
Henry ran onto a great long-ball from Pires, pushed it past
Nadal who caught his trailing foot right on the edge of
the box. It looked a cert for a penalty but the ref again
decided to pull out a yellow card for diving.
By the way it's 3 yellow cards for a suspension again this year.
Arsenal seemed to gain a bit of confidence from the incident
at least. Still, it would have been nice for someone
to go over and help Freddie out on the right when he found
himsefl in possession surrounded by 3 defenders. He did brilliantly
to get a throw-in out of it.
Seaman did really well to spot the danger as Eto'o got past Vieira
and Bronco in the box on the left. The keeper came out sharply to
block the shot.
20 minutes to go, and Arsenal went for a wholesale change
upfront, with Jeffers and Kanu coming on for Ljungberg and
Wiltord.
13 minutes to go and Van Bronckhorst went on a good run down the left but Nino
intercepted his cross before it could get through to Jeffers.
Before the throw could be taken we brought Parlour on for Pires.
Kanu created a half-chance from the throw with a clever dummy,
but lashed his shot from the side of the box high and wide.
Seaman made a great save when a good Campbell challenge on Eto'o
came back out to Pounevic. He hit it low and hard and Dave
gathered at the second attempt.
Up the other end good play from Jeffers almost put Parlour in
on goal but the keeper got there first. Then Jeffers again
almost made a chance from the right, trying to pick out
Henry's run to the far post with a diagonal ball over the top,
but hitting it too strong for Henry to reach.
We kept up a bit of pressure, with Sol and Martin installign themselves
upfield for a series of corners and free-kicks, but the delivery
was never good.
In injury time a free-kick from Bronco on the right fell for Jeffers
on the far side of the box after 2 ricochets off defenders.
He hit it well but got right under the shot sending it well over.
In the 4th minute of stoppage time Parlour got into space on the right.
Only Jeffers made himself available running forward into the box and
Ray hit a beautiful cross for him which Jeffers only had to
touch to send goalwards but he missed it completely.
The last act of the match was Seaman running well out of his box
to clear when Mallorca broke clear.
report by Rupe
Preview
- Arsenal team news
In his post-match email following the Chelsea game,
Wenger says, "I was tempted to play Francis Jeffers today, and
he will definitely play some part on Tuesday. He was in my squad for
Chelsea, but because we already had three strikers on the field, and Kanu on
the bench, there was no room for him. There is a lot of competition here.
Yet that doesn't change my long-term thinking about Jeffers. I have a very
high regard for him. At the moment, my target is to work him very hard
physically and the improvement was there for all to see against Albania in
England's under-21 match when he scored a hat-trick. He will play for us
very soon." Given the greater expereince at this level of the other strikers,
we can probably expect to see Jeffers on the bench to start with, with
probably Henry and Wiltord starting. Bergkamp is staying at home.
Adams aggravated a foot injury at the weekend (here we go again)
so Sol and Keown will presumably play.
Vieira and Parlour are both available having had a day off
at the weekend.
Dixon is still injured so Lauren will face his old team-mates
from the right-back spot.
- Real_Mallorca team news
They finished above Barcelona and Valencia last season, and
have only really lost their keeper since then (plus Finidi George
who's moved to Ipswich which perhaps indicates that he's not
the force he was). So this will be
no pushover.
Players of note:
Nadal (experienced but aging centre-back)
Fatih (ex Galatasaray full back, lookign for move home?
after being left out of first 2 games of season. Only moved to
Mallorca in May of this year.
Engonga (experienced midfield general)
Eto'o (Cameroun striker)
Luque (Spanish U21 striker)
Leo Franco (keeper, replaced German Burgos this summer)
Carlos Rea (Argentine keeper France 98, second fiddle so far this season)
Roberto Merino is out (meniscus).
- other previews:
- UK TV/Radio coverage
Live on ITV Sport plus (on ITV digital)
- See also
Other reports
Your reports
- Please note that any website can get its match report(s) listed on these
pages, simply by
emailing us
the URL.
- We will go looking for reports, but none are guaranteed to make
it into the list unless emailed to us.
- Also, URLs which are emailed
to us will head to the top of the list (after links to AFCi and Arseweb's
newsreel report).
- Reports for publication on this page from Arsenal fans are always welcomed (as are any
features/stories/whatever that you'd like to see published on ArseWeb).
Useful links for armchair fans
Useful links for swivel-chair fans
- Arsenal Live. getting commentary
on your computer, IRC, Real Audio, etc.
- Note also that often there will be an audio feed available
from the opposition's website (most probably their official site).
Useful links for travelling fans
- ArseWeb's highbury pages, including ticket info, getting to the ground, etc.
- AwayFans.co.uk. Stadium reviews and info. Maps, traffic reports, pub lists, info on disabled/wheelchair provisions, etc. Conference teams as well as Premiership and Nationwide.
- London football Arsenal page from
a site focussing on info for fans from abroad wanting to get to matches (tickets,
travel, accomodation, etc).
- From the Terrace. Each team's section includes a page on their ground, with directions. Premiership, Nationwide, and Scottish.
- AwayGuide.net. Directions, maps, pub guides. All Premiership and Nationwide league teams.
- Football Ground Guide. Lovely site, loads of info, pics, diagrams, etc
- Football Grounds of England. With capacities, record gates, and pictures.
- Football Grounds frenzy. Wonderful photos of football grounds, with a little info too. Everything apart from
glitzy new grounds, and no Premiership ones. Might be handy for Cup games, and
certainly nice to look at!
- FanZone.
Information for travelling sports fans. directions, car parks, eateries,
pubs, blah-de-blah....
- Our own Highbury pages for useful info for Arsenal's home games.
|