Author Topic: 2012/2013 Champions League  (Read 39107 times)

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Re: 2012/2013 Champions League
« Reply #30 on: December 20, 2012, 09:13:38 PM »

Offline Edgar

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I will be rooting for Manchester for sure!!!
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Re: 2012/2013 Champions League
« Reply #31 on: February 12, 2013, 02:55:13 PM »

Offline Who

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Ah, that is a shame.

Juventus got an early goal against Celtic at Celtic Park. I would have loved to have seen how they responded to being 0-0 60 minutes in and with the crowd roaring stronger and louder than any other stadium in Europe. See how they handle the pressure.

This early goal takes all that off. Screws Celtic's chances. They need that advantage. Away goal too. Juve in a really strong position now.

Re: 2012/2013 Champions League
« Reply #32 on: February 12, 2013, 03:58:09 PM »

Offline KGs Knee

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I am praying to the gods that Milan can do the unthinkable and upset Barca.

Barca (and Madrid as well) is just such disgusting side.  No respect for either.  At least Juve and Inter, which I also loathe, are respectable.

Re: 2012/2013 Champions League
« Reply #33 on: February 12, 2013, 04:06:42 PM »

Offline Who

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I am praying to the gods that Milan can do the unthinkable and upset Barca.

Barca (and Madrid as well) is just such disgusting side.  No respect for either.  At least Juve and Inter, which I also loathe, are respectable.

I am really looking forward to seeing Balotelli and El-Shaaraway play together. They should be a very potent attacking force.

Re: 2012/2013 Champions League
« Reply #34 on: February 12, 2013, 04:23:05 PM »

Offline Who

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Aghhh, Matri scores! 2-0 Juventus over Celtic.

Two away goals too. Celtic aren't good enough to make up this deficit away in Turin against a very talented defensive side like Juventus. This tie is over. [dang it].

Edit: Argh ... 3-0, Vucinic. Game over, tie over.

Re: 2012/2013 Champions League
« Reply #35 on: February 13, 2013, 04:14:01 PM »

Offline Who

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Pretty good game here between Real Madrid and Man Utd (1-1).

A bit raggedy at times but great passion from both sides. You can they really want it. That this game means a great deal to each side.

They say an estimated 200 million people are watching this game right now. Amazing.

Re: 2012/2013 Champions League
« Reply #36 on: February 13, 2013, 04:32:58 PM »

Offline Who

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I'd like to see Ronaldo move into some more wide positions. Look to beat a defender and get a cross in. Madrid just playing in front of United right now. Getting no penetration in the final third.

Re: 2012/2013 Champions League
« Reply #37 on: February 13, 2013, 04:39:02 PM »

Offline KGs Knee

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Wow, pretty controversial ending to the Man U v. Madrid game.  Can't believe Man U wasn't allowed to take the final corner.  Can't recall the last time that has ever happened.

Re: 2012/2013 Champions League
« Reply #38 on: February 14, 2013, 06:07:18 AM »

Offline ederson

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Ramos is one dirty SOB ....
He won RVP`s yellow card by acting and then he got away elbowing Evans (i think)

But anyway it was a good game and the score makes a very interesting second leg

Real should attack even more on the left side. Fabio (or was it the other one??? :D) looked completely lost. I can`t remember him winning the ball!

BTW Ozil is soooo good!!!

Re: 2012/2013 Champions League
« Reply #39 on: February 14, 2013, 07:34:26 AM »

Offline Rondo2287

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Can anybody here explain the "Euoropa League" to me?  I have recently started getting into soccer/football and have become a tottenham hotspur fan.  I see that they play today and I am recording the game but I don't exactly understand why they are playing outside the premiere league.

I get the whole "Champions league" thing.  Not so much the Europa league though.  I assume champions league is more prestigious?
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Re: 2012/2013 Champions League
« Reply #40 on: February 14, 2013, 02:40:18 PM »

Offline Who

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Can anybody here explain the "Euoropa League" to me?  I have recently started getting into soccer/football and have become a tottenham hotspur fan.  I see that they play today and I am recording the game but I don't exactly understand why they are playing outside the premiere league.

I get the whole "Champions league" thing.  Not so much the Europa league though.  I assume champions league is more prestigious?

Yeah, more prestigious.

There used to be three European competitions = (1) Champions League / European Cup (2) Uefa Cup / Europa League (3) Cup Winners Cup.

The Champions of domestic league would go to the European Cup. The runners-up in the domestic teams would go to Uefa Cup. The winners of domestic cup (eg FA Cup) would go to the Cup Winners Cup.

Anyway, since then, the European Cup has been expanded into the Champions League. Now 3-4 teams from each top league in Europe plus 1-2 from lesser leagues go to the Champions League. Plus, the Cup Winners Cup has been scrubbed so cup winners now get a place in the new Europa League + the runners up teams are now teams who are placed 5th-7th in top leagues in Europe rather than the 2nd-3rd place teams they used to get. Also, the third placed team in the first group stage of the Champions League, when they get knocked out (top two of four team group advance), they go to the Europa League too.

There is very little money in the Europa League. I think the winner only earns around $5 million versus the $40+ million a Champions League winner gets.

The Europa League is still fairly well regarded around most of Europe but not in England. English teams usually send out their "B team" or reserves in the early rounds of the Europa League and do not take it seriously until the quarter-finals if they make it that far (by then, it's a possible trophy so they'll field good squads). 

So don't bother watching most English teams in these early phases. Most won't put a strong team out there. Tottenham are an exception currently. They have Andre Villas Boas as their manager who won the competition with Porto 2 years ago. He rates it highly and doesn't understand why so many English supporters don't care about it. But the year before, with Harry Redknapp, Spurs fielded their backups all the way through until they were knocked out. Just not enough money in it to make it worthwhile hurting your league position to progress.

Overall, you can get a couple of very good teams in the competition + some great matchups in the knockout stages ... but overall, the quality is fairly dodgy. A lot of weak teams.

Atletico Bilbao were great last year. They decimated Man Utd in the competition. Ajax too. Atletico Madrid won the competition last year. You can see what they are doing in La Liga this year. That happens = you can see up and coming teams coming through the Europa League. Mourinho's Porto side won this competition before winning the Champions League the next year.

Normally, I just ignore it until the quarter finals and then look to see if there are any good teams playing each other. Maybe watch one of those games. Otherwise, I think it's a fairly dull tournament.

I think they should go to straight knockout right from the beginning. With lesser teams / quality, they need to increase urgency / intensity of ties. They can't just be a poor man's Champs league. They have to do something different. I think a straight knockout would do wonders for increasing interest in the Europa League.

Re: 2012/2013 Champions League
« Reply #41 on: February 15, 2013, 02:58:43 AM »

Offline ederson

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Quote
Otherwise, I think it's a fairly dull tournament.

I`m with you .... I think they have expanded european tournaments too much. I find even CL less interesting nowdays

Re: 2012/2013 Champions League
« Reply #42 on: February 15, 2013, 08:40:34 AM »

Offline Rondo2287

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Can anybody here explain the "Euoropa League" to me?  I have recently started getting into soccer/football and have become a tottenham hotspur fan.  I see that they play today and I am recording the game but I don't exactly understand why they are playing outside the premiere league.

I get the whole "Champions league" thing.  Not so much the Europa league though.  I assume champions league is more prestigious?

Yeah, more prestigious.

There used to be three European competitions = (1) Champions League / European Cup (2) Uefa Cup / Europa League (3) Cup Winners Cup.

The Champions of domestic league would go to the European Cup. The runners-up in the domestic teams would go to Uefa Cup. The winners of domestic cup (eg FA Cup) would go to the Cup Winners Cup.

Anyway, since then, the European Cup has been expanded into the Champions League. Now 3-4 teams from each top league in Europe plus 1-2 from lesser leagues go to the Champions League. Plus, the Cup Winners Cup has been scrubbed so cup winners now get a place in the new Europa League + the runners up teams are now teams who are placed 5th-7th in top leagues in Europe rather than the 2nd-3rd place teams they used to get. Also, the third placed team in the first group stage of the Champions League, when they get knocked out (top two of four team group advance), they go to the Europa League too.

There is very little money in the Europa League. I think the winner only earns around $5 million versus the $40+ million a Champions League winner gets.

The Europa League is still fairly well regarded around most of Europe but not in England. English teams usually send out their "B team" or reserves in the early rounds of the Europa League and do not take it seriously until the quarter-finals if they make it that far (by then, it's a possible trophy so they'll field good squads). 

So don't bother watching most English teams in these early phases. Most won't put a strong team out there. Tottenham are an exception currently. They have Andre Villas Boas as their manager who won the competition with Porto 2 years ago. He rates it highly and doesn't understand why so many English supporters don't care about it. But the year before, with Harry Redknapp, Spurs fielded their backups all the way through until they were knocked out. Just not enough money in it to make it worthwhile hurting your league position to progress.

Overall, you can get a couple of very good teams in the competition + some great matchups in the knockout stages ... but overall, the quality is fairly dodgy. A lot of weak teams.

Atletico Bilbao were great last year. They decimated Man Utd in the competition. Ajax too. Atletico Madrid won the competition last year. You can see what they are doing in La Liga this year. That happens = you can see up and coming teams coming through the Europa League. Mourinho's Porto side won this competition before winning the Champions League the next year.

Normally, I just ignore it until the quarter finals and then look to see if there are any good teams playing each other. Maybe watch one of those games. Otherwise, I think it's a fairly dull tournament.

I think they should go to straight knockout right from the beginning. With lesser teams / quality, they need to increase urgency / intensity of ties. They can't just be a poor man's Champs league. They have to do something different. I think a straight knockout would do wonders for increasing interest in the Europa League.

Thanks fo the breakdown Who.  I watched Tottenham vs Lyon yesterday when I got home from class.  Gareth Bale knocked home the game winner on a free kick as time expired.  Its was pretty exciting, though the way Lyon was playing just packing it in on the defensive side made it less exciting. 

Best part about recording soccer is that I can turn on espn, the internet or whatever i normally would and not risk hearing about the score of the game!
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Re: 2012/2013 Champions League
« Reply #43 on: February 19, 2013, 02:42:01 PM »

Offline Who

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I feel bad for Arsene Wenger. He looked old, tired and beaten up in that press conference yesterday. It looks like Arsenal's struggles are really wearing on him.

I'd love for something good to happen for Wenger and Arsenal. They've been dealing with body blow (Fabregas) after body blow (Samir Nasri) after body blow (Robin Van Persie) lately. They need some good news.

Very excited about this Bayern Munich (2nd best team in Europe behind Barca?) versus Arsenal tie tonight. There should be some really good football on show.

Note: Arsenal are in their 13th straight season in the knockout stages of the Champions League. Very impressive achievement.

Re: 2012/2013 Champions League
« Reply #44 on: February 19, 2013, 03:13:58 PM »

Offline Who

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Arsenal getting pummeled. Bayern all over them. Up 2-0 already.

Bayern have been absolutely brilliant. I am pulling for them to win the Champions League this year. They have been so close the last few years. Losing in the Final twice. I'd love to see them get it this year.