In a tense but pulsating final in Moscow, Manchester United beat Chelsea 6-5 on penalties. The match had ended 1-1 after 120 minutes with Frank Lampard’s goal on the stroke of half time canceling Ronaldo’s headed goal earlier in the first half. After United dominated the first half only to be played off the park by Chelsea in the second, the match went to extra time. And after an incredible clearance by John Terry to deny Ryan Giggs and an moment of sheer lunacy on the part of Drogba which resulted in him getting sent off, the match went to penalties.

After Ronaldo’s miss and 8 successful spot kicks, it all came down to “Mr. Chelsea” himself- John Terry stepped up to take the final penalty knowing that Chelsea would win if he scored. What happened next would remain etched in the minds of fans everywhere, Terry lost his footing and ended up missing the penalty despite sending Van Der Saar the wrong way. Unbelievable stuff. And in sudden death, it was Nicolas Anelka who saw his spot kick saved by Van Der Saar to give the title to Manchester United. Their third European title overall and their first since 1999. A particularly memorable achievement considering this came on the 50th anniversary of the Munich air crash.

Full credit to Chelsea:

Chelsea’s season could have been so much more different today morning if either Drogba or Lampard had managed to score instead of hitting the woodwork. It probably would have been different if Drogba had not got sent off (a la Zidane in the 2006 final) but credit where its due, Chelsea had resurrected their season brilliantly. Avram Grant looks as clueless as ever on the pitch but his half time talk did have a positive effect. The team will see a lot of changes in the off season with players such as Drogba, Lampard, Carvalho all expected to leave. Whether Roman Abrahamovich will continue to spend money to get new players remains to be seen.

Best team in Europe

Much like Barcelona in 2006, this season has seen Manchester United dominate both domestically and in Europe. The team has played some attacking football with Ferguson using the 4-3-3 formation to great effect. Obviously, all the credit will go to Ronaldo, who with Tevez and Rooney contributed most of United’s goals. However, the success of the squad also has a lot to do with the incredible back four. The duo of Ferdinand and Vidic in the centre, the much improved Wes Brown on the right and the brilliant Patrice Evra at left back. Ferguson has added another trophy to the 31 accumulated in his career and watching him jump about in the rain, it was obvious that he will be in charge at Old Trafford for some time to come.

The prestigious league had a familiar name etched on its cup and Italy had its second footballing achievement in as many years. AC Milan were by far the best team in the Champions League and were deserved winners of the UEFA Champions League. They outplayed favorites Manchester United in the semis after doing away with Bayern Munich in the Quarterfinals. In the lead up to their final against Liverpool, there was a lot of talk of *that* night in Istanbul and when Kuyt scored in the 90 th minute, it almost seemed like fate was against Senor Berlusconi’s team. But it was nothing more than a consolation goal as the match ended 2-1. This was after the most vilified man in the Milan dressing room put them two ahead after some fortitous and opportunistic finishing. Inzaghi was his usual self. Diving, time wasting, being called offside a million times but fortunately for Milan, also deadly in his finishing. He may have won over a few fans with that display. On the whole, Liverpool were the better(with a very small b) team. Milan lacked the fluency like they did against Man Utd but this was as Ancelotti envisioned. Few teams play with flair against Benitez. He is a master tactician and despite Valdano’s ramblings, he is still one of the best managers in the world.

I got the feeling that Gerrard got carried away with his prematch comments. He should have learnt from Totti’s example that it is very easy to talk a good game. No disrespect to him, He is still the best english talent in the world, a list that includes a certain Man Utd striker.

However, no one would complain that Milan didn’t deserve the CL. They were brilliant in their style and execution, not a trait normally associated with the Italians . It is a good sign that for the second season running we have had attacking teams (more measured in the case of Milan) win the Champions League and although this may be a pipe dream, I hope this continues for the coming seasons. Tactical football may be effective but for a spectator, it is mind numbingly dull.
The European season is nearly over. Spain will go on for a few more weeks before they go into hibernation (or is that aestivation?). After that we may have to live off the crumbs that fall of the transfer table.

After 120 minutes of football that bordered on the tedium, we had a winner, and quite fittingly it was Chelsea’s man of the season who finished Manchester United off. The setting, the new Wembley , was spectacular but the football played sadly wasn’t, it hardly justified the occasion.

It was the case of who could wear out the other faster. I guess both team had their moments and neither team deserved to win it. The game had very few talking points, may be the Giggs incident is the only one. Ronaldo has proved the big game bottler again. Giggs had some sloppy moments. Rooney was better than the other two. But in a game in which cried out for the flair players of Manchester United to do something, they failed miserably. Chelsea used their usual power play game and got their result. Fair play. A word on Essien, I mean what a player! Not a club in Europe would not want his service.

Its bit of an anticlimax for Manchester United who could rightly feel that they have let things slip in the fag end of the season. As for Chelsea and Mourinho, I think Jose would do very well if he went inside and gave Drogba a big hug. Drogba has been the difference between a trophy less season and one with 2 cups. Whether it was enough to keep Jose’s job? I have my doubts.

< Video of Droba's Goal:
Video of Drogba’s Goal

For the second time in three years we are going to have a Liverpool vs Milan final in the UEFA Champions league. Milan confirmed their position in the final after thumping Manchester United 3-0 in Milan to win the tie on aggregate 5-3.

If the previous final is anything to go by, we can expect a treat. I expect Liverpool to win, they are much better (in Europe, mind you) than what they were two years back. The middle of the field looks very settled with Mascherano and Alonso. And of course Benitez really seems to have mastered tactics required for success in Europe. For both the clubs, this trophy represents the only chance to redeem what has otherwise been very disappointing seasons at club level.

Manchester United:

A woeful defense and players like Ronaldo going AWOL cut short any hopes of a final and a shot at a second treble. United now need to recover by Saturday when they play Manchester City in the derby. The league title is in their hands but will they slip up?

The best player in the world

Before the semifinals, there were two contenders for the best active footballer in the world. And over the two legs, Kaka has made that position his own. Of course, 1) Gattuso hacking down Ronaldo all over the park and 2) United’s terrible defense have certainly helped.

The Goals from the match:

First goal - KAKA

Second goal- SEEDORF

Third goal- GILARDINHO

Liverpool are through to the Final of the Champions league after defeating Chelsea on penalties. What a relief! This way we wont get to hear Jose Mourinho rave about he had led two different clubs to the Champions League title (not yet).

I expect United to go through tomorrow, a Liverpool vs United final in Athens will be absolutely cracking. But, with the Athens Police Force set to go on strike (for higher wages), this could turn into a big mess.

But for now, congratulations to Liverpool and the Kop!

You can watch the video of the highlights here: Highlights

You can watch the Penalty Kick Shoot Out Here:  Penalties

The English premier league had its proudest moment on Wednesday with three of its members participating in the Champions League. I don’t ever recall the English dominating the competition the way they have done this year. First was the way Barcelona were made to look ordinary by both Liverpool and Chelsea. Then there was Manchester United hammering Fransesco ‘Ferguson will know my name’ Totti’s Roma 7-1 in what was the performance of the season. However, I am not quick to jump on this EPL bandwagon. Barca had the post Champions league dip, Real Madrid are never this bad and to be honest the Italians were underrepresented without Juventus. Before all you Anglophiles brandish those knives I dont mean to say that EPL isn’t good, but I am more circumspect when it comes to the question which league is the best. I would have acceded if it weren’t for the same three clubs every year. As Phil Ball said in his article, its not the Chelsea’s that make the league, it’s the Villas and the Boro’s and they haven’t done diddley poo this year. [ More on this later]

The last two nights have been great for football. Tuesday brought the game of the season as Kaka and Ronaldo went head to head. You would be hard pressed to find two more productive players in the world. Yet, their gameplay is diametrically opposite. While Ronaldo relies on his flair and propensity for the spectacular, Kaka is the more direct, substance over showmanship type of player.

Ronaldo was shackled by a rigid Milan defense that allowed him very little space, but in the process allowed the other young wizard in the team to take centre stage. Rooney had his best match in the Champions league and his second goal showed the opportunistic side of his. His first time shot took everyone by surprise and it was a killer blow to a Milan team that looked good for the draw.

Chelsea Vs Liverpool

Chelsea and Liverpool didn’t provide anywhere close to the entertainment of the previous night but they were never billed to. But it was fascinating to see Pool go back to the KOP without an advantage. I don’t think Rafa has been in such a spot in a long time. Against Barca and PSV they played their second legs without much pressure. So, this would be their first real test.

My Predictions (If you want to make good money, bet against this spread)

Liverpool 1 - Chelsea 1

Milan 1 – Man Utd 2

Technorati Tags: Barcelona, Liverpool, Chelsea, Milan, Man Utd

First off , I’m very disappointed with the Barcelona performance. They played like vagabond school kids, without any plan or design. Their attitude on the pitch also resembled the gypsies- straying away from assignments , losing sight of the ball and most importantly gifting away two goals. Barcelona issued a statement like Liverpool after a week of madness for both clubs, but unfortunately for all the cules out there, it was the wrong kind.

My friend had remarked ‘ Barcelona beat Barcelona, Liverpool just happened to be there’. I don’t entirely agree with this view but it does ring true when you see the goals that were conceded. The defending was god awful and the goalkeeper Victor Valdes had a nightmare game. Valdes was not the only one guilty of dropping the ball, Rijkaard’s over aggression in an attempt to overcompensate for the Samuel Eto’o debacle lost the second half of the game. He brought on Iniesta to replace Motta and that meant that there was no natural holding midfielder, despite the ineffective performance of the latter.I was surprised Crouch didn’t come on at that stage. It would have made matters worse for the Champions of Europe.. At one point Barca had Xavi, Messi, Deco and Iniesta on the pitch. Crouch could have really exploited that. In keeping with the dreadful season, Ronaldinho had a terrible time. Have players sorted out his style? It does look like that. Defenders are not really threatened when he runs at them. Messi was awful too. Not once did he go on those trademark mazy runs which I and the whole of Catalunya had hoped for.

For Liverpool, it couldn’t have been sweeter. Two people in the news for all the wrong reasons were the heroes- Bellamy and Riise. All credit to them. Barca were awful but Liverpool were remarkably organised and took on their more talented rivals to their face, without any acknowledgment of their supposed pedigree. Its not all gloom and doom for the Catalans and good football at Anfield could change the whole equation.

Through the encircling gloom, it must be realised that its just the first leg but few would bet against Rafa and the reds and even fewer after witnessing that disastrous display by the Best side in Europe.

Technorati Tags: Liverpool, Football, Barcelona, Ronaldinho, Bellamy, Gerrard, Riise,

In a sensational vote, Former France Captain Michel Platini was elected the new President of UEFA, a post widely seen as the most powerful in Europe. Platini won a secret ballot against Lennart Johansson of Sweden among the 52 member federations at the UEFA Congress with a 27-23 majority, with two votes being invalid.

This could have major ramifications across Europe since Platini had advocated to limit each Country’s participation in the lucrative Champions League to 3 teams. His controversial slogan during the campaign was ‘giving football back to the footballers’ . Besides this, some of his other radical plans were to Expand the European Championship from 16 to 24 finalists and that clubs should field at least six players qualified to play for the country they’re based in[Arsenal fans are pissing in their pants].

Lennart Johansson, the former incumbent, had agreed to increase the participation in the European Championship- A last ditch attempt to placate the smaller nations like San Marino and Lithuania who have as many votes as Spain in an election. It didn’t save his job but it was indicative of the way the smaller nations felt about the direction of the current administration. The proposal to mandate home based players could affect the way moneybags such as Chelsea, Arsenal and Real play the game. At the moment, Arsenal would find it hard to field a single English player.

Platini may have taken Robin Hood route to victory- take from the rich and give to the poor but are his policies feasible? As a fan, I would hate it. To have just three from the top leagues means that atleast 3 very good teams will miss out on the competition, and that could be an Arsenal or a Barcelona. Platini’s claim is that wealth distribution would level the playing field. Yes, it would but would you want it at the expense of 4/5 years of mediocrity?

Its fascinating to see whether this would goad the European top cartel, read the G-14, to breakaway and form their own format and spell the end for various Leagues in Europe. It would centralise the money and the power in the game but also impoverish your neighborhood football team, who have just made it to the English Third Division. That is precisely the situation that Platini wants to avoid but may unknowingly trigger with his pro-poor policies.

The self proclaimed Bull in a china shop may be getting a dose of reality in a few days when the powerbrokers in Europe come calling. It will be interesting to see if he answers their call!

Wednesday may well be the end of the road of several European giants in this year’s Champions League. The usually drab group stage has given way for some exciting KO football with some of Europe’s finest, including participants of last year’s dream final, having a lot of work to do.

Barcelona have the hardest proposition- A must win game with an injury ravaged side against one of the best teams in Europe, at-least this season. . Werder have been spectacular this season, both in the Champions League and on their domestic front, with Brazilian Playmaker Diego pulling the strings and finally living up to his billing after his unhappy time at Porto. He has been sensational this year and he will go against a Barcelona team who know they cant sit back, but that has never been their wont. Ronaldinho has had a coming again party and would want to celebrate his nomination for FIFA World Player of the Year in style.

Manchester United on the other hand were looking pretty a few weeks ago until they, presumably in a fit of idiocy, decided not to turn up for the next two games. And they paid the price. In an identical situation to last year, they are to face a Benfica team with a winner take all clause. This time however it will be in the comfort of their backyard.

Arsenal have fewer excuses this time for struggling in a group of mediocre difficulty but that wont stop Arsene Whinger from dishing out the usual tripe about refs and the fixture list. Henry’s bust up with Wenger has been rebuffed as sheer hyperbole by the die-hard gooners but Wenger’s equivocal post match interview may suggest otherwise. They are lucky in that a poor performance need not send them out of the Champions league.

All in all fantastic matches for fans. Here’s hoping that Barca dont play in the Uefa Cup….

V

A piss poor performance by a team that is looking very much like a ship without a rudder, in the absence of their star striker Eto’o. The usually incisive Barca team were toothless in attack, never really testing Hilario, who in his first Chelsea game had a comfortable day. Barcelona didn’t challenge Chelsea enough and on the balance of play didn’t even deserve a point. At the end of the three matches it looks like it will be tussle between Werder and Barca for the second CLE spot. Rijkaard will be a worried man after the manner of the defeat and Ronnie’s cameo in the weekend is starting to already look like only an abberation. He was kept in his confines by a prospective man of the match in dutchman Khalid Boulahrouz. The eventual winner of the performer of the day was the scorer of the match winning and spectacular goal, Didier Drogba. He was outstanding throughout the match and its very strange that his purple patch coincides with the worst slump in his strike partner’s career. Sheva had a terrible day and its not before long that the English press get on his case.Drogba for his part should have scored a second but lets not deny this thespian (no bitterness here, ) his day in the sun.

Noone really stepped up for the Catalans and there is an alarming tone of complacency in their style. Rijkaard should address it as soon as possible with El classico only five days away. The misery for the Blaugrana was compounded when Puyol limped off. It looks like a few days of overtime for FR at the office!

Barca will be interested in signing a striker in the Winter market and are already howering around Europe for a cheap buy. In a few weeks we will know if its too little too late.

V (Its good to be back, but I would have preferred a more opportune and enjoyable moment)

Technorati Tags: Chelsea, Barcelona, Champions+league, Ronaldinho, Football