CL Semis Round 2

[Wonk]

Does it matter when it's the best league in the world?

I felt like it was pretty even over the two matches and could have gone either way.. Messi was by far the best player over the 2 legs imo! Just a shame he doesn't have the stamina to keep the pace for an entire game

keep in mind that he only has played a few matches since his injury.

 

[Golena]

it's just not the same when it's two teams from the same league :s

I have that feeling a bit as well which is why I was rooting for Barca tonight.

I guess it's the fact that you see the teams play each other at least 2 times a season anyway that takes a bit of the "specialness" out of it. It's more like a glorified FA cup final than a Euro final now.

If Liverpool get to the final then we'll of played Arsenal, Chelsea and United. Hows that european football exactly?

 

[amodien]

I bet FIFA are bricking it with the thought of 50,000 mancs/scousers (if they get through) in Moscow square, could be carnage.

 

[Lucius]

Think Barcelona playd fairly poorly but Manu were even worse

Are you in cloud cuckoo land? Sure, United weren't great up front. When they got the ball very few people comitted forward and Ronaldo was walking all day. However, the constant chasing from Tevez/Park coupled with the world class performance from Wes Brown (and Ferdinand too, but I think we've all come to expect that from him). Hargreaves and especially Evra were good down the flanks and Van Der Sar was confident when called upon.

I think it showed grit, determination and concentration. Then again, for all Barcelona's cute 1-2 passes, there was a lack of penetration and if the final ball did get through it was poor. Sure United weren't great in attack but the performance as a team (yes Ronaldo had a bad game but his defending towards the end was very good) was great.

Edit: As for Scholes' goal, well the guy is a legend, that's for sure. I'm a firm believer that Gerrard or Lampard couldn't score the type of goal he did today (or vs Aston Villa...)

 

[cHodAX]

Only moral victory I can claim from that is once again Messi outshone Ronaldo.

Apart from that, nothing much to say really and certainly no complaints. By far our two best players over both legs were Messi and Toure.

Toure was immense, I never knew much about him until these games but he is a monster.

 

[cHodAX]

I have that feeling a bit as well which is why I was rooting for Barca tonight.

I guess it's the fact that you see the teams play each other at least 2 times a season anyway that takes a bit of the "specialness" out of it. It's more like a glorified FA cup final than a Euro final now.

If Liverpool get to the final then we'll of played Arsenal, Chelsea and United. Hows that european football exactly?

You make good points but consider this, you would never had got Champions League football if they hadn't extended the allocation from 2 to 4 teams. It would have been UEFA cup year after year for Liverpool so you have to take the ups with the down bud, those same rules that are spoiling the specialness of the competition are also the rules that allow Liverpool to compete in the worlds most important club competition.

 

[Golena]

You make good points but consider this, you would never had got Champions League football if they hadn't extended the allocation from 2 to 4 teams. It would have been UEFA cup year after year for Liverpool so you have to take the ups with the down bud, those same rules that are spoiling the specialness of the competition are also the rules that allow Liverpool to compete in the worlds most important club competition.

Oh i'm fully aware of that, so i'm not really complaining as such.

I'm sure having just watched the atmosphere from the game against Barca and the excitment and anticipation of watching the 2 teams play each other, that watching 2 English teams play each other tommorow, while a big game doesn't bring quite the same feelings of anticipation with it however.. And not just because of the style of football. It's a match we are used to seeing, not a matchup that only happens once every 10 years like ManU vs Barca.

I think that's why the final loses something because it's between 2 English teams. It's not a match you'll only get to see once a decade, you'll see the same thing 3 times next year as well.

 

[megadave]

Edit: As for Scholes' goal, well the guy is a legend, that's for sure. I'm a firm believer that Gerrard or Lampard couldn't score the type of goal he did today (or vs Aston Villa...)

You call me in cooku land and end with that? Gerrard and Lampard score several of those every season each, except they don't do it by having the opposition pass to them with an open shot on goal.

 

[Lucius]

You call me in cooku land and end with that? Gerrard and Lampard score several of those every season each, except they don't do it by having the opposition pass to them with an open shot on goal.

Well yes because you clearly havn't watched the game when you say Man Us performance was bad.

And please show me a goal where Gerrard or Lampard have scored a goal like at Scholes at Aston Villa. Usually when the ball is in the air Gerrard/Lampard just drive it over and out. Scholes is definatly a cleaner striker of the ball in those situations.

 

[Calaen]

Does it matter when it's the best league in the world?

I felt like it was pretty even over the two matches and could have gone either way.. Messi was by far the best player over the 2 legs imo! Just a shame he doesn't have the stamina to keep the pace for an entire game

There also was a lack of end product, I think Barca miss the Ronadlinho of old who could pick a killer ball as well, Etoo looks lost at the moment.

 

[Marc]

Well yes because you clearly havn't watched the game when you say Man Us performance was bad.

And please show me a goal where Gerrard or Lampard have scored a goal like at Scholes at Aston Villa. Usually when the ball is in the air Gerrard/Lampard just drive it over and out. Scholes is definatly a cleaner striker of the ball in those situations.

Dont agree. In my opinion, the sweetest striker of a ball out of the 3 names mentioned is Gerrard with scholes a close second and then Lampard

 

[Vasconcelos]

Bubye Barca, another blank season.

Barca's 07-08 record sheet is empty white as Madrid's shirt oh yeah!

PS: sorry Marc

 

[Vasconcelos]

Toure was immense, I never knew much about him until these games but he is a monster.

And he has a lumbar disc hernia too, go figure!!

 

[Marc]

Bubye Barca, another blank season.

Barca's 07-08 record sheet is empty white as Madrid's shirt oh yeah!

PS: sorry Marc

Our only hope is Jose Mourinho but the real controler of Barca, Johann Cruyff is dead set against it.

We need shut of Deco and Ronaldinho, with Iniesta taking Decos place (hes not a wide left midfielder, he is an attacking midfielder). And then Fabregas to take Xavis place. That leaves a space for a wide left midfielder, but who I dont know. Ben Arfa?

 

[Aoami]

That game last night was gay.

Lord Ferg has clearly been studying how Benetiz has been doing so well in Europe and played 8 in defence, and told his Striker to be a Defensive midfielder. Although i'd be happy if I was a Manure fan, i'd also be disappointed because Ferguson is showing he is not what he used to be. The fact he and his players both lost it after the Chelsea gam on Saturday is further proof of this. I'd offer good odds on this being his last Season at Untied if they win the Champions League.

As for Scholes' goal, i could have scored that with the amount of time he had. Poor defending from Barca and he had about 3 acres of the park to himself. You'd expect most half decent players to score from there.

Messi was superb last night, outshone Ronaldo easily. He didn't create much, but to be fair he was 1 attacker against 8 defenders last night because Eto'o and Iniesta didn't look interested. He just kept going and something always looked like it was going to happen when he had the ball. Ronaldo didn't play all that badly, seen as he played right back most of the night, and obviously he's a winger.

MoM would have to be Rio again, closely followed by Wes Brown.

Hoping Chelsea do over the Scousers tonight.

 

[Aoami]

We need shut of Deco and Ronaldinho, with Iniesta taking Decos place (hes not a wide left midfielder, he is an attacking midfielder). And then Fabregas to take Xavis place. That leaves a space for a wide left midfielder, but who I dont know. Ben Arfa?

I agree with this. Deco looks past it, and he and Iniesta are exactly the same player except Andreas does more. They look like Lampard and Gerrard together, with Deco being Lamps and Ineista being Stevie G.

Xavi is still a quality player, Fabregas wont leave Arsenal, and Ben Arfa is overrated. I wouldn't be suprised to see Ribery make the move to Spain after his superb season in Germany.

 

[soze]

Cesc bacsically said no way again the other day saying unless Arsenal tell him they are selling him his future is with us.

Could be a bad summer of us though rumors of Helb and Flamini leaving also rumors of Inter wanting Adeb. On the plus side Eboue wants a transfter to Italy.

 

[Marc]

Believe me, Fabregas isnt as happy at Arsenal as some of you Arse fans seem to believe.

 

[soze]

Believe me, Fabregas isnt as happy at Arsenal as some of you Arse fans seem to believe.

If he says im staying and you say my sources at Barce say hes moving why would i believe you?

 

[Vasconcelos]

Our only hope is Jose Mourinho but the real controler of Barca, Johann Cruyff is dead set against it.

We need shut of Deco and Ronaldinho, with Iniesta taking Decos place (hes not a wide left midfielder, he is an attacking midfielder). And then Fabregas to take Xavis place. That leaves a space for a wide left midfielder, but who I dont know. Ben Arfa?

My view of current Barca:

- they need a radical cleaning, both in the team squad and up there in the board. The team is old, with a few players stuck in lazy attitudes and with a clear stink of "Galácticos" syndrome (remember Ronaldo, Beckham etc...?). The directors board stinks, well, if you can call it "board" because any1 with enuff balls to disagree with Laporta gets inmediatly sacked (see this year historial), and as you said, Cruyff has too much decision influence in that team. Not to mention the fixation of the president on political affairs and his "secret" desire to become a politic himself (free Catalonia etc...).

- they need to build a team around this core:
Milito (Puyol is getting old and his perfomance shinks day after day but he should stay because the team needs a veteran leader, even from the bench)
Iniesta (pure class, >>>>>> Cesc, why Barca would want Fibreglass is something beyond my wits, Cesc is Arsenal material, put him out of there and his days as rising star are over)
Messi (obviously)
Bojan (prolly the best second attacker for the incoming 2010's decade, put him along a "killer" the likes of a young Drogba or VN and you will have a dominating team)

i would put Toure in that list, but sadly, i think after this summer surgery over his discal hernia problem, he wont be the same player anymore (if he ever gets to play properly again). You just need to check how he ends every match, the poor soul always leave the field with a pain gesture that makes me feel sorry for him.

- players to discard inmediatly:
Ronaldinho: a shade of his former status.On sale. How can any1 be called "superstar" when you are onlye "there" for 3 years?. C'mon, ppl should wash their mouths just for mentioning him in the same paragraph than Zidane
Deco: burnt out. On sale.
Etoo: throws toys out of the pram as soon as things start not going the way he wants em to go. Not a team player. And worst, he has a worrying tendence of blaming others for the team failures (remembers me to Alonso). On sale.
Guddy: not enuff quality to play for a great. Not even for bench. On sale.
Giovanni Dos Santos: HYPE HYPE HYPE!!! For leasing to a 2nd line foreign team (dutch, french, german league).
Henry: astonishing case, poor perfomance, total failure of a sign. Out of England he will be nothing as long as his family problems dont get solved. Sadly for him hes a veteran already. Sell him to England.
Thuram: old glory. Sell asap.

- players to keep but susceptible to find (if posible) a better option for the starting eleven:
Valdes: not a goalkeeper for a top team. Keep him as 2nd option.
Puyol: see above.
Abidal: he just needs to recover his game.
Zambrotta: like Abidal. If Barca can lay their hands over Alves: sell asap, if not, there are not many better options than the italian avaible in the market.
Marquez: good defensive player, great 2nd option for your bench.
Xavi: when in shape, there are few players with better gaming vision than him. Sadly, hes prone to long periods of "crap perfomances".

- player to sign:
A "fantasista" capable of that last pass, or the great goal: Nasri, Diego, Kaká?
A left winger: Joe Cole? (Ribery is right winger, and you have Messi there unless you move him to the 2nd stricker position)
A "general" midfielfer: Pirlo?
A center def to team up with Milito: Garay?
A reliable goalie, who knows not only to save the obvious, but to win you matchs: Diego Lopez (Villareal)
A striker: Berbatov, Huntelaar, Benzema? (tho i rate him as 2nd attacker)

- a new manager who has what it takes to manage a top team and assures you to contend for titles (at least 1 granted title per year), not one who let the players "play" (even my mom could have coached Etoo+Messi+Ronalsinho, or Zidane+Ronaldo+Figo at their best): Mou, Capello, Juande Ramos, Benitez, Wenger, Lippi,...

 

[Lucius]

As for Scholes' goal, i could have scored that with the amount of time he had. Poor defending from Barca and he had about 3 acres of the park to himself. You'd expect most half decent players to score from there.

Lol, the calamity gets better. That really is a hilarious comment.

The ball was bouncing and as far as I remember he only had 3-5 seconds to control/shoot the ball (my memory is fuzzy) before being tackled again. It was a big occasion at Old Trafford and the deciding goal. Not only that, but he had to get the swerve and dip necessary to beat Valdes (the way he judged how far the ball would curl into the top corner is world class).

I'm sorry for sounding rude but your comment reminds me of random people in the pup who say "I could have done a better job than XXX", when they clearly cannot.

But then again, this is coming from the guy with radical and oppression views about supporting a club...

 

[Aoami]

Lol, the calamity gets better. That really is a hilarious comment.

The ball was bouncing and as far as I remember he only had 3-5 seconds to control/shoot the ball (my memory is fuzzy) before being tackled again. It was a big occasion at Old Trafford and the deciding goal. Not only that, but he had to get the swerve and dip necessary to beat Valdes (the way he judged how far the ball would curl into the top corner is world class).

I'm sorry for sounding rude but your comment reminds me of random people in the pup who say "I could have done a better job than XXX", when they clearly cannot.

But then again, this is coming from the guy with radical and oppression views about supporting a club...

Watch it again. There was no-one near him, the ball was rolling on the floor, and the ball had no curl on it.

So infact, you've got three things wrong there.

 

[cHodAX]

Watch it again. There was no-one near him, the ball was rolling on the floor, and the ball had no curl on it.

So infact, you've got three things wrong there.

Swerve and dip, you are wrong as the ball is moving slowly away from the keeper. Oh and hitting a moving ball like that with that kind of power is no easy task especially in a game of that magnitude where a billion plus people are watching.


The way I saw it the ball was moving slightly to the right and dropping pretty damn fast after he struck it, just look at the height of the ball as it passes the penalty spot, it looks like it may go over. It was good technique executed in a massive match. That said it wasn't that different that other goals scored from that range, what made a little more special was the circumstances under which it was scored as last nights game was HUGE as the worldwide TV audiences will confirm. Scoring a goal like that in an atmosphere like that whilst having the mental toughness to keep out a side like Barcelona is a bit special. Is it the greatest goal of the season? No. Greatest goal of the last month? No. Most important goal of the month so far? Definately.

 

[Vladamir]

Vascon - Eidur is one of the great centre forwards in the world, but unfortunately when you have a team that has the forward firepower like Barcelona, you're unlikely to get a game.

I would take him back in a heartbeat, Eidur Gudjohnson for the mighty blues!

 

[amodien]

Drogba looks well up for it tonight, can't believe what the fat controller came out with today..

Clueless.

 

[amodien]

Yep I was proved right.

1-0 Chelsea Drogba.

 

[Lucius]

Watch it again. There was no-one near him, the ball was rolling on the floor, and the ball had no curl on it.

So infact, you've got three things wrong there.

Read Cho's post below you...

It is obvious you either did not see the goal or trying to disprove me for the sake of it.

Edit: Drogba scores - Reminiscent of last night anyone? But what about Drogba's celebration? Chelsea players really do have an attitude problem...

I have a feeling it will be 1-0 again!

 

[Corran]

Read Cho's post below you...

It is obvious you either did not see the goal or trying to disprove me for the sake of it.

Edit: Drogba scores - Reminiscent of last night anyone? But what about Drogba's celebration? Chelsea players really do have an attitude problem...

I have a feeling it will be 1-0 again!

are you surprised that Drogba is ripping the piss out of Benetiz after his comments? As much as I hate Drogba, he is a good strong player that does go down easy sometimes. But often will stay on his feet. If you make a comment, then be prepared for it to be rubbed in your face at some point.

 

[Lucius]

If you make a comment, then be prepared for it to be rubbed in your face at some point.

I guess but I think the goal is enough

 

[Lucius]

Torres 1 - 1.

Sweet finish.