Tuesday, April 7, 2009

CL Open Thread

Ye ole' previews are below.

Man U v. Porto is on ESPN2, Villarreal v. Arsenal is on Setanta (and rebroadcast on ESPN Classic). Kickoffs are set for 2:45 EST (no more lag due to daylight savings time -- I even double checked!).

Starting lineups are after the jump....


Manchester United: Van der Sar, O'Shea, Vidic, Evans, Evra, Fletcher, Carrick, Scholes, Ronaldo, Rooney, Park
Subs: Foster, Neville, Eckersley, Giggs, Nani, Tevez, Macheda

Porto: Helton, Sapunaru, Rolando, Bruno Alves, Cissokho, Lucho Gonzalez, Fernando, Raul Meireles, Lopez, Hulk, Rodriguez
Subs: Nuno, Stepanov, Mariano Gonzalez, Costa, Madrid, Farias, Sektioui


Villarreal: Diego Lopez, Angel, Godin, Rodriguez, Capdevila, Cani, Senna, Eguren, Ibagaza, Rossi, Llorente.
Subs: Viera, Pires, Franco, Fernandez, Nihat, Javi Venta, Fuentes.

Arsenal: Almunia, Sagna, Toure, Gallas, Clichy, Denilson, Song, Fabregas, Walcott, Nasri, Adebayor.
Subs: Fabianski, Vela, Silvestre, Djourou, Bendtner, Eboue, Gibbs.


What did you think about today's games? Who do you think will win? Share your thoughts below. < /Ives>

58 comments:

Spectator said...

I approve of Arsenal starting five midfielders rather than Bendtner, but no doubt Bendtner feels differently.

Teeknuts said...

Come on you Hulk!

hockalees said...

I hope Arsenal can come out on top, I am just not seeing where the goals are going to come from with today's lineup. If Villareal can neutralize Adebayor, who else on the pitch can finish?

Bigus Dickus said...

I think that's their point, they will be looking to hit on the break and create goals from the middle. If Adebayor is clever, he'll make runs away from goal and create space.

Unknown said...

wow. wow.

Unknown said...

damn. arsenal, too?

EbullientFatalist said...

I need a suggestion of where to watch the Arsenal game. Iraq and their goals are not cutting it. Someone suggested an excellent site to me a couple of weeks ago, but I can't remember the name.

Jacob said...

Not so HAHAHAHA

Bigus Dickus said...

@Andrew. Pub time me thinks.

Teeknuts said...

Great save there by the Porto keeper

EbullientFatalist said...

@BD: Yeah. Methinks, as well.

EbullientFatalist said...

United equalize off Rooney.

Unknown said...

damn. jesus.

Teeknuts said...

Wow, that was one of the worst mistakes I've seen in a while. There is no way Rooney misses that.

Bigus Dickus said...

AND...Rooney! @TFA but hes poop right?

EbullientFatalist said...

My bad, off the worst backpass to the keeper of all time.

Unknown said...

Bigus: that had nothing to do with Wayne. You can't miss those, even if you try.

The Fan's Attic said...

Not poop. Just England's Dirk Kuyt. Dirk Kuyt is an excellent player...one any team would want, but he is not the savior.

Spectator said...

The way man u has come out super flat, only makes that mistake on Rooney goal hurt more.

Unknown said...

Memo to Sunderland: start the United game this weekend with 3 strikers. They'll have no clue what to do.

COME ON SBRAGIA

EbullientFatalist said...

Almunia is coming off. Fabianski will be under considered pressure. Not good for L'Arse.

EbullientFatalist said...

We look awful at the back. Chickens sans heads.

The Fan's Attic said...

what's work chickens sans heads as a backline or chickenheads as a backline? either way, they are probably allowing a lot of box penetration.

The Fan's Attic said...

*what's worse

not what's work.

EbullientFatalist said...

Headless chickens, TFA. We can't put anything together up top, and along the back we're a sieve. Alumnia is off, Gallas is receiving treatment, and Song just earned a yellow for a challenge outside the box.

Bigus Dickus said...

@Lingering. Many miss those when they try! You still have to finish and it was a coll one.

The Fan's Attic said...

Chickenheads are worse, not only might they allow a goal, but you could catch a venereal disease if you dive in the box.

Bigus Dickus said...

*cool...Like me.

Teeknuts said...

Entertaining first half in Manchester. Porto should really be up.

EbullientFatalist said...

Djourou on for Gallas.

TFA: You must perform a balancing test: venereal disease -v- oral sex? May be a risk I'd willingly take.

And a Fabregas FK goal is disallowed because he took it too quickly. And then Cesc for a yellow. Fuck this ref.

Anonymous said...

i'm pooing my pants and neither of my teams are playing

Bigus Dickus said...

@Lingering. Just saw it again...You are right. Me mum would have finished that once the keeper slipped.

Teeknuts said...

There's a guy at old trafford wearing a Yankees coat, I think that makes him officially the worst person ever.

Teeknuts said...

It's starting to feel like a united goal is inevitable.

hockalees said...

This freakin ESPN360 feed keeps dropping off the Arsenal game... it switches to the Women's College BB Semifinals when the feed drops. They might as well send me to an Oprah episode, it holds as much interest.

Anonymous said...

streams:

manchester porto
http://atdhe.net/live-tv-6024.html

villarreal arse
http://atdhe.net/live-tv-6026.html

Bigus Dickus said...

Tommy Smythe "it used ta be Brazil would win gayyyymes wid out a goal keeper"

Enough you prick! Breathe..1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9 ah better.

hockalees said...

ADE!!!!

Unknown said...

Well, that was a nice goal.

hockalees said...

More specifically, Adebayor chest traps it with his back to the goal and does a semi-bicycle into the botoom right corner of the net. 1-1

Spectator said...

Way to equalize arsenal!!

hockalees said...

Denilson has a big bag of nothing when he gets into the opponent's box.

hockalees said...

Senna just missed another 30 yd strike... sheesh...

Teeknuts said...

Damnit. To be fair, that was a pretty great goal.

hockalees said...

Villareal is pressuring the Arsenal goal now... c'mon Gunners.

Spectator said...

Tevez scores. 2-1 man u.

Bigus Dickus said...

Now that Rooney back heel to set upo the goal was class!

hockalees said...

Porto with TWO away goals...

Teeknuts said...

wow, only 3 min of extra time, I was expecting at least 5

Teeknuts said...

Now the united fans are showing their class by throwing shit at porto players

The Fan's Attic said...

reminds me of the many Kuyt goals to save Liverpool's CL bacon. real class can be found in Kuyt.

hockalees said...

3 Mins of added time in Villareal

Teeknuts said...

Porto are now my favorite Portuguese team. High praise, I know

hockalees said...

Great play play Clichy at the death to earn a corner. This should be it.

hockalees said...

Full Time 1-1

Anonymous said...

i love being a neutral but tomorrow i will be KO'd because i support liverpool but like barcelona too... ay

Spectator said...

Man U are very lucky to escape with a draw.... They looked incredibly flat and Porto was in control of much of the game. Not sure that Porto can pull it off next week, but United are nowhere near invincible.

jjf3 said...

Late to the party, but it is amazing to me that the same team that couldn't give up an accidental goal for several months is the same one that, playing at home against the weakest remaining team in the CL, couldn't have protected my front door against a goal today...ManUre looks very fragile right now, even after Sunday's miracle win. And I would have to back Porto to walk away next week with a good result...