Posts Tagged ‘Barcelona’

Futebol is winding down for the season in Europe. In South America the real season begins. Let’s remember South America is the opposite of Europe and the good old USA. It’s wintertime in Brasil. The Serie A will kick off May 20^th. The Copa Libertadores is now in the knockout stage. A champion will be crowned and then they’ll join either Chelsea or Bayern Munich in he FIFA World Club title hunt that will happen in December.

Boca Juniors defeated Union Espanola 3-2 to advance on aggregate 5-3. Juan Riquelme led Los Xeneizes attack by scoring a goal and setting up two more. Corinthians shut out Emelec 3-0 to advance on aggregate 3-0. Lanus edged Vasco 2-1 to force a PK shootout. Both Gigante de Colina and Lanus were tied three all on aggregate. Vasco won in a PK shootout 5-4. Oh what a thrill it is.

The round of sixteen will commence on May 10^th.

My guys from Mengao stunk the joint out against Emelec in the Group stage and were thus sitting home in Rio weeping their eyes out. Flamenguista nation is pissed big time. We are not happy campers.

South America futebol doesn’t get much attention from the rest of the futebol world but many of the world’s top players come from Brasil, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile just to name a few. The greatest player of all time is Pele. He’s a Brasileiro. He played most of his career with Santos. Pele ended his career with the New York Cosmos. Santos is a city in the State of Sao Paulo.

Sure everyone knows of Man City, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and the rest but let’s look at their collective rosters and one will find their best players are from South America.

Gunner and Flamenguista for life.

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“The hangovers hurt move than they used to,” Hank Junior sung many moons ago. This is probably how Barca and Real Madrid feel after their crash and burn out in the Champions League semifinals.

The idiotic pundits proclaimed these two futebol giants as the best ever. However Chelsea and Bayern Munich upset the whole apple cart. I love this stuff.  I like rooting for the dogs except when it’s my teams Arsenal and the Philadelphia Eagles. Did ya notice my two clubs always break your heart. This is the life of an Eagles and Gunners fan.

This coolest thing would be if Man City runs the table to win the EPL. The Citizens haven’t won a first division title since 1967-68. Are Man City due? We will find out this coming Monday when Sir Alex and the Boys hook up with Man City at the Citizens house.

Let the fun and games begin.

River Plate got the win they needed over Instituto de Cordoba last Saturday. Los Millionaires defeated La Gloria 1-0. This win over the top dog in Nacional B kept River Plate in second place and still one point behind Instituto de Cordoba.

Rosario Central defeated Deportivo Merio 1-0 to keep the pressure on Los Millionaires to keep on winning.

La Gloria sits atop the leader board with 59 points. River Plate is second with 58 and Los Canallas is third with 56. The top two clubs are headed to the big leagues.

Boca Juniors is the main man in the Clausura with 21 points. Newell’s Old Boys are second with 21 points também but Los Xeneizes is plus nine while La Lepra is a plus seven. Tigre is third with 20, Arsenal de Sarandi is fourth with 19, and All Boys are fifth with 19

Three points separate the top five spots in the Clausura.

Gunner and Flamenguista for life.

www.palau.org

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A funny thing happened on the way to the coronation of Barcelona being the best futebol club in the world.  Someone forgot to tell Chelsea. The Blues were down a man yet Chelsea hung in there and beat the mighty Camp Nou guys 3-2 on aggregate.

The goat of the match was Lionel Messi. He wore the choke collar. Messi missed a PK in the 49^th minute. Clank off the cross bar. This was the match changer. Barca applied a ton of pressure but couldn’t push the rock past the keeper Petr Cech.

Barca took a 2-0 lead however the Blues scored that all-important away goal just before the half. Chelsea’s Ramires hit a wonderful chip shot over the keeper’s head in the 43^rd minute to cut the lead to 2-1. This leveled the aggregate score at two all but the Blues had the advantage on away goals.

Stupid John Terry committed the ultimate sin when he nailed Barca’s Sanchez in the back in the 39^th minute. Terry was sent to the sin bin. This moronic play could have cost Chelsea big time but the Blues hung on to advance to the Champions League finals.

Fernando Torres put this sucker away with a break away goal in the 90^th minute to send the Blues to finals.

Ramires and Torres are the heroes. John Terry should have been the goat but his mates saved his silly ass.

Bayern Munich and Real Madrid play later today to see who fills the other finalist spot.

The German side leads 2-1 but Los Blancos have the all-important away goal.

This puppy will be played at Real’s house.

Ashley Cole said this after the upset city. ”When you lose quality centre-halves like that against a great team, it’s going to be hard.

”But we all believed. Not many people did but we did as a group of players, and that’s what happened.

”It’s hard, but we defended well as a team, got a bit lucky, and Petr (Cech) made some good saves.”

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/quotes?id=340835&cc=5901 

As pure fan of the game I love it. Chelsea stuck a fork in Barca. Messi is over rated. When it counts this bum doesn’t show up. Messi is a choke artist when the Championship is on the line. Pele is right. Messi is over rated. A good regular season player however when it’s nut-cutting time he’s a woosie.

Flamenguista and Gunner for life.

www.palau.org

http://hillsongtv.com/

http://www.bolaradio.com.br/

The Blues pulled a rabbit out of their hat. Chelsea took a 1-0 win over Barcelona in the first leg of their semifinal match up at Stamford Bridge. The Blues didn’t give up that all-important away goal to Barca.

Didier Drogba scored the only goal of the match in the 45^th minute. Drogba fired home the point blank shot. Super Messi screwed up big time.  His turnover allowed Frank Lampard to find Ramirez. Ramirez took it to the tin. Ramirez faked the shot and hit Drogba with a perfect pass. Into the back of the net for the score.

Game, set, and match for Chelsea.

Chelsea allowed Barcelona to have most of the possessions. But when Barca was within striking distance the Blues shut em down.

Pedro almost found the equalizer in the 93^rd minute but his shot went clank off the post.

The moronic pundits told us that this would be a walk in the park for the mighty Barcelona. Not on this day.

On Wednesday Real Madrid lost to Bayern Munich 2-1 at the German’s house.

The mighty boys from Spain are behind the eight ball.

Los Blancos have the all-important away goal when they head back to Madrid for the second leg.

I think it would be great if Bayern Munich and Chelsea made it to the finals. These guys would stick it big time to the two Spanish clubs.

Will this actually happen?

Probably not. Both Real and Barca should win at their collective houses in the second leg of the semifinals next week.

Gunner for life.

www.palau.org

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http://www.bolaradio.com.br/

A PK in the first minute and a red card given to Benfica has propelled Chelsea to the semifinals of the Champions League. Ashley Cole took it to the rack. Javi Garcia fouled him. Frank Lampard nailed the PK in the 21^st minute.

Then the shear idiocy of Maxi Pereira in the 40^th minute killed the Portuguese side of any chance to beat the Blues at their house Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea has not looked good. The Blues were up a man for more than half of the match yet Benfica has taken it to em big time.

Benfiquistas has scored in the 85^th minute to cut the gap to 2-1. Javi Garcia out leaped the Blues “D” to nail the header into the back of the net. This puppy was set up by a great corner kick.

The Portuguese side has applied the pressure on Chelsea. For most of the second half it hasn’t looked like Benfica was short a man.

Chelsea saved their Champions League hopes with a late goal by Raul Meireles in the 92^nd minute.

The Blues will take on defending Champion Barcelona.

Chelsea wins 2-1 and 3-1 on aggregate. 

If the Blues are going to have a chance against Barca Chelsea will have to improve their game by 100%.

For most of the match the Blues looked like they were sleep walking.

Real Madrid destroyed Apeol 5-2.

Cristiano Ronaldo hit the daily lotto. Kaka is regaining his form. The Brasileiro dialed up a long-range bomb in the 36^th minute.

Real and Bayern Munich will tangle in the other semifinal.

Barcelona defeated AC Milan 3-1.

Lionel Messi hit the daily lotto twice to lead Blaugrana to the win.

Bayern Munich shut out Marseille 2-0.

Ivica Olic nailed the daily double.

Gunner and Flamenguista for life.

www.palau.org

http://hillsongtv.com/

http://www.bolaradio.com.br/

Barcelona proved to the world why they are the best futebol club in the world.

The Catalans destroyed Santos 4-0.

This sucker wasn’t even close.

Lionel Messi hit the daily lotto.

Messi started off the hit parade with a strike in the 16^th minute.

The rout was on.

Xavi found pay dirt in the 23^rd minute.

This puppy was over.

Messi added his second goal in the 82^nd minute.

Former Gunner Cesc Fabregas scored in the 44^th minute.

Peixe won the Copa Libertadores but against Europe’s best Santos comes up way short.

Santos finished mid-table in the Brasileiros Serie A.

Peixe was tenth with 53 points.

Neymar said- “It’s impossible to stop Barcelona, but we are the second-best team in the world and for us that is a great reward.”

Santos headman Muricy Ramalho said- “Barcelona are the greatest team in the world,” he said. “No team can live with them. They’re unbeatable at the moment. Losing 4-0 to them is no disgrace.”

Pep Guardiola said about his side’s win- “My players were like artists,” Guardiola said. “Whatever they envisaged in their minds they were able to do on the pitch. It was an incredible performance.”

Here is the link- http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/998668/santos-forward-neymar-left-in-awe-of-barcelona?cc=5901

UOL wrote this about the slaying of Santos by Barcelona- Durante cinco meses, Muricy Ramalho vendeu a imagem de que o Santos iria atacar o Barcelona. O treinador passava horas analisando o clube catalão, consolidou um esquema tático para o esperado duelo, mas modificou tudo momentos antes de perder por 4 a 0 para o melhor time do mundo no Japão. Só que a escolha foi por uma opção jamais treinada.

Here is the link- http://esporte.uol.com.br/futebol/campeonatos/mundial-de-clubes/ultimas-noticias/2011/12/19/muricy-inventa-na-final-joga-com-um-time-novo-e-com-elano-no-banco-pela-1-vez.htm

Barcelona is good but these cats are in a dogfight in the Spanish League with hated foe Real Madrid.

In the La Liga Real Madrid is top dog with 40 points.

Barcelona is second with 37 points.

Gunner for life.

www.palau.org

http://www2.hillsong.com/tv/home.asp

http://www.bolaradio.com.br/

Messi and the guys cruised past Al Sadd 4-0.

This sucker was a whitewash from the outset.

The bad news is this David Villa suffered a broken leg.

Not good for the Catalans.

Adriano hit the daily Lotto twice.

Barca fired six shots on goal.

Four of them found its mark.

That’s 66% from the field

Deadeye shooting by Messi and the boys showed just how good these guys are.

Lionel Messi didn’t score but he was the drink that stirred the straw.

Santos is up next.

Peixe needs to be on top of their game.

Neymar and company are going to have to play air tight “D’ and shoot the lights out of the net.

Two of the best players in the world will be going at it.

Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Brasileiros Neymar will battle it out big time.

Messi has been on the world scene for about seven years. Neymar broke onto the world stage 2009.

Both Messi and Neymar are being considered for the FIFA Puskas Award for goal of the year.

The Telegraph from Britain wrote this about Messi and Neymar- Messi is the current world player of the year and leading light in a Barcelona side who are ranked as one of the greatest teams of all time.

Neymar, meanwhile, is one of the most sought after young talents on the planet and already a mainstay of the Brazilian national team.

Here is the link http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/la-liga/8958739/Lionel-Messi-v-Neymar-how-Barcelona-and-Santos-stars-compare-ahead-of-Fifa-Club-World-Cup-final.html

The Telegraph-It is the second time Messi has topped the World Soccer poll. He was the victor in 2009, but narrowly lost out to his Barca team-mate Xavi last year. Xavi finished third this time, behind Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid and Portugal.

Brazilian starlet Neymar is the only player in the top 10 based outside of Europe. The Santos youngster finished sixth in the World Player poll, but was the clear winner of the Young Player award, ahead of Borussia Dortmund midfielder Mario Gotze, Lille’s Belgian attacker Eden Hazard and Barcelona midfielder Thiago Alcantara.

http://www.worldsoccer.com/features/world-soccer-awards-2011-the-results-2

Neymar said about him being better than Pele- The Times of India -Star Brazilian striker Neymar said on Friday that he would never be better than Pele and insisted he was not interested in impressing his many European suitors at the Club World Cup.

“He’s the one and only, he’s the king of football,” said Neymar, sporting his trademark blond bouffant hairdo.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/football/interviews/Im-no-Pele-Neymar/articleshow/11043834.cms 

Neymar is good but so far on the world stage for the Brasileiros National Team he has struggle big time.

Messi for that matter has too.

Neither of these two guys are Pele.

Pele is the greatest futebol player who ever lived.

Pele did it in 1958 when he first stepped onto the world stage at the age of eighteen.

Two hat tricks baby.

Need I say more.

Flamenguista for life.

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Here is the skinny on the Brasileiros Serie A. 

Corinthians is the champ.

Timao won their first title since 2005.

Corinthians was sent down to D-2 ball in 2007.

It took Timao two years to dig out of the hole.

Corinthians made it back in 2009 to Brasileiros Serie A.

Atletico—PR, Ceara, America-MG, and Avai were sent packing to Serie B or as I like to call it D-2 ball.

Portuguesa, Nautico, Ponte Preta, and Sport were promoted to the big boys league.

Sent packing from Serie B were Icasa, Vila Nova-GO, Salgueiro, and Duque de Caxias to the depths of whale dung Serie C.

If a club has dropped past Serie B it is a long hard process to dig ones way out of this huge hole.

All one has to do is ask Juventude.

Santos defeated Kashiwa 3-1 in the semifinals of the FIFA World Club Championships held in Japan.

Peixe won the Copa Libertadores title.

Neymar was the hero for Santos.

He scored in the 18^th minute.

His mates Borges and Danilo tickle the twines também.

Peixe will face the winner of the Barcelona- Al-Sadd played today.

Lionel Messi, Pedro, David Villa, and Xavi are part of the Catalans offensive firepower that Peixe will be staring down in the FIFA World Club Championship on Sunday December 18^th.

UOL wrote this about the Peixe win http://esporte.uol.com.br/

A vitória do Santos por 3 a 1 contra o Kashiwa Reysol na noite de quarta-feira, em Toyota, no Japão, não foi convincente para Muricy Ramalho. O treinador citou a vantagem do time japonês nas estatísticas e sabe que a situação será a mesma em um provável duelo diante do Barcelona na final do Mundial de Clubes.

Santos headman Muricy said- “Realmente vi a estatística e nossa posse de bola não foi boa, apesar de isso não definir resultado. Temos de melhorar, pois o Barcelona tem uma posse de bola maior do mundo”, destacou Muricy.

The guys know that Barca will be a hard match.

Santos will have to be on the top of their game or the Catalans firepower will kill them.

Flamenguista for life.

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Liverpool shot themselves in the foot big time. The Reds had a chance to move up the table.

All Liverpool had to do was beat Fulham on Monday.

Not on this day.

A questionable red card and a goal by Clint Dempsey in the 85^th minute sent the Reds crashing.

Liverpool dropped to seventh place with 23 points.

The Cottagers are now in 13^th place with 15 points.

In Champions League play on Tuesday, my guys from Arsenal are on to the knockout stage.

The Blues scored three goals to advance to the knockout stage of the Champions league.

The daily double by Drogba assured Chelsea advances.

Ramires scored in the 22^nd minute for the Blues.

Chelsea defeated Valencia 3-0.

Genk and Bayer Leverkusen tied one all.

The Blues win Group E.

My guys from Arsenal lost to Olympiakos 3-1.

The result didn’t matter for the guys are into the next round.

Arsene Wenger rested the big guns.

My Gunners win Group F with 11 points.

Marseille defeated Dortmund 3-2.

The French side finished second with nine points.

Barcelona destroyed Bate 4-0.

AC Milan and Viktoria Plzen tied two all.

Both the Catalans and AC Milan advance.

Man U takes on Basel.

The mighty boys from Old Trafford have to win this sucker to advance.

It is as plan and simple as that.

Both Benfica and Man U are tied with nine points.

Basel has eight points and Otelul Galati is whale dung with zero points.

Gunner for life.

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The daily double from Robin Van Persie sent the guys through to the knockout stage of the Champions League.

Arsenal won 2-1 over Borussia Dortmund.

My Gunners gave up a late goal in the 92^nd minute but we were never in danger of losing this sucker.

It sure looks like the guys are finding their stride.

The pieces are starting to gel.

RVP has scored 30 goals on the season.

This is the second straight double for Robin Van Persie.

The other match of interest saw Barcelona beat AC Milan 3-2.

The Catalans twice took the lead only to lose it to the Italian side.

This puppy was a dogfight.

Messi, Xavi, and own goal by Milan’s Mark Van Bommel were the difference in the match.

Barca won Group H.

Chelsea lost to Bayer Leverkusen 2-1.

The Blues are in danger of not making it out of Group E.

My Gunners won Group F with 11 points.

Second place belongs to Marseille with seven points.

Olympiacos is third with six points.

Second place is up for grabs.

Barcelona won Group H with 13 points.

AC Milan is second with eight points.

In Group E Bayer Leverkusen is top dog with nine points.

Chelsea is second with eight points.

Third place sits Valencia with eight também.

It will come down to this for the Blues.

Chelsea –Valencia match on Tuesday December 6^th will decide who advances to the knockout stage of the Champions League.

Arsenal, Barca, and AC Milan are through to the next round.

Gunner for life.

www.palau.org

http://www2.hillsong.com/tv/home.asp

http://www.bolaradio.com.br/