364 replies to this topic

[Warning Track Speed]

With three epic matchups:

At the Stade Jos Nosbaum in Luxemburg, Dudelange eased past Tre Penne 7-0.

Maltese champs Valletta delivered an 8-0 thrashing of Lusitans (Andorra).

And in the game that captured most of my interest, Torshavn, the Faroe Islands champs, stopped a PK en route to a scoreless draw at Linfield, the Northern Ireland titlists.

As a nation, the Faroe Islands are not among the eight lowest-ranked teams in Europe, if the World Cup '14 qualifying draw is any indication. Perhaps on the strength of last year's stunning 2-0 win over Estonia in Euro '12 qualifying, the Faroes found themselves in Pot 5 for the Brazil draw.

Edited by Warning Track Speed, 12 February 2013 - 09:06 AM.

[Mr. Wednesday]

Føroyar always seems to be a tough out in their home matches against the mid-level sides, so it's not a complete shock they're outside the bottom eight.

[DLew On Roids]

So the European close season lasted one day.

[soxfan121]

Dudelange is an awesome club name.

[Titans Bastard]

With three epic matchups:

At the Stade Jos Nosbaum in Luxemburg, Dudelange eased past Tre Penne 7-0.

Maltese champs Valletta delivered an 8-0 thrashing of Lusitans (Andorra).

And in the game that captured most of my interest, Torshavn, the Faroe Islands champs, stopped a PK en route to a scoreless draw at Linfield, the Northern Ireland titlists.

As a nation, the Faroe Islands are not among the eight lowest-ranked teams in Europe, if the World Cup '14 qualifying draw is any indication. Perhaps on the strength of last year's stunning 2-0 win over Estonia in Euro '12 qualifying, the Faroes found themselves in Pot 5 for the Brazil draw.

Draw for the 2nd Qualifiyng Round:

Skënderbeu Korçë (ALB) vs. Debrecen (HUN)
Maribor (SLO) vs. Željezničar (BIH)
Žilina (SVK) vs. Ironi Kiryat Shmona (ISR)
BATE Borisov (BLR) vs. Vardar (MKD)
AEL Limassol (CYP) vs. Linfield/B36 Tórshavn (FAR)
Shamrock Rovers (IRL) vs. Ekranas (LTU)
Flora Tallinn (EST) vs. Basel (SUI)
The New Saints (WAL) vs. Helsingborg (SWE)
HJK Helsinki (FIN) vs. KR (ISL)
Molde (NOR) vs. Ventspils (LAT)
F91 Dudelange/Tre Penne vs. Red Bull Salzburg (AUT)
Slovan Liberec (CZE) vs. Shakhter Karagandy (KAZ)
Ludogorets Razgrad (BUL) vs. Dinamo Zagreb (CRO)
Neftchi Baku (AZE) vs. Zestafoni (GEO)
Ulisses (ARM) vs. Sheriff Tiraspol (MDA)
Valletta/Lusitanos vs. Partizan (SRB)
Budućnost Podgorica (MNE) vs. Śląsk Wrocław (POL)

Given the new(-ish) nature of UEFA Champions League qualifying, some of these teams will actually make the group stage. The only bigger clubs to join the Champions bracket in the 3^rd round are Anderlecht, Celtic, and CFR Cluj.


The Non-Champions bracket is much tougher as usual. Dynamo Kyiv, Panathinaikos, Copenhagen, Fenerbahçe, Club Brugge, Vaslui, Feyenoord, and Motherwell(!!!!) play off, and the four winners join Braga, Spartak Moscow, Udinese, Lille, Borussia Mönchengladbach, and Málaga.

[Titans Bastard]

Dudelange is an awesome club name.

The Dude abides -- Dudelange beat Red Bull Salzburg 1-0 today.

[Tony the Pony]

The Non-Champions bracket is much tougher as usual. Dynamo Kyiv, Panathinaikos, Copenhagen, Fenerbahçe, Club Brugge, Vaslui, Feyenoord, and Motherwell(!!!!) play off, and the four winners join Braga, Spartak Moscow, Udinese, Lille, Borussia Mönchengladbach, and Málaga.

Feyenoord can draw Kyiv, Panathinaikos, Fenerbahce and Copenhagen. Very difficult, but also very important they survive at least that one round (which would guarantee access to the UEFA Cup and some European revenue).

Yesterday they sold their captain Ron Vlaar. Aston Villa got him for 4M euro. Feyenoord gets to keep some 2.8M with the rest going to the external fundraisers (people putting money in a so-called "talent-pool" to raise some cash for the club in exchange to potential future 'profit-sharing' in case of transfers) and a bit to AZ, whose striker Holman (ex-Feyenoord youth) also went to Aston Villa. Villa also acquired Feyenoord player El-Almadi.

It's going to be another tough season in which every euro cent will be counted twice and the youth players will have come through for Feyenoord. Youth and fans. It could be worse.

[Tony the Pony]

The Dude abides -- Dudelange beat Red Bull Salzburg 1-0 today.

Dudelange just eliminated Salzburg

...and Feyenoord will have to beat Kyiv to extend their European season. First game Tuesday the 31st. very difficult.

Edited by Tony the Pony, 24 July 2012 - 04:54 PM.

[Tony the Pony]

2-1 Dinamo Kiev. Still with a chance in Rotterdam.

Edited by Tony the Pony, 02 August 2012 - 04:34 PM.

[Domer]

Is there any place to watch the FSN Champions League games now that CSN has dropped all Fox Sports programming? Panathinaikos vs. Malaga were not shown today and Dynamo Kyiv vs. Borussia Monchengladbach will not be shown tomorrow.

[sachmoney]

The Champions League Group Stage Draw begins in just under an hour. I'll admit that I love the draw. It can be a time of joy when you get an easy group or knockout stage opponent or it can be a heartbreaker when you get put against Barcelona (except for Chelsea, it seems). This year's draw is particularly intriguing because there seems to be a more even distribution of the top teams. Pot 1 is full of former champions, except, of course, for my Arsenal. Pot 2 has the English champs, the Russian champs, the Ukrainian champs, and a bunch of other very tough sides. Pot 3 has Juventus and Zlatan. Pot 4 has Dortmund. There is the potential that we may see the toughest group ever.

Pot A:
Chelsea (Holders)
Barcelona
Manchester United
Bayern München
Real Madrid
Arsenal
Porto
AC Milan

Pot 2:
Valencia
Benfica
Shakhtar Donetsk
Zenit St. Petersburg
Schalke 04
Manchester City
Braga
Dynamo Kyiv

Pot 3:
Olympiakos
Ajax
Anderlecht
Juventus
Spartak Moscow
Paris Saint-Germain
Lille
Galatasaray

Pot 4:
Celtic
Borussia Dortmund
Bate Borisov
Dinamo Zagreb
CPR Cluj
Malaga
Montpellier
Nordsjaelland

[teddykgb]

I'm resigned that City will be in a tough group just because we're in Pot 2. Desperately need to avoid PSG, Juventus in Pot 3. Obviously nobody wants Dortmund from Pot 4

[Zomp]

60% chance you guys go into the group stage as not the favorites of the group (Barca, Madrid, Bayern)
40% chance being in pot 2 won't matter (Porto, Milan...who suck).

[SoxFanInCali]

I love that the champions of Spain, England, Italy, and Germany could end up in the same group.

[Zomp]

Ronaldo's girlfriend is kinda...ugly...

[teddykgb]

is there a live stream to watch?

edit: nevermind, found it on uefa.com

Edited by teddykgb, 30 August 2012 - 10:54 AM.

[teddykgb]

Ronaldo's girlfriend is kinda...ugly...

feeling like you have a chance with him then?

[Zomp]

I hang with enough portagee's to know all I need is a cacoila sandwich.

[teddykgb]

And a Sagres.

[Zomp]

So Madrid is in D, which means Barca can only be in EFG or H

[teddykgb]

Why could United only be in H there?

[Zomp]

Not sure...but I'm pretty sure that means City can only be in A, C, or D. So Milan, Porto, or Madrid for you.

[Zomp]

Chelsea Shaktar

[Zomp]

Bayern and Valencia

[Zomp]

Barcelona Benfica

[Zomp]

Manchester United Braga

[Zomp]

Arsenal Schalke 04

[Zomp]

Porto Kiev

[Zomp]

HOLY FUCK.


REAL MADRID MANCHESTER CITY

[sachmoney]

The dream is alive.

[teddykgb]

motherfuck

[Zomp]

and Milan Zenit

[Zomp]

The dream is dead, Sach.

Juve can't be drawn with them.

[Zomp]

But PSG can...

[teddykgb]

this bald guy is a ball buster he's cracking me up

[Zomp]

United Braga Galatasaray

[Zomp]

Bayern Valencia Lille


Good group so far

[Zomp]

Arsenal Shalke Olympiakos

[sachmoney]

We ALWAYS get Olympiakos.

[Zomp]

Milan Zenit Anderlecht

[teddykgb]

if macmanaman pulls group d right now i'm going to hate him forever

[Zomp]

SO CLOSE.


Porto, Kiev, PSG

[Zomp]

Madrid, City, Ajax

[teddykgb]

as much as it's not fun to be in this group, i'm ecstatic for the nutjobs over in Manchester who get to plan euro away days to Madrid and Ajax, they're going to be off their rocker

[Zomp]

Chelsea, Shaktar Donestk, Juventus

[Zomp]

Barca, Benfica, Spartak Moscow

[Zomp]

Barca are happy campers.

[Zomp]

Port, Kiev, PSG, Zagreb.

[sachmoney]

hahahaha Giroud gets to return to Montpellier!

[teddykgb]

pretty nice draw for arsenal as well