Soccer Anyone? (The neverending soccer thread)

[Rattler]

10 minutes to go, we can start dreaming about the semi-final (final would be in the stadium of ***MADRID***!!)... The opponent in semi would be Inter Milan, who won vs Moscow by goal of an ex Madrid player, Wesley Snijder. Seems a managable oppnent, 10 minutes for not to see two goals of Arsenal...

Rattler

6 min to go, seems Arsenal has resigned, the next of Barca seems in the air, everybody trying to give Messi his 4th... Pedro out and, finally, Iniesta in (he will be sooooo needed on saturday).

R.

[Rattler]

min 88 with 2 to go: 4th of Messi!!!!! History made! Max goaler in one champions match! (Koen, check your stats, no other quadruple in *champions*  EDIT: After Eights Finals...).

4:1 vs. a club as great as Arsenal is also something to witness, had not thought it possible...

Messi! When the club is down, he responds and is there! http://lionelmessi.org/

Himne del F.C. Barcelona

Rattler

[Rattler]

Check out this guy, really, 10 secs pitch interview with "La Pulga" (the flee) Messi:

"I did not play really well today, but the team helped me to make me look better than I was. We need to work a lot more to become better, but now we have a chance to see the final and to win Madrid on saturday"...

 

Rattler

[Koen]

Barcelona: Vermaelen, Belgian defender in Arsenal (who played a good game) admitted afterwards that the talent in Barcelona was too big for them, they were too fast...

Man U - Bayern

seems that Rooney is ready for the game?? makes ALOT of difference!

I give Man U better chances even with a negative 1-2

Bayern also has a Belgian defender...Van Buyten...important and always present and ready

[Koen]

Barcelona: Vermaelen, Belgian defender in Arsenal (who played a good game) admitted afterwards that the talent in Barcelona was too big for them, they were too fast...

Man U - Bayern

seems that Rooney is ready for the game?? makes ALOT of difference!

I give Man U better chances even with a negative 1-2

Bayern also has a Belgian defender...Van Buyten...important and always present and ready

WTF???  2min45 1-0

[Koen]

Barcelona: Vermaelen, Belgian defender in Arsenal (who played a good game) admitted afterwards that the talent in Barcelona was too big for them, they were too fast...

Man U - Bayern

seems that Rooney is ready for the game?? makes ALOT of difference!

I give Man U better chances even with a negative 1-2

Bayern also has a Belgian defender...Van Buyten...important and always present and ready

WTF???  2min45 1-0

guys...really...I keep on running from the sofa to my PC

2-0 

[Koen]

man o man...CL is great...

in a couple of minutes...3-0...3-1

thx for the show guys 

[Koen]

now on TV: Standard (B) - Hamburg (D)

http://sporza.be/cm/sporza/voetbal/2.4983?matchid=1416380

http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/matches/season=2010/round=2000040/match=2000960/index.html

Domenico D'Onofrio is taking courage from R. Standard de Liège's previous UEFA Europa League scalps as he looks ahead to the decider against Hamburger SV.

The Italian-born coach is delighted the Belgian side have got this far, but while they trail final hosts Hamburg 2-1 following the away leg of their quarter-final tie, Standard are far from out of the running having unexpectedly eliminated FC Salzburg and Panathinaikos FC already in the knockout phase. "Without doubt Hamburg are the favourites, but so were Panathinaikos and Salzburg," said D'Onofrio. "We will do our best to take it to the next level."

While Standard's domestic season has been a relative failure, D'Onofrio insists their European achievements should not be dismissed. "No one expected us to reach this stage but we are here on merit," he said. "We certainly have a chance to complete our mission, but it will be very tough. And even if things don't go the way we hope, we must not besmirch what we achieved in getting this far."

Standard lost 1-0 to KRC Genk on Sunday, but with the likes of Milan Jovanovi?, Dieudonné Mbokani, Axel Witsel and Igor De Camargo not starting, that was no great surprise. All four should be fit to take on Hamburg, though Felipe (ankle) and captain Steven Defour (buttocks) will not feature.

Bastian Reinhardt (torn muscle), Romeo Castelen (flu), Eljero Elia (ankle) and Marcell Jansen (ankle) are absent for Hamburg, but while Joris Mathijsen (thigh), Mladen Petric (hamstring), Zé Roberto (back) and Ruud van Nistelrooy (hamstring) are carrying injuries, all are expected to play. Coach Bruno Labbadia said: "We know we have some players suffering from minor knocks; it is important they play, but we have to see how they respond in training. We took precautions and came with 19 players because of that."

[Rattler]

man o man...CL is great...

in a couple of minutes...3-0...3-1

thx for the show guys 

Indeed, and for me Bayern is the kind of anti-christ, soccer wise. Madrid never should have sold Robben...

Now standing by for Saturdays "classic", we already have one joke: Madrid, allegedly panicking on how to stop Messi (looks like Pelligrini is obsessed with that and will be opting for a mix of 3 placyers: Arbeloa (who did successfully so in three different clubs), Gaga and Garay; personally I think it is a waste of time, probably then Bojan or Pedro have more room...), have found the solution, finally:

The only sure way to stop Messi is...

...to install Maradona as coach...  

Rattler

[Rattler]

10 minuts to go, and I want to express my feelings about "the match of the millenium" before (oh, the media!: That *must* be a joke, the only time frame I would accept is *the decade*, every attribute above shows not understanding&/commenting soccer).

I have interviewed around 500 ppl the last three days, a good average of semi profeionals, professionals and laymen, and nobody wants to commit who wil win this nights Madric-Barca.

Not surprisingly so, Madrid is not the Madrid from last year where prepotence ended in a historical 2:6 humiliation, they are fight, concentration and effectiveness this season (350 Million Euros must be good for something...).

As I am ashamed of nobody wanting to take a set (no betting this year, at 50:50 first glance Mallorquins are not going to put money, they only bet when *they think* the outcome is clear), here my personl bet: Draw or Madrid win is what I foresee (though I have enough reasons to feel I might be -as Barca fn luckily - be wrong).

Madrid plays aat home, and are representing "fight" in soccer, a merit all by itself as the numbers state and confirm. Barcelona out, and representing the best soccer played on the planet in the last two years, but with a truly botvhrd defense.

Referee has his last match today (one more in the cup, but he has not to worry about critizism with his 45 yrs), and is a devoted Madrid fan (they caught him 3 years ago in a Madrid game telling a player bvefore match start: "Dont worry, you wont lose") with following statistics: 26 games rf´ed where Madrid played in his 30 yrs history, Madrid lost 7%, and *not one* since 1999. For Barca he ref´d 25 matches in the same period, in which Barca lost 63 %, most after discussed referre blunders (actually, many of the Madrid wins were also part of heavy discussion, comes to mind the "phantasy goal" where the ball failed to hit the goal but he gave it scored).

Let us see, now kick off, my bet: 2:1, just to say something...

Fight vs. art, we will know what serves afeter 90 minutes.

Rattler

JFTR: I expect faouls in chain and with different players on Messi from Madrid side, I expect Pedro and Bojan to play on the Barca side. I expect CR 9 to score, and I do ot expect Messi to score (god is with one team, christianos with the other ). R.

[Rattler]

Wow, they got a blimp camera to see the tactic setup in top-dow n view, something new for a league game...

Min 10: Looks like CR90.000.000 is taking it personal, nice slip through the legs of a Barca defender, but then persecuting the ball until te last 2nd when there was no chance at al..

Min 11, foul "hard" from behind on Messi inside Madri´s box (yellow minimum), no referee reaction.

Min 12: AAanother hard fould, this time from Xabi Alonso vs. Pedro in the box, yellow alrith, but no penalty.

My take so far, after almost 15 minutes (you need 20 to truly judge): Madrid is trying to play home turf owner with lots of posession and pressure, but in the last 2 minutes Barca recuperated its usual 60+ posession, all is close to the box of Madrid... Madrid Gago fouls Xabi right now, a free kick of the dangerous ones a the box edge (Barca usually does not score those),

Alves shot.... 10 metres above goal....

Rattler

[Rattler]

As you probably all have seen, all my guesses were wrong ...

CR9 0, Messi 1

Effectivity vs. soccer 0:1

Madrid 0, Barca 2

And this, even w/o Iniesta, the rather hard playing of Madrid and the errors of Mejuto González (at least there I was right in guessing)... Xavi the director of a true orchestra, with thos guys even Spain can become WCs in South Africa!

Forca Barca!

Rattler

[Koen]

A also watched it, the first 20-30 mins gave me hope that it would become a GREAT match but it turned into a nervous game very fast....with the help of a referee addicted to his whistle....

[Rattler]

A also watched it, the first 20-30 mins gave me hope that it would become a GREAT match but it turned into a nervous game very fast....with the help of a referee addicted to his whistle....

Ok, while the ref indeed was ridiculous, I did not at all see a nervous game (from Barca side), they just played it as any other match, never changing their style. That the surprise of putting Alves as a central defender did only result in errors was rapidly rectified by Guardiola (this makes the great trainer, not the Pelligrini take who only put Guti - with 3 (the first) goal chances within 10 minutes - after min 56 when the boat already was sinking and on the verge of capsizing), this might serv as an idea of nerves, but really, there were never any.

Messi had gone out to find his "great enemy" CR9 - as far as the media had it - but instead (for absence of the former) found him in the referee: First a clear penalty not signalled, afterwards a rididulous yellow for hand game when it was shoulder, and then even threatening expulsion in minute 31 after a "red" foul that kept Messio on the ground. Good for Barca, Messi is not of the verborrheic kind, after the not signalled penalty he wen ton with his "vamos, vamos" w/o discussion, after the yellow you could see his eyes cloud (still no comment), and when Mejuto made him stand up he got angry... asked Maxwell to execute the free kick rapidly, formed the  junction with - genious this night as in all games through the year - Xavi... and scored the goal

I saw the match twice, once live, and then again in the early morning hours (check when TA was online here), and it was by no way boring, simply soccer (not too much) vs. money, the "art" versus the "I want to but I cannot" of CR9.

As one article had it this morning: CR9 was super motivated, but had nobody of a team at his side: WHenever he looked around, he did not see anything; to tell the truth, when his team mates looked at him, it ws the same thing, they could not see anything...

Team (6 from the school that did not cost one Euro on the field yesterday fom Barca side) versus highly paid individualists, team won.

Just to give you an example, if you should repass the match you will see what I am talking about: Xavi, surely the perfect director last night (4 assitances in the 2:6 of last year, 2 assistances yesterday), moved about at will with all the liberty Messi has, just in the replays of the two goals you can see that his not fixed position serves so much to disturb the eny. Why can he do it? Because people like Busquets and Keita, who don´t show in any list of geniuses in this match, covered his back to allow him such excursions, and did the excellent team job that in Madrid does not exist...

Same with Pedro, who was quite erraticly acting at first sight, but when you analyze in depth, was closing the passes of Gago and Gaya, opening spaces, and finally, when Messi was drawing them, using the spaace to score.

If soccer is defined by quality (of players), plans, and team effort, then Madrid has the first guaranteed, the second can be doubted, and the third is absent. THat makes the difference, and even a crooked ref cannot change it. (personal take Rattler: There are two more factors, illusion and fun, and there Barca scores big time, just look at the guys having fun as on any street soccer festival).

From my POV not a boring match at all, but an excellently (and this time effectively) executed strategical and tactical plan, a gem all by itself. Even a 0-0 would have made it an exciting game... Barca controled it easily (and without any nervosity) until Guti came in in ´56.

Check out what I said in this 6 min summary (1:25 into the video the foul on Messi that made him finally angry and led to the goal):

Real Madrid VS Barcelona 0-2 Goles All Goals & Full Highlights El Clásico

Rattler

[Koen]

again...POV....I wished too see magic and was therefore a bit disapointed
compared to Belgian football it wasn't boring...I just wished to see magic when those 2 battle it out

[Rattler]

again...POV....I wished too see magic and was therefore a bit disapointed
compared to Belgian football it wasn't boring...I just wished to see magic when those 2 battle it out

To make a match magic you need *two* teams that play magnificently in their style and w/o fears, and yesterday there was only one playing soccer, the other did all it could to *destroy* play...

Given that, magic once more from Barca, they can only beat themselves now.

Rattler

[the_13th_redneck]

They splash out all that money and they still get their butts kicked.
I guess they didn't learn enough from Los Galacticos 1.0

[Rattler]

Koen will be pleased:

 Hattrick announces
18-04-2010 Belgium and Greece in World Cup final

It will be an all-European final in the 14th edition of the Hattrick World Cup as Belgium takes on Hellas (Greece) tonight at 20.00 HT-time.

The final takes place under the still ash-free skies of Thailand, but don't jet off just yet because it is all covered right here on Hattrick as well, of course. Very welcome all, and let the best team win!

Good Luck, Belgians!

http://www82.hattrick.org/

Rattler

[Koen]

what happened to Barca Rattler?

[Koen]

what happened to Barca Rattler?

hope they performe better this evening!!!!

  Barca - Internazionale