The UEFA Champions League final is on today. The largest club sports event in the world is taking place at Wembley, with Spanish Champions FC Barcelona taking on English Champions Manchester United for the European Cup:
[quote=“MiG”]The UEFA Champions League final is on today. The largest club sports event in the world is taking place at Wembley, with Spanish Champions FC Barcelona taking on English Champions Manchester United for the European Cup:
it’s on Sportsnet for those inclined to watch. pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, kick, goal, pass, pass, pass, pass
Oops almost forgot, Go Rooney Go…
Since I’m in a provocative mood today let me have fun and make fun of Soccer/Football as well. : Buncha pansies!!! They couldn’t even last five minutes playing woman’s field hockey. Little scratch on the shin and they are rolling all over the field crying like a girly man!!! Buncha crybabies!!! You don’t see that pansy stuff in Rugby!!! Maybe soccer/football gets men in touch with their feminine side; that would make sense. 
Whoo Hoo Rooney, lovely touch on the tying goal, hooliganism is back on hold for at least 45 minutes…
Release the hooligans! Well played match by Barcelona, clearly outplayed Man U and fully deserving of their victory.
Just don’t let them take the trophy on the bus with them… Spanish squads seem to have a problem holding onto things
In my opinion, the 3 Barcelona goals were all due to individual errors made by Manchester players. And if it weren’t for the goalkeeping excellence, Manchester’s sloppy defence would have cost them even more goals.
Barcelona deserved the win, but they were helped by Manchester not knowing how to defend against a team that plays tika-taka passing and possession football. They did adapt a little bit, using Park as the disruptor, and that guy was the hardest working player of the game. But ultimately they allowed Barcelona to have possession until they could find the inevitable Manchester mistakes.
Last time these two met, I made some good money on Barcelona. This time, I was convinced that Manchester would have learned its lesson, watched some video or something, and learned how to defend against these guys. So I lost my bets this year!
[quote=“MiG”]In my opinion, the 3 Barcelona goals were all due to individual errors made by Manchester players. And if it weren’t for the goalkeeping excellence, Manchester’s sloppy defence would have cost them even more goals.
Barcelona deserved the win, but they were helped by Manchester not knowing how to defend against a team that plays tika-taka passing and possession football. They did adapt a little bit, using Park as the disruptor, and that guy was the hardest working player of the game. But ultimately they allowed Barcelona to have possession until they could find the inevitable Manchester mistakes.
Last time these two met, I made some good money on Barcelona. This time, I was convinced that Manchester would have learned its lesson, watched some video or something, and learned how to defend against these guys. So I lost my bets this year![/quote]
Always bet with your heart, not your head! 
The announcers for the game put it best and I think it was only at half time when they said that Manchester is getting schooled today and that was when Rooney had scored.
It was a nice little clinic, but you’re right errors on the Manchester side made their task even harder than it was already going to be.
They also seemed to have a problem generating any kind of offence, frequently getting bogged down at midfield.
Lots of anticipation for the match, Stephen Brunt did a nice little scene setter (slanted on Man U mind you) before the game tracking the history of big games at Wembley, too bad the final half didn’t live up to the hype of the pre match sessions,
All Hail Barcelona though and Messi as well, pretty well solidified his name at the top of the soccer rolls for a few years now I guess.
Well, my heart’s not with Barca, don’t worry
Anyway, what really sucks for every other team in Europe is that this particular group of players might just be the best soccer team ever.
And that sucks, because despite having record-breaking seasons, other teams inevitably come up against the Catalans and are humbled. This year it was Real Madrid and Manchester, not to mention every other team they squashed on their way through the three competitions.
Real Madrid gets the consolation prize, having beaten Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final, even after having the harder path to get there. But they lost the Spanish League despite scoring a the greater number of goals and having more points than most of their previous title-winning seasons. Thanks Barcelona. And they were knocked out of the Champions League by Barcelona as well, after having a record-breaking run there too. Thanks again.
Oh well, if nothing else, I think Cristiano Ronaldo will win the European Player of the Year, having beaten Messi on goals and breaking the Spanish league record.
Consolation prizes suck. At least Manchester United won its own league this year. They’re probably thankful that Barcelona doesn’t play in England!
[quote=“MiG”]Well, my heart’s not with Barca, don’t worry
Anyway, what really sucks for every other team in Europe is that this particular group of players might just be the best soccer team ever.
And that sucks, because despite having record-breaking seasons, other teams inevitably come up against the Catalans and are humbled. This year it was Real Madrid and Manchester, not to mention every other team they squashed on their way through the three competitions.
Real Madrid gets the consolation prize, having beaten Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final, even after having the harder path to get there. But they lost the Spanish League despite scoring a the greater number of goals and having more points than most of their previous title-winning seasons. Thanks Barcelona. And they were knocked out of the Champions League by Barcelona as well, after having a record-breaking run there too. Thanks again.
Oh well, if nothing else, I think Cristiano Ronaldo will win the European Player of the Year, having beaten Messi on goals and breaking the Spanish league record.
Consolation prizes suck. At least Manchester United won its own league this year. They’re probably thankful that Barcelona doesn’t play in England![/quote]
Well it seems you can also add that some of the Barcelona supporters are just jerks, though I imagine the folks doing the rioting probably aren’t really fans, just opportunists, still any excuse for a riot I guess.