The Double-Sided Mirror

FC Barcelona vs New York Red Bulls

Thu, 7 Aug 2008 12:23:31 -0500

It was a beautiful turnout at Giants Stadium in Rutherford, New Jersey where FC Barcelona eased past the New York Red Bulls in a preseason match that ended 6-2. The game could have easily ended with a larger difference in goals on Barcelona's behalf but equally it would have been a festive event. Fans of the Red Bulls and Barcelona created a vibrant atmosphere with songs of passion for their respective teams in addition to the sounds of a drum beating among groups of Red Bulls supporters. There were LA Galaxy, Real Madrid, Man Utd, Milan, Inter, Celtic, Arsenal, Sasprissa and fans of other clubs and national teams to add to the stadium in which Barcelona jerseys outnumbered all others. Despite the minor hassle it was to get to the stadium for a New Yorker who had to get through wonderful Manhattan traffic and top class drivers(yes, I'm being sarcastic), I managed to get to the field at a good time to watch the players warm-up. For every fan, it was likely that expectations would be high for the Blaugrana and for the Red Bulls....it could have differed depending on the person. The goal scoring started with Xavi in the 17th minute on a header from a cross supplied by Dani Alves. Not only did Xavi put Barça ahead a goal but he also worked to assist Eto'o, who put the second goal past goalkeeper Jon Conway of the Red Bulls in the 18th minute. It was easy to see that despite this being only a preseason match, the Blaugrana wasn't going to go easy on a Red Bulls side who hasn't seen a win in the last 6 matches before yesterday. Soon enough, Rafa Marquez managed to score another by a header, giving Barcelona a 3-0 lead thanks to the cross of Iniesta. Henry was close to being the next up to score but was denied by the post though he wouldn't be the only player from the visiting side to be denied a chance to extend the lead. After Stammler scored to make the game 3-1, Barcelona's number 20, Dani Alves, was also denied by the woodwork. If three goals in 23 minutes was hard enough for Conway and the Red Bulls to digest, Eto'o made it even more difficult with a goal in the 43rd minute with the help of Alexander Hleb bringing the score to 4-1 Barcelona at half time. In the second half, the Red Bulls were the first to score with a goal from Rojas in the 60th minute to make the score 4-2, one which for the Red Bulls was a little to late. Twenty minutes later, youth product Jeffren added to a game that many saw as a practice session for the Blaugrana. At this point, a number of fans began to leave the stadium with confident and satisfied Barcelona fans making the percentage of noise. Still, there was enough time on the clock for the sixth and final goal of the game to be scored by Pedro in the 84th minute, another youth player who looks quite promising for the Catalan side throughout the season. From the perspective of an onlooker yesterday, I find that this Barcelona side is very strong and should definitely be one of the most pressing teams throughout competition. Some players to watch would be Jeffren and Pedro, two who can quickly become constant goal scorers. Xavi and Eto'o may as well be candidates for weekly goal scoring along with Lionel Messi who is currently playing with his National Team in the Olympics. Hleb would be one to make key passes along with Iniesta, who can also be the goal scorer himself. When it comes to crosses, Dani Alves can be the man that can provide lethal ones in which would benefit a player such as Henry. Looking at Guardiola's team, it seems nothing will be able to break them and they look to be a definite hazard to their opponents.

Football Popularity vs American Coverage

Sun, 6 Jul 2008 18:11:30 -0500

If you are American...no, let’s rephrase....If you are a fan of the Beautiful Game or at least a conscious person, you know that America and Futbol also known as real non-American Football isn’t so much of the ideal couple. Yes, it is true we have this alternative sport called Soccer (the same game toned down a touch) but it really doesn’t measure up to the ecstatic play of what we see elsewhere like in Argentina and Brazil as two examples. It’s only fair to say that the USA is a little fish in a big pond of countries that have fully developed Leagues which have been going on for years or moreover, a great feel for competition and the love to watch and play that matters to them so much. Okay, maybe I’m not being fair. Take the American population. Think of the number of MLS fans and add it to those who are also American but prefer to follow Leagues outside the States whether out of their own likings or the fact that they came to this country with family or alone, carrying the undying love for their club or country. Add the fact that every single person who spends their days watching GolTV or FSC is not on this website of OleOle. Consider the Americans, who have moved to other countries. With all of these statistics, you are looking at a pretty large population. It may not be the most grand but for what some people expect in number of viewers, constant or not, it is in fact a good number. With that said, what is it that prevents us, a country where sports matter to us so much, from being one of the fanatic nations? Why are we not viewed as a country who cares about what manager was just sacked, which player went to play in with another team within the same league or in another country for an overpriced amount or which four teams are going to play each other in the Group Stages of any given competition? The main reason may lie in the coverage or lack there of. It’s the downside of it all. It isn’t common to turn on the TV to one of your local channels covering the news and find not one bit of a word on what matters to the Football fan living in America. With Baseball, Basketball, American Football, Hockey, Tennis, Golf and even NASCAR being able to secure their coverage on the Morning or Evening news and day-to-day updates on ESPN along with any given channel that gives full dedication to one of the single most popular sports with the addition to feed their fans addictions with multiple newspaper articles and radio broadcast, that no more can be done to benefit what we want? Then again, what more needs to be done? We have the limited imports of magazines and the minimum channels that at least allow us to keep up on Europe’s top four Leagues.We have the podcast that keep us inform about our favorite teams and Leagues just as we have the World Cup, Copa America and the Champions League plus more of our favorite Competitions. Satisfied? Not really. How many of us would love to see the Copa Libertadores yet cannot? What about the Leagues that are shown at a minimum or the ones that aren’t shown at all? Force upon the opinion that nobody wanted to see Iraq win the Asian Cup or see what players shined for their countries in the African Cup of Nations. When has it become possible to take one’s own opinion and make it into pure fact? What can probably just add to this judgment by many is the lack of a strong fan base for certain National Teams. Using the US Men’s National Team as an example, how many people would prefer to follow the national team prior to their move to America or the birth place of their parents, grandparents or anyone else in their family. How many would just rather support a team who has a history of winning titles and playing well? Yes, there is no harm in following another team whether it may be only one other or multiple sides but what harm is there in following a team whose play and title count doesn’t stand up to the powerhouses of International Football? What difference is it from supporting a Club Team who is playing in the Third Division of their League? It makes me wonder a little if any Broadcaster has figured that if nobody is supporting, then nobody will be watching and if nobody is watching, why waste money on broadcasting? Until we build on the much needed publicity, we can just see more days of stereotyping brewed up at home and overseas and the jokes that come carried with it. We can wait and see what comes about in the future or do the impossible and change the direction for Football being an American favorite. Is it impossible? It most likely is a split decision between who believes it is and who believes it isn’t. Even if there isn’t an agreement, we know what we want and surely do know what we love and the passion for what we love is not overthrown by what we lack.

The Second to Final Countdown

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 22:03:00 -0500

With the first leg statements said and done for the remaining four teams, we are only a few days away from knowing who will be in the Champions League Finals on May 21st. A few days people!!! Go ahead, count them.....you know you want to. Maybe the first matches of the semi-finals weren't the most exciting and didn't have as many goals as expected among the fans of the teams or even the Beautiful Game overall but you can be sure or at least have the thought that Liverpool, Chelsea, Barcelona and Manchester United will display more on the pitch in 90 minutes than any of us will be able to actually take in with our on eyes. Yes, I predict that there should be much more action as well as some anxious fans. I suggest, keep all sharp objects away from the fans of the remaining teams and do not leave them unattended! Who knows what an angry Football fan will do. For the final for, things are more serious than before. Both pairings are going in with ties so it can be anyones game. The slightest mistakes can make a difference. Two teams will be taking in all the glory and praise while the other two hope for better next season.
The first match of the semi-finals was Liverpool hosting Chelsea at Anfield. Liverpool manage to tie with Chelsea with a goal in the 43rd min. from Kuyt to put Liverpool a goal ahead. Everything was going perfect for Liverpool, looking as if they would come away with the home win with no away goals for Chelsea, a wish that would be the better result on Liverpool's part but this is Football and it's full of surprises. Chelsea was able to get the goal back....without personally scoring a goal. Liverpool's John Riise scored on an own-goal after mistakenly driving the ball into the net on a header wanting to send it out for the Corner Kick(which I'll add would have probably been the last play of the match being this event happened in the fifth and final minute of added time). This goal can either be the one Liverpool live to look back on and laugh upon if they can go to Stamford Bridge and secure their spot or it can be the goal that'll stand only as a remembrance of what almost was. On the other side, there is Chelsea, a team coming off a 2-1 win over Manchester United in the EPL and is still pressing to win the title. Chelsea does have a tendency to do better the second time around but are they as determined as Liverpool? Maybe, it isn't if they are as determined compared to Liverpool but can they do enough to expand upon the goal that saved them from falling to a 1-0 aggregate? Liverpool's success has come in the Champions League in recent years reasoning for why some believe they'll be participating in another final along with the opinion that they are the stronger side between the two of them in the competition. For these two teams, on April 30th we will know who comes out victorious among them in order to be a contender for who will be victorious in the Champs League this year.
The second match of the first leg which was Barcelona hosting Man United at the Camp Nou also ended in a tie. The difference is that there were no goals! Well, Cristiano Ronaldo did manage to almost score but he just happened to miss a penalty. Hit the crossbar I believe. Many probably were so sure he was going to net it as we've seen him do in EPL matches but hey, even he said you can't net them all and apparently, he's right! Goals were expected but despite the goalless draw and the fact that it's said Barcelona were lucky to not let Man United get the away goal, most are confident they can still win the second leg. There are different reasons surrounding the belief. Some don't want two English sides in the final and feel Barcelona need to prove how well non-English sides measure up to English teams and others feel Man United is lacking the Champs League concentration or possibly even history will repeat itself for the Red Devils. In their case, they hope not. Second leg 0-0 ties seem not to work well with United but they will look to change that. Barcelona have only the Champions League left to fight for. The team wants this as well as the fans and I can't argue with that. Man United will be looking to satisfy their fans at home but will the EPL title be what throws them off, making them lose the much needed concentration? Barcelona sure hope so.

Koeman Fired As Valencia Manager

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 21:50:00 -0500

How long does it take a team to fire their manager after a terrible run of results in their League, elimination from a major title race, media criticism as well as personal club issues? Well, for Valencia, it took a little less than 6 months. Ronald Koeman was fired as Valencia manager on Monday, April 21st after being rewarded the position back on October 31, 2007. Since then, Valencia are in the battle to stay in the Spanish Primera. Apparently for Koeman, helping Valencia win the Copa del Rey title wasn't enough for the club. It was too little, too late for Koeman and others.

The Battle for Moscow

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:12:00 -0500

After much anticipation and determination among the final eight, we have finally reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League. With Arsenal, Fenerbahçe, Roma, and Schalke 04 eliminated, the final four teams, Barcelona, Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool vie for their spot in the finals of the Champions League in Moscow. The first match takes place on the 22nd of April, tomorrow, in which Liverpool will host Chelsea at Anfield. On the 23rd, Barcelona will host Manchester United at the Camp Nou which should be a game to remember. So, what are your predictions? Each team has been more promising than others at certain points, for example Man Utd can be considered the most consistent in League performance but Chelsea, Liverpool and Barcelona should be as equally determined to finish this season with a title especially with the criticism surrounding them throughout the year in football. This time around, they will aim to show their true colors.
Barcelona being the only non-English team left can not only make their fans happy but show a sign of how well other teams can measure up to English sides. The 07-08 season for Barcelona has been quite similar to last season with an inconsistent League run and elimination from the Copa del Rey yet, they have made it a step further in the Champions League since being eliminated by Liverpool last year, a team that is still in the running for the CL title. Along with criticism over the performance in other competitions, they have also had plenty of media time on the rumors mill, which includes the infamous and possibly for sure move of Ronaldinho to AC Milan from Barcelona. For the time being, Barcelona cannot focus on anything more than playing Manchester. Both sides have come off draws in their last League matches but Manchester may have the edge since they have produced more results benefiting them this season. Sure, Barcelona is playing at the Camp Nou but being home doesn't always mean an easy win nor does it mean a job already done for Manchester. I can only be fair. I love both teams but favor Barcelona more. I'll speak the truth. Barcelona for the win overall(well, that's what I want at least) but Man Utd is looking pretty good...very good indeed. Of course this will not be easy but hopefully Barcelona can pull things together, be a team and prevent Manchester from getting any chances though, United are a team who isn't always so easy to break down in a matter of minutes. Both sides have the talent and we should see the best of it match day.
Chelsea hasn't been so perfect either. They are only within a three point difference from Manchester United in the League and nine points ahead of Liverpool. This is probably the one match that I can honestly say that I really don't have enough to decide who will win or even who I want to win. I personally don't think Liverpool is backing down anymore. They didn't have a good season and lost the Champs League title to AC Milan last year but they, as do many others, want to end this season with a strong message for the next one. For this reason, Chelsea has much work. They can't underestimate Liverpool. The Champions League sets a name for them and of course, Liverpool isn't going to let the Blues by so easily. These are also two teams with talent in which players can definitely make the goals to advance. The first leg match can possibly be the one to make an early decision on who will get into the finals but once again, you can't really tell. Liverpool can always slip up despite them having a little less to worry about than Chelsea, a side still going strong in the EPL. Will beating Man Utd be on Chelsea's minds preventing them from focusing on tomorrow's match? Ummm probably not. Avram Grant nor the players should let it at least for the fans don't have a thought of them doing so.
For the first leg, I would say Barcelona will win but it wouldn't be easy nor will it be by a large difference in goals. Either that, or a tie but Barcelona has to watch out for what Man United does in the second leg on the 29th of April. For Liverpool against Chelsea, I say the first leg will go to Liverpool. I'm not so sure about it but it's only a small prediction that seems at the moment to be more correct. Sorry Chelsea fans but you are definitely strong on return legs in the CL, which will take place on the 30th of April. We can look forward to some brilliant and possibly intense matches which are all for the same goal...being titled the 07-08 Champions League winners.

MLS: The Little League That Could

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 20:40:00 -0500

MLS is probably not one of the most popular or watched leagues in the world since it is still trying to make progress in growth. Yes, it has received more media time with the arrival of David Beckham who has so far become a great let down for many people. Despite that, the league needs to work on more promotion whether through television, radio or even an article in the newspaper, which are already included in the sports section but the efficiency of news on the league doesn't usually go any longer than an advertisement for...say car insurance or a sale at Macy's. Come on people, you can do better than that. Though despite the flaws, none of this seems to be really hurting its developing status. The number of MLS teams is now at a total of 14 with the arrival of the San Jose Earthquakes. Yet, there are still plans to reach 18 teams by 2012 and most likely, 18 won't be the end of the expansion. Other than that, we can expect a few "football" specific stadiums for such teams as the New York Red Bulls, Houston Dynamo, DC United, the up-coming Philadelphia side as well as some possible others. Yes my friends, there is hope for the league!
Besides the increasing number of clubs and the demands for stadiums, there equally seems to be an increase in the number of signings from Central and South America and even a few from European countries. While some of them may come off as only rumors and a few names on a managers wish list, the fact that they are trying to bring over what may be considered the somewhat more experienced players compared to what talent resides in the game already, may add some possible influence as well as excitement to the clubs and even the game overall. Besides the player, the manager is more often becoming someone who is the non-American savior in certain cases as a team like the New England Revolution has had Scottish manager Steve Nicol since 2002 while others have had a history of foreign managers and choose to go back to those roots as did LA Galaxy who only had one American in charge.
With the league ready to start in a few weeks, we shall see how much of a difference has been made with the changes. So I question, will some major names in football come over and join the craze? Will MLS manage gather new fans this season?
As many questions are asked, hopefully many will be answered this time around.

Eduardo & Martin Both Recover...For Different Reasons

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 15:23:00 -0600

Arsenal and Croatia striker Eduardo da Silva suffered a career threatening injury in the game against Birmingham City after a hard tackle by Martin Taylor. His broken leg is said to keep him out for around 9 months which rules him out of the Euro 08 games with Croatia and possibly the start of the 08-09 EPL season. His teams and fans of not only Arsenal and Croatia but of football overall are hoping for a successful recovery with intentions of seeing him playing once again.
As Edu has received plenty of support, Birmingham defender Martin Taylor, has been receiving quite a few controversial words. Not only has he been criticized by fans of the Beautiful Game and Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger himself, he has also been getting death threats from upset fans because of his reckless tackle in which he week straight to Edu's ankle. My opinion is that death threats are no better than a serious tackle but hey, it's only my thought. I guess a red card wasn't enough for some people. Yet, despite this, he has the support of manager Alex McLeish, teammates, family and fans. They are most willing to prove he didn't mean anything by the tackle and isn't the type of player to do something of that sort. Not everyone is so easily convinced especially when there were talks of a forced career ending and a possible amputation for Eduardo. Fortunately, neither option seems to be the outcome of the whole situation and Edu's return is quite likely.
Since the day of the event, Martin has visited Eduardo in the hospital and apologized. It won't be forgotten but judging by Edu's personality, he was forgiving. Now that's a professional. See..it's not that hard to forgive and forget the thought of holding grudges. Yes, it bothers me that some people just make not so good decisions.
I found myself quite upset with Taylor but the point is he came out not only to apologize to Edu in person but he also came out and spoke about the whole topic. I appreciate him for that because it does take some guts to come out about something in which so many words have been spoken against you. Haven't any more on Taylor and Edu has left the hospital and entered into some hard work to fully recover. So good for Taylor! Even better for Edu that he’s alright.

What's Up With Liverpool?

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 18:30:00 -0600

There have been some pretty unconsistent teams this year but Liverpool gets the award for the best of pretty much the worst on my part. Seems like Liverpool have only set their eyes on the Champions League this time around. Well, it's either that or they just completely gave up or forgot about everything else. Chelsea may have lost Mourinho and haven't been like the Chelsea of last season but at least they are keeping up with Man Utd and Arsenal in the EPL! Liverpool's performance doesn't really bother me being a Man Utd fan with a soft spot for Arsenal but....I expected better from a team of their status. Maybe...they haven't killed so much time since they can still grab themselves a spot in the next Champions League..but after so many let downs...do they really deserve it? Of course, but they need to work hard during the summer and get themselves together. I suppose every team has their good days and bad ones.

It's Been Awhile!!!

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 18:25:00 -0600

Yes, I know...my last post was in September! School along with home activities have been taking up my time. Hopefully, I can actually find more time to get some blogging in! These topics aren't going to write themselves!

The Champions!!!!!!!

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 21:16:00 -0500

The Champions League drawings have been made and it brings us very exciting groups. This month on the 18th and 19th which falls on a Tuesday and Wednesday, Will bring the first matches on the Champs League. Some teams have been paired up with those that sent them out of the title race as well as teams that embarrassed others with insane wins. Other teams will be looking to regain their Champions League reputation and win games instead of being favorites yet still lose whether in group stages, semifinals or the final that every fan is hoping to see their team in. Some teams are said to be in unlucky positions where they are in groups with very good teams while they may be considered by many to be the underdogs and be out of the Champions League in no time. They will be looking to prove wrong.
Let's review the groups starting with Group A. Group A contains Liverpool, Porto, Marseille, and Beşiktaş. Liverpool finished third in the Premiership last season tied with Arsenal, who came in fourth, at 68 points. They also managed to get to the finals of the Champions League beating out such teams as Barcelona and Chelsea but losing to AC Milan in the finals which was a repeat of the 2004/2005 Champs League in which Liverpool won. Liverpool now sits in third in the Premiership which shows they've had a promising season and are right now with the addition of Fernando Torres from Atletico Madrid but still can go on to win titles. FC Porto finished first in last seasons Portuguese Liga and stand in second this season. Porto were knocked out of the Champs League last season by Chelsea, Porto being Mourinho's former side, on a 2-3 aggregate. Marseille finished second in last seasons Ligue 1 but now stand in 14th position. They did not however preform in last seasons Champs League title race. Beşiktaş of Istanbul, Turkey is probably considered to be one of the underdog teams. Finishing as the runner-up in their league last year, they will be looking to place their name on the list of Champions League winners.
Group B consist of Valencia, Chelsea, Rosenborg, and Schalke 04. Valencia finished fourth in La Liga last season with 66 points, four more than Villarreal. Valencia are grouped with Chelsea again, the team that saw them to elimination. The team who now stands in 9th in La Liga will be looking to finish at the top of their group. So far, Valencia hasn't gone off to a great start in La Liga but will probably be able to pick up the pieces eventually. Chelsea were so close to taking the EPL title last season but managed to finish second right behind the Champions Manchester United. Ending the season with 83 points, Chelsea now are in fourth with 10 along with Everton, Arsenal and Liverpool. Chelsea finished top of the group stage in last season's Champs League but were beaten out by Liverpool in the semifinals. Chelsea's main challenge are Spanish teams who tend come strong whenever they face the Blues. Valencia in this case will hope to win against Chelsea and the two others in the group but with Mourinho on their side and only one game lost, it may be quite difficult. Rosenborg is a Norwegian club who has a great history in their league. They managed not only win the league title in 2006 but if you go back some years ago, they won the title from 1990-2004. It's either they are a really good team in a league of horrible teams no offense, or they are the best of the worst. Don't know but if they can do that in the Champs League, beware. Schalke 04 hasn't been doing well either. In the Bundesliga last season, the finished in second but they currently stand in 6th. Schalke 04 is one of those good teams that really needs to win. I don't doubt Schalke but I do believe that if they don't pick it it put soon, Chelsea and Valencia are going to pick them apart. Out of all the teams, I can honestly say that Chelsea is looking the most promising but football is a weird game. You can never be too sure about your predictions.
Group C holds Lazio, Real Madrid, Werder Bremen, and last but not least Olympiacos. Lazio finished third last season despite the three point deduction for the match-fixing scandal but are now in 14th. The last time they were in the Champs League which was 1999-2000, they reached the Quarter-Finals being eliminated by Valencia so for now, they don't need to worry about the that Spanish but another, Real Madrid. I'm trying so hard not to say anything false or cruel about the team being a Barcelona fan. Okay. Real Madrid (this is hard) are finished first last year leveled with 76 points just like Barcelona. Guess what! Real Madrid are first this season too. Didn't lose a game! Oh and they won the Champs League 9 times! They fired Capello and now have Bernd Schuster who use to coach the other Madrid team I hate Getafe. They also signed players like Pepe, Heinze, Wesley Sneijder, Robben and Saviola. They are claimed to have wanted C. Ronaldo, Kaká and Ballack. What more can I say? Werder Bremen finished third last season and now are in 11th. What's going on with Bremen? Not only were they eliminated from last years CL but they lost the UEFA Cup too last season. I see Bremen as a favorite but like many other teams, they have to come up with something if they plan on getting through Real Madrid. Olympiacos is another team who has won the league many times in a row, 97-03 and then 05-07. Missed out on 2004, eh Olympiacos? Champs League can be called something new to them and they have the pleasure to be placed with Lazio, Real Madrid and Werder Bremen. This should be interesting.
Group D Celtic, Milan, Benfica, and Shakhtar Donetsk. Celtic happens to be one of the two Scottish teams in the CL this season. Celtic happened to come in first last season in the SPL and are also first this season so far. They also won the Champs league once but that's back in the 1960's. Well, it may not be the most amazing summary of this teams history but they're good, right? AC Milan! My Italian club didn't win Serie A last season finishing fourth with the match-fixing scandal playing a role. Now they stand in 3rd in Serie A. They managed not only to win the Champions League beating Liverpool but they also won the UEFA SuperCup winning over Sevilla. The match was amazing but it was more of a Play-to-Remember Puerta match rather than a fight for a title. Milan, in my opinion, have an easy group and you can expect much from them. Benfica finished third last season but are in sixth now. They also have a nice history of beating teams like Manchester United, Liverpool,Barcelona,Roma and Porto. Most of these wins were in the 60's and 70's though but they still count as amazing! Milan will come as a challenge to them. Shakhtar Donetsk is from the Ukrain and finished second in their league last season. I would say that they will not do well against the other teams but like I said, this is a funny game. A shock from aa team like Milan will be surprising in the Champs League.
Now on to the Group in which is supposedly the most difficult one of all....Group E with Lyon, Rangers, VFB Stuttgart, and Barcelona. Lyon have one their league six times and are looking for the seventh in a row. If they can do that image what they will do in the Champs League. Lyon seem like the team who will come and shock other teams. They will play hard and they can't be doubted. Rangers are the second Scottish team. They finished the league second last season right behind Celtic and the same applies to this season so far as well. some will probably say that the Rangers will have the most difficult time in the group based on who they are placed with and I have to agree on the opinion. Sorry Rangers fans but I know some of you feel the same. VFB Stuttgart hasn't been VFB Stuttgart lately. They did finish first last season but they stand in 7th this season. They haven't been very consistent in games unfortunately for all the Stuttgart supporters but they are a time that can come back at the right time. FC Barcelona. Where should I start? Last season wasn't so great. Injuries and game play really hurt us but benefited Real. Yes, Barcelona came in second with the same points as Real Madrid. Barça lost a lot last season but players such as Lionel Messi did score some beautiful and controversial goals. Currently, Barcelona are in third behind Mallorca and....well, need I say who? With new additions to Barcelona, many expect much from the team and the fans see both the Champs League and La Liga title coming back to the club. It can be the hardest group and then it doesn't look like it is. Overall, this group will be another interesting one to watch.
Group F holds Manchester United, AS Roma, Dynamo Kyiv, and Sporting CP. Manchester United won the EPL title last season and are now in third as of today(I have written this post different days so the standings have changed. Want to know where everyone really stands visit ESPNsoccernet.com,Skysports.com,etc...). United could have won the Champs League last season but Milan had beaten them out of reaching to the finals. The game everyone is waiting for though is the meeting of Man Utd and AS Roma. Roma finished in Serie A last season in second with 75 points and are in first this season with 5. go back to the Champs League, they were eliminated by Man Utd. Not only did Roma lose 7-1(sorry to bring that up Roma fans) but they also have somewhat of a rivalry with United now. Fans of both sides were involved in bottle throwing and fist fighting. The Italian police also got invovled and it was said that they were harsh on the English while treating their fellow Italians with not so much force. Man Utd will be looking to play on that event while Roma will be more on the 7-1 loss. Dynamo Kyiv is also of the Ukrain and were actually Champions of their league. Again, this is another team I don't know much about them but they won the league from 1993-2001 and then 2003 and 2004. They also won a UEFA Super Cup. I'll be looking forward to seeing how they play against Man Utd, Roma and Sporting. Sporting CP is one of the big three clubs from Portugal, the other two aren't hard to name because they are in this Champs League too and were the top three clubs last season, Sporting coming in second. Now in fourth place in the Portuguese League, they were eliminated in the group stages of the CL last season. They will be tested in their group.
Group G. Let's see....Inter, PSV Eindhoven, CSKA Moscow, and Fenerbahçe. Inter Milan, AC Milan's crosstown rivals won Serie A last season which was a win that was well known for a very long time but hey, what could the other teams do? Inter currently are in fourth right behind Milan. Inter needs to win a Champions League because if you want to know there last CL win, go back say...1965. Not even the 90's for a big team like Inter. It seems that the CL isn't there strong point. Remember the on field brawl between Valencia that went to the dressing rooms? Come on...who doesn't! Inter will be not looking for any more fighting and they know,as do Valencia, that being professionals, it wasn't the way to go. PSV Eindhoven of the Netherlands finished first last season and stand in fourth(like many other teams) this season. Eindhoven, of course, are one of the big names in Dutch football along with Ajax and Feyenoord. They have won Champs League and UEFA Cup title to their name but will definitely be looking for more. CSKA Moscow are from Russia and came in as Champs of their league last season, the season before that and the season before that( 2006 and 2005 in numbers). UEFA Cup counts...one and the Champs League, zero so another title will be brilliant for them. Fenerbahçe many people may not know but they are a team based in Turkey. They have a rich history in being the winners( they were that last season) and runners-up in the Turkish League. They have not one a UEFA Cup nor Champions League but they will be looking for one despite the being placed with a team like Inter Milan and possibly having to face other big European teams.
Finally after how many days I have reached the final group. Group H consist of Steaua, Arsenal, Sevilla, and Slavia Prague. Steaua are a team from Romania and finished their league in first last season. In total, the have won their league 23 times and also have a Champions League( beat Barcelona 2-0 on penalties) and a Super Cup title to their names. Steaua share the group with Arsenal. Arsenal finished fourth last season and as of today are in first place in the EPL. They do not have a Champs League title to there name because FC Barcelona won it in the 05-06 season based on a goal by Belletti who went to Chelsea. Arsenal are also without Henry, because guess what, he went to Barcelona just like the Champs League trophy that year. I know, that was a little harsh on Arsenal. Arsenal is my second EPL team and are doing well. One of my friends, who is an Arsenal tells me they are going to do well in the Champs League and I cannot deny I think he is right. The only thing I deny is that Barcelona will let them beat them at the title. Much love to Arsenal though. Before I get into La Liga and the Champs League for the club, I want to take a moment and recognize Antonio Puerta. It's been a while now. Three days of waiting ended in the loss of a wonderful player and a person with a big personality. Puerta is thought about everyday by not only supporters of Sevilla but teams and supporters of them around the world. 22 years young with a bright future ahead of him, he was too young to leave us so soon and the hearts of many including myself goes out to the club, family, friends and fans. Sevilla finished third last season and are in seventh place in La Liga now. Sevilla got into the group stages by winning agaist AEK Athens which was a game that was delayed based on the events of Puerta. Sevilla also won the UEFA Cup last season but loss against AC Milan in the Super Cup. There isn't a Champions League title to there name but I can honestly say that they are another one of those teams who will be playing hard to win one or prove that they still can win. Slavia Prague is a team based in the Czech Republic. They finished second in their league last season but haven't won it since the 1995/96 season. No Champs League titles or UEFA Cup titles to their name. Sad to say for the club, they are going to have a difficult time in the hands of Arsenal and Sevilla.
Those are all the groups and teams of the Champs League. As of this moment, the standings in their leagues have changed because they have played league games or have up coming ones. I'm sure that this Champions League will be an exciting one.