Champions League Semifinal Preview: Chelsea v. Liverpool 2nd Leg + Premiership Weekend recap.

Now isn't this the most fake-looking handshake you have ever seen. You could cut the tension between these two with a Twizzler.

Time for round two at Anfield. This game is going to be an old-fashioned barnburner. Liverpool are on high alert, and have to come out strong. They need to attack from the get go. Chelsea are going to be without Shevchenko, Ballack, and Carvalho. This will make things extremely difficult for them, and that is why I am picking Liverpool to be the first team to clinch their place in Athens for the Champions League final. This will leave Chelsea with only the F.A. Cup to play for because...

This weekend, Manchester United basically wrapped up the Prem, thanks to Sam Allardyce. His Bolton Wanderers side fought back from 2-1 down to tie Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. In the mean time, Manchester United were busy coming from behind to beat Everton 4-2.In his post match interview, Sir Alex was asked if he would be calling his old friend Sam Allardyce. What was Sir's response? "He'll be getting a hug and a kiss. Maybe two kisses."
These results leave United ahead of Chelski by 5 points with 3 matches left to play, meaning that they only need 4 points from the last three games to win the Prem. Their remaining fixtures are the Manchester Derby at the City of Manchester Stadium, Chelsea at the Bridge, and West Ham at Old Trafford. This seems like a pretty easy end to the season, and if Chelsea don't beat United, I can confidently say that ManYoo will win the Prem.
In his post match interview, Sir Alex was asked if he would be calling his old friend Sam Allardyce. What was Sir's response? "He'll be getting a hug and a kiss. Maybe two kisses."
Speaking of Sam Allardyce, he stepped down as Bolton manager yesterday. The speculation behind this is that he is going to take over for Stuart Pierce at Man City upon season's end. Whatever happens to Mr. Allardyce, I say thank you. Thank you for helping my preseason prediction of Manchester United winning the Prem in tact. ONWARD TO THE TREBLE!

Champions League Semifinal 1st legs Review

This is a Wayne Rooney wallbanger. I have one on my wall. After the 90th minute stoppage time winner scored by Mr. Rooney on Tuesday, my wallbanger and I had a little celebratory sparring session during which I badly jammed my left index finger to the point of a nasty swell. But it was worth it.

AC Milan/Man U: This game was an instant classic. I think that in terms of the Ballon D'or (European player of the year) and Fifa World Player of the Year, Kaka has the advantage over C-Ron. The only reason I say that is, well, did anyone see the goals he scored against United? The first goal was a sheer showing of his lightning fast pace, and the second was just sheer brilliance. On the second, he took received a goal kick, flicked the ball over Gabby Heinze, and then proceeded to make the Argentinian (and Patrice Evra for that matter) look utterly foolish. The ball was bouncing between Evra and Heinze, and Kaka gives it a very slight touch with his HEAD and nudges it in between the two defenders. Evra and Heinze collide, and all Kaka had to do was push the ball past Van Der Sar.
However, this game was determined by the fact that Milan tried to be classic Milan and sit on the ball once they had the lead. United are too dangerous offensively to do that. Rooney equalized off of an audacious chip pass from Scholes. Then, in injury time, Rooney cast his stone in Old Trafford folklore. He hit a Giggs pass one time past Dida and into the net. This bodes veryh well for United to advance to the final in Athens.

Chelsea/Liverpool: Liverpool played relatively well in the second half, but were dominated by Chelsea in the first. I still have no idea what Rafa Benitez is doing by exiling Gerrard out on the right, but it renders him ineffective. If Gerrard is exiled on the right for the second leg, Pool are in trouble. The goal was extremely well worked by all parties involved (Carvalho, Drogba, and the finish by Cole). I still think Pool hold the advantage because of the home leg at Anfield. All I know is, I CAN'T WAIT FOR NEXT WEEK'S SECOND LEGS!
Come back here for all pre and post match coverage next week.

Champions League Semifinal Preview: Chelsea v. Liverpool 1st Leg

OOOOOOOOOHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I've been waiting for this one for a long, long time.

This is by far, the best rivalry in the Premiership. Both of these managers HATE each others guts. In the pregame interviews for this match, Mourinho said that Liverpool would try to injure Drogba. What was Rafa Benitez's response? "Drogba is a diver, a penalty hunter. This type of player needs to be eliminated from the game." Ouch.
As for the players in this match, Chelsea will be without Ballack. As for Liverpool, they have a virtually full squad. I think this match comes down to one man, Steven Gerrard. Simply put, he is one of the top 5 in the world. He can take control of a game and I think he will rise to this occasion. The result? Liverpool go into Stamford Bridge and rip Chelsea's heart out. Come back tomorrow for a wrap-up of the semifinal first legs.

Champions League Semifinal Preview: Man United vs. AC Milan 1st Leg

The double has occured, PFA player of the year and young player of the year. Was there even any question that this was going to happen. If it were any other year, Drogba would have claimed this award easily... however, C-Ron was around this year and he deserved it more than anyone else. He has been tearing up the Premiership all year; and no one, I repeat, NO ONE, can stop him, including Nesta and Maldini.

This brings me to today's match between AC Milan and Manchester United. This is almost too hard to call, but I have to give a prediction. United are all banged up, and it looks like it will be a tough one for them. On the AC Milan front, they are completely healthy. Kaka is on form, and AC Milan always play their best in the Champions League. Who wins? I give the edge to... MANCHESTER UNITED! They will win this one at Old Trafford because, well, they have to. If they don't win this one, then they are in for an uphill battle at the San Siro. I say United win this one off of an inspired performance from the newly crowned PFA Player of the Year and PFA Young Player of the Year.

Messi (Impossible is nothing)

Getafe's coach had this to say, "I can't see the goal through the eyes of a spectator. We should have stopped him before he got to the area even if it cost us a yellow card. You can't afford to be so generous,''

Birthday Post to Delight the Most!!

Since today is the day that I was introduced to the world, I figure that today is just a good a day as any to give my 1st annual "STATE OF WORLD FOOTY" Address. I will do this by region.

England: Once again, the FA have proved to be morons. Steve McClaren has proved that he isn't worthy of being England manager. Maybe he will be fired soon, or maybe he will prove me wrong, but I strongly doubt it.
All is strong on the Premiership front however, as this will go down as one of the most memorable seasons in its illustrious history. We could see a treble from United, or maybe a quadruple for Chelski (I shutter to think). By far, the best league in the world. Overall Grade: B

UEFA (minus England): In shambles. Michel Platini, the new President of UEFA, is trying to change the Champions League format to include more crappy teams and take away better teams. His main problem is with 4 English teams getting in, but... 3 OF THE LAST 4 IN THIS YEAR'S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE ARE ENGLISH!!!!! I think that proves my point right there. Italy is just recovering from the match fixing scandal, and the Spanish League is on the up. Overall UEFA Grade: C+

CONCACAF: Footy in this part of the world has never had more potential to break out. The MLS is on the rise, and when Beckham comes over, things can only get better. As for the US MNT, only time will tell. Bob Bradley has the team going in the right direction, so now let's see how far he can take us in the Gold Cup and the Copa America. Looking away from the US, can any other team besides Mexico win anything in this region? Until the answer to that question is yes, then this league will still be crap. Overall Grade: B-

CONMEBOL: The South American International teams are doing great, Brazil and Argentina that is. I have no idea if the other teams are going to be good or bad. Ecuador is always either Great or Terrible, same with the other teams. Don't even get me started on the leagues. So , overall grade: C-

Africa: This is by far the most potentially great conference. They have the most talent ridden pool of players in the world. The African teams caused the biggest splash in this past year's world cup. If they can stay un-corrupted, these teams have great potential. On the club side, I have no idea if they even have clubs. So, overall grade: B+

Asia: Don't know and don't care. South Korea... yada yada yada, Japan... yada yada yada... However, Australia just joined this group, so they should be the new dominant team. Overall grade: Who gives a %#$@

So, in conclusion, the prospectus of Footy in this world we live in is great in some spots, and not so great in others. One of the big problems is the corrupt and greedy officials that run football, mainly Sepp Blatter. Until he either dies or something, football will always be in trouble. It's time for a revolution, Che Guevara style.

Champions League Quarterfinal Recap and Semifinal Preview

I had to pull this picture from the old blog (weknowfooty.blogspot.com) because, well quite frankly it's gonna happen again. Now, time for me to wax poetic again [see my post called "The Day that Man U won the Title (NO, NOT THIS WAY) for my first delving into poetry] on what I saw on Tuesday:

I thought I was in a dream.
Who is this glorious team?
They sent Roma back to the Eternal City,
with their egos worn down to the nitty gritty.
7 to 1 was the end result,
shots reigned in like from a catapult.
Rooney, Ronnie, and Smudge all scored,
but it was Carrick who enlightened the Old Trafford horde.
His play was reminiscent of another OT Legend,
was it the ghost of Beckham that did descend?
All I know is Devils be wary,
because next comes the Rosioneri.

The quarterfinals have come and gone, and the only teams left are Chelski, Liverpool, United, and AC Milan. That seems to be a very heavy English bias, and that's because it is. The Prem is by far the most dominant league in the world, and boasts the best team in the world. If anyone doubted Manchester United before Wednesday, there minds should have been changed by the most dominating performance in Manchester United Champions League history. I was a little shocked to see Bayern Munich lie down and get dominated by AC Milan, but then I realized that I am an idiot for picking against Milan in the Champions League with their backs against the wall. Milan are always around in the Champions League, and they will prove a tough test to anyone.
As for my predictions, I went 2-2 for the second legs. That brings my overall total of predictions for the Champions League (from the beginning) to 68-52 and my accuracy rate stays at 57%. Hopefully, I can nail the last bits of the Champions League and get it up to 60%.
Now for previews of the Semi-finals:

Chelsea v. Liverpool: oooooooh, sentilating, This tie is by far, THE MOST ATTRACTIVE MATCH-UP OF THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE. All the marbles are on the line here. Win, go to the final. Lose, go home with your tail between your legs. Mourinho and Benitez hate each other, which makes this even better. This tie is almost impossible to call, as these teams always play each other as if it were the last footy match ever. Who wins? Come back to find out.

Manchester United v. AC Milan: This match-up is also very tempting. As you may or may not know by now, I am somewhat of a Manchester United supporter. Trying to be as impartial as I can be, I still see Man U as the favorites, but anyone who picks against AC Milan in the Champions League is an idiot. Who wins? Again, come back here to for complete coverage of...
THE CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!! (opera voice)

Champions League Quarterfinal Preview 2nd Legs Day 2

Alan Smith, and the rest of the Devils, achieved one of the greatest victories in the club's illustrious history yesterday: a 7-1 thrashing of Roma. Welcome back Smudge, you deserve all the glory you are basking in today. Also, full praise goes to C-Ron and Rooney (who I said would come up big in this game in my last post). They both played extremely well, but the player of the match was Michael Carrick. Out of no where, the pass-master became the Predator. Also, if you look back to my post from April 4th, you will see that I said that Totti has a tendency to not show up in big games. Yesterday, the Greater Manchester Police received a missing person's claim for a man named Francesco Totti, but I'll get into all of this more in my reaction of the Quarterfinals tomorrow. Now for my predictions of the day:

Bayern v. AC Milan: Now, I know from personal experience that German fans are crazy. I was one of maybe 2,000 Ecuadorians in the Olympiastadion in Berlin to watch the demolition job that Germany put on Ecuador. Now, what does that have to do with this game? Well, Bayern have the away goal advantage, and when those LOUD fans start to get under the skin of the Rosioneri; there will be no turning back. BAYERN advance to play Manchester United in the semis, setting up a rematch of the thrilling '99 final; where Ole Gunnar Solskjaer won the game for the Manchurians in stoppage time.

Liverpool v. PSV: They don't even need to play this game. Liverpool already have 3 away goals. Liverpool advance to play Chelsea, setting up a rematch of the 05 semi final, where Liverpool one the first leg at home, and forced a draw at the Bridge.

Come back tomorrow for all the reaction from the quarterfinals and a preview of the semifinals.

Champions League Quarterfinal Preview 2nd Legs Day 1

"Ooh, maybe after getting doomped out of zee Champions League by Valencia, I'll feenish 2nd to Manchester United in zee Premiership. Zen, I'll eizer queet or be fired from Chelsea, and I will go coach Real Madrid, Barcelona, or maybe even zee United States national team. Who know's, but I am zee special one." Jose Mourinho

All joking aside, it's time to get down to business in the Champions League. We've got two matches tomorrow, and two more on Wednesday. Here is how I see Tuesday's fixtures playing out:

Chelsea v. Valencia: I see Valencia moving on to the semi-finals. They are playing at home, and they have an away goal advantage after a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge. So we say, Good Night, Chelski.

Manchester United v. Roma: I see the Devils moving on to the semifinals here. They are down a goal, but if they get a 1-0 result, then they go through on away goals. Look for either Wayne Rooney or Cristiano Ronaldo to come up big and awaken the ghosts of the past who lurk in the rafters at the Theater of Dreams.

These games will both be interesting, and I will definitely be watching my Red Devils take on the Giallorossi. I just hope that Sir has the boys ready, because this is by far, their most important fixture to date. C'MON YOU REDS!!!!

How Do You Keep Your Sheets So Clean Robert Green?

West Ham stunned Arsenal, Wenger's frown and current losing streak growing, for their first home defeat! In a stadium filled with 60,098 only the travelling 4,000 Hammer's fans loved the April 7th fixture after ref Graham Poll blew his wistle thrice. Wenger's boys had a lion's share of the possesion but couldn't crack the back four of West Ham and the former Norwich man between the sticks.

Alan Curbishley had this to say, ""We've given ourselves a chance...we've got an arguably bigger game next week against Sheffield United and it makes everything a little more intriguing. Ourselves and Charlton are forcing the issue now. I'd like to think this is the start of a run. I think Sheffield United and Wigan will be feeling a bit nervous because they're being dragged into it."

Bobby Zamora, though suffering from a sore knee, capitalized on goods before halftime causing tiers of frustrated Gunners fans to boo their squad at the halftime break. Robert Green earned adoration from not only his manager but also his team as Curbs revealed, "When you play anyone in the top four you need your goalkeeper to get 10 out of 10, perhaps 12 out of 10 - and that is what Greeny has done today. All the players clapped him when he came in the dressing room. I'm learning more and more about the players as I've gone along." West Ham faithful, along with native East Ender Alan Curbishly, are learning more and more about the limits and rewards of pure faith.

Reaction to Champs League Quarterfinal 1st Legs

Yo Scholes, you have been known for your notoriously late and ugly tackles ever since the beginning of your career, but this was ridiculous. By now you should know how to keep your cool, and you obviously don't. You put your team in an abhorrent position, but luckily for you, a teammate put your team in a relatively good postion for the return leg.

The 1st legs of the quarterfinals of the Champions league were very interesting. I went 3-1 on predictions to bring my overall total to 66-50 and my accuracy rate up 1% from 56% to 57%. Now for some reaction for each team:

Bayern: You showed that famous German resolve. Van Buyten was at the right place at the right time for both of Bayern's goals. Bayern are favorites to advance out of this tie.

AC Milan: You got a penalty kick goal inside the last 10 minutes that you didn't deserve, and you still managed not to win the game. Dida looked like the Dida of old, nervous and indecisive, and without Ronaldo due to Champions League restrictions, AC Milan better be ready for the tie in Munich.

Liverpool: Welcome to the semifinals. This team is on fire, so watch out world, Liverpool could be on their way to Athens.

PSV: Done for , enough said. NEXT!!

Chelsea: Not in a favorable position to advance due to the away goal by Valencia. They better come to play at the Mestalla.

Valencia: Can put away Chelsea with a nil-nil draw at home, (The Mestalla is one of the best home field advantages in the world.) therefore, they are Favorites to advance

Roma: They played United just right, but they let Rooney grab the crucial away goal. I think that will be the crucial element in this series.

Man Utd: Because of Rooney's away goal, I think that they are still favorite to advance. They are going to have to play a perfect game at home, but I think they can do it.

Come back here before the next legs for complete pre and post game coverage.

Champions League Preview Quarterfinals Day 1B

Yea Totti, you're gonna have that look on your face a lot today when Cristiano Ronaldo is blazing past you.

Today marks some very, VERY interesting fixtures in the Champions League. The team I love and the team I love to hate (Feck Chelski) are playing today, one in Rome and the other in the heart of Jolly old England. Here are the predictions:

Chelsea v. Valencia- this is probably one of the hardest games to call in the Champions League. Essien and Robben are injured, and if it wasn't for the latter, we would be discussing Porto v. Valencia, not Chelski. Chelsea do however have an advantage due to this game being at "The Bridge". To quote "esteemed" sports broadcaster Larry Munson, "This game is gonna come down to who scores the most points." Thanks Larry. I think that neither team will score more, and this game will be a draw.

Man Utd v. Roma- I think that Francesco Totti has opened the barn door because of the comments he made about Sir Alex before this game. Mr. Totti also has the tendency to not show up in big games. I like this game to go over the 2 goal mark, with Manchester United getting the win, and an away goal advantage going back to The Theatre of Dreams.

Oh by the way, did anyone notice that I predicted both games right yesterday? That Bayern/AC Milan game was a real classic, but I will get to that in my quarterfinal first leg recap tomorrow.

Champions League Preview Quarterfinals Day 1A

I know Lucas, it's crunchtime. Time for THE CHAAAAMPIONS (read that as if it were the champions league theme song) to step up. We have some interesting fixtures today, and hopefully we will have some exciting ones.

Bayern v. AC Milan: This game comes to you from the San Siro, and I like AC Milan when they play at home BUT, Bayern have been very strong in the champions league this season. So I call this one a tie.

PSV. v Liverpool: Now this is a tough one. It takes place live at the Philips Stadion in Eidenhoven. PSV already knocked out Arsenal in the last round, but Liverpool beat Arsenal 4-1 in the Prem on Saturday so... Liverpool win.

Let's see if I can go perfect from the quarterfinals on.