2011-12 European football thread

[Billy B]

Wow, Bayern had so many chances but Chelsea had the right mix of skill and luck to somehow come away with the victory. And back to Europa for Spurs, really disappointing.

[cornettored]

I wouldn't have been happy regardless of who won, but at least the European Cup isn't in the cabinet at Allianz yet.

[crashcarson15]

And there have now been five English sides to lift the European Champion Clubs' Cup. Congratulations to Chelsea. They really were a team of destiny this year.

[waltere]

So a team who got outshot something like 120-25 since the start of the semi final won? Has the ing trap hit soccer now?

Major, major injustice done for Spurs tonight. They should get Champions League regardless and just bung Chelsea somewhere in the early qualifiers, like they did when Liverpool won a few years ago. Totally unfair to have a team be playing for CL football all season, deserve it & then get screwed out because a worse team got lucky as hell in a cup run.

[NEW.ERA]

Arjen feels like crap. I hope he brings that anger and emotion come June 9th.

[TFoA]

"#6 in the Premier League, #1 in the Champions League!"

Congratulations to Chelsea. After watching that match, the only way that you can explain it without saying "Bayern choked" was that Chelsea was a team of destiny. The Blues just never seem to give up, and it paid off beautifully for them as they're lifting the Cup as I type. Great story, and it's even better when you take into consideration the craziness that occurred in the Premier League last Sunday. Awesome time to be a fan of English football right now.

Also, condolences to any Spurs fans who might be reading this. I'm sure that losing a spot in the Champions League in that fashion had to have been agonizing. Not as bad as actually losing in the manner that Bayern Munich did, but painful nonetheless.

[sportstar1212]

Arjen feels like crap. I hope he brings that anger and emotion come June 9th.

And I hope the Germans on Bayern will do the same.

[NEW.ERA]

Arjen feels like crap. I hope he brings that anger and emotion come June 9th.

And I hope the Germans on Bayern will do the same.

Yeah, you guys will definitely have the emotion on your side. Lahm, Bastian, Muller, goes on.

[dfwabel]

Roberto Di Matteo channeled his inner Steve Fisher to win two trophies.

[crashcarson15]

Think Bayern's regretting taking Müller off after that goal?

[NEW.ERA]

Wonder why Robben wasn't given another chance at in Penalties?

Would have really sucked if Neuer missed.

[Seadragon76]

I guess Chelsea's win today is the literal example of 'every dog has his day' because with the win, they get a free ride to the Group Stage for next season's Champions League (which, BTW, begins on July 3rd. No rest for the soccer weary in Europe, you know)

[mattwswfc]

Well you don't see that very often, English beating Germans on penalties! Extremely happy for Chelsea, keep the England flag flying and all that!

Hard lines to any Spurs fans, just seemed that all that hard work this year was for nothing, I'm sure you'll come back strong next year.

Sheffield is Blue, Manchester is Blue and now Europe is Blue!

All in all a great season! (anyway only 10 more weeks and the beautiful game, that we dearly love, starts all over again)

[GFB]

Wonder why Robben wasn't given another chance at in Penalties?

Would have really sucked if Neuer missed.

I'm thinking he wanted no part of a second penalty. You could tell he was visibly shaken after he missed that first one. It's a shame to have such a great player completely self-destruct under the pressure.

Also, what the heck was that 4th Bayern shooter (Olic?) thinking with his straight run up on his penalty? I'm watching thinking, "You have to be kidding me... He's gonna miss this." The problem with the straight run up is that you have to alter your path to the ball depending upon which side you are going to shoot at, thus telegraphing to the goalie where you are going to go prematurely. On the normal 45 degree approach, you can hide your intended direction up until you set your plant foot down... too late for a keeper to do anything without diving on pure intuition.

I was never a fan of the David Luiz 20 yard sprint and smash technique during my playing days either. Most of my penalties looked like Schweinsteiger's last penalty: composed and passing the ball to a lower-corner with perhaps a slight studder-step thrown in on the run up.

[mattwswfc]

So a team who got outshot something like 120-25 since the start of the semi final won? Has the ing trap hit soccer now?

Major, major injustice done for Spurs tonight. They should get Champions League regardless and just bung Chelsea somewhere in the early qualifiers, like they did when Liverpool won a few years ago. Totally unfair to have a team be playing for CL football all season, deserve it & then get screwed out because a worse team got lucky as hell in a cup run.

There is a little saying we like to say over in England.

'That's football for you, and that's why we love it'

You could really say that both teams got there on luck, beating arguably the 2 best teams in the world. Bayern beating RM on penalties (which in my eyes is a lottery) and Chelsea catching Barcelona on a bad day, twice!

I've always said that England should have more European places. In no other country would a 6th place team make it to the CL final, let alone win it!

[Eye]

Wonder why Robben wasn't given another chance at in Penalties?

Would have really sucked if Neuer missed.

I'm thinking he wanted no part of a second penalty. You could tell he was visibly shaken after he missed that first one. It's a shame to have such a great player completely self-destruct under the pressure.

Also, what the heck was that 4th Bayern shooter (Olic?) thinking with his straight run up on his penalty? I'm watching thinking, "You have to be kidding me... He's gonna miss this." The problem with the straight run up is that you have to alter your path to the ball depending upon which side you are going to shoot at, thus telegraphing to the goalie where you are going to go prematurely. On the normal 45 degree approach, you can hide your intended direction up until you set your plant foot down... too late for a keeper to do anything without diving on pure intuition.

I was never a fan of the David Luiz 20 yard sprint and smash technique during my playing days either. Most of my penalties looked like Schweinsteiger's last penalty: composed and passing the ball to a lower-corner with perhaps a slight studder-step thrown in on the run up.

I guess, but to me, you have to find a way to keep going (if Robben turns out to not have wanted to take another PK, which I am unable to confirm), Asamoah Gyan did.

Also, Cech guessed right on every PK in the game; his reads were fantastic. Didn't surprise me that he made at least one save in the shootout.

As for Luiz, perhaps he learned from an earlier PK he took this season (against Genk), and missed.

[ElwoodCuse]

Well, I can't say I'm happy with the result but what a game. This is why soccer is the greatest sport in the world.

The Stanley Cup isn't decided on a shootout ergo, it's better

[Saintsfan]

Wonder why Robben wasn't given another chance at in Penalties?

Would have really sucked if Neuer missed.

Robben didn't take a kick in the shootout in the semi either.

[GFB]

Well, I can't say I'm happy with the result but what a game. This is why soccer is the greatest sport in the world.

The Stanley Cup isn't decided on a shootout ergo, it's better

I'm a hockey fan, but GTFO. The score was tied after 120 minutes, the equivalent of a 3OT hockey game. And that's without substitutions. Imagine a 3OT hockey game without line changes. So without fundamentally changing the rules of the game, you're pushing these athletes to their physical limit. Are penalties ideal? No. But are they necessary? Probably.

[rams80]

So what is it going to take for UEFA to suggest that maybe Italy take international play off for awhile until they stop, like, rigging games?