Champions League 2012-13

[BonnieShels]

What a finish

[Stuttgart88]

Nobody attacked the free kick. Dortmund have been casual since they equalised.

[Stuttgart88]

Just saw the replay. Routine free kick. Lovely finish but what a soft goal.

[BonnieShels]

Thoroughly enjoyable match.

[BonnieShels]

Just saw the replay. Routine free kick. Lovely finish but what a soft goal.

It was. It was a lovely nonchalant finish.

[geysir]

The ball dribbled over the line.
Bayern deserved it, no complaints there. But I wouldn't have minded extra time.

[BonnieShels]

The ball dribbled over the line.

After he hit it nicely in that direction.


Bayern deserved it, no complaints there. But I wouldn't have minded extra time.

Yeah completely agree with that.

Eamonn still on a rant about Barca. FFS. I wish he would lose this Barca horn. FFS.

[geysir]

I think that Dortmund keeper is angling for a move to Barca.

[Stuttgart88]

Nice warm up for Wembley's big event on Wednesday.

[geysir]

This spectacle pales into comparison with that upcoming significance.

[BonnieShels]

http://joe.ie/uploads/s/38/245/Advertising%20UCLfinal.jpg

OH DEAR!

[geysir]

;) That's a good one.

Dunphy does spout an awful amount of cráp.

[BonnieShels]

He's gone beyond parody at this stage. I always liked the gibberish but it's really hard to stomach now. Tonight was a joke.

[geysir]

Klopp spoke well to the ITV man, (more or less confirmed my opinion:)) that Bayern had the game nailed from the 75 min mark but the important thing was his team deserved to be in the final, not the most important thing but important nonetheless.
He managed to control the context and avoid the questions about defensive frailties.

[BonnieShels]

ITV just cut the interview on ITV when it became clear there would be no controversial comments.

[SkStu]

On Sky Sports News Ray Wilkins has just said there are only 2 or 3 good teams in Germany. Discuss.

There are only two or three good teams in Spain, Italy and England too. What's your point Wilko you sap.

[SkStu]

What a smashing game! To everyone lamenting the absence of Real and Barca, you can shove your all-Spanish finals up yizzer bums.

And to all the Bayern haters, Dortmund were pretty lucky to win their quarter final. Can't believe people would begrudge quality players like Phillippe Lahm, Robben, Ribery, Neuer, Schweinsteiger and Muller their first Champions League! To notch team!

[geysir]

Where's all the hate for Bayern here? Some people had the balls to say they would edge that game.
Take your rant elsewhere :)

[SkStu]

I've taken it to all my usual places - no discrimination!

[BonnieShels]

What a smashing game! To everyone lamenting the absence of Real and Barca, you can shove your all-Spanish finals up yizzer bums.

And to all the Bayern haters, Dortmund were pretty lucky to win their quarter final. Can't believe people would begrudge quality players like Phillippe Lahm, Robben, Ribery, Neuer, Schweinsteiger and Muller their first Champions League! To notch team!


Anyone who lamented the absence of Barca or Real is a clown. I thankfully didn't converse with any such people and if they did they would have felt the ire.

Eamo is off his rocker. Some of his comments tonight about German football were beyond the pale. He had the temerity to suggest that it would take Guardiola to turn them into a great team. This is a great team and the additions over the summer will improve them exponentially. I fear for Dortmund being raped of their talent but the likes of Sahin and Kagawa leaving didn't hurt them so much but we shall see.

Goetze was definitly missing tonight. Too many times tonight did a counter attack run out of steam because of the gap between Reus and Lewandowski.

I was oddly not as disappointed by the result as I thought I would have been.

More than anything I seeing Lahm lift that trophy made it worthwhile. A god of a player.

[bennocelt]

First game I have seen all year on the box - have to be honest I was disappointed, didn't think much of both teams, and the left/right backs of Dortmund were awful, continually losing the ball. Bah, give me the LOI anyday:)

[ArdeeBhoy]

The game was OK, almost decent but neither team looked like world-beaters.

It was only woeful finishing that prevented more goals.

As for the LOI being better, yeah right.
;)

[BonnieShels]

First game I have seen all year on the box - have to be honest I was disappointed, didn't think much of both teams, and the left/right backs of Dortmund were awful, continually losing the ball. Bah, give me the LOI anyday:)

You've been spoiled with all that Mongolian Premier League you've been watching!

[geysir]

It was certainly the best CL final since the last Wembley final and depending on your point of view, would be a shoe in/probable/possible contender for a top 10 final spot since the CL phase begun in the early 90's.
The best finals have involved Barca, when Milan trounced them 4 -0, when they ran rings around Man U at Wembley and for thrills, the Larsson final had most.

[SkStu]

Madrids big summer signing revealed, just out of the shower.

http://i42.tinypic.com/2z4fr5v.jpg

[ArdeeBhoy]

:eek: NSFW!
Photoshopped?

[DeLorean]

Europa League Final

Benfica 1 Cardozo (pen) 68
Chelsea 2 Torres 59, Ivanovic 90

Champions League Final

Dortmund 1 Gundogan (pen) 67
Bayern 2 Mandzukic 60, Robben 89


Freakishly similar I think. Both losing sides were the designated 'home' teams, slight but clear underdogs and arguably the better teams on the night (not arguably in Benfica's case actually).

[BonnieShels]

Or Dortmund's. I think Bayern shaded it over the 90.

[DeLorean]

I didn't see the first half but heard Dortmund were better. Bayern were a bit better in the second half alright but that was probably evened out by Dante not getting a second yellow for his foul on Reus. I'm feeding off scraps a little bit though as I didn't see the match properly.

[BonnieShels]

I didn't see the first half but heard Dortmund were better. Bayern were a bit better in the second half alright but that was probably evened out by Dante not getting a second yellow for his foul on Reus. I'm feeding off scraps a little bit though as I didn't see the match properly.

You'd be right. I would still think on balance Bayern shaded it; and this from me who was supporting Dortmund and slid across the floor of my sitting room when they scored the penalty.

[OwlsFan]

European Cup/CL winners:

Spain 13
England/Italy 12
Germany 7
Holland 6
Portugal 4
France/Romania/Yugoslavia and Scotland 1

Scotland really jumps out there and to think I saw it live on TV. I still remember these Celtic fans holding a huge tricolour at the end of the game. It was almost as if Ireland had won it.

Great achievement by Holland to win 6. France only on 1 by comparison.

The Daily Telegraph has Victor Wanyama as one of the 5 players who "took Europe by storm". The others were Marco Reus, Thomas Muller, David Alaba and Burak Yilmaz (Galatasaray).

[geysir]

I don't remember the 1967 final on tv but a while after the game my brother brought me to the Green cinema (Stephen's Green) one afternoon for a one-off showing of the game, sixpence a ticket. I remember there was huge long queue of Shamrock Rovers fans outside, almost backed up to Grafton St. Maybe a few renditions of the Molly Malone verse and Rovers' chants.
I remember the 1970 final, Celtic v Feyenoord on RTE. The 'shock' that the Dutch had the impertinence to outplay Celtic who had just dispatched Leeds in the SF and the chanting of the Dutch fans - the banana chant.
That game went into extra time but as it did, we were left dumbfounded when RTE surgically cut transmission, went straight to the news and never went back.

[OwlsFan]

Getting old. Had forgotton that Feyenoord victory over Celtic. It was a bit of a surprise at the time.

Where exactly was the Green cinema?

[geysir]

Stephen's Green. west side.
Get off the 44 at the Stephen's Green stop and walk on about 20 paces.
I can't be exact on the number of paces, my memory has lapsed a bit :)
There's a bank there now last I looked, about 8 years ago.

[DeLorean]

It was certainly the best CL final since the last Wembley final and depending on your point of view, would be a shoe in/probable/possible contender for a top 10 final spot since the CL phase begun in the early 90's.
The best finals have involved Barca, when Milan trounced them 4 -0, when they ran rings around Man U at Wembley and for thrills, the Larsson final had most.

The best I have seen included Barca as well, their 1992 win over Sampdoria when Ronald Koeman scored the free kick in extra time. Absolutely brilliant match (even though it was 0-0 after 90mins). The worst was probably the year before, Red Star v Marseille.

[BonnieShels]

I usually don't remember finals.

The 2010 Barca v Inter semi both legs have stayed with me. Stunning games both.

[geysir]

The best I have seen included Barca as well, their 1992 win over Sampdoria when Ronald Koeman scored the free kick in extra time. Absolutely brilliant match (even though it was 0-0 after 90mins). The worst was probably the year before, Red Star v Marseille.
I remember the Koeman free kick, that game was just outside the CL era but seeing as it was Barca, we'll let it pass :)

[DeLorean]

I remember the Koeman free kick, that game was just outside the CL era but seeing as it was Barca, we'll let it pass :)

That's true alright, technically, although it was the first season to introduce groups instead of straight knock-out I think. Barca and Samp definitely topped groups anyway I remember.

The Milan Juve final at Old Trafford was a really good game too I thought even though it got a bit of a slating. Two Italians playing out a nil all drew the typical Serie A stereotype comments.

[OwlsFan]

Stephen's Green. west side.
Get off the 44 at the Stephen's Green stop and walk on about 20 paces.
I can't be exact on the number of paces, my memory has lapsed a bit :)
There's a bank there now last I looked, about 8 years ago.

Used you get the 44?

[geysir]

Used you get the 44?
;)
Maybe I even knew you in passing once upon a time, or your brother. But I'm a bit vague about the riff raff that lived outside the direct environs of Sandyford village.

[OwlsFan]

I have three brothers but you might know the red headed one, the racing driver? Did you go to Dundrum National school? This is a bit like 10 questions to guess the person.

[Stuttgart88]

David Kennedy? I met him in 2010 in London, business related.

[BonnieShels]

If Stutts is right we need to talk. ..

[OwlsFan]

David Kennedy? I met him in 2010 in London, business related.

That's the one. Looking for money from you was he ? ;)

[Stuttgart88]

He was, as it happens. Not my own personal money, as the price of the coffees was about all I could have afforded! A mutual friend introduced us as I had introduced him to a few business angels for his start-up triathlon business in Ireland. The poor chap obviously got the wrong end of the stick and thought I was actually skilled at fundraising. They soon discovered the truth.

[geysir]

I have three brothers but you might know the red headed one, the racing driver? Did you go to Dundrum National school? This is a bit like 10 questions to guess the person.
The tallish reddish haired guy I'm thinking of, had some musical talent, made a home made demo, Tubular Bells influenced. That particular memory is over 38 years old, so there is a bit of a haze.
I'm assuming you grew up somewhere between the statue and Balally, those cottages?
I was uprooted from an idyllic country town environment and transplanted to that soulless village in Co Dublin, Sandyford, a deadsville kip, a village without a horse. Naturally I was 'a bit disappointed' with that. I enrolled at Sandyford national, 6th class and had a grand time there for that year, it was a real national school, complete with an old style alcoholic headmaster and epic schoolyard 7-a-sides. The kids were mainly hard core kids from Stepaside, Barnaculla. Glencullen. Parents from Sandyford turned their nose up at the local national school. So I didn't mingle much anybody, born the wrong side of the statue, until later on in life.

[Charlie Darwin]

Straight off the streets of mutha****in' Barnaculla...

[OwlsFan]

The tallish reddish haired guy I'm thinking of, had some musical talent, made a home made demo, Tubular Bells influenced. That particular memory is over 38 years old, so there is a bit of a haze.
I'm assuming you grew up somewhere between the statue and Balally, those cottages?
I was uprooted from an idyllic country town environment and transplanted to that soulless village in Co Dublin, Sandyford, a deadsville kip, a village without a horse. Naturally I was 'a bit disappointed' with that. I enrolled at Sandyford national, 6th class and had a grand time there for that year, it was a real national school, complete with an old style alcoholic headmaster and epic schoolyard 7-a-sides. The kids were mainly hard core kids from Stepaside, Barnaculla. Glencullen. Parents from Sandyford turned their nose up at the local national school. So I didn't mingle much anybody, born the wrong side of the statue, until later on in life.

Nah, while he has red hair, he isn't tall and certainly hasn't a musical note in his head. Yes lived well below the statue on the main road beyond the cottages towards Dundrum. Did you know the MacConvilles who lived at the northend of the village?


He was, as it happens. Not my own personal money, as the price of the coffees was about all I could have afforded! A mutual friend introduced us as I had introduced him to a few business angels for his start-up triathlon business in Ireland. The poor chap obviously got the wrong end of the stick and thought I was actually skilled at fundraising. They soon discovered the truth.

Always on the hunt for sponsorship. Story of his life :)

[BonnieShels]

Nah, while he has red hair, he isn't tall and certainly hasn't a musical note in his head. Yes lived well below the statue on the main road beyond the cottages towards Dundrum. Did you know the MacConvilles who lived at the northend of the village?

I know McConville's from the area. And they are the sort I don't wanna know.

[OwlsFan]

I know McConville's from the area. And they are the sort I don't wanna know.

Why because they are life long Rovers' supporters? One has an old turnstile from Milltown outside his front door.