UEFA Champions League: A Quarterfinal Do-or-Die

The fate of three EPL squads will be decided, with at least one going through to the next round.

Chelsea vs. Fenerbahce (aggregate 1-2)

Fenerbahce is confident they can survive in England and move on to the semi-finals. With clutch players like Deivid and Alex, coach and former Brazilian star Zico has assembled himself a team full of Turkish work ethic, determination and Brazilian poise and vision. The blend often clashes, however, as it has in the domestic league since their 2-1 win over Chelsea in the first leg. They have still managed to get their results and now await the return of former Real Madrid fullback Roberto Carlos to help solidify the backline. Avram Grant is still positive in both race for the EPL and UCL Championship. I can’t see the Blues being forced out of this one. It’s going to take another out-of-their-mind game to survive an offensive onslaught at Stamford Bridge.

Prediction: 3-1 (Chelsea 3-2 on aggregate)

Liverpool vs. Arsenal (1-1 on aggregate)

One thing is for sure. This will not be a goal-less game. Between the two talismans – Gerrard and Fabregas – you have 11 goals in this competition alone. But if you’re talking momentum, Liverpool has the nod…not by much, though. In-house rumblings of discontent have managed to surface, while Arsenal has had to deal with a pretty sad run of form as of late. Liverpool has their 12th man at Anfield, while Arsenal has a playing style that lends itself to these kind of tense deciders. The difference will be with how Rafa Benitez decides to handle Arsenal’s torrid offense…will he sit back and build a fortress and try and steal a goal on the counter? Or will he let Gerrard, Torres, and Babel fight Arsenal fire with Liverpool’s own potent attack?

Prediction: 1-1 (aggregate 2-2, Liverpool wins 5-4 on penalties) 

 

UEFA Champions League: Ronaldo and his “big head”, a 17 year old bails out Barca

Manchester United 2, AS Roma 0

It’s called ‘having a team’s number’. Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney made sure of that. The heart of the Red Devils scored the first away goal without the aid of his backheel but instead it was his head and it put one foot for Manchester United into the Champions League semi-finals. Roma was without their usual maestro Francesco Totti and it showed with a lack of definitive finishing – but he will be back next Wednesday for the return leg. A 2-0 defeat at home will mean all things will have to go Roma’s way at Old Trafford. United was not without their inconsistencies, however, as Roma dominated the run of play for the first 15 minutes only to curse themselves over missed opportunities and the superb acrobatics of Edwin Van der Sar. Roma has a knack of scoring away from home, having done so twice this competition so far, and they will be looking to exploit a possible gap in defense left open by an injured Nemanja Vidic. Oh – by the way – it was Ronaldo’s 36th goal of the season. Unreal. It prompted Roma’s midfielder David Pizarro to call Ronaldo a “big head”.

Barcelona 1, Schalke 04 0

17-year old Bojan Krkic grabbed a much-needed away goal early in the match and led Barca to a 1-0 win in Germany. Highlighted by physical play, Rafa Marquez and Puyol organized a stingy defense capable enough of keeping Schalke’s big men Altintop and Kuranyi away from Valdes’ net. Nothing went on target for the Germans, whereas Thierry Henry troubled a weak left side and supplied the winning square pass to Krkic (the first of only 4 chances throughout for Barca). Near the end, things got sloppy, the crowd became weary, and whistles were heard in an attempt to prod Schalke into action. No luck, Barca takes the away goal back to Nou Camp. With Krkic’s goal, he became the youngest player to score in Champions League history.

TODAY’s GAMES: Liverpool vs. Arsenal, Chelsea vs. Fenerbahce

Champions League Draw: Quarterfinals and Semifinals

I am sure you’ve already seen it but the quarterfinal draw looks like:

Manchester United v. AS Roma – can Roma avenge the 7-0 drubbing of last year? they did in the group stages

Barcelona v. Schalke 04 – as inconsistent as Barca has been as of late, I wouldn’t put a Schalke shocker out of order, Kevin Kuranyi likes clutch games

Chelsea v. Fenerbahce – another possible upset, but Chelsea will probably see the Turks off with no problem – Mateja Kezman might want to give his old club a lot of trouble though

Arsenal v. Liverpool – battle of the on-form strikers, Adebayor vs. Torres, I’d go with El Nino if I had to pick right now

Semifinal Draw

Manchester United/AS Roma vs. Barcelona/Schalke 04
Chelsea/Fenerbahce vs. Liverpool/Arsenal

Well, what do ya think? Will United breeze by Roma? Is Fenerbahce really an easy draw for Barcelona, especially with how they’ve been playing as of late? Who will come out on top in the Battle of Britain???

More UCL Predictions: Chelsea, AS Roma, and FC Porto

FC Porto vs. Schalke 04
(0-1)

Coveted winger Ricardo Quaresma has promised a win at the Dragao, but it is Schalke with the one goal lead. Porto will be heading into this with a bit of momentum as Schalke still in the race for the Bundesliga title has lost three consecutive league games. If Kevin Kuranyi can find an early goal on the counter, Schalke could do what they did in the first leg – defend. The German international’s lone goal in the last encounter was partly due to a Helton handling mistake, but with the way things have been going, Schalke is going to have to take whatever they can get.
Prediction: 2-0 (2-1 on aggregate, Porto)

Real Madrid vs. AS Roma
(1-2)

The biggest advantage Real has today is the fact that they managed an away goal in Rome during the first leg. They are home at the Bernabeu but Real’s time since the first leg 2-1 loss has been frustrating, eeking by a pesky Recreativo side last weekend, 3-2. Injuries have depleted Bernd Schuster’s squad selection prospects hurt him most on the backline with Sergio Ramos suspended, Christoph Metzelder. The midfield and forward corps could miss the Dutch trifecta of Arjen Robben (definitely missing), Ruud van Nistelrooy, and Wesley Sneijder. AS Roma travels to Spain with little to worry about injury-wise, but certainly a lot to play for.
Prediction: 1-1 (2-3 on aggregate, AS Roma)

Chelsea vs. Olympiakos
(0-0)

Chelsea’s 4-0 win over West Ham United this past weekend mixed with media reports of Chelsea players ready to abandon Avram Grant make it a ‘pull-it-together’ kind of match-up at Stamford Bridge. The Blues will have to strike early and often in order to put away that freak, 90+ minute away goal that puts the EPL title chasers away. The Greek champions managed to beat Lazio away from home, 2-1, and it’s likely the Blues know that.
Prediction: 2-0 (2-0 on aggregate Chelsea)

Yesterday’s Results

Arsenal 2, AC Milan 0 – Cesc Fabregas’ long-range take was nice but don’t you think it was a little more the questionable anticipation of Zeljko Kalac?

Barcelona 1, Celtic 0 – Xavi, CHI February Best XI pick (posted tonight), comes through again but their win is overshadowed by an injury to Lionel Messi

Manchester United 1, Lyon 0 – Lyon looked dangerous in the second half, but experience, some dude named Cristiano Ronaldo, and composure seemingly always trumps flashiness and youth in the end

Sevilla 3, Fenerbahce 2 (5-5 on aggregate, 3-2 Fenerbahce in penalties) – a great game for those spectators that were neutral, for a report on this see Ryan’s – a Sevilla faithful – post

Gimme those predictions: Champions League Round of 16, Leg 2

Tuesday, March 4th

AC Milan vs. Arsenal
                (0-0)

The Gunners could go either way – too young, inexperienced to win at San Siro or young enough to not care or allow intimidation to get in the way of beating Milan at home. Wait…but is anyone telling Alexandre Pato to be nervous?
Prediction: 1-0, AC Milan

Barcelona vs. Celtic
                (3-2)

According to the girlfriend studying abroad in Barcelona, the town is OVERRUN by Celtic jersey-wearing fans, but none of that should affect the outcome of this game. Messi and company won’t mess up a good thing, especially when they need to refocus after a disastrous 4-2 loss to Atletico Madrid this past weekend. Barca is angry and Celtic haven’t won a road match yet in this season’s competition. Doesn’t mean the Hoops won’t fight hard…
Prediction: 2-0 (5-2) Barcelona

Sevilla vs. Fenerbahce
              (2-3)

Sevilla has home advantage which means it’s a virtual guarantee that Luis Fabiano, Frederic Kanoute, Dani Alves will be at the top of their game. If by chance, Alex and Mateja Kezman can catch Drago and Alves sleeping and get an early one, Sevilla could fold under pressure. This is going to be another high scorer though.
Prediction: 3-1 (5-4) Sevilla.

Manchester United vs. Lyon
                     (1-1)

Do you think Sir Alex Ferguson really wants Karim Benzema and Hatem Ben Arfa for the $90 million Lyon is asking for? Or is this a mind game – Sir Alex trying to mess with the youngsters’ heads before a big game. It’s a little bit of both and if Cristiano Ronaldo and Rooney work their usual magic, even first team goalkeeper and long term injury returnee Gregory Coupet will have a lot of work to do. Nemanja Vidic is supposed to return as well to shore up the defense, one that wasn’t tested much against Fulham. For Lyon though, all it takes is a Juninho set piece – home or away – to put things in the right place for OL.
Prediction: 2-1 (3-2) Manchester United.

Chelsea’s Greek Deadlock Made Worse – Threats, Sanctions?

Avram Grant called Chelsea’s performance the “worst performance since he took charge”. Without Frank Lampard in the starting line-up, the midfield looked oddly quiet against Olympiakos who were content to sit back and not muster any attacks against the Blues defense. Didier Drogba looked dejected – not himself – probably due to a African Nations Cup hangover of sorts. Solomon Kalou and Frank Lampard came on with some time to go, but by then the urgency was gone. Chelsea players looked satisfied with an away draw – which against Arsenal/Real Madrid/etc. would have been sufficient. Regardless, the Blues return to Stamford Bridge next week hoping a whiff of home will wake them up. Other developments have done the ‘waking up’ however…

Apparently, Avram Grant received anti-Semitic death threats at Chelsea’s training ground yesterday in the form of a package, with a note, containing a powdered substance that was later deemed to be harmless. The note also threatened Avram’s wife, Tzofit. Grant didn’t open the package as he was in Athens…the training ground, however, was shut down for a while after a staff member opened the note and package saying, ‘You are a back-stabbing Jewish b******. When you open this letter you will die a very slow and painful death.’ Clearly, there aren’t any good words to say about this…

In lesser – but still pretty bad – news, Chelsea is also being ‘told on’ by Serie A’s Reggina. The Blues apparently approached and effectively ‘poached’ Reggina’s most coveted youth prospect, Vincenzo Camilleri – 15 years old. Camilleri was expected to sign for Reggina when he turned 16, but opted to skip a scheduled youth team match and head to London to solidify the deal with Chelsea. Reggina’s chairman Lillo Foti is mostly disturbed with the fact that Camilleri’s move not only robs them of a big talent, but also of all future benefits, etc. He then tries to deflect the economic impact by saying that it could also destroy a young kid’s career, being moved that young, put into a crop of youth prospects all of the same if not better talent levels, etc. This is something that has been going on for a long time and it seems everyone (normally the losing club’s chairman) has a bad taste for it, but yet nothing has been done. Even UEFA’s president Michael Platini denounces it, but nobody really made a fuss about Astrit Ajdarevic’s move from minnows Falkenbergs in Sweden to Liverpool (let alone the WHOLE Liverpool youth movement this past summer). Or Fluminense’s Brazilian ‘whiz-twins’ Fabio and Rafael moving to Manchester United (even though there is an agreement between Fluminense and United). How should these situations be dealt with? Higher premiums for youth players? How do the clubs get properly compensated for such an undetermined loss?

In better news, Paulo Ferreira signed a new 5-year pact with Chelsea, effectively tying the rest of the Portuguese defender’s career to Stamford Bridge.

The giants are now awake…, Liverpool over Inter 2-0 in CL Home Leg

Steven Gerrard and Dirk Kuyt hit for two late goals – Gerrard’s individual effort being the most spectacular of the two – to surprise the crap out of Serie A leaders Inter Milan.

This also wasn’t an example of finishing what little chances the Reds had – Liverpool dominated Inter – 19 shots to 4, finally breaking through Inter’s 10-man ‘catenaccio’. Yep, 10-men – the Reds got some help from Marco Materazzi when he was sent off for a second yellow card offense in the 30th minute for tugging on El Nino’s jersey. Inter then had to play a whole hour a man dow, at Anfield, after one of the worst losses in Liverpool history (might not be THAT bad).

This will be a huge morale boost for Liverpool and it was led by none other than captain Steven Gerrard (would you expect otherwise?). Rafa also put in timely subs (Crouch, Pennant – assisted Kuijt’s goal) and allowed the fullbacks, Fabio Aurelio and Steve Finnan, the proper room to serve the dangerous ball in. The wings, as a whole, were wide open once Materazzi was out of the picture. Lucas Leiva put in a promising 60 minutes for a young midfielder still learning about European soccer.

It was Liverpool’s 100th European victory at Anfield and – rightly enough – it was Gerrard’s 50th goal at home.

Other scores:

Schalke 04 1, FC Porto 0 – Schalke uses Kevin Kuranyi’s early goal to head away to Porto a goal up
Olympiakos 0, Chelsea 0 – Chelsea holds off the Greek champions at home and is ready for a Stamford return
AS Roma 2, Real Madrid 1 – David Pizarro and Mancini overcome a decent looking Real Madrid side to secure the home win

EPL Daily 12.26: Happy Holidays! And some Dempsey, Beckham, Boxing Day, etc.

Thank you to all that come here every once in a while to read what we got to say. It’s Boxing Day and we’re in for a good day of soccer (going on as I share these headlines with you).

DUECE: Clint Dempsey struck for his 6th goal of the season in (the game is close to done) a rather lopsided loss to Tottenham. Dempsey is doing what they expected David Healy, Diomansy Kamara, and Shefki Kuqi to do – clean up the mess of offense Fulham has. Heading into the New Year, there is no doubt that the Cottagers are going to be fighting the relegation battle. Dempsey kept them up last year though…can he do it again, with some late help from a soon-to-be returning Brian McBride (they desperately need a target man)?

EPL SCORING: An update of EPL Leading Scorers – notice Dempsey at the bottom…

Cristiano Ronaldo (MU) 12
Emmaneul Adebayor (ARS) 10
Nicolas Anelka (BOL) 10
Robbie Keane (TOT) 10
Benjani (POR) 9
Yakubu (EVE) 9
Fernando Torres (LIV) 9
Marcus Bent (WIG) 7
Roque Santa Cruz (BLA) 7
Carlos Tevez (MU) 7
Steven Gerrard (LIV) 7
Gabriel Agbonlahor (WHU) 6
Cesc Fabregas (ARS) 6
Obafemi Martins (NEW) 6
Clint Dempsey (FUL) 6
Dave Kitson (RDG) 6

ARSENAL: With the January transfer window looming, look for there to be a flurry of activity. One team that will be holding out……or so it seems…….is Arsene Wenger’s young Arsenal squad. Even with the imminent absence of Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Eboue for the African Nations Cup – Wenger is pretty sure recalled Johann Djourou and Philippe Senderos can do the job.

LAWRIE SANCHEZ: Gone. Martin Jol was apparently to be considered for the Fulham opening – but that has gone to the crapper. Former Cottager John Collins – who recently left his post at the SPL’s Hibernian – will most likely grab the job.

DAVID BECKHAM: Expected to train with Arsenal starting as early as January in an attempt to get fit for the upcoming MLS season as well as his potential 100th appearance for the English national team. Arsene Wenger has assured that Beckham comes to train, NOT play for the Gunners.

FRANKIE SIMEK: Though not the EPL, the American Sheffield Wednesday right-back warrants a headline due to an unfortunate injury that could keep him out for up to 2 months. Simek – now on the USMNT radar – also was looked at by Everton and a couple other EPL clubs this past summer but with Sheffield Wednesday’s poor performances recently, an injury, and a new contract extension, it looks like Simek won’t get that look again for a while.

UCL Round of 16 DRAW: For those who missed it, the draw looks like this…

Liverpool vs. Inter Milan
Chelsea vs. Olympiakos
AS Roma vs. Real Madrid
Schalke 04 vs. Porto
Arsenal vs. AC Milan
Barcelona vs. Celtic
FC Sevilla vs. Fenerbahce
Manchester United vs. Lyon

Predictions as the match dates get closer. For those interested, the two legs will be held on February 19th-20th and March 4th-5th.

UCL Matchday 5: Liverpool and Werder Bremen control their destinies

GROUP A

Besiktas 2, Marseille 1

The Turkish powerhouses did rebellious Rafa and Liverpool a favor in dispatching Marseille. They grabbed this result after being utterly demoralized 8-0 against Liverpool last time out. Regardless, the Turks can ride this result into their final match-up against group leaders Porto.

Liverpool 4, Porto 1

The thrashings continue. The sleeping giant is now awake and ready to stop underperforming. You can’t deny momentum and the Reds have a lot of it. Fernando Torres provided the first goal, putting the scare of upset as well as the week’s past developments out of Liverpool’s mind. It has been a rough one with many rumblings of Rafa stepping down if the American owners Gillett and Hicks don’t give him the transfer money he wants. Supporters? They are with the boss – as told by the aural explosion when he entered the stadium. Benitez’s response? A wave and then a fervent point to the pitch. I’ll book the Reds a knockout round berth. Even then, it wasn’t until the 78th minute that El Nino could provide his second with Gerrard and Crouch not far behind effectively snuffing out Porto’s efforts.

GROUP B

Chelsea 4, Rosenborg 0

The English are looking powerful – between Liverpool, Manchester United, and Chelsea – it could be England’s year for a Champions League title. Didier Drogba worked his magic, scoring two in the first 20 minutes, with Joe Cole and Alex providing the added boost in goal difference. The Norwegian champions were lifeless – with only young’un Per Skeljbred showing up to play. Chelsea books their spot in the next round, now they’re just hoping they won’t get matched up with another English team.

Valencia 0, Schalke 04 0

Les Ches tried their best to grab a goal after David Albelda was ejected in the 32nd minute. No luck as Schalke put on most of the pressure in the form of wicked crosses from Brazilian right-back Rafinha and Kevin Kuranyi’s aerial prowess. Valencia did have its’ chances, especially when both Joaquin and Silva came achingly close in the waning moments but Schalke held on, getting the second spot in the group.

GROUP C 

Olympiakos 2, Lazio 1

I’d love to say this was a shock result but the Greek champions have been surprising many in European competition this year. They now face a do-or-die match-up with German upstarts Werder Bremen for a spot through. Goran Pandev put Lazio up 1-0 in the 30th only to have his efforts erased by Luciano Galletti and then Darko Kovacevic.

Werder Bremen 3, Real Madrid 2

Madrid still sits atop Group C, but sputtered in what has become a little bit of a recent time Real Madrid trademark…choking. European competition, people. Not domestic – although they almost choked on that too. Promising young’un Aaron Hunt provided the eventual game winner in a tight, physical match-up. It’s not that I didn’t expect this as – lately – Real Madrid loves to make things interesting. And nothing is more interesting than a 4-way battle to the finish.

GROUP D

AC Milan 1, Benfica 1

Freddy Adu came on with a couple minutes to go for the sole purpose of trying to capitalize on what was a potent offense with terrible finishing. No dice – but the game did produce two stunning highlights from Andrea Pirlo and Maxi Pereira. Milan clinched a spot with the point whereas Benfica can still fight for third and a position in the UEFA Cup Knockout Rounds.

Celtic 2, Shakhtar 1

Big win for Celtic as they sit 3 points pretty in second place. Unfortunately, their next match sees them facing AC Milan. The good thing is Benfica has a lot to fight for against Shakhtar and a win is certainly feasible against the Ukrainian giants. They were far from giants yesterday though as they couldn’t preserve a quick lead from Brandao. Lucarelli, Darijo Srna, and Jadson all were a bit off. Celtic enjoyed two strikes – one at the end of each half – from Jiri Jarosik and Massimo Donati. A point against Milan will do the trick.

WHO’S QUALIFIED ALREADY?

Chelsea, AC Milan, Barcelona, Manchester United, AS Roma, Inter Milan, FC Sevilla, Arsenal

UEFA Champions League: Gunners keep firing; Rangers surprise the hell out of Lyon

Group E 

Rangers 3, Lyon 0

A definitive win for the Gers as they dispatched the French champions without so much of a whimper of disapproval. DaMarcus Beasley had the clincher and also provided the assist on the first goal from former Wigan man Lee McCulloch. The Rangers now control their destiny sitting atop the table with an undefeated and tough-looking Barca side.

Barcelona 2, VfB Stuttgart 0

Not quite domination, but the air of the game never felt like Barca were threatened. The German champs couldn’t deal with Henry and Messi, who put in the second goal.

Group F 

Sporting Lisbon 2, Dynamo Kiev 1

A good recovery win over Ukraine’s strongest squad. Yannick Djalo stood out above the rest……..again.

Manchester United 1, AS Roma 0

Despite receiving the news that Owen Hargreaves would be out another month, United handled Roma well amidst questionable finishing and a less fluid style of play. It was Wayne Rooney who took matters into his own hands by clanging the only goal off the post and giving the Devils their second European win in Group F.

Group G 

CSKA Moscow 2, Fenerbahce 2

A last-gasp put back from Brazilian Deivid gave the Turkish giants a key tie against Moscow, leaving them atop the Group G standings. It was the Brazilians who drove the game in this Eastern European clash. Vagner Love scored the go-ahead goal for CSKA after fellow Brazilian Edu Dracena took him down in the box (one of his most forgettable performances). Alex provided the first strike in the 9th minute.

Inter Milan 2, PSV Eindhoven 0

Despite two ejections late in the game, Inter had already put themselves clear of a somewhat disjointed PSV squad. Zlatan Ibrahimovic put in two by the 31st minute, making the ejection of defender Chivu and Honduran David Suazo a ho-hum. Inter will not have Suazo and Chivu as they take on CSKA Moscow sitting right in the thick of the table.

Group H 

Sevilla 4, Slavia Prague 2

A host of goalscorers stepped up for Sevilla but it was talisman Frederic Kanoute that opened the scoring and jumpstarted the Sevilla offense. After questionable results within La Liga the past couple weeks, last year’s Spanish surprises were looking for an encouraging win and got it. Slavia Prague did leave without a fight though – cancelling out Kanoute’s opening goal and grabbing another in the waning minutes of the match.

Arsenal 1, Steaua Bucharest 0

The Gunners only needed one and it came late and in this year’s Arsenal-fashion. Both Van Persie and Adebayor have refined their game this year and transformed these Gunners into a multi-weapon team.