El Classico and Other Moments
El Clasico resulted in a 1-1 draw as Ronaldo cancelled out Ronaldinho's penalty. Barca still hold a 11-point lead at the top over Real.
Ronaldinho received a special visit during training before the game from Vanessa, a deaf child who shouted out his name throughout the session. Afterwards, her father asked him to celebrate a goal in the manner of deaf and dumb people. And when he scored, that's just what he did.
Ronaldinho comforting compatroit Roberto Carlos after the Real fullback got sent off for arguing with the referee.
Saha scores a stunner in ManUtd's win over Bolton at the Reebok. ManUtd cut Chelsea's lead at the top to 7 points.
Henry scored a brace as Arsenal routed pitiful Villa 5-0 at Highbury. Huge result for the Gunners as rivals Tottenham lost 1-3 at Newcastle.
Robben's diving theatrics were futile as Chelsea were held to a 0-0 draw at relegation-threatened Birmingham.
posted by Lucas @ 9:44 AM
17 Comments:
Saha was sensational. Titi looks to have fully recovered from the Achilles' heel problem. First touches were amazing. Two beautiful first touches and result was a foregone conclusion.
EPL has come to life after a few months...hasn't it? Portsmouth making a rapid recovery...WBrom sliding...also, some great goals over the past 2 months.
Chelsea's stuttering and EPL's resurgence. Inversely proportional. Has a lot to do with ManU's optimistic approach at the
top, Arsenal's revival in the middle and Mendes' timely long range lifelines for Portsmouth. Whatever said and done, it requires the old strong boys to infuse some excitement rather than a multi-millionaire of y'day.
Another interesting coincidence is a lot of portuguese midfielders and portuguese teams have a penchant for long range shooting. Mendes, Maniche, Tiago and Cristiano to some extent all send down screamers from 25 yards.
Goals galore. Other than the usual suspects like Henry, Rooney and van Nistelrooy, lesser stars like Kewell, Saha, Adebayor, Ashton, van Persie of late have all performed really well. Kewell, I have seen him play some football only this season. So with Saha. Kewell's goal against Everton was spectacular. Saha's against Bolton is my next choice. Mendes' against ManC is third followed by Henry's against Liverpool and Rooney's against Newcastle United.
Portsmouth have to thank Mendes if they stay up for scoring many a times with his wonderful long range kicks.
For me, the goal of the season has to be Totti's goal against Inter!
I was confining myself to EPL.
I was very disappointed with Ronnie. When Carlos was protesting with the ref, ronnie actually made a gesture of showing the second yellow. He then went and consoled Carlos when he was walking off the park. What a load of crap!I am sure he is better than that.
Also, what an amazing finish by Ronaldo.
Dude...if u had watched it properly, u would know that he was gesturing something to either the ref or his teammates about the freekick. I am surprised u donno the gesture that players use to tell the ref to give a card!
Maybe u can see it another time and u ll understand what i am trying to tell here. It was not anything else and he basically made a gesture of taking out a card.It cudnt be any clearer.See it another time.I am talking abt the angle where he is facing the cam and the ref and Carlos have their back towards it.
I am pointing fingers not at Barca but Spanish teams in general. They just con the ref into flashing cards.Just that Barca is the cynosure at the moment and their actions catch the attention.Even Luis Garcia showed the card gesture in the merseyside derby.
Understandable though bcoz they play with that artistic touch, like to retain possession and all these prompt them to show the gesture.
But one thing strikes me about this Barca team. Coach is a real nice man, contrary to the player inside him. But the Barca players are arrogant and excessively confident. Eto'o, Deco and Ronaldinho have all indulged in a war of words previously.
Milan will present a stiff test. Rijkaard, get your dormant defence patched up. Pippo and Sheva need just a sniff to strike a barrage of goals. Lyon learned it the hard way. I am really sorry for both the teams. This should have been the final.
@ mar-You couldnt have put it better.The barca players are an arrogant lot. And i have a feeling that Milan will be too good for them.
FYI, the media just shows too much focus on certain things just to make it seem they are arrogant.
One example from Sky Sports.
What the title said...
Deco: We can easily beat Benfica
Exact content inside the column:
It is going to be a tough game. But if we take a good result from the first leg to the Nou Camp, i think we have a very good chance to beat them.
See, that's how it works...!
Also, i have not heard any Barca player openly saying the CL title is all theirs.
If saying it's their league title to lose (they are indeed poised to regain the title) is arrogant, then Barca players are guilty of being arrogant.
Well, it's one thing to be jealous of a good team...but accusing them of being arrogant seems unwarranted. Perhaps, it's always like this for an opposition fan...even a word or a gesture being interpreted in the wrong way!
If "U see what u want to see" is true in our case then the same may be applied to your justifications too.
Remember Eto'o jousting with Mourinho "about as a player , Jose is zero".Jose's target was not Eto'o, but Rijkaard. The great man stayed calm. True of a professional.
And Ronaldinho himself saying "We'll finish Chelsea off at Bridge. We've a lead and a very good squad which'll prove too much for Chelsea. Chelsea won't beat us". Mark that last sentence inside the quotes as exactly said by Ronaldinho last year.
And Eto'o proclaining "Madrid B*****ds". The word "Professional", redefined?
Ronald Koeman before the first leg saying "They've excess of confidence" about his old club. Maybe Ronald Koeman has some personal vendetta about the club closest to his heart which makes him say so.
How can Barca openly say they'll win UCL? They were steamrollered 4-0 by Milan in 1994 when they had a superior team and were on a roll like this.For all their travails, Barca have just one UCL trophy to show for. They wud be careful not to brag about their endeavors in UCL fearing another major screw up.
"Its our league title to lose" Don't know who said it. But it's just an aberration.
See there's no opposition camp over here. I'm a big fan of Spain, their underachieving not withstanding. When I say that Spaniards fall like a pack of cards on the slightest touch and they con the ref, i certainly mean it. There's no distinguishing between Messi or Fabregas, Reyes or Xavi. To appease ur oppostion point of view, even Real Madrid are/were acting like crybabies and I don't like it too. Their dirty politics, useless repeating of Real Madrid TV having nothing to show but Alfredo di Stefano's back heel all bores me to death.
And last but not the least I'm the one who appreciates good football and spectacular goals(not the final touches, but a well constructed goal) unlike some who storm out of the TV room not having the sporting attitude to appreciate Henry running riot over Liverpool at Highbury three years back. These opposition talk all comes out from those such silly people's mouth only.
As a matter of fact, I'm suggesting Rijkaard to patch up his defence bcoz I want Barca to go all the way and better their UCL record by laying their hands on the trophy.
Not a sadist like some who derive a lot of pleasure in seeing two KOs of hated teams in one day.
Some roundheads don't want the best team to win. They want their worst(hated) teams to lose. I ain't in that category.
April 2003 - United chase down Arsenal to win EPL. The author of this post's comments - Great chase by United
May 2003 - Real hold their nerve to win La Liga at the expense of Sociedad - The author of this post's comments - Lucky Real Madrid.
Now who is stoking the fires of opposition and supporting teams?
Well, for one, I suppose u r not comparing Arsenal and Real Sociedad!
Huh.Well tried. Now you are really stoking the fire. But don't try to digress from the topic, Mr.United fanatic.If you are ready to accept ur most favourite, United being compared with one of ur most hated, Real Madrid, then I'm pretty much ok with comparing Sociedad to Arsenal.
Manchester United now.
Hyped up, a number of signings till the latest Vidic have all come in with some suffix to "The New ....".
A dogmatic manager.
Atypical of ManU, so many snubbing the club for others like Ronaldinho, Duff, Essien and Robben. Have not been at the receiving end too often, has Fergie?
A world-class hitman who puts his reputation to shame by diving/having dived to the ground like a falling pack of cards .
Committment blinding professionalism as in the case of Captain courageous himself.
Starved of trophies for 3 consecutive years that a Carling cup is greeted with "We're back" statements.
UCL performances haven't been anything extra-ordinary. Chelsea and Liverpool have fared better in the limited oportunities they got. More importantly, no wooden spoon to any English club except United since Beckham left 3 years ago.
Already, United fans(a true one,only next to fergie, neville and giggs) must be burning with envy after Liverpool turned lucky last year like Red Devils did in '99. Should be aware of Fergie's congratulatory message to Rafa. Very inspirational and polite. Atleast to add fuel to fergie's fire, another English team should lift the title. Arsenal have got lucky this time around. Lets see how far it takes them thru. Again, Barca and Milan have more than what it takes to win that coveted trophy. Fate has it that only one of them go to the final. Whoever faces them, we can be doubly sure that we're not going to see some scrapping around in the name of football. May the most entertaining and composed team win.
Jealous of Barca? For what? They are a good team no doubt but let them win the CL and maybe ppl will be jealous. Frankly, at times ur love for manu and barca blinds u from seeing very obvious things.
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