| Welcome to Soccer Futbol Forum. We hope you enjoy your visit. You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free. Join our community! If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features: |
| Champions League | |
|---|---|
| Tweet Topic Started: Jan 23 2007, 11:32 AM (2,287 Views) | |
| TCK | May 22 2007, 10:40 AM Post #181 |
|
Liverpool FC till I die
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
The thing that worries me about the game tomorrow night, is the fact that AC Milan are looking for revenge. They're going to be at their best, putting one thousand per cent in to the game, and the problem Liverpool had and created themselves was the fact that Rafael Benitez didn't play their main eleven in the last couple of games in the Premiership, leading to a shameful draw with Charlton and a loss to Fulham and Portsmouth. Sure, we didn't need to play our main eleven because we already qualified next year for the Champions League, but, the main eleven needed to prepare for the big one and they didn't get the chance to. |
|
www.myspace.com/davideproductions LIVERPOOL FC! | |
![]() |
|
| Simon | May 23 2007, 09:30 AM Post #182 |
|
Advanced Member
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
I kind of just assume that Liverpool will win it tonight. They'll probably scab it on penalties, knowing them. I do know that tonight we'll get the answer to a question man has pondered for millenia. Is there a God? If there is one, He surely wouldn't let this Liverpool team win two European Cups in 3 years. This or any Liverpool team for that matter. FORZA MILAN, I'm almost too nervous to watch the game... |
![]() |
|
| Winslow | May 23 2007, 12:44 PM Post #183 |
|
Advanced Member
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
And the winner is... . . . . . . . Milan 2-1, on a brace by Inzaghi. Liverpool came out fast and played a pretty good first half but missed most of its chances; just before halftime, Milan went ahead as Kaka's free kick on the edge of the area went through the wall (!), hit Pippo, and deflected into the net. The Rossoneri put the clamps on for much of the second half, and finally Inzaghi beat the Reds offside trap and rolled Kaka's through ball under Reina to make it 2-0 with eight minutes to go. Liverpool pulled one back in the 89th as a corner kick went from Aggar's head to Kuyt's head to the back of the net, but that was it. Liverpool could have done better (Gerrard wasn't at his best, and Crouch came off the bench way too late), but the entire Milan side did very well indeed and deserved to win. |
![]() |
|
| Simon | May 23 2007, 01:18 PM Post #184 |
|
Advanced Member
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Really? I thought Milan were pretty awful to be honest. They had me tearing my hair out all night, but thank God the result went the right way. The whole final was very low-key IMO, mostly played in midfield and without many scoring chances. Milan kept giving the ball away over and over again and I must grudgingly admit that Liverpool were the better side, albeit they never made any real chances apart from their goal (with a suspicion of offside) and the Gerrard 1-on-1 which he took too wide before shooting. Kaka and Seedorf were almost completely anonymous, although it's notoriously hard to make an impression against the Liverpool defence. Milan were jittery in defence and Jankulovski had a bit of a nightmare against Pennant in the first half. I was surprised at how bad Maldini was as well. Milan had numerous chances to clear their lines but kept overplaying at the back and presenting the ball to Liverpool on the edge of the area - a bad move with Gerrard, Alonso and Riise about, although fortunately Milan got away with it. I was particularly struck by one moment when the ball rolled to maldini in loads of space and time and he took a horrible five-yard first touch and presented Liverpool with a half chance. Milan didn't make any chances at all, apart from the second Inzaghi goal. The first one was a bit of a fluke, it really just hit Inzaghi and went in, but it was vitally important as it came right on half-time and must have been a real blow to Liverpool, especially as I don't think Milan had even had a shot in the first half, such was Liverpool's control. Nice second goal, well-timed pass from Kaka and tidy finish from Inzaghi with, as I say, just about the only real chance Milan made all night. Not a great game then, but a bloody great result! |
![]() |
|
| Manzanares | May 23 2007, 11:15 PM Post #185 |
|
Advanced Member
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
I don't think it was nearly as good a game as many of us were expecting it to be. Liverpool did take Milan out of their game for large portions of the match and as Simon correctly points out, Milan gave the ball away so many times in this game. That above all is what surprised me the most about the match. Liverpool were having more of the ball but really neither team did too much creatively and that was disapointing. But Inzaghi is a master opportunist and put away the few chances which came his way, or the one chance which came his way and he got in the way of Pirlo's free kick for the opening goal. My friend Merengue may not like this but I am happy to see Milan have pulled within 2 Champions Cup/League wins of Real Madrid. |
![]() |
|
| cafetero | May 24 2007, 12:05 AM Post #186 |
|
Advanced Member
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Caution won out in this game. I agree it wasn't a very good final and technically both teams left a lot to be desired. So many missed passes and lost balls in the defensive end. Some of that is due to defensive pressure that both teams put on but it also was just poor play from both teams. I thought Mascherano was excellent for Liverpool and didn't understand why he was taken out. If Liverpool wanted to add a striker take out Xabi Alonso but not Mascherano who was doing great nullifying Kaka and Seedorf. As Manzanares noted though Inzaghi is a real opportunist and you give him a chance to score he will. The kind of guy who can disappear for 88 minutes but kill you in a minute or two. That is what he did to Liverpool. |
![]() |
|
| Sergio | May 24 2007, 07:59 AM Post #187 |
|
Advanced Member
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
I'll add my opinion to the others here that the game wasn't a classic but that Milan took advantage of their opportunities. Interesting that after much criticism it was Dida who stood tall for Milan in goal. The few opportunities Liverpool did create were handled by the Milan goalie. I do think that Mascherano helped take Kaka out of the game but really all of Milan's midfielders had down games. Liverpool's pressure deserves credit for that but offensively they never were able to take advantage of Milan's giveaways. I wondered why Crouch didn't come in earlier as his presence is the type that destabilizes a defense? Bellamy with his speed is another player who could have helped in that department. Instead the useless Kewell came on instead. In my opinion Ancelotti won the tactical battle of the coaches with his adjustments and thus Milan are champions. |
| "You left as a champion, you will always be in our hearts. Rest in Peace Christian Benítez." | |
![]() |
|
| Martin | May 24 2007, 09:39 AM Post #188 |
|
Advanced Member
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
I thought Liverpool did a good job of pressuring Milan and did take them out of what they like to do in midfield but Liverpool's main focus on this game was trying to stop Milan rather than looking to win the game. Once you saw Liverpool lineup with a single forward you just knew their emphasis on this game was going to be defensive. I thought Pennant did very well and made Jankulovski, normally a good defender, look bad on the flank and Mascherano was superb. I agree with the comment earlier asking why Mascherano was taken off for Crouch when Liverpool were finally looking to get more adventurous? Xabi Alonso would have been the more logical change for Crouch as it was Mascherano who took Kaka out of the game. When I saw Mascherano go off, I told a friend of mine, "watch Milan will now score within the next 5 minutes" And lo and behold Kaka set up Inzaghi for the 2nd goal. Once Mascherano was out of the game Kaka had that extra freedom he didn't have earlier in the game. I'm with Sergio, Ancelotti outmaneuvered Benitez in this game but it helped having Inzaghi around. Calling him a "master opportunist" is very appropriate. Say what you want about Pippo but in big games he often comes through. Milan didn't play their best game but thanks to Pippo they found a way to win the title. And give Milan credit for being the dominant team in Europe these past 5 years, 2 titles (2003, 2007), runnerup (2005), semifinalists (2006) and quarterfinalists (2004). And that 2004 loss in the quarters was after blowing a 4-1 first leg lead to Deportivo. |
| Club Sportivo Desamparados | |
![]() |
|
| xeneize | May 24 2007, 11:53 AM Post #189 |
|
Advanced Member
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
I think those who've commented on the game have already hit the points I wanted to bring up. Milan won without playing real well; Inzaghi is a guy who'll be invisible for most of the game yet still score a game winning goal; Benitez waited too long to bring in Crouch and should also have used Bellamy; and Mascherano played an incredible game and was a big reason why Kaka was quiet for most of the match. I also thought Liverpool's late goal was offside but in the end it didn't effect the final outcome. |
![]() |
|
| garbaggio | May 24 2007, 12:53 PM Post #190 |
|
Advanced Member
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
I was entertained by the final. It was a more tactical game than either last year's Barcelona-Arsenal or Liverpool-Milan from 2 years ago. But the tension of a final can compensate for the relatively few scoring chances. After the Moggi revelations and ref-fixing scandal, I was pretty disappointed to even see a team like AC Milan in the Cup. I even rooted against them way back in the early stages of this Champions League when they were facing Red Star Belgrade a team I queasily associate with Serbian nationalism. But I've found I still enjoy (usually) watching them play. Glad no one on this board was as blind as Steve Nicol in claiming Inzaghi's first goal was an intentional handball. Pippo is a sneaky enough player to try something like that but Pirlo's freekick came so quickly that I don't think there's any way he could have done it intentionally. My first impression was that someone in Liverpool's wall had deflected it in. Ball played the hand (or arm) anyway. |
![]() |
|
| rosarino | May 24 2007, 02:27 PM Post #191 |
|
Advanced Member
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Tactically the game was interesting as garbaggio suggested but from a techncial standpoint I was disappointed. As others noted both teams made far more errors than you are accustomed to seeing at this level. Milan in particular had their normally technically gifted midfielders and defenders turn the ball over way too often. Credit goes in part to Liverpool's pressure for that but it also could be explained by being a poor game from many of the players. As an opposite to what many talk about, fatigue from playing every 3 days, I'm wondeirng if the fact both teams have been off for 10 days to 2 weeks (Milan played reserves last week in Serie A and Liverpool's league season is over) contributed to this lack of sharpness? Add me to those impressed with Mascherano's play in midfield. With Copa America coming up I am very happy to see Mascherano play like many of us expected from him. His disappointments from West Ham are now way in the past for him. Milan's continued excellence in Europe is impressive when you consider how often they've been in the finals or at least semis these past 5 years. It is very comparable to what they achieved in the late 80's through 94 with those incredible teams they had then. |
![]() |
|
| Johnbuildr | May 25 2007, 08:23 AM Post #192 |
|
Advanced member
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Offside? Can this be possible? It deflected off a defender last. I was thinking there is no off side when a ball comes off a defender and is played in to goal...? |
|
Qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum | |
![]() |
|
| alabastergremlin | May 26 2007, 09:24 AM Post #193 |
|
Advanced Member
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Can it deflect off a defender or does it have to be played back, intentionally, by a defender? I've always known it to be the latter. |
![]() |
|
| rosarino | May 26 2007, 11:37 PM Post #194 |
|
Advanced Member
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Looked to me like when the Liverpool player headed the ball forward, and before it deflected off the Milan defender, the goalsorer was in an offside position so even though the ball then rebounded off a Milan player to him, the Liverpool goalscorer was in an offside position when the pass was made to him by a teammate. In the end it turned out to be insignificant to the final outcome but Liverpool did receive a break there. I am still astounded by how well Milan play in Europe, year after year after year. Other teams, like Real Madrid, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Barcelona have a good year or two but Milan consistently remain the team to beat in Europe and you can almost write them in as semifinalists at least every season. |
![]() |
|
| « Previous Topic · UEFA · Next Topic » |




![]](http://z1.ifrm.com/static/1/pip_r.png)


5:04 PM Jul 10