La Decima

Scott's favorite team may have slipped up in their quest for the Premier League title, but his second favorite team secured a famous late victory in Portugal to secure their tenth European crown:

Over a decade after their last European Championship, Real Madrid finally have their Decima. The final score of 4-1 doesn't even come close to representing the game itself which made fans everywhere swivel from hope to frustration to begrudged admiration to near hopelessness to renewed hope to determination to elation to celebration. Of course, whether your Madrid is Real or Atletico, the order of those emotions change in a significant manner. At the end of the day, Atletico's yeoman efforts deserve the respect and admiration of all fans. But the quality and depth of Real outlasted them in the end.

It was clear from the start what Atletico's gameplan was - occasionally possess but more often chip long or go for the through ball, all while making sure that some amount of all-white uniform gets sullied on every tackle and challenge. I'm trying to remember if I've ever seen a team so consistently ticky-tack foul on every coming together. An elbow here, a shove there, a swipe at the ankle or calf and the occasional  hip check for good measure. All so consistently borderline fouls that, despite what seemed like a light snow of white jerseys draped over the pitch, only a few of these chippy challenges were called, and correctly so. But the impact on Real's game was remarkable and effective - no rhythm to build up to clear chances. Combine this aggressive play with an Iker Casillas error (despite Brad Friedel's attempt to defend him) and an overwhelming imbalance of "wanting it more" for the first 60 minutes, and Atletico were deservedly ahead.

Clasico Fondue: Ruminations on Barcelona and Real Madrid

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Scott hasn't had to eat much humble pie this season:

Watching Neymar dive last Sunday to win a penalty was hard enough without the shouts of joy that erupted from my Dutch friend.  I had kind of forgotten that John was a Barcelona fan when I accepted his kind invitation to host our family for an El Clasico viewing party, complete with fondue dinner.  The offer was further sweetened when he offered to delay the viewing until after my son’s soccer game, poorly scheduled (by me, no less) for 3pm.  Not that I would have declined the invitation were I better informed as to his fandom (they are really good hosts), but I might have been a little more prepared.  And I definitely would have worn my Real Madrid shirt (although I did have my Real Madrid hat). 

Unfortunately, I couldn’t even make fun of my friend for being a bandwagon Barca fan (like most of them are) because he came by his team honestly.  It seems he followed Johan Cruyff and his fellow Dutch cohorts to the Catalan team and has been a fan ever since.  Damn it. 

No matter which team you support, it was a chaotic day.  Lots of goals made for lots of excitement.  Lots of penalties made for lots of debate.  And lots of mistakes fuel those debates.  Two things are clear in my mind: (1) Ronaldo was fouled outside the area and should not have been awarded a penalty; and (2) Neymar dove and did not deserve a penalty (nor Sergio Ramos the red card) but did deserve a yellow card. I got so worked up that I was trying to rationalize why Iniesta was not really fouled later.  In my defense, he was sure looking for the penalty.

Reversal of Fortunes: On Liverpool's Ascendancy and United's Downfall

You gotta hand it to Scott: it's taken 28 games for him to start gloating:

o Ten games to go, including away at United, followed by the benefit of hosting Spurs, Chelsea and City. Lucas returning for the United game....  While I still don't say the word "Title" out loud, lest I be the recipient of some ridiculous "Mind Game" comment from Jose Mourinho, I have allowed the Top 4 belief to escalate to the point of intractability. Historical statistics, supposedly, guarantee a Top 4 finish for the in-form Reds. This fan believes and will enjoy the rest of the season, Title or not.

 

o And making that acknowledgment and acceptance all the sweeter is an embarrassing amount of giddy shaudenfreud when I compare Darth Ferguson's disparaging writings to United's current plight.  That David Moyes is collateral damage, in the demise of the Evil Manchester United Empire, is regrettable but unavoidable. May he abandon ship before Lucas the Brazilian Skywalker and Co. brave the narrow Old Trafford gauntlet and torpedo the thermal exhaust port (OK, I had to look up what that was called).

 

o In other news, making for an increasingly pleasant Spring, United's Spanish counterpart, Barcelona, are also beginning to implode (in the League anyway), to the benefit of my Real Madrid. And this 2014 stumble is largely with Messi in the team and fit. The opposite trajectories of the Catalans and Madrileños does not bode well for Spain's World Cup defense, but there is still plenty of time to right that ship. But, in the meantime, Carlo Ancelloti has Los Blancos floating to the top of the table like Classico warrior ghosts bent on treble destruction, including the thus-far elusive Decima.

This is farlieonfootie for March 13. 

On Gareth Bale's Impending Departure

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No one can say we're not right on top of the news -- herewith, some office watercooler talk from earlier this morning:

Ed:  James!  Welcome back -- Long time, no see....  [looks at watch]  The boss told me you'd been off covering the Justin Bieber tour this summer.... [feigns excitement, mimics young girls screaming while waving hands wildly]

James: Yeah -- I had to cut back on that -- I'm more of a part time Belieber these days.  The whole spitting incident really shook me up....  [shakes head sadly].  But it's more than just that -- the whole faux hoodlum thing just isn't my scene, and I didn't have the wardrobe to pull it off completely.   It was fun while it lasted, but I just had to get out eventually.  I'm back on the football these days, for better or worse.  [Looks a bit forlorn]

Say, did you hear the latest? [attempting to cheer himself up]  According to some of my 'in the know' buds on Twitter, Spurs are about to sign Willian and Erik Lamela.  If there were any doubts that Bale is leaving, this would seem to settle it.

farlieonfootie [overhearing conversation from his corner office and butting in]: Plus Coentrao as a makeweight.  I heard the deal is already done and Real has been told to keep it on the down low until Levy gets his other transfer work finished.  Smart guy that Levy.  The Professor could use some of his help.

Maybe Ronaldo heading back to Old Trafford, as well?  One can always dream….

Ed: It's done.  There's more to Bale not playing than a medical issue.  He and Ronaldo are the Bayern model at Real Madrid -  like Ribery and Robben.

Golden

photo by Muffet	via PhotoRee

Scott is always good for some thoughts on the beautiful game, but never more so than when he's writing about the US Men's National Team:

It may be cliché to call USA's Gold Cup championship bittersweet due to Stuart Holden's injury, but clichés persist because of their aptness.  When I think about the fact that my disappointment is only a shadow of what that young talent is experiencing, despite the brave words he tweeted, I am crushed.  After taking the reins of the US team at the 2009 Gold Cup, the trajectory of his career seemed certain.  But a broken leg courtesy of Nigel de Jong followed by a gash and torn ACL courtesy of Johnny Evans led to over 2 years of rehabilitation.  He was just getting back into the national team and I believe his performance would have gotten him more looks with the "A" team and, ultimately (in my opinion) a place in Brazil.  I am crushed.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, someone who crushed it in the tournament is Landon Donovan.  His stats were gaudy as he flitted about looking as if he hadn't taken a single day away from the sport.  Just asked Panama's Quintero who was more than just a little shocked when the veteran was able to track down the speedster.  Donovan will be in Brazil. And he will be fundamental to our success.  Will he start against Costa Rica in Sept?  I don't know for sure but I would guess that he will be there but start on the bench.  Landon Donovan coming off the bench in the 60th minute would be a scary thing for all in San Jose.

I am guilty, like most people, of not saying anything when officiating is good but chiming in when it is poor.  So I'm happy to report that I thought the referee did a very good job in the Final.  He certainly did a better job than the semi-final referee who allowed open season with tackles.  On the contrary, he reined in players as appropriate, kept his cards in his pocket unless needed, and did a very good job with the advantage rule.  Interesting that it was the same guy who officiated the Snow Bowl game between Costa Rica and the US.

La Liga's Embarrassment of Riches

These Boots Will Soon Be Mandatory in Spanish Football
photo by Mzelle Biscotte	via PhotoRee

We don't know if you had the opportunity to watch yesterday's King's Cup Final, but we did.  And after witnessing that "spectacle," we have two thoughts: 1) it's fitting that the final was moved to Friday night due to a conflict with tonight's Eurovision Final: last night was a great warmup for anyone who enjoys seeing lots of gel, makeup and handbags on display; and 2) what a complete embarrassment that game was for Spanish football.

In some ways, the whole fiasco was a fitting farewell to Jose Mourinho's time at Real Madrid.  While holding seemingly endless promise at times, the end to Jose's reign was predictably chaotic -- fist fights, red cards, fake injuries and more.  The chickens are coming home to roost, and Jose is leaving Stage Left.  You reap what you sow, some might say.

But the game was also a stinging indictment of the modern Spanish game.  Full of artistry and world class players, Spanish football is slowly being killed by drama queens and sheer fakery.  The amount of facial "injuries" sustained by players who were not touched is at an all-time high.  The amount of rolls an "injured" player attempts to complete on the ground after being fouled -- all in an effort to con the referee -- is at its peak.   And the amount of time wasting -- stretchers being brought on to the pitch, only to see an "injured" player experience the type of miracle usually reserved for those at Lourdes -- is greater than in any other league in the world.  In short, modern Spanish football is an embarassment, and is now at the risk of turning itself into a parody of the true sport, a la the World Wresting Federation.

But farlieonfootie, you say: Spanish football is the best in the world: home of Xavi, Iniesta, Ronaldo, Falcao and more.  It contains Barcelona, until this year the paragon of the modern game.  It includes Real Madrid, Europe's most decorated team.  And its national team has won both the last World Cup and the most recent European Championship.  Yeah, we know all that.

This Will Only Take a Moment...

photo by Steve Punter	via PhotoRee

...'cause that's all we have time for, as well:

o There's a great article in this month's Vanity Fair Magazine on Shaun Hill of Hill Farmstead Brewery, the best little brewery you've likely never heard of.  Definitely worth a read, especially on how Shaun feels about his brewery's recent successes.

o Correspondent Ed is still in shock, wondering exactly how Manchester United's David De Gea was named PFA Goalkeeper of the year.  Prior to the announcement, Ed was fairly certain that Hugo Lloris had become the best young goaltender in England....

o Jose Mourinho calling his Real Madrid team "pure and naive?"  Which is exactly what he must believe the readers of this article in yesterday's Telegraph are....

o And for my friends in the Big Smoke, here's a little insight into London's craft beer scene.

This is farlieonfootie for April 30.

Splitting Hairs: Final Thoughts on Manchester United vs Real Madrid

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It's rare that we find ourselves agreeing with Scott, but it does happen on occasion:

There were only two things worse than the horrendous red card call during the Real Madrid - Manchester United Champions League clash on Tuesday: Gus Johnson's commentary and United's defending after the red card call.  Yes, there is no doubt that the foul did not warrant a red card.  However, it did warrant a yellow card and I'm surprised that so many have questioned even that - it was the very definition of a dangerous play and deserved a warning, for which yellow cards are expressly manufactured, in Sri Lanka I believe.  That there was no intention is exactly the thing that makes it yellow instead of red.  That Nani did not even see Arbeloa does not remove it from the realm of a yellow card because, quite frankly, a player should know that flying through the air with studs up on a pitch with 21 other players just might result in spearing one of them.  Yellow card. 

A yellow card would not have altered the course of the game as the incorrect red card did and it is a real shame we couldn't see the game play out without referee interference.  But here is where I will veer from the opinions of many (all?) others.  I propose that the red card affected the final result not because of the numerical advantage given to Real Madrid but, rather, because United was so psychologically affected that they failed to continue to do what they had done so well up until that point - defend.  Sure, their ability to counter-attack was hamstrung by a missing player, but they were already a goal up.  All they had to do was keep the visitors from scoring for 35 minutes.

Before you scoff and sarcastically retort "oh, that's all?", consider how the game had gone up until then.  Real Madrid had enjoyed overwhelming possession at Old Trafford but had only managed a few relatively tame efforts on goal.  Why?  Because United had defended very well up until the red card (Carrick was a force, snuffing out dangers all over the field as if he were playing Wack-a-Mole with his feet) and Real Madrid had failed to take advantage of their opportunities (such as Ronaldo failing to get on the end of Higuain's wicked, low cross to the far post).

Fixed: Referee Madrid 2 - Manchester United 1

Manchester United were forced out of the Champions League by a shocking referee's decision on Tuesday night, as Nani's undeserved sending off changed the entire tenor and shape of what had been a tense and fiercely contested match.  Seeing a game-ending foul on a play that would likely not  have drawn even a yellow card in the Premier League, Turkish referee Cuneyt Cakir took the game into his own hands and almost singlehandedly gave the two legged tie to Madrid 3-2 on aggregate.  The sending off took much of the drama out of what to that point had been a white hot contest, with Real Madrid possessing more of the ball but United looking the far more dangerous attacking side.  Even Wayne Rooney's late game introduction, necessitated by the Englishman's surprising pre-game omission, was not enough to save the Reds on a night from which they deserved more based on the quality of their play. 

Although the two teams entered the locker rooms scoreless at the half, it was United's early second half goal that saw the home side rewarded for their valiant and disciplined defensive effort.  Although the pre-game talking points had been all about Madrid's counter-attacking abilities and questions surrounding United's midfield, it was the Red Devils who looked the more dangerous team on the break and Los Blancos who appeared the more labored of the sides in their midfield play.

The game changer was the referee.  Used to overseeing games in the Turkish League, referee Cakir was overwhelmed by the occasion and willfully altered the outcome in Madrid's favor. Although Nani's foot was raised, it was clearly in an attempt to bring down a wayward clearance effort -- and the winger showed no intent of harming unseen Madrid defender Alvaro Arbeloa, who -- to his credit -- did not roll around the pitch in the exaggerated manner favored by many of the visitors. 

Coming less than ten minutes after United had assumed control of the tie meant the home side were forced to play with ten men for over 30 minutes.  WIth Jose Mourinho at the helm, veteran Real watchers knew the Special One would make changes, and the first substitution he made altered the game within ten minutes.  The newly introduced Luka Modric curled an outstanding ball past the fingertips of an outstretched David De Gea to equalize the match in the 66th minute, before Cristiano Ronaldo tapped in a Gonzalo Higuain cross three minutes later to seal the contest and see Madrid through to the next round.

Even the visitors' bossman agreed his side had benefitted from the referee's shocker, claiming after the game that "the best team lost tonight." While the comment may have been aimed at currying favor with United's Board of Directors, it was a typical spot on assessment by Mou, who likely also sympathized with the cruel fate bestowed upon his friend and counterpart Ferguson.  Although United fought back valiantly, and threatened numerous times even when down to ten men, in the end the second road goal handed the home side an impossible task.

The match which ended so prematurely began rather slowly.  Several giveaways opened the match as both sides displayed nerves shredded by three weeks of anticipation. The first threat of the game came from the visitors, as Ryan Giggs conceded a free kick, but Cristiano Ronaldo's effort was snuffed out by a brave Tom Cleverley standing firm in the wall.

Beer Soaked Notes on Real vs. United, The First Leg

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Crumpled in a beer-soaked ball on the floor near the trashcan lay Correspondent Ed's notes from the first leg of Manchester United vs. Real Champions League match.  Luckily for you, we found them:

o That's a ridiculous call on RVP. Ramos should get a post-match yellow for acting.

o United not ready to play yet; lucky not a goal.

o Great save by De Gea

o Rafael horrific so far.

o Fergie started Evans because he can run better than Vidic, who's a few paced too slow right now

o The first half was a half without any center midfielders

o Gus Johnson on FOX did a lot of homework but doesn't know the game. There are lots of words that could be used to describe Real Madrids first half, but "patient" isn't one if them.

o Yes RVP does cross with the left foot. This shouldn't be surprising, Gus

o Gus has now described Danny Welbeck as a very patient player. I think he just likes that word. It's "soccery."

o Ref also terrible.   Patrice Evra deserved a free kick and the defender an orange card, it was so close to red

o De Gea has played his best game as a pro

o Welbeck was terrific

o RVP missed one.  He waited until the Champions League to do that

o Giggs is back!

o The ref has been awful all day

o That wasn't a cross, that was a pass. Amazing save by De Gea again

Curses and Grades (on Manchester United and Real Madrid)

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Correpsondent Scott's fandom can be described in the same manner as his taste in beer: bitter.

So, there I was watching Real Madrid host Manchester United on Wednesday. Being a Real fan (and FOF being a United fan), I was looking forward to Los Blancos taking a couple goal advantage to Old Trafford for the second leg. Unfortunately, a funny little thing happened at the Bernabeu, kind of a Freaky Friday thing. You see, for 90 minutes it seemed that Real Madrid had morphed into Liverpool.  
They they were dominating possession, winning the ball back quickly (and high up the pitch), creating twice as many dangerous chances and, in every way, bossing the game and dictating the flow of play against an uncharacteristically ineffective United side which seemed content to pack it in and play counter attack. Then, just like the Liverpool Reds, with various opportunities gone begging, the Whites conceded on a set piece (corner) via a defensive lapse (the post was left unguarded). They did manage to draw after a Cristiano Ronaldo equalizer but this was one of those times when a tie was the same as a loss, especially given that the (Red) Devils now have an away goal. Images of Liverpool vs. Arsenal and Liverpool vs. Manchester City have plagued me ever since the final whistle, after which I pouted through a wife-forced watching of American Idol. I’m beginning to develop a complex – it seems my fandom is turning into the soccer equivalent of the Madden Curse or the Gillette Curse. I’m just crazy enough to not watch a couple of games to see if that helps. With my luck I’ll end up being the poster child for confirmation bias.  

But enough about my mental (in)stability - I can really relate to those Bud Light "It’s-only-weird-if-it-doesn’t-work" commercials (even if I loathe the beer involved). After all, it’s so much more fun to criticize others. Herewith, some grades:  

Real Madrid – B

They would have received an "A" if they had just managed another goal and won the game. They were brilliant from start to finish, apart from finishing (semantically ironic, I know) -- and the aforementioned defensive lapse, of course. Absolutely dominating the inevitable Premier League Champions, Madrid moved the ball effortlessly around the chasing men in red. Really, their only flaw was defensive communication (and set pieces, of course). But boy do they counter fast and furious (yes, grammar geeks [of which I am one], I realize adverbs are appropriate there – I was going for the alliterative allusion)! But I digress.... Mesut Ozil was a maestro in the midfield, Ronaldo was scintillating, Xabi Alonso was indefatigable and Di Maria peppered the goal as if it were steak au poivre. The bottom line is that the much better team on the day did not win.  

Manchester United – C  

The next Premier League champions looked out of their league, and more like a relegation team against their Spanish opposition. A couple of corners and counters are what passed for their offense as they chose to dig in deep in their own half for large stretches of the game. Running around chasing the white ghosts who seemed to vanish the ball just prior to each tackle, it was actually unsettling to see them so unsettled.  

Yes, there were a few dodgy moments for the home side when the Manchester Keystone cops managed to pick up their trousers, thanks to a certain Dutchman, long enough to actually stumble into the forward third with the ball, most notably during a period when more Real defensive miscommunication led to a series of dangerous United crosses. But those efforts ultimately came to naught and the last 10 minutes saw the visitors batten down the hatches for, and ultimately survive, an all-out onslaught by Madrid.

Fight Another Day: Manchester United 1 - Real Madrid 1

photo by Claudio Gennari ..."Cogli l'attimo ferma il tempo"	via PhotoRee

Without much exaggeration it was called the tie of the season, as Manchester United entered the lion's den Wednesday to face Real Madrid at the Santiago Beenabeu in an epic first leg clash of the Champions League knockout round. The pre game storylines were enough to make one's head whip around on a swivel: Cristiano Ronaldo's return, Jose Mourinho vs Sir Alex, Madrid vs Manchester and many more in the days and weeks leading up to the contest. But at 8:45pm on a Wednesday night in Madrid all the old stories were laid to rest and a new one waited to be written as the game kicked off.

It was all Madrid in the early going: the home side with the first threats of the night, but both Sammy Khedira and Angel Di Maria fired significantly wide of the mark. Fabio Coentrao was much closer to target as he banged it off the post and was unlucky not to open his account near the five minute mark -- surely creating early cause for concern on the visitors' bench. Also creating concern were the acres of space United left open on the pitch for the Madrillenos to run into -- all the better from which to menace David De Gea's goal.

Cristiano Ronaldo absolutely terrorized his ex-teammates in the early going, all fancy stop and go, move and shake, hit and run, reminding them who currently holds the title of the world's second best player. United were unable to keep the ball for more than a couple of passes, and were hard pressed to get the ball out of their own end, so dominant was the home side in the game's early going.

But against all odds it was United who struck first on the evening: Danny Welbeck with a shock glancing header, entirely against the run of play, and on only the Reds' second shot of the evening. Flicking free of Sergio Ramos as Wayne Rooney swung the ball in from the corner, Welbeck rose higher than anyone else and handed the visitors a much hoped for road goal near the game's 20 minute mark. If the goal was expected to shift the course of the contest, it didn't: although rattled, Los Blancos picked right back up where they left off and set out again on the attack.

And again it was Ronaldo at his menacing best, who looked the most real (and Real) threat. When his free kick slammed into none other than Robin Van Persie near the half hour make, it told all those fortunate enough to be at the Bernabeu all they needed to know about the visitors' defensive commitment for the evening. Committed or not, though, by the half hour mark the game was back on level terms: Ronaldo switching sides, and nodding his team back into the contest as he hung high over Patrice Evra for the equalizer.

Welbeck almost doubled his side's joy on 35 minutes, with only a timely intervention from Madrid 'keeper Diego Lopez stopping the Englishman's attempted toe poke from putting the visitors back into the lead. A free kick given away by Rafael on the edge of the box created yet another concern for the visitors' defense, and only a good non-call on a Phil Jones shoulder barge on Di Maria sustained the scoreline as Madrid swaggered forward near the interval.

Big Girls (and Barca) Are Best

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Ed checks in on Spain:

Whenever I watch Barcelona two thoughts come to mind:  (1) “Wow, that Danny Alves is a petulant and annoying dude,"; and (2) These guys are playing a game with which I’m completely unfamiliar.  Nothing needs to be said with regard to the first point: it is what it is.  If you don’t see it, well, there’s something wrong with you.

With regard to the second point, however, it’s difficult to understand exactly how much better Barcelona are than anyone else currently playing the game.  They can be beat, of course, but even in defeat or in a draw like the one this week against Real, they still show as the better team.

As usual, and as in virtually every game I see them play, in El Clasico this week there was a passing combination in tight space where, surrounded by opponents, they were able to play the ball out of pressure after about eight quick passes, many of which were back and forth between the same two players.  Madrid’s defenders got to a point where they could do nothing but wait, so confused were they as to the pinball wizardry that was occurring around them.  Again, this is a regular occurrence with Barca, not a one-off thing. 

Pep Guardiola, last seen in NYC by some friends of FOF, is now headed to Germany.  One suspects he will bring the Barca style with him, though it will be interesting to see if and how he works with the larger, more traditional personnel of the German team.  At Liverpool, Brendan Rodgers has yet to bring the possession game he had at Swansea, as his personnel just don’t seem to fit it.  Presumably, though, it will happen in time if there is time to give.

Patience, Please (Hell Yeah!)

Ed Promises That Good Things Come to Those Who Wait
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Ed is never short on opinions, some of them even correct: 

I recall some time ago asking whether Liverpool FC would have the patience required when changing over to Brendan Rogers.  Could they get through a season of pure mediocrity or worse as he transitions from one system to another?  Like it is in politics, personnel is policy in football, and so far Brendan has been able to bring over just a few players who dwell in the tiki taka system.  Joe Allen being one, and I'm actually not sure who the other one is.

Yet despite the mismatch of personnel, Liverpool have been able to dominate possession.  The problem has been, of course, their inability to score.  The reality is that Liverpool is still recovering from the monstrous gap from their overspending for West Ham's Andy Carroll, and are left with a deficit and a single striker.  Kind of like Chelsea, except without the supporting case of Hazard, Mata, Oscar, and the like.

Give Liverpool some time, fans.  They've gotten the possession part down, and will start to move up the table as the season progresses.  More importantly, if they could spend 50MM pounds on Carroll, they'll be able to spend it again in the future.  How much better would they be, for example, with Berbatov or Chicharito or Ibrahimavic?  Maybe they won't be able to shell out the money necessary for this guys this year, but wouldn't be surprised to seem them do it next year.  Then we'll see how things go for them.  But until that happens, take a deep breath and when you exhale…...lower your expectations (aaaahhhhhhhhhh…….).

# # #

I've heard that there is some consideration to managing the wrestling that goes on during corner kicks following the Fellaini head butt.  I think it's high time for this.  Clearly, this can be difficult to call for an official as there are so many players in the penalty area during corners.  One would think, however, that the fourth official should be able to assist.  But also, aren't we really only concerned about the player trying to head the ball?  If players are warned that holding will be called, and if a few calls are made, defenders will start to hold less.  This will result in more goals and make corner kicks more appropriately threatening.  It's time to phase in this simple change, even if it seems hard at first.

Thoughts on the Champions League, in No Particular Order

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If you're looking this morning for four thoughts on the Champions League, does Columnist Ed ever have something for you...:

 

1. Boring.  Am I the only one who finds most of these Champions League group stage games painfully boring? Manchester United's own players seem to be feeling the same thing. They were barely moving and trying against Braga, a team I think might get relegated if it was in the BPL. 

 

Don't get me wrong, I understand why they're bored. They had to fly a long way to play in a stadium with poor turf and lights that don't always work. And they get to play a team that no one knows about or cares much about. Ugh.

 

I have two easy sugggestions on how to energize the CL:  First, do some March madness brackets -- rank the teams that are eligible and set up the competition just like the college hoops tournament. And make it one and done.  It's not as fair, but it certainly will keep sides like United from using their B team.

 

2. Impressive.  Two teams have impressed me so far in the Champions League. First is Borussia Dortmund. They played a counter -attack game against Real Madrid and almost pulled it off for the victory. They're defensively well-organized and on offense move it around a lot. The other impressive team is FC Shakhtar Donetsk. They moved the ball very well against Chelsea and never looked intimdated. Especially the Brazilian Willian, who scored two and was extremely comfortable in possession. I've heard Spurs wanted him; too bad they couldn't get it done.

Late for the Party: Barcelona 2 - Real Madrid 2

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Barcelona. Real Madrid. Camp Nou. Need we say more?

Of course we do.

Needing a victory, Real visited the hallowed Catalan grounds that have rarely brought them good tidings this past Sunday evening. Due to fitness issues affecting the home side, however -- lacking both starting center halves for this latest version of El Clasico -- Los Blancos must have entered Sunday's contest with significant hope for the first time in ages.

The game started out as if both teams were late to a party -- which in Spain would mean arriving quite tardily, indeed. Bodies rushed back and forth, up and down the pitch, as each team sought the early advantage, but neither side had a true shot on goal until the newly shorn Sergio Ramos missed an uncontested header from right in front of Victor Valdes' goal: the exact same spot typically so well protected by the aforementioned and absent Carles Puyol and Gerard Piqué.

Cristiano Ronaldo -- he of the sad affect of late -- made no such mistake near the 20 minute mark, though, burying his first shot on goal and beating Valdes on the near post for a deserved 1-nil lead for the men in white. Less than two minutes later the lead should have doubled, with the posts serving as the Catalans' most effective defender, denying a wide open Karim Benzema from point blank range.

Not to be left out, Lionel Messi soon pulled out his party invitation and drew his team level -- a rather surprise development, if any goal by the Argentine wunderkind can be described as such. In contrast to the typical artful Messi scoring play, this was more of a like Real Madrid "Tilt-ing" on the pinball that was bouncing around in the box, self destructing through unintentional rebounds and caught standing still at the one moment that truly mattered.

It wouldn't be a Clasico if the handbags hadn't come out, so it was no surprise when tempers flared just before the half as ticky-tacky fouls were greeted with moaning and writhing about on the pitch. But if the first half served up some wicked action, it was solely to prepare the fans for the second 45 minutes, which opened at one end with a disputed non-call on a penalty for Real Madrid and continued at the other with a disputed non-call on a penalty for Barcelona. The teams then traded free kicks from dangerous spots, although the home side's effort was considerably more celebrated.

What's In a Name?

Columnist Ed is on his high horse.  Again:

Champions League......CHAMPIONS LEAGUE.....ChAMpionS LeaguE.....oooh oooh AHHH AHHH!!!  Can't you just here that crazy Champions League anthem tune when you read that?  He wait, does anyone like that anthem ?  I don't.  To me it  sounds like national anthem of one of those countries you've  never heard of that somehow sneaks a gold medal at the Olympics in the three-legged race: “And now, the National Anthem of the Republic of Smerzagrovnia, and a hearty congratulations on their first ever Olympic gold....” 

Here's a suggestion – and don't just say “no” in a knee jerk way – how about going a different direction and trying, say, the theme from Shaft?  Come on, give that hickuppy guitar and playful background keyboard a listen:

Spectacular.

And speaking of spectacular, I don't know what was better, that amazing second goal of Oscar (talk about swerve and dip), or that amazing first touch he took to put the ball behind Pirlo before he spun around him and took the shot.  Wow. 

My only issue with Oscar is the dead horse I've been beating about many footballers playing in Europe, but particularly Brazilian footballers:  What's up with the first name only on the jersey?  It just screams “egomaniac” to me, as in “I am THE Oscar! I'm so fabtacular (look at my hair!) that everyone just knows me by my first name!  I'm just THAT popular!!” 

Well, Oscar, I'm sorry to say it but I find it painful that your dropping your last name when your first name is “Oscar.”  Sorry kid, but it's not exactly lyrical or original or tough.  More muppet garbage dweller to me.  And dude,  you've just started playing!!! 

I think if I owned a soccer team, I'd put an end to that whole thing.  I'd start by appointing Ray Lewis as my Ego Enforcement Officer and instruct him to go all Terry Tate on anyone who gets ahead of himself.

 

"Hey Oscar, baby!! If you don't stitch on your Last, I'm goin' to kick your . . . .!!!  Wooohhh!!!”

Anyhow, Chelsea looked the better team in the game even though they ended up with a draw.  Plus, I'm not sure if the boss man is right that Chelsea isn't that good.  Hazard, Oscar, Ramirez, Lampard – they all looked pretty good to me.  Even Fernan....nah, he looked pretty ordinary, really.

The game that shocked me the most was the Manchester City v. Real Madrid game.  I have never seen such speed as Madrid's.  For most of the game, it seemed like Real was playing with 12 or 13 players and City had 8.  Even Tevez looked pretty pedestrian against Real's fast defense.  As a famous commenter on this site said, only Ya Ya looked fast enough to handle the speed.  He was absolutely in full warp mode when he was taking the ball up the pitch on breaks. 

No Walk in the Park: Manchester City 2 - Real Madrid 3

photo by bere	via PhotoRee

Tie askew, Jose Mourinho looked slightly disheveled as Real Madrid's first round Champions League matchup with Manchester City got underway last night at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. Sitting slumped in the shadows of his black leather sideline chair, his face partially obscured, the Only One looked as if his team's poor early season performance was weighing significantly on him. The Madrid Bossman's agitated state contrasted sharply with the suave visage of his opposite City number, Roberto Mancini. But while Mou may have appeared unsettled, it was the neatly coiffed Italian coach's defense which began the game looking completely unhinged, as the home side took the attack straight at the visitors from the opening whistle.

Cristiano Ronaldo made Vincent Kompany -- no less than the all-consensus best defender in the BPL last year -- look average at best in a one-on-one situation in the game's opening ten minutes, and only a fine save by City 'keeper Joe Hart kept the Spaniards from taking the early lead. When Ronaldo beat Maicon again a few short minutes later, flashbacks of Gareth Bale must have been running through the City fullback's mind even as Joe Hart bailed him out -- this time managing to deny Ronaldo's effort despite the misdirection afforded by Gonzalo Higuain's headed touch immediately in front of the City goal.

If the Spaniards were unable to take advantage of their early dominance, City found it difficult to maintain even the slightest scrap of possession in the game's first half. It was only through one of Ya Ya Toure's trademarked rampages through the middle of the pitch that City sent a brief reminder that there was more than one team intent on scoring for the evening.

Even the normally industrious Carlos Tevez was reduced to a mere spectator by City's conservative gameplan, a development Mancini sought to alleviate by switching to three at the back as the second half began. As the game clock hit an hour, though, the result was more of the same: City struggling to leave their own end, and Marcelo's missile just the latest development to tease the Madrilleno fans: almost, but not quite good enough.

It was when bodies began bouncing off Toure like cartoon bullets off Superman that the crowd finally sensed something special in the offing -- an event confirmed by recent sub Eden Dzeko's fine finish that handed City a stunning 1-nil smash and grab lead.

Shootout at the Bernabeu: Bayern Munich 2 (3) - Real Madrid 2 PK

photo by The U.S. Army	via PhotoRee

Columnist Scott offers a final word or two on his second favorite team's late departure from the Champions League on Wednesday night:

As the goalies get better, advancing technology allows in-depth study of opposing players' tendencies, and rules have evolved allowing lateral ‘keeper movement prior to the kick, penalty kicks are far from the given goal we grew up believing.  Even more difficult is conversion when the pressurized glare of a Champions League semi-final is blinding your eyes and threatening tachycardia.

Admittedly, I did not get to see the majority of the Real Madrid - Bayern Munich second leg game. But I did catch the last 20 minutes of extra time, during which I saw Real Madrid pressing relentlessly and creating the better of the chances, with only Gonzalo Higuain's slightly ill-timed touch wasting a near sure goal created by Marcelo's sublime 3/4-field dribble then pass. It should be noted, however, that my observation is notwithstanding a clearly unbiased impression to the contrary, of all the action prior, by a certain burly Bayern Munich fan in my acquaintance.

As a result, I'll leave the regular and extra time commentary to others and, instead, focus briefly on one of the most thrilling, if disheartening, penalty shootouts I've ever witnessed.  All the elements were there: world class field players, world class goalies, Champions League Final on the line, dramatic saves, all hope lost, hope restored, crushing miss and, finally, emphatic closure.

Just before the expiration of extra time, Ronaldo is seen to confidently motion to himself, clearly an indication that he will take the first kick. So, after David Alaba scores first for Bayern, I watch with anticipation as one of the best players in the world, indeed the 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year, will surely put Los Blancos on level terms.  But Manuel Neuer is of another mind, getting down quickly to his right to block the Portuguese’s hard-hit but too-centered shot.  Ronaldo had made 26 of 27 penalty kicks for Real Madrid before this effort.  Confidence erodes to mere hope.

The Final Four

Columnist Ed, with some thoughts on the Champions League Final Four:

The best league in Europe -- the one that doesn't feature either Manchester A or Manchester B -- is down to the final four.  And as all readers of this site know, Bayern took down Real Madrid in the first leg of their series last night in Munich by the score of 2 to 1.  Here are my thoughts.

-- Gomez is much better than I realized.  I never thought much of him, as I beleived it was Ribery and Robben that do most of the work for Bayern's offense.  While it is true that they do all of the delivery work, Gomez played with tons of energy Tuesday night, challenging defenders with the ball and bullying his way forward.  He is not necessarily quick, but he is certainly fast.  Plus, he anticipates the hard snap crosses they put into him remarkably well.  He had one goal but could have had three.  I can see now why he has 40 goals.  This was the type of player that Liverpool foolishly believed they were getting when they signed Andy Carroll.  There is still room for the big holder and finisher in modern football.  There aren't too many better than Gomez.

-- Ribery is a fantastic player who gives all he has on the field, but the flopping he did the other night was shameful.  He certainly fooled Howard Webb on a more than one occassion, and his flop in the penalty area should have been carded.  Ribery's behavior screams for post game yellow cards or fines.  When will this happen?  Some day please?

--  Ronaldo was also no stranger to the flop.  Ronaldo, I think, is used to being the Michael Jordan of his league, and getting the call any time anyone touches him.  Last night he was treated by Webb in the same way as a reserve teamer on Wolves.  Shoving is a part of the game also, Ronaldo.  Remember the BPL?  While Barcelona brings an elegance to the game that is unparalleled, there is also a diva quality to their game and it's found, as well, in Ronaldo -- something that is tough to swallow for an American like me.

-- The Bayern v. Real game was interesting on a tactical front as both teams have very similar styles of play.  Their formations, their conservatism upon scoring, their personnel -- all strikingly similar.  Neither of these teams are like Barca.  This was a battle of traditional tactics between old rivals.  Are these teams the last of this era, and will the possesion game eventually take over?