It will be South Korea 2002 all over again!!!...maybe worse if the geopolitical situation in Syria deteriorates!
2018 UEFA Champions League
- Thread starter Versaute
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It will be South Korea 2002 all over again!!!...maybe worse if the geopolitical situation in Syria deteriorates!
Just you, me and Versaute here, I think, lol ...
Really, is there a more universally-admired guy in the game today than Gigi? Perhaps some proof of his wickedness?
Haven't studied it closely but it looked like it could have gone either way. Probably the Bernabeu sealed it; a call like that is a lot less likely to go to a visiting team ...
A fan of one of the Milan clubs, maybe?
Arsenal, if I have to choose one ... lol.
On the penalty call...it was the right call...Benatia came in from behind and his weight carried him into the Real player in the box. Textbook application of the rule. However, had the opposite occurred the ref would most likely not have called a penalty for Juventus.
On Buffon's ejection...it's warranted because he came into contact with the ref. You might get away with a swear word or smart ass remarks....but they will get you for coming into contact with the ref!...If you notice when Buffon was exiting the field both the substitute goalkeeper and coach Allegri gave Buffon dirty stares in amazement.
Buffon's comments and insults towards the British referee Oliver in the post-game interviews warrant a lawsuit and a public apology. Buffon insulted the ref Oliver, his wife and kids. A disgraceful act!!!
My allegiance is with Naples...and therefore definitely not a team from the EVIL 3 (Juventus, Milan, Inter)
Really, is there a more universally-admired guy in the game today than Gigi? Perhaps some proof of his wickedness?... lol.
Buffon caught in betting scandal: http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11834/2376518/buffon-caught-up-in-betting-scandal
https://sports.ndtv.com/football/italy-captain-buffon-probed-for-illegal-gambling-1553442
Juventus Calciopoli: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2006/jul/15/newsstory.europeanfootball
Congratulations, dude ...
... but that ref is a dick, with obvious authority issues, as in a lack of confidence in his own, which he attempts to compensate for with comically-exaggerated postures of defiance in the face of protesting players and team officials. It's almost beside the point he missed a clear MC goal in the first half. He is out of his depth. He and Pepe have history, too. And "duking it out with the referee" is an extreme exaggeration for a mildly verbal protest as Pepe was walking away from that idiot, having corralled his players from confronting him.
Amazing game today. Anti-Real conspiracy theorists should have a field day ....
Sorry your MC pick didn't work out... I agree that the ref blew that call right before halftime. Hey, sometimes you need luck in addition to talent and smarts to go far at this stage. But given the history between Pep and the referee, Pep should know better than engaging him and get himself ejected. Anyway, ManCity lost the series at Anfield and in the rematch at home, MC lost all desire to battle back after Salah scored in the second half. Doesn't look like a championship-caliber team to me... The better team won fair and square.
Semifinals set:
Liverpool vs. Roma
Real Madrid vs. Bayern
My picks:
Liverpool
Bayern
I concur, Liverpool / Bayern final.
Sharkman,
"Maradona is God!"
I have no dog in this fight and don't particularly want to pursue it but your own link says nothing about Buffon's guilt in the Calciopoli scandal, just this:
"Moggi and other Juventus executives were accused of arranging for amenable referees and assistants to officiate at games involving the Turin club and at those involving other teams considered allies. The judges, headed by a former president of Italy's top court, imposed a 2½-year ban on Pierluigi Pairetto, one of two officials responsible for allocating referees for Serie A matches."
Or that he was ever convicted of illegal gambling ....
However, just looking at his Wiki page, I can see he's no saint ... so I take your point, more generally.
And he was too emotional and wrong about Oliver. Wanting something to be so, doesn't make it so ....
Versaute,
Yes, Klopp has Pep's number ... but that doesn't mean LP are a better team than MC. The points' difference in the PL suggests otherwise.
LP looked very good again today ... suddenly everything seems right with the back four and keeper, though they gave-up some chances in the last ten minutes against Bournemouth.
Gotta say, I thought they'd miss Coutinho, but I guess not--not yet, anyway.
It looks like Salah really wants the goal-scoring records for club and league .... I wonder if Klopp will rest him in favour of upcoming CL games. If so, Salah won't be happy ....
My picks, I have no idea, really, lol ... but I'll say:
Real Madrid / Roma
"Maradona is God!"
I have no dog in this fight and don't particularly want to pursue it but your own link says nothing about Buffon's guilt in the Calciopoli scandal, just this:
"Moggi and other Juventus executives were accused of arranging for amenable referees and assistants to officiate at games involving the Turin club and at those involving other teams considered allies. The judges, headed by a former president of Italy's top court, imposed a 2½-year ban on Pierluigi Pairetto, one of two officials responsible for allocating referees for Serie A matches."
Or that he was ever convicted of illegal gambling ....
However, just looking at his Wiki page, I can see he's no saint ... so I take your point, more generally.
And he was too emotional and wrong about Oliver. Wanting something to be so, doesn't make it so ....
Versaute,
Yes, Klopp has Pep's number ... but that doesn't mean LP are a better team than MC. The points' difference in the PL suggests otherwise.
LP looked very good again today ... suddenly everything seems right with the back four and keeper, though they gave-up some chances in the last ten minutes against Bournemouth.
Gotta say, I thought they'd miss Coutinho, but I guess not--not yet, anyway.
It looks like Salah really wants the goal-scoring records for club and league .... I wonder if Klopp will rest him in favour of upcoming CL games. If so, Salah won't be happy ....
My picks, I have no idea, really, lol ... but I'll say:
Real Madrid / Roma
"Moggi and other Juventus executives were accused of arranging for amenable referees and assistants to officiate at games involving the Turin club and at those involving other teams considered allies. The judges, headed by a former president of Italy's top court, imposed a 2½-year ban on Pierluigi Pairetto, one of two officials responsible for allocating referees for Serie A matches."
Love your reference of Moggi - aka Mr. Calciopoli!!!...Who by the way was banned for life for his involvement in the Calciopoli scandal!!!...and who also was the Napoli GM during Maradona's heydays and who had a hand in throwing away some late games in the second half of the 1987-88 season that allowed Milan to surpass Naples and win the championship. Moggi continued his match fixing/bribing trade when he jumped ship to Juventus!!!...and there is a good reason - and it was no accident - why he landed in Juventus. But I cannot elaborate here as to the real reasons why because and he escaped from Napoli unscathed. Let's just say that he is "a rat"!...He would sell his mother to bribe an official!...Let's just say that he is fortunate to enjoy retirement right now!
https://www.thestar.com/sports/socc...den_juventus_just_keeps_on_winning_kelly.html
http://www.espn.com/sports/soccer/news/_/id/6664758/lifetime-bans-three-men-juventus-scandal
https://www.independent.co.uk/sport...-mafia-links-to-maradonas-napoli-1568036.html
It will be an excellent match between Liverpool and Roma....it's a toss up...I am picking Liverpool as per my previous post.
I am convinced however that Bayern will beat Real Madrid!
Yes, Klopp has Pep's number ... but that doesn't mean LP are a better team than MC. The points' difference in the PL suggests otherwise.
LP looked very good again today ... suddenly everything seems right with the back four and keeper, though they gave-up some chances in the last ten minutes against Bournemouth.
Gotta say, I thought they'd miss Coutinho, but I guess not--not yet, anyway.
It looks like Salah really wants the goal-scoring records for club and league .... I wonder if Klopp will rest him in favour of upcoming CL games. If so, Salah won't be happy ....
Meta,
The EPL season is a marathon. MC started strong but is crawling to the finish line. It's a good thing they've built a big cushion ahead of ManUnited and Liverpool. It's about momentum and what have you done for me lately. In that dept, Liverpool's got it and MC doesn't. I'd say LP is peaking at the right time while MC had its O - haha- a month or so ago.
Coutinho was a fine player but he overplayed his hand. He was also injured a lot and looked frail. His replacement, the Ox from Arsenal may not be Coutinho-like but is built well..like an ox, is more durable and has been solid in midfield dishing out passes to Salah and Co. upfront.
Salah got his 40th goal today so that is quite a record. I think he'll play some in the remaining PL games but his minutes will be limited.
I am dreaming of a Liverpool vs. Bayern CL final in Kiev!
Versaute,
"Crawling to the finish line"? Hardly. MC had an impressive "O" performance yesterday, away to Spurs, which makes last week look like a probable anomaly.
Coutinho's far more talented than AOC and capable of unlocking the tightest of defences ... but we'll see.
MU were laughably piss-poor today against West Brom .... looking forward to them spending another 200 million this summer, if not preceded by another Mourinho crack-up, lol.
"Crawling to the finish line"? Hardly. MC had an impressive "O" performance yesterday, away to Spurs, which makes last week look like a probable anomaly.
Coutinho's far more talented than AOC and capable of unlocking the tightest of defences ... but we'll see.
MU were laughably piss-poor today against West Brom .... looking forward to them spending another 200 million this summer, if not preceded by another Mourinho crack-up, lol.
Liverpool crushed Roma 5-2 earlier today in the first leg at Anfield. Salah was spectacular with two goals and two assists. An amazing performance that could well earn him the Ballon D'Or especially if the Reds go all the way. Roma still has a shot albeit a very long one. What are the odds that Roma could pull another upset like they did against Barca and come away 3-0 in the second leg? I'd put that at less than 0.05%. Liverpool has shown it could find the back of the net with relentless offensive and speed football with Salah, Firmino and Mane.
How ironic, Salah played for Roma last year and was sold to Liverpool for a transfer fee of about £37 million in summer 2017!
Salah's market value has now skyrocketed to well over £100-150 million with Real Madrid expressing an interest in getting him from Liverpool.
Salah's market value has now skyrocketed to well over £100-150 million with Real Madrid expressing an interest in getting him from Liverpool.
... and, like KDB, a Mourinho reject at Chelsea.
Salah looked like the best player in the world on Tuesday, even if Roma played to his strengths with their kamikazee tactics in playing such a high defensive line.
Such an extraordinary performance by all of the front three.
Liverpool look unstoppable now ....
Salah looked like the best player in the world on Tuesday, even if Roma played to his strengths with their kamikazee tactics in playing such a high defensive line.
Such an extraordinary performance by all of the front three.
Liverpool look unstoppable now ....
How ironic, Salah played for Roma last year and was sold to Liverpool for a transfer fee of about £37 million in summer 2017!
Salah's market value has now skyrocketed to well over £100-150 million with Real Madrid expressing an interest in getting him from Liverpool.
Liverpool will definitely try to keep Salah by giving him a big contract in the off-season. He knows he's a good fit in Klopp's system. RM may go after him with mega money but it's Ronaldo's team and Salah will not be the go-to guy there as he is now.
... and, like KDB, a Mourinho reject at Chelsea.
Mourinho is a great coach though. It's just a different system. Mourinho's strikers tend to be physical, brutish types, think Diego Costa, Ibrahimovic, and now Lukaku. Salah did not fit the profile. He's more of a touch, finesse and speed type player.
For a side of MU's pedigree and resources, Mou's hyper-defensive tactics make little sense, as evidenced by his mis-handling of Pogba and in the CL home & away games against Sevilla ...
... Mou was at his best with a chip-on-his-shoulder, while coaching a lesser side (ie. Porto & Inter) against a behemoth. That works less well when he is himself that behemoth - and all that's left is the chip.
https://twitter.com/Maganlal1303/status/989979169932107776?s=19
BTW, Mou on Salah, "I bought him for Chelsea. I didn't sell him."
https://twitter.com/JuanG_Arango/status/989584864017035264?s=19
Early senseless prediction: MU to finish third in the BPL next year ... with Mou gone by XMAS.
Love this:
https://twitter.com/ESPNFC/status/989965025593974784?s=19
... Mou was at his best with a chip-on-his-shoulder, while coaching a lesser side (ie. Porto & Inter) against a behemoth. That works less well when he is himself that behemoth - and all that's left is the chip.
https://twitter.com/Maganlal1303/status/989979169932107776?s=19
BTW, Mou on Salah, "I bought him for Chelsea. I didn't sell him."
https://twitter.com/JuanG_Arango/status/989584864017035264?s=19
Early senseless prediction: MU to finish third in the BPL next year ... with Mou gone by XMAS.
Love this:
https://twitter.com/ESPNFC/status/989965025593974784?s=19
Seems like a pretty-cool guy, Jim Pallotta, the owner of AS Roma, talking about the incident of Roma-fan violence after last week's game in Liverpool:
https://youtu.be/9tYdXXDaDFY
https://youtu.be/9tYdXXDaDFY
