The problem in casting all blame on FIFA is that its international futbol, and international business and politics are already very corrupt. While its not an excuse its a valid explanation

From my limited knowledge and limited sources I've read the main point has been that Ancelotti didn't utilise Bales' best attribute-his speed. He was making Bale pretty much sit so deep that whilst he's fast, he's not that fast, and he's still only got a limited amount of stamina (as everyone). He should be sitting further up, getting them great passes and being able to out run any fucker chasing with him. Then from there either setting up goals for Benzema and co. or being able to score them himself.

He's a good player, but like any player, he needs his positives bringing to the fore. And that's something Real fans forget to often.

ah, i see!

i used to think of him as an unholy menace--practically unstoppable

this past CL-- i didn't think of him much at all

that explains it-- thanks

Napoli are in a bidding war with West Ham for Sevilla's Unai Emery

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/foo...this-week.html

Still think we're getting Bilic, though

Yeah. He's been far too deep but I suspect a lot of Real's formations are ultimately dictated by what Ronaldo wants. I have loads of respect for Ancelotti but sometimes wonder if he's strong enough personally to make unpopular decisions. It'll be interesting to see how Rafa deals with the situation.

Chiellini ruled out of CL final.

So that's one penalty Barcelona can't rely on.

haaaa haaaaa haaaaaaa

haaaaa haaaaa


applause

One for Demo this one...

England strikers quiz

IT'S TONIGHT!!!!! Aww man, I really hope it doesn't turn out to be a let down. Predictions?

'A decent if unspectacular performance - if you were an England striker you'd be Emile Heskey.
You scored 6 out of 10'

That was ridiculously tough. I had to guess most of em and was lucky to be Heskey!!!


Barcelona will need to score early to force Juve out, otherwise it could be a bit of a bus parking affair.

Score prediction:

Barca 3:1 Juve

Tell me about it. I got a depressing 5. My ability at remembering stuff past two seasons ago is just shocking. A friend of mine got 9, his knowledge is just scary though.

Aye I'm a bit worried it could be a dull game. As I've said before the semis always seem to be the more exciting of the games.

Anyone else watching it?

Journalist: "What's your reaction to Chiellini being ruled out?"

Suarez: "I've brought a mars bar"

Boom-tish

hell yes

i hate making predictions though

obviously the strategic battle is barcelona trying to overwhelm and juve going for counters and the clinical finish, plus pirlo set pieces

but eh guess who also has great set pieces

it's going to be bananas

of course it's going to be a bus parking affair but what if juve takes the lead early?

i love a good tactical battle and independent of scores this should be a good one

the odds and the tide favor barcelona though no doubt

pirlo leaves for petrodollars after today, chiellini injured, buffon is 37... barca in full apogee

ps zonal marking has been posting nothing in advance but up in the corner of his website i found hose 2 links where he did write previews both for espn and a betting racket

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/uefa-champio...s-carlos-tevez

https://betting.betfair.com/football...040615-60.html

Great links

Here's another:

http://www.theguardian.com/football/...as-front-three

Starting Lineups in

Juve: Buffon, Lichtsteiner, Barzagli, Bonucci, Evra, Marchisio, Pirlo, Pogba, Vidal, Tevez, Morata.

Barca: er-Stegen; Alves, Piqué, Mascherano, Alba, Busquets, Rakitić, Iniesta, Neymar, Suárez, Messi.

i wish i had some drums so i could be playing them right now like some pre-battle march or something

stadium looks INSANE! love the sight of the esteladas



having said that (why this is, i don't know, it's just an irrational thing)...

FORZA JUVE!

Dunno why but would suddenly love Juve to do it ...

But then I think Suarez, Mascherano, Iniesta, and suddenly I want Barcelons ...

Oh I dunno.

jezus krist that was a quick start

Buffon's keeping Juve in this. Neymar's having a blinder. Vidal's going all out to get sent off.

Great game

vidal needs to be subbed out

juve looks still rattled making terrible passes in the midfield (except for pirlo)

buffon hero

Agree about Vidal but think Suarez has done a good job on Pirlo so far.

yes but pirlo is still making good passes-- the rest of his team aren't so much-- they've been giving away possession too cheaply at times

--

oh here we go 2nd half!

--

and so far it's been a lot more thrilling than the 1st!

Barcelona d just wearing juve out..they look gassed to me

Great game

Didn't see Juve's equaliser coming, to be honest, but if anything I thought they looked more like going ahead for about 10 mins after that.

Best team won, though, in the end.

And great to see Xavi come on. Fitting end for an absofuckinglute legend.

did you win insane amounts of money today?


great second half!

i thought pogba and lichtsteiner were absolute beasts today. and of course buffon!!

fitting end for xavi. seeing pirlo's tears was heartbreaking.

wow now xavi and pirlo talk & laugh together-- "let's make petrodollars!"

Sorry, yeah, agree.

Pogba's interesting. Every time I watch him he seems quiet until the final stages.

Lichsteiner was great

result was fair in the end. but if juve had made it... wow...

now come the superstars. poor claudio bravo-- does he even play anymore?

Haha, no!!!!

The result was fair but I thought the score was maybe a bit hard on Juve. Had Pogba put away that chance at 1-1 I wouldn't have necessarily backed against them. But then what can you do about a Barcelona that, even at 80% (they weren't brilliant tonight), will do that to you?

Yeah he's still first choice but Enrique has a policy of playing his 2nd choice in cup games. Gotta respect him for having the guts to keep to it.

didn't know that about the keeper!

pogba could have put them ahead but then buffon had what, 3 insane saves? the last goal was a result of his gamble to risk it all. it was not a shame thing.

i really loved the 2nd half--even though it hurt to see juve lose.

Mourinho tends to do the same thing. Although in his case it helps when you're choosing between two world class keepers.


Yeah, they really should've been 2-3 goals down in the first half. 3-1 was probably more accurate than I thought. I was basing too much on Juve's 2nd half comeback.

I like Juve but I like Barca too, and in a CL final, unless it involves a team I really don't like, I usually just want the best team to win, and that's what happened. Barca deserved it. They were the better team tonight and it's hard to argue that they aren't the best team in Europe right now (which isn't always true of CL winners).

Arsenal get Ozil from Real. Real win the CL
Arsenal get Sanchez from Barca. Barca win the CL

Arsenal are targeting West Ham's Winston Reid this summer.

Good game, good game. I feel like Pirlo was barely in that game and to a certain extent nor was Messi. How much of a douchebag is Dani Alves? Just...just...Got to hand it to Suarez though. He finally got the one cup he wanted. And Rakitic was something else. I'm surprised he'd not been picked up earlier by anybody else.

It's incredible to think that all of Barcas five European Cups have come since 92. And 4 of those in the last ten years. And Xavi, man, that guy...

A friend sent an incredible stat last night. Barca had to beat all of the defending league champions from England, France, Germany and Italy to get to the final. Marone.

Agree about Rakitic but the player who seems to have passed under everyone's radar (maybe cos he's so familiar and to a degree taken for granted) was Iniesta. Man of the match for me.

Yeah I'd go with that comment.

iniesta a magician but i'd have to go with the losing keeper for my favorite

sort of how tim howard was the star of the 2014 usa/belgium-- not at that scale, but yeah

completely irrational, i know

Your favourite maybe but no way man of the match. Suarez's goal came from a Buffon mistake and he made a big error before that, when he passed it out to Neymar and was seriously lucky to get away with it.

He did keep them in the match till then, especially his save against Alves, but Iniesta gave a masterclass. Lovely pass for Rakitic's goal, tracking back when he had to, totally composed on and off the ball.

I admit I got a bit misty eyed when he came on. While the world's been tieing itself in knots trying to decide whether Ronaldo or Messi is better (correct answer obviously being Messi), Xavi quietly established himself as almost certainly Spain's greatest ever player and surely the best playmaker of his generation (including Pirlo), maybe ever. And to think he led Spain to back to back UEFA trophies and a WC, all without Messi. Astonishing player. I feel genuinely privileged to one day be able to tell kids who never saw him that I was watching football during the Xavi era.