The Football Thread

[duchessXI]

i honestly thought that the inter-man utd game was thrilling. both sides were slugging each other out in terms of shots on target. i especially liked adrianos sublime ball control kills in holding the ball on top, not to mention ibrahimovics technique. ronaldo spurned alot of chances, was sharp on that match but J. Cesar is equally as sharp. I think he (cesar) was man of the match. 2nd leg should be exciting.

 

On the other end, liverpool with the trademark late goals against the mighty real madrid in the bernabeu! woohoo! and thats without gerrad and torres mind you, to those anti-liverpool fans. now we have a 2 goal cushion with our 2nd leg to be played at THIS IS ANFIELD. we should finish them off 2 weeks from now. well be looking forward to quarters.

 

the only 2 matches worth reviewing.

 

my prediction for the quarters?

 

InterMilan vs Arsenal

barceleno vs Porto

 

Chelsea vs villareal

Liverpool vs bayern munich

[jawo]

Wow. 2-0 to a relegation team.

 

So much for the prestigious Kuyt, Ngog, and El Zhar.

 

Boro > Real apparently.

 

---

 

Anyway, I wish Man Utd would beat the crap out of Inter next time.

[helmett]

i honestly thought that the inter-man utd game was thrilling. both sides were slugging each other out in terms of shots on target. i especially liked adrianos sublime ball control kills in holding the ball on top, not to mention ibrahimovics technique. ronaldo spurned alot of chances, was sharp on that match but J. Cesar is equally as sharp. I think he (cesar) was man of the match. 2nd leg should be exciting.

 

On the other end, liverpool with the trademark late goals against the mighty real madrid in the bernabeu! woohoo! and thats without gerrad and torres mind you, to those anti-liverpool fans. now we have a 2 goal cushion with our 2nd leg to be played at THIS IS ANFIELD. we should finish them off 2 weeks from now. well be looking forward to quarters.

 

the only 2 matches worth reviewing.

 

my prediction for the quarters?

 

InterMilan vs Arsenal

barceleno vs Porto

 

Chelsea vs villareal

Liverpool vs bayern munich

 

 

I hope that your prediction would come true :thumbsupsmiley: My favorite teams are chelsea and bayern munchen and it would be exciting to see them play and aspire for silverware especially since both aren't sure yet of their respective domestic league titles. Bayern Munchen might get the bundesliga at the end but for chelsea....hmmm..... Would also be exciting to see Messi play in the CL finals though. I miss seeing AC Milan and Kaka in the CL.

[_eRon_]

malas nman ng liverpool, after xabi alonso's own goal, their misery was compounded by tuncay's goal to finish off the reds, after not scoring for so many games, borough decide to score versus the reds to torpedo their titles hopes, naleapfrog na sila ng chelsea in 2nd place due to goal difference after winning against wigan, 2-1, with lampard winning the game for the blues in injury time..

 

after the impressive win against real madrid in the midweek at the bernabeu, 1-0, they lose to one of the bottom teams of the epl, how disastrous for rafa, iniba na nman kasi nya formation ng liverpool, he played carragher in the center opting to put skrtel in the right tpos he didn't play benayoun or riera in the wing, masama pa dun, steven gerrard limped off the pitch during the 2nd half, tsk tsk tsk..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rafa: Title United's to lose

 

http://www.espnstar.com/football/premier-league/news/detail/item212941/Rafa:-Title-United's-to-lose/

 

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has all but conceded the Barclays Premier League title to Manchester United.

 

This comes after seeing his side slip up at Middlesbrough.

The Reds' unbeaten 15-game league run came to an abrupt end at the Riverside Stadium as Xabi Alonso's own goal and Tuncay Sanli's 63rd-minute strike saw Boro clinch all three points for the first time since November 9.

 

United are now seven points better off than the men from Anfield, who have played a game more.

 

Asked if the title race was over, Benitez, whose side have slipped into third place behind Chelsea on goal difference, said: "Before the game, it was very difficult - after the game, it is more difficult.

 

"It depends on United. It will be more difficult, clearly."

 

Boro, who had not scored a league goal in 526 minutes of football, took a 31st-minute lead with the help of the unwitting Alonso.

 

The Spaniard stuck out a leg as Stewart Downing's corner sped across the box and only succeeded in turning it past goalkeeper Jose Reina.

 

However, there was nothing fortunate about Boro's second, Tuncay shooting across Reina and into the bottom corner from Jeremie Aliadiere's pin-point cross.

 

Liverpool, who had gone close through Nabil El Zhar and Dirk Kuyt before the break, squandered glorious opportunities after it with the same two men guilty of glaring misses.

 

And the home side might have won even more comfortably with substitute Marlon King forcing a late save from Reina and then having a goal ruled out for offside at the death.

 

Benitez, whose team beat Real Madrid at the Bernabeu Stadium on Wednesday evening, said: "I don't want to say too much, but for me, it is very clear. In the first 30 minutes, we had five chances and you have to take your chances.

 

"After the own goal, we still had chances. If you want to win, you have to score."

 

The Spaniard denied that the club's off-field problems - his contract remains unsigned, while it has been announced that chief executive Rick Parry will leave Anfield at the end of the season - were a factor, but also revealed that his own situation could progress soon.

 

He said: "My advisers are in contact with the advisers of the owners, so maybe they will have a conversation and we will see if we can progress.

Edited March 1, 2009 by _eRon_

[damaso]

i'm sure robbie keane would have taken those chances...

[damaso]

oh man, barcelona is cracking under the pressure.

 

what a match though (atletico madrid 4 barca 3). best game of the year so far...

[_eRon_]

before i didn't think letting robbie keane go would affect liverpool but now seeing their options in attack, robbie could have been a better option for rafa, especially when he was starting to gel in his latter matches for liverpool..i think he obliged to letting keane go because he wasn't really the pick of rafa to be signed by liverpool, he preferred to sign gareth barry..

 

oo nga, barsa's attack is so potent but their defense is their achilles heal, scoring 3 goals will win you a match but if your defense is leaking goals, its hard to win, their formation of playing only 3 defenders i think also affects their defense, i prefer a 4 man defense because its more stable & protects the 2 center players from balls coming from wide areas...

 

manutd are the 2009 carling cup champions, beating tottenham in penalties, 4-1, the game ended 0-0 with both teams unable to break the deadlock despite added time..ben foster was a rock at goal, during the match as well as during the penalty shootout..sir alex fielded a side with several young players namely: gibson, welbeck, foster, & evans; this can only benefit the red devils more as more youngsters develop thru cup competition & contribute to the team in winning trophies..2 trophies down: 2009 club world cup champions & 2009 carling cup champions..3 more to go: FA cup, EPL & CL hehe..go red devils!!!!

[duchessXI]

its not over yet..

[xycho_g]

oh man, barcelona is cracking under the pressure.

 

what a match though (atletico madrid 4 barca 3). best game of the year so far...

 

sayang dko napanuod ang laban...

 

and with duchess words...dpa nga tlga tapos ang laban. 4pts nlng gap ng real at barca! wooooot!

[_eRon_]

yup, its not over yet, 12 games left pa, a lot of things can happen, go manutd!!!..technically pala manutd has won 3 trophies, the community chest, fifa club world cup & carling cup hehehe pero most pundits don't count the community chest, at least my 2 na for the season

 

kabado pa din ako sa 2nd leg against inter milan, manutd should've scored an away goal at the san siro, delikado tuloy kahit nasa old trafford ang manutd sa 2nd leg, very potent ang attack ng inter, i hope we have the complete back 4 (evra, vidic, ferdinand, neville) available for the 2nd leg..

 

barsa really needs to fortify their defense, the late goals of atletico could've been prevented if not for sloppy defending, may halong malas din pero that's football..

 

6pts pa din ang lamang ng aston villa over arsenal, arsenal weren't able to capitalize on villa letting stoke draw 2-2, goalless draw nman gunnars against fulham, by the looks of it, with 12 games remaining and barring a slip-up by aston villa, villa will get the final CL slot..

 

 

 

 

Giggs: No let-up by United

 

http://www.espnstar.com/football/premier-league/news/detail/item214555/Giggs:-No-let-up-by-United/

 

Ryan Giggs insists there will be no complacency from Manchester United in the Barclays Premier League title race.

After pocketing the Carling Cup at Wembley on Sunday, United are back on league duty at Newcastle on Wednesday night.

 

Although Sir Alex Ferguson has previously claimed the trip to St James' Park was his side's priority for the week, Liverpool's defeat at Middlesbrough on Saturday might have changed the picture.

 

With a seven-point lead over Chelsea, who are now their closest challengers, and a game in hand, United appear to be in an impregnable position.

 

But Giggs, a veteran of 10 championship-winning campaigns, knows the danger that lies in thinking the trophy is secure.

 

"We are not getting complacent," he said.

 

"We have lost leads before and also won titles when we have come from behind.

 

"It is going to be hard because we have so many tough games coming up.

 

"If this club loses one game it is a disaster so we just have to maintain our current momentum."

 

Giggs' experience will be crucial in guiding United safely to the finishing line.

 

It is 18 years since the veteran Welshman made his debut against Everton, since when he has become the most decorated player in English football history.

 

The winner's medal Giggs picked up on Sunday was his 29th, an incredible achievement that may only be properly recognised long after the 35-year-old has retired.

 

Not that Giggs is worrying about that just now. As always, he is more interested in the challenges that lie ahead than reflecting on past glories.

 

"It doesn't feel like 18 years," he said.

 

"The time has gone quickly and I have been fortunate to play with so many great players and in so many great teams.

 

"But I don't really look back, I will have plenty of time to do that when I have finished. For now I just look forward."

 

The immediate focus is St James' Park, followed by Craven Cottage for an FA Cup quarter-final with Fulham before the Champions League return with Inter Milan.

 

By then, United will know more about how realistic their quintuple aspirations are.

 

While Ferguson refuses to believe it is a realistic prospect, it is those kinds of challenges that keep Giggs and his team-mates driving on, their incredible hunger for trophies only increasing with each success - just as it did in 1999.

 

"The momentum was with us in the treble year," Giggs said.

 

"We played well and had a lot of luck and kept winning.

 

"And when you are winning you can't wait for the next game.

 

"That is the way at the moment. We are hungry and want to improve as individuals, get better as a team and win every competition we enter."

 

 

 

 

*Grabe, Ryan Giggs has won 29 titles with Manchester United while Sir Alex has won 30 titles in 22 years of management of the club, galing talaga

Edited March 3, 2009 by _eRon_

[_eRon_]

nice win by manutd vs newcastle; eventhough they didn't play very well they were able to edge out a win thru wayne rooney and dimitar berbatov's goals; 7pts atop of the league with a game in hand; i hope we can win the league with 11 games to play, go manutd!!

 

*i hope we can win the 2nd leg of the CL against inter this coming week

[redshirt]

Im smelling a quintuplet for the champion of champions.

[_eRon_]

nice statement win against fulham at craven cottage in the quarterfinal of the fa cup, manutd with a convincing 4-0 win, tevez 1st goal was luck & skill to head the goal near post despite konchesky closing in & schwarzer defending the goal, his 2nd was a sublime strike, schwarzer was well beaten with the power & accuracy of the strike..rooney & park also joined the goalfest to complete the statement win before their midweek match against inter at old trafford..with inter, having a bad spell of games before the CL quarterfinal match against manutd & with the liverpool clash looming next weekend, the fulham win will make both teams very wary of the offensive capabilities of the red devils ...

[disasterpiece]

Mourinho tops Fergie.. but the Man U guys are looking good at the moment.. I am excited to see who wins their CL tie.. must be one of the most exciting games this season..

[_eRon_]

Paid to coach, not to speak?

 

espnstar.com runs through the silly and disrespectful remarks made by Jose Mourinho and Claudio Ranieri this week.

 

http://www.espnstar.com/football/news/detail/item216599/Paid-to-coach,-not-to-speak/

 

Jose Mourinho

 

On Roma, Juventus and AC Milan

 

"I like intellectual honesty and it seems to me that there has been much manipulation of this recently.

 

"Lately, there has been no talk of Roma that have great players but will end the season empty handed. Nor has there been any talk of AC Milan, who are 12 points behind us and will end the season without any titles.

 

"Nor has there been any talk of Juve, who have collected many points due to refereeing mistakes.

 

"We have only won one game thanks to a refereeing mistake and that was against Siena."

 

On Juventus boss Ranieri

 

"I studied Italian five hours a day for many months to be able to communicate with you journalists and you think that I lacked respect?

 

"Who is Ranieri to speak? After five years in England, he had trouble saying good morning and good afternoon."

 

Claudio Ranieri

 

Responding to Mourinho's jibe at his club

 

"Mourinho has not responded to my comments? No problem, when we meet again if I remember what I want to say, then I will say it. Otherwise, I will not say anything, that is only Inter's style."

 

His racist remark after his team lost in the Coppa Italia

I did not like the entire direction of the match. I found the official was tough with us, on the field it seemed as if he was Chinese, as it was always yellow cards with us,

 

"It wasn't right to play the game now. The return leg is not for fifty days, yet we had to play this match in the middle of a very intense cycle [of matches]. We lost here, we'll see what we can do in the second-leg."

 

Damage limitation exercise

 

"Juventus played in China in the past, and I know the performance of Chinese referees," said Ranieri. "They are strict and respect the rules of FIFA. They blow their whistles for all fouls.

 

"Recently, the referees in Serie A have tended to follow the example set by the English Premier League and blow for fouls less and less."

 

"I don't like it [the English style]. Juventus have many games at the moment and we need more protection," said the Juve coach. "But against Lazio, the referee changed and blew his whistle for all fouls and gave yellow cards. So I said he was like a Chinese referee. I didn't complain about him."

 

"I will repeat my opinion - I don't like the English Premier League style. I hope that referees will be stricter and give my players more protection."

 

"I didn't intend to offend any Chinese people. I like China very much and the people very much. China is a great country."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jose: Chelsea are embarrassing!

 

http://www.espnstar.com/football/premier-l...rrassing!-/

 

Mourinho, whose Inter Milan side will take on United in Wednesday's Champions League second leg at Old Trafford, poured scorn on how the Red Devils have managed to steamroll over their opponents with ease in the Premier League.

 

Chelsea and Liverpool are seven points off the league leaders, with United having a game in hand. Arsenal are not even close in catching up with Sir Alex Ferguson's men.

 

Mourinho claims that if he was still taking charge of Chelsea, United will not be dominating the Premier League. The Portuguese coach clinched the title in his first two seasons at Stamford Bridge.

 

"Manchester United are the best team in England but you have to ask how good has the Premier League been since I left?," Mourinho told the News of the World.

"Manchester United have won it with ease since I have gone because no manager has put a team together that can rival them But my teams always rival Manchester United and Sir Alex knows that.

 

"They are a great team, but if I was at a top club in England I think the title race might have been a lot closer this year."

 

The Inter boss also slammed Chelsea for their embarrassing showing in their league campaign this season, saying that Ferguson's players are not any better than the players in the Blues squad.

 

"Chelsea have had no stability, Arsenal are nowhere and Liverpool threatened but I don't think anybody really thought they were ever going to win it.

 

"I would not allow a team of mine to be so far behind. It is embarrassing in early March. Manchester United has a great squad, but are their players really that much better than Chelsea or Liverpool's?

 

"I don't think so. So something else must be the problem and somebody has to take responsibility for that. I beat Manchester with Chelsea and Porto. Now I am ready to beat them with Inter.

 

"I feel confident that if I had been at one of the big four clubs I would be close or maybe even above Manchester United."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*the special one is back hehehehe ang yabang tlga ni jose mourinho hehehehehe