UEFA Champions League Soccer

[jazzman]

I thought that it was about time someone started a thread on the No.1 sport in the world....soccer!

Great results in the first leg of the quarterfinals of the champions league....

Roma 0 Man Utd 2
Schalke 0 Barcelona 1
Arsenal 1 Liverpool 1
Fenerbahce 2 Chelsea 1

Big surprise out of Turkey.....after Chelsea absolutely dominated the first half and led 1-0, they were stunned by the spirited Turkish team backed by some pretty vociferous home support! But Chelsea still have a valuable away goal wich should help on the return leg.

Man Utd led by likely "football player of the year", Chritiano Ronaldo simply outplayed Roma away from home....impressive stuff. They should be through to the semi-finals from here barring a disaster at Old Trafford.

Barca got the expected result away from home, and Arsenal and Liverpool battled out a tough draw, leaving Liverpool ahead by a nose given the away goal from Kuyt.

[tmporter]

I haven't been able to watch all 4 games yet, too busy with work and other things, but my reaction to the score lines are this. I am not suprised by Chelsea losing away to Fenerbache. Chelsea are a plodding team. They play to win 1-0. That was Jose the Great's style and it seems that Grant can't find or doesn't know another way. They were hit twice on the counter attack with lucky strikes. Colin Kazim-Richards was the catalyst for the comeback from what I saw watching the second half tonight.

The Liverpool v Arsenal match was just another of Arsenal's let downs this season. They don't have the nerve and the steel in midfield to make it happen.

Barcelona got outta Germany with a narrow win that was completely undeserved. Schalke needs to practice knowing where their goal is. They missed chance after chance.

As for Man Utd performance in Rome, I will say this. They were pedestrian, safe and controlled. I thought they sat back too much and made the most from what they created. I thought they were too defensive minded and not very interested in taking the game to Roma. That being said, Roma will throw the Kitchen sink at them in a week at Old Trafford and that will lead to a similar scoreline like last years 7-1 drubbing. Maybe a more modest 3-1 but the speed of the game will be much higher from United point of view. Fergie likes to make it home with a small lead or deficit. You can't win in the first leg but you sure can lose.

As this is the only game I have seen in its whistle to whistle I was mildly impressed with the match officials. I thought the referee did a solid job with the calls when necessary and let play go on when prudent. I look forward to next week's matches.

[jmorbitz]

Yes. Next week's matches will be very good. The Liverpool v. Arsenal game I saw yesterday and it was mostly entertaining. The two goals of the game being scored three minutes apart, midway through the first half
(Arsenal; Abidiore on a set piece, 25'; Liverpool: on a nice cross from Gerrard, 28'), lead to a rather lifeless second half with Arsenal dominating possesion and numerous chances but no more goals and Liverpool playing for the counter, on which they produced few chances.

As for the officiating in this game I believe Hleb was taken down in the box by Kuyt but only earned a corner which lead to nothing, after what should have been a penalty.

[Buckeye513]

Originally Posted by tmporter

The Liverpool v Arsenal match was just another of Arsenal's let downs this season. They don't have the nerve and the steel in midfield to make it happen.

Arsenal dominated possession, as usual. Midfield "nerve and steel" doesn't have anything to do with Adebayor, Bendtner, and van Persie missing 15 chances a game.

[DaytonBuck]

Pool is going down. Adebayor is the best young striker in the world.

[tmporter]

Arsenal usually dominate possession and usually spurn chances. Emanuel Adebayor is a terriffic striker when the ball is played into his feet inside of 20 yards or so. He is a classic CF. Great in the air, good at turning and shooting, not so great at creating his own chances off the wing. Not saying he can't do that just not the norm for him. Van Persie has and most likely will always be wasteful. Again when he is in form he is a great sight to watch, but just like Rooney, wasteful and streaky. I said I hadn't watched that game all the way through. Just watched a bit of it. Arsenal have dominated possession in their last 7 to 10 games and have had an enormously difficult time turning possession into goals.

As for nerve and steel in the midfield having nothing to do with them missing chances is a fair statement, but the fact that Arsenal control the game and possession from the midfield and not the final third is because they have a number of soft players that won't do the dirty work to keep the pressure high.

[jazzman]

Originally Posted by tmporter

As for Man Utd performance in Rome, I will say this. They were pedestrian, safe and controlled. I thought they sat back too much and made the most from what they created. I thought they were too defensive minded and not very interested in taking the game to Roma.

I thought the referee did a solid job with the calls when necessary and let play go on when prudent. I look forward to next week's matches.

Yes, the Man Utd v Roma game was pretty tactical IMO. You can't blame Man Utd for not taking the game to Roma when they got the perfect result. I don't see Roma scoring 3 goals at Old Trafford with or without the talismanic Totti!

I agree with the officiating part.....they did a good job keeping the game flowing as much as they possibly could without losing control of things. It's not easy to officiate at the Olympic Stadium in Rome.

[bucknut11]

When I was in the gym the other day, I saw a highlight of a guy scoring from a pass, he flicked it in with his heel, 'megging a guy in the process. I thought it was Christiano Ronaldo, but I have been unable to find it. It was a very nice goal.

[thackattack]

Originally Posted by bucknut11

When I was in the gym the other day, I saw a highlight of a guy scoring from a pass, he flicked it in with his heel, 'megging a guy in the process. I thought it was Christiano Ronaldo, but I have been unable to find it. It was a very nice goal.

You are correct, it was Ronaldo in their Premiership game at Anfield against Aston Villa, I believe. Manchester United are playing out of their mind right now. They have to be the odds on favorite to win the UCL this year.

[bucknut11]