The Ultimate Football Thread 2013-2014 Vol. 4 EPL, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A etc

[abovelegit1]

ronaldo didn't really show up today...other than the penalty of course. 
bale is so fast but thats really about it.

real madrid switching to the 4-3-3 gave messi all types of space in the middle. that first goal was amazing.  i dont know how he found neymar in the box like that.
messi 3 goals and 1 assist.
barca's defense was terrible in the first half. the first 2 goals were gifts and there could have been more. 

mascherano is not good enough

Agree with most of this, although RM didn't really switch the formation - they've been using it most of the season now. Bit surprised we saw it last night, as I thought Ancelotti may be cautious. I don't even remember the last time Barca played against a side with one holding mid in a 'big' match - might have been against United in '11.
Anyway, Messi indeed had space, and he wrecked havoc between the lines.
Bale was again poor against a side that closed down the space. It's what I expected at the time of the transfer, but luckily for RM he runs over weaker opposition and their fixture list is the easiest of the three.
Mascherano can't be starting next season. He's quick, but he gets dominated physically and aerially.

The foul was legit but the red card on Ramos was excessive. I was hoping Barca would go ham with RM down to 10 especially since Tata subbed in Pedro & Alexis.

I'm very happy for Tata as he's much maligned in Barcelona by Catalans. He's held his own with poise, dignity, & grace despite Cules calling for his firing, the Neymar transfer controversy, & the leadership upheaval.

He's stuck to his guns, continued with this rotation policy, & gotten a lot of production out of players that had been struggling (some more than others) for the last 2 years.

I hope he stays. I also hope Zubi & company reinforce the back 4 properly this summer. This team doesn't need a massive overhaul to become consistently dominant again.

Quite frankly this RM side should've rolled on Barca with the talent it has but Ancelotti going to Ancelotti. I knew if this game was going to be close, it was going to fall to which manager was tactically better, what side either would field, & what substitutes were going to be made. I knew Tata would succeed in this area against Ancelotti.

As for the players, there is something t be said about championship experience. The old faithful really guided this team today despite some so so play from a number of Barca's players.

Let me be the first to say (especially since i criticize him often) that Pique played well today. Despite losing track of Benz on that header, he came back to defend well today & was key in helping to winning at Bernabeu today.

The red card wasn't excessive, the ref went by the book. A denial of a goal scoring opportunity is a red and a pen. The inevitable officiating talk is always tedious, but the only wrong pen given was to Ronaldo. The refs job isn't to maintain the entertainment, it's to uphold the rules - some don't understand this but it's probably because they can't see it from the players' perspective.
I like Martino and I think he's done well given the situation, but his rotation policy has cost them points and is a bit too strict. Ancelotti wasn't outmaneuvered by Martino. Barça were outnumbered on the R flank and RM created numerous chances from there. That's on Tata for not picking Sanchez/Pedro who both track back relentlessly. Both managers took calculated risks, but the game was decided by the individuals.
Mascherano was ball side on that Benzema goal; Pique was marking CR there, and was great all match.
I agree about the old faithful core group of players. I honestly wouldn't care if Xavi and co. ever won another trophy - they've won enough to satisfy me for decades, really. The fact that they're still showing such fight is incredible. It's really just too bad they haven't gotten any help from the incompetent board.

 

[jking0821]

ronaldo didn't really show up today...other than the penalty of course. 
bale is so fast but thats really about it.

real madrid switching to the 4-3-3 gave messi all types of space in the middle. that first goal was amazing.  i dont know how he found neymar in the box like that.
messi 3 goals and 1 assist.
barca's defense was terrible in the first half. the first 2 goals were gifts and there could have been more. 

mascherano is not good enough

Agree with most of this, although RM didn't really switch the formation - they've been using it most of the season now. Bit surprised we saw it last night, as I thought Ancelotti may be cautious. I don't even remember the last time Barca played against a side with one holding mid in a 'big' match - might have been against United in '11.
Anyway, Messi indeed had space, and he wrecked havoc between the lines.
Bale was again poor against a side that closed down the space. It's what I expected at the time of the transfer, but luckily for RM he runs over weaker opposition and their fixture list is the easiest of the three.
Mascherano can't be starting next season. He's quick, but he gets dominated physically and aerially.

The foul was legit but the red card on Ramos was excessive. I was hoping Barca would go ham with RM down to 10 especially since Tata subbed in Pedro & Alexis.

I'm very happy for Tata as he's much maligned in Barcelona by Catalans. He's held his own with poise, dignity, & grace despite Cules calling for his firing, the Neymar transfer controversy, & the leadership upheaval.

He's stuck to his guns, continued with this rotation policy, & gotten a lot of production out of players that had been struggling (some more than others) for the last 2 years.

I hope he stays. I also hope Zubi & company reinforce the back 4 properly this summer. This team doesn't need a massive overhaul to become consistently dominant again.

Quite frankly this RM side should've rolled on Barca with the talent it has but Ancelotti going to Ancelotti. I knew if this game was going to be close, it was going to fall to which manager was tactically better, what side either would field, & what substitutes were going to be made. I knew Tata would succeed in this area against Ancelotti.

As for the players, there is something t be said about championship experience. The old faithful really guided this team today despite some so so play from a number of Barca's players.

Let me be the first to say (especially since i criticize him often) that Pique played well today. Despite losing track of Benz on that header, he came back to defend well today & was key in helping to winning at Bernabeu today.

The red card wasn't excessive, the ref went by the book. A denial of a goal scoring opportunity is a red and a pen. The inevitable officiating talk is always tedious, but the only wrong pen given was to Ronaldo. The refs job isn't to maintain the entertainment, it's to uphold the rules - some don't understand this but it's probably because they can't see it from the players' perspective.
I like Martino and I think he's done well given the situation, but his rotation policy has cost them points and is a bit too strict. Ancelotti wasn't outmaneuvered by Martino. Barça were outnumbered on the R flank and RM created numerous chances from there. That's on Tata for not picking Sanchez/Pedro who both track back relentlessly. Both managers took calculated risks, but the game was decided by the individuals.
Mascherano was ball side on that Benzema goal; Pique was marking CR there, and was great all match.
I agree about the old faithful core group of players. I honestly wouldn't care if Xavi and co. ever won another trophy - they've won enough to satisfy me for decades, really. The fact that they're still showing such fight is incredible. It's really just too bad they haven't gotten any help from the incompetent board.

The ronaldo PK was only not a pk because it was seen on replay to be outside the box. But the ref thought it was in the box in which case Alves should have seen red as well. That was my problem. The rules can be bent to be seen how you want from either side. A denial of a goal scoring opportunity (if thats the real wording) is incredibly vague. As a player all one can ask for is consistency. And you can't not give alves the red for taking down CR7 in the box (yes i know ) and then go ahead and give ramos one. Rules are rules...but they are made by people...and some times common sense has to come into play. No one knew when writing the last man foul = red rule that you could blow on a guy...or flick his ear and he would be on the ground screaming and rolling. At some point common sense says...ok that was a foul but barely a foul....so yellow card. Neymar could have stayed up and finished that ball...so could have ronaldo.

I just hate when the game isn't won on the field and its won by the ref...let them play.

 

[abovelegit1]

I thought the game was extremely entertaining but i would not say Barca steam rolled by any means. Real were very dangerous on the counter and honestly Benzema should have had 5-6 goals He missed a clear header and he had the ball cleared off the line by Pique (i believe). If Ronnie were in that situation he at least has a hat trick.

I thought messi played well but all the "messi hat trick" talk....2 were penalties...that he didn't even draw...sooooo he played well but didn't "shine" like people/media makes it seem, like he really outplayed CR7....eh not really

I thought the ref was wayyyy too important in the game. I thought the Ramos "foul" was super soft and didn't deserve a straight red....but his reputation basically made it a red. I did think it was a penalty though. I thought Ronnies PK was a pk at first glance even though it was outside the box. And the iniesta PK you see not called alllll the time in the EPL but i mean it was a foul. But when your last tough is that heavy and you probably aren't getting to the ball anyway you rarely see it called in england at least. I was just bitter because that was the difference in the game. A draw seemed fitting but the ref decided to make a call and basically influence the outcome which i hate to see. But all in all....it was one of the best games i watched all year...back and forth had me jumping up and down a lot.

I don't think anyone thinks Barça steam rolled RMCF. It was a big occasion, and with the Whites unbeaten in 30 and Barça on the 'decline,' the victory was just further emphasized. The teams were evenly matched, more or less, but certain players made the difference. Di Maria and Don Andres were amazing.
That may be the most warped point of view of Messi's performance I've heard, and I watched the game in a pub full of Madridistas. He was exceptional last night. His contributions in the build up play, his passing, 4 or 5 key passes, etc. were all great. He also had an assist, and had more to do with the second pen and the red than Neymar did, so I'm not sure what your point is there. How many footballers could weight a pass so perfectly that it takes out three opponents and meets the target on stride?


It just highlighted the difference between the two. Messi's influence is superior. CR spent the whole game looking for service, while Messi created service for himself and others. CR did have a pen, so there's that. And he also tried to con the ref.



Look at him. Was there a sniper in the building? What a fanny.

 

[abovelegit1]

The ronaldo PK was only not a pk because it was seen on replay to be outside the box. But the ref thought it was in the box in which case Alves should have seen red as well. That was my problem. The rules can be bent to be seen how you want from either side. A denial of a goal scoring opportunity (if thats the real wording) is incredibly vague. As a player all one can ask for is consistency. And you can't not give alves the red for taking down CR7 in the box (yes i know ) and then go ahead and give ramos one. Rules are rules...but they are made by people...and some times common sense has to come into play. No one knew when writing the last man foul = red rule that you could blow on a guy...or flick his ear and he would be on the ground screaming and rolling. At some point common sense says...ok that was a foul but barely a foul....so yellow card. Neymar could have stayed up and finished that ball...so could have ronaldo.

I just hate when the game isn't won on the field and its won by the ref...let them play.

Alves should not have seen red, because Pique was covering. Ergo, it wasn't a denial of a goal scoring opportunity.

No one went to ground screaming and rolling, there was definitive contact on Neymar, and definitive contact on Iniesta. A foul in the box is a pen. Whether you agree with the rules is irrelevant, they are made to keep the game fair.

The game was won on the field. The Barcelona players forced the Real Madrid players into clumsy mistakes, and they were duly punished for them. Barca walked out deserved winners. Obviously, I can understand that a supporter of the losing side will be upset, but seeing as how you agree they were actually fouls, while agreeing that CR's pen was not actually a pen, I don't see how there's anything for your lot to complain about.

 

[jking0821]

The ronaldo PK was only not a pk because it was seen on replay to be outside the box. But the ref thought it was in the box in which case Alves should have seen red as well. That was my problem. The rules can be bent to be seen how you want from either side. A denial of a goal scoring opportunity (if thats the real wording) is incredibly vague. As a player all one can ask for is consistency. And you can't not give alves the red for taking down CR7 in the box (yes i know ) and then go ahead and give ramos one. Rules are rules...but they are made by people...and some times common sense has to come into play. No one knew when writing the last man foul = red rule that you could blow on a guy...or flick his ear and he would be on the ground screaming and rolling. At some point common sense says...ok that was a foul but barely a foul....so yellow card. Neymar could have stayed up and finished that ball...so could have ronaldo.

I just hate when the game isn't won on the field and its won by the ref...let them play.

Alves should not have seen red, because Pique was covering. Ergo, it wasn't a denial of a goal scoring opportunity.

No one went to ground screaming and rolling, there was definitive contact on Neymar, and definitive contact on Iniesta. A foul in the box is a pen. Whether you agree with the rules is irrelevant, they are made to keep the game fair.

The game was won on the field. The Barcelona players forced the Real Madrid players into clumsy mistakes, and they were duly punished for them. Barca walked out deserved winners. Obviously, I can understand that a supporter of the losing side will be upset, but seeing as how you agree they were actually fouls, while agreeing that CR's pen was not actually a pen, I don't see how there's anything for your lot to complain about.

It's all subjective though...refereeing is very subjective at times.
http://i.minus.com/iuwMClBeOcLbV.gif

saying that was "clear contact" to me is subjective....neymar dragged the leg....and he did scream....and roll.

And i thought Messi played well dont' get me wrong but espn and nbc have headlines about Messi's > Ronaldo. Which i understand for clicks...but its sensationalism to me. Thats all im saying no damnation of messi's performance just that it is making it seem like he destroyed Real single handily which he is capable of and has done before.

I also saw Pique in the box but ronnie's touch was close and he was at full speed, to me his is in...bangs left foot before pique gets anywhere near him....that to me was a clear goal scoring opportunity. So it is what it is

And i can name 2 players on the same team that could have played the same ball to Neymar....but i kid it was an excellent pass

 

[abovelegit1]

It's all subjective though...refereeing is very subjective at times
http://i.minus.com/iuwMClBeOcLbV.gif

saying that was "clear contact" to me is subjective....neymar dragged the leg....and he did scream....and roll.

And i thought Messi played well dont' get me wrong but espn and nbc have headlines about Messi's > Ronaldo. Which i understand for clicks...but its sensationalism to me. Thats all im saying no damnation of messi's performance just that it is making it seem like he destroyed Real single handily which he is capable of and has done before.

And i can name 2 players on the same team that could have played the same ball to Neymar....but i kid it was an excellent pass

Saying it's subjective suggests he was influenced by something outside of the incident itself, which is nonsense. Objectively, he saw contact, and he called for the pen. That's all there is to it, imo. We'll have to agree to disagree if you somehow don't feel the same way, but it's pretty clear:



But like I said, ref talk is tedious. It was a fantastic match of football - the intensity and level of play was superb. I have my doubts about their trophy prospects going forward, but a great result for Barça, and it's always great to do the double over RMCF.

Ancelotti should have some concerns of his own, as an Alonso-Modric-Di Maria lopsided midfield is a bit short on ball winning. Only one win against the top four in La Liga speaks to that, but they're still a tremendous side who have every chance at trophies this season.

 

[jking0821]

It's all subjective though...refereeing is very subjective at times
http://i.minus.com/iuwMClBeOcLbV.gif

saying that was "clear contact" to me is subjective....neymar dragged the leg....and he did scream....and roll.

And i thought Messi played well dont' get me wrong but espn and nbc have headlines about Messi's > Ronaldo. Which i understand for clicks...but its sensationalism to me. Thats all im saying no damnation of messi's performance just that it is making it seem like he destroyed Real single handily which he is capable of and has done before.

And i can name 2 players on the same team that could have played the same ball to Neymar....but i kid it was an excellent pass

Saying it's subjective suggests he was influenced by something outside of the incident itself, which is nonsense. Objectively, he saw contact, and he called for the pen. That's all there is to it, imo. We'll have to agree to disagree if you somehow don't feel the same way, but it's pretty clear:



But like I said, ref talk is tedious. It was a fantastic match of football - the intensity and level of play was superb. I have my doubts about their trophy prospects going forward, but a great result for Barça, and it's always great to do the double over RMCF.

Ancelotti should have some concerns of his own, as an Alonso-Modric-Di Maria lopsided midfield is a bit short on ball winning. Only one win against the top four in La Liga speaks to that, but they're still a tremendous side who have every chance at trophies this season.

I hear you man appreciate all the insight and your opinion. Good to hear from other knowledgeable people. The game was crazy fun to watch.

 

[chiva1908]

Coupé It u see the Porto game yesterday?

I noticed that Reyes has been playing (and starting) as of late. Is that because this coach likes his game more than Fonseca did, or is it a simple rotation that he's giving the squad?

I think he's started 3 straight games now, and got like 15 minutes in the other game. That's more than he was playing before that...

 

[Kimchi Papi]

I like Martino and I think he's done well given the situation, but his rotation policy has cost them points and is a bit too strict. Ancelotti wasn't outmaneuvered by Martino. Barça were outnumbered on the R flank and RM created numerous chances from there. That's on Tata for not picking Sanchez/Pedro who both track back relentlessly. Both managers took calculated risks, but the game was decided by the individuals.

Mascherano was ball side on that Benzema goal; Pique was marking CR there, and was great all match.

I agree about the old faithful core group of players. I honestly wouldn't care if Xavi and co. ever won another trophy - they've won enough to satisfy me for decades, really. The fact that they're still showing such fight is incredible. It's really just too bad they haven't gotten any help from the incompetent board.

I think Tata's rotation "policy" has been very beneficial (albeit very unpopular amongst Cules). It's helped keep the likes of Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, & others fresh this time of year. Most of the side looked pooped & out of gas this time last year.

Most pundits didn't like the side Tata fielded to start yesterday but to me it looked like he was sacrificing starting Pedro and/or Alexis so he could field his "pentagon" of midfielders in an effort to control the ball/possession.

I liked that he showed confidence in Neymar to start despite his recent run of poor form & I think it will pay dividends in this back half of the campaign. You saw moments of good build up play from Neymar that you hadn't seen recently. He just couldn't finish like he has.

The one thing that Cules should rejoice in is the production he's getting out of players that struggled previously & part of it's due to showing faith in them by getting them on the field (in part due to the rotation policy).

Ancelotti failed to reign in his team starting in the middle of the first half & especially in the second half. RM played played tough defense in spurts & tried to impose themselves physically but let themselves get too physical as if they were a Prem team. This wasn't going to work & Ancelotti should have reigned his side in to play smarter. His recent sides dating back to the tail end of his Milan days were prone to give games away in the second half & that's just what RM did yesterday. They wilted under the pressure.

 

[ajiiiplatinum]

Im just happy Barca has a shot at the triple crown again.

In all my Barca homerism I forgot to give props to my Boy Di-Maria. What a game by El Flaco. That pass from DiMa that Benzema one timed was fantastic.

Anyway I rocked my DiMaria Argentina jersey yesterday afternoon with these bad boys.
View media item 876576
Mud, sweat, and tears.

 

[dlo13]

Chivas' fans bloodied some cops in the stands last week, now all of their recognized supporters groups have been banned. Whomp.

Apparently banning supporters of all clubs in Mexico is still being considered, which seems like a bit of an overreaction.

 

[cs02132]

this dude Pirlo rocking/pulling off a red peacoat

 

[cs02132]

eiddyfouw

View media item 876719

 

[abovelegit1]

I hear you man appreciate all the insight and your opinion. Good to hear from other knowledgeable people. The game was crazy fun to watch.

And to you, appreciated. Game was great, and the title race should be interesting - whatever happens. Glad Spain (and England) will have some real drama this year unlike last.

I think Tata's rotation "policy" has been very beneficial (albeit very unpopular amongst Cules). It's helped keep the likes of Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, & others fresh this time of year. Most of the side looked pooped & out of gas this time last year.

Most pundits didn't like the side Tata fielded to start yesterday but to me it looked like he was sacrificing starting Pedro and/or Alexis so he could field his "pentagon" of midfielders in an effort to control the ball/possession.

I liked that he showed confidence in Neymar to start despite his recent run of poor form & I think it will pay dividends in this back half of the campaign. You saw moments of good build up play from Neymar that you hadn't seen recently. He just couldn't finish like he has.

The one thing that Cules should rejoice in is the production he's getting out of players that struggled previously & part of it's due to showing faith in them by getting them on the field (in part due to the rotation policy).

Ancelotti failed to reign in his team starting in the middle of the first half & especially in the second half. RM played played tough defense in spurts & tried to impose themselves physically but let themselves get too physical as if they were a Prem team. This wasn't going to work & Ancelotti should have reigned his side in to play smarter. His recent sides dating back to the tail end of his Milan days were prone to give games away in the second half & that's just what RM did yesterday. They wilted under the pressure.

Of course I agree with the concept of squad rotation, but he can be too rigid at times. Like when he started Song and Busquets together against a strong Sociedad side when it had been clear they didn't work well together in previous matches. That despite the fact that there wasn't a game midweek and Cesc was good to go. Leo's usually strong this time of year, he just was hurt last season, and hasn't been rotated this year anyway. Like I said, I do like Tata and think he's done a solid job, but obviously he has his faults and things he needs to improve on - as expected.

I wasn't debating whether or not he should have played both Alexis and Pedro, as he was always going to play the diamond, but one of them for Neymar on the right. That would have prevented all those 3v2 overloads on the Rflank that caused most of the trouble. It was a tactical oversight by Martino, but he was spared by poor finishing.

I feel RMCF have played better quality football this season than they have in years - expansive, flowing, and full of expression. - which is how a Real Madrid side with hundreds of millions of Euros worth of talent should play. The extra stuff just comes with having Pepe and the Ramos on your team. I doubt he told them to go out there and put in clumsy physical challenges. His tactics were brave and he gave his side a numerical advantage in a critical zone they failed to make the most of. I think he did well enough. Criticizing his approach after the fact is done with the benefit of hindsight.
And his Milan would get into trouble because he tended to pack the midfield at the cost of penetration - not because they would wilt. Those Milan teams were always strong defensively and were one of the better cup sides in recent history - they were used to pressure.

 

[rook]

Soccorpro.com with all club jerseys 50% off. Just a heads up

 

[jking0821]

Soccorpro.com with all club jerseys 50% off. Just a heads up

any idea when this expires or will end.

 

[rook]

Usually depends on how fast they sell out as opposed to a certain date.

 

[jking0821]

Usually depends on how fast they sell out as opposed to a certain date.

appreciate it repped

will order tomorrow if still available

 

[Kimchi Papi]

They're clearance items so whenever they sell out since the new kits are around the corner so to speak. We should start seeing leaked images of the 201*****15 kits for the various clubs sometime soon.

I got my son the Bayern third shirt for $34.99 & got Thiago's name set for an additional $10. Also got a Milan home with Honda for the same price. They called me earlier today though & said the Bayern shirt was no longer available so I got a City home with Kompany with Prem badging (since my son's a defender). I was bummed because I really wanted that Thiago shirt for my buddy.

 

[eiddyfouw]

eiddyfouw

View media item 876719

 

[quik1987]

I thought neymar took a dive

 

[Coupé It]

Coupé It u see the Porto game yesterday?

I noticed that Reyes has been playing (and starting) as of late. Is that because this coach likes his game more than Fonseca did, or is it a simple rotation that he's giving the squad?

I think he's started 3 straight games now, and got like 15 minutes in the other game. That's more than he was playing before that...

Nah didn't see it. He has been starting tho, good for him. Fonseca had something to do with it but Reyes was in line when Otamendi left. He needs to get the games in tho, good for him.

 

[atransta]

Soccorpro.com with all club jerseys 50% off. Just a heads up

Repped!

Thanks. Time for me to get another CR7 kit, the blue away one this time

 

[arstyle27]

Soccorpro.com with all club jerseys 50% off. Just a heads up

Awesome deal....thx

 

[sfc415]

The new Portugal kit grew on me. My Moutinho shirt just came in today. Can finally rock it since he's not on Porto anymore