Evil Over Good

Fairytale endings aren’t always possible and that was very much the case last night when the flair of Barcelona and the Washington Capitals just could not overcome their stubborn opponents. I have heard so much criticism and negativity being spoken and written about the tactics of Inter and the Habs, but I have nothing but praise for both teams. Most people want to see good, free flowing and attacking football and hockey which I understand, but sometimes the evil gods are against that. Sure, everybody enjoys seeing teams like Barcelona and Arsenal pitting their wits against each other, to see who can out-pass, out-skill and out-score the other. Not everybody can or should play that style however to achieve victory.

I am not for one minute advocating that all teams should play that way – it would be a grim world if they did – but it is equally unfair not to recognise the defensive and tactical master classes which both Inter and the Habs displayed. Both teams faced periods where they faced a numerical disadvantage, but top class positional play from the forwards all the way to the goalkeepers was essential in denying the flair players of Messi and Ovechkin any time or space. Both teams were superbly well drilled, tactically superior, and deserved to win in my view over the two legs and the series. More than anything, and maybe this is the Yorkshire and Everton fan in me, but seeing both the Inter and Habs’ players throwing themselves to block shots with all the desperation in the world to prevent a potential goal, was impressive to watch.

Nobody can deny that Barca had by far more possession, just like the Capitals had easily more shots than the Habs. Looking at actual chances created however (NB: shots and possession are not always a fair reflection of the actual play itself and who ‘deserves’ the result), there was not a great deal between Inter and Barca, nor the Habs and the Caps. Barca had plenty of the ball but how many times was Julio Cesar genuinely tested during the two legs? Not that many in fact. Simply being able to pass the ball from one side of the pitch to another does not constitute deserving to win. Look at the Capitals shooting last night. Sure, Halak’s save record in the last three matches is amazing, but it disguises the fact that the Habs’ players allowed the Caps to shoot when it was favourable for Halak to save them – from distance or when Halak had clear sight of the puck for example. How many times did you see a Capitals player clean through on Halak or a two on one for example? When you analyse the actual chances created instead of the dramatic comparison of saves, the Habs arguably had the same if not the better and clearer chances to score than the Capitals. As well as arguing in favour of organisation and discipline, it must not be forgotten the danger and threat that both teams created on the counter attack neither. This was not remeniscent of the Rangers Uefa Cup runner-up team from a couple of seasons ago that virtually targeted one goal or a penalty win after goalless draws. Both teams played some superb counter attacking football over the two legs and series to outscore their opponents.

Inter’s win very much reminded me of the 2001 (I think) UCL campaign when Bayern and Valencia got to the final. There were plenty more attractive sides to watch, but that was a season when organised and disciplined teams emerged victorious. Evil over good in many people’s eyes. This season is very similar in my view. Thankfully, that style of evil play was overcome in subsequent years but it does happen occasionally where destructive play will overcome creativity and that should not be cast in a negative light necessarily. In essence, it is the reason why we love watching football and hockey. Last night’s games were not the most attractive to watch, but they were incredibly enthralling to watch. The challenge for the Barca’s and the Capitals of this world is to regroup for next season’s campaign, and try and find a way to defeat the evil.