World Football Thread XVI - The demise of one Ronaldo and the rise of another

[Locutus]

Originally posted by Colonâ„¢
I still can't believe it. How ****ing improbable is that ****?

Not too improbable, frankly. I had already feared that the inexperienced AZ would choke on Excelsior with the immense pressure they were under, and in that case the goal difference between Ajax and PSV was only 1. Admittedly I didn't expect PSV to play quite as well as they did, but hey, being able to perform when it counts most is the sign of a true champion... (as much as I wanted AZ to be that champion)

But hey, FC Twente vs AZ as the first play-off game, should be a good one Whoever wins deserves that CL berth...

BTW, Feyenoord finished 7th I hope they lose the play-offs too -- I never thought I'd say this but go Groningen

Come on dutchies, bring on your stories, surely one of you must have been close to the action.

Not me, I stayed at home specifically so I could follow it all on the radio -- doing so in a stadium is a pain the butt and Twente vs NAC was a meaningless game anyway. Plus, the day prior I'd already watched our youth team win the national championship for the first time in history

[Ãskallin]

The wisdom of Kevin Keegan

'There are two schools of thought on the way the rest of this half is going to develop; everybody's got their own opinion...'

'Goalkeepers aren't born today until they're in their late twenties or thirties.'

'This could be a repeat of the final.'

'The game has gone rather scrappy as both sides realise they could win this match or lose it.'

'It's like a toaster, the ref's shirt pocket. Every time there's a tackle, up pops a yellow card.'

'The ref was vertically 15 yards away.'

'I don't think there's anyone bigger or smaller than Maradona.'

'England can end the millenium as it started - as the greatest football nation in the world.'

'They compare Steve McManaman to Steve Heighway and he's nothing like him, but I can see why - it's because he's a bit different'

'Despite his white boots, he has real pace...'

'You can't do better than go away from home and get a draw...'

'He can't speak Turkey, but you can tell he's delighted.'

'There'll be no siestas in Madrid tonight.'

'...using his strength. And that is his strength, his strength.'

'One of his strengths is not heading'

'Gary always weighed up his options, especially when he had no choice.'

'I'm not disappointed - just disappointed.'

'The substitute is about to come on - he's a player who was left out of the starting line-up today.'

'That decision, for me, was almost certainly definitely wrong.'

'I know what is around the corner - I just don't know where the corner is. But the onus is on us to perform and we must control the bandwagon.'

'Hungary is very similar to Bulgaria. I know they're different countries...'

'In some ways, cramp is worse than having a broken leg.'

'The tide is very much in our court now.'

'Chile have three options - they could win or they could lose.'

'That would have been a goal if it wasn't saved.'

'I came to Nantes two years ago and it's much the same today, except that it's totally different.'

'A tremendous strike which hit the defender full on the arm - and it nearly came off.'

'The good news for Nigeria is that they're two-nil down very early in the game'

'The 33 or 34-year-olds will be 36 or 37 by the time the next World Cup comes around, if they're not careful.'

'England have the best fans in the world and Scotland's fans are second-to-none'

'It's understandable that people are keeping one eye on the pot and another up the chimney.'

'I'd love to be a mole on the wall in the Liverpool dressing room at half-time.'

'It could be far worse for me if it was easy for me.'

'Discipline is not only very important, it's crucial.'

'Kanu, a guy with a heart as big as he is'

'Luis Figo is totally different to David Beckham, and vice versa'

'Football's always easier when you've got the ball'

'They don't come every three days, like they come after this one'

'I want more from David Beckham. I want him to improve on perfection.'

'There's a slight doubt about only one player, and that's Tony Adams, who definitely won't be playing tomorrow.'

'We have spent three matches chasing a football.'

'It’s no longer an 11 man game.'

'The Germans only have one player under 22, and he's 23'

'For some it's the ultimate job, for the others it's the last job.'

'I've had an interest in racing all my life, or longer really.'

'We managed to wrong a few rights.'

'We are three games without defeat is another way of looking at it. But if we are honest we have taken two points from nine'

'Young Gareth Barry - he's young'

'Argentina won't be at Euro 2000 because they're from South America.'

'They're the second best team in the world, and there's no higher praise than that.'

'You don't get two chances at this level, or at any other level for that matter.'

'You're not just getting international football, you're getting world football'

'He'll also be very dangerous from set-pieces. That means he'll be a threat from free-kicks and corners in the final third of the field.'

'Danny Tiatto is not going to make a mistake on purpose'

'I'll never play at Wembley again, unless I play at Wembley again'

'You need 88 points for the title and we’ve got 61 at present with 16 games to go, but if you set targets you limit yourself'

'We deserved to win this game after hammering them 0-0 in the first half'

'Shaun Wright-Phillips has got a big heart. It's as big as him, which isn't very big, but it's bigger'

'Nicolas Anelka left Arsenal for £23million and they built a training ground on him'

'As far as I'm concerned, Danny Tiatto doesn't exist'

'One team with destiny already decided...'

'Maine Road was a great football stadium but as time moved on it stayed where it is...'

'He’s got a heart as big as his size, which isn’t big, but his heart’s bigger than that'

'Well, if that's true then it would be a big suprise, but then nothing surprises me in football these days.'

'You get bunches of players like you do bananas, though that is a bad comparison.'

'Not many teams will come to Arsenal and get anything, home or away'

[Cort Haus]

Keegan

[alva]

Congrats to the gunners sfor winning one of the biggest trophies in Europe, the UEFA cup.

[LordShiva]

Originally posted by Colonâ„¢
The race for the title is still tight in Spain, Germany and Belgium.

With 6 games to go:

Barcelona 62
Sevilla 61
Real Madrid 60

Go Sevilla!

Barcelona
Madrid

[Colonâ„¢]

Originally posted by Ãskallin
Go Stuttgart in the German league!
Go Barcelona in Spain (because of Eiður Smári Gudjohnsen)
Go Genk (there are some Icelanders playing there if my memory doesnt betray me)

No Icelander playing for Genk at the moment. Kristinsson is one playing for Lokeren though, which is hovering just above the relegation zone.

[edit]he has 106 caps?!

[LordShiva]

Liverpool-Chelsea 1-1 on aggregate right now.

Who do I hate less? Liverpool, I suppose

[Herra Gautason]

Originally posted by Colonâ„¢


No Icelander playing for Genk at the moment. Kristinsson is one playing for Lokeren though, which is hovering just above the relegation zone.

[edit]he has 106 caps?!

I think he has 104.

[Maquiladora]

Originally posted by LordShiva
Liverpool-Chelsea 1-1 on aggregate right now.

Who do I hate less? Liverpool, I suppose

I don't really care who wins either. Penalties now. Chelsea have got to be favourites though with Cech.

[Maquiladora]

Liverpool should've brought on Dudek, if he's in the squad.

[LordShiva]

Well, Reina saved the first one.

[LordShiva]

Saved another!

[LordShiva]

Buh-bye Jose!!!

[Colonâ„¢]

Sympathies to Liverpool, but I hope they lose the final.* A team that twice wins the Champion's League cup within several years while not actually winning any titles at home is a bit silly.

*Conditional on whether Milan will be their opponents. If they are I'll happily swallow a Liverpool win or consider this year's CL to be irrelevant.

[Maquiladora]

The Chelsea missed penalties were awful.

A team that twice wins the Champion's League cup within several years while not actually winning any titles at home is a bit silly.

I agree. I hope Man U go through and win it.