A thread for news, updates, etc., on the UEFA Cup Competition. I’m sure none of us wanted this thread to exist, but . . . it is what it is. Just some basic, thumbnail-sketch stuff to get started. By Thursday 11/14/02, the second-round, second leg of the UEFA Cup will be completed. The eight third-place sides from the CL First Group Phase will join the twenty-four teams remaining. Schedule: 13:00 CET Friday, 15 November 2002—Draws for the UEFA Cup third round. UEFA Cup third round Third-round matches in the UEFA Cup will be played on 28 November and 12 December 2002. Full schedule: Third round, first leg 28 November 2002 Third round, second leg 12 December 2002 Fourth round, first leg 20 February 2003 Fourth round, second leg 27 February 2003 Quarter-finals, first leg 13 March 2003 Quarter-finals, second leg 20 March 2003 Semi-finals, first leg 10 April 2003 Semi-finals, second leg 24 April 2003 Final 21 May 2003 The principal reference page on the Web for the competition appears to be: http://www.uefa.com/Competitions/UefaCup/index.html ----
Full Draw Matches to be played on November 28 and December 12 Wisla Krakow - Schalke 04 SS Lazio - Sturm Graz Real Betis - Auxerre Beskitas - Dynamo Kiev PSG - Boavista Club Brugge - Vfb Stuttgart Liverpool - Vitesee Arnhem Panathinaikos - Slovan Liberec Denizlipor - Olympique Lyonnais Bordeaux - RSC Anderlecht Malaga - Leeds United PAOK Thessalonika - Slavia Prague Hertha Berlin - Fulham AEK Athens - Maccabi Haifa FC Porto - RSC Lens Celtic - Celta Vigo
From: http://www.soccernet.com/england/news/2002/1115/20021115uefadraw.html : "Gerard Houllier's side are one of the four top seeds in the last 32 of the UEFA Cup and will be at home against Arnhem on November 28." Vitesse info, from: http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N137614021115-1208.htm They are currently 7th in the Dutch Eredivisie Have already eliminated Rapid Bucharest and Werder Bremen from this season's UEFA Cup They qualified for this season's UEFA Cup by virtue of finishing 5th in the Dutch Eredivisie last season Vitesse are yet to win a major honour Their best ever finish in the Dutch Eredivisie was 3rd in 1997/98 Sander Westerveld's old club. Also. . . .this match may be on FSW. Since it's not confirmed yet, I won't put it on the TV thread. Liverpool (England) vs Vitesse (Netherlands) *** TO BE CONFIRMED *** FOX Sports World (US) Th Nov 28 3pm ET/12noon PT LIVE Complicating the situation, apparently, is this: "Vitesse Arnhem have requested that the dates of the fixtures against Liverpool in the UEFA Cup be reversed so now we will play away on Novemeber 28th and at home on December 12th. These changes are subject to final ratification by UEFA on Wednesday. Liverpool Football Club have not been informed why Vitesse Arnhem want to switch the fixture dates." http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N137616021115-1259.htm ----
I guess we can bring this thread back to life too. Auxerre in the next round for those keeping count.
Houllier is excited to be finally playing against a French side. I hope he can be just as excited about thumping them too.
OK. Notes from Thursday, then . . . LOVED the live video feed. Was nearly flawless for me, even at 450k. Think we'll see more of that for future UEFA Cup ties? Hate to say it, but Kirkland looked like a rock. Staved off a couple of stiff challenges, and even in the face of serious heat, I never felt the goal in jeopardy. I haven't felt that way in a long while. Smicer was cr@p playing on the left. I would have rather seen Heskey out there. Seriously. Stop laughing. Ditto, Diao was so horrible in midfield I thought I was going to cry. We didn't enjoy consistent pressure until he left early in the second half. Looked nearly invisible. I know that's not his normal form, but he's one of the lads who has to step up, NOW. WHY was Diouf playing? He refused to go anywhere near the box with purpose, and Owen was stranded on an island for most of the game. Dancing around the wings is NOT the kind of play that's going to create chances when Owen is in the game. He only touched the ball twice, I think, in the first 50 minutes or so, and one was the cleanup on the goal. No more than 60 seconds after Baros comes in, he barges into the box like a house of fire and gets our best chance of the game. And - voila - Michael has breathing room for the last 10 minutes and the front line opens up. Problem solved. Ratings: (off the top of my head, left my sheet of notes at my other computer) Kirkland - 8. My MOTM. Saved our bacon a few times, and was the only bright spot. Again. Distribution looked good too. Carragher - 6. Hyppia - 6. Would have been a 7 if not for one HORRENDOUS giveaway that should have led to a goal (see: Kirkland), and a bad pass or two. Henchoz - 6. Traore - 5. Poor tackling, out of position a couple of times. Murphy - 6.5. Would have been a 7 if not for the giveaway that led to Vitesse's best chance. (see: Kirkland) Gerrard - 7. Only because he was playing both CM positions. Diao - 4.5. See: Gerrard. Worst I have seen him play yet. Smicer - 5. NOT the answer. Played a little better once Hamann came in, but that's stil not the level we need on the left. Owen - 6. Never saw the ball. Made the best of what he had. Diouf - 4. Geez. Ummm, he dribbled the ball well in the corner once. Seriously, that's about it. Subs: Hamann - 7. Changed the game upon his entry. Actually looked like we wanted to do something with the ball. Riise - 6. Getting warmer on the left wing. Not superman, but I'll take what he was offering. Baros - 7. Played for 5 minutes, had twice the impact Diouf did all game. Not exaggerating. Sum: First 45 minutes left me putting my head through a wall. 25 minutes of inspired football in the second, but the performace throughout the rest of the game would have left us solidly defeated by any Premiership team worth its weight in salt. *sigh*