Champions League Recap

-Sometimes my predictions make me look very intelligent and, often, in hindsight, I wish I had wagered a sizable amount of money on my hunches. This was not one of those occasions. I pretty much got everything wrong. I claimed that Barcelona and Liverpool would advance. Neither did. I argued that Barcelona would win because of their potent offense. They did not score. I boldly proclaimed that Chelsea and Liverpool would play dull, listless football. They combined for seven goals. Go me.

-I was unable to watch the first leg of the Chelsea match (I was over the Pacific), but from all accounts, it was a rather cagey affair. As well, it has been said that the result served as an accurate reflection of what transpired on the pitch, even though it came in the cruelest of fashion for John Arne Riise, who scored an own goal in the fifth minute of injury time. The second leg saw Chelsea dominate the first half, produce a deserved goal through Didier Drogba, only to see their lead vanish after Fernando Torres equalised. The game went into overtime, where Chelsea pulled ahead by two goals, which effectively ended any chance Liverpool had, they the Reds did pull one back in the form of a Ryan Babel consolation. Chelsea deserved to advance, and it was refreshing to see Liverpool lose a two-legged encounter, something that hadn’t occurred in some time.

-Speaking of Chelsea, did you know they did not have a single player in the FA’s Team of the Year? This is the team who could feasibly win the Premiership! I have to say, it’s a travesty that neither Michael Essien nor Joe Cole received a spot in the team. For my money, Michael Essien (with the lone exception of Cristiano Ronaldo) is the BEST player in the Premiership. Not only does he dominate the middle of the pitch, Chelsea demonstrated midweek just how valuable he can be at any position. Even though it might not be his preferred position, or the place on the field where he’s most effective, the discrepancy in quality between the Ghanaian and the overrated Paolo Ferreira, the aging Juliano Beletti, or the insipid Wayne Bridge was painfully apparent after Essien’s transcendent performance which combined tenacious defense, calculated passing, and puissant shots. His exclusion is lamentable, especially since this oversight was due to the inclusion of Steven Gerrard, who had a sub-par season for his standards.

-The Manchester United/Barca match had been billed as an exciting encounter of offensive heavyweights. 1 goal combined in 180 minutes of play made every pundit look like an idiot (including yours truly). Not only were their no goals, there was simply a dearth of true chances (Ronaldo’s penalty miss aside) for both teams, in particular in the second leg. Paul Scholes’ shot was inch-perfect, but an outside-of-the-boot rocket from 25 yards barely can be considered a half-chance. Barcelona was truly unlucky to not put one in the “back of the auld onion bag” (even the Cantonese commentary is better than Tommy Smyth!), as they dominated the possession in the second leg (at some point in the second half 65-35), but they were simply unable to translate this control into meaningful chances. Henry didn’t start, and was finally introduced with a little over ten minutes remaining. His impact was instant, as he forced Van der Sar into a few saves (more than the rest of the Barca attackers could claim). Though as an unabashed France supporter I’m partial on the subject, I don’t understand how Rijkaard could leave Henry on the bench for both legs against a side with which he’s so intimately familiar and has terrorized on so many occasions. A scorer as prolific as Henry comes to life in the Champions League, and in a big game, I’d rather take my chances with an out-of-form Henry than the diminutive Andres Iniesta (yes, he’d been in better form in the Spanish league, but I’m arguing the Champions League is a whole different monster and Henry would have made a better selection).

-Manchester United’s play throughout the Champions League this season has been nothing short of sublime. They are unequivocally the most deserved team to lift the big-eared trophy. As stated in a previous post, I only bet against them because I figured it would be impossible for them to continue to play such immaculate football. They hadn’t lost a game in the CL yet, I figured it was about time! I am officially mental. To demonstrate just how good Manyoo is, check out this nugget: Manchester United has only given up one goal in the knockout phase of the CL this year, and it was to the second best team in Europe. One goal in six matches against teams (OL, AS Roma, Barcelona) renowned for their offense? Yeah, I’d call that impeccable defense.

-I’d like to congratulate both teams that have progressed to the finals, Manchester United and Chelsea. And congrats to all of the bandwagon fans in America. I’m really glad I’m not in America, so I don’t have to deal with the myriad justifications for why kids from Los Angeles decided to support Chelsea four years ago or why people who don’t even know where Manchester is claim to be diehard fans? Can we call this the bandwagon bowl?

-Ninety percent of outre-match storylines regurgitated by the media pertaining to games such as the Champions League final are inane and barely worth the energy it takes my eyes to read it. But this one has a legitimate one: and no, I could care less that it’s a fucking all-England final. The Champions League final is being held in Moskva this year: also known as, the town Roman Abramovich built. Remember, he’s one of the few oligarchs who remains on good terms with Putin. Where’s Berezovsky? Exile (and not welcome back). Where’s Khodorkovsky? Jail. Abramovich on the other hand can stroll into the Kremlin whenever he damn pleases. Remember a few years back, in the final weekend of the Premiership, Tottenham was clinging to fourth (and the crucial last Champions League spot which translates into tens of millions of dollars in television revenue) when half of their team mysteriously came down with a stomach virus and Arsenal overtook them? No, no, I’m not insinuating the he WILL do anything, I’m just saying stranger things have happened in soccer. But, it wouldn’t shock me if something did. He has ruthlessly clawed his way to the top of the oil world. He has rewritten the rules of modern club ownership with unfair bidding practices towards smaller clubs. Would it be all that astonishing if he were to make life a little more difficult for Manchester United on his turf? Oh, and Mr. Abramovich, if you’d like to silence me, my address is…

-I’d also like to announce there will be another RIVE BROG for the Champions League final. Obviously, if OL were playing, I wouldn’t be able to fully concentrate on providing salient commentary and obsessing over every touch. But the fact is I’m not partial to either of these sides, and am just in the mood for some good football. And I feel a little brogging might just go hand in hand with CL final awesomeness. On verra!