Posts Tagged ‘Champions League’

West Ham has booked their spot in the EPL for next season. In a wild and wooly match played at Wembley by the Hammers and Seasiders, West Ham came away with a crazy 2-1 win over Blackpool.

The Hammers scored first. Carlton Cole gave West Ham the early 1-0 lead in the 35^th minute. Matty Taylor set up this sucker off the counter attack. Taylor raced up the pitch and laid off a great thread the needle pass to mate Cole.

The Seasiders responded in the 48^th minute. Thomas Ince knocked home the winner from the left wing.

Blackpool had their chances in the second half but they couldn’t push the rock past the goal line.

West Ham scored the winner in the 87^th minute. The Hammers put a ton of pressure on the Seasiders defenders in the box. A huge scramble ball resulted in a put back goal off a missed shot by Ricardo Vaz Te.

Vaz Te said this about the match winner, “It’s a great effort form the lads,” Vaz Te told Sky Sports. “It’s not about the goal – we showed great character. I think we deserved it. We’re a Premier League side and we deserved to go up.

 ”It’s terrific really. I feel like I have been blessed with a second chance in my career and it’s great to be here.”

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/1074590/ricardo-vaz-te-delights-in-west-ham’s-play-off-victory?cc=5901

Sam Allardyce West Brom headman had this to say,  “Blackpool were easily as good as us today but it is about taking your chances and no more so that today,” he said. “We managed to swing it just at the death. It’s 49 games and it’s the first one we’ve won in the last few minutes this season. I’m sure (owners) David Sullivan and David Gold will be very happy.”

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/1074590/ricardo-vaz-te-delights-in-west-ham’s-play-off-victory?cc=5901

This is the second time Allardyce has led a club back to the Promised Land.

Chelsea has risen from the dead. The Blues were down 1-0 late in the match against Bayern Munich. Didier Drogba nailed a later header in the 88^th minute to send this sucker into extra time. Drogba then committed a mortal sin in the first extra time. His foul on Franck Ribery set up the possible bone headed play of the match in the 93^rd minute.  Arjen Robben wore the choke collar very well. Robben’s choke city cost the DER FCB the Champions League. Neither side could score in extra time. Tied at one all the Blues and DER FCB went to the dreaded PK shootout. Bayern Munich missed two crucial PK shots to give Chelsea the chance to win it. Didier Drogba nailed the PK and this sent the Blues to the Promised Land. Chelsea wins in a wild one 4-3 in the PK shootout.

Futebol season is over in Europe but the regular season is heating up in South America.

Spurs fans are heart broken by Chelsea’s win. Tottenham is out of the Champions League.

Flamenguista for life.

One final note. Do I have ESPN, I mean ESP or what. I told you that Didier Drogba would be the key. He was. The hero.

www.palau.org

http://hillsongtv.com/

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Real Madrid all but had their flight booked for the Champions League final. Jose Mourinho had the cards stacked in his favor. This puppy was played at Real’s house. Los Blancos had the all-important away goal yet the German side gave the Spanish guys all they could handle and then some. Cristian Ronaldo two goals gave Los Blancos the early 2-0 lead but Bayern Munich struck back and scored in the 27^th minute. Arjen Robben nailed the PK to cut the gap to 2-1.

This is how it stayed until the PK shootout. Real Madrid and Bayern Munich were leveled at three all on aggregate. Then all hell broke loose in the PK shootout.

The fake Ronaldo showed his real colours once again when he missed the PK. Choke City.

His mate Kaka missed one as well too.

The Germany side nailed their first two shots. Bayern missed their next two to keep Los Blancos in it. Up stepped Ramos for Real Madrid to level this sucker at two all. Ramos wore the choke collar. He spilt the uprights. In football the shot would have been good but not in futebol.

Munich’s Bastian Schwaeinsteiger nailed this puppy and that was all she wrote. Bayern Munich won 3-1 in the PK shootout and now they are on to the Champions League finals to face Chelsea

Two of the most unlikely sides to battle it out in finals are the Blues and Der FC. The idiot pundits told us it would be Real and Barca in the finals. Dogs rule the roost.

Gunner and Flamenguista for life.

www.palau.org

http://hillsongtv.com/

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

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

http://hillsongtv.com/

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/

Chelsea is the last hope of the EPL in Champions League play.  Man U, Man City, and my Gunners have bombed out. The Blues have scored that all elusive away goal in the 75^th minute. Fernando Torres raced down the right touchline. He drove into the right side of the box. Torres fired a great ball to mate Salomon Kalou who rammed home the point blank shot into the back of the net for the match winner.

Chelsea beat the Aguias 1-0.

This is the first time Benfica was shut out at home.

This was the Blues first road win in the Champions League.

Chelsea has a 1-0 lead as they head home for the second leg.

Benfica had most of the possessions but the Blues did not let them poke the rock past the goal line. The Aguias had numerous chances but Petr Cech has come up big. Cech stone cold stopped em.

Real Madrid shut out Apoel Nicosia 3-0.  The Greek side packed the box to stop the dreaded Los Blancos attack. This worked for the first 74 minutes. Los Blancos scored three goals in the last sixteen minutes. 

Karim Benzema hit the daily double. Mate Kaka added a goal as well. The Brasileiro star had a goal and an assist.

Real Madrid heads back to Spain with a 3-0 lead.

Gunner and Flamenguista for life.

www.palau.org

http://hillsongtv.com/

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

Man U was simply outplayed by Spanish side Athletic Bilbao. Actually they got their asses kicked. Sir Alex and the boys stunk the joint out. The Red Devils were pushed around at Old Trafford then at the Bilbao house. Man U lost 2-1 and 5-3 on aggregate.

Athletic Bilbao scored first. Fernando Llorente ripped the twines in the 23^rd minute.

Oscar added the death knell in the 65^th minute.

Rooney had a cosmetic goal in the 80^th minute.

Sir Alex said this about the ass whooping. “We can’t complain. In the first half we gave away a real soft goal. That was the last thing we wanted,” he told Channel Five.

“At the start of the second half they did really well and could have scored two or three more goals.

“We did better later on but nowhere near enough to win.”

Sir Alex told the press he had Sunday’s match with Wolves on his mind. No shit Sherlock. The Europa League is second-class compared to the Champions League.

“We decided to take Rio and Michael and eventually Ryan off because we were thinking of Sunday,” said Ferguson, who denied their exit would boost their league hopes.

Translation Sir Alex is lying through his teeth. He never took this competition seriously after being bounced from the Champions League.

“It’s not a sense of relief (to go out) because there are still ten games to play in the league,” he said.

“There is still a lot to do. I think the key thing is we have to make sure we win on Sunday.”

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/1035886/alex-ferguson-makes-no-excuses-as-man-united-exit-europe?cc=5901

In European play Man U has won three times in ten tries. The wins came against sides that stink.

Man City at least put up a better fight than Man U did. The Citizens made it interesting by scoring three second half goals to win the second leg 3-2 over Sporting Lisbon but lost on away goals 2-0. Both City and Sporting Lisbon tied on aggregate at three all but those away goals doomed Man City.

The only hope for glory is that the mighty boys from Old Trafford win the EPL.

Look folks when Man U was bounced out of the Champions League in the Group stage Sir Alex didn’t put much stock in the Europa League. This attitude was bourn out by the way the guys played in their two series against Ajax and Athletic Bilbao.

Rooney and boys were just going thru the motions.

Much of the Red Devils problems can be traced to them getting rid of several older players last year and brining in some new talent. When this happens there is always a drop in play.

David de Gee, Rafael, Johnny Evans, Ashley Young, and the like are getting their feet wet for the first time in real competition.

Chelsea will find this out when their older stars get kicked to the curb for younger players.

My guys at Arsenal are going through the same thing.

Flamengo will take on Olimpia in Copa Libertadores play late Thursday night.

Mengao sits atop Group Two with four points.

UOL- Com quatro pontos em dois jogos, o Flamengo entrará em campo nesta quinta-feira, às 22h, no Engenhão, contra o Olimpia-PAR, buscando ficar em situação tranquila na Copa Libertadores. E para chegar a vitória, o rubro-negro terá que superar uma figura ilustre e conhecida no time adversário: Maxi Biancucchi, primo de Lionel Messi. Com passagem pelo time da Gávea entre 2007 e 2009, o jogador é a grande atração da equipe paraguaia.

The match will take place in Rubro-negro’s house.

Um simples empate já é suficiente para garantir a liderança do grupo 2 ao time de Joel Santana. No entanto, o treinador não admite outro resultado que não seja a vitória. Para o comandante rubro-negro, o Flamengo tem obrigação de superar o Olimpia por jogar em casa.

Flamengo will start Ronaldinho Gaucho and Vanger Love as the two attackers.

http://esporte.uol.com.br/futebol/campeonatos/libertadores/ultimas-noticias/2012/03/15/flamengo-encara-time-de-primo-de-messi-para-obter-conforto-na-libertadores.htm

Flamenguista and Gunner for life.

www.palau.org

http://hillsongtv.com/

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

My guys from Arsenal put up one hell of a fight but we couldn’t overcome a four-goal deficit. Sure we took it to AC Milan in the second leg however our old bugaboo reared its ugly head we suck on the road.

Arsenal dug a hole so deep that we could not dig our way out of it. Three first half goals gave Gunner nation hope but when the final whistle blew the guys could not push the rock past the final goal line and we lost. 

The words coming out of Gunner land are good but this has been our problem all year long. We lose matches we should win and we can’t beat the big boys.

Tomas Rosicky said he was proud of the way his mates fought to make it close. All quotes are taken from www.arsenal.com

“I am proud of my team-mates because what we produced today was great football, but it’s sad because obviously we are out of the competition,” Rosicky told Arsenal Player. “We can go out with our heads held high but we blew it in Milan.

“We knew [that we would be making history if we came back] and that’s what the boss told us in the pre-match speech. Who wouldn’t want to be part of something special? So of course we were up for it and I think you could see that. So it’s a shame.”

http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/rosicky-we-can-hold-our-heads-high

This all good and dandy but the only offense we have is Robin Van Persie. RVP has scored 32 goals so far this season. Of Robin Van Persie’s 32 total he has found the mark 25 times in the EPL. The guys have scored a total of 55 times in EPL competition. RVP has been responsible 45% of the offense. That sucks. And this is why we are always behind the eight ball.

Robin Van Persie has eleven matches left in the season to become the all time scorer in Arsenal history. Ted Drake holds this record. Drake scored 42 goals in the 1934-35 season.

http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/42357/behind-the-numbers-   

Sagna said this after the heartbreaking 4-3 loss to AC Milan on aggregate. “We are fourth now and we have a bit of an advance on Chelsea,” he told Arsenal Player.

“We want to put Arsenal back [in the Champions League] and we are only four points behind Tottenham now. We know we can do it and now we have to win the next game against Newcastle, which is as important as the one against Milan.

http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/sagna-this-performance-is-a-reference-point

Let’s get real Gunner nation. If we can’t get production out of the rest of the guys our season will be lost. Sure it is good we are hanging around the top four however this is the booby prize. This is the talk of losers not winners.

We have to win a trophy if we don’t it is time for Arsene Wenger to go. Eight years without a title sucks. In any professional sport if a team keeps knocking at the door and can’t bust it down to win then it is time for the headman to go.

Gunner for life.

www.palau.org

http://hillsongtv.com/

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

This is one of those typical Arsenal performances. Bring us to precibus of victory then break our hearts big time. My Gunners scored three first half goals to cut the gap on aggregate to 4-3 but the guys couldn’t get the final goal to send us to extra time and a PK shootout.

Goals by Laurent Koscielny, Tomas Rosicky, and a PK by Robin Van Persie gave Gunner nation hope. But in the end Robin Van Persie double clutch miss from point blank range in the 59^th minute killed us. Milan’s keeper Christian Abbiati used his left paw to block the shot. He used his other paw to pull the ball into his body.

This was one of this bang, bang, plays. For all you hockey buffs think Patrick Roy.

My Gunners won 3-0 but lost 4-3 on aggregate.

AC Milan is on to the quarterfinals.

Benfica came back from a 3-2 aggregate to moved on to the quarterfinals with a 2-0 over Zenit St. Petersburg. The Portuguese side advances on aggregate 4-3.

My guys fought back but what killed us was the first leg blowout in Italy. AC Milan’s final goal in the first leg was the difference in this sucker. 

It looks like my guys will be awarded bupkis for eight straight years. Our last title came in the 203-04 season.

This is getting old fast.

Gunner for life.

www.palau.org

http://hillsongtv.com/

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

Mengao was very fortunate was to come away with a one all tie with Argentinos side Lanus in Group play in the Copa Libertadores.

Flamengo scored first when Leo Moura nailed a perfect shot past the keeper in the 45^th minute (plus one). El Granate pressed the attack until the Argentinean side tumbler hit the right combination in the 74^th minute. A poor clearing by Rubro-Negro set up the goal. This gave Lanus the attack deep in the Flamengo end of the pitch. Buda bing buda boom Cesar Carranza point blank shot beat the keeper Felipe short shot shelf right.

Our boo Mengao spent most of the time on the back heel. We couldn’t string together much of an attack.

Flamengo players like Ronaldinho Gaucho and Deivid spend too much time trying to dribble through three defenders instead of passing the rock off to the wings to create spacing problems for the “D” to allow more openings to score. One Lanus player guarded three Rubro-Negro players.

Mengao is slow and doesn’t have crispness to their attack. If Flamengo played in Europe Rubro-Negro couldn’t compete at the D-3 level.

Flamengo played bad futebol. For their talent they can’t play futebol.

Globo Esporte- O estilo era conhecido. O torcedor rubro-negro com a memória em dia deve ter se lembrado da formação tática do Flamengo de 2007. Para aproveitar os avanços dos laterais Léo Moura e Juan, Joel Santana montava o meio-campo com quatro volantes. Cinco anos depois, o treinador repetiu a opção na Argentina. Desta vez, com Léo e Junior Cesar. Nesta quarta-feira, no estádio Ciudad de Lanús, conhecido como La Fortaleza, Joel construiu seu próprio muro e segurou o Lanús. Ou quase. O time dele poderia até ter vencido pelo que fez nos últimos dez minutos, mas falhou nas finalizações. Na estreia no Grupo 2 da Libertadores, o Rubro-Negro fechou a porta, saiu na frente, mas permitiu o empate: um justo 1 a 1. Léo Moura, destaque do time neste início de temporada, abriu o placar no fim da primeira etapa. No segundo tempo, Carranza, que acabara de entrar, empatou.

http://globoesporte.globo.com/jogo/libertadores-2012/15-02-2012/lanus-flamengo.html

Up next for the guys is Emelec on March 8^th at Mengao’s house.

Na segunda rodada, o Lanús visita o Olimpia, na próxima quinta-feira, no estádio Defensores del Chaco. O Flamengo joga no dia 8 de março, no Engenhão, contra o Emelec.

Flamenguista for life.

www.palau.org

http://hillsongtv.com/

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