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2008-2009 UEFA Champions League Matchday 4 Results

November 7th 2008 01:50
Group A
A win by both Bordeaux and Roma leave things wide open in Group A where any team can now go through.

CFR Cluj – Bordeaux: 1-2

Roma – Chelsea: 3-1


Group B
Scolari wasn't the only one furious with his team Tuesday night as Mourinho's men were unable to defeat the intruder of the group, Anorthosis.

Anorthosis – Inter: 3-3

Bremen – Panathinaikos: 0-3

Group C
I managed to catch only bits and pieces of Barcelona's first half, and from what I've seen, they were simply going through the motions, not bothered at all by Basel.

Sporting – Shaktar: 1-0

Barcelona – Basel: 1-1

Group D



Liverpool – Atletico: 1-1

Marseille – PSV: 3-0

Group E
Aallborg – Villareal: 2-2

Celtic – Manchester United: 1-1

Group F
It seems like all the French teams are on the same wavelength. When one wins, they all win, when one loses, they all lose. That's pretty weird.

Fiorentina – Bayern: 1-1

Lyon – Steaua: 2-0

Group G
Perhaps it's time to shake things up at the Emirates. This disappointing result shows that the Gunners poor form isn't exclusive to the Premiership.

Arsenal – Fenerbahce: 0-0

Dynamo Kyiv – Porto: 1-2

Group H
How can anyone criticize Del Piero? The guy gets better with every year that passes. His two goals at the Bernabeu show that he is a real leader that can carry his team through hostile territory. Let's just hope he won't get exhausted by the end of the season. It's simply a delight to watch him play. What I don't understand though, is how the Madrid defenders could let him score from the exact same spot he scored in Matchday 3.

BATE – Zenit: 0-2

Real Madrid – Juventus: 0-2
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2008-2009 EPL Wrap-Up (Week 1-10)

November 7th 2008 01:05
*Warning, huge post follows*

Before the beginning of the season, many people predicted that Manchester United would easily dominate their Premiership rivals. After ten games played, here's how the teams stack up.

1. Liverpool (10-8-2-0 | 26pts)
Things have been tough for Rafael Benitez's men. They started the season with two hard-fought victories (1-0 against Sunderland, and 2-1 against Middlesbrough) where the winning goal came in the final ten minutes. Two 0-0 draws (against Aston Villa and Stoke City) bookended their best performance so far in the season where they defeated Manchester United 2-1. That performance was probably the spark they needed to get going. Indeed, after the draw against Stoke, they rolled on to a five-game winning streak, including a 1-0 victory against Chelsea which allowed them to take the lead in the standings.

Most of their early season troubles came from the arrival of Robbie Keane who disrupted the chemistry between Gerrard and Torres. Of course, Torres' sudden inability to find the net didn't help very much. Once he got going though, Liverpool followed. Still, Benitez's best move so far has been the acquisition of Spaniard Albert Riera. The left-winger has been a tremendous help to the Reds' attack thanks to his technical abilities and speed. He was particularly efficient against Manchester United where his performance eclipsed his vis-ΰ-vis.

2. Chelsea (10-7-2-1 | 23pts)
Gone are the days of Jose Mourinho and Avram Grant. Under the tutelage of Luiz Felipe Scolari, Chelsea has become a more offensive-minded squad, combining the possession style of Argentina's national team and the flying fullbacks of Brazilian football. Mostly deployed in a 4-1-4-1 formation, the Blues' play is concentrated in a powerful midfield, superbly led by newcomer Deco. Most of the time, that formation turns into a 4-3-3, giving width to Chelsea's offense which had scored 22 goals for 4 goals conceded before the 11th week.

Despite the absence of Didier Drogba in front, Scolari's men started the season in force, posting a dominating 4-0 win against Portsmouth in the first week. Perhaps victims of complacency, they managed to score only one goal against Wigan Athletic (they won 1-0) before visitors Tottenham Hotspur got a point out of a 1-1 match at Stamford Bridge. The visit of Robinho under the Manchester City shirt in the fourth week set them back to the right track as they defeated City 3-1. In the fifth week, they came back from behind to draw 1-1 against Manchester United. After that, they posted three back-to-back wins defeating both Stoke City and Aston Villa on a 2-0 score, then completely dominating Middlesbrough with a resounding 5-0 victory. One week later, they suffered their first loss at the Bridge in a long time as they couldn't find an answer to Liverpool's first half goal. Finally, they rebounded with a 3-0 win against Hull City which kept them in second place in the standings right behind Liverpool.

Portuguese players Deco and Bosingwa aren't the only one who impressed in the early season. French striker Nicolas Anelka seems to have been reborn ever since Scolari got on board. He's played well so far but failed to show up against big teams such as Liverpool and Manchester United. With Shevchenko back at Milan, Anelka has effectively become the choice striker until Drogba comes back. It might be a good news for him, but Scolari must have realized during the Liverpool game that his team clearly lacks depth in front especially since they also have to juggle with the Champions League. Youngster Franco Di Santo shouldn't have to come into a game to rescue his teammates. Still, there's no doubt Chelsea will continue their excellent form. Of course, it's easier to say that when we know they've convincingly won their 11th game where Anelka got his first hat-trick of the season.

3. Arsenal (10-6-2-2 | 20pts)
Despite Arsθne Wenger's reassuring words (until last week anyway), the Gunners have gone off to a terrible start due to a troubling lack of consistency. They started the season against promoted side West Bromwich Albion where their only one goal turned out to be winner. The second week, they fell against Fulham, another lower-tiered club. Things looked better when they posted back-to-back-to-back wins against Newcastle United (3-0), Blackburn Rovers (4-0), and Bolton Wanderers (3-1). For awhile there, it looked like they were back in the glory days, but everything came crashing down when Hull City stunned them at the Emirates with a 2-1 victory. Then, they drew 1-1 against Sunderland before finding their way back to victory with a 3-1 win against Everton, and a 2-0 win against West Ham United. But once again, they lost their focus in the 10th match, drawing 4-4 against Tottenham Hotspur after leading 4-2.

Most of Arsenal's problems come from a lack of depth. Sure, they have talent on the bench, but that talent is still raw, you can't expect youngsters to pull you out of tough situations week in week out. That in turn leads to exhausted veterans who must play almost every game. Watching Fabregas these past few weeks, I get the feeling that he either has a bad game or takes a while to really get in the flow of things as if to keep some energy for the next game. The Gunners are also still in need of a defensive midfielder. Putting Song and Denilson together with Fabregas also on the field just won't work in the long run. It not only deprives Wenger of an offensive player, but also doesn't help Denilson who will come to think that there will always be someone covering him. Furthermore, the center of the defense is still weak even with Silvestre there (but then again, Silvestre was never considered a good centreback, so I don't know what Wenger was thinking). Lastly, Arsenal only knows one way to play the game – the attractive passing and that's it. The players looked flustered when they're under intense pressure, and often look for the most complicated scenarios when trying to score. A bit more simplicity wouldn't hurt.

4. Hull City (10-6-2-2 | 20pts)
In The Tigers' first season in the Premier League, they surprised everyone by barging in the top 5 in front of Manchester United. With only two loss to their account after ten games (against Wigan Athletic and Chelsea), the question is how long will they hold on to the top 10. Their win against Arsenal at the Emirates showed that everything is possible and in Geovanni they found a star striker/midfielder who will provide a lot of thrills in the weeks to come.

5. Aston Villa (10-6-2-2 | 20pts)

6. Manchester United (9-5-3-1 | 18pts)
With an offense thoroughly plagued with injuries, Manchester United had a disappointing start to their campaing posting a 1-1 draw against Newcastle United, and a 1-0 win against Portsmouth. Both of United goals came from midfielder Darren Fletcher. Things didn't get better as they consecutively faced Liverpool (2-1 loss) and Chelsea (1-1 draw). The return of Ronaldo which coincided with Rooney's hot streak brought a couple of wins under United's belt (2-0 against Bolton and Blackburn, 4-0 against West Bromwich) before Everton managed to hold them to a 1-1 draw). The two last games were led by Ronaldo who got a double in each win (2-0 against West Ham United, 4-3 against Hull City).

Consider this. During those nine games, all of these following players were missing at some point due to injuries: Cristiano Ronaldo (returned on September 27th after ankle surgery), Wayne Rooney (missed the first game due to a virus, returned for the second despite not being 100%), Michael Carrick (two ankle injuries), Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs (hamstring), Park Ji-Sung, Owen Hargreaves (who has played only one game so far), and Patrice Evra. Nani was also suspended for the first two games. All this to say that the Red Devils were far from being at full speed in those first nine games. Yet, there were a couple of good performances here and there. Youngster Rafael has been forcing Sir Alex's hand with superb displays at right back. The kid is fearless and loves participating in the offense. Berbatov, although not as energetic as Rooney and Tevez, has helped in some way. Now, the question is who will get the most playing time between the three.

7. Everton (10-4-2-4 | 14pts)
Their 1-1 draw against Manchester United was the only bright spot in a relatively normal start. They won the games they should've won, and lost those they should've lost.

8. Portsmouth (10-4-2-4 | 14pts)
The partnership between Defoe and Crouch has shown some positive signs here and there but nothing concrete enough to give the team a boost.

9. Middlesbrough (10-4-1-5 | 13 pts)
Like Everton against Manchester United, Boro held its own against one of the Big Four when they face Liverpool in the second week of the season. They came out with a strong showing that probably surprised the Reds. When the game was tied at 1-1, Gareth Southgate took a gamble by going for the win instead of sitting back for a draw. The result was a heartwrenching loss (Gerrard scored the winning goal at the 94th minute), but they deserve to be applauded for the effort.

10. Manchester City (10-4-1-5 | 13pts)
The takeover of Manchester City by an Emirati businessman was the big news out of the early season. The acquisition of Brazilian striker Robinho from Real Madrid right under Chelsea's nose was a major coup for the new owners who plan on making another Chelsea. Robinho had an instant impact on the team, scoring his first goal against Chelsea, and five more in the other nine games including a hat-trick against Stoke City.

11. West Ham United (10-4-0-6 | 12pts)
Ended the first ten games of the season on a four-game losing streak. The managerial change was obviously a big blow.

12. Blackburn Rovers (10-3-3-4 | 12pts)

13. Sunderland (10-3-3-4 | 12pts)

14. Fulham (10-3-2-5 | 11pts)
Despite a surprising 1-0 win against Arsenal, Fulham found themselves back in the bottom after a four-game losing streak.

15. Stoke City (10-3-1-6 | 10pts)

16. West Bromwich Albion (10-3-1-6 | 10pts)

17. Newcastle United (10-2-3-5 | 9pts)
After a promising start to their season where they got a 1-1 draw against Manchester United before defeating Bolton 1-0, the Magpies struggled in their next eight games where they were either unable to hold a lead or unable to come back from behind.

18. Wigan Athletic (10-2-2-6 | 8pts)
Things don't look good for Wigan who lost all their games in October.

19. Bolton Wanderers (10-2-2-6 | 8pts)

20. Tottenham Hotspur (10-1-3-6 | 6pts)
Despite the arrival of Dos Santos, Modric, and Pavlyuchenko, the Spurs have been struggling to win a game since the beginning of the season (they only won the ninth game). Let's hope the 4-4 draw against Arsenal will give them something to feed on.

Stay tuned for both Spanish Liga and Italian Serie A wrap-ups.
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EPL Week 9: Man. United Can't Face The Heat, Liverpool Win At The Bridge, Adebayor Saves Arsenal

October 29th 2008 03:07
Manchester United – Everton: 1-1
When Darren Fletcher scored his third of the season at the 21st minute, it looked like the Red Devils would get an easy win. Unfortunately, their domination only lasted in the first 45 minutes. In the second half, Everton's pressure became almost unbearable for Sir Alex Ferguson's men. It didn't help that Ferdinand had a couple of brain farts that put his team and Van der Sar in serious trouble. Everton tied the game at the 62nd minute, but they could've had easily grabbed the lead if their strikers were more precise.

No one in United's camp will be happy for the draw. Although this game wasn't a must-win, the defending champions were probably anticipating a win that would've put them closer to the top three. Now, Chelsea and Liverpool are pulling away while they're stuck outside of the top four. Plus, I'm still not convinced about Berbatov. Most of his goals so far were purely reactions, not really genius stuff. It's a shame that Carlos Tevez has to rot on the bench.


Manchester United's line-up: Edwin Van der Sar; Wes Brown, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Patrice Evra; Darren Fletcher (Carlos Tevez, 77th), Park Ji-Sung (Anderson, 66th), Ryan Giggs, Cristiano Ronaldo; Wayne Rooney (Nani, 70th), Dimitar Berbatov.

Chelsea – Liverpool: 0-1
An early goal by Xabi Alonso was all it took for Liverpool to end Chelsea's winning streak at Stamford Bridge. Although the Blues had most of their possession, their forwards never seemed to get in the game. Anelka and Malouda were particularly invisble, and Kalou couldn't do it all by himself. But then again, Liverpool were very solid at the back, especially Jamie Carragher who came up with a great display. Not only did Liverpool finally found a way through Chelsea's defense, but the win also puts them atop the Premiership standings, three points clear of Chelsea.

Chelsea's line-up: Petr Cech; Jose Bosingwa (Scott Sinclair, 84th), Ricardo Carvalho, John Terry, Ashley Cole; John Obi Mikel, Deco, Frank Lampard, Salomon Kalou (Franco Di Santo, 57th), Florent Malouda (Juliano Belletti, 57th); Nicolas Anelka.

Liverpool's line-up: Pepe Reina; Alvaro Arbeloa, Daniel Agger, Jamie Carragher, Fabio Aurelio; Dirk Kuyt (Lucas, 87th), Xabi Alonso, Javier Mascherano, Albert Riera (Sami Hyypia, 89th), Steven Gerrard; Robbie Keane (Ryan Babel, 59th).

West Ham United – Arsenal: 0-2
A great performance by Robert Green helped The Hammers to strongly compete against Arsenal. The Gunners had all the possession but couldn't find a way through the home side's defense. It took an own-goal by defender Julien Faubert – who deflected Adebayor's harmless shot/cross into the net - at the 74th minute to finally break the deadlock. Adebayor then added the insurance goal at the 90th minute.


Arsenal's line-up: Manuel Almunia; Emmanuel Eboue, William Gallas, Mikael Silvestre, Gael Clichy; Theo Walcott (Emmanuel Adebayor, 67th), Alexandre Song, Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri (Abou Diaby, 66th); Robin Van Persie (Bacary Sagna, 91st), Nicklas Bendtner.
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2008-2009 UEFA Champions League - Matchday 3 Results

October 23rd 2008 23:35
Group A

Bordeaux – CFR Cluj: 1-0

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2008-2009 UEFA Champions League - Matchday 2 Results

October 3rd 2008 03:09
Group A
Chelsea – CFR Cluj: 0-0
Cluj are continuing to impress everyone on the European stage. After defeating Roma 2-1 on Day 1, they held Chelsea to a scoreless draw which keeps them in second place. Granted, Chelsea didn't play very well. Without Joe Cole on the wing, they lacked the mobility necessary to stretch Cluj's compact defense. The Blues started with a 4-3-3 formation but suprisingly looked better with a 4-4-2 once Anelka came on in the second half. However, Drogba's injury before the hour-mark erased all the momentum they had at the start of the second period while Cluj gained in confidence as time went on. The Romanian even tested Cech late in the game but everyone could tell that they were equally satisfied with a draw


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2008/2009 UEFA Champions League - Matchday 1 Results

September 20th 2008 01:48
Group A

Chelsea – Bordeaux: 4-0

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Transfer News

September 5th 2008 23:48
Gosh, I meant to write this post so much earlier this week. Returning to university completely screwed up my writing process.

So, there was a lot of movement in the European soccer world on Monday, the deadline for summer transfers. Most of the important transfers took place in the EPL, but Serie A teams were also pretty busy including Inter and Juventus who both picked up a new player


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