PETER HAZDOVAC REPORTING FROM WHITE HART LANE
I am not a reporter or a writer. I’m a fan. A fan of the game, the passion, the athletes, and most of all the pride the game brings out at all levels. The following is my take of the Tottenham vs. Blackburn game I attended on March 13, 2010 in London, England.
Since the age of 5, football has been my life- and to finally watch an EPL game was a dream come true. For what baseball fans would consider going to Wrigley Field or Fenway Park, English Premier League football is the center of the club footballing universe. All in all, football is a lifestyle in England. Kids are brought up by their parents to have pride in their side, in good and in bad while leaving everything out on the field.
WHEN DO YOU SEE THIS? THREE IRISH GUYS WEARING CROATIAN SHIRTS TO A PREMIERSHIP MATCH
The atmosphere is electric, from the subway to the pub before the game. There is a sense of anticipation as crowds of fans wait anxiously for the walk into the stadium. The Spurs Store is packed as people try to find their last piece of gear to rock in the famous White Hart Lane. To be honest, this is what makes the EPL so great, its fans! Fans who appreciate hard work on the field, good passing, and great defense (something most MLS fans simply do not get). The feeling of 38,000 people jumping on their feet for a counter attack lead by Luka Modrić gives me chills just thinking about it; now that I’ve experienced it first hand.
IRISH SAY CROATIANS ARE LUCKY CHARMS FOR CROTTENHAM
My summary of the actual game and Croatian players:
Tottenham: Simply the better side. Quality players that just outmatched Blackburn in all positions. Played like a top 5 side and took care of business at home!
ĆORLUKA IS A HIT IN NORTH LONDON AS WELL
Ćorluka: First off the guy is only 23 years old! His strength, size, speed, and technical ability are something that makes him special. One thing that really impressed me was his ability to constantly get forward and provide an offensive threat for 90 minutes.
Kranjčar: Signs of absolute greatness but sometimes inconsistent. He is a starter on Croatian National team for a reason! Great on dead balls and a very creative offensive mind. Not the fastest guy on the pitch or strongest player defensively.
Modrić: MAGIC! The croud holds their breath with every move this ‘man of the match’ made. Fans adore him……need I say more about the quality he brings to Tottenham.
Blackburn: Tough place for them to come and try to get some points. As a player, I understand somewhat of how hard it is to go away and try to steal a draw, let alone a win.
Kalinić: Absolutely impressed me in all ways. Playing as a lone forward is not an easy thing to do and his hard work was to be respected. Scored a brilliant goal which was sadly called back. Held the ball up and earned many fouls for his side in dangerous areas. Definitely deserves some more looks from Bilić!
SEE GUYS. HAJDUK AND DINAMO CAN GET ALONG AFTER ALL
Viewers of CSR, but mostly the writers of the articles, sometimes forget how hard this game really is. If players were perfect there would be no use in playing because it is a game of mistakes and how teams can capitalize on these mistakes. Some of us forget or simply may not know how hard these guys push their bodies and how much they actually play. So as a fan to other fans, take a minute to respect the level these guys play at on a daily basis before bashing them for normal mistakes. These are our players and we should support them to the fullest.
Thank you to my new Irish bud for the interview, my friends in London and LA for the tickets, CSR, and my dad for being there to experience one of the best days of my life.
Sve najbolje!
~Thanks to Peter Hazdovac for a great interview and write-up from London, England
good job, braco!
I'm definitely biased as I have lived in both countries. I would much rather live in Zagreb because of the quality of life is better than in Split.
Split absolutely has beautiful women but in the long run, having beautiful women won't pay the average Jura's salary…unless he's in the adult industry.
I still think Zagreb is the clear favorite.
Enough debate about Zagreb vs Split, both towns are great. The soccer team from Split though, tragic.
As a Croat Australian Im unbiased & dont play favourites,I have family in both Zagreb & Split,I visited both Cities many times,I was there in 2005 last,& before that in 2000..
Id say they both have there advantages & disadvantages,
Split most def has finer Women,you dont have to look very far to find a stunning lady..
The locals in Zagreb seem to be friendlier & show more hospitality,Split folks can be snobby at times..
Even tho Split probably had a better set up for night clubs etc..I got up to more mischief in Zagreb & its those nights that stick in my mind..
Food wise,id say a tie Split had that mad sea food while Zagreb had the good ole Cevapi..
If i had to move out of Australia right now,which aint gon happen but if it did & i had to settle some where Id go with Zagreb,Just feel more at home there..probably cause the lifestyle is more similar to that of mine..
Fair enough, Tom- Split is allright, but I wouldn't want to live there. It's too small for one thing. The women are gorgeous, I'll give you that.
Okay, okay…. in all seriousness….. this friendly banter has gotten out of hand….
I have family in both Zagreb and Split…. truth be told, though, I would much rather live in Split…. Having said that, I will never have to make that decision, as I have no intention of relocating to Hrvatska…. I am also fully aware that facts are facts… Dinamo has indeed been better for the last number of years…. but hey, we all have our allegiances and we stick to 'em, right? So, yes, I find consolation in beating Dinamo when the Championship is out of reach:)
If you gut cash, both places are enjoyable. If you are broke, then both places stink.
Split would be a great place to live if it was not for the splicani and their attitude.
Split a better quality of life than Zagreb? Why, because it's got the sea and a few palm trees? So does Mogadishu, Somalia.
If that's your reasoning then take away Hajduk's championships because whenever they finished first, Dinamo has had the better record against them.
Ouch, must suck when that argument is thrown back into your face.
In terms of quality of life, of course Zagreb is better. That's why Dalmatinci have such long necks…to look to Zagreb.
Ouuuuch!
Not so terrible, really — it allowed both teams to find some measure of satisfaction:)
"Did Hajduk not beat Dinamo more times last year than Dinamo beat Hajduk?"
I know and they still finished runners up, terrible isn't it? lol
Did Hajduk not beat Dinamo more times last year than Dinamo beat Hajduk?
Anyway, everyone knows the quality of life is so much better in Split than Zagreb…. I too would support my team to the "n"th degree if I had to live in Zagreb:)
I like Ante BBB's reply 🙂
Hope Hajduk enjoy playing for second place 🙂
Ah, you mean the 3:0 bending over the chair the plavi put on hajduk.
Just wanted to double check.
Yep, that was indeed the game they lost…. after the "fix" at Maksimir:)
Was that the time he scored three goals on lost?
..i na strani i kod kuce Tomo brani nemoguce! Tomo Butina!
I like Tom's answer better 🙂
No, no, you're mistaken…
That's Corluka asking Kalinic what it was like to score three goals against Dinamo in a single game. I'm guessing but I would doubt there are many players that can say that.
Dinamo and Hajduk get along…. NEVER EVER EVER EVER… 🙂
Corluka is just asking Kalinic how it feels to get beat.. Theres only one guy smiling in that picture 🙂
I return from San Diego to this garbage. I had to be different from the rest. 🙂
Peter, this was impressive. You took 'fanzone' to another level. A picture or two, a video or two, and your own personal experience, this was all included in your masterpiece.
I will never forget catching Chelsea-Portsmouth and Fulham-Sunderland five years ago or so in London. However, catching Crottenham live is a different story then watching Zivkovic get scored on by Wayne Bridge. 🙂
Good stuff man. I will catch up with you at Hajduk night tomorrow, you must have tons of stories.
Beautiful post, Peter. As pure and real as anything in today's media.
I'm a longtime Spurs fan and this article made me SO proud that you felt what I feel in supporting Spurs. These are real fans.
Bilic told Modric to come to WHL for a reason. He'd be important, he'd get to start regularly and it would make him a stronger player down the road. Add in the emotional context that playing for Spurs brings and you can see Bilic was right.
Like Harry Redknapp, I'm also very pleased with the play of Corluka and Kranjcar. Very smart players. The three of them have all made a great contribution to a great club and even greater glory is just ahead.
Thanks for this report. Keep watching and keep writing to us.
DannoAGoGo.
I'm totally envious of your experience. Great report, Peter! I agree that Crottenham will not remain together for very long. We must enjoy it while we can.
Excellent article, the complete opposite of John Doveric, a great read.
I've been to an Arsenal game live so I concur with the assumption that EPL games are fun to be at.
Has anybody ever been at an Old Firm match? I bet the atmosphere there makes Dinamo v Hajduk look like middle school.
Super job Peter!! Great interview and photos of the "locals" and analysis of the game. See you at Hajduk Night
This is an AWESOME report and should be held up as the ideal "FANZONE!" Peter shared his personal view of the game, did a two minute interview with another fan and created a great piece of content. Congrats Peter first for having an opportunity to have this experience and secondly for delivering making the most of it!!
The fans were on top of the entire game! Great stuff! Come on you SPURS!!!!
What an awesome post to wake up to!!! Excellent, excellent job Peter!!! I absolutely envy you right now. Reading this just makes me want to see Spurs for myself in London soooooo very bad. I better do it soon, because the way our Crottenham boys are playing right now, big clubs are definetly gonna look to snatch'em in the summertime.
I know when I watch Spurs on TV, I always hold my breath when Luka takes off with the ball. Is it really like that at WHL amongst the fans when he gets the ball?