Sure, as long as you take a trip to the Holy Greek Orthodox temple the Steaua coach visited this past weekend, and you ask for forgiveness.
That Goian miss was baaaaad, they all should have gone in. Everyone from the Boro squad should be kissing Schwarzer's hands.
Match report from uefa.com Dica strike sets Steaua on course Nicolae Dica's sumptuous strike gave FC Steaua Bucuresti a precarious 1-0 first-leg advantage in their UEFA Cup semi-final tie against Middlesbrough FC in the Romanian capital, but Cosmin Olaroiu's team could live to regret a host of missed opportunities. Harmful suspensions Dica struck his fourth goal of the competition on the half-hour mark. With Middlesbrough penned inside their own half, Mirel Radoi fed the ball to the forward, who held off George Boateng, before swivelling and drilling a shot high into the roof of the net. It provided a deserved lead and Steaua could have won by more but spurned countless chances. However, with Sorin Paraschiv and Banel Nicolita now suspended for the return leg at the Riverside in seven days, the tie remains tight. Striking absentees Middlesbrough will hope to welcome back the injured Mark Viduka for that game, as the Australian's invention was sorely missed in Bucharest. Indeed, both teams struggled early on and it was not until the tenth minute that Steaua created the first real chance of the game after Matthew Bates could only half-clear. Daniel Oprita headed the ball back into the danger area where Dica hooked over the crossbar. Bates was only in the side as McClaren has been deprived of his first-choice central defensive pairing, with captain Gareth Southgate injured and Chris Riggott suspended, but he and Ugo Ehiogu soon settled. Middlesbrough rally Radoi and George Ogararu both tried their luck from distance, but neither forced a save from Middlesbrough goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, who had rather more to think about when the unmarked Dica headed a corner just past the upright. It marked the onset of a spell of sustained pressure from the home team, culminating in Dica's goal on the half-hour. Middlesbrough could have been level by the interval, however, as Boateng's cross was diverted onto the crossbar by a combination of Yakubu Ayegbeni and Ogararu, before Carlos Alberto Fernandes produced a fine stop to deny James Morrison from the resulting corner. Second-half pressure Schwarzer saved well from Dorin Goian eight minutes after the restart, and did even better to keep out Dica soon after when Stuart Parnaby's mistimed clearance presented the goalscorer an excellent chance to double the advantage. The Australian international almost presented Goian with another opening when he dropped a cross midway through the half, but the excellent Bates was on hand to hook clear. With minutes remaining, Petre Marin screwed wide with the goal at his mercy as Middlesbrough held on.
As ToonUSA said, Paraschiv and Nicolita are suspended for the return leg. Steaua has 5 players who could miss the final (if Steaua goes through) if they receive another yellow card: Radoi, Ogararu, Dica, Goian and Andrei Cristea. "I have a bitter taste after this victory," said Steaua coach Cosmin Olaroiu, adding that Steaua should have converted more of its scoring chances. "Paraschiv and Nicolita are 2 important players, who could have helped us a lot in the second leg, but we must find solutions to replace them. It would have been a lot harder if Radoi had been booked too, as we would have been left with only one central midfielder, Lovin". Steve McLaren: "I'm delighted with this result! This 1-0 loss gives us hope for the return game in England. Steaua had the chance to score more goals and we could have lost by a bigger margin. We played well in the first half, but we fell apart in the second. Next week it will be a different game and we will play our chance, although we know Steaua always scored in away games in this season's UEFA Cup." Emeric Ienei (Steaua's coach in their 1986 ECC win): "2-0 or 3-0 would have been a more correct result. I think Steaua can qualify. Middlesbrough seemed an average team, altough they did have good moments." Victor Piturca (Romania's coach and former Steaua coach): "Steaua was nervous in the first half, but it was very good in the second and it's a shame they missed all those scoring opportunities. The result clearly makes Steaua the favorite to go through. Don't ask me about chances in percents, as I'm no mathematician." Fabrizio Ravanelli (former Middlesbrough player): "Nicolita, Radoi and Oprita were the best players tonight. Oprita was always the extra man, Nicolita has a very good speed and Radoi is a class player. Boro played poorly. A ghost." Mirel Radoi (Steaua's captain): "A good result that gives us hope to qualify in the final. We had clear scoring chances and maybe the difference should have been higher." Sven Goran Eriksson (England's manager): "I'd like to have a player like Radoi on the team. He's a very good and smart player, who can solve a game by himself. He's an amazing player." One more thing: Gigi Becali - Steaua's owner - is not a very sophisticated person (and that's an understatement) Of course he doesn't speak English. So he goes to Sven Goran Eriksson and says (in Romanian): "If there's anything I can do for you, don't hesitate to ask". Poor Sven turned all red and was only able to mumble: "Thank you, no problem".
We need 2 more points (UEFA points) to get to 8th place in the UEFA rankings (link). We would have 2 teams in the CL (1 would start in the group stage, the other in the 3rd qualifying round) and 4 in the UEFA Cup. If Steaua gets a draw in England we'll get 1 point for the draw and 1 point for reaching the final. That's 2 points. Hopefully, Steaua can make it.
Boy would that be a blow to the team, if they get through and Dica and Radoi miss the final, they have arguably been Steaua's two most important players during their Uefa Cup campaign. That kind of thing can totally de-moralize a team and handicap it, I recall Juve without Nedved against Milan in 2003, Germany without Ballack against Brazil in 02.
Steaua is in a very tough position now. I don't like this at all. However, there is nothing they can do except suggest Radoi and Dica play smart. It's more important to win the game at the Riverside than worry about who could be missed in the final. It would be better for Steaua and for Romanian soccer to get to the final, because anything can happen there.
I don't really know much about either team. I have just heard from fellow posters that Sevilla is the favorite to win it all. I of course had a different opinion.
Videos Realitatea TV has on its website the full match. First half -> link Second half -> link You need a FLV player -> link Info from Gazeta Sporturilor and Realitatea TV
Boro lost 1-0 in the FA Cup semifinal against West Ham United. Steaua won 3-0 in "Divizia A" against Farul. Boro's keeper, Schwarzer, was injured in the game against WHU. Dean Ashton from WHU broke his cheekbone. It seems he's out for the season.
According to press reports, Banel Nicolita will be replaced by Daniel Balan and Sorin Paraschiv by Florin Lovin. Also, Victoras Iacob is very likely to play in the second leg even from the start.
Referee Ľuboš Micheľ (SVK) Assistant referee Martin Balko (SVK) Roman Slyško (SVK) Fourth official Vladimír Hriňák (SVK) UEFA Referee observer Peter Mikkelsen (DEN)
We'll qualify to the final. I said it before the first leg and I'm saying it now as well. As long as we don't let Boro get too much space. The first game was perfect, repeating that performance will put Steaua through. It's a good score, 1-0, at 2-0 our players would of been much more relaxed, but this way they will try and push for a goal or more. I'll be at the game, can't wait for Thrusday... FORZA STEAUA!
Match preview from uefa.com Viduka bolsters Middlesbrough bid Middlesbrough FC have received a timely boost as they bid to turn around their UEFA Cup semi-final against FC Steaua Bucuresti with the news that influential striker Mark Viduka is likely to return in front of a capacity crowd at the Riverside stadium on Thursday night. Semi-final setbacks The English side have lost their last two games, going down 1-0 in Romania last week and bowing out of the FA Cup at the semi-final stage to West Ham United FC on Sunday after losing by an identical scoreline at Villa Park. Viduka sat out both matches with a thigh problem, but the powerful Australian should recover for what manager Steve McClaren describes as his team's most important fixture yet. "It's a season-defining match, our biggest game of the season," he said. "I'm looking forward to it and so are the players. We're gutted after Sunday, we still can't believe we lost as we dominated the match. Our name wasn't on the FA Cup; hopefully it is on this trophy. Goalkeeping change "Our play revolves a lot around Viduka, and it's no coincidence that we've lost the last two games and failed to score," added McClaren, who will replace one Australian goalkeeper with another as Brad Jones steps in for first-choice Mark Schwarzer, who broke a cheekbone at the weekend. "Mark will be missed but Brad has always stepped up and performed very well and he'll do a good job. The players are hurt, angry and frustrated because they know they played well on Sunday and didn't get their reward and they're determined to make sure that doesn't happen again." 'Defining moments' Gareth Southgate (ankle) and Chris Riggott (suspension) will be reunited in central defence having missed the first leg, and McClaren believes the pair will lift his side against opponents who are unbeaten in six UEFA Cup away matches and have conceded only four goals in 13 games in the competition. "We'll try to make it a high tempo, quite aggressive, play good football and get the first goal," McClaren said. "Steaua are a very organised team with no great stars but they're well oiled and don't concede many so we've got to keep a clean sheet. On Sunday we lost to one defining moment; we have to make sure that any defining moments go our way on Thursday." Iacob surprise Steaua must do without midfielders Banel Nicolita and Sorin Paraschiv after both were cautioned in the first leg, although their loss could be offset by the surprise return from injury of forward Victoras Iacob. The 25-year-old has not played since damaging his shoulder against FC National 2000 Bucuresti on 19 March, but with five UEFA Cup goals already, his availability would be a welcome fillip, although coach Cosmin Olaroiu may also opt to use Daniel Balan and Florin Lovin. Final ambition Steaua are seeking to become the first Romanian side to reach the UEFA Cup final 20 years after their victory in the European Champion Clubs' Cup final against FC Barcelona. The team from Bucharest were runners-up in the latter competition three seasons later, losing 4-0 to AC Milan, and Olaroiu predicts that his players will have to find the net on Thursday, explaining: "We will have to score at least once; playing for a draw would be fatal against a very good team with high-quality players. But it's their last chance to win something this season, so the pressure is bigger for them. We have faced more difficult situations and overcome all of them."
Lubos Michel was the referee of the Norway - Romania match in the EURO 2004 qualifiers. That was a fine match for Romanians, until Carew handled the ball in the box (that's the Romanian box, thank you very much!). Lubos Michel said Chivu handled the ball and awarded the Norwegians a penalty kick. Carew confessed after the match that he had touched the ball, not Chivu. Chivu is white, Carew has a dark complexion. How can you make such a mistake? Well... water under the bridge by now.
Whats everyone's feelings on the match today then as we get closer to kick off? Will be setting off to the game in about an hours time...