Prelude to the End of the Season– Rivals, Form and the Future

The end is near. That time is coming. Feel the passion. Feel your heart beating as the clock edges towards the 90 and you need that goal. Do we score? Only time will tell…

Rivals & Form

I really don’t like Man City. Especially in recent times, having taken over Chelsea’s position as the latest club trying to buy success and it irks me. Their fans will sing and sing about how amazing their team has become, however one cannot truly say they have earned the potential success they may achieve in the years to come. But fact is fact, and if they win trophies they will count regardless of how the trophies were won. However, we still hold their fate in our hands, as we meet in the FA Cup Semi-final and we are currently in pole position for the league. I’m not going to start talking about their poor stadium attendance or the lack of respect for their manager or their pathetic Chief Executive Gary Cook or the fact that the money-grabbing whore Tevez who still doesn’t speak proper English is their captain, and of course that pig Balotelli. You know what, I actually hate City.

But as an outsider, not living in Manchester, my most hated team has and will always be Liverpool. The scousers make me sick. I have absolutely loved and revelled in their recent dismal collapse since their infamous “so close yet so far” 2^nd place finish on the 08/09 season- it just makes me smile. Another point to be noted from their side – if United win the league this season, not only will we surpass their treasured record of 18 league titles and therefore dismiss their claim as the most successful team in England, we will do it with possibly the worst team to ever have won the league. No one can dispute that, not even me as a die-hard fan. Our team’s success must be credited to the manager, because the players we have at the moment do not have the same fearful and formidable look at United teams of the past. We lack that creativity in the middle of the park and no team will have won the league with the kind of away record we have produced this season. That said, I’m proud of where we are right now, heading into the most crucial period of the league with games coming thick and fast until the end of the season. 

I believe that the general rise of quality from the lower teams in the league has directly influenced our away form, and had it been Chelsea instead of Arsenal challenging us for the league right now, I would be a lot more worried than I am. But things change quickly in football, just look at both those teams this season. At the beginning of the season, everyone was saying the league was done and dusted; it was Chelsea’s to lose and United had no chance. In 6 weeks, we witnessed an even bigger collapse than the Protea’s at the Cricket World Cup last week. They fell to pieces and now sit back in 3^rd. Arsenal on the other hand, wow; they must surely be mentally defeated after the recent 3 week spell of failure. Firstly, they lost the Carling Cup Final to Birmingham, an average team who gave a good account of themselves but really should have been beaten and the Gunners would have claimed some much needed silverware after a long barren spell. But they blew it and lost after a defensive mix up. Then they went to the Nou Camp and got completely outplayed by possibly the best Barcelona team I will ever see. Yes, they were unlucky with a red card for Van Persie, but the truth is that they had ZERO shots at goal and Barca didn’t even have the first choice centre backs playing. Very poor. What else is there? Oh yes, they then came to Old Trafford for the FA Cup Quarter-final and got outplayed by a United team with 7 defenders in the starting eleven. That was also followed by a 2-2 draw away at West Brom. I don’t know what more to say, it’s going to take some deep mental strength to keep going and put those disappointments behind them. 

The Future

So as it stands, we are in pole position going into the back end of the season. But this will not mean anything if we fail to secure some kind of silverware at the end of it all. I support my team through thick and thin, I never expect success but we have been here and done it all before and Fergie knows best. I’m also happy to report that he has recently stated that “two or three” positions will be filled in the summer which makes me happy because our team needs investment, but that is another article all together. Right now I could not ask for anything more. Lets see if the current crop has what it takes to make that special class of 1999 and win the Treble!

Those heart pounding moments are coming up soon, where you watch every game so closely, staring and shouting at the screen (I mean the ref), and hoping results go your way. There are going to be ups and downs, good times and bad times, mistakes and moments of magic. But one thing is for sure, it’s going to be one thrilling end to the season! 

I Believe and Trust in Fergie.

Weekend Wrap

Football

So for once, my weekend was not dictated by sport and I actually managed to get some things done that I definitely would not have been able to do so, had there been sufficient sport on. By sufficient sport, I mean Premier League. I have lost a major interest in international football since the World Cup and I find the breaks extremely inconvenient and destroy the rhythm of an intense domestic competition. However, in this case, with particular reference to United, it has finally worked in our favour, giving players the chance to recover and return from injury and so far, I hear all our players have are so far unscathed. Please let me same the same by the end of the week!

I will begin my summation with a special shout out to Bafana Bafana, who managed to overcome Egypt with the last kick of the game, setting themselves up for qualification for the African Cup of Nations, something we have missed out on for some time. A late, late Mphela goal secured the victory. Well done, boys! 

Other results included a 2-0 win for England over Wales (without Bale) with goals from Lampard (pen) and a great team goal finished off by Darren Bent, who has now scored in his last 3 games for England. There was a Dutch romp of Hungary 4 nil, with 3 of the 4 goal scorers coming from the Premier League. France managed a 2-0 away victory over Luxemburg, the Republic of Ireland beat Macedonia 2-1, Serbia beat Northern Ireland 2-1 and Antonia Valencia played a part in Equador’s 2-0 defeat to Colombia.

And finally, a special mention must go out to United’s Chicharito, who continues to shine in both domestic and international football with a brace in Mexico’s 3-1 victory over Paraguay. This kid is something special. I have attached a link of his best bits from the game, worth a watch! (http://therepublikofmancunia.com/video-individual-chicharito-highlights-vs-paraguay/)

Rugby

I am working my way backwards this time, starting with yesterday’s epic game of rugby between the Sharks and the Crusaders at Twickenham. Wow. That was some scintillating game of attacking, skilful, tense and passionate ruggers, with the two Southern Hemisphere teams showing the Northern nations how to play the game. First mention must go to the Crusaders team for the victory, they played with intensity and a will to win for the Christchurch victims and they did not disappoint, securing the bonus point with a team performance of individual brilliance. Yes that’s correct. Individuals like Carter and Sonny Bill Williams were sublime, off loads from tackle, line breaks and pinpoint passing made to look like mere basics of the game. The two provided a true master class of performance and are beginning to secure what looks like a deadly combination for New Zealand in the World Cup later this year! The Sharks though did play their part, with Willem Alberts putting his hand up again with a solid try-scoring performance. 

Please look back at my previous article about the Stormers coming right with tries sooner than later. They delivered on their promise and took the first step towards fulfilling their attacking potential, obtaining the bonus point try against the Force who did not manage to score a point in the second half, against the meanest defence in the competition. People must relax before they moan at the only undefeated team at the top of the log. Just like in football, those scrappy 1 nil wins are still wins and fans must be patient. A special mention must go to Peter Grant who has continued his fine form this season, slotting over 9 kicks and putting his hand up for a Bok place. Elsewhere, there were victories for the Reds, Blues and Waratahs as well as the Bulls getting back to winning ways after back to back defeats with a victory over the Lions. 

Cricket

I am not going to begin talking about the Protea’s psychologically demoralising and emotionally heartbreaking defeat, which has left the team and the country extremely disappointed that the team could not overcome the easiest team to draw for the knockout stages to show the composure and BMT required to progress. Massive sigh. The tag is still very much there and I hope there is no long term effect from their continued poor World Cup form. New captain and coach have a massive job on their hands. I wonder if Gary Kirsten would be keen after his India stint?  

What odds could you have got had you predicted 2 teams in the knockout stages would win by 10 wickets? England followed West Indies, being swept aside by a powerful Sri Lankan team who produced a great all round display. After restricting the English with the ball, the opening pair of Dilshan and Tharanga saw off the total, with both players passing their hundreds. 

The semi-finals see New Zealand take on Sri Lanka and India against Pakistan. Personally, I would like to see an India-Sri Lanka final, but one can never be sure. The World Cup has flown by and with just 3 games left, the tournament has been a success, over and above the initial crowd trouble that occurred. Great atmosphere’s in the ground, especially when the home teams play, which have contributed on the overall quality of the event!

The week ahead sees more International football to be played on Tuesday, along with the first of the cricket Semi Finals taking. The second game will be played on Wednesday with the final taking place on the weekend. Premier League also returns on the weekend, but more on that to follow closer to the time!

Have a good week people, make the most of everything and don’t forget, not matter that you do, do it with PASSION!

My Top Singers of All Time

Music. A colossal passion of mine which plays an important role for so many people out there. Everyone (should) have their favourite band of all time and hopefully a handful of singers that just “do it” for them. When I say "do it", I mean when that singer releases a sound so piercing that it sends shivers down your spine and makes you feel alive. When their vocals sound better LIVE than on the album? When they truly complement your mood, escalate your levels of happiness or shifting your mood entirely? I hope people out there feel what I feel, because those that don’t are most definitely missing out!

These special people are out there in the world, born with an amazing gift to connect, and will always have a special place in my heart. The following are my personal list of singers who I can listen to any day of the week, anytime of the day, and they will always be appreciated. I have not a created specific order, but more of a general top 10 (except for the first 2 who are my favourite). I could not manage to officially leave out treasured artists, but I also could not write up on everyone, so everyone noteworthy in my books will get a mention.

1. Chris Cornell - Soundgarden, Audioslave, Temple of the Dog, Solo
 
What a voice! His variety of styles just proves what a special artist he is. I can truly say that this man has, in times of need, brought me to tears. As per previous articles, his work with Soundgarden and Audioslave are unmatched with any of his solo work, but his voice grabs the relevant targets regardless of style. Soundgarden songs such as "Hands All Over", "Fresh Tendrils" & "Tighter & Tighter" never get a listen unless I am ready for the full experience. In addition, Soundgarden's recent revival and performance on the Conan O'Brien show proved that after all his years of rocking, he still has his voice in tact and has it in him to keep on going for years to come. An all time favourite and personal number one singer.

*written before King Animal was released

2. Brandon Boyd - Incubus
 
The prime example of how someone can sound better live in concert than on an album. Taking nothing away from the world-class performances on all of Incubus’s albums, but just listen to Look Alive on DVD and tell me that his vocals do not move you! His voice can be appreciated by a wide range of audience, as Incubus produce music for the public, with singles such as Drive and Wish You Were Here. However, undoubtedly his best work will be found by the true Incubus fans. He sings with grace and stature, always reaching his vocal boundaries with each and every performance. An extraordinary singer of an incredible band that started in his basement, which has taken them on an unimaginable venture around the world.

3. Rob Halford - Judas Priest, Halford, Fight, 2wo
 
This man is regarded as one of the pioneers of heavy metal and is responsible for one of the deepest and overwhelming voices in metal. You don’t earn the nickname "Metal God" for nothing. His ability is unmatched and he is regarded as the king of the deep high pitch scream and in his prime possessed a six-octave vocal range to leave you wondering whether what you heard was possible. Just have a listen to Painkiller and you will see what I mean. He possesses a truly epic voice that cannot be compared to even the most successful rock voices in history. Rob Halford, Metal God.

4. Myles Kennedy - Alter Bridge, The Mayfield Four
 
An incredible singer with ability as both a guitarist and a vocalist, Myles possesses a tenor type of a vocal range that always inspires his audience. I believe Myles' best work is with his current band, Alter Bridge, although he has also performed admirably with Slash on his recent albums. He does struggle to have the same impact live as on the albums (which are truly epic), but this takes nothing away from his ability to reach those extraordinarily high notes which most people think impossible. Myles is able to dig deep and bring out those inner feelings of sensitivity and emotion which run congruently with the majority of his lyrics.

5. Lane Staley - Alice in Chains, Mad Season
 
One of the major founding influences of the grunge scene, Layne was a troubled product of his environment and this came through in AIC's lyrics as well as in his voice. A deep, hollowing sound would always emerge whenever he performed which is best summed up by his performance in front of an intimate crowd for Alice in Chains' Unplugged, one of his final live acts. The raw passion and hurt was clear for everyone to see. His continued battle with substance abuse ultimately caused his downfall, but his legacy will never be forgotten. 

*Alice in Chains has replaced Staley with singer William DuVall who sounds remarkably similar to Staley.

6. James Hetfield - Metallica
 
The lead vocalist of my greatest band of all time, Metallica, with an amazing voice that has changed as time has gone by. From the high pitched, far away shrill on their debut album Kill ‘Em All to a true master class vocal display of power on Black, to a much clearer sound on the Load - James has a voice with the ability to change but this never put his rocking ability in doubt. Metallica's slower songs such as Fade to Black and Nothing Else Matters show his amazing vocal range, while his live performances match those on the albums. Metallica are one of the pioneers of heavy metal and after having had the privilege of meeting Lars Ulrich and catching James’ armband at a concert, Metallica will be forever engrained as my best band of all time.

7. Zack De La Rocha - Rage Against The Machine, One Day As A Lion
 
A truly radical figure with some mad ideas about the way the world should be run. His lyrics display his displeasure with the American government and worldly issues. Rage have organised rallies and protests to voice their disapproval, with Zack and his left wing antics leading the charge. That said, his passion and belief can be clearly seen in their lyrics which can make even the neutral feel intimidated. He has the best rap-rock voice of all time and even though he doesn’t "sing" in the way the others do, his booming voice always keeps me intrigued. I am hoping for one last Rage album in the future, although I highly doubt it will happen.

8. Scott Weiland - Stone Temple Pilots, Velvet Revolver, Solo
 
Scott has always been a favourite of mine, his voice is just so unique to others that it is difficult to describe. It is not powerful or loud, but it is extremely engaging and suits his grunge/rock genre perfectly. His on-stage persona is described by some as flamboyant and chaotic, which could be due to his fluctuating self esteem and deeply disturbed mind. I found his work with Velvet Revolver particularly impressive, combining his the STP and GnR sound to perfection.

9. Bruce Dickinson - Iron Maiden, Solo
 
What a legend. He never seizes to fail when entertaining live, running around from side to side, making sure that everyone in his audience gets a taste and feels wanted. In an interview, he said: “I want to make the guy at the back of the get off like the guy in the front”. Just ask one of the 250 000 fans who paid to see Maiden live at Rock in Rio in 2001. A true Brit, his opera style voice is unlike any other in the rock world. Maiden’s sound complements his voice perfectly and I see more albums to come.

*Maiden have since released Final Frontier

10. Robert Plant - Led Zeppelin, Solo
 
An all time favourite not only for me but for thousands of others out there, Robert Plant is can be seen as one of the most important singers in the history of rock music. In 2006, heavy metal magazine “Hit Parader” named Plant the "Greatest Metal Vocalist of All-Time". I can agree with this as his undoubted influence on the industry paved the way for others and in turn created his own legacy. He also has a successful solo career and at the age of 64 still manages to rock, hard.

There are the first 10 singers who came to my mind, but I cannot finish my write up without some other noteworthy mentions. The following pioneers offer as much, if not more, than the ones I have written on. However, I had to stop myself after the first 10, otherwise I could get a little carried away (not that I haven’t already). I know there are even more out there, but this is just a small piece of the pie.

·         Ozzy Osbourne – Black Sabbath, Solo (Ozzy)

Pioneer. Godfather of Heavy Metal. Prince of Darkness. Madman. Legend.

·         Ronnie James Dio – Black Sabbath, Elf, Rainbow, Heaven and Hell, Solo (Dio)

Hailed as the most powerful singer in heavy metal. Creator of the “devil horns”. Gentleman of Metal.

·         Jim Morrison – The Doors

Enigma. Poet. Psychedelic. Voice like a “Booming Echo of Hollowness”.

·         Freddy Mercury – Queen

Supremely powerful vocals over a four-octave range. Flamboyant stage persona.

·         Kurt Cobain – Nirvana

Troubled. Most unique voice. Spokesperson of Generation X

·         Serj Tankian – System of a Down

Superlative singer. Politically Driven Fighter for the Cause.

Unrivaled Passion.

What A Weekend of Results

Good results dictate my weekend. When things go well, it makes me happy, when they don't I find that I just don't enjoy my weekend quite as much had my teams won. Call me crazy or call me passionate, I don't know why I feel this way, but I do. Luckily, this past weekend was definitely a happy one for me, not only because it was a long one with Monday being a public holiday, but the majority of results went my way, making me one happy guy.

Friday

On Friday, I was lucky enough to be at Newlands on a perfect evening see my home T20 cricket team, The Cape Cobras, see off the challenge of the Warriors to with the Standard Bank Pro20 competition. While I much prefer the "real" formats of the game, T20 seems to entertain more often than not. The Cobras batted first and set a defendable total of 166 for 5 thanks to the opening pair of Gibbs and Levi getting the team off to a good start with an unbeaten 88 run partnership off the first 9 overs. The Cobras restricted the Warriors to 154 for 6 in their allotted overs, meaning new champions were crowned. Great celebrations followed. Well done to the team.

Saturday

An early start on Saturday morning meant that I woke up to see the Proteas cruising to victory over Bangladesh. A great team performance all round provided the Proteas with top spot in Group B which has set up a clash with New Zealand on Friday. This is a team we must back ourselves to beat, surely we have enough depth in every department to win the game and progress to the semis. However, it will add more pressure onto the team, because if they fail, the old "Chokers" label will be even more deeply connected to the team for years to come.

The afternoon brought about some good football results. Man Utd managed to see off a strong Bolton side who, until the 88th minute, had chances to win the game. Matt Taylor missed a golden opportunity to put the game to bed, especially after Jonny Evan's reckless challenge on Stuart Holden lead to his dismissal. They failed to put us away, and so, our never say die attitude and true character shone through yet again to see Dimitar Berbatov put away his chance and Utd won the game 1 nil. To all those Berbatov "fans" out there, you should feel ashamed of yourselves. The guy loves the club, works a lot harder than he did, is the league's top scorer and has now scored important goals - he deserves more credit than what he gets. Well done Berba!

Also, on at the same time were Utd's title rivals Arsenal playing West Brom at the Hawthorns. Keeping tabs on that game I was overjoyed to see the Baggies leading 2 nil in the second half. But a good comeback from the Gunners saw them draw the game 2 2 with goals from Arshavin and Van Persie. They are lucky to still be in the position they are. The title will be decided for sure on 1 May when Utd travel to the Emirates, but if they keep playing attractive footy without the end results, it may not be the game everyone expects.

The Stormers against the Bulls at Loftus on Saturday evening. A hard fought victory for the Stormers who are now still the only unbeaten team left in the competition. They sit pretty at the top of their conference and overall log. Now to all those fans unhappy with their lack of tries, what are you thinking now? Would you rather see a try fest with the team losing the high scoring games OR see the team grind out results early on in the competition and sit top of the logs with a great platform for the upcoming weeks?! Yeah, thought so.

So I had a great long weekend. I caught up on sleep, watched my teams perform well and therefore I was and am still one happy man!

Champions League Draw!

So the Champions League draw for the last 8 took place earlier today and as always we've seen some interesting ties to be played. The following matches will take place:

Q1: Real Madrid vs Tottenham Hotspur (5 and 13 April)
Q2: Chelsea vs Manchester United (6 and 12 April)
Q3: Barcelona vs Shaktar Donetsk (5/6 and 12/13 April)
Q4: Inter Milan vs Schalke 04 (5/6 and 12/13 April)

Semi Finals: Q4 vs Q2 (26/27 April and 3/4 May)
                   Q1 vs Q3 (26/27 April and 3/4 May)


No matter who the opponents were, I was going to be excited! Chelsea. So we get the chance to keep City's 35 year trophy-less hunt an ongoing saga AS WELL AS keeping Chelsea's European dreams at bay. Wow. I'm honestly happy to have avoided Barcelona and Madrid. Big teams with lots to offer. The thought of facing Messi or Ronaldo only if we make the final is a much better thought than having to face them first up. But this draw does give us the chance to avenge our "no-show" in the 2009 Final vs Barca if we both happen to make it to the end.

Spurs drew Madrid. Very interesting. They have shown that they are able to play against the big teams and more importantly they have done so without fear. If they are going down they are going down in style and with an attacking fight! Gonna be a great tie to watch.
Inter Milan have done well to draw the so called "easiest" team out of the lot. Should have enough to see them through to meet (Please God) United in the Semi Final. With Eto'o and Sneijder in the ranks, along with experience like Lucio and Cambiasso, and being defending champions, they should get the job done.
Barcelona also got the favourable draw. Even those this side has and can cause them problems, I highly doubt anything less than Barca waiting for Madrid in that Semi Final spot. Now that would be 2 epic ties!

Bring on those heart pounding Tues and Wed nights! Love it. United by Passion

Signings of the Season

At the start (or in the middle) of every season, managers make signings to bolster their squad to improve their chances of silverware or survival. The transfer market over the last few seasons has become an inflated joke with transfer fees flying through the roof. While the big teams have always had money to spend, the transfer market has become a difficult place to get value for your money.

It really started with Man Utd's sale of Ronaldo to Madrid for 80 million Pounds. 80 Million Pounds!! Just think about that number. Its crazy to be spending that amount of money on a person to play football for your team. Let alone another 55 million on another player in that same time frame. Now you might say that Ronaldo has proved that it was money well spent with his goal return and influence on the team since his arrival. This is true, but still, that kind of money comes with huge pressure on both the player and the club and there are many times the player does not fit the price paid. He is one of the exceptions that have liven up to that tag, but other players like Kaka, Ibrahimovic, Torres (still early) and the classic Veron have all struggled or continue to struggle to prove their worth.

With those huge amounts in mind and the market the way it is, I would like to point out 2 incredible signings this season who have changed the fortunes of their respective teams on countless occasions and who will grow from strength to strength.

1. Rafael Van Der Vaart

A late (late!) deadline day signing for Spurs. What a signing. For the 8 odd million they spent on him, his return has been amazing. He fits perfectly into their team and Harry Redknapp gives him the freedom to express himself by playing in that centre forwad role. He pushes forward, creates chances, scores goals and has been their match winner many times so far. After an average World Cup, not many people thought he would prove to be the assest he has become for this Spurs team. It should also be mentioned that it was Spurs chairman, Daniel Levy, who was responsible for the signing, and not Harry. Not many chairmen have or can do that. For 8 Million! Nice little surprise ey ;)

2. Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez

I am going to start off by saying that I could write countless articles about this kid. What a superstar he is going to be! Not that he isnt already. A good, honest, hard working, passionate person and a speedy, clever & lethal (deadly!) football player. A natural goalscorer. In the Michael Owen/ Ruud Van Nistelrooy mould. This kid will be scoring goals for years to come.

What is so special about him? For starters he comes from a football playing family, with both his father and grandfather representing their country. He also has respect and appreciation for where he is, what he has achieved and the people who provided him with the opportunity. He is grounded and level headed, all very  rare characteristics of the modern day footballer. Listen to his words after he scores winning goals for his teams, he hardly ever praises his own ability or performance, but rather chooses to be happy that the TEAM won and that it was a TEAM performance (even when it isnt entirely true). This bodes so well for him to be successful and for him to be loyal to Utd for the long term.

I dubbed him the "Saviour" for Utd at the beginning of the season and so far he has proved to be just that. What even more impressive is that his 16 goals this season havnt come from starting week in week out, whether its from the bench or from the start, he manages to get in the right positions and he puts his chances away 9 out of 10 times. Backwards headers, outside the box finishes or tap-ins, this kid has got it.

For the undisclosed figure estimated to also be around the 8 million mark, you cant argue with the amazing value that Fergie and his scouts have managed to unearth here. Amazing signing and future world class footballer.

Conclusion:

As a passionate, bias, red-spec wearing Red, im going with Chicha. Van Der Vaarts injuries have also played their part in my decision but I honestly cannot get over how much of an impact and goals he has provided with the time spend on the pitch.

Call it bias, but its not an outrageous decision and im so happy be plays for Utd.

The Stormers - Depth, Experience and Youth

Depth, Experience and Youth 

Last season the ever underachieving Stormers finally had a season to remember by reaching the final of the Super14. Thats where it ended as we failed to perform when we needed to most and credit must go to the consistent BMT performances of the Bulls. But it was so refreshing to see the Cape Town team finally offer resistance and quality, this of course started with the signings of Bryan Habana and Jaque Fourie, 2 world class Boks so changed the backline. Along with the emergence of Gio Aplon as a game breaker and the excitement and energy that Juan De Jong brought to the backline was incredible.

This season, with a year of experience under the belt with the same backline, along with Peter Grant who has returned from his time in Japan a much more composed and reliable flyhalf with a hugely improved all important kicking game. This said, the Stormers have only managed 1 try in 3 games. Not a great return but I promise you, its a long season and this team will put a number of teams to the sword. But lets focus on the wins, focus on the points gained and appreciate that you cant always win pretty, but a win is a win and lets be grateful. We have the quality and experience required to go far in the competition and I believe come the business end of the tournament we will be up there.

What is also really exciting is the youth on offer at WP on a whole. This is a direct effect of the Varsity Cup, a competition that grows each year it is played and I believe will play a huge part in the development of SA rugby youth and will benefit the nation for years to come. Looking at players like Juan De Jong and Tim Whitehead, both Stomers players who played in the Varsity Cup. Kyle Brown, the SA Sevens Captain, also a product of this fine competition. Then a player like Marcel Brache is definitely one for the future, a big powerful runner with ball in hand with that creative spark required to break the line.

The Stormers boast a squad of youth, with the likes of Danie Poolman and Rynhard Elstadt getting a good run in the team and experience, with Schalk, Bryan, Jaque, Jean and Andries all been there and done that. Andries in particular is the heir to the Victor/Bakkies throne, with the lock a constant thorn in opposition sides with his high work rate, hearty performances and option in the lineout is always missed when he is missing. I'd also like to see Conrad Jantjies recover from injury and have a consistent run in the team. He offers stability at the back and a good boot which is always useful for the team.

As mentioned, its a long season and our time to perform with quality will come. Alistair Coetzee is a great coach, who I believe will be the Bok coach one day, and with Rassie running things behind the scenes we have seen the WP outfit grow over the last few seasons, a direct effect of these people and their coaching and management staff. Looking forward to the Bulls clash on the weekend, should have some tries in it!

adidas's new marketing campaign & Unrivalled Passion go hand in hand

So adidas will be launching their BIGGEST EVER marketing campaign and guess what their theme of it is?!

PASSION - what do artists, musicians and athletes put into their "game"? It is a campaign aimed to look into the primitive nature of raw passion and what it takes to succeed. Directed by Romain Gavras and featuring the song ‘Civilization’ by French electronic band Justice, the campaign features NBA star Derrick Rose, soccer stars David Beckham and Lionel Messi and pop icon Katy Perry to name a few.

Unrivaled Passion's core concept is exactly that! If adidas has just launched their biggest marketing campaign ever and it is connected to the core concept of what the blog is about, then I believe it can grow from strength to strength.

Satisfaction. The Passion just got more intense.

(link: http://popsop.com/44140)

Soundgarden Revival

As a lover of alternative music, heavy metal to be precise, I was stoked to hear that one of my all time favourite bands, Soundgarden, with my all time best singer, Chris Cornell, would be getting together again. They started off their new age re-launch by playing their newly released song (Black Rain) from their Best Of album (Telephantasm) on The Conan O'Brian Show, along with copies of the album being distributed inside the packages and at the same time of as the release of the new Guitar Hero game. This helped generate huge exposure for the band who never really cared much for the public eye, with Conan reaching thousands of people across the globe and Guitar Hero speaks for itself.

At first I thought Telephantasm was the only thing they would be doing, however its seems that they are planning on taking the next step. Chris has confirmed that the band will be taking to the studio this week and where they will start recording a new album. He said that they had a lot of old stuff which they are reinventing and adapting, as well as fresh material altogether. This excites me. They have always had such a unique sound and I always believed Chris's best and most moving vocal range comes from Soundgarden. Songs like "Hands All Over" & "Fresh Tendrils" cannot be matched, with his voice never failing to make my hair raise on end. I look forward to more of the same.

Talking to Spin Magazine, Chris added; "We don't have a schedule," he said. "It's not like we are going to go into the studio and come out when we're finished with an album." Since it's been so long since Soundgarden have worked together, the emphasis seems to be on just letting the ideas flow. "The process of writing, recording, and being creative together is the most important thing, not meeting a deadline," he added.

• Telephantasm is a compilation album featuring songs spanning the band's 14-year career.
• It was released on September 28, 2010 through A&M Records. 
• New Song, Black Rain, showed they still have what it takes

Im eagerly awaiting their new album, which could take awhile, but will be worth the wait. They are showing the PASSION never died, its still inside the band and im sure it will contribute to one epic old school grunge album!!

Man Utd: FA Cup (Draw), Rivals, Midfield & Youth

FA CUP & RIVALS:

This past weekend reinstalled any worry that had been forming over the past couple of weeks, following back to back defeats to rivals Chelsea & Liverpool, respectively. Even with 7 defenders in the starting 11, Utd managed to quell the threat offered by the Gunners and won the game 2 nil. It was particularly encouraging to see the ease in which that Arsenal team mentally just could not break us down. I do not believe they will recover from getting dumped out of 3 competitions in the space of 2 weeks and I see the league at ours to lose. That said, the game at the Emirates on the 1st of May will definitely prove pivotal, but the truth is that if Chelsea or even City were in the position Arsenal are in right now in the league, I would feel a lot more threatened. The Gunners game in hand is away at Spurs, so now how handy does that game in hand actually sound?

We now play City in the semi finals at Wembley. Big game. The chance to keep their trophy hunt at bay and keep that banner on the Stretford End moving closer toward and past 35 years. The will be seeking revenge but who cares, we are Utd, the players will be up for it and we should take them. Lets keep showing them whose boss.

MIDFIELD:

Where do I begin? How have we managed to be in the position we are in? Is it because of the powerful, dominating and creative driving forces in the centre of our park? NO. Is it because we have match-winning CM's who are able to change games? NO. Is it because of their creativity and assist ratio? Not a fuck. These guys have been there and done it before, they have the experience but wow, I can truthfully say that if we look across the other top 20 teams in Europe, at least one if not both of their CM players would walk into our team. Further my point, the top footballers in their positions (FIFPro) are voted by over 50 000 professional players amongst Europe's leagues. We had Ed in Goals, couple defenders and strikers, but did we have a Midfielder? Nope. Its worrying and Fergie needs to stop being stubborn and spend in the summer. Im not for one minute saying dump them (or disrespecting Sir Alex), because Fletch and Carrick as said have the experience needed and Ando has years in him yet, but fuck me we need someone else. Who? I don't know, we all know the options out there but Fergie just better make it happen! We have the money, so lets see some recruits in the summer.

YOUTH:

Our youngsters did what our 1st team couldnt do, which was to beat the Scousers on the home turf. A great victory, considering the circumstances and the location! Ravel Morrison, an extremely talented youngster with a fiery temperament, scored the equaliser and winner. He looks like he has massive potential, along with Pogba, Keane and Tunnicliffe. Bodes well for the future! Well done Lads!

To conclude, we have Mareille at home tomorrow. Must win. No excuses!

COME ON UTD!! Lets show them the desire, the PASSION, that will see us through to the Quarters....

Welcome

A hearty welcome to everyone and anyone who reads this. I appreciate the time taken to read my words and im sure there will be times when you read what I write and think, "wow, that's ridiculous" or "does he really think that?", but let me promise you that there is always method to the madness and I welcome anyone to disprove my opinions and thoughts!

I start off my blogging career with a picture of this guy's commitment to Man Utd, the same commitment as I have, I just dont think I can warrant that type artwork on my back!
Diehard. Unrivaled Passion!

Happy reading, enjoy and please spread the word!