UEFA Champions League updates

Well.  Match day 3 was not good for Chelsea or Real Madrid, as both teams lost their respective games.  I'll start with Chelsea because they played on Tuesday the 23rd.

So Chelsea played Shakhtar on Tuesday.  The game made me angry and sad and it just wasn't good.  The final score was 2 - 1, to Shakhtar.  The two scorers for Shakhtar were Teixeira (3') and Fernandinho (52').  Chelsea's scorer was Oscar in minute 88.  To be honest, I'm not sure what to say.  My only question about this game is, what the hell happened to our defense?  Seriously.  I love them all, but Shakhtar had too many chances at our end of the pitch.  The only reason Shakhtar's lead was kept at two was because of Cech.  He made fantastic saves to keep the score at two.  Shakhtar had too many openings.  David Luiz, John Terry and the rest of the defense had some serious issues clearing the ball.  And communication seemed to be lacking.  I'm not going to blame it on the international break.  Some people might, because a bunch of our players had just spent a week traveling from country to country with the national team, and I understand that our players are jet lagged and such, I just don't think that is the only reason.  I will admit that it may be a part of it, but it isn't the full reason.  Our defense just sucked.  I won't sugar coat that.  Our offense wasn't as good as it normally is either.  We had a couple good chances, a couple good balls set up for a goal, but no one could finish.  We couldn't break through the defense enough to come up with the goals we needed to win.  Plus I think the early (very early) goal by Teixeira in the 3rd minute messed with the team's concentration a little.  They conceded that early goal, and then another one at the start of the second half and it shook the Blues up.  They couldn't bounce back from that deficit.  Which is a problem because I saw them do it against Tottenham not even a week earlier.  Seriously Chelsea, get your shit together.  You are the reigning Champions.  You need to start playing like Champions.  Thank goodness for Oscar though.  He was able to score that late goal and at least get us on the board.  

Oscar.  Image from UEFA.com

And Real Madrid.  I'm not sure what I can say about it.  We lost to a good team.  We weren't our best, we could have beaten Dortmund.  We lost 2-1, just like Chelsea.  Dortmund's scorers were Lewandowski (36') and Schmelzer (64').  Ronaldo was the lone scorer for Real Madrid in minute 38.  To be honest, I felt our defense was lacking in Madrid too.  We gave away too many balls and too many loose passes that gave Dortmund the chances they needed to take the win.  We just weren't on point.  Our goal came as an equalizer from Ronaldo off of a really nice cross from Ozil.  We had a couple chances on Dortmund's goal, but no real finishers.  I don't feel like either team was at their best, but even so, Dortmund played better.  We'll see them again in the next UCL game, hopefully we'll have everything figured out by then.  We're only one point behind Dortmund in the standings, but like Mourinho said, our goal is to qualify.  But I hate losing.

20 October 2012

Both Chelsea and Real Madrid had matches today and both teams won.  I'm very happy.  

Chelsea will come first because they played first.  Chelsea took a 4 - 2 win over the Tottenham Hotspurs, a much needed victory.  Chelsea's scorers were Cahill (17'), Juan Mata (66' 69') and Sturridge (90 +1').  The Spurs scorers were Gallas (47') and Defoe (54').  Chelsea played well in the first half, keeping it 1 - nil.  When the game restarted, the Spurs seemed to have been brought new life and were able to find the back of Cech's net twice in less than ten minutes.  Chelsea's hopes of a comeback seemed kind of bleak.  They had their chances but there were no finishes until Mata's first goal in minute 66 which came off of poor clearance. Mata had a second goal and a Chelsea revival in minute 69 when he took the lead again for the Blues.  Fernando had chances that he failed to convert into goals.  I will not lose faith in him though.  I know he's got the skill.  I know he can prove to the fans and critics that he's still amazing.  I mean look at Kaka.  He's been fantastic lately.  It started getting a little heated between Nando and Sandro [ha that rhymes] early in the second half and I wasn't impressed with the fighting.  Mata also took a shove from Walker later on in the game.  That instance was a result of the frustration pouring off of the Spurs.  Sturridge squashed any hopes of the Spurs tying the game with a goal in injury time.  He had just been brought on for Oscar in minute 83.  Frank Lampard was subbed in for Eden Hazard at the 90 minute mark.  I'm slightly disappointed that Lamps isn't getting as much playing time.  He's a great player too. David Luiz took a hit to the head early in the game, but he remained on the pitch like a trooper.  [Our bushy haired defender needs to take a leaf out of Cech's book and invest in a helmet of some sort.  I don't want him taking any more trauma to his head].  After this win, Chelsea remain at the top of the Premier League with 22 points.  Manchester United and Manchester City are both behind with 18 points each.  Chelsea now turns to their next match against Shaktar.  

Now to Real Madrid.  They claimed the points with a 2 - nil win over Celta Vigo.  Real Madrid's scorers were Gonzalo (11') and Cristiano (PEN 67').  The win seemed to come easy for Madrid.  Celta, although a good team, did not offer the greatest of challenges today.  Ball control maintained in Real Madrid's favor with the percentages being 60 - 40.  Madrid's starting line up was a bit unusual since they are dealing with injuries.  Sami, Alvaro, Fabio and Marcelo were all sidelined with injuries.  Gonzalo and Karim were both just possibilities due to injuries as well.  However, Gonzalo was the striker to start.  And start he did.  Gonzalo took the first goal in minute 11 after a pass from Kaka.  For the first half, Madrid kept the ball mostly on Celta's side of the pitch and they did not allow Celta to have many chances down in Iker's goal.  I'm sure he was bored.  Celta did have a few chances, however none of them resulted in a goal.  The second half was pretty much the same.  The only goal coming from the foul against Mesut.  Cristiano took the penalty and the ball met the net.   Real Madrid furthered their lead and were able to keep Celta at bay.  With this win, Real Madrid were able to move up to 4th in La Liga standings with 14 points.  They're still 8 points behind Barcelona, whose very close win today brings them up to 22 points.  Looking to the future, Real Madrid has Borussia Dortmund to focus on in the coming week with the next game of the UEFA Champions League.  

International Break!

[This post is so late.] 

I am so glad International Break is over!  Seriously.  Everyone on Real Madrid was getting hurt.  Marcelo fractured his foot, Fabio injured his groin, Sami injured a muscle and Arbeloa and Karim were both hurt and I know that Gonzalo went down at one point too.  I can't take everyone getting injured on my team!  I'm so glad no one was injured on Chelsea.  Although I am a little angry that Mata wasn't called up for Spain.  But that isn't my choice.  Anyway, let's move on to the actual games.

We'll start with Die Mannschaft.  Germany completely crushed Ireland in a 6 - 1 win.  The scorers were Marco Reus (32' 40'), Mesut Ozil (PEN 55'), Miroslav Klose (58') and Toni Kroos (61' 83').  The scorer for Ireland was Andrew Keogh in the 4th minute of added time (90 +4').    Germany showed up in full force for this game.  They dominated completely and Ireland had no chance from the start.  The ball possession was in Germany's favor at a ratio of 70% to 30%.  Both teams ended the game with two yellow cards each.  It was a fantastic game for Germany.  Moving on the the Germany vs. Sweden game, it wasn't as good.  The result was a 4 - 4 draw.  The scorers for Germany were Miroslav Klose (8' 15'), Per Mertesacker (39') and Mesut Ozil (55').  The scorers for Sweden were Zlatlan Ibrahimovic (62'), Mikael Lustig (64'), Johan Elmander (76') and Rasmus Elm (90 +3').  The first half for Germany was great.  They were able to get the lead early with two goals from Klose and another goal before the half.  At the half it seemed that Germany had taken the game early.  But, don't count your chickens before they're hatched. (That's what my grandma used to say).  Early in the second half Mesut Ozil brought Germany to a 4 - nil lead and it seemed that the game was over.  All Germany had to do was keep Sweden at bay and they had the win.  That didn't happen.  Sweden came back for the second half completely revived and ready to go.  They were able to come back after spending most of the game losing to end the game in a draw.  Two games in a row Germany allowed their opponent to score in the added time at the end of the second half.  I'm starting to worry slightly about this.  In two games, Germany allowed two goals in injury time.  Hopefully this doesn't become a consistent trend.  Germany still remains at the top of their group with 10 points in this qualifying round.  However, Sweden is slowly creeping up behind them with 7 points.  

On to Espana.  Spain showed a very impressive team in their first game against Belarus.  The score was 4 - nil.  Spain's scorers were Jordi Alba (12') and Pedro (20' 69' 72'), Pedro taking the hat-trick.  Spain picked apart the defense of Belarus and dominated the game. There were a few missed chances, but that always happens.  Three yellow cards were given out, two going to Belarus and one for David Silva.  It just makes me laugh that little David Silva got a  yellow card.  He looks so small and harmless.  It's such a shame that the game vs France did not go like this.  Spain drew 1 -1 with France days after their thrashing of Belarus.  The scorer for Spain was Sergio Ramos (25').  His goal was almost an accident.  Sergio's first attempt was a header off of a corner that hit the bar and rebounded into the players.  Sergio had his head in his hands as if he was saying, "I can't believe I missed that" when his chance came again.  The ball came towards him and this time he wasted no time in putting it in the back of the net.  It was a good goal and his acrobatic celebration was even better.  Spain could have had a 2 -1 win, however Cesc Fabregas missed his penalty.  It happens.  I'm not mad.  The scorer for France was Olivier Giroud (90 +4').  Another team that allowed a goal in injury time.  Now I understand why it's called injury time.  (Get it? That was a joke).  But seriously, Spain should have won that game.  The result wasn't what they wanted for the reigning champions of Europe.  But I'm still mad that Mata wasn't called up.  He's been in excellent form.  I'm not the coach though.  So I trust Vicente del Bosque.  Spain and France are both at the top of their group with 7 points each.  Georgia is three points behind with 4.  

And finally, my other team, Italia.  Their first game was against Armenia and Italy took the win with 3 goals to 1.  The scorers for Italy were Andrea Pirlo (PEN 11'), Daniele De Rossi (64') and Pablo Daniel Osvaldo (81').  The scorer for Armenia was Henrikh Mkhitarian (27'). [That name looks very difficult to pronounce.. I won't even try].  The game wasn't completely dominated by Italy until more in the second half, where goals two and three were scored.  The ball possession was pretty much even, Italy just had more skill getting it into the back of the net.  The first half saw more chances for Armenia than Italy, however Armenia failed to finish their attacks; the only goal coming in minute 27 by Mkhitarian.  Italy brought the pace up in the second half, and were able to take the win from Armenia.  This game saw 7 yellow cards, 5 belonging to the players of Armenia.  Italy's second game against Denmark also ended in a 3 - 1 win for Italy.  The scorers for Italy were Riccardo Montolivo (33'), Daniele De Rossi (37') and Mario Ballotelli (54').  This was Ballotelli's first appearance since Euro 2012; he wasn't able to play in the game vs Armenia due to a fever.  Well, it looks like he came back with a vengence.  [Especially after that loss to Spain in the Euros].  The scorer for Denmark was William Kvist (45 +1').  And here we have another goal in added time.  I'm noticing a trend with these three teams.  I guess they slack a little when it comes to added time.  Italy had one red card for Osvaldo in minute 46.  Two of the five yellow cards were given to Italy.  With a man down, Italy was able to control the game and take another win.  These two wins put them at the top of their group with 10 points, Bulgaria behind them with 6 points.  

Wooo! So I'm really glad international break is over and I have been looking forward to league games and the Champions League.  Thanks for reading!! 

Chelsea and Madrid Updates!

So, I kind of went on a mini hiatus.  Well, I'm back for tonight.

Chelsea's wins against Norwich City and that team that I can't even begin to pronounce, FC Nordsjælland, were fantastic wins that we really needed.

The game against FC Nordsjælland was fantastic.  I was able to watch it.  We played well.  Better than we have been.  We won 4 - nil.  Juan Mata had two goals, in minute 33 and 82, while David Luiz had one from a free kick in minute 79 and Ramires had the other in minute 89.  Right now, Chelsea is at the top of Group E, along with FC Shakhtar Donetsk, both holding 4 points.  The reining champs of the Champions League are off to a good start in their group.

Their win against Norwich City was also very much needed.  It was a 4 - 1 win for the Blues.  Which I am very happy about.  The four Blues goals came from Fernando, Eden, Lamps and Ivanovic.  Norwich's only goal was scored by Holt.  This was a great win for us because it kept us at the top of the BPL with 19 points.  We just have to keep getting those wins because both Manchester United and Manchester City are behind us with 15 points each.

Now onto Real Madrid.  The matches between Ajax and Barcelona were both good.  Against Ajax the boys were fantastic.  They were also great against Barcelona, however, they did not get the result they wanted.

The game against Ajax was a great game of football.  I was so impressed with the Real Madrid that played.  Cristiano had his second hat trick in less than a week.  But, the standing ovation of the game goes to Karim Benzema.  He scored a goal with an amazing and beautiful bicycle kick.  It was honestly the best part of the game and one of the best goals I've seen this season.  I was definitely in awe.  And the look on his face after he scored it was priceless.  So that leaves us at the top of Group D with 6 points, while Borussia Dortmund is our closest competitor with 4 points.  We are in a good position at the start of the Champions League.

A few days after the game against Ajax, Real Madrid and Barcelona came together in the Camp Nou for El Clasico.  The hype up to the game was almost as intense as the game itself.  Cristiano and Messi went goal for goal twice.  The game ended in a 2 - 2 draw.  It was slightly disappointing.  Karim Benzema had two opportunities that he missed.  And Angel di Maria had one opportunity that he missed.  I was more disappointed that Karim missed because he had scored with that sublime bicycle kick few days earlier.  He was just as disappointed, you could see it.  Our defense had a couple holes, and that is why Messi scored his first goal that game.  Barcelona was short Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique.  We picked their defense apart, at the end we just couldn't finish with the win.  However, I will take a draw to Barcelona over a loss any day.  I do not want the gap between Barcelona and Real Madrid to grow any larger.  Real Madrid is in the 5th spot with 11 points.  We are 8 points behind Barcelona who has the top spot and Atletico Madrid who also has 19 points.

Here's a still of the bicycle kick.  It was truly amazing to watch and I can only imagine what it was like in person.

As of right now, everyone who was called up for their International Squad is on an international break.  I'm looking forward to the Spain, Germany and Italy games coming up in the next week.

On another note, I AM SO PROUD OF KAKA! He has been playing in amazing form lately.  He was called up for the Brasil squad again and I'm so excited for him.  Brasil played Iraq tonight and Kaka had a goal and an assist in the 6 - nil win over Iraq.  Kaka is an amazing player and I'm glad he's finally able to show us how good he really is. You go Kaka!

Kaka against Iraq. 

(PS. None of these pictures are mine!)