What's a semifinal? The Arsenal v. Atletico Madrid, Thursday April 26 2018 2000 GMT

Discussion in 'Arsenal' started by mebeSajid, Apr 23, 2018.

  1. mebeSajid

    mebeSajid Member+

    Feb 16, 2009
    Atlanta, GA
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Ladies and Gentlemen,

    I have the distinct pleasure of presenting you something that was thought only to exist for other clubs: a European Semifinal. We play Atletico Madrid at some newfangled place called Arsenal Stadium on Thursday, April 26, 2018, and play them in Madrid, at the Vincen...., err, at something called a Wanda Metropolitano, next Thursday, May 3, 2018. The game will be played at 2005 GMT/1505 EST/you really shouldn't be taking a long lunch for this Llama. The game will be televised on the circus that is Fox. Hopefully the undercard will be Celebrity Deathmatch between Warren Barton and Alexi Lalas.

    Now, on to the important questions:

    Q. What's a European Semifinal?
    A. It's a two leg match, much like round of sixteen games. The only difference is that the semifinal is the last match before the final. The final is a single game played at a neutral site. The winner of the final gets this shiny thing called a trophy.

    Q. When did we start playing at Arsenal Stadium?
    A. We play at the Emirates Stadium. However, there's this strange cartel of overfed walruses that insists that it's the gatekeeper for all advertising in European competition, which means that stadium naming rights go out the window. That's why Arsenal games in Europe are played at Arsenal stadium. This is unlikely to be a long term problem for Tottenham.
     
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  2. mebeSajid

    mebeSajid Member+

    Feb 16, 2009
    Atlanta, GA
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Just hit me that this is going to be Wenger's last ever European home game for Arsenal. Send him out a winner guys.
     
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  3. NorthBank

    NorthBank Member+

    Arsenal; NYRB
    United States
    Mar 29, 2006
    Connecticut
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #3 NorthBank, Apr 23, 2018
    Last edited: Apr 23, 2018
    Frankly I'm very happy that UEFA imposes advertising limits on this competition. Arsenal Stadium is it's official/permanent name, though I tend to use Ashburton Grove, or just The Grove. So when it is rebranded as "U-Bet-Ur-Life Stadium" in a few years, I won't have to change my habits one tiny little bit. ;)

    As for the more immediate matter at hand...

    Since we're pretty big underdogs*, and will be without the services of PEA, Mkhi, Elneny & possibly Ozil, I found it to be welcome news that Diego Costa has been ruled out of the Leg 1. But he's slated to be back by Leg 2 so hopefully we too will have Mkhi & Ozil back to counterbalance that. And I still think that Holding should be considered for Leg 2, considering how he handled Costa the last time we met him... unless of course Mustafi ups his level in the next few games.

    *Edit: I tried to check the bookmaker odds, which is a little hard to do from USA (not sure I ever tried to do this before) and indeed Atletico are favorites to win the tie (4:9), but surprisingly Arsenal are slight favorites to win Leg 1 (6:4). If I read the Telegraph article correctly that is!
     
  4. And_ROOS

    And_ROOS Member+

    Dec 30, 2006
    Melbourne, Aus
    I wish they had named it New Highbury just because.

    Alas, time to turn Deathletico Madrid into Pathetico Madrid, and get the job done.

    3-1 to the Arsenal, Laca, Ramsey and Ozil to score.

    Own goal to Mustafi.
     
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  5. cantona94

    cantona94 Member

    Jul 16, 2000
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I laughed haha.
     
  6. thebigman

    thebigman Member+

    May 25, 2006
    Birmingham
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    1-1 I think
     
  7. The Foo Fighter

    The Foo Fighter Member+

    Mar 15, 2011
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Will Wenger revert to the back three, or will he go out with the classic Wenger 4-2-3-1.

    Die like you live as they say.

    I think we win this one, but it's gonna be close.
     
  8. Romfordray

    Romfordray Member+

    Oct 24, 2011
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I was going to say that this match will be Simeone's audition for Arsene's job. I think he is too smart to drink from the poisoned chalice. So, we can expect to see two walls of 5, lots of sideways passing, Diego Costa rolling on the ground, and a 0-0 draw.
     
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  9. NorthBank

    NorthBank Member+

    Arsenal; NYRB
    United States
    Mar 29, 2006
    Connecticut
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    No rolling by Costa this week... he's injured still. :)
     
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  10. NorthBank

    NorthBank Member+

    Arsenal; NYRB
    United States
    Mar 29, 2006
    Connecticut
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Woohoo! 17 hrs to go and 10 posts in the MD thread!!

    This place is a ghost town.
     
  11. MilesW

    MilesW Member+

    Aug 26, 2010
    Chicago, IL
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'm excited for this but I have the same expectations as if this were the Cl rd 16 and Arsenal drew Atletico.
     
  12. NorthBank

    NorthBank Member+

    Arsenal; NYRB
    United States
    Mar 29, 2006
    Connecticut
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I just heard that cost a maybe on the bench after all. Oh boy.
     
  13. BIGHMW

    BIGHMW Member+

    Oct 10, 2010
    Port Townsend, WA
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    F*** it, I still call it The Emirates and DARE TO STARE DOWN the powers that be at the UEFA advertising police, what's next, clubs being forced to wearing unsponsored jerseys in UEFA-sanctioned competition??? THE NERVE!!!

    Of course then again, we never had that bullshit problem when we played at Highbury for all 93 of those years, Highbury was OUR FORTRESS in which other clubs feared playing in. Not an easy three points for ANY visiting club to take with them whatsoever.
     
  14. NorthBank

    NorthBank Member+

    Arsenal; NYRB
    United States
    Mar 29, 2006
    Connecticut
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Decided to head to the pub for this one. Hope I don't regret it! Enjoy the fewer post from me… ;)
     
  15. Tonerl

    Tonerl Member+

    Arsenal
    May 10, 2006
    Cincinnati, OH
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Ospina, Bellerin, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal, Xhaka, Ramsey, Wilshere, Welbeck, Ozil, Lacazette

    Subs: Cech, Holding, Iwobi, Chambers, Maitland-Niles, Kolasinac, Nketiah

    Hope Özil does the business, because that bench...
     
  16. Super Llama

    Super Llama Member+

    May 21, 2006
    Seattle
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Great prematch atmosphere! Probably the best I've seen at the Emirates
     
  17. Super Llama

    Super Llama Member+

    May 21, 2006
    Seattle
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Simeone looking like a washed Zoolander lmao
     
  18. Super Llama

    Super Llama Member+

    May 21, 2006
    Seattle
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    God Damnit Laca has SO MUCH TIME THERE
     
  19. mebeSajid

    mebeSajid Member+

    Feb 16, 2009
    Atlanta, GA
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Dammit Laca. Should have scored both.

    Edit: that was a good save on the second.
     
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  20. Super Llama

    Super Llama Member+

    May 21, 2006
    Seattle
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    I see us losing steam in this one, come out so furiously
     
  21. mebeSajid

    mebeSajid Member+

    Feb 16, 2009
    Atlanta, GA
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    OMG. Wow. We got a call in Europe.
     
  22. Super Llama

    Super Llama Member+

    May 21, 2006
    Seattle
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    whoahwhoahwhoah
     
  23. NorthBank

    NorthBank Member+

    Arsenal; NYRB
    United States
    Mar 29, 2006
    Connecticut
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Now can we capitalize on good luck??
     
  24. Super Llama

    Super Llama Member+

    May 21, 2006
    Seattle
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    wow we gotta win this one by 3 or 4
     
  25. mebeSajid

    mebeSajid Member+

    Feb 16, 2009
    Atlanta, GA
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Justin Long still whining about the call.
     

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