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.