UEFA Champions League Thread

[Fyzoman]

Iz ah Manu man!!!
I glad Arsenal win, and ah rel like Barcelona.
I like Wileshire, Nasri, Robin, Cesc, et al from Arsenal
I like Messi, Alves, Xavi, et al from Barca
Do I think Barca will win at home? With madmen Song and Eboue playing for Arsenal, HELLS YES THEY WILL!!!

[Dansteel - The Iceman]

Iz ah Manu man!!!
I glad Arsenal win, and ah rel like Barcelona.
I like Wileshire, Nasri, Robin, Cesc, et al from Arsenal
I like Messi, Alves, Xavi, et al from Barca
Do I think Barca will win at home? With madmen Song and Eboue playing for Arsenal, HELLS YES THEY WILL!!!

Song go play, but Sagna suspension was just for dis game. So Eboue go bench.

[Dansteel - The Iceman]

I have to say, I was real vex with the Gooners in de stadium whistling at de ref in stoppage time. Like they was scared Barca go come back and tief a draw. Have some dignity nah! Dat was embarrassing.

[RehanaOmardeenfan]

I have to say, I was real vex with the Gooners in de stadium whistling at de ref in stoppage time. Like they was scared Barca go come back and tief a draw. Have some dignity nah! Dat was embarrassing.

They were

[100% Barataria]

It's amazing how all these Barca fans are adamant that Barca will do the deed in the Nou Camp and Arsenal will get 3-4 goals past them etc.

Maybe I don't know all the Barca fans on the forum, but so far I eh read one Barca fan comment on dis result, but again, I concede maybe I don't know all th Barca faithful on de forum.

At any rate, congrats Arsenal, it's half time, see you for the 2nd half at de nou camp 

[Mango Chow!]

fabregas and van persie can only improve but so much because they both had good games.  van persie's first chance wasn't as much that he didn't put it away as it was that valdes made a good save.  van persie couldn't have done anything else with that shot or put it anywhere else.  valdes just made a good save that had a little luck involved with it. Nasri is likely to have a good game on the return because Pique is out.  Sagna is always an improvement on eboue and song....is song.  He is a good player but your biggest disciplinary liability.   All dat other sit about me hatin' 'cause I is a Chelsea fan and the "better team" winnin' is just nonsense.

Good save?  You really only see what you want to see.  The ball hit Valdez in the chest. He didn't know much about that at all. 
The second bolded sentence calls your kicking knowledge into question. If Van Persie was at full stretch, then yuh could say that he couldn't put the ball anywhere else, but that was not the case.
He hit it flush with the top of his foot, but also had the angle and space to hit it with some slice on the outside of his foot, which would send the ball nearer the first post and higher up.

Three plays really annoyed me:
Walcott made a pass to Van Persie on the right when he had Nasri I believe in acres of space on the left.  Bad decision.
Also Van Persie had a shot on the left when Toure was coming across to him that went wide.  He had no reason to miss the target on that one.
Then Bendtner with his greedy play when he went to the near post.
Messi had about 3 misses that we would expect him to score.  The 1-v-1 that he chipped wide, the time he chipped it straight at the keeper, and the one he hit into the side netting.  If it was the usual Messi he would have buried those.

I think the Nou Camp will be a slaughterhouse.

Edit:  What Toure I talkin about dey?   Now ketch myself. 

 Yuh forgetting that van persie had a defender closing down on him as well as the 'keeper charging from in front of him.  That is why I said he coulda only kick the ball when and where he did....I wasn't talking about his kicking ability.  He didn't have time to do all that fancy stuff you want to conjure up.  The ball hit Valdes just as much as he reacted to it, that is why I said there was a little bit of LUCK involved.  Maybe is YOU who seein' what you want to see.   

It's amazing how all these Barca fans are adamant that Barca will do the deed in the Nou Camp and Arsenal will get 3-4 goals past them etc.

That is not a given. It is an assumption and it seems this is the mantra they all have to cling to and say to themselves to console the fact that they just get LIX.

What's even funnier is that some of them ent even Barca fans.  Some rating Barca because they genuinely think Barca is legions better than Arsenal... but others, yuh could tell is just thinly-veiled dislike fuh the Gunners.

...and I guess YOUR crystal ball tells you all who is fans of what team and whatnot eh, merlin?

[Bakes]

...and I guess YOUR crystal ball tells you all who is fans of what team and whatnot eh, merlin?

If you had a proper grasp of reading comprehension, or a functional brain for that matter... you too would be able to use YOUR "crystal ball."

[Mango Chow!]

...and I guess YOUR crystal ball tells you all who is fans of what team and whatnot eh, merlin?

If you had a proper grasp of reading comprehension, or a functional brain for that matter... you too would be able to use YOUR "crystal ball."

 
You swear that your pseudo-knowledge is superior to every one elses and always end up exposin' yuh self to be nothing more than an educated phony.  Your posture is old now, sonny.  Try something new. 

[Bakes]

You swear that your pseudo-knowledge is superior to every one elses and always end up exposin' yuh self to be nothing more than an educated phony.  Your posture is old now, sonny.  Try something new. 

Whatever soothes your fragile ego 

[Mango Chow!]

You swear that your pseudo-knowledge is superior to every one elses and always end up exposin' yuh self to be nothing more than an educated phony.  Your posture is old now, sonny.  Try something new. 

Whatever soothes your fragile ego 

Anyting you say, xerxes.

[Peong]

Yuh forgetting that van persie had a defender closing down on him as well as the 'keeper charging from in front of him.  That is why I said he coulda only kick the ball when and where he did....I wasn't talking about his kicking ability.  He didn't have time to do all that fancy stuff you want to conjure up.  The ball hit Valdes just as much as he reacted to it, that is why I said there was a little bit of LUCK involved.  Maybe is YOU who seein' what you want to see.  

You soundin more and more like yuh doh know how to play football.  He didn't need any additional time to hit it differently, just needed to change the arc of his swing slightly.

And I can't give Valdez the credit for that save, he could have closed his eyes and the ball would have still hit him. 

[Mango Chow!]

You soundin more and more like yuh doh know how to play football.  He didn't need any additional time to hit it differently, just needed to change the arc of his swing slightly.

And I can't give Valdez the credit for that save, he could have closed his eyes and the ball would have still hit him. 

 Arright, Mr. Alvin "Football Made Simple" Corneal.  The man get a ball played to him, angling him diagonally away from the goal to his left, (with Pique bearin' down on him) and you find he coulda slice dah ball wit de outside o' he left foot to beat an advancing Valdes'.  Ok, jed. You take yuh kickin' knowledge and keep dah one.  I go stick wit de actual shot that he DID take which was practically identical to the one he scored with, main difference being, he actually had everything set up for him better on the goal to do what you find he shoulda do on the Valdes save.   
 As far as the save Valdes made, you don't have to give him the credit.  Fact is, vp took the shot, Valdes reacted to the shot/ball and the ball hit him or his hand hit the ball: good save, Victor Valdes!! You are just one of a minority holding that opinion.

[kicker]

That Valdez save was nothing special.  He just had to stay on his near post, and exhibit the goalkeeping reflexes that are expected of someone at his level.  If he got beaten by that shot, it would have been characterized as a goalkeeping gaffe (sp?)..just as Van P.'s first goal is being characterized by many...Was a good strike but should have been saved. 

As far as the shot, it was a good shot- it was cleanly hit and it was hit on target. It was about all he could do from that angle with the pressure that was being put on him...Many strikers woulda splice, mishit across goal or hit the upper deck, so it was a good shot but I consider that a half chance more than a real chance because yuh could not really expect him to score from that angle on a first class gk. 

[Mango Chow!]

That Valdez save was nothing special.  He just had to stay on his near post, and exhibit the goalkeeping reflexes that are expected of someone at his level.  If he got beaten by that shot, it would have been characterized as a goalkeeping gaffe (sp?)..just as Van P.'s first goal is being characterized by many...Was a good strike but should have been saved. 

As far as the shot, it was a good shot- it was cleanly hit and it was hit on target. It was about all he could do from that angle with the pressure that was being put on him...Many strikers woulda splice, mishit across goal or hit the upper deck, so it was a good shot but I consider that a half chance more than a real chance because yuh could not really expect him to score from that angle on a first class gk. 

I eh tink anybody was tryin' to make it anything overly special, but it was a good save and possibly a vital one.  At the end of the day, regardless of ones expectations, he still hade to make the save and you credit him if he does just like you criticize him when he doesn't.  Couldn't agree wit yuh more on your second point.

[JDB]

....The big difference was that in the Arsenal game after they were one goal up they didn't go for the jugular and exploit the forward channels in a direct enough manner, and many times I think they let Arsenal off the hook after the play broke down by being a bit too casual, and not direct enough...I expect that will change in Camp Nou.  Arsenal will have to play the same game they played at Emirates, disciplined at the back, and speedy in attack...just finish a bit better....Whether or not you get the lucky breaks is under no one's control...

That is pretty much how I see it, Barca didn't press home their advantage. Taking off Villa was the clearest indication of this. Without Villa on the pitch Barcelona late push suffered for lack of personnel. Arsenal took their opportunity very well though and they work hard to keep it at 0-1.

Also agree that anything could happen in the 2nd leg. Inter benefit from facing a 10 man Barcelona last year, Arsenal suffer from injuries catching Messi on the wrong day.

[Peong]

You soundin more and more like yuh doh know how to play football.  He didn't need any additional time to hit it differently, just needed to change the arc of his swing slightly.

And I can't give Valdez the credit for that save, he could have closed his eyes and the ball would have still hit him. 

 Arright, Mr. Alvin "Football Made Simple" Corneal.  The man get a ball played to him, angling him diagonally away from the goal to his left, (with Pique bearin' down on him) and you find he coulda slice dah ball wit de outside o' he left foot to beat an advancing Valdes'.  Ok, jed. You take yuh kickin' knowledge and keep dah one.  I go stick wit de actual shot that he DID take which was practically identical to the one he scored with, main difference being, he actually had everything set up for him better on the goal to do what you find he shoulda do on the Valdes save.  
 As far as the save Valdes made, you don't have to give him the credit.  Fact is, vp took the shot, Valdes reacted to the shot/ball and the ball hit him or his hand hit the ball: good save, Victor Valdes!! You are just one of a minority holding that opinion.

Alright I thought it hit him in his chest.  I watched it again and I can't really tell, but the commentators didn't mention anything about chest so I'll go with it being a hand save.  If he saved with his hand then it's a good save.

If yuh have room to hit a ball full-on then yuh have room to slice it.
I think he went with the safe shot and hoped for the best. If he tried to slice it to hit it differently then the chances of mis-hitting it would be greater.

[kicker]

Inter benefit from facing a 10 man Barcelona last year, Arsenal suffer from injuries catching Messi on the wrong day.

I thought it was Inter who were down to 10 men after having Motta sent off....and pretty much had to park the bus at the Nou Camp to come out alive.

Inter benefited from Barca having to take a 14 hour bus to Milan for the game because of some volcano eruption that screwed up the other transit options. 

[jai john]

Inter benefit from facing a 10 man Barcelona last year, Arsenal suffer from injuries catching Messi on the wrong day.

I thought it was Inter who were down to 10 men after having Motta sent off....and pretty much had to park the bus at the Nou Camp to come out alive.

Inter benefited from Barca having to take a 14 hour bus to Milan for the game because of some volcano eruption that screwed up the other transit options. 

I eh a Barca supporter ..dey doh need me . However that is the best team I have ever seen play football ...and I eh young ...sooner or later some other team will take over they wont last forever...but their legacy will last a long time ...I might never see such domination of the football by another  team in my lifetime . That said I also want to say that I believed Diego was the best I had seen ...but Messi is now causing me doubts 
As long as he plays in the return ...fit or not ...Arsenal goes home empty handed ...I saying it now !

[100% Barataria]

Okay, 2nd leg thread time and a link please for our viewing pleasure

[Mango Chow!]

Inter benefit from facing a 10 man Barcelona last year, Arsenal suffer from injuries catching Messi on the wrong day.

I thought it was Inter who were down to 10 men after having Motta sent off....and pretty much had to park the bus at the Nou Camp to come out alive.

Inter benefited from Barca having to take a 14 hour bus to Milan for the game because of some volcano eruption that screwed up the other transit options. 

I eh a Barca supporter ..dey doh need me . However that is the best team I have ever seen play football ...and I eh young ...sooner or later some other team will take over they wont last forever...but their legacy will last a long time ...I might never see such domination of the football by another  team in my lifetime . That said I also want to say that I believed Diego was the best I had seen ...but Messi is now causing me doubts 
As long as he plays in the return ...fit or not ...Arsenal goes home empty handed ...I saying it now !

...Honesty and sincerity is a refrehing thing to see.

[Bakes]

That whistling by the Barca fans whenever Arsenal has the ball is about the most obnoxious thing I've seen in a while.

[Mango Chow!]

That whistling by the Barca fans whenever Arsenal has the ball is about the most obnoxious thing I've seen in a while.

 oh well....you'll just have to get over it.

[Bakes]

That whistling by the Barca fans whenever Arsenal has the ball is about the most obnoxious thing I've seen in a while.

 oh well....you'll just have to get over it.

Nah... I think I'll complain about it some more... give you something to do with yuh life.

[DeSoWa]

That whistling by the Barca fans whenever Arsenal has the ball is about the most obnoxious thing I've seen in a while.

 oh well....you'll just have to get over it.

Nah... I think I'll complain about it some more... give you something to do with yuh life.

You 2 does remind me ah Tobago Love   

Big Up!

[Bakes]

You 2 does remind me ah Tobago Love   

Big Up!

Is that the new term for "attention seeking"?

Okay.

[Blue]

Golaso

[D.H.W]

lord keeper get cap on d floor hmmm

[Daft Trini]

Loud forking steups.... Come on Gunners...

[DeSoWa]

No time to panic Arsenal...there is still hope!

Big Up!

[Jah Gol]

Keeper get cyap, boom goal. Messi !