On the Eve of the new Season...

[godsshoeshine]

i'll go 1-1 just barely making the second leg interesting. cant see barca scoring more than a goal at ot, assuming that fergie is playing games

[Frank Gallagher]

My only fear is that Ronaldo will over-play (if that's even a term) because tonight, in his mind, he'll be auditioning for his new team.

[godsshoeshine]

real?  

[vansmack]

So, as for last night, I thought the whistle had blown and Riise stuck it in the net as a joke at then end.  
 
 Then I saw him pick his head up and turn white as a ghost.  He looked like he was about to cry and couldn't believe what had happened.  Even the Chelsea players were sort of in shock over what happened.
 
 Then I laughed.  And laughed.  And laughed.
 
 As for today, 1-1 draw.  I will not be watching live and will be avoiding this thread from 2:30 on.

[Barcelona]

Originally posted by Barcelona:
  I give Barcelona a 20% chance of making it to the final.

After watching today´s game, I give Barcelona a 40% chance. We didn´t play well, but Manchester will have to look for a goal in Engand, that may open spaces for Messi, Etoo, Iniesta, Deco and Xavi. can´t wait for next Tuesday.

[vansmack]

Ronaldo missed a golden opportunity early, but United's defense was splendid.  Boy I would have liked that away goal though.
 
 Barca were the better team tonight going forward, but were very short on chances, despite the absence of Vidic.

[godsshoeshine]

kind of a weird team man u put out there, but they really seemed to out muscle barca in the last third. scholes really enjoys giving away free kicks in bad spots

[Frank Gallagher]

Just a couple of comments from yesterday.
 
 1.) That missed penalty just might cost United a place in the final
 
 2.) Barca dominating the game with 65% of possesion and not being able to put the game away on home soil just might cost them a place in the final.
 
 In summary - It's all still to play for and too close to call!!!

[vansmack]

So I watched it again last night on a real TV (I slingboxed it the first time), and I must say, I now know why I can't watch Italian football.  United definitely looked like Milan out there playing as defensively as they did.  And with fergie taking out both strikers for the last 10 minutes, I just don't know what to think.  I've never seen a United team take it's foot off the pedal.  I was a little disappointed.
 
 Which led me to think, maybe Barca cut a deal with Fergie.  Don't embarasas us at home by beating the crap out of us, costing all of us our jobs, and we'll reward with a 2-0 victory at Old Trafford and trip to the finals.  That's the only thing I can think of.

[Frank Gallagher]

Barca are spanish, not italian so I don't think there'd be any match fixing going on.
 
 Why was Rooney out on the wing? England have proved many times he needs to be up front in the middle running at the defense to be effective.
 
 I thought Wes Brown did a fine job of shutting Messi down, admittedly he's probably short of match fitness, but still. And we have no shortage of fullbacks seeing the way Hargreaves played back there.
 
 Tevez may as well have been back in Manc watching the game on telly for all he did. At half time I would've pulled Tevez, put Rooney in the middle and brought Giggs on as a winger.
 
 If United had scored that penalty that game would ended up being a high scoring game because it would've opened it up early on.
 
 Barca seemed to play like Arsenil by trying to dribble the ball over the line. At least when Henry came on he actually tried a shot that challenged VDS.
 
 I can't remember EVER seeing United sit back like that. Maybe Fergie was playing for a draw with the chelskzzzz match in mind so not wanting to tire them out too much.
 
 On a brigher note, at least we can survive at the back without Vidic if needs be.

[godsshoeshine]

Originally posted by vansmack:
  So I watched it again last night on a real TV (I slingboxed it the first time), and I must say, I now know why I can't watch Italian football.  United definitely looked like Milan out there playing as defensively as they did.  And with fergie taking out both strikers for the last 10 minutes, I just don't know what to think.  I've never seen a United team take it's foot off the pedal.  I was a little disappointed.
 
 Which led me to think, maybe Barca cut a deal with Fergie.  Don't embarasas us at home by beating the crap out of us, costing all of us our jobs, and we'll reward with a 2-0 victory at Old Trafford and trip to the finals.  That's the only thing I can think of.

he didnt really play them as strikers though (especially rooney) which i found odd. it was more like ronaldo was playing up top by himself. as an outside observer that's seen united play around a dozen matches this year, it didnt look like the same team. and why park?

[Barcelona]

I think Manchester United played too conservatively. Ronaldinho is no longer a FC Barcelona player, Messi has been injured a couple of times this season, this was his first game after the second injury. Deco and Marquez had not played in two months. Puyol was out. Etoo hasn't played well this year and Henry hasn't done anything at all in Spain. Pretty much the only ones who have consistently played well are Xavi, Iniesta, Toure Yaya and Abidal, which are good players but not among the best 30 players in the world. I think Manchester paid too much respect to Barcelona (you would be surprised at the awful statistics of Barcelona in the Spanish league since December), which is good because it tells me that we are still respected in Europe. However, I would not be surprised of a 3-0 in Old Trafford, but would not be surprised by 1-2 either.

[vansmack]

THE ONLY GAME THAT MATTERS
 
 Saturday, April 26
 
 7:30am Chelsea vs. Manchester Utd (Set)
 
 
 For the rest of you...
 
 10:00am Birmingham vs. Liverpool (Set)
 10:00am Sunderland vs. Middlesbrough (FSC)
 12:00pm Tottenham vs. Bolton (FSC)
 2:00pm Wigan vs. Reading (FSC)  
 2:15pm West Ham vs. Newcastle (SDC)
 4:15pm Manchester City vs. Fulham (SDC)
 
 Sunday, April 27
 
 11:00am Everton vs. Aston Villa (FSC)
 7:00pm Portsmouth vs. Blackburn (SDC)

[Frank Gallagher]

You know what's great about Saturday....United can lose and still win the title. That goal difference is almost an extra point.
 
 I think United will win rather comfortably to be honest, but footie is a funny old game as they say.
 
 United have West Ham and Wigan which shouldn't give us too much trouble.
 
 Chelskzzz have Newcastle who seem to have a new lease on life, and then Bolton who are fighting for survival so will be a tough game.

[vansmack]

Dubious, at best.