Arjen Robben on his former mentor at Chelsea:
"Mourinho is only interested in winning and not playing good football"
Should add a nice bit of edge to that Champions League final. Louis Van Gaal and Jose Mourinho
also share a common history at Barcelona.
Esta es la Champions que nos queda. Varios grandes europeos, algunos siempre favoritos, fallaron en
su misi贸n y no pudieron pasar la fase de grupos. Juventus, el Wolfsburgo campe贸n de la
Bundesliga, Liverpool, entre otros, fueron presas de equipos menos medi谩ticos que hasta ahora han
marcado el rumbo de la competencia.
For the first time since 2003, the Premier League will not have a team in the CL
semi-finals.
It was a blistering start at Old Trafford by Man Utd who battered a shell shocked Bayern defense
into pitiful submission. That is what Wayne Rooney brings just by his presence on the field.
Barca and Lyon will travel by bus to Inter and Bayern respectively thus undercutting the need to
use airspace choked by Iceland's volcanic ash.
UEFA has indicated that the Europa League semi-final matches will also go ahead as planned.
Fulham has to travel 450 miles to Hamburg and Liverpool double that to get to Atletico Madrid.
10 minivans loaded with players, trainers, and club officials traveled to Stuttgart in the first
leg. They then travel in the morning covering the 230 km to Munich.
Cris, Lyon defender :
"That was hard. Some tried to sleep at least an hour or two, but mostly we played cards or
watched a movie.
Two big names in French football, Willy Sagnol and Bixente Lizarazu have been in the news
recently for suggesting that Bayern should have gone for Lyon's hottest property, Hugo Lloris when
they had the chance.
Both were part of the successful Bayern team that last won the CL in 2001 against Valencia in a
penalty shootout.
Arjen Robben's 69th minute blast took a slight deflection of Mueller's head going past and
outstretched Hugo Lloris for the game's only goal. Can this man stop scoring game changing goals?
No. He cannot help himself.
However Ribery, the other half of the Robbery duo was not there at hand because a stupidly
dangerous tackle with his studs on Lisandro Lopez's ankle earned him the red card from Roberto
Rosetti.
It can't get clearer than this. Ribery's horrendously premeditated foul as he plants his studs
right on top of Lisandro Lopez ankle. Kudos to Roberto Rossetti as he shows courage in taking out
the red card. Anything less than that would have been justice denied.
Not quite sure what Bayern is still complaining about.
The Borussia M'gladbach match which resulted in Bayern dropping points in a painful draw also
saw Martin Demichelis limp off at half time with a calf strain. Daniel Van Buyten followed suit
with a similar injury in the 63rd minute. Both central defenders are uncertain to start the match
against Lyon in the return leg tomorrow.
The French Federation scheduled no matches for Lyon and the CL semi-finalists spent their
weekend relaxing and discussing tactics in the bracing air of Monthieux. It involved some fishing
too.
Naturally, it has led to some grumbling from Bayern. But Lyon traveled over 800 km by road to
get to Munich for the first leg, so it evens out.
Tuvieron que pasar ocho largos a帽os para volver a ver a un finalista alem谩n en Champions y nueve
para que el Bayern regrese a esta instancia definitiva. Con contundencia y superioridad, borraron
del campo a un Lyon que nunca respet贸 sus ideales en la eliminatoria y de manera categ贸rica el
equipo de Munich es el primero en llegar a Madrid contra todo pron贸stico.
Goal-ah-Olic!
Ivica Olic, the Croatian striker scored a perfect hattrick with his right foot, left foot, and a
header as Bayern swamped hapless Lyon.
The Bavarian giants have proved time and time again in their CL campaign that they are second to
none when it comes to scoring big goals.
" OLIC, WIE IST DAS SCH脰N! OLIC, WIE IST DAS SCH脰N! SOLCHE TORE HAT MAN LANGE NICHT
GESEHEN. SO SCH脰N, SO SCH脰N! "
Germany celebrates Ivica Olic. Yes, those were beautiful!
UEFA slapped a three match ban on Franck Ribery for his foul on Lyon's Lisandro Lopez which
means the French winger will miss out on the CL finals.
A very tough loss because Bayern have a task at hand whether they meet Inter or Barca. Hamit
Altintop has been good in his appearances but Ribery can bring the spectacular.
Bayern with Thomas Mueller re-enacting his famous namesake Gerd Mueller, fired in a hat trick as
the Bavarian giants ran riot against a relegation bound Bochum. Mueller's debut season has been
nothing short of fantastic.
Any opposition with Arjen Robben and Philip Lahm providing the sort of cut and parry on the
right flank will find themselves in trouble.
One of the potential highlights of this World Cup is the Boateng brothers story. Kevin
Prince Boateng and Jerome Boateng could meet each other when Ghana and
Germany take to the field on June 23 in Johannesburg's Soccer City. A match that should be keenly
followed by not just national supporters but those who care about why football is truly the sport
of the world.
A Jose Mourinho sighting - no doubt to size up the opposition. Franck Ribery, Arjen Robben,
Ivica Olic, Bastian Schweinsteiger, and Hans Jorg Butt did not disappoint. Inter have a fight on
their hands in this month's CL final.
Hertha were beaten 3-1 through an Olic goal and a brace by Robben who would have been a great
tennis player.
The fleet footed Bayern winger was on the wings of Mercury today in the German Cup as the
Bavarian giants thrashed Werder Bremen, 4-0. Maybe it was his new F 50 AdiZero's. They are super
lightweight. Made of a single layer of polyurethane weighing just 165 grams or about 5.8 ounces. So
watch out in that CL final, Javier Zanetti and Walter Samuel!
Louis van Gaal's first act as Bayern Munich (http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/bayernmunich)
manager was to shut himself in a monastery for a month....
Rinus Michels the legendary coach who refined Totaalvoetbal or Total Football
Ruud Krol, the left back in the 1974 Dutch team summarized it best:
"Our system was also a solution to a physical problem. How can you play for 90 minutes and
remain strong? If I as a left back run 70 meters up the wing it's not good if I immediately have to
run back 70 to my starting place.
Arjen Robben will miss two months after the Bayern medical staff discovered he had a hamstring
tear.
The Dutch winger was suspected to have re- aggravated the hamstring injury after being rushed
back to the field during the World Cup. He did not seem to show any ill effects and turned out to
be instrumental in the Dutch march to the finals.
A fantastic first time shot curled in by Thomas Mueller who keeps his reputation intact as one
of the brightest talent in present day Germany. And Bayern adds insurance as Miroslav Klose nets
another.
Roma was able to keep the Bundesliga champions at bay till the very end through some tough
minded defending and a superb J煤lio S茅rgio.
UEFA is ruled by a bunch humourless old men.
During the Bayern vs AS Roma Champions League game, a group of Bayern supporters unfurled a
large banner with "Romani Ite Domum" - "Romans Go Home" written on it. An obvious reference to the
Monty Python film "Life Of Brian". The accompanying banner which read "Life of Bayern" should have
put all doubts to rest.
Two goals by Mario Gomez had Bayern sitting pretty at half time. However, the Rome side had
other ideas as they clawed one back through Marco Borriello in a great bit of hustle. Late in the
game, Daniele De Rossi guided a cross in for the equalizer.
Three minutes later Borriello was brought down for Francesco Totti, Roma's talisman to pull off
a successful spot kick and snatch a memorable victory.
