***Official Soccer Discussion Thread*** (7 Viewers)

[Desert_Power]

Horrible match. But then again, I think that was Chelsea's objective - not to concede a goal at all costs.

You just saw a class A example of why soccer will never catch on in the United States.

 

[El Floppo]

Sounds like Márquez will be out for a while. I read a report about a possible meniscus tear. Bad news.

That could really hurt Mexico's chances in the hexagonal. He's a leader on that team, and although he seems to play worse for el tri compared to the blaugrana, he's still the heart of that defense.

Could the USMNT go into Azteca and get a win or a draw??? I think it's possible.

Well... maybe a draw- but they'd have to play the way Chelski played today; 10 men behind the ball and hope for a chance on a counter or set piece.

Am I alone in not being that impressed with Marquez? I honestly never see much from him where I would think "starter for Barca". What am I missing?

 

[Desert_Power]

Sounds like Márquez will be out for a while. I read a report about a possible meniscus tear. Bad news.

That could really hurt Mexico's chances in the hexagonal. He's a leader on that team, and although he seems to play worse for el tri compared to the blaugrana, he's still the heart of that defense.

Could the USMNT go into Azteca and get a win or a draw??? I think it's possible.

Well... maybe a draw- but they'd have to play the way Chelski played today; 10 men behind the ball and hope for a chance on a counter or set piece.

Am I alone in not being that impressed with Marquez? I honestly never see much from him where I would think "starter for Barca". What am I missing?

You aren't missing anything. Marquez is of low quality, has been for years.

 

[The Z Machine]

He's lost a step in the last 2 years IMO. He was a very very good close-down defender in La Liga. He was also very good at marshalling the troops in Barça's back-line, and provided some defensive midfield space to hold and set-up an offense. He would play well as a hybrid DC/DM, ranging forward, and swinging passes from one side to another. Plus, he had a great head for the ball on set pieces.

That said, he often makes mistakes and can pick up cards quickly if the pressure is on. He was never the best DC in the world, but IMO he was a top-5, top-10 DC in his prime. He's no Carles Puyol though, and sure as hell isn't a John Terry either.

 

[Mjolnirs]

Barca clearly deserved a win today. Cech saved Chelsea's skin all day.

 

[CletiusMaximus]

Horrible match. But then again, I think that was Chelsea's objective - not to concede a goal at all costs.

You just saw a class A example of why soccer will never catch on in the United States.

The two legged total goals knock-out format creates these situations, as I think I ranted a bit about a few pages ago in this thread. (it also can create exciting situations that aren't found in normal league games) Playing away against a stronger side this late in the tournament, there is really only one reasonable tactic and that is to stonewall and hope you get lucky in the handful of counter chances that will present themselves over 90 minutes. The most important event in this game was Puyol's yellow card, which wouldn't matter a bit in a normal league game. And it sets up a bizarre scenario on the return leg, as a scoreless draw leads to overtime and PK's, while a 1-1 draw at the end of 90 minutes puts Barca through. A scoreless draw is a great result for Chelsea considering it was at Camp Nou against this powerhouse team, but otherwise it gives very little comfort with away goals counting double in a draw next week.

 

[El Floppo]

Horrible match. But then again, I think that was Chelsea's objective - not to concede a goal at all costs.

You just saw a class A example of why soccer will never catch on in the United States.

The two legged total goals knock-out format creates these situations, as I think I ranted a bit about a few pages ago in this thread. (it also can create exciting situations that aren't found in normal league games) Playing away against a stronger side this late in the tournament, there is really only one reasonable tactic and that is to stonewall and hope you get lucky in the handful of counter chances that will present themselves over 90 minutes. The most important event in this game was Puyol's yellow card, which wouldn't matter a bit in a normal league game. And it sets up a bizarre scenario on the return leg, as a scoreless draw leads to overtime and PK's, while a 1-1 draw at the end of 90 minutes puts Barca through. A scoreless draw is a great result for Chelsea considering it was at Camp Nou against this powerhouse team, but otherwise it gives very little comfort with away goals counting double in a draw next week.

All three are Barca is arguably the best team in the world- especially offensively. That said... Chelsea played like they went in horribly outmatched and had to put all 10 men behind the ball for the entire game (65%-35% possession, 20-3 shots). But Chelsea isn't exactly a team full of schlubs- that team is in their own right a top 10 worldwide team and capable of taking on and beating anybody in the world (although they have been letting in goals lately). Given that, color me disappointed for having hoped that they'd at least come out and try to play a little bit. I have a feeling Liverpool would have made it more of a match.

Inter is no Barca- but they are obviously a massive team with massive talent- and United went in to San Siro and took it right to them for a great deal of the match. And IMO United's best 11 isn't any better than Chelsea's (United wins in depth).

Oh... yet another Frank Lampard regression example in that one. I'm still amazed at the opposite directions he and Gerrard have gone the last 3-4 years.

 

[El Floppo]

He's lost a step in the last 2 years IMO. He was a very very good close-down defender in La Liga. He was also very good at marshalling the troops in Barça's back-line, and provided some defensive midfield space to hold and set-up an offense. He would play well as a hybrid DC/DM, ranging forward, and swinging passes from one side to another. Plus, he had a great head for the ball on set pieces.That said, he often makes mistakes and can pick up cards quickly if the pressure is on. He was never the best DC in the world, but IMO he was a top-5, top-10 DC in his prime. He's no Carles Puyol though, and sure as hell isn't a John Terry either.

Good stuff, Z.I guess it's hard to catch most of what you described of Marquez on a typical TV broadcast that focuses on the ball- we're either seeing him exposed or doing what he's supposed to do out of the back. Or doing his typical melt-down aginst the USMNT.

 

[Steve Tasker]

Yeah, I've been under the impression that Marquez has been slipping for some time now. A few years ago, he was one of the top defenders in the world, IMO...but he's lost a step kinda.

 

[CletiusMaximus]

Horrible match. But then again, I think that was Chelsea's objective - not to concede a goal at all costs.

You just saw a class A example of why soccer will never catch on in the United States.

The two legged total goals knock-out format creates these situations, as I think I ranted a bit about a few pages ago in this thread. (it also can create exciting situations that aren't found in normal league games) Playing away against a stronger side this late in the tournament, there is really only one reasonable tactic and that is to stonewall and hope you get lucky in the handful of counter chances that will present themselves over 90 minutes. The most important event in this game was Puyol's yellow card, which wouldn't matter a bit in a normal league game. And it sets up a bizarre scenario on the return leg, as a scoreless draw leads to overtime and PK's, while a 1-1 draw at the end of 90 minutes puts Barca through. A scoreless draw is a great result for Chelsea considering it was at Camp Nou against this powerhouse team, but otherwise it gives very little comfort with away goals counting double in a draw next week.

All three are Barca is arguably the best team in the world- especially offensively. That said... Chelsea played like they went in horribly outmatched and had to put all 10 men behind the ball for the entire game (65%-35% possession, 20-3 shots). But Chelsea isn't exactly a team full of schlubs- that team is in their own right a top 10 worldwide team and capable of taking on and beating anybody in the world (although they have been letting in goals lately). Given that, color me disappointed for having hoped that they'd at least come out and try to play a little bit. I have a feeling Liverpool would have made it more of a match.

Inter is no Barca- but they are obviously a massive team with massive talent- and United went in to San Siro and took it right to them for a great deal of the match. And IMO United's best 11 isn't any better than Chelsea's (United wins in depth).

Oh... yet another Frank Lampard regression example in that one. I'm still amazed at the opposite directions he and Gerrard have gone the last 3-4 years.

Hiddink apparently saw something in Barca that he hadn't seen in the EPL as the team has been attacking constantly since he took over - inlcuding the incredible 90 minutes at Anfield in the first leg of the CL quarter finals. It was perhaps an ugly game, except in the limited sense that I think there is something to be said for a team that has the strength and discipline to hold this Barcelona team scoreless at home in a game of this magnitude (and of course there was some luck involved, although I thought Drogba's miss was the best chance of the night). Forgetting Joe Cole, who has been missing all season, they were without two of their top back four players last night in Carvalho and Ashley Cole, so it fell on the midfield to do the job and I was impressed (but admittedly biased) with the stranglehold they put on the midfield. I would not think it possible that an english team could put team of spanish vets on tilt so easily, but it appeared that several of the Barca players lost their heads a bit when the hard fouling and off-ball stuff started.

 

[scoobygang]

Hiddink apparently saw something in Barca that he hadn't seen in the EPL as the team has been attacking constantly since he took over - inlcuding the incredible 90 minutes at Anfield in the first leg of the CL quarter finals. It was perhaps an ugly game, except in the limited sense that I think there is something to be said for a team that has the strength and discipline to hold this Barcelona team scoreless at home in a game of this magnitude (and of course there was some luck involved, although I thought Drogba's miss was the best chance of the night). Forgetting Joe Cole, who has been missing all season, they were without two of their top back four players last night in Carvalho and Ashley Cole, so it fell on the midfield to do the job and I was impressed (but admittedly biased) with the stranglehold they put on the midfield. I would not think it possible that an english team could put team of spanish vets on tilt so easily, but it appeared that several of the Barca players lost their heads a bit when the hard fouling and off-ball stuff started.

I think Chelsea is taking way too much crap for "not playing football." In the first half, yes, a lot of Chelsea players needlessly just hoofed the ball upfield. I doubt that was part of Hiddink's tactics. Other than that, Chelsea kept people behind the ball but it's tough to say what they were supposed to do with Barca content to just stroke the ball around sideways all game. United did the same at Camp Nou last year. I blame Barca just as much as Chelsea because Barca tried very little to break Chelsea down. I spent the first 15 minutes impressed with the quickness of Barca's feet in keeping possession but after that, about all I took from the game was that they lacked invention. Iniesta and Toure were the only players who I thought were working particularly hard (Alves started working in the last 15 minutes, but it was too late and his crosses were always going to be speculative with a bunch of Smurfs to aim for).And the complaining to the referee was ridiculous (in fairness Chelsea got just as bad at it in the last 30 minutes or so). Christiano Ronaldo takes crap for complaining to the referee, but he looked like Mr. Spock next to some of the Barcelona players.

 

[El Floppo]

Hiddink apparently saw something in Barca that he hadn't seen in the EPL as the team has been attacking constantly since he took over - inlcuding the incredible 90 minutes at Anfield in the first leg of the CL quarter finals. It was perhaps an ugly game, except in the limited sense that I think there is something to be said for a team that has the strength and discipline to hold this Barcelona team scoreless at home in a game of this magnitude (and of course there was some luck involved, although I thought Drogba's miss was the best chance of the night). Forgetting Joe Cole, who has been missing all season, they were without two of their top back four players last night in Carvalho and Ashley Cole, so it fell on the midfield to do the job and I was impressed (but admittedly biased) with the stranglehold they put on the midfield. I would not think it possible that an english team could put team of spanish vets on tilt so easily, but it appeared that several of the Barca players lost their heads a bit when the hard fouling and off-ball stuff started.

I think Chelsea is taking way too much crap for "not playing football." In the first half, yes, a lot of Chelsea players needlessly just hoofed the ball upfield. I doubt that was part of Hiddink's tactics. Other than that, Chelsea kept people behind the ball but it's tough to say what they were supposed to do with Barca content to just stroke the ball around sideways all game. United did the same at Camp Nou last year. I blame Barca just as much as Chelsea because Barca tried very little to break Chelsea down. I spent the first 15 minutes impressed with the quickness of Barca's feet in keeping possession but after that, about all I took from the game was that they lacked invention. Iniesta and Toure were the only players who I thought were working particularly hard (Alves started working in the last 15 minutes, but it was too late and his crosses were always going to be speculative with a bunch of Smurfs to aim for).And the complaining to the referee was ridiculous (in fairness Chelsea got just as bad at it in the last 30 minutes or so). Christiano Ronaldo takes crap for complaining to the referee, but he looked like Mr. Spock next to some of the Barcelona players.

Both are very I'm not trying to take anything away from how well Chelsea did defensively- that's an art too, and a suprisingly good show from a team we're not used to seeing it from. And good point too that part of Chelsea's posture had to do with how well Barca maintain possession.

Maybe I'm more suprised at how well Barca did themselves at clamping down a very, very good Chelsea team (also good points about the Coles not being in there- that's a different attacking team with both of them playing... Carvallho, not so much). Chelsea played like a relegation-embattled squad facing Chelsea more than they played like themselves- hurried mistake after hurried mistake without the composure we're used to seeing from England's big 4.

I know the nil-nil result supposedly favors Chelsea, but in this format IMO Barca has the advantage here- they are obviously capable of scoring goals, and any result other than a loss or 0-0 moves them on.

 

[Desert_Power]

Hiddink apparently saw something in Barca that he hadn't seen in the EPL as the team has been attacking constantly since he took over - inlcuding the incredible 90 minutes at Anfield in the first leg of the CL quarter finals. It was perhaps an ugly game, except in the limited sense that I think there is something to be said for a team that has the strength and discipline to hold this Barcelona team scoreless at home in a game of this magnitude (and of course there was some luck involved, although I thought Drogba's miss was the best chance of the night). Forgetting Joe Cole, who has been missing all season, they were without two of their top back four players last night in Carvalho and Ashley Cole, so it fell on the midfield to do the job and I was impressed (but admittedly biased) with the stranglehold they put on the midfield. I would not think it possible that an english team could put team of spanish vets on tilt so easily, but it appeared that several of the Barca players lost their heads a bit when the hard fouling and off-ball stuff started.

I think Chelsea is taking way too much crap for "not playing football." In the first half, yes, a lot of Chelsea players needlessly just hoofed the ball upfield. I doubt that was part of Hiddink's tactics. Other than that, Chelsea kept people behind the ball but it's tough to say what they were supposed to do with Barca content to just stroke the ball around sideways all game. United did the same at Camp Nou last year. I blame Barca just as much as Chelsea because Barca tried very little to break Chelsea down. I spent the first 15 minutes impressed with the quickness of Barca's feet in keeping possession but after that, about all I took from the game was that they lacked invention. Iniesta and Toure were the only players who I thought were working particularly hard (Alves started working in the last 15 minutes, but it was too late and his crosses were always going to be speculative with a bunch of Smurfs to aim for).And the complaining to the referee was ridiculous (in fairness Chelsea got just as bad at it in the last 30 minutes or so) Christiano Ronaldo takes crap for complaining to the referee, but he looked like Mr. Spock next to some of the Barcelona players.

Why was it ridiculous? Ballack should have gotten a second yellow on his elbow-down of Iniesta. Ibrhamovic and Alex could have both received yellows for tackles they made in the second half. When a team commits three times as many fouls as another team and has the same amount of cards to show for it, people are going to complain. Particularly given that most of Chelsea's fouls were near the box and done to stop a shot or final through pass. Throw in the fact that Drogba twice knocked down Dani Alves alway from the play and Malouda had a ignored late tackle that put Alves on the ground for a couple of minutes as well as a clear opportunity for Eto'o called off by a bogus offside and you are going to have some complaints. It is equally wrong to say that Barca did not try to break Chelsea down. Barca had 6 shots on target and 20 shots overall against a team that parked 10 people in front of the ball and fouled them whenever it looked like they were going to successfully break through. I am not making excuses for Barcelona here as we should have been able to overcome the adversity but to suggest that Barcelona was lazy on the attack or that the officiating was anywhere near even in the match would be like suggesting that Chelsea came out to play a game of soccer. They didn't. They had ten players between the attack and fouled any player that was dribbling into the box(mostly Iniesta). Good for Chelsea because it worked and was impressive. But, as a fan of the game for ten years before being a fan of Barcelona, the game should be played that cynically by any team in the Champions League semi-finals.

 

[Desert_Power]

He's lost a step in the last 2 years IMO. He was a very very good close-down defender in La Liga. He was also very good at marshalling the troops in Barça's back-line, and provided some defensive midfield space to hold and set-up an offense. He would play well as a hybrid DC/DM, ranging forward, and swinging passes from one side to another. Plus, he had a great head for the ball on set pieces.That said, he often makes mistakes and can pick up cards quickly if the pressure is on. He was never the best DC in the world, but IMO he was a top-5, top-10 DC in his prime. He's no Carles Puyol though, and sure as hell isn't a John Terry either.

You bring up a good point. For a couple of years Barca used him as the holding mid of the 3-4-3 and he was very successful. I think he is much better suited for a role like that than for being the last central defender. He makes errors at that level that are just devastating, particularly with Valdes in goal. Well, except for yesterday when Valdes discovered that it is cool to make a save every once in a while.

 

[Desert_Power]

Hiddink apparently saw something in Barca that he hadn't seen in the EPL as the team has been attacking constantly since he took over - inlcuding the incredible 90 minutes at Anfield in the first leg of the CL quarter finals. It was perhaps an ugly game, except in the limited sense that I think there is something to be said for a team that has the strength and discipline to hold this Barcelona team scoreless at home in a game of this magnitude (and of course there was some luck involved, although I thought Drogba's miss was the best chance of the night). Forgetting Joe Cole, who has been missing all season, they were without two of their top back four players last night in Carvalho and Ashley Cole, so it fell on the midfield to do the job and I was impressed (but admittedly biased) with the stranglehold they put on the midfield. I would not think it possible that an english team could put team of spanish vets on tilt so easily, but it appeared that several of the Barca players lost their heads a bit when the hard fouling and off-ball stuff started.

I think Chelsea is taking way too much crap for "not playing football." In the first half, yes, a lot of Chelsea players needlessly just hoofed the ball upfield. I doubt that was part of Hiddink's tactics. Other than that, Chelsea kept people behind the ball but it's tough to say what they were supposed to do with Barca content to just stroke the ball around sideways all game. United did the same at Camp Nou last year. I blame Barca just as much as Chelsea because Barca tried very little to break Chelsea down. I spent the first 15 minutes impressed with the quickness of Barca's feet in keeping possession but after that, about all I took from the game was that they lacked invention. Iniesta and Toure were the only players who I thought were working particularly hard (Alves started working in the last 15 minutes, but it was too late and his crosses were always going to be speculative with a bunch of Smurfs to aim for).And the complaining to the referee was ridiculous (in fairness Chelsea got just as bad at it in the last 30 minutes or so). Christiano Ronaldo takes crap for complaining to the referee, but he looked like Mr. Spock next to some of the Barcelona players.

Both are very I'm not trying to take anything away from how well Chelsea did defensively- that's an art too, and a suprisingly good show from a team we're not used to seeing it from. And good point too that part of Chelsea's posture had to do with how well Barca maintain possession.

Maybe I'm more suprised at how well Barca did themselves at clamping down a very, very good Chelsea team (also good points about the Coles not being in there- that's a different attacking team with both of them playing... Carvallho, not so much). Chelsea played like a relegation-embattled squad facing Chelsea more than they played like themselves- hurried mistake after hurried mistake without the composure we're used to seeing from England's big 4.

I know the nil-nil result supposedly favors Chelsea, but in this format IMO Barca has the advantage here- they are obviously capable of scoring goals, and any result other than a loss or 0-0 moves them on.

A lot of this goes to the force that Yaya Toure has become in the middle of the pitch. Additionally, Pique has really matured this season. It will be much harder to defend in the next match without Marquez and Puyol. You will probably see a back line of:Sylvinho-Abbidal-Pique-Alves

Pep will probably have to go with Keita or Busquets as an additional defensive mid to contain the attack on the weak central defense. This would mean that either Eto'o or Henry starts on the bench with Iniesta playing the left striking role, probably. Not nearly as explosive as a formation for Barca.

 

[Steve Tasker]

I gotta say, one guy that I've started to love to watch lately is Andres Iniesta. Ever since the Euro 2008 tournament....I mean I knew the guy was good....but he's just a lot of fun to watch

 

[The Z Machine]

A lot of this goes to the force that Yaya Toure has become in the middle of the pitch. Additionally, Pique has really matured this season. It will be much harder to defend in the next match without Marquez and Puyol. You will probably see a back line of:Sylvinho-Abbidal-Pique-AlvesPep will probably have to go with Keita or Busquets as an additional defensive mid to contain the attack on the weak central defense. This would mean that either Eto'o or Henry starts on the bench with Iniesta playing the left striking role, probably. Not nearly as explosive as a formation for Barca.

Toure and Piqué have both come a long way this season. I've been impressed, especially with Piqué. He's definitely playing better than Márquez was before he got hurt. Abbidal is no slouch though, but Sylvinho gives me some worries on the left side. This is probably one of the weakest back lines that Barça has fielded this year against good competition, and I have a strong suspicion that Drigba will put them to the sword for at least 1 goal.BTW, did you see that Carlos Vela isn't training with Arsenal because he might have swine flu?

 

[CletiusMaximus]

Hiddink apparently saw something in Barca that he hadn't seen in the EPL as the team has been attacking constantly since he took over - inlcuding the incredible 90 minutes at Anfield in the first leg of the CL quarter finals. It was perhaps an ugly game, except in the limited sense that I think there is something to be said for a team that has the strength and discipline to hold this Barcelona team scoreless at home in a game of this magnitude (and of course there was some luck involved, although I thought Drogba's miss was the best chance of the night). Forgetting Joe Cole, who has been missing all season, they were without two of their top back four players last night in Carvalho and Ashley Cole, so it fell on the midfield to do the job and I was impressed (but admittedly biased) with the stranglehold they put on the midfield. I would not think it possible that an english team could put team of spanish vets on tilt so easily, but it appeared that several of the Barca players lost their heads a bit when the hard fouling and off-ball stuff started.

I think Chelsea is taking way too much crap for "not playing football." In the first half, yes, a lot of Chelsea players needlessly just hoofed the ball upfield. I doubt that was part of Hiddink's tactics. Other than that, Chelsea kept people behind the ball but it's tough to say what they were supposed to do with Barca content to just stroke the ball around sideways all game. United did the same at Camp Nou last year. I blame Barca just as much as Chelsea because Barca tried very little to break Chelsea down. I spent the first 15 minutes impressed with the quickness of Barca's feet in keeping possession but after that, about all I took from the game was that they lacked invention. Iniesta and Toure were the only players who I thought were working particularly hard (Alves started working in the last 15 minutes, but it was too late and his crosses were always going to be speculative with a bunch of Smurfs to aim for).And the complaining to the referee was ridiculous (in fairness Chelsea got just as bad at it in the last 30 minutes or so) Christiano Ronaldo takes crap for complaining to the referee, but he looked like Mr. Spock next to some of the Barcelona players.

Why was it ridiculous? Ballack should have gotten a second yellow on his elbow-down of Iniesta. Ibrhamovic and Alex could have both received yellows for tackles they made in the second half. When a team commits three times as many fouls as another team and has the same amount of cards to show for it, people are going to complain. Particularly given that most of Chelsea's fouls were near the box and done to stop a shot or final through pass. Throw in the fact that Drogba twice knocked down Dani Alves alway from the play and Malouda had a ignored late tackle that put Alves on the ground for a couple of minutes as well as a clear opportunity for Eto'o called off by a bogus offside and you are going to have some complaints. It is equally wrong to say that Barca did not try to break Chelsea down. Barca had 6 shots on target and 20 shots overall against a team that parked 10 people in front of the ball and fouled them whenever it looked like they were going to successfully break through. I am not making excuses for Barcelona here as we should have been able to overcome the adversity but to suggest that Barcelona was lazy on the attack or that the officiating was anywhere near even in the match would be like suggesting that Chelsea came out to play a game of soccer. They didn't. They had ten players between the attack and fouled any player that was dribbling into the box(mostly Iniesta). Good for Chelsea because it worked and was impressive. But, as a fan of the game for ten years before being a fan of Barcelona, the game should be played that cynically by any team in the Champions League semi-finals.

From my experience, Chelsea's tactics were par for the course for a game in this situation. I've been following these tournaments for many years, although have not been able to actually watch many games until recent years, other than the few years I lived abroad. In 1986 I lived in Germany and at that time the Serie A teams were on top of Europe, with the Bundesliga a bit behind and the Spanish and English clubs behind them. At that time there were three euro tournaments - the Champions Cup, the UEFA Cup and the Cup Winners Cup. I recall watching Athletico Madrid play one of the German teams (I believe Bremen or Gladbach) over two legs and use these exact same tactics to advance (although I think they scored at home on two counters and then stonewalled in Germany.) The Italians were masters of playing for 0-0 over 90 minutes. Hard fouling on and off the ball, taking cards at strategic moments, constantly bracketting the ref and all manner of delay are all part of it. I think its hard for many fans to appreciate the ugly tactics used by the weaker teams in these two legged tournaments, but I have come to enjoy it. It takes extraordinary discipline, focus and patience to play this type of game for 90 minutes as most players naturally want to attack and try to score.As for the refs last night, I did not have any major problems with the calls, but I am biased. Tommy Smyth commented a few times that the Spanish players were acting as though they were playing in La Liga and not expecting a euro ref, which in my opinion is no more than an act. Certainly they are aware that a game like this will be officiated much differently than their league games.One cliche I have often heard is that, to advance in the late rounds of these tournaments, a team has to win at home. Barcelona failed to do that, but they are still the favorite without question. The good news is that both teams have to play to score next week. There is no way Chelsea can play for PK's under these circumstances - they have to play to score early. Even after a goal, they will have to continue to press as a late counter would sink them. With Puyol and Marquez out, and the return of Ashley Cole and hopefully Carvahlo, they will be able to press Lampard and Ballack forward a bit more. It should be a classic addition to this young rivalry.

 

[guru_007]

Game today?

 

[El Floppo]

I gotta say, one guy that I've started to love to watch lately is Andres Iniesta. Ever since the Euro 2008 tournament....I mean I knew the guy was good....but he's just a lot of fun to watch

Ditto, gb...

 

[guru_007]

Van der Sar, O'Shea, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Fletcher, Carrick, Anderson, Ronaldo, Tevez and Rooney.

Almunia, Sagna, Toure, Silvestre, Gibbs, Diaby, Fabregas, Song, Walcott, Nasri and Adebayor.

Little surprised to see Anderson out there for United. Don't think I've ever even heard of Gibbs for Arsenal - pretty big match for him to be coming out for.

 

[Steve Tasker]

The Chaaaaaaaampioooooonnsssss

HUGE game hereNice to see ESPN2 doesn't have the game in HD

 

[Steve Tasker]

Ronaldo is going to ####### abuse Kieran Gibbs all game.

Song in at center back too.

ETA - maybe not CB, but defensive mid. A little better, I guess.

 

[Steve Tasker]

Almunia with a monster save already.

United are hot early, Arsenal look sluggish. United look to be attacking Gibbs all day so far...

 

[Steve Tasker]

Only a matter of time.

Arsenal look absolutely atrocious.

1-0 United

 

[Steve Tasker]

Almunia is ON FIRE

The other 10 are not.

ETA - 6 saves in the first 29 minutes

 

[Moe.]

Arsenal starting to play a little bit. I didn't watch yesterday's game but it sounds like it wasn't too much fun to watch, hopefully this keeps goign and today more than makes up for it. Really exciting so far, at least in my opinion.

 

[The Z Machine]

My brother called this prior to the return leg in Porto.

"You know that United is going through to the final. They're gonna win in Porto, because that's what they do. they pull #### out of their ### all the time. 'No English team has ever won in Porto?' No problem, they'll score and protect the lead. 'Oh, we get to play Arsenal again?' No problem, we'll handle them."

I'm not a United fan, but you HAVE to respect the job that Sir Alex puts in year after year. Sure they have the bankroll, but so does Real, Barça, and other English teams. Their depth is incredible.

I can't wait till Sir Alex retires.

 

[Moe.]

BTW, did you see that Carlos Vela isn't training with Arsenal because he might have swine flu?

I saw some espndeportes update on sportscenter and I thought they said he was quarantined on monday as a precaution but would be back with the team later in the week. Some Mexican professional player (can't remember the name or team) apparently has it.

 

[Steve Tasker]

Oh, Sir Alex is an incredible manager, no doubt about it. I just don't like it when they win all the time

I hear all the Mexican league games are going to be played without fans this week. Probably a good idea to not let 1 or 2 carriers into a stadium of 60,000 people.

 

[scoobygang]

Sir Alex is a great manager, but I still don't understand why he even brought Berbatov in and has sat Tevez most of the year. Tevez ####### terrifies me every game.

I feel bad for Gibbs, who I think has played pretty well. Nasri has given him no help and Silvestre and Toure have been just awful.

 

[guru_007]

Sir Alex is a great manager, but I still don't understand why he even brought Berbatov in and has sat Tevez most of the year. Tevez ####### terrifies me every game.

Tevez is short, not good on defense, and is absent for long stretches during the game.Berbatov hasn't been very good this year, but is very strong on the ball, plays good possession soccer and his playing style doesn't clash too much with Rooney's or Ronaldo's. I agree that Tevez has played better, but I think Berbatov is a better fit for United, which is more than likely the reason Tevez will not be there next season.Some might argue that the big 4 should all be on the field at the same time on occasion (which has very rarely happened and with surprisingly poor results when they do).

 

[Steve Tasker]

Zero movement whatsoever from Arsenal in the final third.

 

[Steve Tasker]

Ronaldo hits the crossbar with a beauty from 27 yards

 

[Steve Tasker]

Well, United certainly deserved the win today. Arsenal's lucky to escape with a 1-0 loss, IMO. Manuel Almunia stood on his head for most of the game, and O'Shea's goal wasn't his fault....it took a wicked deflection off of Silvestre right into O'Shea's path.

Kieran Gibbs had a few lapses, but for the most part he wasn't awful. Silvestre looked pretty bad, but he did save a goal in like the 77th minute, so that was good.

Arsenal had no conviction in the final third...no hunger, no motivation. Walcott and Nasri barely touched the ball, Adebayor looked like he couldn't be bothered. Diaby looked like he was trying....he just isn't good enough to play at this level. I've got no complaints from Toure, Sagna, Fabregas, Song

 

[Desert_Power]

A lot of this goes to the force that Yaya Toure has become in the middle of the pitch. Additionally, Pique has really matured this season. It will be much harder to defend in the next match without Marquez and Puyol. You will probably see a back line of:Sylvinho-Abbidal-Pique-AlvesPep will probably have to go with Keita or Busquets as an additional defensive mid to contain the attack on the weak central defense. This would mean that either Eto'o or Henry starts on the bench with Iniesta playing the left striking role, probably. Not nearly as explosive as a formation for Barca.

Toure and Piqué have both come a long way this season. I've been impressed, especially with Piqué. He's definitely playing better than Márquez was before he got hurt. Abbidal is no slouch though, but Sylvinho gives me some worries on the left side. This is probably one of the weakest back lines that Barça has fielded this year against good competition, and I have a strong suspicion that Drigba will put them to the sword for at least 1 goal.BTW, did you see that Carlos Vela isn't training with Arsenal because he might have swine flu?

Sylvinho certainly has enjoyed a bit of revival when Abbidal was out recently, even contributing to the attack. But no, it isn't a strong backline.

 

[brewer]

Well, United certainly deserved the win today. Arsenal's lucky to escape with a 1-0 loss, IMO. Manuel Almunia stood on his head for most of the game, and O'Shea's goal wasn't his fault....it took a wicked deflection off of Silvestre right into O'Shea's path.Kieran Gibbs had a few lapses, but for the most part he wasn't awful. Silvestre looked pretty bad, but he did save a goal in like the 77th minute, so that was good.Arsenal had no conviction in the final third...no hunger, no motivation. Walcott and Nasri barely touched the ball, Adebayor looked like he couldn't be bothered. Diaby looked like he was trying....he just isn't good enough to play at this level. I've got no complaints from Toure, Sagna, Fabregas, Song

Dear Mr. Wenger, I would like to ask that you please start the final leg of the Champions Semifinal in a standard 4-4-2. Your squad stinks in the 4-2-3-1. That is all.

 

[El Floppo]

So I caught part of the UEFA Cup games yesterday (Hamburg v WB, Shaktar vs Dynamo?) and came thinking that these teams were not that much better than MLS. Granted- I think this was the semifinals and both games were essentially local derbies, so full of all the tension and loss of flowing style that might imply. But not a ton of skill or creativity, plus a lot of mental/skill errors on and off the ball.

Speaking of- has anybody been watching the MLS so far? Interesting tables so far- and I've been very impressed with Seattle (their management did a GREAT job putting that team together from nothing). Still can't believe how bad my RedBulls are... I think the loss of Vanden Bergh was crucial. Very suprised to see the champions without a win and in last place.

Eastern Conference GP W L T PTS GF GA

Toronto FC ...................7 3 2 2.. 11 9 9

Kansas City Wizards..... 7 3 3 1.. 10 9 8

Chicago Fire................ 6 2 0 4 ..10 12 9

D.C. United ..................6 2 1 3.. 9 9 8

New England Revolution 5 2 1 2 ..8 5 9

Red Bull New York .........7 1 4 2 ..5 5 9

Columbus Crew ...........6 0 2 4.. 4 7 11

Western Conference GP W L T PTS GF GA

Chivas USA ..................7 5 1 1... 16 10 3

Seattle Sounders FC...... 6 4 2 0... 12 9 3

Real Salt Lake ................5 3 2 0... 9 12 6

Colorado Rapids ............ 6 2 2 2 ...8 8 8

Houston Dynamo ............5 1 2 2... 5 4 5

San Jose Earthquakes .....6 1 3 2 ...5 7 11

FC Dallas .......................6 1 4 1 ...4 6 12

Los Angeles Galaxy .......5 0 1 4 ....4 6 7

 

[Steve Tasker]

Fun weekend for me....going to Toronto for the TFC vs. Columbus game this afternoon, and then I got my first game of the outdoor summer season on Sunday afternoon.

Also, anyone shocked to see Arshavin wearing the armband for Arsenal this weekend? I am.

 

[Desert_Power]

BARCA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Mjolnirs]

BARCA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Amazing!

 

[Mjolnirs]

Fun weekend for me....going to Toronto for the TFC vs. Columbus game this afternoon,

Ohhh Danny Dichio ......

and then I got my first game of the outdoor summer season on Sunday afternoon.

 

[The Z Machine]

Pretty insulting to Real that Barça scores 6 in the Bernabéu. Iker Casillas must be PISSED at Real's defense or lack thereof.

It looked like Real ceded control of 2/3rds of teh field to Barça. It also looked like Barça was playing with 11 while Real had 9. It was a total domination from the 2nd goal onward.

Barça thoroughly deserved their win, and Real should be ashamed at their performance. I was impressed with Piqué, Xavi, and Henry. Messi was his usual amazing self, and that 2nd goal he had was pretty nifty in beating Casillas.

OK, so Barça has la Liga in hand... let´s hope they can focus and get a win or a scored draw in Stamford Bridge.

 

[JaxBill]

AC Milan absolutely dominating play in a downpour at Catania.

I don't watch much Serie A, but the last couple of times I've seen AC Milan, I find myself watching several other skilled players then they cut to a shot of Beckham and it's like "Oh, yeah, he's on that team too."

 

[Senor Schmutzig]

Enjoyed a pint of bitter sitting in an English pub for the first half. There could be worse places to be to enjoy the Champions League semi. ManU v. Arsenal tomorrow should be a fun match to be around as well considering the two English sides. Will also be here next week for the 2nd legs. Planning on heading up to Glasgow this weekend to watch Rangers v. Hearts in person. Should be an excellent match considering both of their spots in the table and Rangers trying to knock Celtic out of the top spot.

Went to the Rangers match today (they won against Hearts 2-0 to remain 1 point behind Celtic, next weeks game, with 4 weeks to go in the SPL) at Ibrox and had a great time. Maurice Edu started and played very well, probably one of the scrappier players out there. He was constantly in the mix, making good tackles, stepping into passing lanes and distributing. A few of the Scots around me made positive comments about his recent play and hustle. I would have loved to be here next week for Celtic but I'm going to have to settle with reading about it in the news.

 

[El Floppo]

Enjoyed a pint of bitter sitting in an English pub for the first half. There could be worse places to be to enjoy the Champions League semi. ManU v. Arsenal tomorrow should be a fun match to be around as well considering the two English sides. Will also be here next week for the 2nd legs. Planning on heading up to Glasgow this weekend to watch Rangers v. Hearts in person. Should be an excellent match considering both of their spots in the table and Rangers trying to knock Celtic out of the top spot.

Went to the Rangers match today (they won against Hearts 2-0 to remain 1 point behind Celtic, next weeks game, with 4 weeks to go in the SPL) at Ibrox and had a great time. Maurice Edu started and played very well, probably one of the scrappier players out there. He was constantly in the mix, making good tackles, stepping into passing lanes and distributing. A few of the Scots around me made positive comments about his recent play and hustle. I would have loved to be here next week for Celtic but I'm going to have to settle with reading about it in the news.

Cool to hear about Edu Good timing for him to be getting quality PT as the USMNT heads into a tough stretch.eta: and VERY cool that you got see Rangers at Ibrox.

 

[Steve Tasker]

Fun weekend for me....going to Toronto for the TFC vs. Columbus game this afternoon,

Ohhh Danny Dichio ......

and then I got my first game of the outdoor summer season on Sunday afternoon.

TFC game was a lot of fun. 1-1 draw. I'll post some pictures when I get a chance.And God am I out of shape. We got our asses handed to us....I was real rusty in the first half, but my touch got a lot better as the game went on. But 85 minutes as a central midfielder when you're "slightly" out of shape.....yeah not good.

 

[The Kansas Comet]

Pretty insulting to Real that Barça scores 6 in the Bernabéu. Iker Casillas must be PISSED at Real's defense or lack thereof.It looked like Real ceded control of 2/3rds of teh field to Barça. It also looked like Barça was playing with 11 while Real had 9. It was a total domination from the 2nd goal onward.Barça thoroughly deserved their win, and Real should be ashamed at their performance. I was impressed with Piqué, Xavi, and Henry. Messi was his usual amazing self, and that 2nd goal he had was pretty nifty in beating Casillas.OK, so Barça has la Liga in hand... let´s hope they can focus and get a win or a scored draw in Stamford Bridge.

I was at Disneyland this weekend, so I couldn't watch this match (my daughter's birthday, not much I can say there). My dad and I were getting updates on his Blackberry and yelling out and high-fiving repeatedly while waiting in line for various rides. People were giving us some strange looks, but it's hard to care about that when Barcelona puts up 6 on the Merengues in Madrid. Simply awesome.

 

[Mjolnirs]

Fun weekend for me....going to Toronto for the TFC vs. Columbus game this afternoon,

Ohhh Danny Dichio ......

and then I got my first game of the outdoor summer season on Sunday afternoon.

TFC game was a lot of fun. 1-1 draw. I'll post some pictures when I get a chance.

Toronto was one of the teams that came to town for Charleston's pre season tournament. For one game we sat with the Red Patch Boys and they do have a good time during the game.

And God am I out of shape. We got our asses handed to us....I was real rusty in the first half, but my touch got a lot better as the game went on. But 85 minutes as a central midfielder when you're "slightly" out of shape.....yeah not good.

I completely understand, that's why our team motto is on our shirts ... "Running is Optional"

 

[Steve Tasker]

Toronto was one of the teams that came to town for Charleston's pre season tournament. For one game we sat with the Red Patch Boys and they do have a good time during the game.

And God am I out of shape. We got our asses handed to us....I was real rusty in the first half, but my touch got a lot better as the game went on. But 85 minutes as a central midfielder when you're "slightly" out of shape.....yeah not good.

I completely understand, that's why our team motto is on our shirts ... "Running is Optional"

I'm technically a member of the Red Patch Boys, although I'm not a REAL member.And it was great to get out there on the full field for a 90-minute game. I have the skills, just a combination of rust + out of shape. I thought I was one of the better players on the field for the last 20 minutes, made some good plays, the touch started to come back.I was out of position the whole first half too....we played a 4-3-3, and no one told me that our wingers were supposed to track back, so I ended up playing RM when I should have been RCM. Oh well.