Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
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:

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
Champions League
Topic Started: Aug 13 2007, 02:00 PM (4,082 Views)
Winslow
Member Avatar
Advanced Member
[ *  *  * ]
Sergio,Apr 1 2008
10:43 PM
Winslow, it was Iniesta, not Messi who is still injured, who hit that pass to Henry

Thanks, Sergio. It was a heckuva pass. Now to Wednesday's first legs...
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Arsenal 1, Liverpool 1; Fenerbahce 2, Chelsea 1.

A little more action at the Emirates, especially in the helter-skelter second half. The two goals came three minutes apart; an unmolested Adebayor headed in a corner midway through the first half, capping a long stretch of Gunner dominance, but the Reds quickly tied it as Gerrard made a storming run into the box before his low cross was bundled over the line (Kuyt got the goal, though I suspect the defender was really responsible). Van Persie had to go off at halftime after just missing a couple of good chances. Arsenal had most of the ball in the second half but only came close once, when a shot headed goalward hit substitute Bendtner in the feet (he was offside); Kuyt had one more good effort just after halftime that was sharply saved by Almunia.

In Istanbul, Chelsea took an early lead on an own goal (a ricochet off Deivid's leg that blew past the keeper), but the home team won it on a pair of unstoppable long-distance screamers from Kazim and Deivid in the second half. So the Blues will have to do better in London.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Manzanares
Advanced Member
[ *  *  * ]
Good review Winslow of the games. What did others think of Kuyt's grab of Hleb's arm midway through the 2nd half? For me it threw Hleb off balance and should have been a penalty but the ref was well positioned and waved play on. Truth is Arsenal just didn't have the offensive force to break through Liverpool's defense other than the uncontested header off a corner scored by Adebayor.

I didn't see Fenerbahce-Chelsea but saw the highlights and those were some fine goals by Fenerbahce. The game winner appropriately scored by Deivid, who had scored that own goal. Unless you are a Chelsea fan I think most neutrals will be pulling for Fenerbahce so that a team not accustomed to being in this stage of the Champions League can advance.

Interesting wasn't it that in Arsenal-Liverpool there were only 2 English players to start the game (a 3rd, Walcott came on at the half) while there were 5 Spanish players and 3 each from France and Holland!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Nkono
Advanced Member
[ *  *  * ]
Quote:
 
What did others think of Kuyt's grab of Hleb's arm midway through the 2nd half? For me it threw Hleb off balance and should have been a penalty but the ref was well positioned and waved play on.


That was a penalty all the way, shouldn't even be a doubt in my mind, it was not simply putting an arm on the attacker, Kuyt pulled him, throwing Hleb off balance.

Then later in the match Bendtner got in the way of a goal bound shot and deflected it away. If he wasn't there, that would have been Arsenal's 2nd goal.

1-1 sets up what should still be a tight second leg but Liverpool have the advantage now.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Merengue
Administrator
[ *  *  * ]
What a goal by Deivid to win the match for Fenerbahce! That had to have been from at least 35 meters out and went in the upper corner of the net! That did make up for the own goal which was as we say in Spanish a autogolazo, a great own goal! One of the better shots, even if unintended, that I've seen go for an own goal in several years.

Chelsea are likely still the favorites going home with a 1 goal disadvantage but against Sevilla, Fenerbache proved they can score goals away from home so they have the ability to test Chelsea in that away leg.

I agree with the others, that should have been a penalty for Arsenal.
http://twitter.com/#!/SocrFutbolForum
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Martin
Advanced Member
[ *  *  * ]
With the Champions League second leg quarterfinals beginning tomorow, here is a pretty good article on Zico, one of my all time favorite players, now coaching Fenerbahce.

http://football.guardian.co.uk/comment/sto...2271431,00.html

From reading this article Zico is a real players coach, one who likes to have a dialogue with his players and while he readily admits to not being a tactical coach,

Quote:
 
If dialogue is Zico's number-one priority, training is second. He is not a studied tactician like Brazil's better-known coaches, Luiz Felipe Scolari, Vanderlei Luxemburgo and Carlos Alberto Parreira. Zico emphasises the basics.

'For me, playing football is a mechanical thing, like cleaning your teeth,' Zico explains. 'You need to learn the movements and have them in your head: controlling, passing, shooting, heading, crossing... it is all about training.

'If there is one thing I am good at, my gift, it is observing the movements of a player and correcting his mistakes. During my career, I did it right much more than I did it wrong. So, when I see someone is doing something wrong, I teach him and fix it. I would be selfish if I didn't share this gift.'


It is a good article and after reading it I have even more respect for Zico. It would be good for the tournament if his Fenerbahce could advance to the semifinals tomorrow. The more diversity of countries in the semifinals, the better.
Club Sportivo Desamparados
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Winslow
Member Avatar
Advanced Member
[ *  *  * ]
Tuesday's second legs...
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Chelsea 2, Fenerbahce 0 (3-2 aggregate); Liverpool 4, Arsenal 2 (5-3 aggregate).

Diversity? Ha!

It was a real cracker at Anfield, as Arsenal took an early lead on a goal by Diaby (beating Reina at his near post from close in--the shot glanced off the keeper's knee into the net), but Liverpool tied it on the half-hour as Hyypia headed a corner kick off the post and in from 12 yards out. The Reds took the lead with 20 minutes to go when Torres took a pass in the area, turned and shot past Almunia. (Senderos had given him far too much room, as he had also done with Hyypia.) Then Adebayor missed a sitter, only to redeem himself by tapping in a pass from substitute Walcott, who had made a stunning 70-yard run.

But everything changed a minute or so later, when Babel tumbled in the box and the ref pointed to the spot. Maybe Adebayor and Toure's combined effort added up to a foul, but I'm not convinced. Gerrard buried the penalty to put Liverpool in front for good; the Reds added another in injury time when Babel latched onto a clearance at midfield, dribbled down the field and scored.

Across town, Chelsea got the one goal they needed in the 4th minute as Ballack headed in a Lampard free kick. The Blues dominated most of the match, but Fenerbahce had a couple of chances to tie in the final minutes before Lampard sealed it with three minutes to go. Chelsea played the last hour or so with third-stringer Hilario in goal after Cudicini limped off; Cech was unavailable after busting up his face in training.

So it's an all-EPL semifinal. Eh.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Pique
Member Avatar
Advanced Member
[ *  *  * ]
Quote:
 
But everything changed a minute or so later, when Babel tumbled in the box and the ref pointed to the spot. Maybe Adebayor and Toure's combined effort added up to a foul, but I'm not convinced. Gerrard buried the penalty to put Liverpool in front for good; the Reds added another in injury time when Babel latched onto a clearance at midfield, dribbled down the field and scored.


It looked to me like they got tangled up a bit and Toure slightly grabbed Babel. Calling a penalty there is not unreasonable but at the same time at such a key moment I think it needs to be a much clearer penalty in order to whistle it. That call decided the game as the late Babel goal only came when Arsenal were frantically looking for the equalizing goal and only left Cesc back to try and defend Babel on a breakaway.

Damn, Fernando Torres has become a good finisher. He's living up to the potential he always showed but didn't always deliver at Atletico Madrid.

Too bad Chelsea won, like others here I would have preferred to have seen the outsiders from Fenerbahce make it. Another Liverpool-Chelsea series doesn't interest me much.

I read that my namesake Pique should start tomorrow for Manchester United with injuries to Vidic and Ferdinand. You know Roma will go at him early and try and see if the young player can handle the pressure.
Esas son las leyendas de futbol mexicano,
En todo Mexico hay un Chiva hermano!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Simon
Advanced Member
[ *  *  * ]
That really was a superb game between Liverpool and Arsenal. It was played at a dizzying pace, was end-to-end and featured bags of skill, excitement, drama and goals. I really thought Arsenal were going to take the spoils after Adebayor's late goal from Walcott's thrilling run, but there were still two goals remaining. I can understand how the penalty was given as it was a clumsy challenge. Still, it was less of a clear cut penalty decision than the one for the foul by Kuyt on Hleb last week, so maybe Arsenal can still feel aggrieved. Really first-rate action-packed entertainment though, probably the best CL game this season so far. No caginess to speak of, it wasn't really like a typical European second leg but was more akin to a full-blooded one-off FA Cup match.

We should credit Chelsea as well, as they are one of the most consistent teams in Europe (along with Liverpool of course!). They continually make it to the semi-finals and remarkably this will be their third CL semi-final against Liverpool in just four seasons. As Pique alluded to, the two games last season were absolutely dreadful but maybe this year we may be in for better luck? Liverpool have always been a cagey team and chose Benitez as manager because he fits that style, but Chelsea only really played like that under Mourinho. Benitez's Liverpool vs Mourinho's Chelsea came to be quite a spiteful grudge match characterised by real personal enmity, which contributed to the poor spectacle last season. However with the departure of Mourinho, Chelsea are playing a far more expansive style so maybe this year's games will be a lot better? We can but hope.

As for Pique's namesake, he's a good player and I do have faith in him, but this situation is uncomfortably reminiscent for me of last season when we had to play AC Milan with an entirely second-string defence due to injuries. Everyone naturally concentrates on the brilliant attacking play and the many goals of Ronaldo, Rooney, Tevez and co, but Rio and Vidic are IMO the best centre-back partnership in world football right now and have been at least as important to United's success so far this season. Thanks to them, United have conceded just five league goals at home this season so the absence of both of them (although Rio apparently has an outside shot at making it) provides at least some encouragement to Roma.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Manzanares
Advanced Member
[ *  *  * ]
That was an energetic game between Liverpool and Arsenal and not the "chess match" some predicted it to be. I think Simon has nailed it on the description of the penalty, it was a clumsy challenge by Toure on Babel. No need for it either as Babel was headed towards another Arsenal defender. Quick reactions from Liverpool in immediately going right at Arsenal after they tied the game up. Walcott's run leading to Adebayor's goal was superb. But Liverpool just seem to find ways to win games in Europe. As Pique noted, Torres has been excellent this year. Tonight he was pretty quiet but didn't get much service yet made the most of the opportunity presented to him. I hope he continues this form through Euro 2008!

What do you guys think of Henk Ten Cate? There are those who think he was a big reason, as Rijkaard's right hand man, that Barcelona won the double in 2006, and since he's arrived at Chelsea they've been playing pretty well. I've read where he handles a lot of the day to day training there.

I wouldn't worry too much Simon, your club has a two goal cushion going home.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
historyman
Advanced Member
[ *  *  * ]
As the other comments have highlighted, it wasn't the game we were expecting.

Another thing that we weren't expecting was a 60 yard run from Theo Walcott whilst beating four or five men in the process!

And how much longer will Wenger keep faith in Phillipe Senderos? :blink:


Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Merengue
Administrator
[ *  *  * ]
Liverpool-Arsenal was a fun game to watch but I do feel for Arsenal as I think they got a bad deal from the ref. Any contact between Toure and Babel was very minimal and a ref needs to swallow the whistle in the 85th minute of a tied Champions Legaue quarterfinal unless it is a clear penalty. And that was not. What is worse is Arsenal were denied an even clearer penalty in the first leg. It was as about an even a match as you'd expect between two teams who drew their previous two game sin the past week but the referee's decision ended up deciding the game and that is the real shame in all of it as he took it away form the players on the field.
http://twitter.com/#!/SocrFutbolForum
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Winslow
Member Avatar
Advanced Member
[ *  *  * ]
And Wednesday's second legs...
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Barcelona 1, Schalke 0 (2-0 aggregate); Man United 1, Roma 0 (3-0 aggregate).

Not as many goals as yesterday, but a fair amount of action--especially at Old Trafford, where both teams ran up and down the field like track athletes. Roma had a chance in the first half when Mancini went down under Brown's challenge and the ref gave a PK (a bit bogusly IMO), but De Rossi smashed the ball two feet over the crossbar. There were more opportunities later, and it amazed me that the only goal came with 20 minutes to go; Tevez dove to the ground and neatly redirected a cross past Doni, who had played very well for Roma in goal.

At the Camp Nou, it was scoreless until just before halftime, when Schalke's defenders failed twice to clear a cross and Yaya Toure popped up to finish into the unguarded net.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
kevin
Advanced Member
[ *  *  * ]
I was only halfway watching a Chinese feed (and am ready for more soccer an hour later -- ha!) of the United-Roma game but it did seem as though it was an out and out affair. Of course, I'm happy with the result, mainly because we (1) didn't get anyone injured, (2) got to rest key players (3) got to blood some new guys, including one G. Neville, who made his first appearance of the season and Mikael Silvestre, who returned from a long injury spell. I'm sure SAF couldn't have asked for anything more.

Not that there weren't a couple of tense moments, mainly because United didn't finish its own chances. But that was a horrid penalty call from a ref who could clearly see the play and the fact that Wesley Brown (perhaps one of the unluckiest players in the world in terms of PK calls and own goals that weren't his fault) got the ball cleanly and then, once it was completely cleared made some minimal contact with the defender.

I consider today's PK to be imminently worse than the one called against Arsenal. There wasn't much contact and it's a hard pill to swallow if you're Arsenal, but as I always tell players when I ref and as I have long taken advantage of as a player, when you make contact directly from behind, you have a tough argument that a foul shouldn't be called. There's little chance that you'll win the ball cleanly and, especially when the player is running full speed, you're likely to make contact in way that spills the attacker. The precision required of a tackle from that angle, in other words, makes it almost impossible to argue if you miss.
'Tis better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Simon
Advanced Member
[ *  *  * ]
kevin,Apr 9 2008
01:02 PM
I was only halfway watching a Chinese feed (and am ready for more soccer an hour later -- ha!)

Good one! :D

Yep, like Kevin I'm pretty happy with United's efforts. We were a bit disjointed at times but I'd put that down to us having rested various players such as Ronaldo, Rooney, Scholes, Evra etc. Great to see Silvestre back and even better to finally see the return of Gary Neville. His every touch was cheered to the rafters and there were extra loud choruses of "Gary Neville is a red, he hates scousers". I'll echo what's already been said about the horrible penalty decision. It's hard to believe the ref could call it a foul when he had such a close view of it. Still, there wasn't much more Roma could do against us tonight. It was amazing that we could create so many chances without scoring - I suppose it didn't help that several of them fell to Owen Hargreaves! Nicely directed header from Tevez to eventually settle the game. The win establishes a new European Cup/Champions League record of 11 consecutive victories, which is pretty good form to carry into the semi-finals against Barcelona.

So just four of the original 76 teams remain involved in the CL, and three of them are the same three English sides who were in last season's semi-finals. United and Barcelona are two football clubs who always have been historically committed to attacking and entertaining football, so we could potentially see a wonderful semi-final series between those two. Of course the last time they met both matches ended as 3-3 draws!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Dr. Z
Advanced Member
[ *  *  * ]
Barcelona were playing at half speed today and still beat Schalke 1-0. It probably should have been an even greater victory margin but Barcelona would miss that final pass or got a little lackadaisical. I think that is because Schalke didn't threaten them that much. A tranquil win for Barcelona after last weekend's upheaval. Now on to the semifinal against Manchester United which should be a very entertaining set of games. As Simon said, the teams previous matchups in this tournament several years ago, were thrillers.

The only bad news for Barca was the yellow card Carles Puyol picked up which means he'll miss the first leg. With Milito, Marquez and Thuram around there should be adequate cover.
Poniendo el pecho a las balas!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Go to Next Page
« Previous Topic · UEFA · Next Topic »
Add Reply