Good god, it's the Champions League Anthem!
Has it really been that long? It's like when we last saw the UEFA Champions League there was a different person in the White House or something.
Let's face it, too, this year's Group Stage was about as dramatic as your average QVC spot. Celtic didn't advance and neither did Werder Bremen -- and that's about it.
The lack of drama in the Group Stages should yield some dividends in the Knockout Rounds. On paper, these are stellar, epic match ups. These matches probably represent about 95 percent of 'FIFA 09' online match making.
In short, when Athletico Madrid and Panathinaikos are the biggest "outsiders" remaining in the tournament it should bode well until we make it to Rome's Stadio Olimpo on May 27, which is actually nice because it's "Bring Your Own Knife Body Armor" in the Italian capital on the same day.
One question to the 'Net -- Is it better to be home or away first? It seems, to me, you're much better off playing the second game away from home with the away-goals rule. I'll get into this more as the tournament progresses, but ditching the away-goals rule would certainly spice up the tournament. A goal is a goal, right?
My one caveat before delving into the individual pairings, part of me is worried that even with the five-star appeal of the names, we might get some dull and forgettable matches.
Look at it this way, in a weird quirk, the likely winners of the Premier League and Serie A are paired off, as well as the leaders in Ligue 1 and La Liga. (Sorry, no Bundesliga, but it might be Hoffenheim's time next year.)
This leaves mega-clubs like Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Roma, Juventus and Real Madrid in life-and-death struggles, playing for their seasons over the next two weeks. And yes, these clubs do happen to be paired off with each other, which leaves me worrying. Are any of these club managers going to throw caution into the wind? Or will be left with dull, tactical, checker-on-a-checker grind-'em-out 0-0 fests?
Hey, there's nothing wrong with this. I love the cringing shots of fans in the crowd looking like they just caught a fart in the mouth as much as the next guy. I relish in the fans agony as the nerves build up.
It's just I like compelling, exciting soccer a fractional percentage more.
So let's look at the matchups, in order of least intriguing to best. We'll grade them on .... hmmm... let's throw something out that might get some heat on the Internets ... an Arnold Schwarzenegger scale, because there's really no such thing as a bad Arnold movie.
One-Arnolds -- "Batman and Robin"
Chill. Not even a cynic like myself can label any of these pairing as awful.
Two-Arnolds-- "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines"
Probably a better movie than we give it credit for and might only get better with the ensueing release of McG's "Termination: Salvation" this summer. Stll, T3 is not one of Arnold's finest moments even with the "Talk to the hand" line.
Villareal v. Panathinaikos -- Not to start off cracking jokes, but this one is probably best appreciated if you have Vlade Divac beard and chain-smoke cheap Europ cigs. In other words, this is a game for Euro-purists.
Villareal, a decent UCL darling, is in fourth in La Liga and not nearly the team it's been in years past. As we know, Jozy Altidore isn't around, which is mildly dissappointing, leaving us Yanks to pine for what could have been once again with Giuseppe Rossi, the Yellow Submarine's top scorer in La Liga with 12 goals. (FYI, you're from New Jersey. Would a lifetime supply of Bruce Springsteen tickets have changed your mind?)
I'll admit my knowledge of the Greek Super League is limited, at best. Here are a couple fun facts about Panathinaikos, which is 14 points behind Olympiacos in the league.
1. It's coached by the fabulously-named Henk ten Cate, who has one the biggest schnozes in soccer. However, the club's best name belongs to South African defender Bryce Moon.
2. Dimitris Salpigidis is the Prasinoi's leading scorer and has three in the Champions League.
3. The club features Simão Mate Junior, a 20-year-old from Mozambique.
4. The 'marquee' players most of us Yanks know about are ex-Arsenal enforcer Gilberto Silva and Austrian Andreas Ivanschitz.
Prediction -- Assuming he's fit, this are the kind of ties that a player like Marcos Senna is made for. His influence can't be overlooked. ... Villareal 3, Panathinaikos 2 (aggregate)
Three Arnolds -- "Conan the Barbarian"
Maybe Conan is too low, but if you watch it the special effects from 1982 are downright laughable and the plot tends to drag. (Now, the commentary track with director John Milinus breaks the scale of comedy.) So if you, or Crom, don't agree I say to HELL with you!
Sporting Lisbon v. Bayern Munich -- Getting back to the away goals discussion, look a Bayern. If they can get at least a goal in Lisbon this week they go back to 70,000+ plus screaming, chanting, flag-waving Bavarians at the Allianz. Of course, Jurgen Klinsmann has to get Bayern back in one piece.
This is a perfect opportunity for Lisbon captain João Moutinho to showcase himself to the rest of clubs in Europe other than Bolton. He's a bruiser, and who on Bayern is going to keep him from influencing the game, Ze Roberto?
The other guy to watch for Sporting are late-blooming striker Liedson.
As for Bayern, the German giants have a ton of household names -- Ribery, Toni, Klose, Schweinsteiger, ... Donovan (just to see if you're still paying attention). But for whatever the reason, this team can't seem to get it's act together.
Prediction -- Interesting matchup between the Portguese/Brasilian style of play in Sporting, and the more German, powerful game of Bayern. If the Bayern players step up and play to their potential (Lahm, Schweinsteiger) it should win, but perhaps the pressure of being the biggest club in Germany will be too much for them to bear. This should probably be the most open game of the eight, since neither team probably can thrive playing it close to the vest. Finally, in this matchup, I actually think Landon Donovan can be an asset and I'll leave it at that. ... Sporting 2, Bayern 4
Atletico Madrid v. Porto -- Nothing like a little Iberian rivalry to get the blood flowing, eh? Then again, Spain and Portugal are trying to jointly bid for the 2020 World Cup, so many the centuries of animosity isn't what it once was when the Treaty of Tordesillas of needed to divide the "New World."
Here's my thought on Atletico Madird. They're the ultimate 'B' team. If you're reading this, then you're likely a soccer junky, so when you look at the Indians roster, it's full of a lot of well-known names who've represented their respective countries. Unless, however, Kun Aguero becomes the next Maradonna, it's doesn't feature a true superstar.
Also, a call for concern is that the club sacked Javier Aguirre on Feb. 2 and replaced him with Abel Resino, who's resume is about as good as mine.
Porto, meanwhile, has been a Champions League mainstay and manages to get the job done even as it sells off some of its better players each year. That said, current coach Jesualdo Ferreira hasn't gotten Porto out of the Round of 16 for three consecutive seasons. (Clearly, he is not the Special One.)
Prediction -- The ultimate toss-up. I'll side with Porto because I can't pick against a team with a dude nicknamed Hulkplaying for it. Stupid reason, I know. ... Porto 2, Atletico 1
Four Arnolds -- "Total Recall"
Get your ass to Mars. Nuff said.
Chelsea v. Juventus -- Well, by the time you've read this you're probably already tired of the Claudio Ranieri coaching against his former team, so I'll leave that one alone.
The Blues are the ultimate unknown, in conjunction with Guus Hiddink. The Dutchman has been successful in the Champions League with PSV, with lesser talent than at his disposal at Chelsea. What kind XI will Hiddink toss out at Stamford Bridge for the first leg and how will he play it? How will the Chelsea midfield sort itself out?
Will Chelsea players -- John Terry wink, wink -- try to overcompensate due to last year's penalty kick defeat to Manchester United?
For what it's worth, Chelsea's gotten to semi-layups in its last two Round of 16 matches with Porto and Olympiacos. Juventus is clearly a step up from those opponents.
Juventus isn't a team that's going to flop over at Chelsea's brute force. Juve's defense -- second best GA in Serie A -- is very solid with Giorgio Chiellini, though I wouldn't trust Olof Mellberg here.
If this match was played a month ago, you'd maybe give the Old Lady the edge. Juventus had a nice run from November through January, going eight unbeaten until cooling off and falling nine points behind Inter.
A few questions for Juventus.
1. Does Pavel Nedved have it in him to turn back the clock and influence the game?
2. Will Amuari step up or shrink on the big stage for the first time?
3. Can Alessandro Del Piero conjure up some magic?
Bonus -- Can we let Christian Poulsen and John Obi Mikel duke it out Thunderdome style?
Also, must note that this pits two of the consensus three best keepers in the world in Petr Cech (rugby helmet) and Gigi Buffon (bandanna).
Prediction -- This game screams out set pieces. Better yet, who'll provide the long range winner, Frank Lampard or Del Piero? Maybe this is too conventional thinking, but Chelsea's window was last season and there's just too much tumult at the club to sort together another great run. The postgame hug-circle at Villa Park on Saturday didn't make me change my mind. ... Chlesea 1, Juventus 2
Lyon v. Barcelona -- Yeah, Barca had a hiccup Saturday against Espanyol. Big deal.
Lyon is a club who's window is probably closed completely. The 400-time defending Ligue 1 champs had a truly excellent squad, but never made it happen. This year the club actually has to fend off a couple clubs down the stretch with PSG and Marseille six and seven points behind respectively.
This, if anything, is a chance for Les Gones to trump up the asking price for the eventual bidding war between Manchester United and Barcelona over Karim Benzema.
What needs to be said about Barcelona? Is it too simplistic to say -- Lionel Messi, Thierry Henry and Samuel Eto'o? Or how about Daniel Alves, the best player in the world that's not a household name. Okay, Eric Abidal is out, so that ought to slow things down for the Barcelona express.
Prediction -- Lyon has only played one team in the top eight in the Ligue 1 table in the new year -- Marseille. So jumping into the deep end of the pool against the mythical best club in the world will be some tough sledding. Barca won't stroll, but it won't break a sweat either. ... Lyon 1, Barca 4
Real Madrid v. Liverpool -- Oh dear Lord do I wish that both Juande Ramos and Rafa Benitez slip on their bathroom floor and hit their heads on the toilet and invent the flux capacitor. Err...forget they're at their current clubs are pretend they're playing for the UEFA Cup with Sevilla and Valencia.
Otherwise, this has the potential for a close to the vest, snoozer. Or, if you want to look at it the other way, a taught one-goal thriller.
We know Benitez will stuff the Liverpool midfield at the Bernabeau and try to head back to Merseyside on level terms. If Fernando Torres can steal a goal, all the better.
Does Real Madrid have the creativity around the field to breakdown Liverpool's entrenchments? And even so, who'll score? One of my one-time favorite players -- Arjen Robben -- better not sprain an eyelash and be ready to play.
What makes this weird is that this is a game between clubs from Spain and England, it'll almost be a International between players from Spain and the Netherlands. Something to consider if you're a descendant of the Hapsburg dynasty.
Prediction -- Another simplistic view, but Liverpool always -- no matter the league crisis -- succeeds in the Champions League. If the Reds return to Anfield even or up a goal, they'll go through. It might be Real Madrid, but something about this club doesn't scare anyone, even with nine straight wins. Soft isn't the right word, but even if you're the most neurotic Liverpool supporter in the world, does Real make you worry? The one thing that could tip the balance for Madrid is that Iker Casillas has the potential to win this tie on his own. ... Real Madrid 0, Liverpool 1
Arsenal v. Roma -- Question, do they air Premier League matches in Italy? If so, Luciano Spalletti you have the blue print to frustrate Arsenal -- stick players behind the ball deep and play defense for 90 minutes.
That said, that tried-and-true formula won't exactly be the path to advancing in Europe since you have to score once ... unless you want to go to penalties.
This match might actually unleash Arsenal and allow Arsene Wenger to crow about his master plan...for a little while at least.
Roma, who's been a lively team lately in the UCL, probably wants an open game to take advantage of Francesco Totti, et al. Will the Rome club have the discipline to stay tight defensively to deny the Gunners the space to attack? Can Daniele De Rossi hold down the midfield for Roma and offset Denilson and Alexandre Song/Abou Diaby?
For Arsenal, which Emmanuel Adebayor will show up? If the big Togo striker isn't on his game, where is Arsenal getting goals from? It bears noting, Arsenal hasn't scored in three straight Premier League games.
Prediction -- Though I've been more pessimistic about Arsenal than the average Wall Street investor, for some reason this seems like a place where they snap out of the doldrums. If the Gunners drew the either two Italian teams, I say they go out, but Roma probably isn't the defensive kind of team that will stifle them. This ought to be a fun two-leg fixture. ... Arsenal 4, Roma 3
Five Arnolds -- "Commando"
In my personal book, "Commando" gets the slightest of edges over "Predator" because it takes the term 'absoludacris' to all new heights. My personal favorite moment, Arnold jumping out of a moving plane without a single scratch. Trivia alert -- the nefarious/sexually confused Bennett (Arnold's worst adversary ever) is played by the same actor that played Wez in "The Road Warrior", Aussie Vernon Wells.
Inter Milan v. Manchester United -- This affair is almost so juicy I don't need to say anything.
This one might be decided in the first leg. Sir Alex can spin it however he wants, missing Nemanja Vidic is killer for the Red Devils.
Of course, Zlatan Ibrahimovic finally needs to show up on the big stage and show he's one of the top 10 players in the world. I'm sure Mourinho will have Inter ready to hack away at Johnny Evans, early and often. Even with that presumed weak link, the United defense will be tough to crack.
With Maicon and Zanetti, Inter might actually have the outside defenders to slow down the United attack, including one Cristiano Ronaldo.
Perhaps this will be decided by if Inter is sufficiently motivated by last season's flame out to Liverpool. With essentially the same club, will the veterans step up and prove Inter is the best team in Europe?
We know United won't relinquish it's crown easily.
Prediction -- Call me crazy, but wouldn't it go to script that United mange to walk away from the San Siro with a 1-1 draw or 2-1 loss thanks to gritty performances from the likes of John O'Shea, Ji Sung Park and Darren Fletcher? That said, if Adriano shows up and is motivated, Inter will be tough for United to contain. More than anything this tie might be affected most by the ref's whistle. Maybe Mourinho's instilled a never-die attitude, but until I see it, Inter remain to fragile to go to Old Trafford in the second leg to get a result. ... Inter Milan 2, Manchester United 3
Anyway, I feel I've written more than enough.
Get to the chopper!
Has it really been that long? It's like when we last saw the UEFA Champions League there was a different person in the White House or something.
Let's face it, too, this year's Group Stage was about as dramatic as your average QVC spot. Celtic didn't advance and neither did Werder Bremen -- and that's about it.
The lack of drama in the Group Stages should yield some dividends in the Knockout Rounds. On paper, these are stellar, epic match ups. These matches probably represent about 95 percent of 'FIFA 09' online match making.
In short, when Athletico Madrid and Panathinaikos are the biggest "outsiders" remaining in the tournament it should bode well until we make it to Rome's Stadio Olimpo on May 27, which is actually nice because it's "Bring Your Own Knife Body Armor" in the Italian capital on the same day.
One question to the 'Net -- Is it better to be home or away first? It seems, to me, you're much better off playing the second game away from home with the away-goals rule. I'll get into this more as the tournament progresses, but ditching the away-goals rule would certainly spice up the tournament. A goal is a goal, right?
My one caveat before delving into the individual pairings, part of me is worried that even with the five-star appeal of the names, we might get some dull and forgettable matches.
Look at it this way, in a weird quirk, the likely winners of the Premier League and Serie A are paired off, as well as the leaders in Ligue 1 and La Liga. (Sorry, no Bundesliga, but it might be Hoffenheim's time next year.)
This leaves mega-clubs like Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Roma, Juventus and Real Madrid in life-and-death struggles, playing for their seasons over the next two weeks. And yes, these clubs do happen to be paired off with each other, which leaves me worrying. Are any of these club managers going to throw caution into the wind? Or will be left with dull, tactical, checker-on-a-checker grind-'em-out 0-0 fests?
Hey, there's nothing wrong with this. I love the cringing shots of fans in the crowd looking like they just caught a fart in the mouth as much as the next guy. I relish in the fans agony as the nerves build up.
It's just I like compelling, exciting soccer a fractional percentage more.
So let's look at the matchups, in order of least intriguing to best. We'll grade them on .... hmmm... let's throw something out that might get some heat on the Internets ... an Arnold Schwarzenegger scale, because there's really no such thing as a bad Arnold movie.
One-Arnolds -- "Batman and Robin"
Chill. Not even a cynic like myself can label any of these pairing as awful.
Two-Arnolds-- "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines"
Probably a better movie than we give it credit for and might only get better with the ensueing release of McG's "Termination: Salvation" this summer. Stll, T3 is not one of Arnold's finest moments even with the "Talk to the hand" line.
Villareal v. Panathinaikos -- Not to start off cracking jokes, but this one is probably best appreciated if you have Vlade Divac beard and chain-smoke cheap Europ cigs. In other words, this is a game for Euro-purists.
Villareal, a decent UCL darling, is in fourth in La Liga and not nearly the team it's been in years past. As we know, Jozy Altidore isn't around, which is mildly dissappointing, leaving us Yanks to pine for what could have been once again with Giuseppe Rossi, the Yellow Submarine's top scorer in La Liga with 12 goals. (FYI, you're from New Jersey. Would a lifetime supply of Bruce Springsteen tickets have changed your mind?)
I'll admit my knowledge of the Greek Super League is limited, at best. Here are a couple fun facts about Panathinaikos, which is 14 points behind Olympiacos in the league.
1. It's coached by the fabulously-named Henk ten Cate, who has one the biggest schnozes in soccer. However, the club's best name belongs to South African defender Bryce Moon.
2. Dimitris Salpigidis is the Prasinoi's leading scorer and has three in the Champions League.
3. The club features Simão Mate Junior, a 20-year-old from Mozambique.
4. The 'marquee' players most of us Yanks know about are ex-Arsenal enforcer Gilberto Silva and Austrian Andreas Ivanschitz.
Prediction -- Assuming he's fit, this are the kind of ties that a player like Marcos Senna is made for. His influence can't be overlooked. ... Villareal 3, Panathinaikos 2 (aggregate)
Three Arnolds -- "Conan the Barbarian"
Maybe Conan is too low, but if you watch it the special effects from 1982 are downright laughable and the plot tends to drag. (Now, the commentary track with director John Milinus breaks the scale of comedy.) So if you, or Crom, don't agree I say to HELL with you!
Sporting Lisbon v. Bayern Munich -- Getting back to the away goals discussion, look a Bayern. If they can get at least a goal in Lisbon this week they go back to 70,000+ plus screaming, chanting, flag-waving Bavarians at the Allianz. Of course, Jurgen Klinsmann has to get Bayern back in one piece.
This is a perfect opportunity for Lisbon captain João Moutinho to showcase himself to the rest of clubs in Europe other than Bolton. He's a bruiser, and who on Bayern is going to keep him from influencing the game, Ze Roberto?
The other guy to watch for Sporting are late-blooming striker Liedson.
As for Bayern, the German giants have a ton of household names -- Ribery, Toni, Klose, Schweinsteiger, ... Donovan (just to see if you're still paying attention). But for whatever the reason, this team can't seem to get it's act together.
Prediction -- Interesting matchup between the Portguese/Brasilian style of play in Sporting, and the more German, powerful game of Bayern. If the Bayern players step up and play to their potential (Lahm, Schweinsteiger) it should win, but perhaps the pressure of being the biggest club in Germany will be too much for them to bear. This should probably be the most open game of the eight, since neither team probably can thrive playing it close to the vest. Finally, in this matchup, I actually think Landon Donovan can be an asset and I'll leave it at that. ... Sporting 2, Bayern 4
Atletico Madrid v. Porto -- Nothing like a little Iberian rivalry to get the blood flowing, eh? Then again, Spain and Portugal are trying to jointly bid for the 2020 World Cup, so many the centuries of animosity isn't what it once was when the Treaty of Tordesillas of needed to divide the "New World."
Here's my thought on Atletico Madird. They're the ultimate 'B' team. If you're reading this, then you're likely a soccer junky, so when you look at the Indians roster, it's full of a lot of well-known names who've represented their respective countries. Unless, however, Kun Aguero becomes the next Maradonna, it's doesn't feature a true superstar.
Also, a call for concern is that the club sacked Javier Aguirre on Feb. 2 and replaced him with Abel Resino, who's resume is about as good as mine.
Porto, meanwhile, has been a Champions League mainstay and manages to get the job done even as it sells off some of its better players each year. That said, current coach Jesualdo Ferreira hasn't gotten Porto out of the Round of 16 for three consecutive seasons. (Clearly, he is not the Special One.)
Prediction -- The ultimate toss-up. I'll side with Porto because I can't pick against a team with a dude nicknamed Hulkplaying for it. Stupid reason, I know. ... Porto 2, Atletico 1
Four Arnolds -- "Total Recall"
Get your ass to Mars. Nuff said.
Chelsea v. Juventus -- Well, by the time you've read this you're probably already tired of the Claudio Ranieri coaching against his former team, so I'll leave that one alone.
The Blues are the ultimate unknown, in conjunction with Guus Hiddink. The Dutchman has been successful in the Champions League with PSV, with lesser talent than at his disposal at Chelsea. What kind XI will Hiddink toss out at Stamford Bridge for the first leg and how will he play it? How will the Chelsea midfield sort itself out?
Will Chelsea players -- John Terry wink, wink -- try to overcompensate due to last year's penalty kick defeat to Manchester United?
For what it's worth, Chelsea's gotten to semi-layups in its last two Round of 16 matches with Porto and Olympiacos. Juventus is clearly a step up from those opponents.
Juventus isn't a team that's going to flop over at Chelsea's brute force. Juve's defense -- second best GA in Serie A -- is very solid with Giorgio Chiellini, though I wouldn't trust Olof Mellberg here.
If this match was played a month ago, you'd maybe give the Old Lady the edge. Juventus had a nice run from November through January, going eight unbeaten until cooling off and falling nine points behind Inter.
A few questions for Juventus.
1. Does Pavel Nedved have it in him to turn back the clock and influence the game?
2. Will Amuari step up or shrink on the big stage for the first time?
3. Can Alessandro Del Piero conjure up some magic?
Bonus -- Can we let Christian Poulsen and John Obi Mikel duke it out Thunderdome style?
Also, must note that this pits two of the consensus three best keepers in the world in Petr Cech (rugby helmet) and Gigi Buffon (bandanna).
Prediction -- This game screams out set pieces. Better yet, who'll provide the long range winner, Frank Lampard or Del Piero? Maybe this is too conventional thinking, but Chelsea's window was last season and there's just too much tumult at the club to sort together another great run. The postgame hug-circle at Villa Park on Saturday didn't make me change my mind. ... Chlesea 1, Juventus 2
Lyon v. Barcelona -- Yeah, Barca had a hiccup Saturday against Espanyol. Big deal.
Lyon is a club who's window is probably closed completely. The 400-time defending Ligue 1 champs had a truly excellent squad, but never made it happen. This year the club actually has to fend off a couple clubs down the stretch with PSG and Marseille six and seven points behind respectively.
This, if anything, is a chance for Les Gones to trump up the asking price for the eventual bidding war between Manchester United and Barcelona over Karim Benzema.
What needs to be said about Barcelona? Is it too simplistic to say -- Lionel Messi, Thierry Henry and Samuel Eto'o? Or how about Daniel Alves, the best player in the world that's not a household name. Okay, Eric Abidal is out, so that ought to slow things down for the Barcelona express.
Prediction -- Lyon has only played one team in the top eight in the Ligue 1 table in the new year -- Marseille. So jumping into the deep end of the pool against the mythical best club in the world will be some tough sledding. Barca won't stroll, but it won't break a sweat either. ... Lyon 1, Barca 4
Real Madrid v. Liverpool -- Oh dear Lord do I wish that both Juande Ramos and Rafa Benitez slip on their bathroom floor and hit their heads on the toilet and invent the flux capacitor. Err...forget they're at their current clubs are pretend they're playing for the UEFA Cup with Sevilla and Valencia.
Otherwise, this has the potential for a close to the vest, snoozer. Or, if you want to look at it the other way, a taught one-goal thriller.
We know Benitez will stuff the Liverpool midfield at the Bernabeau and try to head back to Merseyside on level terms. If Fernando Torres can steal a goal, all the better.
Does Real Madrid have the creativity around the field to breakdown Liverpool's entrenchments? And even so, who'll score? One of my one-time favorite players -- Arjen Robben -- better not sprain an eyelash and be ready to play.
What makes this weird is that this is a game between clubs from Spain and England, it'll almost be a International between players from Spain and the Netherlands. Something to consider if you're a descendant of the Hapsburg dynasty.
Prediction -- Another simplistic view, but Liverpool always -- no matter the league crisis -- succeeds in the Champions League. If the Reds return to Anfield even or up a goal, they'll go through. It might be Real Madrid, but something about this club doesn't scare anyone, even with nine straight wins. Soft isn't the right word, but even if you're the most neurotic Liverpool supporter in the world, does Real make you worry? The one thing that could tip the balance for Madrid is that Iker Casillas has the potential to win this tie on his own. ... Real Madrid 0, Liverpool 1
Arsenal v. Roma -- Question, do they air Premier League matches in Italy? If so, Luciano Spalletti you have the blue print to frustrate Arsenal -- stick players behind the ball deep and play defense for 90 minutes.
That said, that tried-and-true formula won't exactly be the path to advancing in Europe since you have to score once ... unless you want to go to penalties.
This match might actually unleash Arsenal and allow Arsene Wenger to crow about his master plan...for a little while at least.
Roma, who's been a lively team lately in the UCL, probably wants an open game to take advantage of Francesco Totti, et al. Will the Rome club have the discipline to stay tight defensively to deny the Gunners the space to attack? Can Daniele De Rossi hold down the midfield for Roma and offset Denilson and Alexandre Song/Abou Diaby?
For Arsenal, which Emmanuel Adebayor will show up? If the big Togo striker isn't on his game, where is Arsenal getting goals from? It bears noting, Arsenal hasn't scored in three straight Premier League games.
Prediction -- Though I've been more pessimistic about Arsenal than the average Wall Street investor, for some reason this seems like a place where they snap out of the doldrums. If the Gunners drew the either two Italian teams, I say they go out, but Roma probably isn't the defensive kind of team that will stifle them. This ought to be a fun two-leg fixture. ... Arsenal 4, Roma 3
Five Arnolds -- "Commando"
In my personal book, "Commando" gets the slightest of edges over "Predator" because it takes the term 'absoludacris' to all new heights. My personal favorite moment, Arnold jumping out of a moving plane without a single scratch. Trivia alert -- the nefarious/sexually confused Bennett (Arnold's worst adversary ever) is played by the same actor that played Wez in "The Road Warrior", Aussie Vernon Wells.
Inter Milan v. Manchester United -- This affair is almost so juicy I don't need to say anything.
This one might be decided in the first leg. Sir Alex can spin it however he wants, missing Nemanja Vidic is killer for the Red Devils.
Of course, Zlatan Ibrahimovic finally needs to show up on the big stage and show he's one of the top 10 players in the world. I'm sure Mourinho will have Inter ready to hack away at Johnny Evans, early and often. Even with that presumed weak link, the United defense will be tough to crack.
With Maicon and Zanetti, Inter might actually have the outside defenders to slow down the United attack, including one Cristiano Ronaldo.
Perhaps this will be decided by if Inter is sufficiently motivated by last season's flame out to Liverpool. With essentially the same club, will the veterans step up and prove Inter is the best team in Europe?
We know United won't relinquish it's crown easily.
Prediction -- Call me crazy, but wouldn't it go to script that United mange to walk away from the San Siro with a 1-1 draw or 2-1 loss thanks to gritty performances from the likes of John O'Shea, Ji Sung Park and Darren Fletcher? That said, if Adriano shows up and is motivated, Inter will be tough for United to contain. More than anything this tie might be affected most by the ref's whistle. Maybe Mourinho's instilled a never-die attitude, but until I see it, Inter remain to fragile to go to Old Trafford in the second leg to get a result. ... Inter Milan 2, Manchester United 3
Anyway, I feel I've written more than enough.
Get to the chopper!
Labels: champions league, Soccer
live blogging the game over at Fanhouse today?
I have a vision ...
After the first leg, SAF is complaining that Inter wouldn't 'play football' and Jose's side was too defensive. Sure, Man United played the exact same way, but that has never stopped Ferguson from unself-consciously kvetching before.
I've always felt like central midfield was a relative weakness for ManU, and figured if anyone could show that up, it would be Inter. I was really surprised that Inter failed to boss the midfield, or to impose their physical advantage on the game in general. I figured Inter would just bulldoze 'em, like Jose's old Chelsea teams at their ugly but effective best.
The patchwork ManU backline wasn't much of an issue because they rarely even got that far. Muntari was MIA, and Cambiasso was unusually scattered and frenetic(perhaps because he was having to cover for Muntari and his own shaky central defense, hell even Stankovic spent much of the game back in his own half doing that too.) Adriano and Ibro were stranded without service or pushed out wide for most of the game.
Inter are lucky not to be going back to Old Trafford down 2-0. Julio Cesar was freaking immense.