UCL: Chelsea v Barcelona
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enough about the del horno crap..whether it merited a red or yellow is up to the referee..
but how in the world can he not send puyol off for hacking robben down in the 2nd half..
it was his 2nd bookable offence..this is what i'm unhappy about.. -
ahh.. what about the many handballs by chavski?
give it a break.. what goes around, comes around... chavski has had enough bad calls for them, sometimes, "bad calls" against them has to happen too...
it's all about football...
and if people rant having video evidence, people like essien would be jailed by now -
handballs can be deliberate and unintentional..
puyol hacking robben down for what should be the 2nd bookable offence would be given by most referees..
but alas,the referee admitted he was good friends with ander frisk..so i can sort of expect it..
too bad uefa couldn't deploy a referee like collina for this fiesty match.. -
wait...Originally posted by stellazio:handballs can be deliberate and unintentional..
puyol hacking robben down for what should be the 2nd bookable offence would be given by most referees..
but alas,the referee admitted he was good friends with ander frisk..so i can sort of expect it..
too bad uefa couldn't deploy a referee like collina for this fiesty match..
*inserts mi vhs in vhs player*
*bangs abit to make it run*
*hits play button*
*video showing Essien making an unproffesional move on hamman*
*hears shout from behind: knn! blardy refree! make sure i burn his hse*
moral of the stroy- the refree is kayu
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Originally posted by stellazio:handballs can be deliberate and unintentional..
puyol hacking robben down for what should be the 2nd bookable offence would be given by most referees..
but alas,the referee admitted he was good friends with ander frisk..so i can sort of expect it..
too bad uefa couldn't deploy a referee like collina for this fiesty match..
There's only one Collina. There are hundred of matches. -
stellazio a Chelsea fan?
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If anyone read soccernet.com, there's an article saying that Chelsea players have a knack for using their hands (whether intentionally or unintentionally) to block shots at goal.
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i think thats only john terry la..he tries his best to block as many shots as possible..Originally posted by Parka: If anyone read soccernet.com, there's an article saying that Chelsea players have a knack for using their hands (whether intentionally or unintentionally) to block shots at goal. -
aiya referee say what then wat la. the rest doesnt matter. wat matters is that the big scoreline says CHELSEA 1-2 BARCELONA
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muahahahahaha
this piece of news is hilarious!
Chelski fans vote against Del Horno
Thursday February 23 2006
There was further embarrassment for Chelski today when the club's fans voted that Assier Del Horno deserved to be sent off against Barcelona.
Polled on Chelski's official website, 58% had declared at 12pm that 'Yes, Del Horno should have been sent off'.
There was no official word from Chelski revealing how many fans had voted on the poll, or what action the club were considering taking against them.
(from www.football365.com) -
this much is true.Originally posted by anhydrouscoppersulphate:aiya referee say what then wat la. the rest doesnt matter. wat matters is that the big scoreline says CHELSEA 1-2 BARCELONA -
Originally posted by the Bear:
muahahahahaha
this piece of news is hilarious!
[b]Chelski fans vote against Del Horno
Thursday February 23 2006
There was further embarrassment for Chelski today when the club's fans voted that Assier Del Horno deserved to be sent off against Barcelona.
Polled on Chelski's official website, 58% had declared at 12pm that 'Yes, Del Horno should have been sent off'.
There was no official word from Chelski revealing how many fans had voted on the poll, or what action the club were considering taking against them.
(from www.football365.com)[/b]
Chelski. Moaninho. -
Anyway, the red card is given for the tackle, and not how injured Messi was.
Everyone's seems to be thinking that if there's injury, then there should be a card. A bit rubbish. -
Well done Messi
He learn fast for a player so young. He must have watch Liverpool vs Chelsea and learn from Robben.
A touch can be made to look like a punch.... a rash tackle surely can be made to look worse.
Well done. -
chelsea's defeat must have given liverpool fans a lot of consolation after their defeat against benfica.
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JOSE'S ERROR HANDS ADVANTAGE TO BARCA
Just for once, Jose Mourinho got it wrong and how he was made to pay as the biggest game of the European season to date resulted in his first defeat at Stamford Bridge.
While Chelsea's eternally bullish coach would never admit as much in public, his move to throw Shaun Wright-Phillips into the action 14 minutes from the end of this pulsating Champions League encounter may just have proved to be his biggest mistake since moving to London back in the summer of 2004.
Down to ten men after Asier del Horno's harsh first half dismissal and with Barcelona baying for their blue blood, Mourinho opted not to employ the steadying influence of Maniche and settle for the stalemate that would have kept his side in the picture for the second leg in two weeks' time.
Instead, boldly, he threw Wright-Phillips on to replace the dangerous Arjen Robben and within three minutes, Samuel Eto'o had headed what may prove be a crucial second goal for Barca.
As he faced up to the media in a packed Stamford Bridge press room, his deadpan expression remained intact, but you suspect he may lie in bed for the next couple of nights pondering whether he had gambled once too often.
You can get away with such bold tactics against the lesser lights of the Premiership, but when you are up against Barcelona, such naivety is tantamount to professional suicide and the obvious question was duly thrown his way by a brave reporter.
However, Mourinho proceeded to immediately change the direction of the conversation by claiming his pre-match suggestion that Barcelona are a team who dive had been justified after Leo Messi's 'simulation' had reduced his side to ten men.
'The game was nothing to do with tactics or the quality of the players,' he barked. 'This was all about the red card. I can't say much because I will be suspended again, but you write about this incident because you were all at this game like me. I don't want to get into a difficult situation so you say it for me.
'What I do ask is if we can we suspend Messi for play acting? The kid is not just very good at football because he showed he can do much more than that now. We played a team who come from a great city that knows all about culture and theatre and tonight we saw one of their players confirm he has the spirit of Barcelona with him.
'Messi jumps, provokes contact with Del Horno and of course it's not a red card. Once again, we have 10 men and the game is completely different.
'When this was eleven against eleven, it was an even match. When you are playing against a side that is okay, you may be able to deal with one man less, but against Barcelona this is not possible.'
They are strong words and UEFA will have to decide whether Mourinho toppled off the tightrope he was walking in that press conference, but it was an inevitable reaction after what was a crushing setback for the 'special one'.
Had Maniche clogged up the midfield, he may be heading to Spain with the tie level at 1-1, but now he is in a hole that is as deep as he has found in his coaching career. If he can go to the Nou Camp in two weeks time and manufacture a victory, his self-proclaimed tag will be justified, but you suspect it may be a mountain too far, even for the coach who doesn't know how to lose.
You could tell that this game was very different to those that had gone before them at Stamford Bridge this season. The press room was brimming full like never before, yet it was all worth it for a second half that lived up to all the extraordinary hype.
The least said about a dour first half the better. It was little more than two heavyweights feeling each other out until the shadow boxing ended in stunning fashion.
While Del Horno's attempt to tackle Messi by the corner flag could be described as reckless, it was hardly a blow worthy of the reaction that followed. With players from both sides rushing to confront each other, the wounds of the battles of last season were opened wide once again.
Messi's cavorting on the floor would not have looked out of place in the Olympic ice dancing contest currently taking place in Turin and Del Horno added to the farce by rolling around himself claiming some kind of foul.
Bizarrely, Norwegian referee Terje Hauge was clearly impressed and with Barca players baying for blood from Del Horno he duly produced the red card that changed the complexion of this game entirely.
Sitting just a few yards in front of us less vital members of the media - who were given seats in the stand just behind the Chelsea dug-out - Mourinho sat motionless, merely looking behind and chuckling to his staff.
'See I told you they were a bunch of divers,' may have been the gist of his argument, yet some would argue it was justice after Arjen Robben's disgraceful diving got Liverpool's Pepe Reina sent off earlier this month.
With that, the game seemed appeared to have its decisive twist. Surely not even Mourinho and his depleted side could overcome this kind of adversity, but their stunning ability to defy the odds raised it's head again as Thiago Motta managed to divert Frank Lampard's free-kick towards goal and the game that so needed a goal had just that.
It was John Terry's presence alongside Motta that inspired his mistake and the Chelsea skipper then came to the fore like never before. He has long been described as inspirational, but this was a performance that confirmed he can now be placed among the world's best centrebacks.
When you realise it was Terry who diverted Ronaldinho's 71st minute cross to give Barcelona the away goal they craved, it seems curious to read that he was the leading figure in this game, but seeing his performance here tonight left you in little doubt that he was the best performer on show.
Clearing balls off the line, defending for his life and doing it all with passion that could only be admired, Terry did not deserve to be a loser in this game, but after Mourinho's overly ambitious substitution, Samuel Eto'o made him pay as he headed home the winner 10 minutes from time.
'I felt the Chelsea goal fired us into action,' stated Barcelona boss Frank Rijkaard. 'When I sent Henrik Larsson on in the final stages, I told him to go and win us the game and he played a part in doing just that. It is a great result for us, but this tie is not over. Chelsea are a good team and we have to have the desire to compete in the second leg.
'I don't want to say too much about the red card. However, I will say that Messi is not a player to overreact. He gets fouled a lot and these incidents are bound to happen. If I say too much about the incident because it may lead to trouble.'
Mourinho added this flourish to his press conference. 'I am so proud of my players, so proud of our supporters and we will go to Barcelona with real belief. We will not go there to look at a beautiful city and say what a nice time we are going to have. We will go there confident, as always.'
You get the feeling that the pulsating opening to this Champions League tie is merely the appetiser for what may be the ultimate 90 minutes of sport in Catalonia a fortnight from now. The world of football can hardly wait.
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MAN OF THE MATCH: John Terry - While the likes of Frank Lampard and Hernan Crespo went missing, Terry stood like a colossus as he attempted to manufacture a one man rescue act for Chelsea.
PRESS BOX VIEW: From our position low behind the dug-outs, Del Horno's challenge looked high and reckless and if the referee had a similar view, you could understand why he produced a red card. TV replays suggest it may have been harsh.
FOOD WATCH: Soccernet's Insider reached Stamford Bridge with a matter of minutes to spare, so the food was winding down long before my arrival.
RED WATCH: Mr Hauge had something of a shocker as his decision to send of Del Horno should have been followed a red card for Carlos Puyol as he escaped punishment despite hacking down Arjen Robben while already on a yellow card in the second half.
MOURINHO v RIJKAARD: You have to give the upper hand to the Barca coach, but that may be harsh in a game so dominated by the dismissal of Del Horno. Was that late Chelsea substitution as crucial as Soccernet's Insider suggests?
VERDICT: Mourinho will use every trick in the book to convince his players that they have been cheated by referee Terje Hauge and that psychological ploy may yet breathe life into this tie. The second leg should be equally as epic as this first.
- credit: ESPNsoccernet -
Originally posted by miss_soojung:
Even meh?
[b]JOSE'S ERROR HANDS ADVANTAGE TO BARCA
'When this was eleven against eleven, it was an even match. When you are playing against a side that is okay, you may be able to deal with one man less, but against Barcelona this is not possible.'
(con't)[/b]
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will messi be the new maradona?
i cant wait to see the 2nd leg. -
UEFA DECIDES TO CUT DEL HORNO BAN
Uefa has reduced Chelsea defender Asier del Horno's ban for a foul on Barcelona's Lionel Messi from three matches to one.
The 25-year-old was dismissed in the first leg of Chelsea's last-16 tie against Barcelona last Wednesday.
Del Horno accused Argentine forward Messi of "acting" to exaggerate the impact of his challenge and was backed by Blues boss Jose Mourinho.
In a statement, Chelsea said they were "pleased" by Uefa's decision.
The reduction in the ban means Del Horno can play in the quarter-finals of the Champions League if Chelsea can overturn their 2-1 deficit from the first leg.
A Chelsea statement said: "Following the sending-off of Asier Del Horno against Barcelona, Chelsea FC were asked for our observations on the incident as part of the standard Uefa disciplinary procedure.
"In that submission we made a case that the offence of violent conduct was unjustified and that an automatic three-match ban as a result would similarly be unjust.
"There was no appeal against the dismissal itself as the Uefa disciplinary procedures only allow for a retrospective decision on the basis of mistaken identity, or if there was no contact between the two players.
"After our submission, Uefa analysed video footage of the incident and made the decision that the offence did not constitute violent conduct. It was decided that a three-match ban was not applicable."
- credit: BBC Sport -
Wellll ... see it this way ... playing against a 10-man Chelsea from the 37th min and Barca only managed a 1-2 scorelineOriginally posted by Patrik:Even meh? -
We need to beat them 2 - 0 to go through. Tough but not impossible.Originally posted by miss_soojung:Wellll ... see it this way ... playing against a 10-man Chelsea from the 37th min and Barca only managed a 1-2 scoreline
I think we have the hunger to do just that. -
its possible.
3 - 1, 4 - 2 will also do.
chelsea has to attack. its very dangerous though. -
I really hope Barcelona will attack from the start instead of playing for a draw. Then again, if Barcelona score the first goal... then jia lat liao.Originally posted by dragg:its possible.
3 - 1, 4 - 2 will also do.
chelsea has to attack. its very dangerous though. -
the 2nd leg will be about finishing.