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| The costly miss against Spain in the WC 2010 final |
For almost his entire career, Arjen Robben has been somewhat
of an enigma. Mesmerizing at times and ridiculously frustrating at others, the
Dutch winger had made a habit of choking in important games. In 2010, Bayern
came up short against Inter Milan in the Champions League Final.
The same
summer, Robben was put clear in on goal with just Iker Casillas to beat, in
the World Cup Final in South Africa. He again fluffed his lines and Spain went
on to clinch the title in extra-time. And perhaps the nadir came in the 2012
Champions League Final in Munich’s Allianz Arena. Bayern, much the dominant
side for 90 minutes, failed to break down a resolute Chelsea team, and Didier
Drogba’s header took the game to extra time. However, he turned from hero to villain
in a matter of minutes, conceding a penalty in extra time, and Robben was given
the chance to win club football’s biggest prize on his team’s home ground. It wasn’t
to be. Petr Cech saved his spot kick, and then two more in the penalty shootout,
and it was all over. There was no home triumph. The 11 heroes in blue had taken
the cup to Stamford Bridge, and Bayern, who also had finished runners up in the
league and domestic cup to Borussia Dortmund, were left with a ‘Treble Horror’
season. Arjen Robben lived through a footballer’s worst nightmare.
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| DROGBAAAAAA!!! |
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| Petr Cech saves Robben's extra-time penalty |
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| Its Chelsea, Not Bayern, who celebrate in Munich. |
However,
this season everything changed. Bayern, obviously hurting because of their setbacks,
steamrolled everything that came in their path. The Bundesliga was wrapped up
in April, and they finished with 91 points, 25 clear of 2nd placed
defending champions-and fellow Champions League finalists, Dortmund. Nobody was
spared. Bar a minor scare against Arsenal in the last-16 return leg, the
Bavarians didn't concede a single goal in the next 4 knockout rounds,
dispatching the champions of Italy, Juventus 4-0 and the mighty Barcelona 7-0
on aggregate, with mind-numbing ease.
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| Barcelona Destroyed |
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| Juve Dismantled |
Gone was the complacency which had so often been their Achilles’ heel.
Gone were the games where Bayern didn't know how to react after falling behind.
The psychological issues were hammered out and Bayern became a full-fledged German
winning machine. This has to be, of
course, credited to the impeccable man-management and tactical acumen of Coach
Jupp Heynckes and general manager Mathais Sammer. Heynckes in particular, has
thrown down the gauntlet for Pep Guardiola. How can you possibly top This?
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| German Crown, but its Europe they want to conquer. |
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| But Dortmund were no easy opponent. |
However,
as they took stage at The Wembley on May 25th, 2013 for the
Champions League Final against arch-rivals Dortmund, there was still an air of apprehension.
Will the likes of Robben, Lahm and Schwiensteiger finally, finally clinch an
International crown? Or will they fall at the final hurdle again? And sure
enough, the first half was familiar, frustrating and ominous to say the least. Borussia
Dortmund, the team which has enchanted almost all of Europe with their
blistering brand of football- and whose journey to the final had been no less
than a fairy tale, beating Shaktar, then doing a ‘‘99’ on Malaga, and then embarrassing
the Spanish capital club Real Madrid 4-1 in Dortmund, and then holding on to
their nerve in an equally thrilling second leg in Madrid, which they lost 2-0,
going through 4-3 on aggregate-could have been 4-0 up by 25 minutes, but for
the heroics of a certain Manuel Neuer. Schwiensteiger
was taken completely out of the game by the vibrant BVB midfield and Arjen
Robben had squandered two golden chances when put through on goal. For Bayern
fans, it was sickeningly familiar.
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| A frustrating First Half. |
Dortmund’s fairytale of a journey looked to have been destined for a Cinderella ending. But then Bayern upped the ante and Roman Weidenfeller made some truly exceptional saves, Game on. Bayern took the lead after some good work from their famed ‘Robbery’ duo. The Flying Dutchman first kept his cool to take a Ribery lay-off to the byline and calmly square it to Mario Mandzukic to tap into an empty net. BVB, though were no pushovers and they equalized through a İlkay Gündoğan penalty just 8 minutes later, to come right back into the tie. And then, with just 2 minutes of normal time left, he wrote his name in Bayern legend as he latched onto another -surprise surprise-Franck Ribery layoff, sidestepped a challenge with an exquisite piece of footwork and calmly roll the ball past Weidenfeller, for the title. Bayern were champions, rightfully and Arjen Robben was the man of the moment. Losers, Bottlers, Chokers no more, Bayern had made their mark on Europe,and they did that in some style.
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| Mario puts Bayern in front. |
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| Pegged back to 1-1 by Ilkay |
This is
not to take credit away from BVB’s incredible achievement. They won hearts, all
over the world, including the writer’s and many of his friends’, but it would’ve
been cruel had Robben been denied his chance of redemption. Fairytales can
wait, so can miracles. This year it was all about Die Roten. It was all about
their legendary coach and it was all about Robben’s redemption. The Cup’s finally
‘coming home’ to Munich, and Bayern have become well and truly the greatest
side witnessed in the modern footballing era, and Arjen Robben is finally in the headlines for all the right reasons. Mia San Mia.
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| 2-1 to Bayern |
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| Champions, Again, Finally. |
