| 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: Aug 13 2007, 02:00 PM (4,083 Views) | |
| Simon | Mar 14 2008, 01:59 PM Post #241 |
|
Advanced Member
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Or was it? At 10:28 am GMT, a lad went on the Liverpool echo forum and posted the following: "Rumour going around draw has been leaked..... this is no doubt rubbish but if Rumour is true it's LFC - arsenal and Chelsea - fenerbache and manure v roma No bookies will take bets on the draw either....... Let the draw commence. Comeeee on!" http://forums.liverpoolecho.co.uk/viewtopi...der=asc&start=0 Sinister forces are at play. I personally think the draw was rigged by the Freemasons. Or maybe the Knights Templar, I can't decide. Watch for the shifty Rinat Dassayev feeling around for the pre-warmed balls! (and the amusing reaction of the Roma delegate I mentioned earlier is at 01:35): Rigged Champions League Draw! On an altogether more serious note, off-field events at the recent United-Roma matches have not done an awful lot for Anglo-Italian relations (although I did read that some Real Madrid fans were also stabbed by Roma ultras in Italy), so from that point of view it's very unfortunate that United have Roma once again. It's also not great that Chelsea are going to Turkey. Hopefully the various police authorities can co-ordinate together to prevent any trouble from taking place. |
![]() |
|
| raconteur | Mar 17 2008, 06:46 PM Post #242 |
|
Advanced Member
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Interesting comments siralfred. I think as fans we want these extra talented players like Ibrahimovic to play at a high level game in and game out but that is what separates the highest echelon of players from those who, apparently like Ibrahimovic, are very good but not great ones. For me what marks a great player is one who consistently is good and in big matches produces his best play. Maybe Ibrahimovic can one day reach that level but so far he hasn't. |
![]() |
|
| siralfred | Mar 18 2008, 03:05 AM Post #243 |
![]()
Forza Zlatan!
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Sorry to hijack this thread, especially now that Inter are out, but I just found this article that highlights many fans' thoughts on Zlatan. Lots of interesting reader comments, as well. On to UEFA - that draw just reeks! C'mon Red Devils, stuff the Romans!!!
|
![]() |
|
| siralfred | Mar 30 2008, 06:03 AM Post #244 |
![]()
Forza Zlatan!
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Quarterfinals, first leg on Tuesday: Roma - Manchester United Schalke - Barcelona & Wednesday: Fenerbahce - Chelsea Arsenal - Liverpool This just in: Totti out with injury! So a surging Man U look to have the upper hand. I found it interesting to see Sir Alex not resting many starters vs Villa on Saturday. I guess he doesn't fear Roma much. I'll leave it to those who are more knowledgable to comment on the other match-ups. |
![]() |
|
| Yogi | Mar 30 2008, 07:44 AM Post #245 |
![]()
Advanced Member
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Losing Totti is of course a huge blow for Roma but he should be back for the return leg in Manchester. Roma just has to hope their super sub Vucinic can come in and fill Totti's shoes. He's done a reasonably good job this year when called on before but never in a game with this high stakes. |
![]() |
|
| raconteur | Mar 31 2008, 07:18 AM Post #246 |
|
Advanced Member
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Roma-Manchester United was the only one of these quarterfinal matchups that looked interesting to me but even that has lost interest now that Totti is out. I don't see Roma having much of a chance without him. There just doesn't look to be many exciting looking games this week. When was the last time we could say that about the Champions League quarterfinals? |
![]() |
|
| siralfred | Mar 31 2008, 12:15 PM Post #247 |
![]()
Forza Zlatan!
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Arsenal - Liverpool??? Doesn't anyone think that'll be competitive? I don't follow either one as closely as I do ManU, but I hear and see enough just by following the premier league. I can see how it could be very cagey as a first leg, though, where neither team wants to concede a goal and 'pool may not be eager to attack either. Six points off the lead with six games to go, Wenger is still fighting on two fronts and could be stretched a bit thin over their three meetings this week. |
![]() |
|
| Martin | Mar 31 2008, 01:23 PM Post #248 |
|
Advanced Member
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Three meetings in three weeks means to me the Arsenal-Liverpool games will be very cagey. Maybe in the 2nd leg of the Champions League they'll open up a bit but I wouldn't expect this to be a very open series. But this is on paper at least the closest looking of the four quarterfinal matchups. Like raconteur I was hoping Roma-Manchester United would be an interesting matchup but with Totti injured in this first leg, Roma are going to be severely weakened. |
| Club Sportivo Desamparados | |
![]() |
|
| Merengue | Mar 31 2008, 10:47 PM Post #249 |
|
Administrator
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Obviously based on league form Manchester United are doing extremely well coming into this first leg quarterfinal game and are the favorites to advance. But one thing which has been consistent over the years in Champions League elimination round play is that domestic league form doesn't correlate to European success. If so Arsenal would have been European Champions that year they had that long unbeaten streak in league play or Inter would have lifted last season's crown. And look at the success both Milan and Liverpool have had in recent competitions despite not doing all that well domestically. I say this because while Manchester United will be the favorites now, the competition is still wide open and even without Totti in leg 1, Roma will be formidable opponents. I don't think it will just be Arsenal-Liverpool which will be cagey in leg 1, I expect all 4 games to be played that way this week. It will be in leg 2 where we might see them opening up a bit more. |
| http://twitter.com/#!/SocrFutbolForum | |
![]() |
|
| Winslow | Apr 1 2008, 01:00 PM Post #250 |
|
Advanced Member
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Tuesday's quarterfinal first legs... . . . . . . . . Roma 0, Man United 2; Schalke 0, Barcelona 1. Cagey? Yeah, you could say that, but frankly the match at the Stadio Olympico was a bit of a snooze. The Red Devils were outplayed in the first 30 minutes, but then Rooney made a nice move and a nice pass to Scholes, who let the ball run a bit too far to shoot before squirting over a cross that C. Ronaldo hustled to head into the goal just before his marker knocked him ass over teakettle. It's so like him to turn up at the right spot; at first I was convinced that a defender trailing the play had scored. Roma perked up after halftime, but after two bad misses and two good saves by van der Sar, Man U sub Hargreaves overhit a cross from the right wing. Park headed it back across goal, where Roma's defense bungled the clearance and Rooney found the ball at his feet to score from three yards out. Not much happened after that. In Gelsenkirchen, Barca took an early lead and held it. Messi (I think) put Henry in the clear with a nice through ball; the first shot was saved, but Henry got the rebound and put it across the open goal for Krkic to tuck it in. |
![]() |
|
| siralfred | Apr 1 2008, 06:48 PM Post #251 |
![]()
Forza Zlatan!
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
I thought it was Carrick or Ferdinand. It was so out of character for him to be that far behind the attack that no one saw him coming. A thing of beauty, it was. Not to discredit Rooney, but I suspect that "his" goal was really an own goal by Cassetti(?). I wouldn't call it cagey, though. My take is rather that Vucinic is really not a full replacement for Totti, and though Roma often outplayed United in midfield (especially Anderson), they were ineffective in the last third. The 2 - 0 score says more about who was lucky or unlucky in defense. It could just as well have been 1 -1. |
![]() |
|
| raconteur | Apr 1 2008, 08:17 PM Post #252 |
|
Advanced Member
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Roma couldn't finish, hard to win when that happens. Ronaldo scored a nice goal and really got up in the air for that header but the second goal was a result of poor goalkeeping and defending. Roma had their chance and let it slip away. They don't have a chance down 2 goals going to Manchester. neither does Schalke down a goal going to Barcelona. A pair of pretty lackluster games in my opinion (unless of course you're a Manchester United or Barcelona fan!) |
![]() |
|
| Sergio | Apr 1 2008, 10:43 PM Post #253 |
|
Advanced Member
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Bojan Krkic is one hell of a good player for a 17 year old. He makes Barcelona a better team, it is as simple as that. Barca didn't play a great game but they comfortably won over Schalke. Winslow, it was Iniesta, not Messi who is still injured, who hit that pass to Henry whose shot was stopped but Henry pounced on the rebound and passed to Bojan Krkic for the game's only goal. Cristiano Ronaldo is in incredible form now. he just flew out of nowhere to ehad in that first goal. I agree with those who said Roma had the ball but it was Manchester United with the goals and the sharper all around play. It wasn't as if United's goalie was forced into making a lot of saves to keep Roma out. A couple were all that were required. |
| "You left as a champion, you will always be in our hearts. Rest in Peace Christian Benítez." | |
![]() |
|
| Don Balon | Apr 2 2008, 07:27 AM Post #254 |
|
Advanced Member
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Frank Rijkaard was praising Bojan after last night's game saying he always seems to make the right decisions on the field. I agree and it is amazing a player so young is able to play with such tranquility and intelligence. There are flashier players but rarely have I seen one so young who knows the fundamentals of the game as well as Bojan. It is Bojan's emergence which is making Ronaldinho surplus to requirements with Barcelona. Now on to praise Cristiano Ronaldo. For the most part Roma kept he and his Manchester United teammates under control, then suddenly Ronaldo appeared out of nowhere to head in that first goal. Then after Roma gifted United that 2nd goal, Ronaldo was all over the attacking half of the field and nearly made a third goal. He's developed a killer instinct and isn't just out there to give a show as he was when he first came to United. He just seems to have the complete set of skills, speed, dribbling and passing ability, is good in the air and he can score from free kicks. It is a pleasure watching him. |
![]() |
|
| SuperEagle | Apr 2 2008, 10:27 AM Post #255 |
|
Advanced Member
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
It is going to be up to van Persie and Adebayor to lead Arsenal's attack today against Liverpool. They've got to generate some offense if Arsenal are to win this series I feel. I like the thought of a battle between Fabregas and Mascherano in midfield as that should be worth watching. Arsenal staged a great comeback last weekend in the league while down a man, I'll be hoping they can continue that fighting spirit today against the Reds. It is simply amazing the quantity and quality of the goals Cristiano Ronaldo has been scoring this year. In a Manchester United team full of good players, it is he who stands above all the rest. That says a lot. I'm wondering how badly Vidic is hurt as he is a key to their strong defense this year. |
![]() |
|
| Go to Next Page | |
| « Previous Topic · UEFA · Next Topic » |





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





5:04 PM Jul 10