Taking Costa off is bonkers to me. He consistently takes on defenders and wins, although I guess he crowds Muller's flank. Hasn't been a problem this season though.
San Siro's Siren Call: 2015-16 UEFA Champions League
- Thread starter Titans Bastard
- Start date
It's too bad there is no replay in soccer. We could have waited 35 minutes to get the same result.
At least that offers us a great final 10. I don't know how I'm going to survive tomorrow if it is in any way close
I'm hoping for a speedy recovery for @bosox4283 from the nasty ulcers that are developing as we speak.
Simeone is such a nutter. I love watching the Atletico that plays 3x harder than everyone else and defends and works tirelessly for their cause.
When they start with all the time wasting and fake injury stuff it really takes the shine off of them for me.
When they start with all the time wasting and fake injury stuff it really takes the shine off of them for me.
Well, Torres was almost the GOAT, but that was not a penalty so that was a fair result.
WHO'S GOING TO MILAN?
WHO'S GOING TO MILAN?
Thanks, dudes. Heart is still racing. I'm not built for this drama. But, hell, I was born a Red Sox fan so I've been through worse.
That would be something. He's missing the last three league matches, and perhaps a ban for the Champions League final.
That was another example of Martinez looking a step slow. He and Boateng let the club down.
Congrats to Atletico.
La Liga's lead at the top of the UEFA coefficients is so large that Spanish clubs could forfeit the next European season and they'd still likely end the year as the top ranked league.
That stat is bonkers. I think Serie A from the late 1980s to mid 1990s is really the only comparison for a league that has so dominated European play over an extended stretch.
And Serie A had a big advantage in that the other strongest league at the time, England, was disqualified from European competition -- English clubs had won 7 of the last 9 European cups before getting banned post-Heysel and an English team had been in the final 9 of the previous 11 years, which was a lot more impressive when you could only put 1 (or sometimes 2, counting the holders) club in every year.
Apparently the recipient of Simeone's love-tap was a member of Atletico's team.
Teams to put up 2 goals on Atletico Madrid this year:
vs Barcelona, 1-2
@ Sporting Gijon, 1-2
@ Barcelona, 1-2
vs Benfica (CL Group), 1-2
@ Barcelona (CL QF), 1-2
@ Bayern (CL SF), 1-2
That's the list. Nobody else has put more than 1 into the net against them.
vs Barcelona, 1-2
@ Sporting Gijon, 1-2
@ Barcelona, 1-2
vs Benfica (CL Group), 1-2
@ Barcelona (CL QF), 1-2
@ Bayern (CL SF), 1-2
That's the list. Nobody else has put more than 1 into the net against them.
Say i´m a sore loser, (as a german i have to support the germans of course,) but in no way was that a deserved win/advancing for Atletico.
They were the more clever and more efficient team, as they always seem, but that´s it. If you want that kind of football to be rewarded through advancing or even winning the CL, that´s a weak choice. If you want them to win because you´re a fan, i get it. But this team full of douchebags, the biggest clown standing on the sideline, playing the timewasting game from the first minute on is cancer for the eyes. And advancing because of 20 good minutes in Madrid is deserved? Sorry, but Bayern was just too dumb to score the away goal. They had their chances and didn´t score. Even in this game, they just didn´t make it and couldn´t get to the final pass enough, it seemed, although they had more chances than Atletico and a 2-0 at the half or a 3-1 was still within possibility. I got to admit with better caretaking of the counters, Atletico could have made it 1-2 and killed the tie, but they didn´t even made it cross the middleline in many occasions.
The only guys i could be happy about advancing being Griezmann and Torres, the others being mostly dirty players looking to play the spanish game (e.g. kicking the ball away before each throw in to earn another 8 seconds, it´s childish and annoying). I could understand those actions in the last few minutes if you´re about to advance and want to save every second, but really, start the game that way, too? That´s just a weak show of performing football and then seeing Simeone waving around the sideline more often than both assistants combined is so annoying, I just can´t think anything else than "when is finally someone of his own players sliding in a tackle and breaking Simeone´s knee while going over the sideline!?!" - I admit, i respect his passion for the game, his teams play great defense, but when you have certain ways to use your brain and to conduct yourself, especially in public, you don´t act like that guy. I hate him.
Now i can just hope that City advances (chances being really small), as when the final is Real vs. Atletico, this will be a game full of douchebags and theatrics (think Marcelo vs. Juanfran, OMG). Good luck Manchester City (of course, I will jinx them
)!!
I agree with all of the things you find annoying, but to say that they didn't deserve to win is silly.
Bayern should have played in Madrid the way they did yesterday and there would be no issue. The away goals rule sucks, but with it in place, Atletico was the better team over two legs. Sorry.
I'm always so fascinated with different ways to play the game...some of them are more aesthetically pleasing (and even opinions of that may vary), but the goal is to win. When all teams are on a level financial playing field, I will start to look for the prettiest way to put the ball in the net.
Bayern should have played in Madrid the way they did yesterday and there would be no issue. The away goals rule sucks, but with it in place, Atletico was the better team over two legs. Sorry.
I'm always so fascinated with different ways to play the game...some of them are more aesthetically pleasing (and even opinions of that may vary), but the goal is to win. When all teams are on a level financial playing field, I will start to look for the prettiest way to put the ball in the net.
I agree completely with Dummy Hoy. The point is to win the game. The way you want to win the game can change and you can have fundamental philosophical differences with a method for sure. However, the point is to win the game. Bayern's strategy/play through the two legs cost them. That's football.
On the Simeone topic, is he the new Mourinho?
On the Simeone topic, is he the new Mourinho?
Simeone's Atleti isn't for everyone, but I don't think I can really criticize how they play given their disadvantages to superclubs like Madrid, Barcelona or Bayern.
They're tough too, but they aren't thugs. They don't have guys aiming studs-up at people's ankles or anything like that.
Going wah about how they play is just lame. Almost every club or country in football has had times when their team went defensive and frustrated a more stylish team. The West German national team went the whole 80s and 90s being unlikable as shit and routinely crapping in the punchbowl.
They're tough too, but they aren't thugs. They don't have guys aiming studs-up at people's ankles or anything like that.
Going wah about how they play is just lame. Almost every club or country in football has had times when their team went defensive and frustrated a more stylish team. The West German national team went the whole 80s and 90s being unlikable as shit and routinely crapping in the punchbowl.
I don´t have a problem with playing defensive/sitting back/wait-for-the-counter/park the bus or how you want to call it, really. Of course in some games you have to play that way and credit to Atletico to make it through both the best ballkeeping and passing teams playing right now.
But when I see chances and shots created and shots on goal and scoring chances, I see a dominant team and a really inferior team. I´m not talking possession and i´m not talking duels, because Bayern obviously has the ball for long stretches without doing a lot of it and with Atletico doing anything to get the ball and OTOH when Bayern has the ball so much, it has to create, while Atletico can defend, so defensive duels are easier to win and offensive duels harder to win, so this expains why Madrid won many more duels. Can´t get much out of those stats.
But Bayern had more shots, more chances in those two games, even in Madrid. They were too dumb and Atletico was more efficient. That´s football.
I mean, you can say Atletico played their tactics great and therefore deserved to advance, okay. But if you had to pick one of those two teams after seeing both of those matches, come on...
But when I see chances and shots created and shots on goal and scoring chances, I see a dominant team and a really inferior team. I´m not talking possession and i´m not talking duels, because Bayern obviously has the ball for long stretches without doing a lot of it and with Atletico doing anything to get the ball and OTOH when Bayern has the ball so much, it has to create, while Atletico can defend, so defensive duels are easier to win and offensive duels harder to win, so this expains why Madrid won many more duels. Can´t get much out of those stats.
But Bayern had more shots, more chances in those two games, even in Madrid. They were too dumb and Atletico was more efficient. That´s football.
I mean, you can say Atletico played their tactics great and therefore deserved to advance, okay. But if you had to pick one of those two teams after seeing both of those matches, come on...
But of course Atletico is inferior, they can't spend on players and coaches and facilities like Bayern. Now they're hardly Shrewsbury Town, but the deck is stacked against them. Were they to try to match Bayern in chances and shots taken and whatever stats you want to use, they would lose.
And it's not about picking a team after watching the matches, otherwise Barca or Madrid or Bayern would win every year (they almost do anyways) and football would suck.
Do you shit on Dortmund when they defend and counter a Bayern to death?
I think much of your angst comes from the shit you mentioned before- the time wasting, the diving, the dirty play and head games. I'm not fond of that shit either (as a hockey guy, I have a very different 'code' to my sports) and it stings to lose to a team doing that. But that's football.
And it's not about picking a team after watching the matches, otherwise Barca or Madrid or Bayern would win every year (they almost do anyways) and football would suck.
Do you shit on Dortmund when they defend and counter a Bayern to death?
I think much of your angst comes from the shit you mentioned before- the time wasting, the diving, the dirty play and head games. I'm not fond of that shit either (as a hockey guy, I have a very different 'code' to my sports) and it stings to lose to a team doing that. But that's football.
33 shots to 7. 12 corners to 2. 73% possession. The last 20 minutes were a pretty relentless assault. I can't fault Simeone's tactics, but I do think Bayern wins that matchup 7+ times out of 10 if they're playing that way on both legs. Why Pep went away from that lineup and style in Madrid, I'll never know.
That was the closest of matches, it hung on a knife-edge. Trying to draw broader lessons or conclusions from something that was an inch or two from a winning header, a failed save, a foul call outside the box, or what-have-you, seems to me an exercise in futility.
I am reminded of Bayern @ Arsenal back in October, however. Not quite the same ratio of chances created, but similar possession stats and tactics from the lesser squad. Arsenal tried a bit harder to get some offense, and ultimately won it on a cross that Neuer misjudged. Yesterday, Bayern made one mistake all game, and Griezmann made them pay dearly. It wasn't the prettiest match, but it was something of a triumph of execution over talent, so I'll call it "deserved".
That was the closest of matches, it hung on a knife-edge. Trying to draw broader lessons or conclusions from something that was an inch or two from a winning header, a failed save, a foul call outside the box, or what-have-you, seems to me an exercise in futility.
I am reminded of Bayern @ Arsenal back in October, however. Not quite the same ratio of chances created, but similar possession stats and tactics from the lesser squad. Arsenal tried a bit harder to get some offense, and ultimately won it on a cross that Neuer misjudged. Yesterday, Bayern made one mistake all game, and Griezmann made them pay dearly. It wasn't the prettiest match, but it was something of a triumph of execution over talent, so I'll call it "deserved".
There is truth to this, but it also ignores that Bayern was undone by their glaring weakness. If it was David Luiz committing the mistake that Boateng performed he would get boiled for months by the press.
Atletico's resume this decade is very good. They aren't riding lady luck.