Soccer 2012-2013 3.0
- Thread starter Springbok
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Springbok
Karen
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I began to feel sorry for the guy, until I remember he's a millionaire for playing maybe 5 games a year. Tough life!
Interesting results this weekend... Spurs look up for a fight, Chelski looks like trash (and has for about a month), and Arsenal looks like they'll fight as well. United is just toying with the league now. Still not sure how the top 4 will shake out, but it will be a really entertaining run in.
Quite the drama filled Barca-PSG game. Still better going into the Camp Nou 2-2 vs. the 2-0 after Milan. Just hope that Messi recovers in the next 8 days and Tito figures out what to do with our back-line. Mascherano changed from his awesome center-back performances during the 2011 UCL winning run and is such a huge liability currently. Barca need to forget about getting Neymar and focus on dropping money for center-backs.
Also Juve let me down even if the 1st goal was quite lucky. They got their shit pushed in by Bayern.
Also Juve let me down even if the 1st goal was quite lucky. They got their shit pushed in by Bayern.
Szlia
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In the end, a draw was a pretty fair result for this Barca vs PSG game as both teams probably have mixed feeling about the result. The return game is totally up in the air though because of the injuries and the rain of yellow cards.
On the other hand, the Juve must feel pretty blessed to only have suffered two goals instead of five. They better find some solutions for the home game.
On the other hand, the Juve must feel pretty blessed to only have suffered two goals instead of five. They better find some solutions for the home game.
Springbok
Karen
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Hope that Bale injury isn't too serious (though I hope it lasts long enough for Arsenal to catch Spuds)! Gervinho playing excellent the last few weeks, and even without Wilshere Arsenal have played their best football of the season since Bayern away. You nervous, Spurs? Haha.
Springbok
Karen
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PSG w/ a good goal. Barca's back line taken to school - and I'm finding that as Puyol gets older, it exposes Pique much more. Still a fine CB, but nobody would call him world class lately. Still plenty of time for the refs to make a difference here and see Barca to the SF.
Pique doesn't really have much pace. Younger/injury free Puyol and Abidal did, so the 2/3 would compliment each other really well. Now you have someone who is usually technically sound (Pique) yet fairly slow along side quick defenders (Alba, Alves, Adriano) yet they aren't very gifted defensively. If Barca were able to make a move on Thiago Silva last summer, they would have brushed every team aside. He was out of this world across both legs this tie, coupled with the fact that he is tall/strong and very fast, he would have been perfect as a Puyol replacement for the next 3-4+ years.
Alves in general had a horrible game with his lackluster skyward cross/shots. Busquets probably had his worst defensive-mid showing in a Barca shirt so far in his career. Valdes was pretty much godly and almost stopped the goal with a toe tip. UEFA's site voted for Iniesta as player of the match and while overall he was probably the best offensive player, I would still give it to Valdes since he saved Barca countless times tonight.
Going to be an interesting draw on Friday considering all 4 "superpowers" went through. Personally, I am hoping that Barca get either Bayern or Dortmund. Would be interesting to see how well this amazing Bayern team would do against a possession based team. I believe they are overall 2nd in possession when it comes to league/UCL games and haven't really played anyone who is superior to them in holding the ball. I think this is the most stacked semi in a UCL in a pretty long time.
Springbok
Karen
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I'm going to be really annoyed if its an all German/Spanish semi. Would love to see Barca/Dortmund, Real/Bayern. 4 excellent (Dortmund on their day, though they've been beyond it most of the season) teams in top form. 3 of which are certainly the 3 best teams in the world.
Barca got lucky with having the away leg first yet again. Is there a rule or something that decides it or is it just pure luck? Because Barca had the away leg first in the last 4 knockout rounds, maybe even more (Chelsea, Milan, PSG, now Bayern).
1,2,4, and 11 on the revenue list. Man Utd is #1 on club values but #3 on revenue/budget money list.
The more I am reading up on the match up the more it seems that play-style wise, Bayern was the best choice for Barca. Dortmund play very aggressive, counter attacking and that can hurt Barca just like RM have done with a similar style. Bayern on the other hand have always had the possession numbers in nearly every single one of their games in the last 2 years. How they will react to being on the losing end of possession will be interesting.
The more I am reading up on the match up the more it seems that play-style wise, Bayern was the best choice for Barca. Dortmund play very aggressive, counter attacking and that can hurt Barca just like RM have done with a similar style. Bayern on the other hand have always had the possession numbers in nearly every single one of their games in the last 2 years. How they will react to being on the losing end of possession will be interesting.