# English Football & UEFA Champions League



## Canadian Brotha (Jan 23, 2009)

.


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## seanybhoy (Mar 2, 2008)

Wtf where did the Champions League thread go ? :stu


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## Canadian Brotha (Jan 23, 2009)

I'm not sure what happened your original post but what are your teams?

My top 2 are Chelsea & Barcelona


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## seanybhoy (Mar 2, 2008)

English football: I want Aston Villa to do well , yanno the old celtic shabang.
Cept that i like Arsenal and Man Utd's counter attacking football.

Champs League: Prolly stating the obvious in saying an english or spanish team will win.
My guilty pleasure would be seeing Juventus doing well after being out the tournament for so long though.


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## Canadian Brotha (Jan 23, 2009)

I've only been been watching football for the last 2 years so I'm still learning which teams are the best in both England & Europe, but yeah, it would be good to see Villa stay up in the top ranks. I was a Newcastle fan last year but this year hasn't been good to them. As for champions league, I take your word on an English or Spanish team taking it, I've heard that from a few other people as well.


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## yakubu (Nov 4, 2008)

im an evertonian but obviously they arent gonna win the premiership. man utd will win the premiership for the simple fact that nobody else is good enough to do it 

under scholary chelsea are poor.
liverpool are terrible, no creativity, cant break teams down that defend
aston villa are over rated , do not belong int hetop 4. everton are a much better side
arsenal are a shadow of their past. theyve never replaced pires, viera etc....

as for the champions league has to be barcelona, maybe man utd. and inter millan could be a suprise pakcage


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## Fairyxo (Jan 28, 2009)

It used to be Man U purely for Beckham (when I was 11 ), but out of everything, if I had to pick, it'd be Man City 

Though i'm not an avid fan!


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## seanybhoy (Mar 2, 2008)

yakubu said:


> im an evertonian but obviously they arent gonna win the premiership. man utd will win the premiership for the simple fact that nobody else is good enough to do it
> 
> under scholary chelsea are poor.
> liverpool are terrible, no creativity, cant break teams down that defend
> ...


Too true liverpool have zero consistency when it comes to "domestic" football which is ashame cos i think they could actually contend for the title if they applied themselves.

Sorry i know your from the other half of merseyside but yeah you get the point.


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## yakubu (Nov 4, 2008)

seanybhoy said:


> Too true liverpool have zero consistency when it comes to "domestic" football which is ashame cos i think they could actually contend for the title if they applied themselves.
> 
> Sorry i know your from the other half of merseyside but yeah you get the point.


liverpool are poor. they just havent got what it takes to win a league title. in cup competitions they have unbelevable look

theyve got a great spine to the team right down the middle reyna, carragher, agger, masherano, alonso, gerrard , torress but they lack strengh in depth in their squad and they seriously lack creativity as they havent got good fullbacks at all who can bomb forward and they havent got top class creative wingers

when they come up against teams who defend , and who liverpool should comfortably beat , they havent got any ideas so they end up drawing games that they should win


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## yakubu (Nov 4, 2008)

everton to win the FA cup


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## seanybhoy (Mar 2, 2008)

^^^^ Speakin of which you guys just dumped Liverfool out the cup.


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## Canadian Brotha (Jan 23, 2009)

Do you know when the Champions League is back? The date?


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## Shrike (Feb 5, 2009)

Liverpool FC all the way, baby. 

My Dad took me to a game at Anfield when I was about 5 or 6 and I've been pretty much obsessed with the club ever since.

Real shame about the game last night though, I'm contemplating therapy again because of that.


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## Shrike (Feb 5, 2009)

yakubu said:


> liverpool are poor. they just havent got what it takes to win a league title. in cup competitions they have unbelevable look
> 
> theyve got a great spine to the team right down the middle reyna, carragher, agger, masherano, alonso, gerrard , torress but they lack strengh in depth in their squad and they seriously lack creativity as they havent got good fullbacks at all who can bomb forward and they havent got top class creative wingers
> 
> when they come up against teams who defend , and who liverpool should comfortably beat , they havent got any ideas so they end up drawing games that they should win


That's a pretty much spot on post to be fair, although we are hardly 'poor' so to speak. :b


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## seanybhoy (Mar 2, 2008)

Canadian Brotha said:


> Do you know when the Champions League is back? The date?


24 - 25th Feb chief.............I think !


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## Canadian Brotha (Jan 23, 2009)

seanybhoy said:


> 24 - 25th Feb chief.............I think !


Thanks Man


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## proximo20 (Nov 25, 2006)

This is the year of Barca. Unless they suffer from injuries they will win the cup.

I have always supported MANU but CR7 makes the team very unappealing to me. Besides this Liverpool always does well in Champions League.


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## seanybhoy (Mar 2, 2008)

Ditto liverpool have great consistency in this competiton and can beat ANYONE on their day home or away.

Madrid v Liverpool game should be good.


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## Canadian Brotha (Jan 23, 2009)

dezzy94 said:


> My team is Sunderland tho i want Madrid to win the champions league this season!


I've enjoyed watching Cisse for Sunderland, wild hair & a decent amount of goals


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## seanybhoy (Mar 2, 2008)

Nice , almost time for the champions league to recommence bout freakin time .


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## whiterabbit (Jan 20, 2006)

I know, I've been looking forward to this for ages. So tonight we've got:

Arsenal v Roma
Atletico Madrid v Porto
Inter v Man United
Lyon v Barcelona

I'm useless at predictions but they should be good games. I'm a bit nervous about the Inter v United game. It's going to be a tough one.


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## seanybhoy (Mar 2, 2008)

Aww jizz i was too busy to catch the action.

I'd say advantage united now and im guessing you guys wont be too upset about coming away with a draw.

But yeah not much between the teams in tonights action so pretty much still everything to play for.


Chelsea v Juve and Liverpool v Madrid tomorrow though hmm should be entertaining to say the least.


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## seanybhoy (Mar 2, 2008)

Chelsea win Liverpool win hmm do we see a pattern developing here lol


But yeah like i said still anyones game.


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## SoloSage (Feb 26, 2009)

I guess we can assume, so far, that the Premier League is the strongest one out there. A good displays by United, an awesome display by Arsenal, Good victory for Chelsea and an Unexpected win for Liverpool, then again, they are giants in the Champions League. Good performances from the English league all round.

My team is Liverpool, btw.


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## seanybhoy (Mar 2, 2008)

What bout madrid getting whooped huh top class stuff tonight from liverpool that's for sure.
Chelseas game wuz good too so sadly no Juve in the final hehe aww man ya can't have it all.
Man U n Arsenal tomorrow , Man U are sure to be victorious although Arsenal don't fill me with the same confidence they used to.


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## Canadian Brotha (Jan 23, 2009)

I totally forgot about Champions League this week, just caught a replay of the Chelsea game, I glad to see Drogba back to scoring ways. Looks like that's all I'll get though, don't have the specialty channels. I'll catch the highlights show on Friday. I agree that Man-U will take Arsenal though, as well as Barcelona over Lyon although I would be happy to see an upset in the Lyon game, lol


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## whiterabbit (Jan 20, 2006)

Why why why why did I not bet on Liverpool to win last night. They're like the best bet you could have in Europe these days. I hate them so much.

I think Arsenal will go through tonight. Roma don't have the best record against English teams and they didn't get an away goal. But then again I've thought numerous times over this season that Arsenal were bound to win and they've messed up again and again.

As for my own team I hope we can send Mourinho back to Italy with his tail between his legs. I can't wait for this one.


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## seanybhoy (Mar 2, 2008)

Aww man i'm gonna miss all the games tonight jeez won't even catch the ****ing highlights.

Bah suppose Sky Sports News is better than a kick in the fanny.


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## whiterabbit (Jan 20, 2006)

And all the English teams are in the quarters again. Arsenal got through by the skin of their teeth though. The penalty shoot-out was funny. Vucinic's penalty was perhaps the worst on-target penalty I've ever seen. And then just when I was wondering if it would ever end, Tonetto finishes it off by kicking his up into the heavens. There's always one.

Why do we have to wait over a week for the draw.


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## seanybhoy (Mar 2, 2008)

Aww man i missed the whole shabang wtf .

Sounds like Arsenal were lucky though, in my opinion a stronger team would of put them out no question buuuuuuut their is always next round for the drama to continue.

Hehe everyone always overlooks the spaniards on this thread but Barca whooped Sporting and Villareal won too, so no real upsets but still an entertaining night all round.

Roll on next week already jeez.


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## SoloSage (Feb 26, 2009)

A 4-1 demolishing of Man-United after a 4-0 demolishing of Real-Madrid. Even if we don't win the premier league this year, at least we can finish with home and away wins against United and Chelsea. Good week to be a 'Pool supporter.


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## seanybhoy (Mar 2, 2008)

Yeah a stubborn Liverpool side look like the only team capable of challenging united in the premiership n utd n barca in the champs league that's for sure.


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## Sabu (Feb 28, 2009)

I didn't see Liverpool thrashing Utd. What a result.


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## whiterabbit (Jan 20, 2006)

Oooooooh my god, what's going on. That was shocking from United today. Beaton 2-0 by Fulham. And more suspensions. Although I don't think Rooney deserved his second yellow at all.

Still I'm not worried yet. We're four points ahead of the pack with a game in hand. If we play this badly in our next game against Villa, _then_ I'll be worried.

As for the Champions League I think we got the best draw we could possibly have got. Porto, and then if we win that either Arsenal or Villareal in the semi. Liverpool play Chelsea _again_. And Bayern v Barcelona should be an interesting game.


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## seanybhoy (Mar 2, 2008)

I was kinda disappointed with the Liverpool v Chelsea draw don't get me wrong it'll be a good game but jeez give us some for variety for a change.


Bayern v Barca should be class though.


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## Canadian Brotha (Jan 23, 2009)

Well my boys in blue couldn’t take advantage of the Man-U mistake so we’ll see if the boys in red can take advantage.

As for Champions League, I agree that the Chelsea vs. Liverpool draw is a bit disappointing but should entertain. I hope I get the Barca game when Champs League returns


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## Canadian Brotha (Jan 23, 2009)

Well the boys in red had quite the day again


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## tihskirap (Mar 28, 2009)

I am a huge Bayern fan......Barca r goin to hammer us


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## scaredtolive (Mar 19, 2009)

tihskirap said:


> I am a huge Bayern fan......Barca r goin to hammer us


Maybe not. If Klose is out then maybe. I think a lot will depend on Ze Roberto and Schweinsteiger. I assume they'll try and shut down Ribery which might open things up a bit in the middle and the opposite flank. I don't expect Van Bommel to do anything but if Ze Roberto and Schwinsteiger play well they might get lucky.


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## Snow Bunny (Jan 28, 2009)

Chelsea are my team, woop!

England play on Wednesday - goooooo Eng-ger-land! XD


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## seanybhoy (Mar 2, 2008)

Good result for England and Scotland tonight so yeah no complaints.


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## Sabu (Feb 28, 2009)

Crap! I can't belive we (Villa) through a 2 -1 lead then a point for a draw away. We crumbled as soon as Utd equalised.


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## downbutnotout (Mar 19, 2009)

Sabu said:


> Crap! I can't belive we (Villa) through a 2 -1 lead then a point for a draw away. We crumbled as soon as Utd equalised.


I'm an Arsenal fan, and even i wanted Villa to beat Man Utd!


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## whiterabbit (Jan 20, 2006)

Yeah, that result was a bit harsh on Villa, but it was a beautiful goal to win the game (albeit within a very generous five minutes of injury time). 

What a weekend of football though. I've been up and down and all over the place.


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## Sabu (Feb 28, 2009)

downbutnotout said:


> I'm an Arsenal fan, and even i wanted Villa to beat Man Utd!


Cheers mate!



whiterabbit said:


> What a weekend of football though. I've been up and down and all over the place.


Same here. First I was bracing myself for another thrashing, then I was jumping about with our second goal, after that hoping to hang on for a draw, and by the end of it I was gutted. Great match to watch though.


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## seanybhoy (Mar 2, 2008)

Yeah too true.

Utd v Porto tomorrow should be good i think Utd'll be too strong for Porto at Old Trafford.

As for Arsenal they have their work cut out for sure i think Villareal are this years dark horse but yeah should be good all the same.


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## lucyinthesky (Mar 29, 2009)

I have a Manchester United/Tottenham family 

I like Spanish teams- Atletico for Torres...


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## downbutnotout (Mar 19, 2009)

Wenger has been a joke tonight. I really think he's past it.

2 players injured, didn't sub almunia until about 20 mins later. Gallas clearly twists his knee AND GETS SENT BACK ONTO THE PITCH! Then gets subbed.

Dire performance in the 1st half. Just like every time Arsenal have lost this season e.g when they lost to Fulham, Stoke and Hull!

Rubbish passing, loads of fouls, injuries. Nightmare.

We'd be better off with Shearer and Ian Dowie for gods sake, they probably have more of a clue these days. :|

At least Adebayor has saved us now. Itv coverage is awful. Half of the goal wasn't shown because of replays of other stuff previously.


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## whiterabbit (Jan 20, 2006)

Well that was sh*t. 

I wish there was option to turn ITV commentary off. David Pleat makes me want to throw things at the television.


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## Canadian Brotha (Jan 23, 2009)

Well I'm glad Porto got the result they did, I didn't want to see Man-U take it like they did with Villa late on


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## seanybhoy (Mar 2, 2008)

Porto deserve credit for their display , Utd certainly have their work cut out at the Dragao that's for sure.

I missed the Arsenal match and highlights although an away draw is a good result in my opinion.


Chelsea v Liverpool and Barca v Bayern tomorrow so yeah good stuff.


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## whiterabbit (Jan 20, 2006)

Wow. Well done to Chelsea. I wish I'd watched it now. I watched Barcelona v Bayern instead. Barca were awesome, Messi is so perfect it hurts, Eto'o is outstanding, and I could go on. They're definitely the team to beat. Whoever wins the Chelsea v Liverpool tie will have to be at their very best to have a chance.


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## proximo20 (Nov 25, 2006)

Liverpool has been outstanding against Real and Manu but Chelsea was so solid today. 

I can't wait to see Barca against Chelsea.


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## Canadian Brotha (Jan 23, 2009)

Well I was very nervous at first with Chelsea, I thought Liverpool were going to do their European Night thing & stand tall at home. I was pleasantly surprised to see my blues turn things around.

As for Barca, they are unreal! What a line up they have, so smooth indeed


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## seanybhoy (Mar 2, 2008)

Barca v Chelsea it is then huh ?

It was always gonna be that way but i woulda liked to see Liverpool stuff chelsea if only to shut up all the blue noses in my street haha.

Ah well always tomorrow night to look forward to.


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## whiterabbit (Jan 20, 2006)

Brilliant game tonight. I'm glad I'm not a Liverpool or Chelsea fan or my nerves would be in shreds. I'm nervous for United tomorrow though.


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## Canadian Brotha (Jan 23, 2009)

whiterabbit said:


> Brilliant game tonight. I'm glad I'm not a Liverpool or Chelsea fan or my nerves would be in shreds. I'm nervous for United tomorrow though.


I stated it in the random sports thread but I could have died 3 times over between these Chelsea - Liverpool games as a blues fan


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## whiterabbit (Jan 20, 2006)

Canadian Brotha said:


> I stated it in the random sports thread but I could have died 3 times over between these Chelsea - Liverpool games as a blues fan


haha, yeah I've been there. I hope I won't be there tonight.


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## whiterabbit (Jan 20, 2006)

Job well done for United. Porto helped out by not playing nearly as well as they did at Old Trafford. I'm glad we've got the Rio-Vidic partnership back and managed to keep a clean sheet. Hopefully that little defensive blip is over now. And what a goal from Ronaldo. Amazing.

Arsenal looked much better as well. Walcott's finish was class. And I loved Wenger's little celebration dance after the second goal. That'll come back to haunt him.

Bring on the semis. I can't wait already.


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## seanybhoy (Mar 2, 2008)

What a peach from Ronaldo and a good performance from the gooners.

Three english teams in the semis jeez they've sure as **** got this competition in a chokehold.


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## downbutnotout (Mar 19, 2009)

I'm glad Arsenal did it.

I dont want any arguments about this, and i know Arsenal dont have many english players, but Walcott and Kieran Gibbs have played in the premier league and the champions league. Both young players too. When anyone says arsenal dont have ANY english players, its not true. Its true that they dont have many english players, but they do have SOME.

Will be tough to play against Man Utd, but Arsenal were lucky to beat Roma earlier on in the competition. 

Would be great if Arsenal won, because Barcelona and Man Utd have won the champions league enough times already!


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## Canadian Brotha (Jan 23, 2009)

I got the Stoke vs. Blackburn game today in the EPL & unfortunately there wasn't much in it but Stoke took it toward the end. I'm gonna check the days highlights now & see what happened elsewhere


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## Canadian Brotha (Jan 23, 2009)

Just seen the highlights of the Liverpool vs. Arsenal game, crazy stuff


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## downbutnotout (Mar 19, 2009)

Canadian Brotha said:


> Just seen the highlights of the Liverpool vs. Arsenal game, crazy stuff


Woah, i forgot all about that match. Too many games on odd days. A premier league game on a tuesday. I missed it, but i'm happy with a 4-4 draw against Liverpool.


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## whiterabbit (Jan 20, 2006)

downbutnotout said:


> Woah, i forgot all about that match. Too many games on odd days. A premier league game on a tuesday. I missed it, but i'm happy with a 4-4 draw against Liverpool.


I forgot all about it as well. Stupid mid-week games. I'll have to find the highlights somewhere. What's with Liverpool scoring 4 goals every game?


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## Canadian Brotha (Jan 23, 2009)

If all the games are on Sat & Sun in the EPL then I get my video highlights from *thescore.com*, they have a video player that is usually updated by Mon or Tues at the latest for those interested


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## downbutnotout (Mar 19, 2009)

Newcastle to get relegated?

They drew 0-0 with Portsmouth. It was supposed to be a winnable game, and so was the tottenham match.

More points dropped in my opinion.


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## seanybhoy (Mar 2, 2008)

It's been a long time coming for Newcastle , personally i think it's the kick up the *** they need, obviously their cause hasn't been helped by that douche Freddy Shephard aww man what a greedy self centred horrible little man.

Strong performance from chelsea tonight.

I have no personal favourite amongst the last 4 teams , all i ask is for entertaining football.

I think tomorrow's match will be a little more open than tonight's or at least here's hoping.


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## downbutnotout (Mar 19, 2009)

seanybhoy said:


> It's been a long time coming for Newcastle , personally i think it's the kick up the *** they need, obviously their cause hasn't been helped by that douche Freddy Shephard aww man *what a greedy self centred horrible little man.
> *
> Strong performance from chelsea tonight.
> 
> ...


Mike Ashley.....lol


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## Canadian Brotha (Jan 23, 2009)

Destroyed in 10 minutes at the Emirates against the run of play...I mean I expected Man-U to win but man that's nuts


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## Hadron92 (Apr 17, 2009)

Well, arsenal are now surely out. My guess is the final is going to be a repeat of last year. Only i want Chelsea to win this time. Want to see a london team finally winning this competition.


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## amg its austin (May 1, 2009)

I support Manchester United and Liverpool.. bit like supporting god AND the devil but I like those teams for their players/managers and style of play rather than supporting them for anything else.


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## whiterabbit (Jan 20, 2006)

Great performance from United. I can't help but feel really bad for Wenger though. He looked quite distraught tonight and he's got everybody on his back. And the slip from Gibbs before the first goal was a bit tragic. I have too much empathy. Also, I'm devasted for Fletcher. Why on earth are the rules so stupid that you can only rescind a red card for mistaken identity? He had a great game tonight and he got back and made the effort to get in a great tackle, even though if Fabregas had scored it wouldn't have even mattered, and all he gets is a red card for his troubles.

Anyway, I'm ecsatic we're going to Rome. I'd like Barcelona in the final just so it's not a repeat of last year, but who knows.


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## whiterabbit (Jan 20, 2006)

amg its austin said:


> I support Manchester United and Liverpool


That's mental.


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## amg its austin (May 1, 2009)

It is but they're my favourite teams to watch. I used to just go for Man U since I was a kid but I've enjoyed watching Liverpool more and more past year or so and they're comebacks are pretty special.


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## seanybhoy (Mar 2, 2008)

Gibbs mistake totally killed the game aww man poor guy talk about being the moment killer.


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## downbutnotout (Mar 19, 2009)

seanybhoy said:


> Gibbs mistake totally killed the game aww man poor guy talk about being the moment killer.


I felt sorry for him. I'm an Arsenal fan. He looked like he was going to cry. It didn't matter, the whole team were outclassed.

I'm just happy they got to champs league semi finals, and finished 4th. It could have been alot worse this season.


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## seanybhoy (Mar 2, 2008)

Too true it was like men against kids sometimes, Arsenal are a really young team though so they shouldn't be too hard on themselves, the only person i can really fault is Adebayors work ethic .


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## Canadian Brotha (Jan 23, 2009)

****! 

My boys in blue were so close, I mean they deserved the rematch there are no questions about that. For all the might of Barcelona they were silenced until the 3rd minute of stoppage time. 

I want revenge dammit!

I'm not sure I can support Barca in the final now, before this it was no question but now I'm just mad. I mean if they had schooled Chelsea but like this, ****!

That's my rant


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## whiterabbit (Jan 20, 2006)

Just when you thought refereeing couldn't get any worse...wow.

What a finish to the game. Everyone went insane. You've got to feel for Chelsea. 

Well good things out of the game - two cracking goals. Essien's is one of the best I've ever seen. And amidst all the heartbreak I had to laugh at Drogba coming out in his flip-flops after the game to berate the referee. I wonder if the ref will get out of Stamford Bridge alive.

Also, I definitely fancy our chances against Barca in the final.


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## whiterabbit (Jan 20, 2006)

And another thing, UEFA definitely need to review their rules on the appeal of red cards since there are now two players who will undeservedly miss the final. I just can't get over it.


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## PGVan (May 22, 2004)

whiterabbit said:


> And another thing, UEFA definitely need to review their rules on the appeal of red cards since there are now two players who will undeservedly miss the final. I just can't get over it.


Agreed. Both Abidal and Fletcher should be available.

I, however, don't feel bad for Chelsea. While they were denied one penalty (Pique's handball, Eto'o at the end was NOT a handball) they had plenty of other opportunities to score, AND not to mention Barcelona were wrongly put down to 10 men.

Ballack and Drogba should be suspended for their actions towards the referee at the end. They are professionals, not small children. They need to show some self control. They just set an example for young players where if you feel the referee cost you the game, you should go after him. It's counter-productive to the sport because young people thinking about becoming referees (and young people who are already referees) will see that and say "no ****ing way". If they keep letting this kind of behaviour going unpunished, where are they going to find referees in the future?

What I absolutely hate about the game is the away goals rule. It's time for it to go. Neither team proved they were better than the other. Just because Barcelona's one goal came in Chelsea's stadium should not mean that it counts for more than Chelsea's home goal.


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## seanybhoy (Mar 2, 2008)

PGVan said:


> What I absolutely hate about the game is the away goals rule. It's time for it to go. .


Agreed, it's just plain stupid i just got home two minutes ago to find the match was won on away goal which was kinda disappointing.

What's wrong with extra time ?


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## Canadian Brotha (Jan 23, 2009)

Alright I'm back to continue my commentary,

On the topic of refs I think the linesmen should be a bit more vocal if they have a better angle and/or notice a wrong call

On the topic of players freaking out at the end of big games I do find it amusing but it is a bad example. Drogba slapped someone at last seasons final & seems to have a habit of finding trouble such as that fan incident so him freaking today wasn't surprising. I do like him as a player though

As for away goals, that rule has obviously kicked me in the *** today


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## whiterabbit (Jan 20, 2006)

Well, a few hours later and I'm not feeling so bad for Chelsea, haha. I hit the roof cheering when Iniesta scored and then felt bad for Chelsea having the final so unceremoniously snatched away from them, but I didn't want them in the final anyway so...again, too much empathy. 

I agree about the away goals rule, it's unfair. As for Ballack and Drogba's behaviour...I'm surprised Ballack didn't get sent off. And Drogba calling it a disgrace when he's regularly the biggest disgrace on the pitch was just laughable. Get a grip. Hiddink and most of the Chelsea players managed to be perfectly dignified in defeat. Even Fletcher, and to a lesser extent Abidal, managed to keep calmer than him after their red cards. I think they'll both get punished further.


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## Sabu (Feb 28, 2009)

oh and yeah Chelsea were hard done by but it still don't excuse Drogba acting like a spoilt brat.


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## whiterabbit (Jan 20, 2006)

^hahaha, well it was a decent penalty shout to be fair. 

What is going on today? Cries of conspiracy and death threats to the ref. There were injustices on both sides, the ref just had a bad game. I hope this doesn't go the same way as the Anders Frisk incident.


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## Sabu (Feb 28, 2009)

Yep the ref had a terrible game and it'll be bad if Chelsea fans force another ref out of the game. I think they were internet threats (?) though so it could be any old idiot with a computer!


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## Sabu (Feb 28, 2009)

Jesus, we're on a slippery slope at the moment. Nevermind slipping out of the champions leagues spots we'd be slipping out of them Uefa cups spots too if there were more games. Hopefully we can strengthen during the transfer window and not lose the likes of Young and Barry.


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## Sabu (Feb 28, 2009)

So Man U won it. I'm gonna have to suffer brummie Man U fans rubbing it in to me now for a while ha. Though fair play, the best team won the league and sometimes it seemed they weren't even playing their best.


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## Sabu (Feb 28, 2009)




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## seanybhoy (Mar 2, 2008)

Woot, the final tomorrow who's gonna win ?

I think united have more strength in depth but anything can happen on the night.

I just hope Ronaldo and Messi don't go awol like they tend do in a lot of the big games.


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## proximo20 (Nov 25, 2006)

Yes tomorrow is the big day. I support Barca but I wont be sad if they lose, because i love the way Manu plays too, but tomorrow I think Manu will play like Chelsea, I mean a defensive style.


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## whiterabbit (Jan 20, 2006)

United will clearly win tonight because I'm depressed and I want them to.

Congratulations to Burnley for getting promotion. My uncle is a big Burnley fan and follows them all around the country, which is pretty dedicated of him considering he's been living in Aberdeen for the past twenty years. They deserved it, and I think they'll do alright next year. I love the fact that half the population of the town were at Wembley on Monday. I'd love it if half the population of my city disappeared.


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## SoloSage (Feb 26, 2009)

I personally give United a 70% chance of winning the trophy, even though I'm routing for Barca.


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## Canadian Brotha (Jan 23, 2009)

Well I think on the season & the game Barca deserve what they've got(though if Man-U had won I would have said the same). Pique & Puyol were my players of the game


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## SoloSage (Feb 26, 2009)

Wow, what a great performance by Barca — didn't expect them to dominate United like that! What a brilliant goal by Eto'o — sheer quality. And how about Puyol, eh? Wonderful performance by him.


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## seanybhoy (Mar 2, 2008)

When two great teams like that come together it boils down to who plays better as a unit and so it proved tonight.

Barcelona were worthy winners.

I was happy to see Ronaldo man handle Puyol all night though that was kinda funny lol aww man i can't stand Puyol as an individual.


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## whiterabbit (Jan 20, 2006)

seanybhoy said:


> I was happy to see Ronaldo man handle Puyol all night though that was kinda funny lol aww man i can't stand Puyol as an individual.


haha, me too. I don't mind Puyol but that was about all the fun I could get out of the match.

Anyway Barca deserved it, they were the better team, they played majestically, they're més que un club, Messi is God, Iniesta is Jesus, Guardiola is the Holy Spirit, blah blah blah.

I'm not bitter, really. It would have been greedy to win it twice in a row. To be honest, I don't think we were at our best for the majority of the European games this season so we probably didn't deseve it as much overall either. And we clearly didn't deserve to win the final. So good for Barcelona. The best team won.


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## Sabu (Feb 28, 2009)

Barca's midfield was awesome last night too, completely dominated Utd's. Xavi and Iniesta had great games.


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## downbutnotout (Mar 19, 2009)

(champions league jingle)- DOO DOO, DOO DOO DOO, THE CHAMPIONS!.......... SHIP


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## PGVan (May 22, 2004)

I was disgusted at United's performance in the Final. Not to take anything away from Barcelona, but both of their goals were due to terrible, terrible defence that was very uncharacteristic of United. 

United dominated the first ten minutes, and once Vidic scored the own goal (I know Eto'o scored, but Vidic handed him the open shot, he might as well have put it in himself), United packed it in. 80 minutes left, and they packed it in. 

Again, not saying Barcelona doesn't deserve the title, but there are a dozen top clubs in Europe who would have beaten United playing like that. For a neutral fan, it was a terrible match to watch. Definitely not "final" quality.


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## whiterabbit (Jan 20, 2006)

Well, that's it for the season. Chelsea deserved the cup yesterday, unfortunately. I'll miss Hiddink a bit. I won't miss him being in charge of Chelsea, but it'd be nice if he came back to another English club after he's finished with Russia. 

When are the world cup qualifiers? I'm suffering from withdrawal already.


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## PGVan (May 22, 2004)

FIFA dates are next weekend. Some teams have qualifiers, some teams have friendlies.


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## downbutnotout (Mar 19, 2009)




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## whiterabbit (Jan 20, 2006)

^I like it better when you can see Fergie swearing at Phelan, and then Phelan laughing at having scared the **** out of everyone.

****ing hell, Real Madrid aren't messing about are they. £56 million for Kaka, £80 million for Ronaldo. I hope Barcelona spank them again next season.


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## PGVan (May 22, 2004)

Real Madrid isn't done either. They're going to get David Villa, and they might be going for Franck Ribéry too. It's bloody ridiculous. At about 2:00am Pacific (when the Ronaldo news first broke), I am pretty sure I heard the screaming obscenities from Arjen Robben and Rafael van der Vaart all the way over here in Canada. I can't imagine they're too happy.


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## proximo20 (Nov 25, 2006)

Perez acts as if he did not learn his lesson. In his first term Real madrid went down after Makalele left. Again Perez does not care about the defence which is actually the problematic area of Madrid.

I also wonder what Ferguson will do with all that money.


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## PGVan (May 22, 2004)

Fergie did put a bid in for David Villa, but he doesn't want to leave Spain. Valencia say they're not selling him, but that's clearly to drive up the price for Real Madrid. Valencia want Kaka money for David Villa. :lol

Fergie is also interested in Franck Ribéry, but Bayern Munchen also want Kaka money for him. 

He also tried to pay for Tevez, but Carlos wants to go elsewhere. 

If I were Fergie, I'd be looking to buy some of the now-outcasts at Real Madrid. Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben would look spectacular in a Man United jersey. 

There are also rumours that Robin van Persie might move to Man United from Arsenal. The reason is apparently that Van Persie wants to win some trophies.


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## Sabu (Feb 28, 2009)

Gah being a Villa fan during the transfer window sucks. Barry out, Downing in meaning Young is probably on his way out. :/


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## proximo20 (Nov 25, 2006)

What do you think of the coming season in the Champions League and Premier League.

In my opinion, Liverpool and Chelsea will be the top contenders in the EPL and Barcelona and Real Madrid will join them in the Champions League.

Manchester failed to transfer someone for Ronaldo's place and I think Sir Ferguson will retire next season or the after. 

Inter among the Italian teams is strong but I can not predict how well they will play next year. 

Bayern is also tough but I am not sure how succesful Van Gaal will be there. 

Real spent so much money but the new players will need time to learn to play together and if they stay behind Barca for a while there might be problems. 

I think Ancelotti will be very successful at Chelsea and I would not be surprised if he wins the Champions League one more time this year.


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## PGVan (May 22, 2004)

After Sporting advanced over FC Twente in CL qualifying, only because they managed a 90th minute goal to tie the aggregate at 1-1 (the score of today's match in Enschede), it is clear to me that the away goals rule must be done away with.

As far as I'm concerned, if the aggregate score is tied at the end of the 2nd leg, it should be extra time and penalties if necessary, no matter where the goals were scored. 

As for the other items...

I don't think Manchester United is going to be hurt much. They have been pretty adamant that transfering in a C.Ronaldo replacement wasn't something they needed to do. They did put some bids in, but as Fergie said, the prices are ridiculous. 

I think Inter will be fine. Eto'o can score as many goals as Ibrahimovic and Sneijder is a huge addition for them as well.


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## seanybhoy (Mar 2, 2008)

PGVan said:


> After Sporting advanced over FC Twente in CL qualifying, only because they managed a 90th minute goal to tie the aggregate at 1-1 (the score of today's match in Enschede), it is clear to me that the away goals rule must be done away with.
> 
> As far as I'm concerned, if the aggregate score is tied at the end of the 2nd leg, it should be extra time and penalties if necessary, no matter where the goals were scored.


Well said.

In other news: Ugh it doesnt look good for celtic in the champs league , aww man fingers crossed.


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## SoloSage (Feb 26, 2009)

There goes Alonso. I still feel kinda depressed, even though we got €34 for him. I hope Aquilani will be able to fill his boots, but he is seriously injury prone. I really don't want to see Lucas as a first team regular. The transfer window is closing soon, so I hope to see some good purchases.


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## proximo20 (Nov 25, 2006)

PGVan said:


> After Sporting advanced over FC Twente in CL qualifying, only because they managed a 90th minute goal to tie the aggregate at 1-1 (the score of today's match in Enschede), it is clear to me that the away goals rule must be done away with.


Then the away teams would play even more defensively than they already do and we would see very boring games.


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## socially inept (Mar 6, 2009)

utd and chelsea to battle it out for the prem. city have no chance, arsenal could shock us all but i doubt it, liverpool have no chance of higher than 3rd now that alonso is gone 

as long as arsenal dont prove to be a suprise package for 1st place this season i see them battling it out for 4th with everton and city. i can seriously see everton clinching 4th this season. i think city will finish 5ht or 6th

i cant see utd being a force in europe this season unless they spend some more money. if they sign silva from valencia they will do ok but if they sign both silva and villa then they could go all the way 

barca are gonna be great in the champs league yet again, i think chelsea are due winning it soon, and obviously real madrid will be major contenders


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## whiterabbit (Jan 20, 2006)

United just had a pre-season friendly against Valencia and I think we looked pretty good. Valencia (the player) did really well, Rooney looked sharp, it was a good all-around performance...I can't see any glaring problems. Obviously Ronaldo isn't going to be completely unmissed, but I think we'll be fine.

I have an intense hatred for Real Madrid but I thank them for signing Alonso. Surely their spending is over now. I expect an end-of-summer clearance will begin soon.



seanybhoy said:


> In other news: Ugh it doesnt look good for celtic in the champs league , aww man fingers crossed.


You're almost there. And you finally won away!


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## seanybhoy (Mar 2, 2008)

Haha yeah too true , sooo wasn't expecting that


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## PGVan (May 22, 2004)

proximo20 said:


> Then the away teams would play even more defensively than they already do and we would see very boring games.


So be it. I don't care what the style of play is, as long as my team get the result. It's all that matters.


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## Canadian Brotha (Jan 23, 2009)

I would like to see my boys in blue take the Premier or Champions League this time out, at least one of them would be nice. 

Otherwise I just want to see good overall competition & perhaps these big money teams living up to all this summer hype


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## seanybhoy (Mar 2, 2008)

Hope we don't get arsenal


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## tigerlilly (Mar 30, 2009)

well. i don't get to follow soccer really, for several reasons, but i'm an arsenal fan. (wooo van persie! :b)


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## Hadron92 (Apr 17, 2009)

tigerlilly said:


> well. i don't get to follow soccer really, for several reasons, but i'm an arsenal fan. (wooo van persie! :b)


Really? I noticed that people in the states seem to support arsenal. I wonder why. Is it because of the name?

The college i go to is in north London, so pretty much everyone there is an arsenal fan. I definitely don't feel comfortable saying i support west-ham...:um Especially as we often are arsenal's bogey team.



Canadian Brotha said:


> I would like to see my boys in blue take the Premier or Champions League this time out, at least one of them would be nice.


Same. Though I would prefer the champions league.


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## tigerlilly (Mar 30, 2009)

Hadron said:


> Really? I noticed that people in the states seem to support arsenal. I wonder why. Is it because of the name?
> 
> The college i go to is in north London, so pretty much everyone there is an arsenal fan. I definitely don't feel comfortable saying i support west-ham...:um Especially as we often are arsenal's bogey team.


hahah

really? most americans i know support chelsea. and no, it's not the name. i don't really know what it is.


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## Hadron92 (Apr 17, 2009)

tigerlilly said:


> hahah
> 
> really? most americans i know support chelsea. and no, it's not the name. i don't really know what it is.


I didn't know English football was that famous in America...


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## tigerlilly (Mar 30, 2009)

Hadron said:


> I didn't know English football was that famous in America...


i don't know ANYONE who likes soccer who likes MLS. it's all arsenal or man. u or chelsea here.


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## Hadron92 (Apr 17, 2009)

tigerlilly said:


> i don't know ANYONE who likes soccer who likes MLS. it's all arsenal or man. u or chelsea here.


The only MLS team i know is LA galaxy. Only because of Beckham, though. It's still strange that the big teams (man-u, Chelsea etc) are famous in the US. I don't know anything about american football/NBA.


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## tigerlilly (Mar 30, 2009)

Hadron said:


> The only MLS team i know is LA galaxy. Only because of Beckham, though. It's still strange that the big teams (man-u, Chelsea etc) are famous in the US. I don't know anything about american football/NBA.


well yeah because NFL and NBA are stupid. football and basketball suck. lol

and the only MLS team i know is seattle, because i saw a seattle-barcelona match last night and barcelona kicked seattle's ***, which was expected.


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## Hadron92 (Apr 17, 2009)

tigerlilly said:


> well yeah because NFL and NBA are stupid. football and basketball suck. lol
> 
> and the only MLS team i know is seattle, because i saw a seattle-barcelona match last night and barcelona kicked seattle's ***, which was expected.


Yeah, i mean MLS doesn't seem to be able to attract the top-notch players like the big European clubs can. They are just not as rich. I think MLS teams are on a par with English championship clubs, so a match of a MLS team against Barcelona doesn't seem fair game. I didn't watch the match, but i bet Barcelona played a lot of their youth players/reserves.


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## tigerlilly (Mar 30, 2009)

Hadron said:


> Yeah, i mean MLS doesn't seem to be able to attract the top-notch players like the big European clubs can. They are just not as rich. I think MLS teams are on a par with English championship clubs, so a match of a MLS team against Barcelona doesn't seem fair game. I didn't watch the match, but i bet Barcelona played a lot of their youth players/reserves.


probably they did. but messi was in for like the whole game, and i'm pretty sure he's their best player. anyway he scored pretty much every goal. and he took a lot of shots that he missed, besides that.

all the american soccer fans i know scoff at MLS. they're like "pfffffft MLS. that's not real soccer." and it's true, seattle was a mess last night. they really need to work on their passing and their form and stuff.


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## Hadron92 (Apr 17, 2009)

tigerlilly said:


> probably they did. but messi was in for like the whole game, and i'm pretty sure he's their best player. anyway he scored pretty much every goal. and he took a lot of shots that he missed, besides that.
> 
> all the american soccer fans i know scoff at MLS. they're like "pfffffft MLS. that's not real soccer." and it's true, seattle was a mess last night. they really need to work on their passing and their form and stuff.


Man, what was the score?


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## tigerlilly (Mar 30, 2009)

Hadron said:


> Man, what was the score?


4-0 lol


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## Hadron92 (Apr 17, 2009)

tigerlilly said:


> 4-0 lol


Not as bad as I imagined. When you mentioned all those messi goals, i imagines a riot, like the game where Germany played San Marino (european qualifiers game) a few years ago in which Germany won 13-0!


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## tigerlilly (Mar 30, 2009)

Hadron said:


> Not as bad as I imagined. When you mentioned all those messi goals, i imagines a riot, like the game where Germany played San Marino (european qualifiers game) a few years ago in which Germany won 13-0!


lol no, not that bad. it was a "friendly" game. barcelona did get a yellow card though  and there was some blatant shoving.


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## Hadron92 (Apr 17, 2009)

tigerlilly said:


> lol no, not that bad. it was a "friendly" game. barcelona did get a yellow card though  and there was some blatant shoving.


Don't worry, dirty play is pretty common in football. This game sounds like a very peaceful one (only 1 yellow card). It's not like that game I saw in the last world cup play-offs (I think Italy was involved) where 4 red cards were given and at least 10 yellows (can't exactly remember all the stats. It was in 2006)


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## tigerlilly (Mar 30, 2009)

Hadron said:


> Don't worry, dirty play is pretty common in football. This game sounds like a very peaceful one (only 1 yellow card). It's not like that game I saw in the last world cup play-offs (I think Italy was involved) where 4 red cards were given and at least 10 yellows (can't exactly remember all the stats. It was in 2006)


well yeah, but this was an out-of-season match. they were just playing for fun. i think seattle played chelsea that way recently too.


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## Hadron92 (Apr 17, 2009)

tigerlilly said:


> well yeah, but this was an out-of-season match. they were just playing for fun. i think seattle played chelsea that way recently too.


yes, i suppose it should be like that, it's not like they have something huge to play for. But still, yellow cards are inevitable.


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## Canadian Brotha (Jan 23, 2009)

For those discussing MLS you're right saying that it doesn't compare to European Football but there are many reasons for that:

1. Football(Soccer) in North America simply doesn't compare to American Football, The NBA, & Major League Baseball in terms or popularity/fan bases

2. As a growing sport in North America there's not the funds there yet for all the teams to have proper soccer specific grounds

3. The play format table-wise is not the same, as in most North American sports they use a play-off format with east/west conferences rather than points straight to the top of the table

4. The policy on buying/selling/trading players is restricted by salary caps on individuals as well as teams I believe

5. The soccer season in North America is in contrast to European due to the lack of soccer specific grounds(with roofs) as well as our weather system which results in some MLS teams losing players for parts of the season due to international duties that come up during the summer. It makes for some inconsistent lines ups & as a result a loss of some continuity in the team structures

These factors among a few others are why it's not up to par but I believe the hope is by bringing big European clubs over in their off/pre-seasons it'll attract local fans & perhaps encourage them to support homegrown efforts with the sport as well.

Canada has one MLS team & a few other looking at breaking into it in their next expansions so I support MLS not because it's play is the best but because I feel I should put some of my cheering to homegrown acts. It's the only way it'll get better

Anyway that's my rambling bit on MLS, I can't wait for the EPL to return


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## seanybhoy (Mar 2, 2008)

I don't mind MLS , theirs some good talent their n some of the goals scored are pretty good too, it'll take time for it's roots to grow .

My guilty pleasure would have to be chivas or houstin dynamo.

Anyhoo... when's the draw for the final quallifying stage of the Champions League peoples ?

P.s if we do get arsenal i won't be impressed.


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## whiterabbit (Jan 20, 2006)

seanybhoy said:


> Anyhoo... when's the draw for the final quallifying stage of the Champions League peoples ?
> 
> P.s if we do get arsenal i won't be impressed.


11:00AM tomorrow. Or today, since it's gone past midnight. I didn't know you could face Arsenal. That's not good.


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## PGVan (May 22, 2004)

Canadian Brotha said:


> 5. The soccer season in North America is in contrast to European due to the lack of soccer specific grounds(with roofs) as well as our weather system which results in some MLS teams losing players for parts of the season due to international duties that come up during the summer. It makes for some inconsistent lines ups & as a result a loss of some continuity in the team structures


That is nobody's fault but the MLS. Every other league takes breaks on the FIFA dates so players don't miss matches with their clubs. The MLS does not do that. They were even playing games during the Gold Cup, which is equivalent to European leagues playing during the European Championship!

Another issue the MLS has, is their season. It's played during the summer while all other important leagues play during the winter.



Canadian Brotha said:


> Canada has one MLS team & a few other looking at breaking into it in their next expansions


The Vancouver Whitecaps will be an MLS franchise starting in the 2011 season.


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## Canadian Brotha (Jan 23, 2009)

PGVan said:


> That is nobody's fault but the MLS. Every other league takes breaks on the FIFA dates so players don't miss matches with their clubs. The MLS does not do that. They were even playing games during the Gold Cup, which is equivalent to European leagues playing during the European Championship!
> 
> Another issue the MLS has, is their season. It's played during the summer while all other important leagues play during the winter.


This is what I mentioned about soccer specific stadiums with roofs, you can't line up the MLS season with both European & FIFA dates if there aren't a reasonable number of places to play during winter. You have to account for local fans as well as pitch continuity. With the current state of affairs you have teams going from grass to turf as they travel not to mention from soccer stadiums to American football stadiums. It's all a work in progress but to me, by far, dealing with stadium issue should be top priority for the MLS



PGVan said:


> The Vancouver Whitecaps will be an MLS franchise starting in the 2011 season.


I knew Montreal had backed out of their bid due to financial issues but I wasn't aware that Vancouver had secured the open spot for the next expansion


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## PGVan (May 22, 2004)

Canadian Brotha said:


> This is what I mentioned about soccer specific stadiums with roofs, you can't line up the MLS season with both European & FIFA dates if there aren't a reasonable number of places to play during winter. You have to account for local fans as well as pitch continuity. With the current state of affairs you have teams going from grass to turf as they travel not to mention from soccer stadiums to American football stadiums. It's all a work in progress but to me, by far, dealing with stadium issue should be top priority for the MLS


There is snow and cold temperatures in Europe. They play through the winter and not many of their stadiums have a roof. Their fans show up.

The major issue that needs to be tackled with stadiums is the natural grass issue. Toronto FC shows how they really care for their team by installing natural grass for their friendly with Real Madrid, and will take it away right after, sending their players back to artificial turf. A lot of European teams play in Olympic stadiums, where there is a track separating the fans from the pitch. They can play in NFL stadiums in the MLS. That's not a problem. The problem is the artificial turf and NFL yard markings and endzones not being removed in some of those stadiums.


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## PGVan (May 22, 2004)

CL Playoff Draw

*Champions Path* 
Sheriff - Olympiacos 
Salzburg - Maccabi Haifa 
Ventspils - Zürich 
København - APOEL 
Levski - Debrecen

*Best-Placed Path* 
Lyon - Anderlecht 
Celtic - Arsenal 
Timisoara - Stuttgart 
Sporting - Fiorentina 
Panathinaikos - Atlético


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## SoloSage (Feb 26, 2009)

seanybhoy said:


> P.s if we do get arsenal i won't be impressed.


Ah, sorry man:|


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## whiterabbit (Jan 20, 2006)

PGVan said:


> Celtic - Arsenal


It just had to happen didn't it.


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## seanybhoy (Mar 2, 2008)

NOT impressed ! :cry


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## seanybhoy (Mar 2, 2008)

Woohoo football season kicks off tomorrow , can't wait n jizz.


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## proximo20 (Nov 25, 2006)

Does anyone know a website that I can watch Premier league online? An official site, I don't mean sopcast, justintv etc.


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## Canadian Brotha (Jan 23, 2009)

I get the Villa vs. Wigan game tomorrow morning & Liverpool vs. Tottenham on Sunday morning, I can't wait



proximo20 said:


> Does anyone know a website that I can watch Premier league online? An official site, I don't mean sopcast, justintv etc.


I know ESPNsoccernet.com has pay per view of the champions league but I'm not sure about the premier league. Maybe if you check the Setanta Sports site they may offer pay per view of the EPL


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## proximo20 (Nov 25, 2006)

Canadian Brotha said:


> I know ESPNsoccernet.com has pay per view of the champions league but I'm not sure about the premier league. Maybe if you check the Setanta Sports site they may offer pay per view of the EPL


Thanks a lot, it seems setanta provides what I was looking for.


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## Canadian Brotha (Jan 23, 2009)

proximo20 said:


> Thanks a lot, it seems setanta provides what I was looking for.


No worries


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## Canadian Brotha (Jan 23, 2009)

I'm thoroughly satisfied with the beginning of the Premiership, some great goals & games, I'm glad it's back


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## seanybhoy (Mar 2, 2008)

Celtic v Arsenal toneeeeeet ! :afr


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## Canadian Brotha (Jan 23, 2009)

I get Man City vs. Wolves tomorrow morning & a good ole London derby on Sunday morning, Chelsea, vs. Fulham. As usual I can't wait


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## Canadian Brotha (Jan 23, 2009)

Though they've had to be patient & work for it Chelsea's start to this season is pretty good. I'm happy to see the Drogba & Anelka combo continuing to work well this season.

Tottenham & Arsenal are doing well also so it seems a few London clubs are really feeling up to things so far.

Liverpool & Man-U have had their come back performances & Burnley appear to be the Hull of last season with their start so overall the EPL is good and interesting as usual


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