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Champions League: Running Commentary

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The quarterfinal stage of the UEFA Champions League is set to kick off at 2:45pm today as Manchester United travels to Italy to face Roma while struggling FC Barcelona makes its way to Gelsenkirchen, Germany to take on Schalke 04.

Both games are on ESPN today, though Manchester United-Roma will be the ESPN2 match shown to most audiences (Barca-Schalke is on ESPN Deportes). If you will be watching either, or both, games, and will be around your computer please feel free to follow the action here. Share your thoughts, reactions, and even your play by play in the comments section below. I know some folks are stuck at work with no way to follow the match so let’s try to help those unfortunately souls out.

I am planning to do a running commentary today, though the business side of SBI has kept me pretty busy today (along with going through the writing samples for the potential SBI writing candidates). That aside, I’ll be around to share some of the action.

Enjoy the action.

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FINAL– Manchester United 2, Roma 0. Man U with two away goals heading back home. Roma needs a 2-0 win to force overtime in Old Trafford next week or three-goal win to win outright. Um, check please.

Thanks to those of you who participated in today’s commentary.

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84th minute- Teves in for Rooney.

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80th minute– Carlos Tevez is warming up. How crazy is it that Man U can bring a completely healthy Tevez off the bench in the 80th minute. Unreal.

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79th minute– Roma doesn’t look like it has any answers here. Something needs to happen because if Roma doesn’t pull a goal back the series will basically be over.

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72nd minute– Carrick misses wide right with a wide-open look.

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68th minute– Ronaldo grazes the post with a shot. Man U is cruising.

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66th minute- GOAL MANCHESTER UNITED!!! Wayne Rooney pounces on a Roma defensive error after Park Ji Sung heads a ball into the area. Manchester United 2, Roma 0.

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64th minute– Roma piling on the pressure and that Van Der Sar save was amazing. Vucinic with a sharp header and Van Der Sar goes on the full stretch to make the one-handed stop.

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62nd minute- SAVE Van Der Sar. WOW.

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60th minute- Guily pays instant dividends with a nice run on the right flank. The little guy is dangerous.

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59th minute– Guily for Taddei for Roma, should help give Roma a bit more effective possession.

Hargreaves came on for Anderson a few minutes ago.

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52nd minute– Panucci squanders an open look. Roma is missing some great chances.

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50th minute– WOW, Max Tonetto gets a great look but blasts it just wide left. Roma came VERY close there.

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46th minute– And we’re back.

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HALFTIME– Man U 1, Roma 0. And yes, that was Wayne Rooney speaking to Daniele De Rossi. Rooney, "Hey, you really think I’m one of the three best players in the world?" DeRossi, in Italian, "What?"

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40th minute– Great cross by Paul Scholes and perfect streaking header for Man U, which scores a crucial away goal. That’s 10 goals in 11 Champions League games for Ronaldo for those of you scoring at home. WOW.

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39th minute- GOAL MANCHESTER UNITED!!! And yes, it’s CRISTIANO RONALDO. He CANNOT be stopped.

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34th minute- John O’Shea comes on for Vidic.

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31st minute– Vidic is trying hard to stay in the game but his injury looks suspect. You know it’s serious if Vidic can’t go on anymore. I think he’d go out there with a bone sticking out of his leg.

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30th minute– Nemanja Vidic with a knee injury. If he comes out Man U is in trouble. Particularly given how shaky Rio Ferdinand has looked today.

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24th minute– Considering this is the same referee who gave Marco Materazzi a totally undeserved red card in Inter Milan’s Champions League loss to Liverpool I have a feeling the ref will keep the cards in his pocket today.

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23rd minute– It is a little weird to see Man u play this way, sitting back and letting Roma keep possession. This going to cost them if they don’t chance things up.

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16th minute- Roma is turning up the heat and it almost looks like Man U is content to sit back and knock the ball around. Not a lot of urgency from the visitors.

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12th minute– South Korean international and hero to U.S. national team fans Park Ji Sung with the surprise start today. I’m still trying to figure that one out, but you can’t really argue with Sir Alex Ferguson. Okay, maybe you can.

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9th minute– Roma with some good possession but finding chances won’t be easy against an in-form Man U defense.

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7th minute– Apologies for the late start. I was talking to Kansas City head coach Curt Onalfo.

Comments

  1. God, how about Bojan. What a stud! I’m 18, older than him, and can’t imagine playing against, much less scoring against one of the best teams in Europe at the age of 17. Amazing!

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  2. eric: yeah, but they are both pure strikers and targets (well ronaldo made a nice living poaching) considering the fact that cronaldo is a middie, and also feeding two world class strikers in their own right, this is a classic run out. His two strikers have combined for 25 goals as well in that span, while I don’t have his assist numbers handy, it must be at least fifteen. This season must rank with the alltime great seasons of all time. in any sport, in any league. This must have been like watching pele, but against better competition. (he’s not in the pantheon yet, but he’s what, 20? He keeps this up for five or so years he will be) manu games are dreadful much of the time, since they are so good, but taking the chance to see an all time great have his coming out party? That’s always worth it.

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  3. ADG –

    For pure goal scoring, guys like the “other” Ronaldo – El Phenomenon – (47 goals in 49 games but no CL) and Ruud Van Nistelrooy (44 goals/52 games including 12 in 10 CL) have had similar runs.

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  4. Carrick almost scores after a pretty buildup from left side. Shot just goes wide. Sir Alex looks smart for putting in Park. Park back passes as much as EJ, but has made a couple of neat feeds for scoring chances.

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  5. Watching the replay of Ronaldo’s goal. He ran into the box all the way from midfield to get his head on the ball. Like a freight train that jumps. wow. There was really nothing that could stop that.

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  6. Just before half, Pizarro booked for taking down CRonaldo. Don’t blame him. CRo was taunting him with the ball.

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  7. THe commentators are peeing their pants about Ronaldo. hahaha. “He’s so brave, too!” to go up for the header.

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  8. I’ll freely admit that I have only been able to follow European soccer for the last few years, but I’ll throw it out there regardless…Is C.Ron having one of the best runs of form all-time? I’m sure there have been equals, but has there been anything that has topped his last year+ ?

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  9. Ronaldo with a header to put Man U in the lead. He probably just got the wind knocked out of him on the fall, but for a moment I actually wondered if he stayed down because he ran out of ways to celebrate goals this season.

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  10. He went way up into space and then came down back to earth. Maybe got the wind knocked out. He’s back up and running now.

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  11. “Apologies for the late start. I was talking to Kansas City head coach Curt Onalfo.” My bad, big dawg. lol… So whats the inside scoop? Anything new? What did he say? Feel free to share with us.

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  12. But 1-0 or even 2-0 leads haven’t bode well for Barca all season. They’ll need at least 3 to make sure they earn a win tonight.

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  13. 11th min. — Henry sent through into the box, his one-timer bounces off the GK’s chest and right to Henry who takes another one-touch. This time across the face of goal where Bojan was running far post. Bojan slides and earns the open goal. Barca, 1-0.

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  14. Barca with a great chance. Iniesta was sent through by a great pass from Xavi (or maybe it was vice versa) but Schalke’s GK came out and stopped the chance after Iniesta’s first touch. The ball popped to Bojan, who was looking for a foul after two defenders collided into him in the penalty area.

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  15. Marquez has been injured for over a month. This is his first appearance since then and understandably Rijkaard decided not to start him. He should come in as a sub later though. On a side not, Barca has lost only one game this season including the Champions when Marquez starts. Talk about underrated.

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  16. These matches should be great. I feel for my Barca, though.

    I should be here for at least the next hour. The Champions League…the greatest invention since films with Jessica Alba.

    Reply

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