March 28, 2024, 03:30:47 PM

Poll

Who is your favorite UEFA Champions League Team

PSV Eindhoven
2 (11.1%)
Chelsea
7 (38.9%)
AC Milan
2 (11.1%)
Liverpool
5 (27.8%)
Manchester City
0 (0%)
FC Porto
0 (0%)
Roma
0 (0%)
Bayern Munich
0 (0%)
Juventus
0 (0%)
Borussia Dortmund
0 (0%)
PSG
1 (5.6%)
Manchester United
1 (5.6%)
Ajax
0 (0%)
Real Madrid
0 (0%)
Lyon
0 (0%)
Barcelona
0 (0%)
Atletico Madrid
0 (0%)
Napoli
0 (0%)
Schalke
0 (0%)
Inter Milan
0 (0%)
Galatasaray
0 (0%)
CSKA Moscow
0 (0%)
Benfica
0 (0%)
Tottenham
0 (0%)
Shakhtar Donetsk
0 (0%)
Valencia
0 (0%)

Total Members Voted: 18

Author Topic: UEFA Champions League Thread  (Read 297941 times)

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Offline Tenorsaw

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Re: UEFA Champions League 2014/2015
« Reply #2250 on: August 28, 2014, 12:33:58 PM »
As much as the gooners are in a tough group, man city is even tougher,

Agreed....Man City gotta be real sharp to come out of that group.  Some tricky ties there.

Offline Tenorsaw

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Re: UEFA Champions League 2014/2015
« Reply #2251 on: August 28, 2014, 12:35:45 PM »
I think Roma can be a tricky trip for City. Bayern goes without saying and they should beat CSKA with no worries. Liverpool get ah "welcome to the Champions League draw" and Chelsea keep paying ppl off to get easy draws...just kidding.


Only one team that is really superior to us in that group and that is Real Madrid.  Basel are never pushovers, but I expect to get 4 points from them.  We should come out of that group.

Offline Bakes

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Re: UEFA Champions League 2014/2015
« Reply #2252 on: August 28, 2014, 03:40:51 PM »
Group F is probably the toughest... followed by B then D.  City's only tough opponent in that list would be Bayern.  Nothing against Roma and Moscow.

Bakes you kidding. Basel is a potential banana skin but you really counting that group as a group of death. Come nah man.

I never used the words "Group of Death"... for me a tough group is any group where at least three teams pose a problem.  That way every team guaranteed at least two tough games, and the weak link, three tough games.  By that metric, if you still want to argue with my assessment, then by all means, I'm willing to hear it.  Basel has a well-earned reputation for being giant-killers.  Maybe now that Shaqiri and a couple others have moved on to bigger clubs they're not as much a threat, but until I see otherwise, I am not looking past them.

Offline Tiresais

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Re: UEFA Champions League 2014/2015
« Reply #2253 on: August 28, 2014, 04:21:42 PM »
I'd say none of those groups look easy for the English sides, possibly Chelsea or Liverpool have the easier time? Really though, there's not much between them on making that determination. The most interesting looks to be F - Ajax and PSG will both fancy themselves to come in 2nd there.

Offline FF

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Re: UEFA Champions League 2014/2015
« Reply #2254 on: August 28, 2014, 04:51:00 PM »
Group F is probably the toughest... followed by B then D.  City's only tough opponent in that list would be Bayern.  Nothing against Roma and Moscow.

Bakes you kidding. Basel is a potential banana skin but you really counting that group as a group of death. Come nah man.

I never used the words "Group of Death"... for me a tough group is any group where at least three teams pose a problem.  That way every team guaranteed at least two tough games, and the weak link, three tough games.  By that metric, if you still want to argue with my assessment, then by all means, I'm willing to hear it.  Basel has a well-earned reputation for being giant-killers.  Maybe now that Shaqiri and a couple others have moved on to bigger clubs they're not as much a threat, but until I see otherwise, I am not looking past them.

Well I disagree. You ent say group of death but you claim is the second hardest group.
Nah man. Allyuh supposed to take care of Basel easy. I acknowledge Basel's difficulty in my first response but you self realize they have lost a couple of their weapons. No way Group B is the second hardest IMO.
« Last Edit: August 28, 2014, 04:52:36 PM by FF »
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Offline Trini Madness

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Re: UEFA Champions League 2014/2015
« Reply #2255 on: August 29, 2014, 10:18:00 AM »
Group F is probably the toughest... followed by B then D.  City's only tough opponent in that list would be Bayern.  Nothing against Roma and Moscow.

Bakes you kidding. Basel is a potential banana skin but you really counting that group as a group of death. Come nah man.

I never used the words "Group of Death"... for me a tough group is any group where at least three teams pose a problem.  That way every team guaranteed at least two tough games, and the weak link, three tough games.  By that metric, if you still want to argue with my assessment, then by all means, I'm willing to hear it.  Basel has a well-earned reputation for being giant-killers.  Maybe now that Shaqiri and a couple others have moved on to bigger clubs they're not as much a threat, but until I see otherwise, I am not looking past them.

Well I disagree. You ent say group of death but you claim is the second hardest group.
Nah man. Allyuh supposed to take care of Basel easy. I acknowledge Basel's difficulty in my first response but you self realize they have lost a couple of their weapons. No way Group B is the second hardest IMO.

i dont consider our group to be a hard group, i really dont see basel and ludogrets a threat. though take note liverpool havent lost to real madrid in champions league football (knock on wood hope i dont jinx it  ;D ) i'd actually throw group c into the hat as well. that group is the most balanced group and in my opinion anyone can take that group. groups c, d, e, f in my mind are difficult (not in order)
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Offline Bakes

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Re: UEFA Champions League 2014/2015
« Reply #2256 on: August 29, 2014, 10:43:24 AM »
Well I disagree. You ent say group of death but you claim is the second hardest group.
Nah man. Allyuh supposed to take care of Basel easy. I acknowledge Basel's difficulty in my first response but you self realize they have lost a couple of their weapons. No way Group B is the second hardest IMO.

Well as I say...
Quote
for me a tough group is any group where at least three teams pose a problem.

Purely subjective, but that's my metric.  If you have one then by all means, share.

Offline 100% Barataria

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Re: UEFA Champions League 2014/2015
« Reply #2257 on: August 29, 2014, 11:35:55 AM »
Group F is probably the toughest... followed by B then D.  City's only tough opponent in that list would be Bayern.  Nothing against Roma and Moscow.

Bakes you kidding. Basel is a potential banana skin but you really counting that group as a group of death. Come nah man.

I never used the words "Group of Death"... for me a tough group is any group where at least three teams pose a problem.  That way every team guaranteed at least two tough games, and the weak link, three tough games.  By that metric, if you still want to argue with my assessment, then by all means, I'm willing to hear it.  Basel has a well-earned reputation for being giant-killers.  Maybe now that Shaqiri and a couple others have moved on to bigger clubs they're not as much a threat, but until I see otherwise, I am not looking past them.

Well I disagree. You ent say group of death but you claim is the second hardest group.
Nah man. Allyuh supposed to take care of Basel easy. I acknowledge Basel's difficulty in my first response but you self realize they have lost a couple of their weapons. No way Group B is the second hardest IMO.

i dont consider our group to be a hard group, i really dont see basel and ludogrets a threat. though take note liverpool havent lost to real madrid in champions league football (knock on wood hope i dont jinx it  ;D ) i'd actually throw group c into the hat as well. that group is the most balanced group and in my opinion anyone can take that group. groups c, d, e, f in my mind are difficult (not in order)

Ah woe Madness! Yuh does still sweat baseball semi-pro?
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Offline Trini Madness

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Re: UEFA Champions League 2014/2015
« Reply #2258 on: August 30, 2014, 12:17:25 PM »
Group F is probably the toughest... followed by B then D.  City's only tough opponent in that list would be Bayern.  Nothing against Roma and Moscow.



Bakes you kidding. Basel is a potential banana skin but you really counting that group as a group of death. Come nah man.

I never used the words "Group of Death"... for me a tough group is any group where at least three teams pose a problem.  That way every team guaranteed at least two tough games, and the weak link, three tough games.  By that metric, if you still want to argue with my assessment, then by all means, I'm willing to hear it.  Basel has a well-earned reputation for being giant-killers.  Maybe now that Shaqiri and a couple others have moved on to bigger clubs they're not as much a threat, but until I see otherwise, I am not looking past them.

Well I disagree. You ent say group of death but you claim is the second hardest group.
Nah man. Allyuh supposed to take care of Basel easy. I acknowledge Basel's difficulty in my first response but you self realize they have lost a couple of their weapons. No way Group B is the second hardest IMO.

i dont consider our group to be a hard group, i really dont see basel and ludogrets a threat. though take note liverpool havent lost to real madrid in champions league football (knock on wood hope i dont jinx it  ;D ) i'd actually throw group c into the hat as well. that group is the most balanced group and in my opinion anyone can take that group. groups c, d, e, f in my mind are difficult (not in order)

Ah woe Madness! Yuh does still sweat baseball semi-pro?

lol nah ive been out for more than a year now, got a torn labrum in the shoulder.
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Offline 100% Barataria

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Re: UEFA Champions League 2014/2015
« Reply #2259 on: August 31, 2014, 06:29:08 PM »
lol nah ive been out for more than a year now, got a torn labrum in the shoulder.

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Offline asylumseeker

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Re: UEFA Champions League 2014/2015
« Reply #2260 on: September 06, 2014, 01:22:25 AM »
Fox Sports Develops Champions League Highlights Channel

When DirecTV introduced its Red Zone Channel in 2005, N.F.L. fans discovered a new way to watch Sunday afternoon games. Instead of sticking with one game from start to finish, or toggling between two network games, the Red Zone took viewers on a frenetic, stadium-hopping tour to show teams advancing closer to end zones.

It was a skewed but radical vision of football: all of the exciting and critical highlights but none of the commercials, with an overcaffeinated host providing commentary.

The concept became so popular that the NFL Network later created its own version, NFL RedZone, for fans who were not satellite customers of DirecTV.

If red-zone channels worked so well for N.F.L. games, why not for soccer? Soccer games have less scoring action, but there is plenty of anticipation about goals and lots of excitement at each end of the field. An event in which multiple games are played simultaneously could produce enormous opportunities for a red-zone soccer channel.

That is what Fox Sports will do during the group stage of the UEFA Champions League with Multimatch 90, which will show up to eight games at a time as they are played simultaneously throughout Europe on 12 days, starting on Sept. 16 and ending on Dec. 10. A producer and a director in Los Angeles will curate the best action from the 32-team tournament, live and on replay, as rapidly as possible.

“We might start off at the Real Madrid game,” said Jonty Whitehead, the executive vice president of soccer at Fox Sports. “And say that a goal happens at the Emirates in London — that will be spun back, recued, and the host will say, ‘Let’s cross to Emirates Stadium, where there’s some early action.’ ”

Or, he said, “If Gareth Bale has the ball around the midfield line, we know there’s only thing on his mind, and we’ll go to that. Or a corner kick somewhere might produce a goal-mouth incident.”

Goals, saves, free kicks and penalties will be among the triggers moving the channel from game to game.

“This is, after all, where the best soccer players in the world turn out,” Whitehead said. “Bale. Wayne Rooney. Ronaldo. Robin van Persie. The list is endless, and we get to see what they do best.”

After arriving at Fox Sports two years ago, Whitehead recalled watching NFL RedZone and admiring the nonstop action. He had also seen soccer matches produced in a red-zone format by Sky Deutschland, a German satellite broadcaster. “You put two and two together,” he said, “and it was an obvious fit.”

Multimatch 90 will be available on Fox Soccer Plus, a channel available for $14.99 a month from some pay providers and on a sports tier from some others. There will be a free preview of the channel on DirecTV, Verizon FiOS and AT&T U-verse from Oct. 18 to 26, with Dish offering a free look from Oct. 15 to 29. Some cable operators will offer free previews in select markets.

Multimatch 90 will also be available on the Fox Soccer 2Go website and app, which costs $19.99 a month, with a free seven-day trial that coincides with the first set of matches, on Sept. 16 and 17.

John Strong will be among the hosts of the channel. Analysts will be in a Los Angeles studio, with one referee for analysis of the rules, Whitehead said.

In Europe, red-zone-type channels for soccer preceded the Red Zone Channel on DirecTV. The Sky Conference channel on Sky Deutschland began in the 2000-1 season and usually includes five or six regular-season games being played at the same time in the Bundesliga, Germany’s top league. According to a Sky Deutschland spokesman, 77 percent of the 1.06 million people who tuned into Bundesliga games last Saturday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. viewed them on Sky Conference. The percentage was higher than usual because Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Schalke 04, popular teams whose games are more likely to be played on regular channels, kicked off at other times.

Diretta Gol, or the Live Goal channel, was a rudimentary service when Eric Shanks, then working for News Corporation, observed its operations in 2002. The channel was then part of Telepiů, a service that eventually merged with another to form Sky Italia.

“There were eight play-by-play guys in a room, each with a monitor, and anytime something would happen in Perugia or Milan, someone would raise his hand, and the producer would cut to them,” Shanks said. “What I found out was that these guys wanted to be on the air so much that even if nothing was going on, they’d raise their hands.”

He later moved to DirecTV, where the Red Zone Channel was added to the satellite service’s Sunday Ticket package. Shanks, now the president of Fox Sports, said a basic tenet of a service like Multimatch 90 was “to get every goal on, whether it’s live or on tape.”

England’s Premier League, which has become very popular on NBCSN, could warrant such a channel.

A spokesman said, “It’s something we’ve contemplated for our Premier League coverage, and it remains under consideration.”

And Fox might reprise Multimatch 90 next year for the Europa League if its Champions League experiment is a success.

Source: The New York Times
« Last Edit: September 06, 2014, 01:24:54 AM by asylumseeker »

Offline Flex

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Re: UEFA Champions League 2014/2015
« Reply #2261 on: September 15, 2014, 05:44:19 PM »
The real measure of a man's character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.

Offline asylumseeker

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Re: UEFA Champions League 2014/2015
« Reply #2262 on: September 16, 2014, 12:23:12 PM »
Olympiakos Piraeus v Atletico Madrid
Juventus v Malmo
Liverpool v Ludogorets Razgrad
Real Madrid v Basel
Monaco v Bayer Leverkeusen
Benfica v Zenit
Galatasaray v Anderlecht
Borussia Dortmund v Arsenal

Ah will prioritize a peek at Dortmund v Arsenal with an eye on some of the others.

Offline E-man

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Re: UEFA Champions League 2014/2015
« Reply #2263 on: October 21, 2014, 02:48:03 PM »
How many goals have been scored today?

And Heineken, can we get some new bumper ads please?



Offline Bitter

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Re: UEFA Champions League 2014/2015
« Reply #2264 on: December 10, 2014, 03:56:00 PM »
Highlight of the day:


Bitter is a supercalifragilistic tic-tac-pro

Offline Spursy

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Re: UEFA Champions League 2014/2015
« Reply #2265 on: December 10, 2014, 04:08:15 PM »
Liverpool out boyz

Offline Spursy

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Re: UEFA Champions League 2014/2015
« Reply #2266 on: December 10, 2014, 04:09:47 PM »
Eight transfer to Europa League
Published: Wednesday 10 December 2014, 22.47CET
Olympiacos FC, Liverpool FC, FC Zenit, RSC Anderlecht, AS Roma, AFC Ajax, Sporting Clube de Portugal and Athletic Club join the last 32 after coming third in UEFA Champions League pools.

The eight teams transferring from the UEFA Champions League to the UEFA Europa League have been decided and they can now look forward to the draw for the round of 32 at 13.00CET on Monday in Nyon.

RELATED ITEMS
Who can go through?
Juve, Monaco, Basel advance
OLYMPIACOS FC, LIVERPOOL FC, FC ZENIT, RSC ANDERLECHT, AS ROMA, AFC AJAX, SPORTING CLUBE DE PORTUGAL AND ATHLETIC CLUB ALL FINISHED THIRD IN THEIR UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GROUPS. THEY WILL JOIN THE TOP TWO TEAMS FROM THE 12 UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE SECTIONS THAT CONCLUDE ON THURSDAY IN THE KNOCKOUT PHASE.
The four sides with the best records from the group stage – Olympiacos, Sporting, Athletic and Zenit – will be seeded in the last-32 draw along with the 12 UEFA Europa League pool winners. The other four – Anderlecht, Ajax, Liverpool and Roma – will be placed in a pot with the 12 runners-up; those teams will be at home in the first legs on 19 February and away seven days later.

No side can meet a team from their own association in the round of 32 and based on the decision taken by the UEFA Emergency Panel, clubs from Russia and Ukraine shall not be drawn together.

Source: http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/newsid=2194147.html
« Last Edit: December 10, 2014, 04:11:55 PM by SWO_TNTFAN »

Offline Spursy

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Re: UEFA Champions League 2014/2015
« Reply #2267 on: December 10, 2014, 04:15:31 PM »
Neymar, Messi, Suarez all score as Barcelona take down PSG
Barcelona avenged their September defeat in the French capital by beating Paris St Germain 3-1 at Camp Nou to claim top spot in Champions League Group F.
PSG's home victory over the Catalan giants saw them take control of the pool for the rest of the autumn but Barca made sure to seize the opportunity to leapfrog them in Wednesday night's return meeting.
An early opener from their former employee Zlatan Ibrahimovic meant they had to rally from behind and they would, with goals from Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez steadily tightening the hosts' grip on the game.
With 15 points from six games Barca claimed first place and therefore a last-16 encounter with a second-placed team from another group while PSG, who accrued 13 points, can expect to face the likes of Real Madrid or Chelsea.
Ibrahamovic was treated to a frosty reception from his former supporters, with each one of the controversial Swede's first touches greeted by boos.
So it was fitting that he silenced Camp Nou with PSG's opening goal.
In the 15th minute Lucas Moura fed the ball into the box and to Blaise Matuidi who, with his back to goal, set up Ibrahimovic for a smooth finish.
He had little time to gloat, however, as Barca responded with an equaliser only four minutes later.
BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA - FEBRUARY 26:  Champions League Trophy is seen during the UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour on February 26, 2014 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SCORES

• Barcelona 3, Paris Saint-Germain 1
• Roma 0, Manchester City 2
• Bayern Munich 3, CSKA Moscow 0
• Ajax 4, APOEL Nicosia 0
• Chelsea 3, Sporting CP 1
• Maribor 0, Schalke 1
• Porto 1, Shakhtar Donetsk 1
• Athletic Bilbao 2, BATE 0
Suarez did remarkably well to connect with a high ball forward from Javier Mascherano, the Uruguayan side-footing across the six-yard box for a sprinting Messi to convert.
It was a 75th Champions League goal for the man who surpassed Raul's all-time scoring record last time out.
Paris might have restored their lead shortly after the half hour as Edinson Cavani tried his luck against Marc-Andre ter Stegen having collected Ibrahimovic's cross.
Barca bit back through Neymar, whose drilled effort was blocked by Thiago Silva, and Suarez. The latter's attempt from 12 yards sent Salvatore Sirigu sprawling but it was the former striker who would notch before the break.
In the 42nd minute Neymar took Andres Iniesta's pass before creating space for himself on the edge of the box and rifling the ball past a surprised Sirigu.
When play resumed PSG went all out in pursuit of a leveller and Ibrahimovic was unlucky to miss the target with a header from Thiago Motta's corner.
Lucas forced a desperate block from his fellow Brazilian Silva in the 53rd minute, which also saw Motta drive a fierce effort into the body of covering Barca defender Marc Bartra.
The Catalans emerged from under the cosh eventually and, with just under 15 minutes remaining, Neymar got Sirigu working once again with snapshot from the centre of the box.
It was enough of a spark to convince Barca to push harder for goal number three and that would arrive in the 77th minute.
A silky move through the PSG half culminated in Neymar testing Sirigu and former Liverpool striker Suarez was on hand to sweep the loose ball into the net, thus wrapping up a comfortable win for Luis Enrique's side.

(Photo by Daniel Jayo/Getty Images Latam/Getty Images for UEFA)
Source: http://www.foxsports.com/soccer/story/barcelona-3-paris-st-germain-1-neymar-lionel-messi-luis-suarez-zlatan-ibrahimovic-121014

Offline soccerman

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Re: UEFA Champions League 2014/2015
« Reply #2268 on: December 10, 2014, 04:42:48 PM »
Highlight of the day:




Shakira like she dress him

Offline soccerman

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Re: UEFA Champions League 2014/2015
« Reply #2269 on: December 10, 2014, 04:46:34 PM »
Group F is probably the toughest... followed by B then D.  City's only tough opponent in that list would be Bayern.  Nothing against Roma and Moscow.

Bakes you kidding. Basel is a potential banana skin but you really counting that group as a group of death. Come nah man.

Basel advance, ah was telling a partner yesterday they always do well againt big clubs, they're really giant-killers

With that being said, I don't think they advance from the next stage ;D

Offline Bakes

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Re: UEFA Champions League 2014/2015
« Reply #2270 on: December 10, 2014, 04:49:37 PM »
Highlight of the day:




Was trying to find this online... Shakira better get she man, Monty Python still looking fuh he set prop sweater.

Offline elan

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Re: UEFA Champions League 2014/2015
« Reply #2271 on: December 10, 2014, 08:38:48 PM »
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/blUSVALW_Z4" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/blUSVALW_Z4</a>

Offline Spursy

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Re: UEFA Champions League 2014/2015
« Reply #2272 on: December 12, 2014, 05:49:51 PM »
Platini: Blatter should step aside
Michel Platini has called on Sepp Blatter to relinquish the FIFA presidency in a bid to solve the “very, very bad” image of football’s world governing body. UEFA president Platini believes Blatter should “make room for someone else” at next year’s presidential elections in May.
Platini believes only a new, “fresh air” FIFA figurehead can cut through the murk of consistent corruption allegations levelled against the organisation. The Frenchman has confirmed he will not give his backing to either 78-year-old Blatter or fellow candidate Jerome Champagne in FIFA’s May elections.
“I supported (Blatter) in 1998 because I thought he was the right person,” Platini told French radio station Europe 1. “But after five terms it’s time to have some fresh air and make room for someone else. I think the image of FIFA is very, very bad and that is why he must stop.”
Platini confirmed in August that he will not run in next year’s FIFA elections. Asked who he would back in the forthcoming vote, Platini replied: “Neither. I hope others will run. “Another European candidate would have very little chance of winning.”

Source: Trinidad EXPRESS
Link: http://www.trinidadexpress.com/sports/Platini-Blatter-should-step-aside-285559761.html

Offline Flex

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Re: UEFA Champions League 2014/2015
« Reply #2273 on: December 12, 2014, 05:53:41 PM »
The real measure of a man's character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.

Offline Bakes

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Re: UEFA Champions League 2014/2015
« Reply #2274 on: December 12, 2014, 05:56:31 PM »
U hitting Bakes hard.

 ;D



Lol... nah I cool man.  Chelsea get dey share arready, Man U too.  All ah we ha' tuh share in dem blows lol.

Offline Spursy

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Re: UEFA Champions League 2014/2015
« Reply #2275 on: December 12, 2014, 06:00:02 PM »
Round of 16 draw lineup complete
Round of 16 draw lineup complete
The round of 16 draw in Nyon will be streamed live on UEFA.com from 12.00CET on Monday with holders Real Madrid CF leading the eight seeds. We profile the contenders.

The UEFA Champions League round of 16 draw in Nyon will be streamed live on UEFA.com from 12.00CET on Monday 15 December, with holders Real Madrid CF among seven past winners involved.

• Two seeding pots have been formed: one consisting of group winners and the other of runners-up.

• No team can play a club from their group or any side from their own association.

• The draw will be conducted by UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino and UEFA director of competitions Giorgio Marchetti, assisted by final ambassador Karl-Heinz Riedle.

Group winners: Club Atlético de Madrid (ESP), Real Madrid CF (ESP, holders), AS Monaco FC (FRA), Borussia Dortmund (GER), FC Bayern München (GER), FC Barcelona (ESP), Chelsea FC (ENG), FC Porto (POR)

Group runners-up: Juventus (ITA), FC Basel 1893 (SUI), Bayer 04 Leverkusen (GER), Arsenal FC (ENG), Manchester City FC (ENG), Paris Saint-Germain FC (FRA), FC Schalke 04 (GER), FC Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR)

• Seeded group winners will be away in the round of 16 first legs on 17/18 and 24/25 February and at home in the return matches on 10/11 and 17/18 March.

• The draw for the quarter-finals will be held at 12.00CET on 20 March with the semi-final lineup drawn on 24 April, also at 12.00CET.

Group winners
A: Club Atlético de Madrid (ESP)
Can play: Basel, Leverkusen, Arsenal, Manchester City, Paris, Schalke, Shakhtar
Qualified as: champions, Spain
Top scorer: Mario Mandžukić 5
Last season: runners-up (1-4aet v Real Madrid CF, Lisbon)
Previous European Cup best: runners-up (1974, 2014)

• Atlético won their three home group games with ten unanswered goals

B: Real Madrid CF (ESP, holders)
Can play: Juventus, Leverkusen, Arsenal, Manchester City, Paris, Schalke, Shakhtar
Qualified as: holders/third place Spain
Top scorers: Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo 5
Last season: winners (4-1aet v Club Atlético de Madrid, Lisbon)
Previous European Cup best: winners x 10 (1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1966, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2014)

• With six wins, Madrid finished 11 points clear at the top of their group, equalling the record margin for the competition.

C: AS Monaco FC (FRA)
Can play: Juventus, Basel, Arsenal, Manchester City, Schalke, Shakhtar
Qualified as: runners-up, France
Top scorers: Aymen Abdennour, Fabinho, Joăo Moutinho, Lucas Ocampos 1
Last season: not in Europe
Previous European Cup best: runners-up (2004)

• Monaco conceded just one goal, equalling the group stage record.

D: Borussia Dortmund (GER)
Can play: Juventus, Basel, Manchester City, Paris, Shakhtar
Qualified as: runners-up, Germany
Top scorer: Ciro Immobile 4
Last season: quarter-finals (2-3 agg v Real Madrid CF)
Previous European Cup best: winners (1997)

• Dortmund will hope having the final in Germany will be a good omen having beaten Juventus in Munich in the 1997 decider.

E: FC Bayern München (GER)
Can play: Juventus, Basel, Arsenal, Paris, Shakhtar
Qualified as: champions, Germany
Top scorer: Thomas Müller, Mario Götze 3
Last season: semi-finals (0-5 agg v Real Madrid CF)
Previous European Cup best: winners x 5 (1974, 1975, 1976, 2001, 2013)

• If Bayern get to the final, the game in Berlin would be their 300th in the European Cup.

F: FC Barcelona (ESP)
Can play: Juventus, Basel, Leverkusen, Arsenal, Manchester City, Schalke, Shakhtar
Qualified as: runners-up, Spain
Top scorer: Lionel Messi 8
Last season: quarter-finals (1-2 agg v Club Atlético de Madrid)
Previous European Cup best: winners x 4 (1992, 2006, 2009, 2011)

• With his hat-trick against APOEL FC on matchday five, Lionel Messi became the outright all-time UEFA Champions League top scorer.

G: Chelsea FC (ENG)
Can play: Juventus, Basel, Leverkusen, Paris, Shakhtar
Qualified as: third place, England
Top scorers: Didier Drogba, Cesc Fŕbregas, Eden Hazard, Nemanja Matić, John Terry 2
Last season: semi-finals (1-3 agg v Club Atlético de Madrid)
Previous European Cup best: winners (2012)

• Chelsea were group stage top scorers with 17 goals.

H: FC Porto (POR)
Can play: Juventus, Basel, Leverkusen, Arsenal, Manchester City, Paris, Schalke
Qualified as: third place, Portugal/play-offs
Top scorer: Jackson Martínez 5
Last season: group stage/UEFA Europa League quarter-finals
Previous European Cup best: winners x 2 (1987, 2004)

• Porto's opening 6-0 win against FC BATE Borisov was a club record for the competition.

Runners-up
A: Juventus (ITA)
Can play: Madrid, Monaco, Dortmund, Bayern, Barcelona, Chelsea, Porto
Qualified as: champions, Italy
Top scorer: Carlos Tévez 3
Last season: group stage/UEFA Europa League semi-finals
Previous European Cup best: winners x 2 (1985, 1996)

• Juve are hoping to get to at least the last four for the first time since making the 2003 final.

B: FC Basel 1893 (SUI)
Can play: Atlético, Monaco, Dortmund, Bayern, Barcelona, Chelsea, Porto
Qualified as: champions, Switzerland
Top scorer: Derlis Gonzalez 2
Last season: group stage/UEFA Europa League quarter-finals
Previous European Cup best: quarter-finals (1974)

• Breel Embolo became the sixth youngest scorer in the UEFA Champions League with the first goal in Basel's 4-0 home win over PFC Ludogorets Razgrad, aged 17 years and 263 days.

C: Bayer 04 Leverkusen (GER)
Can play: Atlético, Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea, Porto
Qualified as: fourth place, Germany/play-offs
Top scorer: Son Heung-Min 3
Last season: round of 16 (1-6 agg v Paris Saint-Germain)
Previous European Cup best: runners-up (2002)

• Leverkusen have gone out in the last 16/second group stage in all four of their UEFA Champions League seasons since reaching the 2002 final.

D: Arsenal FC (ENG)
Can play: Atlético, Madrid, Monaco, Bayern, Barcelona, Porto
Qualified as: fourth place, England, play-offs
Top scorers: Lukas Podolski, Alexis Sánchez, Danny Welbeck 3
Last season: round of 16 (01-3 agg v FC Bayern München)
Previous European Cup best: runners-up (2006)

• This is the 15th season in a row Arsenal have made it past the initial group stage but they have lost in the round of 16 four years running.

E: Manchester City FC (ENG)
Can play: Atlético, Madrid, Monaco, Dortmund, Barcelona, Porto
Qualified as: champions, England
Top scorer: Sergio Agüero 5
Last season: round of 16 (1-4 agg v FC Barcelona)
Previous European Cup best: round of 16 (2014)

• City had just two points after four games but beat Bayern 3-2 (having been two down) and AS Roma 2-0 away to advance

F: Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)
Can play: Atlético, Madrid, Dortmund, Bayern, Chelsea, Porto
Qualified as: champions, France
Top scorer: Edinson Cavani 5
Last season: quarter-finals (3-3 agg v Chelsea FC, lost on away goals)
Previous European Cup best: semi-finals x 1 (1995)

• Paris were pipped to first place in Group F with Wednesday's loss at Barcelona.

G: FC Schalke 04 (GER)
Can play: Atlético, Madrid, Monaco, Barcelona, Porto
Qualified as: third place, Germany
Top scorer: Klaas-Jan Huntelaar 3
Last season: round of 16 (2-9 agg v Real Madrid CF)
Previous European Cup best: semi-finals (2011)

• Schalke overtook Sporting Clube de Portugal on Wednesday with victory at NK Maribor as the Lions lost at Chelsea FC.

H: FC Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR)
Can play: Atlético, Madrid, Monaco, Dortmund, Bayern, Barcelona, Chelsea
Qualified as: champions, Ukraine
Top scorer: Luiz Adriano 9
Last season: group stage/UEFA Europa League round of 32
Previous European Cup best: quarter-finals (2011)

• Adriano's nine goals equalled Cristiano Ronaldo's group stage record from last term. A record eight of them came against one club, FC BATE Borisov.

*Top scorer stats are for group stage only*
Souce: UEFA.COM
Link: http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/newsid=2192670.html#round+draw+lineup+complete

Offline Spursy

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Re: UEFA Champions League 2014/2015
« Reply #2276 on: December 12, 2014, 06:06:49 PM »
U hitting Bakes hard.

 ;D



Lol... nah I cool man.  Chelsea get dey share arready, Man U too.  All ah we ha' tuh share in dem blows lol.

IZ LICKS  :rotfl:

Offline Spursy

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Re: UEFA Champions League 2014/2015
« Reply #2277 on: December 12, 2014, 10:01:04 PM »
Football’s greatest excuses
(FIFA.com) Friday 12 December 2014

Football is a beautiful game when you are winning and things are going your way. There are, however, times when you have to taste the bitterness of defeat, but for some managers and players it is simply too much to take in.

As FIFA.com discovers, there are excuses ranging from comical to the absurd when some of the sport’s most recognisable names struggled to come to terms with adversity.

Before Spain became the all-conquering force that swept all those who stood before them, they were known as a team who did not quite live up to their exquisite potential at major tournaments. This is why it came as a surprise when they defeated Ukraine 4-0 in their opening game at the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™. But it was not the fault of future Chelsea frontman Andriy Shevchenko in front of goal, or their leaky defence for the loss. It was in fact frogs. Yes, frogs! Defender Vladislav Vashchuk jumped at the chance to defend his team post-match.

"Because of the frogs' croaking we hardly got a wink of sleep," Vashchuk explained. "We all agreed that we would take some sticks and go and hunt them."

Upon Shevchenko’s arrival at Stamford Bridge, he was greeted by a man who has been the subject of more than a few headlines around Europe. But Jose Mourinho’s most infamous excuse came during his tenure at Real Madrid. After a Spanish Super Cup defeat to Barcelona in 2011, ‘The Special One’ launched a tirade on his bitter rivals.

“What I'm about to say is not a criticism, I'm just stating a fact: there were no ball-boys in the second half, which is something typical of small teams when experiencing difficulties.”  The Catalan side had won just a mere ten trophies in three seasons before the tie.

He used the same excuse at the weekend after Chelsea lost their unbeaten run at Newcastle United, but while there is no doubting that ball boys play an important role during a match, a game cannot be played without a referee. Therefore, it became a slight problem when referee Marco Rezende failed to appear for River Plate’s Copa Libertadores last-16 clash with America of Mexico in 1998.

The crowd were buoyant; the television cameras were ready to broadcast, but Rezende was more than one thousand miles away in Belo Horizonte, Brazil after claiming that “nobody informed me that I was appointed for that game.” Due to the misunderstanding the game was postponed and played a week later, with Santiago Solari scoring the only goal in his last game for River before moving to Spain.

Players that featured in his new surroundings of Italy's Serie A would become accustomed to the odd unusual outburst. Francesco Totti and Christian Panucci fell victim to the old adage ‘a bad workman always blames his tools’ after a disappointing 0-0 draw against Denmark at UEFA EURO 2004.

Totti opted for the more credible excuse of blaming his boots, claiming that they were “like having your feet on boiling sand.” Panucci, on the other hand, went one step further and blamed his socks, claiming that “the thread that these socks were made with is too rough.”

In fairness they are not the only individuals to blame an uninspiring performance on their apparel. Sir Alex Ferguson made his team remove the now infamous grey away shirts at half-time against Southampton in 1996. Manchester United found themselves 3-0 down and on a run of four games without a win in that kit, and Fergie decided enough was enough.

“Get that kit off, you’re getting changed," remembered Lee Sharpe. “Those were the first words he said at half-time... we certainly never played in it again.” It made little difference. The Saints still ran out 3-1 winners.

Manchester United’s most successful manager ever may have learned a thing or two from one of his predecessors, Tommy Docherty, whose Red Devils side were condemned to relegation from the English top flight in 1974. However, rather than admitting that the team were to blame for their poor performances, Docherty attributed the responsibility to the bus driver who had frequently turned up late throughout the season. 

Also while playing for debutants Scotland against Uruguay at the 1954 World Cup Switzerland™, the fiery midfielder laid blame to wearing old-fashioned thick woollen jerseys for their defeat to the then reigning world champions.

"The Scottish FA assumed Switzerland was cold because it had mountains," explained Docherty. "You'd have thought we were going on an expedition to the Antarctic. The Uruguayans wore light V-necked shirts with short sleeves. No wonder we lost 7-0."

The clothes that Angelina Jolie wore in the 2001 film Tomb Raider will be more likened to the South Americans than the Scots. Brad Pitt’s future wife played the role of Lara Croft, who was a popular video game character that David James became very accustomed to during his stint at Liverpool.

The goalkeeper paid the price on match-days for an obsession with his Sony PlayStation® console and after a match against Newcastle United, where James was held responsible for three goals, the England goalkeeper revealed the cause of his lapses in concentration: "I was getting carried away playing Tomb Raider and Tekken II for hours on end."

Link:http://www.fifa.com/newscentre/features/news/newsid=2489787/index.html?intcmp=fifacom_hp_module_news

Offline Spursy

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Re: UEFA Champions League 2014/2015
« Reply #2278 on: December 13, 2014, 12:17:57 PM »
UEFA Champions League round of 16 classics
The 2014/15 UEFA Champions League is the 12th edition since the knockout round of 16 replaced the second group stage. UEFA.com picks out a classic tie from each of the past 11 seasons – all headline scores are aggregate.


Manchester United FC 2-3 FC Porto, 2003/04
An occasion etched in the memory, this was just the start for eventual champions Porto. Two Benni McCarthy goals helped them to a 2-1 first-leg win in the first European match at their new Estádio do Dragăo, but it was the Old Trafford return which catapulted José Mourinho into global football consciousness. Heading out on away goals, Porto progressed thanks to Costinha's 90th-minute effort – cue Mourinho's famous charge down the touch line.

Chelsea FC 5-4 FC Barcelona, 2004/05
For sheer impudence and execution, Ronaldinho's second at Stamford Bridge is one of the most enduringly memorable UEFA Champions League goals. It remains, however, a mere footnote in a thrilling tie. Unperturbed by a 2-1 loss and a red card for Didier Drogba at Camp Nou, Chelsea were 3-0 up after just 19 minutes of the return leg. If Ronaldinho's double threatened to derail the west London club, a header from captain John Terry finally secured a notable victory.

Juventus 4-4 SV Werder Bremen (Juve win on away goals), 2005/06
The opening instalment appeared tame enough: 1-1 with eight minutes left, the tie seemed evenly balanced. However, David Trezeguet then found a (decisive) second away goal for Juve, only for Tim Borowski and Johan Micoud to put Bremen on top at 3-2. When the latter struck again early at the Delle Alpi, Bremen looked home and dry. There was still time, though, for Trezeguet and Emerson to give the Bundesliga side a taste of their own medicine.

FC Bayern München 4-4 Real Madrid CF (Bayern win on away goals), 2006/07
Two goals in four minutes – 1,500km and a fortnight apart – turned this contest on its head. Madrid were 3-1 up at home courtesy of Raúl González and Ruud van Nistelrooy, until Mark van Bommel's 88th-minute effort renewed Bayern's hope for the return match in Munich. There, Roy Makaay levelled the tie with the competition's fastest goal and Lúcio rubber-stamped victory, although Van Nistelrooy's late score made for a nervy finish.

Sevilla FC 5-5 Fenerbahçe SK (Fenerbahçe win 3-2 on pens), 2007/08
That Sevilla led this tie twice but still went out speaks volumes. Zico's charges edged in front through Mateja Kežman and Diego Lugano in their home leg in Istanbul, only to be pegged back on each occasion. Semih Şentürk did eventually earn Fenerbahçe a first-leg lead, yet Sevilla came roaring back at home and were 11 minutes from victory – before being taken to extra time. Neither team could find the knockout punch, allowing Volkan Demirel to become the hero with three shoot-out saves.

FC Bayern München 12-1 Sporting Clube de Portugal, 2008/09
The biggest aggregate triumph in UEFA Champions League history, this was scarcely a contest from the moment Franck Ribéry fired Bayern ahead just before half-time in Lisbon. A 5-0 victory ensued and the tie was finished – Bayern, though, were not. Back at home, six different goalscorers helped them to equal the single-leg record for the largest winning margin in the knockout stages. Sporting's wounds had been well and truly salted.

Manchester United FC 7-2 AC Milan, 2009/10
United may not quite have matched their feat of hitting seven past AS Roma in one game three seasons previously, but this was another all-conquering display from Sir Alex Ferguson's side. Two Wayne Rooney goals contributed to a 3-2 success at San Siro which was the preamble to a vintage Old Trafford performance. Rooney was again at the double as United's pace, power and purpose secured a memorable victory.

FC Bayern München 3-3 FC Internazionale Milano (Inter win on away goals), 2010/11
A repeat of the 2010 final promised much and did not fail to deliver. Though Bayern goalkeeper Thomas Kraft's fine showing set the stage for Mario Gomez's 90th-minute winner in Milan, Inter would not relinquish their grip on the trophy without a fight. Samuel Eto'o swiftly drew them level at Fußball Arena München, but Bayern were 3-1 up on aggregate inside 31 minutes. Cue Wesley Sneijder and, two minutes from time, Goran Pandev.

APOEL FC 1-1 Olympique Lyonnais (APOEL win 4-3 on pens), 2011/12
The first Cypriot team to reach the knockout stage, APOEL's mission looked even tougher when they lost 1-0 in Lyon. Ivan Jovanović's side had shown themselves to be quite the surprise package, however, and took the tie into extra time thanks to an early goal from Gustavo Manduca in Nicosia. Not even the same player's 115th-minute red card could halt APOEL, who had goalkeeper Dionisios Chiotis to thank in the shoot-out.

FC Bayern München 3-3 Arsenal FC (Bayern win on away goals), 2012/13
Jupp Heynckes' men were rampant in the first leg in north London, going 2-0 up inside 21 minutes through Toni Kroos and Thomas Müller. While Lukas Podolski pulled one back against his old club, Mario Mandžukić restored Bayern's two-goal cushion to leave the Gunners a mountainous task in Bavaria. Olivier Giroud earned them early hope and Laurent Koscielny made for a frantic final few minutes, but Bayern hung on. They would be back in the English capital in May.

Manchester United FC 3-2 Olympiacos FC, 2013/14
New manager David Moyes guided United through the group stage unbeaten, but a goal in each half from Alejandro Domínguez and Joel Campbell gave Olympiacos a 2-0 first-leg win in Piraeus. The Greek champions had lost on all their previous 11 visits to England, however, and had their advantage halved by Robin van Persie's 25th-minute penalty. The Dutchman made it 2-2 on the stroke of half-time, before curling in a free-kick early in the second period to crown another famous United comeback.

Offline Flex

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Re: UEFA Champions League 2014/2015
« Reply #2279 on: December 15, 2014, 06:47:11 AM »
Ties to be played between Feb. 17, 18; 24, 25; and March 10, 11; 17, 18:

Paris Saint-Germain v Chelsea
Manchester City v Barcelona
Bayer Leverkusen v Atletico Madrid
Juventus v Borussia Dortmund
Schalke v Real Madrid
Shakhtar Donetsk v Bayern Munich
Arsenal v Monaco
Basel v Porto

The real measure of a man's character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.

 

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