tOfficial Champions League 2008 Final thread: Manchester United vs. Chelsea

[arfabe16]

Broadcast at 2:00 ET on ESPN 2. Game begins at 2:45 ET. Live from Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia.

Once again, it's time for the championship game of the greatest club competition on earth... Like last year, I think this deserves its own thread.

Pre-game discussion and live commentary here instead of on the general soccer thread, please.

[arfabe16]

Sounds like Ashley Cole will be ready to play the final... good news for those of us who want to see a good show.

Chelsea expect Cole to be fit for final | Reuters

[Spartan07]

Many say that the influx of foreigners has enhanced the Premier League yet these two teams have a larger English contingent than the other top 4 teams, if I'm not mistaken.

Discuss.

[SpartanGop]

As I despise all the hype the premiership gets, I am not sure who I'll support.

There are obvious reasons to dislike Chelsea, and they start with a russian oil baron owner.

Then again, it would be hilarious to watch Cristiano Ronaldo walk away with out the silverware.

You could say that Man U plays a more exciting brand of football, but they have been more catenaccio than Italian teams in the last few legs. Chelsea and Liverpool gave us the most exciting match of the Champions League so far.

I'll probably pull for Chelsea just so their fans have to deal with the awkward debate of whether to keep a coach they wanted to run out on a rail a few months ago.

[NAWMAN1]

Im trying to get into the EPL but the whole damn thing seems confusing. After reading wikipedia (and maybe thats my problem), It seems that the EPL gets 4 bids to the Champions League, yet the method for determining those 4 seems screwy. Not to mention how they select teams for the UEFA Cup.

Then there is the whole 4 trophys that an EPL team can win in a year, and how teams are selected for those competitions, and my head is swimmin...

[cambridge spartan]

Originally Posted by NAWMAN1

Im trying to get into the EPL but the whole damn thing seems confusing. After reading wikipedia (and maybe thats my problem), It seems that the EPL gets 4 bids to the Champions League, yet the method for determining those 4 seems screwy. Not to mention how they select teams for the UEFA Cup.

Then there is the whole 4 trophys that an EPL team can win in a year, and how teams are selected for those competitions, and my head is swimmin...

yea it's pretty crazy, i don't understand it either. I wish i could watch more games but i just don't have access to the channels they're on

[Fletch]

Ok, help me out with this question - why are the early rounds a round robin, the knock out rounds a home and home/total goals, and the finale a single game? That would be like the first round of the NBA playoffs being 7 games, the second 5, the third 3, and the Finals a single game.

[cambridge spartan]

i hear there are concerns about the field quality, anyone know the deal there?

[T.C.O.B.]

A few questions I have regarding this.........

1) Will there be riots before/during/after the game? Assuming yes, will it be the police's fault, like the EL riots were?

2) How many guys will feign broken legs and then get right up? Vegas has the over/under line at 44. Thoughts?

3) When a ball goes out of bounds and either team throws it in, or has a corner kick and does not immediately score, can we all chime in and talk about what crappy coaches each team has because they do not score on out of bounds plays/corner kicks ?

4) Why is this game in Russia? Do they have a team in the Premiership?

I am a little bit of a soccer fan.....can someone please enlighten me as to who will be playing for these teams that the casual fan might know of? I assume no Americans will be on the field, but saw a post that Ashley Cole (England?) might play. I also see that there is a picture of Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal).

TIA

[Borat Sagdiyev]

Originally Posted by T.C.O.B.

4) Why is this game in Russia? Do they have a team in the Premiership?

This game is the Champions League Final. They only thing it has to do with the Premiership is that 2 teams from it are playing. There are teams from numerous European countries that also participated.

['05spartan]

Originally Posted by Fletch

Ok, help me out with this question - why are the early rounds a round robin, the knock out rounds a home and home/total goals, and the finale a single game? That would be like the first round of the NBA playoffs being 7 games, the second 5, the third 3, and the Finals a single game.

I think the round robin structure mimics the World Cup and is designed to help the cream of each pool rise to the top. Unless a great team goes completely cold, it's harder to get upset in RR play. Thus, they give "minnows" (champions from smaller leagues) a chance, but not too much of a chance in order to ensure the most exciting teams, players, and the biggest fanbases advance to knockout play.

The knockout round home-and-home and aggregate goals system is designed in the interest of fairness to make sure each team gets a shot at home while keeping the number of games to a minimum. I like how this structure can take a team from winning a round to losing it with a single goal, like the incredibly dramatic second half and extra-time in the Chelsea/Liverpool tie a few weeks back.

Lastly, the finals are played at a neutral site, which ends the need for a home-and-home. Also, I assume they switch to a single match for climactic purposes.

That's why I've gathered in the roughly four years that I've really followed European football--others could have better explanations. Also, to address the comment made above about all of this being too confusing... that's what I've come to appreciate more than anything else about club football. It's just totally different than the US paradigm for professional sports. While domestic sports were starting to get a little stale to me as I have grown older, taking an interest in a new sport with new parameters has given me a nostalgic experience. Sometimes it's almost as though I'm ten years old again learning the obscure rules and traditions, the history of a sport.

Anyway, that's my two cents. Here's to a great match this afternoon. Come on you reds!

[drogba]

Originally Posted by cambridge spartan

i hear there are concerns about the field quality, anyone know the deal there?

The sod was shipped in and laid down in the past few days.

[drogba]

Originally Posted by T.C.O.B.

A few questions I have regarding this.........

1) Will there be riots before/during/after the game? Assuming yes, will it be the police's fault, like the EL riots were?

2) How many guys will feign broken legs and then get right up? Vegas has the over/under line at 44. Thoughts?

3) When a ball goes out of bounds and either team throws it in, or has a corner kick and does not immediately score, can we all chime in and talk about what crappy coaches each team has because they do not score on out of bounds plays/corner kicks ?

4) Why is this game in Russia? Do they have a team in the Premiership?

I am a little bit of a soccer fan.....can someone please enlighten me as to who will be playing for these teams that the casual fan might know of? I assume no Americans will be on the field, but saw a post that Ashley Cole (England?) might play. I also see that there is a picture of Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal).

TIA

If the fans riot, they are complete idiots. The Russian cops are rough.

[Green & White 4 Life]

Originally Posted by Fletch

Ok, help me out with this question - why are the early rounds a round robin, the knock out rounds a home and home/total goals, and the finale a single game? That would be like the first round of the NBA playoffs being 7 games, the second 5, the third 3, and the Finals a single game.

I agree with '05. The round robin allows the best to prove themselves over several games, and not get knocked out by one bad game. The knockout stage allows both teams to have a home game. They don't use a best of 3 because it would be asking WAY too much of the teams to play an extra game. Soccer is the most physically demanding sport--> two 45 minute non-stop halves w/ only 3 subs allowed, so it would drastically reduce the quality of the play. Remember, while playing the Champions League, they are still in the midst of League play and domestic tournaments (i.e. FA Cup)

And the Final is a single game to optimize the excitement, look no further than the Super Bowl and March Madness.

[sarcyspice]

Originally Posted by Spartan07

Many say that the influx of foreigners has enhanced the Premier League yet these two teams have a larger English contingent than the other top 4 teams, if I'm not mistaken.

Discuss.

that may be true... however these two have the most money and english players are for the most part overpriced...

Hargreaves..... 17 million pounds,
Carrick....... 17 million pounds,
Ferdinand......27 million pounds,

Wright- PhilLips - 20 million pounds
Ashley Cole - approx 15-17 million
Joe Cole - approx 10 million
Lampard - 13 million

so unless the players are "home grown" they ask for ridiculous wages,(Terry,Wes Brown ect......)

look how much liverpool want for there english player who leave... pennant, crouch ect....

['05spartan]

Originally Posted by T.C.O.B.

I am a little bit of a soccer fan.....can someone please enlighten me as to who will be playing for these teams that the casual fan might know of? I assume no Americans will be on the field, but saw a post that Ashley Cole (England?) might play. I also see that there is a picture of Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal).

TIA

Today's match will truly be an all-star affair. Really both rosters are filled with players that even casual observers should be familiar with. Some of the biggest names for United include Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, and some guys who've been high profile for seemingly forever in Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes. As for Chelsea, Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard, and Michael Ballack have all been considered in the top echelon of their respective positions at one time or another over the past few seasons. Of course both sides will likely even have players on their benches (or maybe even inactive) that have been considered great players in recent years. Such is the collection of talent on both sides.

The two players that I enjoy watching the most on these two teams, however, are Owen Hargreaves for ManUtd and Claude Makelele for Chelsea. Both are talented footballers who play extremely hard and disciplined. Makelele especially is the rock in the middle for Chelsea as a brilliant defensive/holding midfielder who gives his offensively gifted teammates license to make plays in the last third of the pitch while he prevents teams from scoring on counter-attacks.

[worm]

go united

[The Dread Pirate Roberts]

C'MON BLUES!

[worm]

Originally Posted by The Dread Pirate Roberts

C'MON BLUES!

red devils

[Topopo]

Originally Posted by drogba

The sod was shipped in and laid down in the past few days.

Sir Alex said it was fine. It may not be perfect but it will not effect the play.
I am really looking forward to this game. I dislike both these teams but the magnitude of the game has me really excited. Ashley Cole will play. I saw his injury on SSN and it is just a knock, nothing that should keep anyone from playing in the CL final. Terry has overcome his shoulder injury in amazing time. Anyone care to guess the line-ups?
ManU will be a 442 or 451 with Hargreaves or Teves starting. I guess:
Van Der Sar
Brown,Ferdinand,Vidic,Evra
Park,Carrick,Scholes,Ronaldo
Teves,Rooney

Chelsea will play 451 but who plays on the left? Kalou or Malouda?
Cech
Essien,Carvalho,Terry,Cole
Makelele
Cole,Ballack,Lampard,Malouda
Drogba

[BleedinGreen]

[BleedinGreen]

Here are some videos



Last time Man U was in a Euro final this little didy went on...



The greatest game I have ever seen in my life.

[Ben Wallace]

From a true Arsenal fan....
$*&@ MAN U

3-1 Che