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UEFA Champions League (Official Thread)

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And there isn't a short-term solution to the two-goal difference the past two times and 30-40 percent possession. Buying Wesley Sneijder or the like (i.e. multiple players) isn't going to make up for the possession, technical, tactical advantage Barca seemed to have today, at least not short term.

Although a creative central mid is needed with United.

It's going to be interesting to see who joins de Gea and perhaps Ashley Young and Varane/Jack Rodwell on the transfer list. It's obvious there's going to be multiple buys (and departures like Wes Brown).

But it's not like one player is going to make up for that difference in possession and tactics (plus the scoreline). The entire United team looked frustrated by the end, which is understandable.

Surprisingly the part I personally was most upset about was watching Platini watch the game (all I could think of was Ian Holloway ripping Platini for some reason). It's a toss-up to who is disliked more internationally: Blatter or Platini.
 
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I completely agree with this statement by Grant Wahl of SI (they played the FOX NFL music for some reason, which Wahl didn't mention).

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/20...8/cl.final.3thoughts/index.html?sct=sc_t11_a0

Fox has to get its act together. On the day when a big final delivered a memorable game, the only negative aspect was Fox's pre-game coverage, which continues to dumb down the sport and compare it to other U.S. sports. ESPN proved with its excellent World Cup coverage that you can cover soccer straight up for an American audience without having to turn it into Soccer for Dummies. Fox, sadly, has yet to figure that out. And so we got Michael Strahan making a dimwitted appearance comparing f?tbol to football and inane coverage of Gerard Piqu?'s relationship with the singer Shakira. It's enough to make you hope ESPN/ABC manages to get the rights back to the Champions League.
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CHU;1929190; said:
I completely agree with this statement by Grant Wahl of SI (they played the FOX NFL music for some reason, which Wahl didn't mention).

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/20...8/cl.final.3thoughts/index.html?sct=sc_t11_a0
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Awful coverage. NFL music followed by over blasting the UEFA anthem along with having a host that goes out of his way to equate everything to "American sports".
I liked Friedel, and the Fox soccer crew, but everytime someone that's not normally involved with Fox soccer channel got involved in the broadcast, it turned into typical bush league/Fox bullshit.
 
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IronBuckI;1929267; said:
Awful coverage. NFL music followed by over blasting the UEFA anthem along with having a host that goes out of his way to equate everything to "American sports".
I liked Friedel, and the Fox soccer crew, but everytime someone that's not normally involved with Fox soccer channel got involved in the broadcast, it turned into typical bush league/Fox bull[Mark May].
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I heard the NFL on Fox music and immediately thought, WTF.... :lol:

I personally like the commentators for the Serie A and EPL. I also think Martin Tyler is the John Madden of soccer. I like them because they talk about the sport and they talk about things going on around the team, which is what they should do. Not sit there for 15 minutes and explain the process to us. I swear I heard them say NEW Wembley stadium 25 times. Once is fine, to let all the people who don't normally watch soccer know that it was recently renovated. I agree though, Fox either needs to get it's act straight and appreciate the sport a bit more, or give up airing it. The black guy that normally does NFL drove me up a fucking wall today, and has all season long when he's appeared during the Champions League.
 
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City in big trouble in Naples right now. Edinson Cavani scores his 2nd and Napoli is up 2-1 with a little over 30 minutes to play. HUGE game for both sides.
 
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Napoli defeats Manchester City 2-1 in Naples. Very exciting game. Looks daunting for City now with one game left to play in the group. Napoli is up a point and has to play at Villarreal (without Rossi) and City get Bayern Munich (already through) at home during the final matchday.
 
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Manchester United and Benfica play to a draw. Now Manchester has to go to Basel and fight for the second spot in the group. This will likely give Manchester a monster Knockout Phase draw as well.

What was with Ashley Young playing as the striker in the first half? 3 wingers in the game. Players looked lost. They went with a more traditional formation when they brought Valencia off the pitch for Chicharito and shuffled Young back. Benfica looked pretty good today.
 
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TooTallMenardo;2043731; said:
Manchester United and Benfica play to a draw. Now Manchester has to go to Basel and fight for the second spot in the group. This will likely give Manchester a monster Knockout Phase draw as well.

What was with Ashley Young playing as the striker in the first half? 3 wingers in the game. Players looked lost. They went with a more traditional formation when they brought Valencia off the pitch for Chicharito and shuffled Young back. Benfica looked pretty good today.
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I thought Manchester United could still get first, but would have to win big and take the group by goal differential. They're both (Man United / Benfica) are tied at 9 right now, but Benfica is one ahead on goal differential.

You pencil in that Benfica will get the win at home against Galati, so Man United has to try to win big on the road to avoid second (or at least tie).

There wasn't a penetrating central mid or an attack through the middle, relying more on crosses that were cleared. Tom Cleverley was getting through the middle earlier in the year, but Michael Carrick and Darren Fletcher aren't going to do that.

You see what someone like a David Silva can do in England (as an attacking central mid). Outside of Cleverley, that's what United is missing (and Sneijder didn't want to leave Italy).

Napoli moved ahead of City, so Group A is very interesting (Bayern's already through).
 
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BusNative;2044588; said:
Ugh...
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I'll second that... Fuck the Barcelona Featherweights.


Nesta played some horrible D on the last goal for Barca... Very disappointed in him. Just got caught wandering too far forward. Ignazio Abate had a horrendous game as well IMO.

Man of the Match goes to Christian Abbiati. No way in hell it should have ended 3-2, and it's mainly due to AMAZING GK play.
 
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I just can't wait until January, so Milan can shore up some of the problems with this team. Carlos Teves is being rumored to being on his way to Italy. Another guy Milan is interested in is Paulinho from Corinthians. Montolivo (Fiorentina) and Casemiro (Sau Paulo) are others who Milan are interested in. Either way, this midfield has GOT to improve.
 
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