WHEN ARSENE DISRESPECTS US WITH HIS TEAM SELECTION, IT MAKES ME SO MAD AAARGH
It's the final day of the final CL matchday for this year, with plenty of mathematical jostling to determine group winners and runners-up, which is longhand for "figuring out who has to play Barca in the Round of 16."
Good luck to whoever pulls that poisoned chalice.
Oh, and Norwich are playing Watford tonight as well. It's all happening!
Will those Canaries shape up and continue their impressive form of the last 5 days? Will Hulk go crazy when faced with so many children in the Arsenal starting XI? Will Alex Ferguson complain about something? Will we ever understand why the Man U game ended up on ESPN2 today? Will Celtic salvage some self-respect and dignity from their dreadful showing in the CL this season?
So many unanswered questions. Let's find some answers in the comments, shall we?
Come turn green and SMASH with us after the jump.
STARTING LINEUPS:
-----
FC Porto v. Arsenal
Porto: Helton, Fucile, Rolando, Alves, Emanuel, Gonzalez, Fernando, Meireles, Lopez, HULK, Rodriguez.
Subs: Nuno, Stepanov, Guarin, Mariano Gonzalez, Lino, Sektioui, Costa.
Arsenal: Almunia, Eboue, Gallas, Silvestre, Djourou, Ramsey, Diaby, Song, Denilson; Vela, Bendtner.
Subs: Fabianski, Wilshere, Gibbs, Hoyte, Merida, Randall, Simpson.
---
Manchester United v. AaB Aalborg
Man Utd: Kuszczak, Neville, Ferdinand, Evans, O'Shea, Nani, Gibson, Anderson, Giggs, Rooney, Tevez.
Subs: Foster, Park, Vidic, Scholes, Rafael Da Silva, Fletcher, Possebon.
AaB: Zaza, Bogelund, Olfers, Jakobsen, Pedersen, Curth, Enevoldsen, Augustinussen, Risgaard, Due, Saganowski.
Subs: Kenneth Nielsen, Nomvethe, Caca, Braemer, Sorensen, Kristensen, Ronnie Schwartz Nielsen.
---
Celtic v. Villareal
Celtic: Boruc, Hinkel, Caldwell, McManus, Wilson, Nakamura, Scott Brown, Hartley, McGeady, Maloney, Samaras.
Subs: Mark Brown, McDonald, Loovens, Mizuno, O'Dea, Caddis, McGowan.
Villarreal: Viera, Angel, Fuentes, Rodriguez, Bruno, Cani, Senna, Edmilson, Fernandez, Franco, Ibagaza.
Subs: Diego Lopez, Eguren, Pires, Santi Cazorla, Cygan, Nihat.
---
The draw for the next round is at noon on Friday, December 19. Remember: teams from the same country can't play each other. I eagerly await Spartak London getting the easiest draw possible. No really, I can't wait for that.
Posts
50 comments:
Tevez is really workin' it for the weekday... he's only gone and scored already
Still can't comb his hair.
Remember: teams from the same country can't play each other.
Sadly, this is not a problem for France.
/boos Eboue
I believe it was predicted way back in the day that almost all the Frenchies would be eradicated in the group round... just saying
But Bordeaux were soooooo close.
God bless Glendenning...
1 min: Arsenal kick off and immediately patronise Emmanuel Eboue, who had the mother of all shockers last weekend, by passing the ball back to him in the right-back position. He manages to successfully pass it up the field without tripping over his own feet, which should do his confidence no end of good.
Aab Aalborg equalize!
Celtic are up 1-0, amazingly, and the Ramos era at Real begins with a 1-0 lead so far thanks to some awful goalkeeping.
Aaaaalborg equaaaaaaalize.
Ricoh's men score. Tough free kick to defend, that was whipped in fast, deflected in.
Bummers, you beat me to it!
Well it's all happening now. Bayern up 3-0 at Lyon, Villareal down to 10 men thanks to a flying elbow, and Porto up 1-0 to Arse.
Keeping it familiar on this thread aint we. Anyone out there?
Arsenal losing means they'll finish 2nd, which puts them in the running for a date with Barcelona, Juve or Bayern in the Round of 16. Still worth it to play the kids and lose if that's your fate?
@ Spectator: Glendenning's humor is sublime.
Arsenal go down one-nil. Eboue is somehow involved. I have no evidence of this, but I can't be too far wrong.
2-1 aalborg!
@JT: Does it matter either way re: placing first or second? Gunners place second, they face Real, Lyon, Villa, Inter . . . it's six one way, half-a dozen, etc etc.
I like football!
Waitwaitwaitwaitwait . . . I fucked up. If they place first, that's who Gunners face.
just knowing that ManUre is down 2-1 at the half to Aalborg, AT OT no less, makes my day...
Andrew: I thought so! Losing and finishing 2nd gives them an awful list of potential foes in the Round of 16. The difference between their opponents whether they finish 1st or 2nd may seem negligible on paper as everyone remaining is still good, but just the outside chance of drawing Barca first up would make me nauseous.
jjf3: Yeah, but it's absolutely meaningless if Villarreal can't pull out of its 2-goal deficit.
From bbc -
This game marks the last in charge for Aalborg's caretaker boss Allan Kuhn, who took over after Bruce Rioch's sacking in October. He has led the team on an 11-game unbeaten run - but even that wasn't enough to earn him the job full-time. How about a win at Old Trafford? Will that do?
talk about going out with a bang...
PR: agreed its meaningless, but it still makes me happy inside. (Yep, I'm a petty, vindictive sort who takes joy in the sorrows of certain others, I admit it...)
2-2 Rooney. Rioch was fired, wow what a surprise! That's a new one for him :)
The Rooney tor was the result of awful defending. Just aaaaaawful.
Still, Rooney has had a nice game, stil 22. He can do the lot. Quality.
Now Gunners down two. Eboue's fault this time (confirmed through Glendenning).
In my book, Rooney and Ferdinand are the only definites on the current English squad. Every other position is up for grabs.
Quick question: how much did Everton get for Rooney?
/boos Eboue
Andrew: Webcam's not a definite?
31 Mil.
Goal for my lot. Croft. 1-1 now and I am encouraged the whole game has been one way traffic.
Oh, Young Webcam. Yeah. He's a definite. Shit, at this point, half of Villa is a definite for Ingerlund.
62% of the possession and 4 shots (to Porto with 9 on 38%)... Just fucking wonderful.
I bet my firstborn we draw Barca.
Well played Wenger.
and I just opened the gaping hole in my face too early..Faaaaaack. 2-1 Watford. All us, but we defend like blind, leg amputees.
As much as I respect the work he's put in for ManUre, Gary Neville has no business being on the pitch.
If the results hold up, it looks like LFC would face one of the following: Inter, Sporting, Villareal, Lyon or Real Madrid.
No cupcakes but certainly a possibility of a good draw.
Neville is no longer first choice...The Brazilian lad is special. We have had 60% of the ball.
@PR: The draw with Barca? It's happening. You don't anger football gods by playing not to lose.
@Keith: You're the Villa regulator.
Since I'm watching Aalborg...
Interesting Fact: Tallest average males? You guessed it, Denmark.
And as I write this, GNeville shanks the go-ahead...
more of a point blank save than a shank.
God this half of the ManU game is like a deja vu from the Sunderland match.
"Porto pile the pressure on Arsenal, who are an embarrassment."
Welp, that's all I need to hear. Off to gym, where my Gunners training jersey will be met by stares that read, "Fly Emirates? Fuck that Ay-rab airline."
PR: Spot on.
@Andrew: With all the Arse/Pool/Colaship/Bleus/SPL love around here, someone's gotta think of the "top of the rest" in the Prem.
Gibbs does well to chase down a lost cause and hook a ball back into the penalty area for... well, no-one. Sadly no-one bothered to chase up his hard work.
Running the kids out there to see them get dismantled probably has diminishing returns.
So here's a question: What's worse.
Drawing at home to Aalborg with a close to full squad? Or losing at Porto with a B-team half full of kids?
PR, I'm guessing that's a rhetorical question?
So, for the draw it's...
Pot 1: Roma, Panathinaikos, Barca, Liverpool, Man U, Bayern, Porto,
Pot 2: Chelsea, Inter, Sporting Lisbon, Atletico, Villareal, Lyon, Arsenal
And then, I'm not sure what happens with Real Madrid and Juve. They are tied on points and goal difference. If they go to head-to-head than Juve wins the division. Anyone know?
Come on, Chelsea-Barca. That said, Spartak will prolly get Panathinaikos.
Wow it's going to be hard for United to get their traditional absurdly easy draw, but I'm guessing they'll get Sporting and buy whatever good players they have come January 1.
Mike: Sporting has never lost a European cup tie at home to an English side (kept in tact today). So United will likely even have a bit of a fight if they draw the Lisbians.
I'm hoping they get Atletico and get bounced.
Post a Comment