The annual Franco-Allemande/Deutsch-Französische Club Contest (AKA UEFA WCL 2012/2013)

Damn. Granny scored. That wasn't part of the plan. And it was a cunning plan.

She's never going to retire now.

 

So, I've been swamped with work and life and so forth and not keeping up. Except I did look at the boxscores from the two Potsdam-Arsenal games and wondered what had happened to Anonma. I'll take this comment to mean that she's one of the (apparently) many injured?

 

Nope, Potsdam released her for the African Championship.

 

Oooh. That. See. Totally living under a rock because I didn't even realize that was going on. Thank you.

 

By the way: at least she won it, on home soil, and was even top-scorer of the tournament.

 

Something about UEFA draws triggers the chant "You're going home in a ********ing ambulance" in my head. I have no idea why.

 

Because that's the way it goes around here, pretty much regardless of the draw? Sigh.

Well, at least the LdB players will have soft smooth skin to comfort themselves with, as the ambulance wails through the night, carrying their sorry butts home. Oh no, but wait – when playing merely as 'FC Malmö', are they allowed to slather themselves with Forbidden Sponsor product? Would the mere fruity aroma of LdB duschkräm wafting over Malmö IP be enough to send the brand lawyers scurrying for their mobile phones?

I see UEFA at least thinks they've dropped the 'W' from last year's 'WFC Malmö'. On the other hand women.soccerway.com prefers to list the team as 'Lait de Beaute FC Malmö'. Teehee! A three-language mashup! Hey, maybe the OL players can teach them how to pronounce their own team's name.

 

I dunno... I mean, at this level all the teams are good, sure, but if the last five years are anything to go on, Swedish teams in March are, you know... not quite exactly, as they say.

Oh, or, unless you meant that it will be tough for OL to meet two consecutive patsies (assuming The Cider Girls get past Juvisy, which is not at all clear to me), and then suddenly be confronted with Wolfsburg.

Here's a link to the UEFA article and schedule, for the terminally lazy. I see they've put the W back in FC Malmö.

 

I think my model may still hold:
lvl1: OL
lvl2: any German team in WCL
lvl3: Arsenal and any Swedish team in WCL
lvl4: the best of the rest
A team can beat a team on lvl above them with just a bit of luck but to topple a team tow lvl above they need a small miracle and thre lvls is impossible.
So I would say one team would be worse than the swedes, one team about the same and three teams easier, so a pretty average draw for OL.

 

I'm no authority on anything except my own misery. Even so, I think I know enough of psychology to suggest to WFC HandCream and HardDrinkinCiderGirls FC that they NOT go into their matches under a banner reading "No worse than semi-patsies!" And in March they'll be pretty pasty patsies as well.

JanBalk, I think your scheme looks good – with the caveat that the ranking is only among these 8 teams, this year (just add the extra qualifier 'in the 2012/2013 campaign'). I wonder if your ranking is based on the teams we saw last, in the round of 16, or if it's meant to be a projection to the teams we expect to see in March.

And speaking of that, I would also add my own personal bugbear caveat that, while Malmö and Göteborg may be no better that 3s in March, either of them could, by the end of May, be up to level 2, just by virtue of a few months of vigorous exercise and clean living (barring unforeseen randomness – injuries, sudden and unexplained coach resignations, players arrested for confronting smokers...).

 

Well, it is actually mainly based on the last couple of years of WCL. I tend to be a bit conservative in my predictions (IOW base them more on history more than current squad)

 

Tickets now on sale for the final. Shame there is only one stand with an horrible flat view actually.

 

^^^
That link doesn't tell you anything about the Final, to be held at Stamford Bridge

http://www.uefa.com/womenschampionsleague/news/newsid=1911794.html

To purchase tickets:

http://www.chelseafc.com/uefawomensfinal

 

lol I linked it to the wrong story, ooops

 

No worries. I just assumed that an Arsenal fan didn't want to link to any news associated with Chelsea!

Anyway, those ticket prices are beyond reasonable. Should be a sold out final.

 

In England.... They couldn't even fill Craven Cottage the last time London had the CL finals, but I guess there's no harm in hope.

 

Tickets are only being sold on for the Westside of the stadium. They should be able sell all those tickets but... I may even buy one myself.

 

I emailed them and moaned because i wanted to sit somewhere else. They will open the other stand if the west lower sells out.

 

I've never been to "The Bridge". Does the other stand have the better view?

 

The tactical view in East upper and West upper is very good, behind the goal is ok in upper tier.
Lower tier are not good as too close to the pitch and the first two rows are below pitch level actually !

 

There are some people , who will purchase tickets for both the men's and women's competition, so I think holding the finals in the same city makes loads of sense, at least in terms of convenience.