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Category: Soccer

  • Barcelona – Chelsea and the Must Win Match Factor

    Barcelona host Chelsea in the second leg of their Champions League with Lionel Messi and crew heading into the game in a unfamiliar situation, after losing two straight vital matches, including the Clasico against Real Madrid at home.

  • Robin Van Persie Wins PFA Player of the Year; Meaningless Award?

    Robin Van Persie won the PFA’s Players’ Player of the year for the 2011-2012 season in the Premier League, while Kyle Walker of Tottenham picked up the award for young player of the year, a rarity for a defender. Still, like every year, the date and submission of the votes makes it feel like the second half of the season doesn’t count.

  • Genoa Ultras Stop Match; Demand Players to Take Off Their Shirts

    Genoa fans showed us once again the close and often problematic relations between Ultras groups in Italy and the clubs they support. During their humiliating 1-4 home defeat against Siena, which crucially hurts their relegation battle chances, play was halted midway through the second half as the fans demanded the players take off their shirts.

  • Borussia Dortmund and Emulating Bundesliga Success in the Champions League

    Borussia Dortmund have turned things around in Germany. If last season’s incredible title run was the opening act, winning Bundesliga titles back to back, going undefeated 26 matches to close out the season (not over yet), makes you think of them as potential Champions League winners next season.

  • Guardiola Post-Clasico Behavior Shrouded With Sense of Ending

    Pep Guardiola isn’t the only one to blame for Barcelona’s disappointing appearance in the Clasico, finally giving up their spot in the title race with a 1-2 home defeat to Real Madrid, but he’s definitely culpable for plenty of what didn’t work in a match everyone assumed was going to be one sided.

  • Cristiano Ronaldo Shows Up For the Big Games (Barcelona vs Real Madrid)

    Cristiano Ronaldo wasn’t great, but scored the goal coming against the momentum, probably clinching the title for Real Madrid with an impressive 2-1 win at the Camp Nou. Lionel Messi? He’d like to forget this game. Jose Mourinho and his team were flawless tactically, while Pep Guardiola seemed to concede the match from the first moment with a weird lineup.

  • Petr Cech The Only Player Worth Mentioning (Arsenal vs Chelsea)

    Petr Cech wasn’t that busy, but he kept his good form in another match in which Chelsea didn’t look to interested in winning, not having the fortune of having Drogba to poach a goal. Arsenal had their moments, but in general, it was a very disappointing 0-0 draw in the London derby, with Tottenham and Newcastle enjoying the goalless affair.

  • Barcelona vs Real Madrid – All the Clasico Matches During the Guardiola & Mourinho Era

    Barcelona vs Real Madrid – All the Clasico Matches During the Guardiola & Mourinho Era

    Barcelona probably made one of their best decisions in the club’s history when Pep Guardiola became their head coach in 2008. Jose Mourinho with Real Madrid? We’ll know in a few weeks, maybe even sooner. Guardiola has presided over 14 Clasico matches, losing only once, winning 9 of them. Mourinho has one only one of his ten Claisco encounters.

  • Barcelona vs Real Madrid – The Champions League Sandwich Clasico

    Lionel Messi didn’t score against Chelsea. Cristiano Ronaldo didn’t score against Bayern. Incredible. Even more incredible? Both teams, Barcelona and Real Madrid, will be heading into the Clasico after defeats. Not league defeats, don’t be funny. Champions League. Still, it adds another dimension of pressure and urgency to the match. Especially for Barca.

  • Didier Drogba Lives To Score in Big Games (Chelsea vs Barcelona)

    Didier Drogba isn’t having one of his best season. In fact, it’s probably his worst since he began his Chelsea career. But all that didn’t matter. Great players have short memories. Great players rise to the occasion. Didier Drogba scored two minutes into injury time of the first half, giving Chelsea a lucky 1-0 win over Barcelona in the Champions League Semi Final.