US Spurs Fan Reaction: Tottenham Tie Swansea 1-1

Posted Sunday, January 01, 2012 by YAHOO Sport

Tottenham Hotspur had a glorious opportunity to pull near one title contender and away from another. Swansea City would have none of it, however, and Spurs were fortunate to manage a point in their final contest of 2011.

Spurs and Swansea City played to a 1-1 draw on Saturday. A match commentary can be found on the official Tottenham Hotspur website.

The main story: Throughout the past few days, Tottenham players such as Gareth Bale and Rafael Van der Vaart stated Spurs wouldn't be taking Swansea lightly. Swansea are full of talent and they've shown quite a bit of fight during the current campaign, but that doesn't change the fact that Tottenham seemed rather flat during the first half. They were fortunate to not be trailing 30 minutes into the contest, and only managed to find a goal thanks to a couple of lucky bounces. Minutes before the halftime break, Benoit Assou-Ekotto completed a run down the left wing with a cross into the penalty area. A deflection sent the ball to the awaiting Van der Vaart, who attempted a volley toward goal which bounced off defender Ashley Richards and then rolled into the back of the net. More lackadaisical play from Spurs in the second half saw the visitors squander at least two "you have to score, there" chances, and, unlike in previous contests, the inability to increase a lead finally cost Tottenham three points. Truth be told, Spurs appeared shocked with Swansea's desire to find an equalizer in the final 15 minutes of play. It was an aggravating, "Same old Spurs" type of finish, one that causes supporters to start their New Year's Eve activities a few hours early, and not out of joy.

Nobody's perfect: Since joining Tottenham this past summer, goalkeeper Brad Friedel has been the reliable stopper Spurs desperately needed last winter. His first significant miscue of this season came at a time when Tottenham could have used a road win. Swansea pressed forward with roughly seven minutes remaining, and Angel Rangel sent a ball from the right wing toward Friedel and Assou-Ekotto. Friedel hesitated for just a second before making a move for the ball, which deflected off the Tottenham defender and directly to the unmarked Scott Sinclair, who put home the equalizer. Friedel doesn't deserve all the blame for the outcome of the match, but this was a moment where a 'keeper must be bigger and braver.

A worry: Scott Parker, who has arguably been Tottenham's best overall player since September, took a spill in the 70th minute, and was subsequently subbed off for Jake Livermore. It's too early to know if Parker will miss any significant time due to an injury, but manager Harry Redknapp will likely be biting his nails over the next 48 hours or so. Aaron Lennon is out with a hamstring injury, Gareth Bale has dealt with ankle issues, and Rafael Van der Vaart is just about due to miss a half or two because of his own hamstring problems. Somebody get some Bubble Wrap for Luka Modric and quick.

Overall: 1-1 is a fair result against this Swansea side, no question about it, but the results at Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge lost some of their luster with Spurs being unable to claim the additional two points. Tottenham remain a handful of favorable results out of the top two, and Arsenal have quietly moved up to within three points of Spurs. Spurs will look to begin another winning streak this coming Tuesday at White Hart Lane against West Brom.