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Tottenham score one for the underdogs
Ben Carter
Roar Guru
17th February, 2011
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Ben Carter
Roar Guru
17th February, 2011
5

“He’s tall, he’s lean, he’s a goal-scoring machine… Peter Crouch, Peter Crouch.” And he’s good for European football, too, you know…

As a long-time appreciator of UEFA’s European Champions League (and SBS’s continued coverage of said league, of course), I was stoked to see continental first-timers Tottenham Hotspur totally rattle AC Milan – in Milan at the San Siro – earlier this week.

Even if Crouchy didn’t score with the head atop that beanpole frame of his, it was an evening for the White Hart Lane faithful to savour.

Less savoury were the actions of Milan skipper Gennaro Gattuso tangling with Tottenham assistant coach Joe Jordan – it said a lot about the frustration of the Italians on their home turf.

How did Spurs boss Harry Redknapp mastermind this stroke of brilliance?

“The whole team were magnificent, every one of them did their job,” he told UEFA.com.

“It was important to play in the right areas and pick the right ball – and we did,” he added.

Thank goodness for that – they got onto the correct pitch and kicked the correct bladder. Good to know Redknapp’s got the basics covered then.

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Under 24 hours later Ukraine’s Shakhtar Donetsk overpowered AS Roma at the Olympic Stadium with a stunning triple-hit of goals close to half time.

Mircea Lucescu, coach of the Kroty (that’s Ukrainian lingo for “moles”) sounded like he was reading from the same celebratory script as his Tottenham counterpart.

“We were lucky Roma were so nervous,” he said on the UEFA website.

“This is how we repay our fans and our president. There’s also my standing here and obviously great credit should go to the players.”

I knew Lucescu had to have a role in all of it somewhere.

But seriously, folks, if both Spurs and Donetsk go through to the last eight in Europe’s richest club tournament it would be a first for each club, and a real reason to celebrate why nights under ECL lights can still deservedly make for terrific drama.

Next week it’s Copenhagen hosting Chelsea at Parken Stadium. If the locals get up they, too will be halfway to a first-ever ECL quarter-final appearance. Let’s hope that all three get there – or further.

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Then there’s Manchester City in the less-glamorous second-chance-ish competition, the Europa League (formerly the UEFA Cup). The Blues are into the last 32 at least. Last season it was Fulham making a surprise run to the final in Hamburg, losing to Spain’s Atletico Madrid 2-1 in extra time.

Isn’t it wonderful? This is the kind of delicious, delirious, fairytale stuff that gives fans of clubs other than the EPL’s big three-and-a-half teams something to aspire to (bar supporters of say Barnet, Lincoln City or Stevenage or the like – and for that piece of dream-crushing truth I sincerely apologise). By three-and-a-half I mean Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool, naturally. Liverpool are half. On a good day.

Do I think the Spurs will go all the way to the final at Wembley on May 28? Nope. Does it matter in the greater scheme of European football? Not a bit. The small victories have been won, the damage to the competition’s elite already done.

Enjoy the top Totties’ ride – thank you and good night indeed.

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