We apologize for the lack of content today. I have a feeling it's down to anticipation of what's to come and lamentation of what was lost over the last couple of days. In hopes of atonement, I give you this.
This may or may not be Autoglass as a child.Of course it's not, but he is the resident UFer who has a crying interest in the outcome of this two-legged tie. In the spirit of how we all cared about Norwich yesterday, I ask that you support him and carry Spartak to the CL Final. So we can all laugh at Michael Ballack when he finishes runner-up again.
Lineups after the jump.
Barcelona: Valdes, Alves, Pique, Marquez, Abidal, Toure, Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Henry, Eto'o
Subs: Jorquera, Puyol, Gudjohnsen, Bojan, Keita, Silvinho, Hleb
Spartak: Cech, Ivanovic, Terry, Alex, Bosingwa; Lampard, Mikel, Ballack, Essien, Malouda; Drogba
Subs: Hilario, Di Santo, Kalou, Belletti, Anelka, Mancienne, Stoch
Posts
122 comments:
Chelsea draws in this leg or at least bags a couple away goals and will advance to the final again.
Pants? Why not just straight up the pooper?
I'll recognize Missouri before I pull for Spartak.
agreed. going to have to pull for Barca in this one.
(and there's no way Bosingwa is staying with Messi...)
Not sure about all the obsession with stopping Messi, because even if you do that, there's still Eto'o and Henry. Not to mention Xavi and Iniesta.
Who I just mentioned.
ROOT FOR SPARTAK!?!?!?! NEVER!!!!
Sorry, it's just that without Georger, there was an alarming lack of caps usage in the thread.
I really hope Iniesta sucks the life out of this tie.
I'm not rooting for anybody, just have a gut feeling...it may just be that free chalupa i had on sunday though.
Sunday!?!?
You need to be more regular.
These are the Champions! THE CHAMPIONS!
I should make that my ringtone.
/Doesn't have a gay ass custom ring tone.
@PR and Steve: I know!!! Fecking Bosingwa? How is he going to stop Messi? Abandon the right side of the pitch and chase Messi all over the park? Gus is not very good with mind games.
Messi, Eto'o and Henry have scored 90 goals between them this season in all competitions. Combined, Drogba and Anelka have managed just 33.
And this is supposed to be an even contest? Drogba's alone in the 4-5-1 today!
PR, i agree with you about the overwhelming quality of the rest of Barca's team and the unnecessary obsession with the messi matchup, especially when there isn't one to be had.
@ phil: damn i was just going to blame the bosingwa-messi matchup on him. can he be at fault for both? busy, busy man.
@teeknuts
Good one.
@JT. How does that break down. Thats amazing!
Pep Guardiola - coach, man, model.
@Bigus
Messi - 32
Eto'o - 34
Henry - 24
someone urinated on Chelsea's kitbags
Oh Boy. Bosingwa is on the left and Ivanovic on the right? WTF.
@JT WOW. Just WOW.
derek rae and tommy smyth? Good thing I'm at work so I don't have the audio on
ESPN 360 just thoroughly thrashed my computer. Holy shit.
/throws another dart at picture of Howard Webb.
I believe that Malouda's resurgence is due to his new choice of hairstyle
JT, that's f-n insane.
@phil @Bigus
yeah, it's definitely insane, but you wonder how much credit is due to their brilliance, and how much is due to the defensive shambles that is La Liga.
I mean, Real were tonking them in left, right and center until they ran into LFC.
why isn't chelsea closing down until the final third? are they that afraid of being broken down?
Chelsea have been lucky not concede twice already.
@JT - 71% brilliance; 29% shambles
Yep, Cech still looks pretty bad.
Spartak appear more than content to stall the match at midfield.
@The NY Kid:
I will reserve judgment until the World Cup
Dear Lionel,
that was quite possibly the worst free kick you have ever taken in your life.
Love,
NYK
Expect we'll see a lot of Unibrowsingwa hauling down Messi, because he just cannot stay with him.
Ugh... Could you play into Chelsea's hands any more by playing the ball up the middle of the field.
That pitch is wide. You have tons of speed. What am I missing here?
Messi isn't striking the ball particularly well so far
Comment left on yahoo live txt : "CHELSEA VAFFANCULO" repeated about 10 times. LMAO
Nice support for Titi there guys.
anyone else think Iniesta kind of looks like Landycakes?
Yeah, PR, this is hardly a good way to assert your authority at home. It's like a wolf playing with a bunny and not knowing how to kill it.
Alex makes Fat Frank look svelte
Alex should be sent off already. Finally gets a card, but that's at least the third time he's taken a kick at someone.
There is going to be a sending off somewhere aroung the 60th.
Anyone else completely underwhelmed? Barca appear to think that they can win simply because of who they are. Not impressed thus far. This lackadaisical approach plays right into the away team's hands.
Kind of seems that way, PR. Spartak are chippy and leaving a lot of legs out.
So nothing so far scoring wise? I'm stick watching the current Florida Senate session. Its similar to watching Arsenal in February: a lot of nothing.
More anti-football from Spartak. Barca look lazy.
Yeah that could have even been a yellow for Ivanovic on such a blatant push. But Barca are playing like they've got about 7 hours to score.
Finally a decent shot.
wow. 233-73 passes complete ratio. unbelievable.
Barca's ego dictates that it is their birthright to score goals simply because they exist.
Spartak will be grateful for the long periods of watching Barca pass sideways and then shoot well wide from 30 yards.
This looks like a training session where the coach told the offense not to try too hard to score.
Dani Alves is not a happy camper. I smell handbags
Oh wow... Drogba could have been carded as well. He just head dunked Dani Alves to the ground.
I'm slightly bored by this game. Come on Titi, score a goal or three.
Yeah, NYK. I went back on the Tivo to watch it five times. Drogba came from behind him and knocked him down by the back of his head.
Jesus, if Chelsea scored there it would have been the least deserved lead ever.
That was awesome though.
Eat shit Marquez. And Drogba fails twice with the gift.
wow. that's what's going to happen to barca if they don't pick it up. how does drogba not finish that??
passing lessons by Lucas Leiva
Honestly, with such a lop-sided matchup, would an away goal for Chelsea make that much difference?
He was no not offside.
baaaaaaad offside call there.
Well, credit to Guus. He's neutralized the speed advantage. Too bad Barca don't have a Peter Crouch so that they can start lobbing crosses in.
@JT I don't think its lopsided. Chelsea came to take what they can on the break. So far so good for them. Not sure they can hold out 90 mins though! With players out of position too.
It is too bad. Peter Crouch playing for Barca would be hilarious. Underwhelming half.
Chelsea looking a bit amateurish that half...
Posession:
Barca - 73%
Spartak - 23%
That looks a little lopsided to me (even if the score doesn't).
barca need to stop shooting long range and henry needs to share the ball!!!
and chelsea should stop parking the bus hahaha
one thing is certain: these two teams most definitely are not thaaaaa chaaaaaaaampiiiiooooooonnnnssss
Ouch, Henry just got rocked
BASTARDS!
Oh come on... what do you mean "no intent"?
On the one hand that might be the end of a career. On the other hand, it's Rafa Marquez.
wow. the pitch claims a victim - the way he went down it looks pretty bad
Wow, Barca players are dropping like flys.
Yaya Toure goes for a horsey ride, but manages to get the call in his favor
DOWN GOES ALVES! DOWN GOES ALVES!
at this rate we will see an amputation before we see a RC
Never want to hear a Chelski fan complain about negative football by anyone anywhere ever again.
this is disgusting. spartak have been taking cheap shots all night. (not that alves' writhing wasn't overdramatic)
@NYK Cole. Frankie doesn't really bother me that much.
cashley
BUT HE'S FAT!
time for me to leave the office and my precious ESPN360 feed. hopefully the last half hour will provide me with some entertainment when I get home
chelsea tonight is like a more athletic stoke
How the hell did Eto'o not score?
Jesus Christ, Spartak London is playing like a League 2 team...
If Eto'o had juist looked up to see Titi, it's 1-0.
Bosingwa totally pulled Henry down. Absolutely.
no penalty?
Penalty. Chelsea got really lucky there.
Who is your preferred "Golden boy of the future?" Boyan or Pato?
Pato. Because he has singlehandedly rescued a season for my Spurs in FIFA09
/nerdlinger
Ballack is playing a dirty match even by his low standards. Just grabbed Iniesta and got away with it.
Barca have not failed to score in any home match this season.
bojan.
f ballack.
Ugh... how do you not bury that?
There it was. I am not looking forward to the return leg.
thing about the return leg is barca only need to tie, and do you bet against them not scoring in two games? no way.
Damnit Hleb!
Hleb! Fail!
Oh, if Hleb scored I wouldve shit myself.
NIce job, Barca... You wait until stoppage time in the second to start sending the ball in toward goal.
You deserve your fate. Unfortunately the rest of the world doesn't deserve Spartak in the CL final again.
Hleb! Fail!Redundant.
Like usual, the only person to blame here is Howard Webb.
No team turns important matches into a festival of hoofing anti-football live Spartak. It's like they hire Sam Allardyce to coach only the Cup matches.
Horrible.
@Teeknuts: You guessed it...Howard Webb (Frank Stallone).
What's worse? One blown call (like Webb) or a bunch of non-calls that could have easily been free kicks or even second cards.
Ballack could have collected three yellows.
/Graham Poll'd
In case anyone doubted the shite brand of football Spartak played, Ballack spends much of the final minutes lolling about on the ground.
Agreed, PR. Both Ballack and Alex could have rightfully been sent off for various acts of douchebaggery.
But suddenly recovers from his inury to track back once Hleb gets in alone.
Amazingly Barca had as many yellows even though fouls were 20-7 in favor of Spartak... And that was with a ref that wasn't exactly looking to blow the whistle.
since no one is defending chelsea i'll handle it. that was terrible soccer (futbol?) but they had as many good scoring chances as barca. it at least makes for an interesting next wednesday.
note: posted once before so beers are on someone else. but if you are looking for natty light in the philly area, stop on by
oh and dani alves is a bitch. and as a chelsea/usa fan i felt bad when rafa marquez got hurt, but it still disappointed me
Run TMC:
Barca - 19 shots (6 on goal)
Spartak 3 shots (1 on goal)
How are those equal? Barca had 3 good chances in the last 10 minutes alone: Eto'o, Bojan, Hleb.
Chelsea just had the most spectacular failure (Drogba) so it's easier to remember.
i'm counting drogba, ballack, eto'o and hleb. and eto'o probably would have finished the one bojan missed. the first 75 minutes or so, as boring as they were, brought no chances for barca. i'm as scared of cech as anyone, but when he is anywhere near his best there was nothing threatening. and alot of those shots were from 20+.
nonetheless, barca completely dominated the game, no question. still, i feel good about next week, since with the same game i think drogba banks one.
Chelsea can't play for a 0-0 draw next week either, which means more space for Eto'o, Messi, Henry to operate.
I'm sure Chelsea fans are happy to not be down, but I think I'd almost rather be down 2-1 and have the away goal. Now any non-zero draw at home and you're done. You have to win.
i know, and i have a sinking feeling that chelsea play for 0-0 and pk's. at which point, i'll kill myself. but 0-0 at camp nou, no matter how ugly, i'll take. and down 2-1 is an interesting debate, but i still think i'd rather be 0-0. in either case you'd need 1-0 to win, and with 0=0 you know you can blank them
all barca have to do, if it next week's is a repeat of this game, is be more incisive, like they were in the last 10 minutes, and they score two or three. chelsea had one clear cut chance, which drogba should've scored. they'll need to open it up in order to create more chances, which will then open it up for barca.
like i said before, there is no way chelsea can keep barca out for 180 minutes. barca have to be major favorites still (and are clearly the better team by miles).
That was more from a psychological perspective as 2-1 and 0-0 are almost the same score (from the standpoint of if the other team gets 1 in the return, you need 2 to go through).
But I'd just feel better having the away goal in the back pocket. Barca's fault for not doing better with all the possession. They drew 1-1 at Lyon, and at Munich, same result sends them through.
oh, noooow he says it was a mistake.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/8022476.stm
ok barca have always been my 2nd choice team after liverpool, so at least with liverpool being knocked out by chelski i had the consolation of barca facing them for the next round. with that, i am pretty pissed off right now that their team traveled and played away, only to do NOTHING but park the bus. people are giving them kudos for containing one of the best attacking team in the world at the moment, but i don't think there is anything admirable about a TOP european side playing AWAY and doing nothing but defending in a champions league semi final!!! i am so angry now, because marquez seems to have picked up an injury, the clasico is next, and puyol is suspended for the 2nd leg. if this is a repeat of barca vs manutd of last year i swear to god i will boycott the final ahahahaha
ewwwwwwww i need to proofread the shit i write
you nou what i meant ;)
i don't think 2-1 and 0-0 are the same psychologically. for the next game score maybe equally important, but i think holding barca to 0 is much more important. and 1-1 at lyon and munich is not 1-1 at stamford bridge.
fuck webb
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