Sunday, March 15, 2009

Chelsea v. Man Citeh Open Thread

Oh man...it's late. Here's an open thread for Spartak London v. Dubai Citeh and Villan v. Spurs. I just got done with a 4 hour screening of Che. Hopefully, I'll be up in time for halftime in the Oligarch Classic.

It's a light Prem scedule today with just two matches, but 'Arry opened his mouth so the late tilt between Villa and Spurs should be a tad more interesting than it might have been otherwise.

There are full slates in Italy and Spain. Atlético faces off against Villarreal in probably the best match in Spain. While Inter v. Everton Fiorentina is maybe the best of the lot in Spain? Ugh, this is really all we get today?

Maybe this is St. Patrick's way of saying save your drunkeness for after the futbol.

Oh, there is a Rangers v. Celtic match. Someone help me out here. Does it count as an Old Firm tilt if it's not a league game but for the Socttish Cup?

64 comments:

Fake Brian Gregory said...

C'mon the fucking Hoops!

"Does it count as an Old Firm tilt if it's not a league game but for the Socttish Cup?"

No, because...
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e51/namesaregone/Itstimetowalkalong.jpg

Run TMC said...

apparently essien learned to finish while he was hurt

EbullientFatalist said...

Wow. Lotta Spartak-Citeh fans around these here parts.

I expect a better turn out for Villa-Spurs.

BackBergtt said...

^^^ very interesting, first I've heard of that. I like it.

BackBergtt said...

This is the kind of stuff you won't see in American sports commentating

"1558: "David Sharp's comment at 1522. I can remember JFK being assassinated. Sheesh!" Rabster on My Sport

Did that happen in an Old Firm Cup final?! I know these games from the bygone days were wild, but I didn't know anyone got assassinated!!! "

Sarah said...

Spurs up 1-0 in the fifth minute already.

BackBergtt said...

Deco out for the rest of the season.

Unknown said...

I feel dirty, but I celebrated pretty heartily after that goal. How do Spurs fans deal with the self-loathing?

EbullientFatalist said...

Is this were Villa collapses?

@Georger: where's the news on Deco?

Jacob said...

I'm torn. I want Arsenal to consolidate 4th (for now), so I want a Villa loss. But, I don't want Spurs to feel too safe and a win today puts them 6 points clear. I think I am pulling for a draw. Arsenal can still pull some points later.

EbullientFatalist said...

@Umlaut: I'm of the same mind. I want to see Villa do well, but not at the Gunners expense. I guess this is a NIMBY situation, sorta kinda.

BackBergtt said...

In the gamecast for the Villa game

News is emerging of Deco's hamstring injury - he's out for the season apparently.

EbullientFatalist said...

Yeah, Klose is done. And Podolski is leaving this summer; wonder if Bayern regrets the deal?

Sarah said...

The ideal situation would be for Chelski to drop lots of points so Arsenal can take third and Villa fourth.

Why does real life never do what I want it to?

EbullientFatalist said...

There is no way Spurs doesn't give up a goal this match.

EbullientFatalist said...

Arsenal in third, Villa in fourth, and Chelsea in Europa League? I want to go to there.

Jacob said...

Oh well, looks like one of the unentertaining Celtic-Rangers games.

BackBergtt said...

"Why is it when McCulloch plays we are crap??? Oh yes because Lee McCulloch is crap!"

God I love the bbc. Though it's no match for soccernet's gamecast of this final. Oh wait they don't even have an automated gamecast going. Cunts.

Spectator said...

Sure seems like fatigue is sinking Villa's season. I had a look at the league stats....

Arsenal has used 24 players this season, Aston Villa 18.

Arsenal has four players with over 2000 minutes (Almunia, Clichy, Sagna, Denilson), while Villa has eight (Friedel, L. Young, Davies, Barry, A. Young, Milner, Petrov, Abonlahor)

EbullientFatalist said...

Denilson has over 2000 minutes this season? Wooooowwwww . . .

Jacob said...

Sad, isn't it?

Spectator said...

Yup, only Clichy and Almunia have played more minutes than Denilson this season.

EbullientFatalist said...

Well, it helps to explain the troubles this season.

Anyone have a feed for Villa-Spurs? My goals in Iraq aren't working.

BackBergtt said...

Two years ago Jermaine Pennant led Liverpool in appearances, and they made it to the fucking Champions League Final. Beat that.

Jacob said...

Sorry. I just have FSC

EbullientFatalist said...

Yeah, I just realized it's on FSC. Fuckin' Comcast cable. I get seven Encore channels, but no FSC.

I'm off to the bar soon as is: FSU-Duke, baby. The excitement down here in Tallahassee is palpable. And by palpable, I mean drunk.

Spectator said...

My favorite stat of the day: Paul Robinson has conceded 50 goals to Arsenal.

Unknown said...

I've got a feed over at this site from some guy named Justin. The quality is kind of spotty, but better than nothing.

BackBergtt said...

"Paul Robinson has conceded 50 goals to Arsenal."

My GOD how did England even qualify for Germany?

EbullientFatalist said...

Thanks, GG. I've got it, but it is spotty.

I'm off to the bar. Up the Seminoles!

Jacob said...

Still 0-0 at Full Time on CIS Cup Final up north. Another 30 minutes of Scots failure on the way.

Jacob said...

Celtic score in 91st.

Spectator said...

Thank you, Robbie Keane! Arsenal to fourth (hope I'm not jinxing it).

phil said...

I don't understand how we haven't conceded yet. Villa are seeing almost all of the ball.

Can't believe the match Jenas is having. It hurts knowing it'll be the only of its kind from him until May.

Unknown said...

Ha! Looks like the Arsenal will stay in the top 4. Hopefully for good...

phil said...

BENT POACHES ON FROM KEANO!!!!!!!!!! Spurs with a second. I'm giddy.

phil said...

The commentator seems to think Bent saved it from the poast, but that looked to me like Bent just slid in and poached it. No matter, though. COYS COYS COYS COYS COYS

Jacob said...

Oh, as for Matt's initial post today--Celtic and Rangers routinely act in collusion against the best interests of the rest of the league. Now, they can do so because they are, by far, the two strongest clubs in the nation. In fact, if some numbers I have seen can be believed, around half of Scotland's football supporters support one of these two teams.

With that kind of backing, it's easy to see why these two teams can drive the market. However, for the rest of the SPL's support, you two will forever be linked because of it. You can bitch and moan about how bad the other half is, but in the end it's kind of like Spy Vs. Spy. You could not exist in the form you do without an equal, opposite opponent.

Congrats on the League Cup win.

Jacob said...

Facebook Power Poll thread now up. Please go vote for inclusion in our rankings.

I think you can go straight there with this link.

Jacob said...

Come on, devastating draw for Spurs. 5 minutes left. 4th place can wait a week or two.

Spectator said...

Of course Spurs make it interesting in the end

phil said...

Ah, yes, there's the Spurs I know and love. Conceding late.

A draw's not devastating, umlaut. A point from this would still be more than was expected. A devastating draw is when Lennon finds a 90' equaliser against a top 4 side.

Jacob said...

Sure, coming into it, you would take a point. But if this team concedes two in the last five minutes, well that hurts a team's psyche.

Jacob said...

Besides, a 4-4 draw is not nearly as bad as hiring a crap cook to give you all food poisoning before the biggest matchday you have had in years.

Jacob said...

It's all moot. Congrats.

phil said...

it hurts the psyche, sure. but less so, i think if it was a match you probably had no business being in, in the first place.

phil said...

Besides, a 4-4 draw is not nearly as bad as hiring a crap cook to give you all food poisoning before the biggest matchday you have had in years.

LMAO. I still blame Commolli. Gooner plant, that one.

phil said...

HUGE! King and Woodgate were massive in defense, and BAE handled himself well, too. COYSCOYSCOYSCOYS

BackBergtt said...

Arsenal fans getting awwwwwwfuly cocky. I guess wins over Burnley and Blackburn will do that.

phil said...

Only off top 10 by GD. Never would have thought that, given the way we started. On to Chavski!

Jacob said...

Hey Georger, actually scoring goal(s) does wonders for confidence in a team.

Spectator said...

@Georger: I hear you, but 15 games unbeaten in the league, still in the running in CL and FA Cup, and finally some positive momentum to the team.

BackBergtt said...

All those goalless draws can hardly be used to count for a streak when they were the laughing stock of the league for a month straight. Sure Villa may be collapsing, but don't count your chickens yet, you still end your season with United and Villa.

Precious Roy said...

Uh, without looking at the sked, I'm positive we've already played Villa twice. So we're not ending the league with them.

We still have the all of the other big 4 to play. And both Chelski and Liverpool are playing much better than they were a month ago. So, no, it's not over. But Villa are reeling. They've lost a step. Laursen won't be back as quickly as they were hoping. And if nothing else, their confidence has taken a massive hit.

I think it's going down to the last week or two (take 3 from United and it could be a done deal). But if I were forced to bet, I'd put money on the Arse. And not because it's whom I support. They are just better right now. Hell, they scored 4 yesterday and that was with Bendtner on the pitch.

BackBergtt said...

Sorry, I meant United and Chelsea, had Villa on the brain. Think they have those two for two of their final three, bit of a rough scheduling job honestly.

Based on who each team has I'd put money on Arsenal too, but I've seen this team play like cold diarrhea in a dixie cup too many times this season to believe in them even the slightest bit.

Still, all allegiances aside, I think it would be incredible for the league and for the English game for Villa to finish fourth.

Precious Roy said...

Also, remember that the format for the CL changes next season. The 4th place team in England goes into (I think) an open draw for the qualification rounds. So, say, Roma finishes fourth in the Serie A, it's entirely possible you could see Villa/Roma or Arsenal/Roma in CL qualification.

So if guys like Gareth Barry are saying they'll stick around at Villa only if they're playing CL football next season, they won't even know if they've made it to the group stage until after the transfer window closes.

Also, say Villa do make it to the CL and the group stage. If they don't add depth to the squad and they make it deep into the Carling Cup or the FA Cup, they are going to have an even bigger challenge next season. Imagine if that team, as tired as it has looked the last couple of weeks, had lined up against Barca in the knock-out rounds. It might not have been Sporting-esque, but they would have gotten housed.

I'm not saying that Lerner won't spend (he wants to) or that Villa are crap. If they get 4th they will totally deserve it. But 4th place is a more difficult road for the CL next year, and if Villa doesn't address the depth issues, they might not even be in Europe for very long.

Sarah said...

0-0 halftime at the Barcelona-Almeria game. Almeria's keeper Diego Alves is amazing. He's the only reason Barca aren't up like 5-0.

cjdomer04 said...

Currently, the 3rd qualifying round for the CL is over before the window closes. I would imagine the timing would remain the same next year.

But, the sentiment is accurate. If Villa do finish 4th, they will need to add a good amount of competent depth to be able to compete on that many fronts.

jape said...

Beautiful bit of touch passing on the doorstep for the first Barca goal (assuming more to come...)

jape said...

Check that. That was the second goal. Assumption was correct.

/retard.

Sarah said...

That second goal was all kinds of awesome. Beautiful setup. Bojan Krkic on fire tonight.

Precious Roy said...

I stand corrected cjdomer.

http://www.xs4all.nl/~kassiesa/bert/uefa/calendar2009.html

That's the UEFA Calendar. I'll blame WSD as that's where I first heard that the schedule was shifted to accommodate the change in the format and that the qualifying for the group stages wouldn't be finished before the window closed.

The change in qualifying is confusing, but by my understanding it's 22 straight to the groups. Then 5 teams from the Champions play-off and 5 teams from the Best-placed Teams play-off?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_Champions_League_2009-10

Fake Brian Gregory said...

u75-We'll see how your thoughts play out as Rangers continue to go down the financial crapper and Celtic sit in a very secure financial situation. Rangers seemed alright when we almost went down the tube in the 90's and I think we'll be alright now. Besides, with teams like Hearts, St Mirren, Motherwell, and Dundee now giving Aiden McGeady and the James McCarthy's of the world racial abuse, I'm sure we'll find some type of rivalry in there somewhere.

Jesse said...

It's Abu Dhabi City moron