No Gerrard.
That's the biggest news of the day, if there is such a thing as most of the drama remaining is in tomorrow's two tilts. But we're theorizing this means Rafa is kind of tossing in the towel on the CL and saving Stevie for a run at the Prem. Makes Essien's day easier.
The line-ups:
Liverpool: XI: Reina, Aurelio, Arbeloa, Skrtel, Carra, Kuyt, Lucas, Alonso, Mascherano, Benayoun, Torres
Subs: Cavalieri, Dossena, Hyypia, Agger, Riera, Babel, Ngog.
Chelsea: XI: Cech, Ivanovic, Alex, Carvalho, Ashley Cole, Essien, Ballack, Lampard, Kalou, Malouda, Drogba.
Subs: To be announced.
Really, the site I pulled the Chelsea line-ups from does indeed have it TBA.
As for the other match, does it really matter? If Bayern Munich comes back to win that tie, I will eat a shoe.
Chime in as history (Istanbul) probably doesn't repeat itself.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
CL Open Thread
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180 comments:
It's not like Agger can score. Especially against Chelsea. In the Champions League.
What's that?
Ugh. Do not get this side selection at all. Three holding players?
Kind of agree with the no getting it...
You need goals (you also need to stop Chelsea from scoring, but a clean sheet does you nothing unless you also net 3).
So play Kuyt, Torres, and Babel.
I believe it's from the "madman" end of the Genius/Madman scale.
Maybe Alonso will play forward a bit and spray passes into the ether. Perhaps Lucas and Mascherano will tackle the life out of the midfield and give the Super Jew a chance to shine.
And maybe I'll sprout wings and proclaim myself to be bigger than Jesus.
It's zany.
Liverpool 4-2 (5-5 win on aggragate away goals). Goals for Torres x2, Benayoun and Kuyt. Lampard and Drogba for Chelsea. Time to imbibe. YNWA
Chelsea XI + Subs:
Cech, Ivanovic, Alex, Carvalho, Ashley Cole, Kalou, Ballack, Essien, Lampard, Malouda, Drogba.
Subs: Hilario, Di Santo, Mikel, Deco, Belletti, Anelka, Mancienne.
It took me a week to convince myself they would pull this off, even with Gerrard on the bench. But never in a million years did I think Lucas would play. Why not put Alonso and Mascherano in the middle with Kuyt/Yossi/Riera behind Torres?
If Rafa is playing for the win, this lineup makes no sense. I had worked myself up into a whole 'for wrath, for ruin, for the red dawn' mood over this game and now I feel like Yossi on Christmas morning.
What were Bolton playing with they scored 3 in 9 minutes?
Maybe Rafa just Xeroxed that formation and fit players to it.
Georger: your point is totally valid. It's a crazy lineup, but as with most of his tinkering, I must foolishly assume he has a plan.
I'll counter with this: we won a CL with Kewell, Djimi Traore, Hamann and Smicer in the side.
While an LFC aggregate win is highly unlikely, I wouldn't rule it out.
PR: Bolton had the mighty Kevin Davies, who's had a surprisingly good season.
ps. I have no clue if he played at the weekend. Pure guessing, as it can't have been that useless Swede Elmander doing all the scoring.
FWIW, Tim Vickery says Lucas is really good in training.
Are you badmouthing the Kaiser? BLASPHEMY!
The thought of Dossena coming on to score a decisive goal makes me laugh.
I'm just saying, Mike. We've won an awful lot more with an awful lot less.
Oh yeah I know, like I said before they scored two there last year with a worse team (though I did say that thinking Gerrard was playing or on the bench).
I was confident this morning, I'm just a bit less confident now.
I'd say that 'Lucas' is Liverpudlian for 'Denilson' but our faux-Brazilian is markedly better than your faux-Brazilian.
It's worth mentioning that earlier this season, without either Torres OR Gerrard, Liverpool did manage to beat both Manchester United at Anfield and Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
So, I'm assuming this means Liverpool wins 4-0 right? 4 or more goals have been scored in 5 of the last 6 LFC games.
come on you Reds!!!!
And understandably so! Damn Lucas. The home win over Man U was without Gerrard and Torres.
I am just glad that either way, we'll glean something positive, no matter what happens.
A CL day without serious heart palpitations. Que sera sera...
TFA: Fuck yeah!
More stats: LFC have scored 3 or more away from home on SIX occasions this season. Get the fuck in.
Magnakai: absolutely. Factoids like that point to the absolute unpredictability of it all. Can't wait to see what happens. If we grab a goal early, squeaky bum time for the Blues. Maybe.
I'm gonna be honest, I'm not really looking foreward to this game. I still have hope, but yeah, not that excited
Also, no Clichy, Djourou, Almunia or Gallas for the Villareal 2nd leg tomorrow.
Likely Silvestre in there.
I'm kind of with Teeknuts.
I was looking forward to watching this one after work tonight. Now? Not so much.
Alan Green on BBC 5 Live: "This is still a far better Liverpool team than the one that played in the Istanbul final. Rafa has picked a team to match up with Chelsea's."
Whatever that means.
hey corinne! ... ahh nevermind.
for the record, it took 37 seconds (really) for them to use talismanic in reference to gerrard. shame he's not playing, as i have a bottle of whiskey and a great idea for a drinking game.
If this game gets interesting I'm going to be throwing Lord of the Rings references out like mad, just a forewarning.
Meh, I'm still excited simply because it's midweek European football. As a Red with low, low expectations, I am still excited to see what happens, however anti-climactic it might turn out to be.
Likely Lad: it's a bit like saying that Pete Doherty is talismanic in your bedroom, innit?
Will you be referring to Carragher or Hyppia as "Last of the Ents"?
@LB Oh definitely, I love being able to watch any kind of football that's not on my computer. Hell, I watched Chelsea-Olympiakos last year, and that sucked
That's the spirit, TFA! Istanbul, Part Deux!
Or FA Cup Final v. West Ham, Part Deux!
maybe there's a Passover miracle in this game.
Come on Reds, send Chelsea into a economic meltdown!!!
Maybe Michael Essien will shadow Gerrard into the stands.
Dirk Kuyt hat-trick, plus Yossi brace. Nothing would be more improbable and more amazing.
I'm blatantly ripping off the Guardian minute by minute here, but that ref's funky cold
damn I get back from campus early to watch and you guys already have 30 some odd comments. Well done. I'm pulling for the Reds in this one. Interesting stuff on the line-ups, by the way.
@Teeknuts: I bet he goes by Cantalejo, sadly.
DO IT FOR HILLSBOROUGH, YOU INCREDIBLE REDS
watching this reminds me that I will be livid if FSC don't get an HD feed in time for their takeover
let's just get a really early goal to make this interesting.
Come on Reds, rip those blues heads off and piss down their tracheas!!!
Why did the score box change from ESPN's to UEFA's?
ESPN didn't put in a competitive bid for it.
It should be mentioned that, when this awesome comeback is made into a movie, John Cusack should be playing John Terry.
Remind me again why the hell Cech was goalkeeper of the year last year
I blame Platini
12-13 mins gone and no goals? Game over.
(kidding)
So close! Sweep the leg! More of the same!
Incidentally, Barca haven't scored on Bayern yet. They must be slipping.
@Magnakai
How does one go out and play 90 mins with a 4-0 aggregate lead? Do you try to score more? Or do you pass it around for 90 mins a la Germany/Austria in WC 74?
WOW. WOW.
what a traveshamockery of goalkeeping
@ LB: If you're Bayern, you score seven more. Just in case.
Club goalkeeper of the year there ladies and gents
Here it comes, folks....
So we need one every thirty five now.
i would let aurelio do anything to me right now
That was an awful backpass. Did he learn that from Bruno Alves?
Was it Aurelio or Arbeloa? I always mix them up...
Traveling Kop is strong tonight
Everyone appropriately excited again? Game on. CFC are looking ragged!
oh shit, we're in for a good one now.
So, um...one goal in sixty minutes we can manage, right?
I WOULD LET XABI DO ANYTHING TO ME RIGHT NOW
Alright, we need to regain some composure after that one
well, we still need to defend.
liverpool players better not even look at chelski players in the box... this ref is dying to even up
TLL: it was a fair call both times. C'mon now.
DO IT FOR THE TALISMAN
Maybe I will be watching this one tonight after all.
@ TLL - Ivanovic grabbed Alonso and threw him down. What part of that was legal?
Don't worry, Chelsea fans. Anelka's warming up.
It's Le Sulk time
So what's Chelsea's plan now? To get two strikers who can't play together to play together?
Right about now Roman starts to bite his nails...No really.
Bye Bye 4-3-3 of a team in glory, hello 4-4-2 of a team in need.
We need to stop with the fouls
c0rrine: would you settle for Dossena doing anything to you? The other guys are preoccupied right now.
I've heard the Doss has magic fingers...
@ LB-Gerrard's not busy...
Bayern up 3-0....
made you look.
I'm sorry, that's not a fucking yellow card
Alright, I'm out. I've gotta ship some shit out UPS and WorldShip eats up my RAM. I'm finishing this one later; hope the next fifty minutes is as good as the first forty. Or something.
@both you.. im not saying the call was wrong, im just saying referees naturally look to even out the calls. and thus, the pudlians should be wary.
corinne: ahhh, forget it...
Tommy Smyth is pulling for Liverpool, no doubt about it.
and Worldship eats up my RAM
How are you enjoying working with Windows 95?
The goals thus far:
Aurelio - http://www.101greatgoals.com/videodisplay/2368579/
Alonso - http://www.101greatgoals.com/videodisplay/2368596/
Almost a perfect half. We can do it, come on!
oh, so now gerrard is only "inspirational?"
You know what time it is?
It's halftime.
But after that, it's Kuyt-time.
The only better time that Kuyt-time?
Business time.
Now where are my business socks?
My laptop is in my car and my blackberry is being gay, so I'm internetless during the game.
If everyone I wanted to sell after last week scores, this thing is in the bag.
My roommate is watching with me, he's not a soccer fan, but he just asked 'why haven't they taken out that goalie?' WHY INDEED
Oh and by the way ...
The Horn of Helm Hammerhand shall sound in the deep ... ONE LAST TIME!
I love these Dunkin doughnuts commercials...Save your kids from television by feeding them doughnuts, yeah that sounds great
Soccernet gem of the day:
"45' Some of the Chelsea fans booed their side off. Nu-football arriviste morons"
BRILLIANT!
2nd half is going about the same as the first thus far
"this ball should have been kept out of the net"
really? really tommy smyth??? that's a new standard right there. dick.
that goal = meaningless (for the neutral) 'pool still need goal. and now that goal makes it more exciting.
I've really forgotten how much I really hate Drogba
@kopper corinne?
Munich pull one back, THE COMEBACK IS ON
well that wasn't pleasant.
Come on Reds, it's Kuyt-time!!!
Own goals in the Champions League...against Chelsea...
Sonofa...two years in a row...
@Likely Lad... haha... I think that honor goes to Xabi today.
Ha ha, dumb Chelsea fans
what a strike from Alex!
lucas the brave!
oh well
:(
Enjoy the semis, Chelsea, where Barca await. It was fun while it lasted!
liverpool need to start creating real chances. their goals have been somewhat fortuitous thus far.
amazing free kick from alex. wow.
God damn, that was a pretty kick, I can't complain if that's the one we lose to
Would be nice to get the oggie back, but shit, we were dead in the water before kick-off.
Ballack should have done a lot better than that, wasted it
does anyone else think ballack is way overrated? or is this old news now?
Agger for Carra. I know Rafa won't do it, but its what I want to see
just tuned in. has masch had a bad game? why pull him instead of lucas?
Yeesh, Arby was looking for trouble with that tackle
@LE: err, I dunno, I can never figure out Rafa's plan. Yours would be the sensible sub, I would think.
game over.
on a side note, I know they aren't very similar players, but I'd take Xabi over Ballack any day.
(and despite that last sequence)
Horrible HORRIBLE effort this half, but that second goal was NEVER a free kick. Refs decided this one in the intermission.
lol
Was Lamps showing his fisting technique there with his celebration?
At least the days of 1-0 aggregate wins between LFC and Chelsea are over. Two of the more entertaining games I can remember between the two.
I'm sure EPLtalk will still say this game was boring and we should have gotten the Barcelona game instead.
My criticism for Rafa on this one is taking Masche off instead of Lucas. Horrendous decision. His allegiance to Lucas is truly baffling when he refuses to give Agger and Babel a chance to prove themselves.
Georger, are you writing the soccernet liveblog?
"'78: "Eazeh, eazeh" chant the arriviste moron Chelsea fans. That is not a football chant, they've clearly been watching too much Gladiators."
@Georger: To make the same joke I made at the beginning, the ref was definitely not funky cold
perhaps this will help Liverpool's attempt at the League?
My heartfelt condolences. . .
poor showing from torres tonight
Well, this is an interesting development.
this is silly
If I knew what 'arriviste' meant, sure.
God I hope for Arsenal and United to fail tomorrow, so that there is no English team in the final.
hey georger, i was the one to originally advocate, in this space, for barca-bayern in place of these drab affairs. clearly, i should be taken seriously in the future.
Is 'Pool attempting a SFB Redux?
why isnt babel playing? i mean i like him as a player he has serious potential and he always plays well against the gunners
@machine: agreed.
AHEM
If everyone I wanted to sell after last week scores, this thing is in the bag.
KUYT!!!
This is officially ridiculous.
I wonder what Corrine would let Kuyt do to her?
excepting any effort by Sporting, this has to be some of the worst defence seen in the champs league?
this is batshit crazy
This is like watching two really talented U11 squads. No one is interested in defending. You must score to defend!
finally babel
God damn it.
Rafa has both N'Gog AND Babel on simultaneously? This is not your father's Rafa.
And Lampard decides it. For now.
I totally predicted a 4-4.
cech is mentally retarded. no offense to the mentally retarded.
Barca is going to sodomize this team, I can't wait.
Are you fucking kidding me? Cech is looking like he did in last years Euros.
My god, there are really no words to describe this game. Considering where we were when the game began, I'm not even angry, this was fun!
This could be the second best game in Champions League history.
Here's the question, how much money does Roman spend to keep Hiddink at Chelsea?
How much extra time?
What is that adage about the ridiculous and the sublime?
Three cards and six goals in a half = three minutes of added time. It's as if United are ahead in a game. One of the worst officiated games I've seen in years.
3 minutes? WTF?
Sometimes you look at Liverpool and have to wonder how the hell they made it this far. When your best offensive strategy is to have Jamie Carragher bring the ball forward down the left and chip it forward thirty yards in the direction of no one in particular, that’s troublesome."
GOD I HATE ARSENAL FANS
I almost want United to win so Arsenal can get embarrassed by an English side.
that was supposed to be a quote
I totally thought that at 4-3 Pool was going to pull it off.
Well it was a hell of an effort. Barca will put in ten if Chelsea play like this, god willing.
How sad do those flags look? Fuck Chelsea fans. Yeah, maybe I am a little bitter. Congrats Chelsea, you're gonna get skullfucked. Good luck at Barca.
Definitely proud of how the team played, they didn't leave anything behind. They should be proud.
hey man. most of the gunner were rooting for the scouse to knock out spartak.
"GOD I HATE ARSENAL FANS"
Ahem...
Was the true form of "Diveba" present in today's game?
It wouldnt surprise me.
If Chelsea beat Barca, evil will have triumphed.
As an American, and a Spurs fan, allow me a hearty "go get f*cked" to machine gooner funk.
nice day without gooner interference, i agree.
@georger.. yes, messi could score 12-13 goals. if im a chelski guy, i legit want cudicini (or whatever chode they have sitting there) over cecherhead
TLL, if you're ever in Chicago, shoot me an e-mail. PR has me address.
@phil: uh what exactly did i say to warrant that? i simply remarked that the game was exciting, end to end action with a lot of scoring. so why should i fuck off now?
Because one, you seem to assume that American fans can't accept that as an exciting game, despite the [paucity of TV availability here; second, because you are a gooner and I have to take my shots where i can get them LOL.
@phil: dude i'm american too and most of my friends think i'm a nut for watching football as much and as fervently as i do. they've been giving me shit for years about it and "how they don't get it" or "it just isn't interesting" and a game like the one today on a nat'l tv broadcast would go along way to making inroads in this country
MGF--don't take it too harshly. Phil just wanted to fuck Drogba in the goatass and I wasn't even here to provoke such hostility.
well, then MGF, i sympathize with you. For once in our lives, a gooner and a spur share a common fate. Apologies for any offense incurred.
its all good
So, did I miss anything?? (heh)
Awesome. Really, I hate the way soccer is viewed by American fans, and the way European fans are vetting American fans.
holy shit what just happened
i am just so...
:|
I was rooting for the blue team because I like blue but I think the red team played well, too.
@TLL: Hilario's on the bench. Cudicini actually plays for Spurs. So, he's our chode now.
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