Bayern Munich --> Champions League Group Stage
Borussia Dortmund
--> Champions League Group Stage
Bayer 04 Leverkusen
--> Champions League Group Stage
Schalke 04 Gelsenkirchen --> Champions League Play-off Round
SC Freiburg --> Europa League Group Stage
Eintracht Frankfurt --> Europa League Play-off Round
VfB Stuttgart --> Europa League Third Qualifying Round
Showing posts with label Bayern Munich. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bayern Munich. Show all posts
Sunday, 9 June 2013
Tuesday, 23 April 2013
Old and Cheated
Maybe the Barcelona team is getting old.
The players of the Spanish team seemed like they couldn't play too well when they didn't have the ball at their feet for 65%-70% of the playing time. Maybe some coach should analyze different styles of play, too, not just always one style.
Or maybe they just grossly underestimated Bayern.
Well, in any case, even with Barcelona being second best, the 0-4 scoreline is a joke.
And most of it is due to the referees.
The second bayern goal was clearly scored from an offside position.
And the third goal was preceded by a clear foul by the Germans, which the referees either stupidly or blindly decided to ignore.
You kind of wonder, after such decisions, is Bayern management as obsessed with winning the Champions League as to follow the Inter Milan example and pay everybody they can, in order to get it?
The players of the Spanish team seemed like they couldn't play too well when they didn't have the ball at their feet for 65%-70% of the playing time. Maybe some coach should analyze different styles of play, too, not just always one style.
Or maybe they just grossly underestimated Bayern.
Well, in any case, even with Barcelona being second best, the 0-4 scoreline is a joke.
And most of it is due to the referees.
The second bayern goal was clearly scored from an offside position.
And the third goal was preceded by a clear foul by the Germans, which the referees either stupidly or blindly decided to ignore.
You kind of wonder, after such decisions, is Bayern management as obsessed with winning the Champions League as to follow the Inter Milan example and pay everybody they can, in order to get it?
Wednesday, 10 April 2013
Same Shitty Display from Juventus Buffoons
Why doesn't buffon just retire?
He's weighing down the teams he plays for.
I don't know exactly how Juventus manages to win such a high percentage of their games in the Serie A. Maybe they're cheating again. (Will that ever stop being an issue in the Italian league?) Or maybe the Italian league is shit, too.
Anyway, getting back to Buffon, the goal that buried Juventus today (- not that they were playing any kind of good football -) bore a striking similarity to the second goal he conceded, away from home, eight days ago.
And they were all playing badly. Pirlo managed to get a good free kick on goal, in the first half, but, much to his dishonour, he put the ball right where Manuel Neuer was placed at the time.
With teams like that, and such weak displays against teams from better leagues, I don't see when Italian football will manage to squeeze into the top three again, and have four teams in the Champions League once more.
"We deserve to be there." (Conte, before the first leg) - What a crock of shit!
He's weighing down the teams he plays for.
I don't know exactly how Juventus manages to win such a high percentage of their games in the Serie A. Maybe they're cheating again. (Will that ever stop being an issue in the Italian league?) Or maybe the Italian league is shit, too.
Anyway, getting back to Buffon, the goal that buried Juventus today (- not that they were playing any kind of good football -) bore a striking similarity to the second goal he conceded, away from home, eight days ago.
And they were all playing badly. Pirlo managed to get a good free kick on goal, in the first half, but, much to his dishonour, he put the ball right where Manuel Neuer was placed at the time.
With teams like that, and such weak displays against teams from better leagues, I don't see when Italian football will manage to squeeze into the top three again, and have four teams in the Champions League once more.
"We deserve to be there." (Conte, before the first leg) - What a crock of shit!
Tuesday, 2 April 2013
What Happened to Italian Consistency?
Why do Italians make such fools of themselves lately?
I can't help but point out again the biggest humiliation in Italy's football history, the Euro final loss from last year.
(And the fact that Prandelli remained coach afterwards.)
Likewise, some of the current Juventus football figures made fools of themselves, too, before and during the Champions-League quarter-final first leg against Bayern. Buffoons, if you will.
If I say "buffoon", the readers' attention might be immediately directed to Gianluigi Buffon. Yes, that's one. But, first, Antonio Conte.
If you're going to go to a pre-match press conference, and brag that your team deserves to be there, Mr. Conte, you better have the team to back that up. After the match against Bayern, it is clear that Conte had better shut the hell up.
Maybe he'll learn his lesson, and in the future become cocky after a match, not before.
'Cause Juve played like shit. Nobody expected Bayern to put 9 goals past Juventus, like they did against Hamburger SV three days prior, but they certainly had the chances to do so against Juventus, too.
You may think Juventus' defending was good, then, if there were more than 9 chances for Bayern, and the Germans only scored twice.
But it wasn't. Juventus was lucky not to concede four or five, and I mean in the first half only. And they didn't have scoring chances, either. They were totally overwhelmed. Even Pirlo was pathetic.
And then there was Buffon the buffoon. For a goalkeeper who's hailed as one of the best in the world, he can certainly let in some howlers.
(Remember the goal he alone created, for Lecce, against Juve, late last season? Well, maybe that was for betting purposes...)
But when Alaba scored, in the very first minute, Buffon was by far the guilty Juventus player. He either wasn't paying attention, or his talent goes in and out in some matches. Really, Buffon should apologize to all Juventus people, because he started the suckiness of the Italian team at the Allianz Arena.
If Conte's the one guilty of not preparing the Italian champions properly, Buffon is the one guilty of screwing up the tactics of the Turin club from the very start. They basically had to start from 0-1, because Buffon couldn't see in time that the opponent was shooting from 40 meters out, or so.
Not that 0-2 is an insurmountable result, but Juventus certainly did not live up to their expectations. And now they're staring elimination in the face.
I can't help but point out again the biggest humiliation in Italy's football history, the Euro final loss from last year.
(And the fact that Prandelli remained coach afterwards.)
Likewise, some of the current Juventus football figures made fools of themselves, too, before and during the Champions-League quarter-final first leg against Bayern. Buffoons, if you will.
If I say "buffoon", the readers' attention might be immediately directed to Gianluigi Buffon. Yes, that's one. But, first, Antonio Conte.
If you're going to go to a pre-match press conference, and brag that your team deserves to be there, Mr. Conte, you better have the team to back that up. After the match against Bayern, it is clear that Conte had better shut the hell up.
Maybe he'll learn his lesson, and in the future become cocky after a match, not before.
'Cause Juve played like shit. Nobody expected Bayern to put 9 goals past Juventus, like they did against Hamburger SV three days prior, but they certainly had the chances to do so against Juventus, too.
You may think Juventus' defending was good, then, if there were more than 9 chances for Bayern, and the Germans only scored twice.
But it wasn't. Juventus was lucky not to concede four or five, and I mean in the first half only. And they didn't have scoring chances, either. They were totally overwhelmed. Even Pirlo was pathetic.
And then there was Buffon the buffoon. For a goalkeeper who's hailed as one of the best in the world, he can certainly let in some howlers.
(Remember the goal he alone created, for Lecce, against Juve, late last season? Well, maybe that was for betting purposes...)
But when Alaba scored, in the very first minute, Buffon was by far the guilty Juventus player. He either wasn't paying attention, or his talent goes in and out in some matches. Really, Buffon should apologize to all Juventus people, because he started the suckiness of the Italian team at the Allianz Arena.
If Conte's the one guilty of not preparing the Italian champions properly, Buffon is the one guilty of screwing up the tactics of the Turin club from the very start. They basically had to start from 0-1, because Buffon couldn't see in time that the opponent was shooting from 40 meters out, or so.
Not that 0-2 is an insurmountable result, but Juventus certainly did not live up to their expectations. And now they're staring elimination in the face.
Wednesday, 13 March 2013
How the Hell Are These Guys 20 Points Ahead?
This is, unfortunately, I think, the problem with these big football leagues, around Europe. Most of them must be fixed, at least during certain years.
How else can a team like Bayern have a 20-point lead, in the Bundesliga, over a team like Borussia Dortmund?
They must not be playing the same teams. (Or, even more explicit, teams must be playing differently against one (let's say) contender than against the other.)
Real strength is measured better in the Champions League.
And, looking at the Bayern team today, against an only-slightly-above-average team, like Arsenal, I must say "I just don't get it". About Bayern Munich.
Yes, Bayern played better than Arsenal, but Arsenal is weak. No matter which way you look at it, Arsenal is not really a top European team.
Bayern didn't face Manchester United, or City (- yes, I know they suck in the CL, but I had to include them because I'm talking English clubs, here -), or Chelsea.
And they were up 3-1, from the first leg. Away leg!
How did they come to shake and shiver for the entire second leg? Home leg!
I'd look forward to see Bayern play Borussia, in the Champions League, later.
As for Arsenal, they got lucky, to a large extent. They didn't play too great. But they should be proud, because they showed great ambition and tenacity.
I'm sure Wenger is proud. But Wenger and the Arsenal management higher-ups are the only ones close to the London club who shouldn't be proud. Because the Arsenal prestige has been receding, for quite a while now, and this is just a temporary high.
It's quite possible Arsenal won't be in the Champions League, next year, at all.
Highlights:
How else can a team like Bayern have a 20-point lead, in the Bundesliga, over a team like Borussia Dortmund?
They must not be playing the same teams. (Or, even more explicit, teams must be playing differently against one (let's say) contender than against the other.)
Real strength is measured better in the Champions League.
And, looking at the Bayern team today, against an only-slightly-above-average team, like Arsenal, I must say "I just don't get it". About Bayern Munich.
Yes, Bayern played better than Arsenal, but Arsenal is weak. No matter which way you look at it, Arsenal is not really a top European team.
Bayern didn't face Manchester United, or City (- yes, I know they suck in the CL, but I had to include them because I'm talking English clubs, here -), or Chelsea.
And they were up 3-1, from the first leg. Away leg!
How did they come to shake and shiver for the entire second leg? Home leg!
I'd look forward to see Bayern play Borussia, in the Champions League, later.
As for Arsenal, they got lucky, to a large extent. They didn't play too great. But they should be proud, because they showed great ambition and tenacity.
I'm sure Wenger is proud. But Wenger and the Arsenal management higher-ups are the only ones close to the London club who shouldn't be proud. Because the Arsenal prestige has been receding, for quite a while now, and this is just a temporary high.
It's quite possible Arsenal won't be in the Champions League, next year, at all.
Highlights:
Thursday, 22 November 2012
Stupid, Retarded UEFA Rules!
I must say, it seems to me that UEFA decision makers are getting dumber and dumber. And no, I'm not talking about the decision to have the next Euros comprise of 24 teams.
I'm talking about having the main tie-breaking criterion between teams tied on points in the Champions League be the direct results between the teams in question.
How moronic is that?
How idiotic is it, huh, Mr. Platini?
Let's look at it, group by group.
Group A is, surprisingly, unaffected by this rule.
In Group B, Schalke can even lose, no matter by what scoreline, as long as Arsenal does not win in the other match, and still win the group. So, a team that might get crushed - it will not happen, by I'm just saying - 7-0 by someone as weak as Montpellier could still win that group. Stupid!
In Group C, Malaga has already won the group, courtesy of their better head-to-head record against AC Milan. So, then, both Malaga and Milan have nothing to play for in the last matchday. Very stupid!
Luckily, as far as the struggle between Zenit St. Petersburg and Anderlecht goes, their direct encounters ended 1-0 and 0-1, so that will be decided by goal difference. They will have to show up and play, if they wish to finish third and continue in the Europa League. Thank God (for almost nothing)!
Group D also has a decided winner, Borussia Dortmund, because of their better record against Real Madrid. Not that Borussia was not the best team of the group so far, but if they lose at home to Manchester City, on the last matchday, nobody would then say that they were, pound-for-pound, the best overall team if Real beats Ajax and gets the same number of points. (You gotta play well all your matches to be most appreciated!...)
Man. City, likewise, cannot not win their last match, if they want Europa League play, even if Ajax loses 200-0 in Madrid.
Extremely dumb!
But Group E is the worst.
You know, someone watching Juventus - Chelsea (3-0), and not having been aware of these fucked-up UEFA rules, might have thought that Juventus kept pressing, even at 2-0 and with 10 minutes left, because they knew every goal would count on the last matchday and Chelsea would have played Nordsjaelland (a team that is very likely to lose 6-7--nil). Actually, though, NO!
Thanks to any kind of win over Chelsea, and with a point in Donetsk in two weeks ' time, Juventus can then be assured of progressing over Chelsea, last year 's winner.
Even a 1-0 victory for Juventus would have been enough to secure that advantage.
3-0 was a result that brought Juventus no more benefits than a 1-0 would have.
And another unfortunate result of this obvious lack of intelligence from UEFA officials is the fact that Shakhtar Donetsk is already in the round of 16. Yes, they have secured their place, because of their direct results over Chelsea (2-1 and 2-3, away-goals rule) and now Chelsea can only at best tie Shakhtar on points.
So, Shakhtar has only first place to play for, on the last matchday, and clearly a draw in their direct match would satisfy both Shakhtar (who would win the group) and Juventus (who would go through, leaving Chelsea out).
How much do Chelsea fans hate UEFA for these senseless rules?
So, so retarded!!!
In Group F, Bayern leads over Valencia, even though Valencia has a better goal difference. (The two teams are tied on points, yes.) And all Bayern needs to do is match the number of points that Valencia gets on the last day, to win that group.
Also, Lille cannot go to the Europa League, even though they are clearly better than BATE at the present time, even if they win their last match by an astronomical score, and BATE loses theirs by an astronomical score, too, to boot. Why? Well, because stupid UEFA said 1-3 and 2-0 means the team that scored the three goals in that one match will beat the other team, no matter what else happens, if they're tied on points at the end.
Also, retarded!
In Group G, Benfica needs to match Celtic's result, but luckily for the surprising Scottish outfit (who beat Barcelona) Celtic plays Spartak at home while Benfica has to take on Barca away.
Group H contains another team that might be seriously screwed by this deficiency in thinking clearly exhibited by UEFA officials: CFR Cluj.
The Romanians have to go to Old Trafford, needing to beat Manchester United. And, even then, they have to hope that Galatasaray does not defeat Braga in Portugal. (And Braga cannot even finish third anymore. They will be bottom, and might only be playing for pride, if even that.)
Potential scorelines Man. U. - Cluj 0-5 and Braga - Galatasaray 2-3 would allow the Turkish team to qualify. If that happens, wouldn't that be fucked-up, retarded, and unfair to Cluj?
Realistically, all the Transylvanian team can hope for is for them to get a point in Manchester, and for Galatasaray to lose to Braga.
They could score, and score, and score, in England, and still get kicked out. Thanks to some serious incompetence from UEFA!
I'm talking about having the main tie-breaking criterion between teams tied on points in the Champions League be the direct results between the teams in question.
How moronic is that?
How idiotic is it, huh, Mr. Platini?
Let's look at it, group by group.
Group A is, surprisingly, unaffected by this rule.
In Group B, Schalke can even lose, no matter by what scoreline, as long as Arsenal does not win in the other match, and still win the group. So, a team that might get crushed - it will not happen, by I'm just saying - 7-0 by someone as weak as Montpellier could still win that group. Stupid!
In Group C, Malaga has already won the group, courtesy of their better head-to-head record against AC Milan. So, then, both Malaga and Milan have nothing to play for in the last matchday. Very stupid!
Luckily, as far as the struggle between Zenit St. Petersburg and Anderlecht goes, their direct encounters ended 1-0 and 0-1, so that will be decided by goal difference. They will have to show up and play, if they wish to finish third and continue in the Europa League. Thank God (for almost nothing)!
Group D also has a decided winner, Borussia Dortmund, because of their better record against Real Madrid. Not that Borussia was not the best team of the group so far, but if they lose at home to Manchester City, on the last matchday, nobody would then say that they were, pound-for-pound, the best overall team if Real beats Ajax and gets the same number of points. (You gotta play well all your matches to be most appreciated!...)
Man. City, likewise, cannot not win their last match, if they want Europa League play, even if Ajax loses 200-0 in Madrid.
Extremely dumb!
But Group E is the worst.
You know, someone watching Juventus - Chelsea (3-0), and not having been aware of these fucked-up UEFA rules, might have thought that Juventus kept pressing, even at 2-0 and with 10 minutes left, because they knew every goal would count on the last matchday and Chelsea would have played Nordsjaelland (a team that is very likely to lose 6-7--nil). Actually, though, NO!
Thanks to any kind of win over Chelsea, and with a point in Donetsk in two weeks ' time, Juventus can then be assured of progressing over Chelsea, last year 's winner.
Even a 1-0 victory for Juventus would have been enough to secure that advantage.
3-0 was a result that brought Juventus no more benefits than a 1-0 would have.
And another unfortunate result of this obvious lack of intelligence from UEFA officials is the fact that Shakhtar Donetsk is already in the round of 16. Yes, they have secured their place, because of their direct results over Chelsea (2-1 and 2-3, away-goals rule) and now Chelsea can only at best tie Shakhtar on points.
So, Shakhtar has only first place to play for, on the last matchday, and clearly a draw in their direct match would satisfy both Shakhtar (who would win the group) and Juventus (who would go through, leaving Chelsea out).
How much do Chelsea fans hate UEFA for these senseless rules?
So, so retarded!!!
In Group F, Bayern leads over Valencia, even though Valencia has a better goal difference. (The two teams are tied on points, yes.) And all Bayern needs to do is match the number of points that Valencia gets on the last day, to win that group.
Also, Lille cannot go to the Europa League, even though they are clearly better than BATE at the present time, even if they win their last match by an astronomical score, and BATE loses theirs by an astronomical score, too, to boot. Why? Well, because stupid UEFA said 1-3 and 2-0 means the team that scored the three goals in that one match will beat the other team, no matter what else happens, if they're tied on points at the end.
Also, retarded!
In Group G, Benfica needs to match Celtic's result, but luckily for the surprising Scottish outfit (who beat Barcelona) Celtic plays Spartak at home while Benfica has to take on Barca away.
Group H contains another team that might be seriously screwed by this deficiency in thinking clearly exhibited by UEFA officials: CFR Cluj.
The Romanians have to go to Old Trafford, needing to beat Manchester United. And, even then, they have to hope that Galatasaray does not defeat Braga in Portugal. (And Braga cannot even finish third anymore. They will be bottom, and might only be playing for pride, if even that.)
Potential scorelines Man. U. - Cluj 0-5 and Braga - Galatasaray 2-3 would allow the Turkish team to qualify. If that happens, wouldn't that be fucked-up, retarded, and unfair to Cluj?
Realistically, all the Transylvanian team can hope for is for them to get a point in Manchester, and for Galatasaray to lose to Braga.
They could score, and score, and score, in England, and still get kicked out. Thanks to some serious incompetence from UEFA!
Tuesday, 2 October 2012
Look at Who Broke Bayern's Streak
Bayern and Barcelona were the only two teams left with perfect records in their national leagues and European competitions this season.
And Barca had arguably the tougher match, having to take on Benfica.
But it turns out BATE Borisov actually knew how to take on their much-more-decorated opponent way better than the Portuguese runners-up. (I always said Jorge Jesus is not a very good coach, in my opinion. But Viktor Goncharenko, the Belarussian coach, on the other hand... Bravo to him!)
BATE had a very simple tactic, actually. But effective, and smart. Sit back, soak up the pressure, then try to hit fast and strongly on the counter-attack. And everything worked out perfectly. Bayern even wasted a huge opportunity to take the lead, at 0-0, when Kroos was left alone with the empty net but could only hit the post.
(Little did Kroos know at that moment, but he actually lost the match for Bayern, right there. Doesn't look too concerned in the highlights, does he? But he should have been.)
What is most impressive about this win, aside from the perceived difference in quality between the two sides, is that, after Bayern scored, BATE somehow found the resources and the power to score a third and put Bayern in their place again.
Now, that's a team!
BATE is not yet past the group stage, but they are sitting very nicely.
(Their fans must be going crazy with pride, in Belarus.)
Next, Bayern will have to try to do better against lowly Lille, while BATE will see what they can do against Valencia, again at home. That will be a trip from almost one end of Europe to the opposing end of Europe, diagonally, by the way. But that won't be the most worrying thing for the Valencia squad, after this BATE match.
Highlights:
And Barca had arguably the tougher match, having to take on Benfica.
But it turns out BATE Borisov actually knew how to take on their much-more-decorated opponent way better than the Portuguese runners-up. (I always said Jorge Jesus is not a very good coach, in my opinion. But Viktor Goncharenko, the Belarussian coach, on the other hand... Bravo to him!)
BATE had a very simple tactic, actually. But effective, and smart. Sit back, soak up the pressure, then try to hit fast and strongly on the counter-attack. And everything worked out perfectly. Bayern even wasted a huge opportunity to take the lead, at 0-0, when Kroos was left alone with the empty net but could only hit the post.
(Little did Kroos know at that moment, but he actually lost the match for Bayern, right there. Doesn't look too concerned in the highlights, does he? But he should have been.)
What is most impressive about this win, aside from the perceived difference in quality between the two sides, is that, after Bayern scored, BATE somehow found the resources and the power to score a third and put Bayern in their place again.
Now, that's a team!
BATE is not yet past the group stage, but they are sitting very nicely.
(Their fans must be going crazy with pride, in Belarus.)
Next, Bayern will have to try to do better against lowly Lille, while BATE will see what they can do against Valencia, again at home. That will be a trip from almost one end of Europe to the opposing end of Europe, diagonally, by the way. But that won't be the most worrying thing for the Valencia squad, after this BATE match.
Highlights:
Sunday, 12 August 2012
What Kind of Bullshit Is This?
Today was the German Super Cup...
What?!?
That's preposterous.
What kind of idiots organize a super cup (which is a meeting, as far as I know, between the league winner and the cup winner from the previous season - to see who's tougher, I guess -) between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich?
I can't remember Bayern winning any of the above trophies last year. I can't remember them winning any trophies last season.
So, you can see why I'm saying this was bullshit. Complete bullshit, it was.
If one teams wins the league and that same team wins the cup, they should not have to play anybody for the super cup!
What makes this really bad is that Bayern won the match. (They won 2-1, with 2 goals scored in the first 11 minutes.)
Yes, the winner of the league and the winner of the cup did not get the super cup!
This is absolutely retarded, I'm sorry.
It happens in other places, too, unfortunately: the organization of such phony super cups.
But if people really want to see matches, in a year when there should not be a super cup, how about getting the teams with the best odds to win the upcoming league season, inventing a new trophy, and playing that instead? You want to see a show, organize a show, not an unnecessary lie.
But that might be just me. I'm sure many people, among whom all of the Bayern fans, enjoyed this, after not being better than second best at any time in the last two years.
What?!?
That's preposterous.
What kind of idiots organize a super cup (which is a meeting, as far as I know, between the league winner and the cup winner from the previous season - to see who's tougher, I guess -) between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich?
I can't remember Bayern winning any of the above trophies last year. I can't remember them winning any trophies last season.
So, you can see why I'm saying this was bullshit. Complete bullshit, it was.
If one teams wins the league and that same team wins the cup, they should not have to play anybody for the super cup!
What makes this really bad is that Bayern won the match. (They won 2-1, with 2 goals scored in the first 11 minutes.)
Yes, the winner of the league and the winner of the cup did not get the super cup!
This is absolutely retarded, I'm sorry.
It happens in other places, too, unfortunately: the organization of such phony super cups.
But if people really want to see matches, in a year when there should not be a super cup, how about getting the teams with the best odds to win the upcoming league season, inventing a new trophy, and playing that instead? You want to see a show, organize a show, not an unnecessary lie.
But that might be just me. I'm sure many people, among whom all of the Bayern fans, enjoyed this, after not being better than second best at any time in the last two years.
Monday, 4 June 2012
Germany - UEFA Club Competitions Participants - 2012-2013
Borussia Dortmund --> Champions League Group Stage
Bayern Munich --> Champions League Group Stage
Schalke 04 Gelsenkirchen --> Champions League Group Stage
Borussia Monchengladbach --> Champions League Play-off Round
Bayer 04 Leverkusen --> Europa League Group Stage
VfB Stuttgart --> Europa League Play-off Round
Hannover 96 --> Europa League Third Qualifying Round
Bayern Munich --> Champions League Group Stage
Schalke 04 Gelsenkirchen --> Champions League Group Stage
Borussia Monchengladbach --> Champions League Play-off Round
Bayer 04 Leverkusen --> Europa League Group Stage
VfB Stuttgart --> Europa League Play-off Round
Hannover 96 --> Europa League Third Qualifying Round
Saturday, 19 May 2012
2012.05.19 - The Results
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Final
20:45 -- Bayern - Chelsea 1-1, 1-1 after extra time, 3-4 on penalties only, 4-5 final score highlights
[1-0] 83' Thomas Muller
[1-1] 88' Didier Drogba
x - 95' Arjen Robben (m. pen. Bayern) - x
USA: Major League Soccer
23:00 -- Vancouver Whitecaps - Seattle Sounders 2-2
[1-0] 12' Alain Rochat
[1-1] 47' Eddie Johnson
[2-1] 82' Camillo Da Silva Sanvezzo
[2-2] 90' Fredy Montero
01:30 -- New England Revolution - Houston Dynamo 2-2 (1-1)
01:30 -- D.C. United - Toronto FC 3-1 (2-0)
01:30 -- Montreal Impact - New York Red Bulls 1-2 (1-1)
02:30 -- Dallas - Philadelphia Union 1-1 (1-0)
03:00 -- Colorado Rapids - Sporting Kansas City 2-2 (0-2)
04:30 -- San Jose Earthquakes - Columbus Crew 1-1 (0-1)
04:30 -- CD Chivas USA - Los Angeles Galaxy 1-0 (0-0)
Current standings:
Eastern Conference:
1 New York 12 8 1 3 25-17 +8 25p
2 D.C United 14 7 3 4 25-17 +8 24p
3 Sporting KC 11 7 1 3 15-9 +6 22p
4 Chicago Fire 9 4 3 2 11-10 +1 15p
5 New England 11 4 1 6 14-15 -1 13p
6 Houston 10 3 4 3 10-11 -1 13p
Western Conference:
1 Real Salt Lake 13 8 2 3 19-12 +7 26p
2 San Jose 12 7 3 2 23-13 +10 24p
3 Seattle 11 7 2 2 15-6 +9 23p
4 Vancouver 11 5 3 3 12-13 -1 18p
5 Colorado 12 5 1 6 17-16 +1 16p
6 Chivas USA 11 4 1 6 7-12 -5 13p
20:45 -- Bayern - Chelsea 1-1, 1-1 after extra time, 3-4 on penalties only, 4-5 final score highlights
[1-0] 83' Thomas Muller
[1-1] 88' Didier Drogba
x - 95' Arjen Robben (m. pen. Bayern) - x
USA: Major League Soccer
23:00 -- Vancouver Whitecaps - Seattle Sounders 2-2
[1-0] 12' Alain Rochat
[1-1] 47' Eddie Johnson
[2-1] 82' Camillo Da Silva Sanvezzo
[2-2] 90' Fredy Montero
01:30 -- New England Revolution - Houston Dynamo 2-2 (1-1)
01:30 -- D.C. United - Toronto FC 3-1 (2-0)
01:30 -- Montreal Impact - New York Red Bulls 1-2 (1-1)
02:30 -- Dallas - Philadelphia Union 1-1 (1-0)
03:00 -- Colorado Rapids - Sporting Kansas City 2-2 (0-2)
04:30 -- San Jose Earthquakes - Columbus Crew 1-1 (0-1)
04:30 -- CD Chivas USA - Los Angeles Galaxy 1-0 (0-0)
Current standings:
Eastern Conference:
1 New York 12 8 1 3 25-17 +8 25p
2 D.C United 14 7 3 4 25-17 +8 24p
3 Sporting KC 11 7 1 3 15-9 +6 22p
4 Chicago Fire 9 4 3 2 11-10 +1 15p
5 New England 11 4 1 6 14-15 -1 13p
6 Houston 10 3 4 3 10-11 -1 13p
Western Conference:
1 Real Salt Lake 13 8 2 3 19-12 +7 26p
2 San Jose 12 7 3 2 23-13 +10 24p
3 Seattle 11 7 2 2 15-6 +9 23p
4 Vancouver 11 5 3 3 12-13 -1 18p
5 Colorado 12 5 1 6 17-16 +1 16p
6 Chivas USA 11 4 1 6 7-12 -5 13p
Worst Season of Abramovich Era, But Best Trophy Won
Chelsea's owner did not make it a secret that this is the trophy he was after, for a long time. But I'm sure not even he had high hopes of winning the Champions League, at the time of Villas-Boas' demotion, not too long ago.
So, Chelsea won the Champions League. Finally.
Before the match, coach Di Matteo had said that they worked hard at perfecting their penalty strategy. He wasn't kidding! (Although, to tell the truth, after the first five penalty kicks of the ten, I thought Chelsea was going to crack, and that they were going to lose yet another final penalty shoot-out.)
Di Matteo deserves some credit. He seems to be a very lucky coach. Just like Drogba has been a very lucky player (and, actually, a good-luck talisman for his team) lately.
Yes, Drogba caused a couple of penalties against Chelsea, but neither was converted, and on the other hand he also scored some crucial goals at crucial moments, including the last penalty kick of the CL final. Likewise, Di Matteo was also lucky that their opponents in the two finals, the Champions League one and the FA Cup one, in addition to Barcelona in the CL semifinals, missed very important chances against his gameplay strategies (such as a couple of very important penalties, and one header pushed out right from the goal line by Petr Cech).
But I can't say that Di Matteo is a very good coach, because Chelsea should have played better in the Champions League final.
It seems like Di Matteo told his players to soak up the German pressure. And the English players weren't even marking the Germans too tight. Under such conditions, no wonder the Germans caused some serious panic going forward, had about eight times more corner kicks that Chelsea in the 90 minutes, and also got a penalty in extra time, which should have probably meant certain victory. (Why the hell was Drogba responsible for defending against Ribery, in the 94th minute, anyway?)
Bayern, of course, went for glory from the start, because, after all, the game was played on their own stadium. Much of the stands was simply a sea of red.
But Bayern is not exactly the best team on the continent, though, and they have deficiencies when finishing their attacks. The Bayern attacking players understood that the spaces left by the Chelsea defense can be exploited mainly with long shots, but so many of the German shots, even from very favourable positions went high over the net. (In the 43rd minute, after an attack which left the Londoners scrambling nervously in defense, for example, Gomez should have scored.)
But the Germans eventually did gain the advantage, through a Thomas Muller header that made Cech look pathetic in goal. (The Czech would exact his revenge, though, come penalty time.) It was minute 83, then, and an entire stadium was getting ready for a Bayern victory.
However, Chelsea showed unexpected resiliency, and Drogba was able to head the ball perfectly, in the 88th minute, following Chelsea's first corner of the match. Goalkeeper Neuer could not do anything to it. 1-1, and that was the full-time score.
The same net, and even the same side of the net, actually, would witness an amazing penalty save, in extra time. Robben went for power instead of accuracy, after Ribery was fouled by Drogba and the referee pointed to the spot, and Cech caught the ball under him. The minute was 95.
(Arjen Robben, the Dutch player who just cannot win anything these days, really should practice his finishers, especially his penalty kicks. I said that before, here. Seriously, if he had scored more of the huge chances he got, in 2010 and now, maybe his country and club would have been champions now. Robben is just like a bad-luck charm for the teams for which he plays.)
Bayern did attack more in extra time, too, even after the disappointment caused by Robben's miss, but no more goals were scored and the penalty lottery still came.
The very first Chelsea kick was missed, by Mata, but the other takers all scored for the English team. Even Lampard, who always shoots straight down the middle. (Maybe Neuer did not study penalties as well as Cech did...)
The last two kicks by the Germans were missed. Schweinsteiger was the one who aimed at the post, and missed last, thereby allowing Drogba the chance to win the match with his PK.
Supposedly, Schweinsteiger wasn't even going to take that kick, but Robben (- good move!?!?... -) and Kroos refused to take that deciding penalty. Bastian Schweinsteiger had to step up... and his shot had power, but a little less accuracy than needed.
Olic was the other inaccurate penalty taker for Bayern.
And, so, the Bayern people saw what it's like, losing a penalty shoot-out on their own stadium. (Real Madrid fans will appreciate the irony, I'm sure.)
Here's the evolution of the penalty shoot-out:
Penalties: Bayern - Chelsea 3 - 4
1st penalty Bayern: Lahm P. - GOAL (1-0)
1st penalty Chelsea: Mata J. - MISS (1-0)
2nd penalty Bayern: Gomez M. - GOAL (2-0)
2nd penalty Chelsea: Luiz D. - GOAL (2-1)
3rd penalty Bayern: Neuer M. - GOAL (3-1)
3rd penalty Chelsea: Lampard F. - GOAL (3-2)
4th penalty Bayern: Olic I. - MISS (3-2)
4th penalty Chelsea: Cole A. - GOAL (3-3)
5th penalty Bayern: Schweinsteiger B. - MISS (3-3)
5th penalty Chelsea: Drogba D. - GOAL (3-4) - END
See highlights here.
So, Chelsea won the Champions League. Finally.
Before the match, coach Di Matteo had said that they worked hard at perfecting their penalty strategy. He wasn't kidding! (Although, to tell the truth, after the first five penalty kicks of the ten, I thought Chelsea was going to crack, and that they were going to lose yet another final penalty shoot-out.)
Di Matteo deserves some credit. He seems to be a very lucky coach. Just like Drogba has been a very lucky player (and, actually, a good-luck talisman for his team) lately.
Yes, Drogba caused a couple of penalties against Chelsea, but neither was converted, and on the other hand he also scored some crucial goals at crucial moments, including the last penalty kick of the CL final. Likewise, Di Matteo was also lucky that their opponents in the two finals, the Champions League one and the FA Cup one, in addition to Barcelona in the CL semifinals, missed very important chances against his gameplay strategies (such as a couple of very important penalties, and one header pushed out right from the goal line by Petr Cech).
But I can't say that Di Matteo is a very good coach, because Chelsea should have played better in the Champions League final.
It seems like Di Matteo told his players to soak up the German pressure. And the English players weren't even marking the Germans too tight. Under such conditions, no wonder the Germans caused some serious panic going forward, had about eight times more corner kicks that Chelsea in the 90 minutes, and also got a penalty in extra time, which should have probably meant certain victory. (Why the hell was Drogba responsible for defending against Ribery, in the 94th minute, anyway?)
Bayern, of course, went for glory from the start, because, after all, the game was played on their own stadium. Much of the stands was simply a sea of red.
But Bayern is not exactly the best team on the continent, though, and they have deficiencies when finishing their attacks. The Bayern attacking players understood that the spaces left by the Chelsea defense can be exploited mainly with long shots, but so many of the German shots, even from very favourable positions went high over the net. (In the 43rd minute, after an attack which left the Londoners scrambling nervously in defense, for example, Gomez should have scored.)
But the Germans eventually did gain the advantage, through a Thomas Muller header that made Cech look pathetic in goal. (The Czech would exact his revenge, though, come penalty time.) It was minute 83, then, and an entire stadium was getting ready for a Bayern victory.
However, Chelsea showed unexpected resiliency, and Drogba was able to head the ball perfectly, in the 88th minute, following Chelsea's first corner of the match. Goalkeeper Neuer could not do anything to it. 1-1, and that was the full-time score.
The same net, and even the same side of the net, actually, would witness an amazing penalty save, in extra time. Robben went for power instead of accuracy, after Ribery was fouled by Drogba and the referee pointed to the spot, and Cech caught the ball under him. The minute was 95.
(Arjen Robben, the Dutch player who just cannot win anything these days, really should practice his finishers, especially his penalty kicks. I said that before, here. Seriously, if he had scored more of the huge chances he got, in 2010 and now, maybe his country and club would have been champions now. Robben is just like a bad-luck charm for the teams for which he plays.)
Bayern did attack more in extra time, too, even after the disappointment caused by Robben's miss, but no more goals were scored and the penalty lottery still came.
The very first Chelsea kick was missed, by Mata, but the other takers all scored for the English team. Even Lampard, who always shoots straight down the middle. (Maybe Neuer did not study penalties as well as Cech did...)
The last two kicks by the Germans were missed. Schweinsteiger was the one who aimed at the post, and missed last, thereby allowing Drogba the chance to win the match with his PK.
Supposedly, Schweinsteiger wasn't even going to take that kick, but Robben (- good move!?!?... -) and Kroos refused to take that deciding penalty. Bastian Schweinsteiger had to step up... and his shot had power, but a little less accuracy than needed.
Olic was the other inaccurate penalty taker for Bayern.
And, so, the Bayern people saw what it's like, losing a penalty shoot-out on their own stadium. (Real Madrid fans will appreciate the irony, I'm sure.)
Here's the evolution of the penalty shoot-out:
Penalties: Bayern - Chelsea 3 - 4
1st penalty Bayern: Lahm P. - GOAL (1-0)
1st penalty Chelsea: Mata J. - MISS (1-0)
2nd penalty Bayern: Gomez M. - GOAL (2-0)
2nd penalty Chelsea: Luiz D. - GOAL (2-1)
3rd penalty Bayern: Neuer M. - GOAL (3-1)
3rd penalty Chelsea: Lampard F. - GOAL (3-2)
4th penalty Bayern: Olic I. - MISS (3-2)
4th penalty Chelsea: Cole A. - GOAL (3-3)
5th penalty Bayern: Schweinsteiger B. - MISS (3-3)
5th penalty Chelsea: Drogba D. - GOAL (3-4) - END
See highlights here.
Saturday, 12 May 2012
Bayern Shows Big Weaknesses
Borussia Dortmund just beat Bayern Munich in the final of the German Cup.
And they did so in convincing fashion. 5-2. 3-1 at half-time.
Dortmund started strongly, and went ahead after just 3 minutes, through Shinji Kagawa, as the Bayern defense had no idea what hit them.
Bayern was lucky enough to get a penalty, 22 minutes later, because they probably couldn't have scored otherwise, a kick which Robben converted, but Borussia got a PK of their own fifteen minutes after that. This was also converted, despite Neuer's being able to deflect the ball a little.
Right before half-time, Bayern showed another huge lapse in defense, and Lewandowski scored his first goal with a good shot that sneaked in underneath Neuer.
The second half brought two more Lewandowski goals (in minutes 58 and 81), with only one Bayern goal to keep the difference between the two teams within three.
Ribery's goal, in the 76th minute, was very nice, and well-taken, but meaningless. Even though Heynckes' team hoped to reduce the deficit further, after that goal, Lewandowski's last goal on the night set them straight after just 5 minutes.
Bayern clearly is beneath Borussia, as far as playing football is concerned. Three losses in three encounters, against their Dortmund rivals, don't lie.
Maybe Bayern will play much better against Chelsea, in the UEFA Champions League final, next Saturday. But, if Bayern wins the CL, then a great injustice against football would be done. (It would be just like when inter got the trophy, in 2010. There must have been at least 3 other teams more deserving of the win, then, just like now.)
Not that Chelsea is turning heads in the Premier League, mind you, but at least they were not ridiculed in their encounters against the EPL giants (of this season), Man. City and Man. U.
Highlights:
Shorter highlights:
Borussia Dortmund 5 - 2 Bayern Munich footyroom... by Futbol2101
And they did so in convincing fashion. 5-2. 3-1 at half-time.
Dortmund started strongly, and went ahead after just 3 minutes, through Shinji Kagawa, as the Bayern defense had no idea what hit them.
Bayern was lucky enough to get a penalty, 22 minutes later, because they probably couldn't have scored otherwise, a kick which Robben converted, but Borussia got a PK of their own fifteen minutes after that. This was also converted, despite Neuer's being able to deflect the ball a little.
Right before half-time, Bayern showed another huge lapse in defense, and Lewandowski scored his first goal with a good shot that sneaked in underneath Neuer.
The second half brought two more Lewandowski goals (in minutes 58 and 81), with only one Bayern goal to keep the difference between the two teams within three.
Ribery's goal, in the 76th minute, was very nice, and well-taken, but meaningless. Even though Heynckes' team hoped to reduce the deficit further, after that goal, Lewandowski's last goal on the night set them straight after just 5 minutes.
Bayern clearly is beneath Borussia, as far as playing football is concerned. Three losses in three encounters, against their Dortmund rivals, don't lie.
Maybe Bayern will play much better against Chelsea, in the UEFA Champions League final, next Saturday. But, if Bayern wins the CL, then a great injustice against football would be done. (It would be just like when inter got the trophy, in 2010. There must have been at least 3 other teams more deserving of the win, then, just like now.)
Not that Chelsea is turning heads in the Premier League, mind you, but at least they were not ridiculed in their encounters against the EPL giants (of this season), Man. City and Man. U.
Highlights:
Shorter highlights:
Borussia Dortmund 5 - 2 Bayern Munich footyroom... by Futbol2101
Wednesday, 25 April 2012
Damn Penalties!
I guess the people who are looking at football events solely from the perspective of money can be happy to see the owners of the stadium where the Champions League final is going to take place participating in said final.
Bayern was very lucky to achieve this feat.
But I think I can safely say that Real Madrid was never second-best to Bayern. Not in Munich, where they lost, 1-2, and not at the Bernabeu, where they could not win the penalty shootout. (The Germans always do well at penalties!...)
After only 14 minutes, Real was up 2-0. They were even more convincing than Barcelona, yesterday, when they went up 2-0 against Chelsea.
So, then, what happened with the Spanish giants, again?
Most probably, cockiness. They thought they would have a very easy match, after going up two goals, but the opponents were just having a temporary bad spell.
The penalty that Robben converted was a very soft one, true, but then the Real penalty kick seemed a little harsh on Bayern, too.
Getting back to Real's failure to reach the final, one could blame this on Mourinho. But, unlike Guardiola, Mourinho at least managed to keep the team in the tie until the end.
When the penalty kicks started, Mourinho was not the man to blame anymore.
So, then, are the guilty ones Ronaldo, Kaka and Ramos? Very likely, yes, they are.
Seeing how much money they make, they have to have better nerves in such moments. But they, especially Ramos, were truly pathetic!
I wonder, did they insist on taking the spot kicks, or were they designated penalty takers?
And, wow, three misses out of four? (That's one bad penalty-kick team performance.)
But what about looking at this from the German perspective, you may say? Well, if I do that, there's not that much to say. I can say that, considering that they cannot seem to be able to beat Borussia Dortmund, Bayern is not a team that deserves to win the Champions League.
Oh, and Robben really should practice his finishers more. This is the umpteenth time he's missed a real sitter!
Bayern was very lucky to achieve this feat.
But I think I can safely say that Real Madrid was never second-best to Bayern. Not in Munich, where they lost, 1-2, and not at the Bernabeu, where they could not win the penalty shootout. (The Germans always do well at penalties!...)
After only 14 minutes, Real was up 2-0. They were even more convincing than Barcelona, yesterday, when they went up 2-0 against Chelsea.
So, then, what happened with the Spanish giants, again?
Most probably, cockiness. They thought they would have a very easy match, after going up two goals, but the opponents were just having a temporary bad spell.
The penalty that Robben converted was a very soft one, true, but then the Real penalty kick seemed a little harsh on Bayern, too.
Getting back to Real's failure to reach the final, one could blame this on Mourinho. But, unlike Guardiola, Mourinho at least managed to keep the team in the tie until the end.
When the penalty kicks started, Mourinho was not the man to blame anymore.
So, then, are the guilty ones Ronaldo, Kaka and Ramos? Very likely, yes, they are.
Seeing how much money they make, they have to have better nerves in such moments. But they, especially Ramos, were truly pathetic!
I wonder, did they insist on taking the spot kicks, or were they designated penalty takers?
And, wow, three misses out of four? (That's one bad penalty-kick team performance.)
But what about looking at this from the German perspective, you may say? Well, if I do that, there's not that much to say. I can say that, considering that they cannot seem to be able to beat Borussia Dortmund, Bayern is not a team that deserves to win the Champions League.
Oh, and Robben really should practice his finishers more. This is the umpteenth time he's missed a real sitter!
Saturday, 21 April 2012
Borussia Dortmund Champion!
For the second time in two years, the yellow and black outfit from Dortmund is crowned supreme leader of the Bundesliga.
For sure, Borussia deserved it this year, too.
The two games against Bayern, who are seemingly always fighting for the title, proved that Borussia is, indeed, better than Bayern, who is clearly better than the rest.
In the last few matches, alongside Bayern, Borussia Dortmund also had to face Schalke and Borussia Monchengladbach, the third- and fourth-placed teams, respectively. And they won all of these matches.
It's very impressive, really, if you examine Dortmund's latest efforts, thoroughly.
The win against the second Borussia, 2-0 at home, was a good team effort, but it seemed like the Monchengladbach team clearly was never going to leave with the three points from the Westfalenstadion. That's not a bad thing, of course. It's just that the drama was minimal.
After 60 minutes, Klopp's team had already scored the two goals that would mark their win, through Perisic (in minute 23) and Kagawa (59).
So, with two games left, Borussia becomes 2011-2012 champion of Germany. Bayern is more than 6 points behind, still. (And that's it for the German league this year.)
Highlights:
Borussia Dortmund 2 - 0 Borussia M’gladbach... by Futbol2101
For sure, Borussia deserved it this year, too.
The two games against Bayern, who are seemingly always fighting for the title, proved that Borussia is, indeed, better than Bayern, who is clearly better than the rest.
In the last few matches, alongside Bayern, Borussia Dortmund also had to face Schalke and Borussia Monchengladbach, the third- and fourth-placed teams, respectively. And they won all of these matches.
It's very impressive, really, if you examine Dortmund's latest efforts, thoroughly.
The win against the second Borussia, 2-0 at home, was a good team effort, but it seemed like the Monchengladbach team clearly was never going to leave with the three points from the Westfalenstadion. That's not a bad thing, of course. It's just that the drama was minimal.
After 60 minutes, Klopp's team had already scored the two goals that would mark their win, through Perisic (in minute 23) and Kagawa (59).
So, with two games left, Borussia becomes 2011-2012 champion of Germany. Bayern is more than 6 points behind, still. (And that's it for the German league this year.)
Highlights:
Borussia Dortmund 2 - 0 Borussia M’gladbach... by Futbol2101
Tuesday, 17 April 2012
Real Has Problems Really Late
Real Madrid never beat Bayern in Munich.
They did quite well today, though. Well, until the 89th minute, that is.
Even though Bayern opened the scoring very early (Ribery 17'), and kept the advantage until half-time, Mourinho's men did not lose their cool. They showed just how dangerous they can be in the 52nd and 53rd minute, when Ozil put the ball in the back of the net after a prolonged attack and some very altruistic play from Ronaldo.
Gomez, who had missed a big chance about a quarter of an hour before finally scoring, netted the last goal of the match, but he could consider himself a little lucky to have scored that goal. He hit the ball with his knee.
1-2 still is not that bad of a result for Real. But 1-1 would have been way, way better. Going home with a 1-1 away result would have allowed them to focus more on the Barcelona match at the weekend.
Mourinho usually does good coaching, but this year a lot of things have gone against him.
I think many people, including me, wonder if his team can achieve what Barcelona has been achieving with ease lately.
But hey, if there's one team to dethrone Barca, at the moment it can only be Mourinho' Real.
It remains to be seen.
Highlights:
Байерн Мюнхен - Реал Мадрид 2:1 HD by FootballKing2192
They did quite well today, though. Well, until the 89th minute, that is.
Even though Bayern opened the scoring very early (Ribery 17'), and kept the advantage until half-time, Mourinho's men did not lose their cool. They showed just how dangerous they can be in the 52nd and 53rd minute, when Ozil put the ball in the back of the net after a prolonged attack and some very altruistic play from Ronaldo.
Gomez, who had missed a big chance about a quarter of an hour before finally scoring, netted the last goal of the match, but he could consider himself a little lucky to have scored that goal. He hit the ball with his knee.
1-2 still is not that bad of a result for Real. But 1-1 would have been way, way better. Going home with a 1-1 away result would have allowed them to focus more on the Barcelona match at the weekend.
Mourinho usually does good coaching, but this year a lot of things have gone against him.
I think many people, including me, wonder if his team can achieve what Barcelona has been achieving with ease lately.
But hey, if there's one team to dethrone Barca, at the moment it can only be Mourinho' Real.
It remains to be seen.
Highlights:
Байерн Мюнхен - Реал Мадрид 2:1 HD by FootballKing2192
Saturday, 14 April 2012
Title in Germany As Good As Decided
Three hours before their match against Mainz, the Bayern fans and staff were surely hopeful that Schalke 04, Dortmund's bitter rivals, could prevent Borussia Dortmund from continuing their march towards their second title in a row.
But even Schalke was no match for Borussia D.
And, so, the team in black and yellow defeats the second- and third-placed teams in consecutive encounters.
Jefferson Farfan opened the scoring for Schalke, in the 8th minute, with a spectacular shot from outside the box, but, 9 minutes later, Piszczek equalized with an even more spectacular effort.
A scrappy goal by Kehl, in the 63rd minute, put Dortmund ahead.
And that's where they stayed.
For sure, Bayern knew they were left very few chances this season.
Maybe that's why they couldn't even beat Mainz, at home, later in the day. That one finished 0-0.
So, Borussia Dortmund is now 8 points ahead, with three matches left. Surely, they'll get two points from those...
Highlights from Schalke 04 - Borussia D. 1-2:
www.todayfoot.com Sc 1-2 Do 14/04/2012 by 123dz
But even Schalke was no match for Borussia D.
And, so, the team in black and yellow defeats the second- and third-placed teams in consecutive encounters.
Jefferson Farfan opened the scoring for Schalke, in the 8th minute, with a spectacular shot from outside the box, but, 9 minutes later, Piszczek equalized with an even more spectacular effort.
A scrappy goal by Kehl, in the 63rd minute, put Dortmund ahead.
And that's where they stayed.
For sure, Bayern knew they were left very few chances this season.
Maybe that's why they couldn't even beat Mainz, at home, later in the day. That one finished 0-0.
So, Borussia Dortmund is now 8 points ahead, with three matches left. Surely, they'll get two points from those...
Highlights from Schalke 04 - Borussia D. 1-2:
www.todayfoot.com Sc 1-2 Do 14/04/2012 by 123dz
Wednesday, 11 April 2012
The German Derby
Probably the biggest match of the year in the German league ended with a somewhat surprising victor.
Bayern Munich, the winner of 22 previous German league titles (which is more than four times those won by their closest follower), was not that victor!
After beating Bayern at the Allianz Arena, 1-0, in November 2011, Borussia repeated the feat in a much more critical match, in Dortmund, today.
Lewandowski's goal, coming in the 77th minute, was somewhat scrappy, but the remaining minutes were amazing!
Bayern got a penalty, justly awarded, but Robben failed to show his supposed finishing class (much like in the final of the 2010 World Cup).
Not only that, but he also sent over the top of the bar a huge chance that had "1-1" written all over it.
Borussia also missed an enormous opportunity of making it 2-0 very late. The upright saved Neuer, though.
Borussia Dortmund now sits six points ahead of Bayern, with just four matches to go.
But Dortmund needs to go to the stadium of their fiercest rivals in just three days' time. I'm talking, of course, about the upcoming Schalke 04 Gelsenkirchen - Borussia Dortmund match, on Saturday.
Highlights:
Borussia Dortmund vs Bayern Munchen (1:0) by larrsson
But Borussia Dortmund should win the title, this year too, unless they really mess it up now.
And maybe next year they'll finally show some good form in the Champions League!
Bayern Munich, the winner of 22 previous German league titles (which is more than four times those won by their closest follower), was not that victor!
After beating Bayern at the Allianz Arena, 1-0, in November 2011, Borussia repeated the feat in a much more critical match, in Dortmund, today.
Lewandowski's goal, coming in the 77th minute, was somewhat scrappy, but the remaining minutes were amazing!
Bayern got a penalty, justly awarded, but Robben failed to show his supposed finishing class (much like in the final of the 2010 World Cup).
Not only that, but he also sent over the top of the bar a huge chance that had "1-1" written all over it.
Borussia also missed an enormous opportunity of making it 2-0 very late. The upright saved Neuer, though.
Borussia Dortmund now sits six points ahead of Bayern, with just four matches to go.
But Dortmund needs to go to the stadium of their fiercest rivals in just three days' time. I'm talking, of course, about the upcoming Schalke 04 Gelsenkirchen - Borussia Dortmund match, on Saturday.
Highlights:
Borussia Dortmund vs Bayern Munchen (1:0) by larrsson
But Borussia Dortmund should win the title, this year too, unless they really mess it up now.
And maybe next year they'll finally show some good form in the Champions League!
Wednesday, 28 March 2012
A Breeze for Bayern
Although Marseille seemingly had some chances to score, albeit very mild ones, Bayern was a way-too-tough nut for the out-of-shape French outfit to crack.
Bayern scored exactly when they had to, and they made the most out of their opportunities.
Marseille is too weak now to go any further than beating the likes of Inter or Olympiakos. (It's weird that they beat Borussia Dortmund, though!)
Of course, it's quite annoying that the first goal Marseille scored came after a blatant hand-ball.
Goddamn it, you useless referees! Why do the bigger teams always get your help?
If you ask me, I think they won't bring technology into it because it's no accident that the bigger teams always get the (supposedly unintentional) error go their way.
Highlights:
Marseille 0:2 Bayern Full Highlights omgsport.ru by OMGSPORT
Bayern scored exactly when they had to, and they made the most out of their opportunities.
Marseille is too weak now to go any further than beating the likes of Inter or Olympiakos. (It's weird that they beat Borussia Dortmund, though!)
Of course, it's quite annoying that the first goal Marseille scored came after a blatant hand-ball.
Goddamn it, you useless referees! Why do the bigger teams always get your help?
If you ask me, I think they won't bring technology into it because it's no accident that the bigger teams always get the (supposedly unintentional) error go their way.
Highlights:
Marseille 0:2 Bayern Full Highlights omgsport.ru by OMGSPORT
Tuesday, 13 March 2012
Too Bad for Basel
This has got to be the most upsettingly disappointing performance, by any team, in this stage of the Champions League.
It's not like Leverkusen's loss, because they kind of knew they were out, anyway.
But Basel probably thought they were in with a good chance to go through.
So, what happened?
If you ask me, they came to attack Bayern. To play openly. They really should have defended their advantage.
They didn't. They kept attacking, or, rather, trying to attack, and they conceded 7 goals.
That's football, sometimes.
The miracle that eliminated Manchester United has been destroyed, in the most humiliating way Bayern's players could put together. 1-7.
Highlights:
Bayern Munchen VS Basel 7-0 (Agg: 7-1)... by WinningFT
It's not like Leverkusen's loss, because they kind of knew they were out, anyway.
But Basel probably thought they were in with a good chance to go through.
So, what happened?
If you ask me, they came to attack Bayern. To play openly. They really should have defended their advantage.
They didn't. They kept attacking, or, rather, trying to attack, and they conceded 7 goals.
That's football, sometimes.
The miracle that eliminated Manchester United has been destroyed, in the most humiliating way Bayern's players could put together. 1-7.
Highlights:
Bayern Munchen VS Basel 7-0 (Agg: 7-1)... by WinningFT
Sunday, 4 March 2012
What Good Is the Second Borussia?
Borussia Monchengladbach clearly cannot possibly challenge for the title.
Two matchdays ago, they were second, and quite close to the top. Now, one draw and one loss later, they seem already spent.
FC Nurnberg defeated them today, with an 87-minute goal, stopping Borussia M. from reaching second spot in the table again.
That's the way most German football teams perform, though(, except for Bayern Munich). They do well one time, then they take it easy for a very long time.
That could explain why Germany has only one team with tradition of winning.
Maybe Borussia Dortmund can change this, however. (They still have just four Bundesliga titles, but maybe they'll make it 5 this year, and two out of the last two.
Highlights from Nurnberg - Borussia M.:
Two matchdays ago, they were second, and quite close to the top. Now, one draw and one loss later, they seem already spent.
FC Nurnberg defeated them today, with an 87-minute goal, stopping Borussia M. from reaching second spot in the table again.
That's the way most German football teams perform, though(, except for Bayern Munich). They do well one time, then they take it easy for a very long time.
That could explain why Germany has only one team with tradition of winning.
Maybe Borussia Dortmund can change this, however. (They still have just four Bundesliga titles, but maybe they'll make it 5 this year, and two out of the last two.
Highlights from Nurnberg - Borussia M.:
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