2011/2012 Champions League Thread

[kdogg]

Does anyone know of a good place to watch Champions League matches downtown?

The last couple of places I have went to weren't that good. A place with game audio would be great.

[ma-skis.com]

Originally Posted by kdogg

Does anyone know of a good place to watch Champions League matches downtown?

The last couple of places I have went to weren't that good. A place with game audio would be great.

watched the last one at a place called murphys, lots of barcelona fans as well as matching Ibrah fans as well... might be a bit far for you though.

[sadora]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

The foul on Messi for the first penalty was an easy call.

The second foul happens in the box every game, and I would say that 95% of the time a penalty is not called. Honestly Nesta could have went down just as easily as Pedro did since he was cleary impded by Puyol on that play when Puyol clearly moved and grabbed Nesta while trying to set a pick. That call was brutal, no doubt about it.

Barca was the better team but the game should have went into halftime 1-1 with Milan holding the edge.

Barca probably would have gotten a second goal in the second half regardless but it would have been interesting to see how it played out if they were not gifted that second penalty.

Commenting on the highlighted part. The biggest problem there is that refs are inconsistent with that call, still doesn't negate the fact that it's a foul inside the penalty area.
With the Puyol pick, the ref was making a call on the first foul committed which was Nesta's foul on Pedro.
Like in any sport, the ref's inconsistencies can make the game frustrating to watch sometimes. There was at least one obvious penalty that should have been called in favor of Barca in the first game. That foul on Pedro, though an inconsistently called foul from the refs was still a foul.

Looking forward to Chelsea getting knocked out of the Champions League yet again by Barca!
Both of the semi-finals are going to be tough matches. Bayern definitely has a chance against Real Madrid....Chelsea vs Barca have been great matches in the past few years and this one should be no different.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by kdogg

Does anyone know of a good place to watch Champions League matches downtown?

The last couple of places I have went to weren't that good. A place with game audio would be great.

The Ship and Anchor. No guarantees if an English team isnt in it though.

[VANFLAMESFAN]

Oh Jesus.

Benfica boss Jorge Jesus is mighty pissed off. A lot of sour grapes, but entertaining comments nonetheless.

"I wanted to congratulate my players because they played against Chelsea and the referee," Jesus told Sport TV after the game.

"We were defeated by details which have nothing to do with either club.

"Maxi Pereira's red card and the penalty make no sense. We do not understand how decisions like these are made in the quarter-finals.

"We were clearly damaged by the referee."

"We were better than Chelsea in Lisbon and here. We did not lose this game because Chelsea were better, because they were not," Jesus added.

"Even with 10 men, we were always the better team. We always believed we could turn the score around.

"We had little time to score the second goal, but we always believed we could do it. We were surprised in the last minutes because of the risks we needed to take."

Chelsea will now meet Barcelona in the semi-finals, and Jesus has no doubt that the Catalan club will reach the tournament decider.

"We have defeated better sides than Chelsea in the Champions League," the 57 year-old-said.

"When you reach the quarter-finals, anything is possible, but Chelsea will have no chance against Barcelona.

"We are the ones who deserved to play against Barca."

http://www.goal.com/en/news/1716/cha...helsea-and-the

[M*A*S*H 4077]

Originally Posted by VANFLAMESFAN

Oh Jesus.

Benfica boss Jorge Jesus is mighty pissed off. A lot of sour grapes, but entertaining comments nonetheless.

[/I]

http://www.goal.com/en/news/1716/cha...helsea-and-the

I agree 100% with his comments. The reff was atrocious and practically gave the game to Chelsea in the first half

[sadora]

Originally Posted by M*A*S*H 4077

I agree 100% with his comments. The reff was atrocious and practically gave the game to Chelsea in the first half

I just finished watching that game and I have to say, that as much as I dislike Chelsea, that penalty deserved to be called as did the second yellow on Benfica's captain. He slid with a high challenge leaving his cleats out against the Chelsea player, even if he didn't injure the Chelsea player that's a dangerous play that will always be called.
Benfica was the better team even with ten men and probably deserved to be playing in the semis but Petr Cech made some great saves and that second Chelsea goal was a thing of beauty.

[M*A*S*H 4077]

Originally Posted by sadora

I just finished watching that game and I have to say, that as much as I dislike Chelsea, that penalty deserved to be called as did the second yellow on Benfica's captain. He slid with a high challenge leaving his cleats out against the Chelsea player, even if he didn't injure the Chelsea player that's a dangerous play that will always be called.
Benfica was the better team even with ten men and probably deserved to be playing in the semis but Petr Cech made some great saves and that second Chelsea goal was a thing of beauty.

That penalty was as much a dive as a foul. Give the penalty but give Chelsea a yellow for the dive.
And the second yellow on Benfica's captain was definitely card worthy, his first, not so much. My frustration about the reffing is that based on the precedence set by the ref against Benfica, Lampard should have been double yellowed fairly early on in the game. I just think there were some double standards by the ref, Benfica had fouls, but call them both ways.

[vennegoor of hesselink]

For you Barca Haters

[d_phaneuf]

and now they go back to where it all began, the game where Didier Drogba was actually justified to say this

Spoiler!

language nsfw

[sadora]

Originally Posted by diane_phaneuf

and now they go back to where it all began, the game where Didier Drogba was actually justified to say this

There were a few missed calls in that game that should have been called Chelsea's way, there's no denying it. But I will say, Barca was then and still is the better team over Chelsea. Drogba deserves the academy award for best actress the way he dives and whines.
If Chelsea can get outplayed by a 10 manned Benfica I can only imagine how fast this tie will be over.

[d_phaneuf]

if by a few missed calls you mean a few missed red cards/penalties then yes

and regardless of who the best team was, Barca scored in the 93rd or whatever minute when the game should have been over

I am no Chelsea fan and that was one of the worst refereed games I have ever seen in my life time

[moon]

Originally Posted by sadora

If Chelsea can get outplayed by a 10 manned Benfica I can only imagine how fast this tie will be over.

Just in case you were wondering it isn't cause they are "the best" that people hate Barca but stupid comments like this and the boring hope Messi scores style they play.

[sadora]

Originally Posted by moon

Just in case you were wondering it isn't cause they are "the best" that people hate Barca but stupid comments like this and the boring hope Messi scores style they play.

Hate the comment all you want, Chelsea got outplayed plain and simple by a 10 manned team, due to what many believe, inconsistent reffing favoring Chelsea.

As for Barca's (also Bayern Munich's) tiki taka style of play is designed for teams & players who are less physical to simply monopolize the ball.
I can understand how some people can find this boring, especially if you prefer the English, no nonsense style of play which definitely promotes a faster game. The biggest weakness in this style being the amount of 50/50 opportunities created which can easily come back the other way.
Personally I prefer the tiki taka style. Yes teams monopolize the ball, but this style promotes a more technically talented game by using touch, patience, vision & passing. Short passes, creating various channels by everyone's involvement and working your way into a scoring area is to me more exciting to watch than just playing a long ball in and hoping somebody does something with it.
The fact that Messi scores as often as he does speaks more to his personal skill than the team playing just for him. If you watch Barcelona play often you would see that he can create great chances as well as finish. That style of play gives everyone a chance and it's a shame that Pedro & Alexis Sanchez miss more often than they can finish.

[M*A*S*H 4077]

Bayern and Real tomorrow! Hopefully it will be quite the match. Bayern is in tough, but it's not that Madrid are clear favorites either.

Go Bayern! Unfortunately i'm in exams for both legs of this semi

[sadora]

Originally Posted by M*A*S*H 4077

Bayern and Real tomorrow! Hopefully it will be quite the match. Bayern is in tough, but it's not that Madrid are clear favorites either.

Go Bayern! Unfortunately i'm in exams for both legs of this semi

Out of the two semis this might be the toughest one. Bayern is a strong team and Real has been playing unreal at the moment (no pun intended) Cristriano Ronaldo has been playing some of the best soccer I've seen him play in a long time. Playing in Spain and for Mourinho has improved his game and maturity a lot. He still plays like a diva, but not as badly as he did for ManU.
As much as I want to see an all Spanish final, I can't bring myself to cheer for these guys. Go Bayern!

[M*A*S*H 4077]

Bayern effectively conceded any chance at the Bundesliga title when they rested Lahm,, Ribery, Gomez on the weekend. Dortmund has the league title wrapped up now. Bayern is 100% focused on Real Madrid. Hopefully they come out strong. A finally healthy Schweinsteiger is a big boost as well.
How much will the fact that Madrid plays Barcelona on the weekend impact Madrid in this one? I'm thinking it will have virtually no effect, but maybe we get lucky and they get caught half looking ahead.

[Locke]

Yes, Bayern.

1-0 care of Ribery.

[d_phaneuf]

I think Bayern either need to win this 2-0, or if they allow a goal win by 3

Madrid are too good at home to only have to win by 2 goals

[vennegoor of hesselink]

2-1 Bayern now going into extra time. Mario Gomez with the second