The Champions League Final: Liverbird vs. Cockerel

coremiller

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This match deserves its own thread. With apologies to Burnley, Swansea, Palace, and West Brom, the trophy for Best Club-With-a-Bird-on-its-Crest is on the line.

Liverpool vs. Tottenham.

3 pm on Saturday on TNT.
 

pedro1918

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Map Ref. 41°N 93°W
Liverpool full squad: Alexander-Arnold, Alisson, Brewster, Fabinho, Firmino, Gomez, Henderson, Kelleher, Lallana, Lovren, Mane, Matip, Mignolet, Milner, Moreno, Origi, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Robertson, Salah, Shaqiri, Sturridge, Van Dijk, Wijnaldum.

If the game goes to extra time, each side will be permitted a fourth substitute. Slightly interesting, but hopefully not impactful, that they are taking a third goalkeeper. Keita is obviously not included due to the injury at Barca.
 

67YAZ

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Liverpool full squad: Alexander-Arnold, Alisson, Brewster, Fabinho, Firmino, Gomez, Henderson, Kelleher, Lallana, Lovren, Mane, Matip, Mignolet, Milner, Moreno, Origi, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Robertson, Salah, Shaqiri, Sturridge, Van Dijk, Wijnaldum.

If the game goes to extra time, each side will be permitted a fourth substitute. Slightly interesting, but hopefully not impactful, that they are taking a third goalkeeper. Keita is obviously not included due to the injury at Barca.
Klopp has said Firmino is "completely fine," so I expect he'll start. The bigger question is which two will start in the midfield alongside Fabinho: Gini, Henderson, or Milner?
 

Mighty Joe Young

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Klopp has said Firmino is "completely fine," so I expect he'll start. The bigger question is which two will start in the midfield alongside Fabinho: Gini, Henderson, or Milner?
I think Milner misses out .. although Klopp has - rather puzzlingly - left out Fabinho when everyone expected him to start.

The main team questions would seem to be for Spurs .. does Harry start ? Do they sit Moura ? Do guys like Vertonghen make the starting lineup?
 

67YAZ

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I think Milner misses out .. although Klopp has - rather puzzlingly - left out Fabinho when everyone expected him to start.

The main team questions would seem to be for Spurs .. does Harry start ? Do they sit Moura ? Do guys like Vertonghen make the starting lineup?
It’s been at least a few months since Fabinho was a healthy scratch. He’s been in great form, except the first Barca match. And then he made up for it with a monster return leg. He has Klopp’s trust now.

I think Milner starts for the same reason - trust. Gini on the bench to start, like the second Barca match.

Looks like all the Spurs players are available, and I think they’ve had the best success against Liverpool in a counter-attack minded 4-2-3-1. Poch is much smarter than me, but I would put Eriksen wide right and Son left, try to get them in behind Robertson & TAA or at least give the fullbacks pause before bombing up. Why try to fight through the chaos Liverpool create in the center when you can go around it?
 
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InstaFace

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well, because Eriksen is most dangerous in the middle, right? Through balls, shots from 20-25 yards, crashing the box on crosses to pick up rebounds or pull-backs, etc.
 

InstaFace

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We could use more guys like that in US sports. What do we have? Rex Ryan? Bobby Knight? Pete Carroll? Gregg Popovich doesn't do rituals, he does dinners. We're so anodyne.
 

coremiller

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We could use more guys like that in US sports. What do we have? Rex Ryan? Bobby Knight? Pete Carroll? Gregg Popovich doesn't do rituals, he does dinners. We're so anodyne.
Maybe Carroll. Also Jim Harbaugh comes to mind.

European football certainly has more manager-characters than the current U.S. sports landscape, which is dominated by dull technocrats like Belichick and Saban. There's nothing like a Mourinho or a Ferguson or even a Guardiola in American sports right now.

It wasn't always this way. Red Auerbach was great (can you imagine if any current coach started lighting a cigar on the bench before the game ended)? Bills Walsh and Parcells were both good characters who also hated each other. The Ditka/Buddy Ryan tandem was an all-timer.
 

pedro1918

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Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson, Fabinho, Henderson, Wijnaldum, Mane, Salah, Firmino.

Lloris, Trippier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Rose, Winks, Sissoko, Eriksen, Dele, Son, Kane.
 

SoxFanInCali

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I think they had to start Kane. If he gets gassed or re-injures himself you can replace him. If you wait and put him in with 20 minutes to go and he gets hurt then, they have to burn another sub or play with 10 if they're out.
 

RSN Diaspora

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I think they had to start Kane. If he gets gassed or re-injures himself you can replace him. If you wait and put him in with 20 minutes to go and he gets hurt then, they have to burn another sub or play with 10 if they're out.
It’s a fair point—I had thought of it in the reverse: if Kane can’t go the full 90 (or more), he necessitates a sub that Spurs might not have otherwise used. But you might be right.
 

coremiller

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Kane is also better than Lucas. Nobody on the red side thinks Origi should start even though he scored twice in the semi.
 

PedroSpecialK

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Yeah there’s no way you bench Kane. Starting Lucas + DESK leaves whichever of Sissoko / Winks that would play holding completely isolated.

Nice luxury to have Lucas for the second half in case Kane isn’t 100%
 

coremiller

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With Spurs playing DESK + Winks, it's likely a diamond in midfield. But I worry that they'll get outnumbered on the flanks by Liverpool's fullbacks. The diamond tends to be narrow and it will be harder for the two wide players (Sissoko and Eriksen) to provide support. Trippier trying to defend on an island against Robertson is scary.

OTOH, if the Liverpool turn the ball over while their FBs are high, Spurs will be looking to get runners into the vacated space, particularly Son. And Kane provides an outlet for long vertical passes.
 

SocrManiac

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I realize I’m not the target audience for this, uh, music, but where do the players warm up? How is the pitch prepared for kickoff? How to the players check the conditions of the grass?
 

coremiller

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I realize I’m not the target audience for this, uh, music, but where do the players warm up? How is the pitch prepared for kickoff? How to the players check the conditions of the grass?
I think the players came out and warmed up before that silly mini-concert.
 

coremiller

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To dare is to do. No daring higher than this. The game is about glory. Go out and get it.
 

Kliq

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I’m probably going to have a stroke at some point and will refrain from posting during the game, but I will just say it’s nice to see the stadium filled to capacity with red and white.
 

coremiller

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Spurs are targeting TAA's side. Toby has played several long balls into his zone already.
 

SocrManiac

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Lloris did not inspire confidence in the tunnel. He looked glassed, not confident. I’d never seen that on his face before.
 

koufax32

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Curious start for LFC. Lots of long balls instead of a buildup. Wonder what they saw on tape the last few weeks?
 

coremiller

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Liverpool are giving Toby all the time he wants on the ball and he's pinging beautiful diagonals all over the place.