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| Europa League 2011-12 | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jul 15 2011, 05:27 PM (1,876 Views) | |
| Yogi | Apr 26 2012, 04:00 PM Post #91 |
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Congrats Manzanares on your club advancing to the Europa League Final. Deserved win for Atletico. As it was for Athletic Bilbao. Good effort from Sporting Lisbon who move the ball pretty well but Athletic Bilbao are a very enjoyable team to watch. They have been one of my favorite teams to watch this season. Great effort, skill and movement from them. And Fernando Llorente is the real deal. I will not be happy to see him playing for Spain this summer against Italy. Imagine guys like Iniesta, Xavi and Silva running off of him and his great ability to hold and then pass the ball? Or his ability to get on the end of crosses? |
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| Sammy Maudlin | Apr 26 2012, 05:28 PM Post #92 |
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Llorente has very good feet for a guy as big as he is. He does make almost the perfect back to goal center forward as he showed in setting up both Susaeta and Gomez for their respective goals. I had never before seen Ibai Gomez play until these recent Europa League games, he too is an impressive wide attacker but Athletic have plenty of those with Muniain, DeMarcos and Susaeta. |
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| Martin | Apr 26 2012, 06:39 PM Post #93 |
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That was an enjoyable game between Athletic Bilbao and Sporting but Athletic's relentless pressure seems to wear teams down in this Europa League and in the 2nd half I had the impression Sporting were just hanging on. Llorente is excellent, he is the perfect pivot as they say in Spanish, the player around whom others can run off of. But he is more than just that as he showed with his game winning goal too. It is hard not to like Athletic, not only for the way they play but also their enthusiastic fan support. Great finish by Adrian in Atletico Madrid's win. Their central midfielder Tiago will miss the final after gettng a late red card which rivalled John Terry's in terms of idiocy. Tiago thought the ref had called a handball on him inside Valencia's penalty area, instead he called it, correctly by the way, on a Valencia player. But Tiago and Soldado got into an onfield argument and Tiago slapped Soldado and was sent off. The fool will now miss the final. I am sad to read of Sergio Canales reinjuring his knee. He is a really talented young player but he is going to have a difficult time getting back to his pre injury level. I especially feel for him as I know a cousin of his who lives in San Diego and with whom Merengue and I watch Real Madrid games together at our local hangout. |
| Club Sportivo Desamparados | |
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| Sporting | Apr 26 2012, 10:40 PM Post #94 |
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I don't think the problem is so much that the final will be played in Bucharest (I'm all for having these events in different cities to those traditionally used) but the fact that each club is only going to receive 9,000 tickets in a stadium which has a capacity of 55,000. Now, I know that capacities are normally reduced by UEFA for these finals (I'm never quite sure why; they claim security reasons but maybe it's to free up space for more advertising). I also know that sponsors need to get their free tickets, local fans need to be considered, and so on...but my basic maths helps to calculate that no more than a third of the stadium will be occupied by fans whose teams are actually playing, unless of course the black market plays its part. Simply, lamentable. |
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| Don Balon | Apr 27 2012, 06:04 AM Post #95 |
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That is just scandalous but both Atlético & Athletic have dedicated supporters and I think they will find ways to get their hands on more than just the 9,000 tickets allotted each club. |
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| Merengue | Apr 27 2012, 11:14 AM Post #96 |
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Oh there will be more than 9,000 fans each for both Athletic and Atlético in the stadium in Bucharest. Trust me on that, their fans will find ways to get hold of tickets. Should be an enjoyable final, for the record in their two league matchups, Athletic won 3-0 in October at San Mames with 2 goals from Llorente and 1 from Toquero. That of course was while Atlético were going through a rough spot under Gregorio Manzano. In their 2nd meeting at the Vicente Calderon, Atlético, now coached by Diego Smeone, defeated Athletic 2-1 with 2 goals from Radamel Falcao and a late goal by Javi Martinez in reply for the Basques. |
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| rosarino | Apr 27 2012, 11:40 AM Post #97 |
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The winning coach will be an Argentine, either Simeone or Bielsa. This will be the first European club final won by an Argentine coach since Alfredo Di Stefano coached Valencia to the 1980 Recopa (I think that was called the Cup Winner's Cup in English) title. Should be a good matchup between the two clubs and two of the better center forwards in the world right now, Fernando Llorente and Radamel Falcao. |
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| Sporting | May 8 2012, 09:29 PM Post #98 |
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So...we seem to have neglected this recently with everything else that's been going on. Hard to predict who's going to win but I quite fancy Athletic. They've come through some hard ties and though their league form has been up and down recently, in the cups they're very hard to beat. Close match-up, though. |
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| enganche | May 8 2012, 11:51 PM Post #99 |
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It should be a very even matchup I agree. Interesting to read Merengue's prior post about Athletic winning 3-0 at home in their league matchup but that was under Atletico Madrid's prior coach, under Diego Simeone, Atletico Madrid won 2-1 at home. Athletic have been great in the Europa League but Atletico are in the final on their own merits and won this title just 2 years ago. The midfield battle should be fascinating in this game, Athletic's high pressure against skillful passers like Diego and Arda Turan. Then as rosarino pointed out, each club have an in form center forward, Llorente and Falcao. I think it will be an enjoyable final with two clubs who both play an attractive style. In fact my guess is this will be a more open and entertaining game than the Champions League Final to be played 10 days later. I am going with Atletico Madrid winning this 3-2. |
| Prefiero morir de pie que vivir arrodillado | |
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| Martin | May 9 2012, 12:31 AM Post #100 |
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Athletic Bilbao have worn down many of their Europa League opponents with their pressing. I do not think Atletico will let that happen as they have become a dangerous counter attacking team under Simeone and may be content to sit back a bit and not chase the ball as much. Offensively they will look for Falcao and Adrian to put away their chances. We'll see how Atletico attempt to play in this final. We pretty much already know what Athletic will attempt to do. Watch for the battle between Llorente and Atletico's excellent centerbacks Diego Godin and Miranda, the latter a player I think is on the verge of becoming an elite centerback. Each set of fans have been long suffering, and both should be well represented in Bucharest. I am looking forward to the game. My pick 2-1 Atletico Madrid. |
| Club Sportivo Desamparados | |
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| Onslow | May 9 2012, 12:46 AM Post #101 |
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Atletico Madrid won this title just two years ago. Athletic Bilbao have never before won a European crown. Plus I really enjoy their style of play. They'll have my support tonight. |
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| Merengue | May 9 2012, 04:30 PM Post #102 |
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Atlético Madrid 3-0 Athletic Bilbao Atlético were completely dominant in the Europa League Final led by a wonderful game from Radamel Falcao, he scored twice in the first half, each time using some feints and good footwork to create space for himself then scoring with his left foot. In the 2nd half Diego added a 3rd goal, also after some nice footwork. Atlético dominated this game from start to finish as their own defensive pressure forced Athletic into mistakes, particularly Amorebieta, the Athletic centerback who was given the run around by Falcao all match long and was beaten for the first and third Atlético goals and who gave the ball away leading to the 2nd. But it was not just Amorebieta, as Atlético were quicker and more dynamic that Athletic throughout the game. A fine all around match from the colchoneros who win their 2nd Europa League in the past three years. For Athletic, a sad way to end what had been an inspiring run in this competition but tonight they were simply overrun. |
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| raconteur | May 9 2012, 05:55 PM Post #103 |
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Bravo Atletico and especially Bravo Falcao! What a great game from Falcao. That first goal was just superb but he was a danger throughout the game. Athletic Bilbao could not contain Falcao, Diego and Adrian and they ripped them to shreds on the counter. I give Martin credit for calling how Atletico would play this game and for praising the club's centerbacks who took Llorente out of the game. Bilbao were a shadow of the team we saw in previous rounds of this tournament, mainly because Atletico Madrid did not let them play. |
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| Manzanares | May 9 2012, 07:22 PM Post #104 |
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I am a very happy man tonight after Atlético's big win. Just a wonderful all around performance by every player. The defense was strong, the midfield worked hard in winning the ball back, Mario Suarez in particular, while the attackers, especially Diego, Adrian and Falcao were a constant threat every time they went forward. And what can one say about Falcao's overall game tonight? Two wonderful goals which showed he is much more than just a finisher inside the penalty area, he can also create goals for himself with his movement and changes of direction. The only dark cloud in all this is now there will be even more suitors for Falcao this summer. I just hope Atlético can do what they did previously with Aguero and Forlan and hold on to Falcao for a few years and see if the club can achieve more success before offloading him to one of Europe's big clubs. With Falcao leading the attack and Simeone on the bench there is potential with this Atleti team, not to unseat Barcelona or Real Madrid but to fight for the 3rd position in Spain and to continue to do well in Europe. As for Athletic, they were simply outplayed and as others wrote were not allowed to play the way they like. Simeone knew too well how Bielsa's team would approach this game and Atlético's players carried their coach's game plan out to near perfection. |
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| Yogi | May 10 2012, 09:23 AM Post #105 |
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You have reason Manzanares to be happy as Atletico Madrid played a great game in the final. They rolled all over Athletic Bilbao. Simeone transmitted his own toughness and tenacity to his team as Atletico just suffocated Bilbao's midfield. Falcao can have his pick where he wants to play next season, he will not be short of suitors but a continued stay at Atletico would be good for overall balance in Spain's league. I also read where Atletico still have a shot this weekend in the final day of league play to qualify for the Champions League. |
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