ManU: English Champs!

Even though Chelsea won their final game, it was still Manchester United who went home with the title and the trophy! Kudos to the REDS! UNITED!

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The aftermath

SEMI-FINALS: THE AFTERMATH

After the Semi-finals of UEFA, only two teams were left: Manchester United and Chelsea FC.

Before anything else, I would like to comment on Cristiano Ronaldo. I don't know what's happening to him. Before the semi-finals, he was a very intense player, but now, I don't know what's up with him. Maybe he's just saving his strength for the Finals? We don't know. But for me, I want to see the Ronaldo that played with fiery rage a couple of fixtures back. If he is truly the best player of our generation, he better show that he deserves the title. Don't get me wrong. I like Cristiano Ronaldo, but it just pains me to witness only above average performance from a very very excellent player.

Anyways! I guess Eto'o's claim that they will score against Manchester in their away game was not fulfilled as they lost because of Scholes' magnificent long-shot.
Final score was (1-0)

Chelsea has really made a comeback. They showed that they were not just some team that was there to fill up the space. They showed that they can stand up from disaster games(Fenerbahce 1st leg) in a past. And now, they beat Liverpool, even when people thought that they won't be coming back from their poor performance in the first leg. Drogba, who scored 2 goals, and Lampard, who scored 1 (at last), certainly stepped up and put out an amazing performance. At first, I thought that Liverpool will be the one to advance because they started out strong. I guess Chelsea proved me wrong. They beat the team that defeated them and went on to collect the Championship Trophy two seasons ago. Final score was (3-2).

The finals are next. Who will win? Both of the teams are the best, or else they wouldn't be in this stage.

My bet is Manchester United! Although the finals isn't only for one game. Each game should be looked at one at a time. It was proved in the past that the outcome of one game does not decide the outcome of the next.

Well I guess only time will tell who will be this year's Champion!


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SEMIFINALS First leg: Chelsea vs Liverpool

The semi finals are really filled with surprises. Everything was going well for Liverpool. They were leading 1-0 the whole game. The advantage came from Dirk Kuyt. It was a slight advantage and at any moment, the blues could've equalized at any time.

And equalize they did! Although this didn't come from any of their players. Five minutes into injury time, John Riise, Liverpool's defender, gave away an header own goal which gave the Blues a chance to get back in the game.

Chelsea's performance wasn't as high as we expected it to be. Even though they had some decent attempts, it was seen that they weren't in their zone.

Chelsea looked tentative with Frank Lampard's set-pieces unproductive and Petr Cech unusually hesitant between the sticks. - goal.com

It was seen that after the first half, Chelsea's team of top players were being overshadowed by Liverpool Mids Gerrard and Alonso, as they were the ones who were dictating the game's movement.


Here is something that's really inspirational.

The midfielder told LiverpoolFC.tv, "Obviously we're disappointed with the late goal but it's done. We've got to pick ourselves up. We've got to get a result at the weekend then give it everything we can at Stamford Bridge. We know this tie is not over.

"It's my job as captain to pick the boys up and make sure we're ready for next week.

"Let people say Chelsea are favourites, let them. We've got to block that out and do what we've got to do. We are confident we can beat Chelsea on their patch."

Take A Chance

He continued, "We've created the better chances against them here. I don't think Pepe had anything to do besides pick the ball out late doors.

"Petr Cech has had to pull off two or three great saves. To be honest, we'd have been disappointed if this game had ended 1-0 when it could have been 2-0."

"Criticism of Kuyt? I haven't heard him get any stick. We don't listen to any of that (the media). Dirk has been fantastic for us, he's worked his socks off for us again tonight and deserved his goal. He is well respected in the dressing room."

On Riise's own goal, he said, "These ties are decided on small details and Chelsea have had a bit of luck here at the end, but maybe we'll get that luck at Stamford Bridge. This team wins, loses and draws together.

"It's the second leg of the European Cup semi-final – if you can't motivate yourself for that you shouldn't be playing football." - Goal.com

The semifinal leg is already here. Ever player of every team should be able to play at that level. No matter what happens, may it good or bad, the players should be able to pick themselves up and get themselves ready for the next series of battles for the Cup.

Teams:

Liverpool: Reina, Arbeloa, Carragher, Skrtel, Aurelio, Kuyt, Alonso, Mascherano, Babel, Gerrard, Torres.Subs: Itandje, Hyypia, Riise, Benayoun, Crouch, Pennant, Lucas.

Chelsea: Cech, Ferreira, Carvalho, Terry, Ashley Cole, Lampard, Makelele, Ballack, Joe Cole, Drogba, Malouda.Subs: Hilario, Shevchenko, Obi, Kalou, Alex, Belletti, Anelka.

-goal.com

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The Games Have Begun.

The games have truly begun! The first leg of the quarter finals, for Chelsea, Fenerbahce, Arsenal, and Liverpool, were nothing compared to what was witnessed in the second leg. The games were more intense and everyone was trying their best to fight for the ball.

There was one saying that I got from my coach in college. "Kung kaylangang magpakamatay para sa bola, gawin niyo!" This means that we should do whatever is needed to get the ball, provided that we don't play dirty.
This was really seen in how the players showed their hunger for the ball and the win. Even though Fenerbahce Istanbul and Arsenal FC lost in this game, they still showed top-quality football. It's just that they had a problem with goal conversion.

Chelsea FC vs Fenerbahce Istanbul

The match was started off by Chelsea's Michael Ballack when he converted a great header from a well placed free-kick by Frank Lampard. This started off Chelsea's momentum. As seen in the game, the first half was almost completely dominated by the Blues. After the 33rd minute, the shots on target was 4 for Chelsea and 0 for Fenerbahce. Fenerbahce's goal keeper was constantly bombarded by attempts from Drogba, J. Cole, who by the way almost goaled using an outside foot shot. There were also some attempts from Kalou, who was a regular threat with his dribbles and passes. On the Yellow Canary's side, there were also a few decent attempts from Alex and Lugano, although they weren't on target. I'm sure if they were on target, the ball would have passed through Chelsea keeper Cudicini. Speaking of Cudicini, he went out of the game because of a right hamstring injury, with Hilario, replacing him. Frank Lampard sealed the deal on the 87th minute by scoring a goal. The final result is 2-0, which sends Chelsea FC to their 4th UCL Semi-finals in 5 seasons.

Arsenal FC vs Liverpool FC

This was one for the books!
Abou Diaby opened the game with a goal that gave the Gunners an early lead. This gave Arsenal a much needed encouragement in their match against the club giant Liverpool FC. But then, Sami Hyypiä made the equalizer and put Liverpool back in the game. No one was able to stop the magnificent header. By this time everyone was in it for the win. 69 minutes into the game, Fernando Torres, who was playing in top form almost all season, converted and the Reds took on the League. The Gunners' Emmanuel Adebayor wouldn't stand for this and gave them leveled ground to play on. This was certainly anyone's game! Then suddenly, Kolo Toure was penalized for a foul which gave Steven Gerrard the chance to score the penalty. And score he did! This gave the Reds the edge to win the game. Babel ended the game by putting the cherry on top of a magnificent game.

All the teams faught and "died" for the ball. Each team showed that they deserved the semi-finals spotby bringing out their fiercest game. This night surely was a great one. We can expect better performances in the next matches.


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UEFA QUARTER FINALS 2ND GAME FIXTURES

Here are the fixtures for the second game of three of the quarter finals of the UCL.
I hope that the matches will be better than what were shown last time!


-UEFA
Quarter-finals 2nd leg
8 Apr
Chelsea 20:45 Fenerbahçe
Liverpool 20:45 Arsenal
9 Apr
Barcelona 20:45 Schalke
Man. United 20:45 Roma


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What's up with Fenerbahce?

Fenerbahce Istanbul - Underdog, Overachieving

Fenerbahce Istanbul has really heated themselves up. They have gone through a lot in the UCL. Now, they are emerging as possibe champions in the league. Even with less super stars in their teams, compared to the others, they have responded to obstacles and downsides in their games with much intensity and determination. They are surely a force to reckon with and are a threat to the other clubs who are vying for the trophy. They prove that hard work and determination can defeat skill.

PLAYER TO WATCH

Fenerbahçe – Alex

Alex is a star. The Brazilian attacking midfielder failed to make a splash in his first spell in Europe, but he’s certainly made waves this time around. The Yellow Canaries’ No20 has been the star several times in Europe this season and is the man Chelsea need to watch. Having scored both goals against Besiktas at the weekend, he’s definitely in form.

-Goal.com

Team Line up:

Name and position	No	Joined in	Former team	Birth date	Citizenship
Goalkeepers
Volkan Demirel	1	2002	Kartalspor	27 October 1981
Serdar Kulbilge	22	2005	Bursaspor	7 July 1980
Volkan Babacan	88	2005	Fenerbahçe PAF	11 August 1988
Mert Günok	89	2007	Fenerbahçe PAF	1 March 1989
Defenders
Diego Lugano	2	2006	São Paulo	2 November 1980
Roberto Carlos	3	2007	Real Madrid	10 April 1973
Yasin Çakmak	5	2007	Çaykur Rizespor	6 January 1985
Wederson	6	2007	Ankaraspor	22 July 1981
Can Arat	17	2001	Fenerbahçe PAF	21 January 1984
Önder Turacı vice-	19	2004	Standard Liège	14 July 1981
Edu Dracena	36	2006	Cruzeiro	18 May 1981
Gökhan Gönül	77	2007	Gençlerbirliği OFTAŞ	4 April 1985
Midfielders
Stephen Appiah	4	2005	Juventus	24 December 1980
Kemal Aslan vice-	7	2003	Gaziantepspor	24 October 1981
Mehmet Aurélio	15	2003	Trabzonspor	15 December 1977
Ali Bilgin	18	2007	Antalyaspor	17 December 1981
Alex	20	2004	Cruzeiro	14 September 1977
Selçuk Şahin	21	2003	İstanbulspor	31 January 1981
Deniz Barış	24	2004	Gençlerbirliği	2 July 1977
Uğur Boral	25	2006	Gençlerbirliği	14 April 1982
Gürhan Gürsoy	32	2004	Adanaspor	24 September 1987
Claudio Maldonado	33	2008	Santos	3 January 1980
Strikers
Colin Kâzım-Richards	8	2007	Sheffield United	26 August 1986
Mateja Kežman	9	2006	Atlético Madrid	12 April 1979
Semih Şentürk vice-	23	1999	Fenerbahçe PAF	29 April 1983
İlhan Parlak	38	2007	Kayserispor	19 January 1987
Deivid	99	2006	Sporting Lisbon	22 October 1979

-Fenerbahce Istanbul Official Site

This is a video of the long-shot screamer of Deivid again Chelsea FC in the Quarter Finals League of UCL.






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