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are at the plate. But with hockey, due to the nature of the sport, the problem of preferential treatment is much more evident. After all, how often do you see Pedro throwing a big elbow into a Yankee’s face, or see Kobe hammer someone from behind? But in hockey, to win in the play- offs, you have to be tough, even if you are a so-called star player. Alfredsson, as the Ottawa Captain, wanted to win that game, and in doing so, he may have thrown an illegal check before scoring the win- ning goal.

Alfredsson, however, did not try to injure Tucker on purpose. From most replays, it appeared as though Tucker was off-balance, and appar- ently his shoulder was already hurting from a hit earlier in the game. Suspending someone for accidentally hurting an opponent is ludicrous, and those over-zealous Maple Leaf fans who were crying for Alfredsson’s head should check their faces in the mirror. Infractions like Carolina’s Jeff O’Neill’s spear on Montreal’s Saku Koivu in Game 4 of their series, on the other hand, are what the NHL should be suspending players for. No matter who you are, if you purposely hurt someone, you

Soccer

Season Finale

Malminderjit Singh OP Contributor

It seems like it was just a few years ago when opposing team’s fans jeered Arsenal and their distinct brand of negative soccer. The chants of "Boring, boring Arsenal" were the only highlights of a typically defensive Arsenal performance.

How things have changed. The English Premier League 2001-02 has found a new dominant force. A force once criticized for their typical- ly dull, defensive tactics, this "bor- ing" team is now one of the most exciting teams in the league and perhaps the most creative. Here is the new Arsenal—the Arsenal that has just been crowned as champi- ons of English soccer as well as adding the FA Cup Trophy to their silverware.

Indeed, Arsenal's double winning per- formances have been breathtaking at times this season. It is no wonder that their season tally of 79 goals is the second highest in the league and second only to the boys from Manchester.

The crowning moment for the Gunners came on May 8 when they defeated bitter enemies and title rivals Manchester United 1-0. Sylvian Wiltord, who has a knack of scoring important and decisive goals, did it again as he sunk the entire Old Trafford into

should pay for it, even if your name is "Wayne"... or "Daniel."

bitter silence.

As a matter of fact, Arsenal could also thank another title rival for falling at the last hurdle and leaving the championship up for grabs. Liverpool seemed certain at one stage to bring the title back to Anfield for the first time since the Premiership had been inaugurated. However, injuries coupled with inconsistency formed the Reds biggest obstacle as they allowed the Championship title to slip from

“What is certain is that Arsenal has emerged as the new force in English Soccer and broken the monopoly of Manchester United.”

their grasps. Nevertheless, their emphatic finish of 2nd in the league resulted in auto- matic qualification for the lucrative Champions League, and also promises greater things from them next season on the domestic front.

Manchester United had to settle for 3rd spot in the end, their worst performance in the league thus far. To rub salt into their wounds, the Red Devils have to go through the qualifying phase for next season's Champions League. The only bright spark in United's disappointing season was the debut perform- ance of Dutch striker Ruud Van Nistelrooy. The lanky Dutchman was in outstanding form

chalking up 23 goals, one short of top scorers Thierry Henry and Alan Shearer. Van Nistelrooy also received the English League Player of the Year Award, an accolade for his consistent performances.

Another player who was in superb form this season was Arsenal's French winger, Robert Pires. Pires turned in an electric show this season, scoring some awesome goals along the way. To put icing on the cake, Pires finished the season with a championship medal, FA Cup Medal and a Players’ Player of the Year Award. All this from an athlete who last season was written off by the press as overrated. Arsenal had most of their players in outstanding form this season, a factor that contributed sig- nificantly to their success. Ashley Cole, Sol Campbell, Patrick Vieira, Fredrik Ljundberg, Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkampf and Pires were all inspirational in Arsenal's double success. Whether these players will translate this form into success for their respective countries this summer at the World Cup Finals remains to be seen.

What is certain is that Arsenal has emerged as the new force in English Soccer and bro- ken the monopoly of Manchester United. As | predicted and reported earlier in the season, Alex Ferguson's Red Devils are noticing that their stranglehold on the Premiership is loos- ening. Believe it or not, this is the beginning of the end of the Manchester United era.