When it Rains it Pours
Daniel Wise
DC has entered its monsoon season with the shifting atmospheric pressure and that means I'll conjure up an old cliché to sell the impact this last week in soccer. Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool FC proved how strong the English Premier League is on the world stage. Both teams came into their second-leg UEFA Champions League semi-final matches facing deficits against two strong teams. Spanish La Liga club Barcelona were the giants of the remaining four teams. With a soccer legend like Lionel Messi and a quality squad behind him, it was tough foreseeing Liverpool making a comeback. Yet, they did it in Liverpool's home fortress of Anfield. Just a ways away over in the Netherlands, a wounded and short-handed Tottenham Hotspur were facing off against Ajax, the giant killers of the Champions League. Who did they slay on their quest for Champions League glory? Real Madrid, who are heated rivals with Barcelona and Juventus, who conquered Italy and had their sights set on the rest of Europe. But Ajax found a way to beat them all. Surely, a beleaguered Tottenham was going to a piece of cake. Yet, even Ajax wasn't ready for the fight that exists within a downed--but not out--English club.
Read More