Ferdinand was plenty culpable on Raul's goal..... Sure. If. There's nothing to suggest Real can't score one away goal either... [/b]I suppose this is your way of making up for the fact that you weren't able to gloat about how the 'technically superior' Turks whupped English ass. [/B][/QUOTE] That was before Rooney came along....
The fact that anything can still happen is what makes the Cl what it is. Madrid played a good game but ManU is still not out of it. We shall see what happened and though I am a Deportivo fan I really can't put us in the same class like a Madrid at the moment.
Tommy Smyth said that part of why ManU has been succesful in Champions League is they can adjust to European Play. I haven't seen enough games from Spain (btw, I do get Fox Sports World, but only watch UEFA and EPL games... I'll watch Liga when its Barcelona or Madrid, but I have yet to see a Madrid game...), but I think this may be why Madrid dominates them so well. English footie is a lot of crossing. A LOT. And when you have David Beckham, why not? The man hits his target better than 4 different 2,000 lb. bombs. Very seldom did I see Madrid cross. They work it through the middle. They keep things slow and wait for openings. They keep defense back a bit and let their magicians do the work. Which brings me to my point. ManU didn't play their normal style. They played Eurostyle. Patient. ManU doesn't play patient for their league. They're fast paced. They work it to the sides quickly and look for a good finish from a cross (how'd they get their goal.... cross, blocked header, rebound). Their quick play doesn't work when you have a defense played as far back as Madrid did (nevermind the fact Madrid has an amazing backline as it is!) ManU doesn't play against teams who play like Madrid. Their back line couldn't adjust to a team that works it through the center as well as they do. When you have a team who plays patient day in and day out and plays against teams who play that way day in and day out (Madrid) go against a team that is fast paced, crosses a lot, and doesn't play against teams who work it through the center, its quite a disadvantage. I stand by my statement. This is the best game this season. Madrid played some of the best footie to date. They made ManU defend against their style and ManU couldn't do it. Very few teams who always play that way can't defend against Madrid, so its no knock to ManU who rarely play that style to do as they did. Best 3-1 I've seen. (Should've been 5-1!)
Manure have reached the last 8 of the champions league 7 or 8 years running. They must be doing something right... They've played all the top sides in europe... As soon at they have a dodgy game against madrid they get their style analyzed by all these armchair football experts.
Madrid v Manchester. Those two famous teams meeting up at last. ps anyone know the score from the Chicago v New York baseball game?
I'm not quite sure if i watched the same game as everyone else. I certainly didn't see United outclassed, in fact when united scored Real were rocked and were lucky not to concede more. If united can beat Juve 3-0 at the delle alpi they can beat real 2-0 at OT.Don't forget that juan seba will be back and he should enjoy himself in the acres that madrid's midfield allows you. BTW Figo's goal was clearly an attempted cross, and Zidane's tricks are just unnecessary, anybody can do a stepover and dragback when there isn't a defender for 10 yards.
Perhaps that is true, but then again Juventus was definately having an off day and Liverpool are having an off year. So that logic goes out the window, the fact of the matter is anyone can beat anyone else on any given day. Period. As for best game this season, I personally enjoyed Milan v Madrid in the first meeting much more.
Madrid v. Manchester was a great game, but i wouldn't say it was the best game of the season. I thought yesterday's game Porto v. Lazio was better.
There's nothing to say Real won't have an off day at Old Trafford and find themselves 5-0 down at half thime, these things happen. Some people round here are talking as if this tie is already over, it's not.
i actually agree with you penn, anyone can beat anyonelse at any day. however i was just giving my opinion on the best game of the season. And yes, i think Manchester could turn things around in England, they are very capable of doing just that.
For what it's worth, I watched the game again on tape last night. What I saw was unexplainable defensive lapses on the part of ManUtd (they'll be better off without Gary Neville in the next game, who couldn't mark a spot if he were an X). Those lapses are correctable. I saw timid play on the part of ManUtd after Figo's goal, until the second half when they started attacking again. They can learn a lesson from their success (frankly, Beckham should have made his shot that went wide, and ManUtd was unlucky on a couple of others, but that's the game). I saw ManUtd appear to be outclassed at times by an outstanding RM team. But as a previous poster states, it's easy to do ball moves when you are not being challenged. I am optimistic about the game at Old Trafford. Tell me though, how Champions League works. If ManUtd wins 2-0 are they through? If they win 3-1, is it a draw with another decisive game played? Please explain. Thanks.
If Man Utd win 2-0 then they are through due to away goals rule. If they win 3-1 then it goes into extra time (two 15 minute periods). If no goals are scored in that extra time then it goes to a penalty lottery. If Man Utd win by three or more goals they are through no matter what. If they only win by one goal then Madrid is through. If Man Utd win by 2 goals other than the two scores mentioned above (2-0, 3-1) then Madrid is through due to away goals rule. And about the game itself, here is a good article by Phil Ball. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/feature?id=263761&cc=5901 I have to agree with him. Man Utd just gave way too much space to Madrid.
Oh yeah, I agree. Neither of these guys have won a CL medal either, so they must not know what they are doing....
Why do people keep saying Raul's goals where ordinary? Both where fantastic. The second goal in particular was superb, you rarely see goals from outside the box on the floor. Few players would have even attempted it, let alone hit it so well. Man U still have a chance though, I think way too many people are getting carried away by the '3'. (Sorry mate, had to delete that.You just know some crybaby is going to whine about you giving away the result)
lol not again >_<. If you watched the game all the way through or have it on tape please watch how many times Zidane leaves Roy Keane and Nicky Butt on the floor lol. there was one time when Keane tried to tackle Zidane, Zidane dragged the ball away then Keane got mad and tried to take Zidane out and Zidane just side steps Keane again leaving him looking stupid on the floor lol did you not see this? OR is your loathing of Zidane blinding ya By the end of the game the Man Utd players were scared of Zidane because throughout the game they tried over and over to rush him and get the ball and time after time he just eluded them and so of course you have to change tactics and try something else, thats why they switched to a deeper zone position in midfield.. lol do you not see these things hmmm? or do you suggest they just try to tackle him 49858457 times and fail every single time ? Zidane had an excellent game and made Ferguson change tactics at least 3 times to try and stifle him. nothing he did was a party trick it was all done with a purpose. does the guy have to fly for you to appreciate his talent ^__^
Re: [R] Madrid v. Manchester: great game but not best I agree, brilliant display although it was a one sided affair, Lazio were lucky not to have 5 or 6 goals racked up against them (I think that Porto had 13 shots on goal). As for all those narrow-minded enough to say that Figo/Zidane etc were "flukes", did "unnecessary" things or whatever, you obviously have a problem with giving credit where its due. Perhaps you would like them to make individual runs from one side of the field to the other and score 3 goals a match, while balancing an egg on the end of a spoon for them to be to your lofty standards. Or maybe your just sorry loosers.