Italian champions Inter Milan take on German champions Bayern Munich in today's UEFA Champions League final in Madrid (2:45pm, FOX).
Jose Mourinho will look to win his second Champions League title and go out as Inter manager in grand style (assuming the rumors are true about him joining Real Madrid). Bayern Munich will look to keep it's high-powered offense rolling as it tries to knock off the favored Italians (not that there are any Italians in Inter's starting lineup).
If you will be watching today's final, please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below (I'm driving back from Princeton and may start up a live commentary if I can get back in time, so look out for that). Also look for SBI Twitter updates on the match.
Enjoy the action.
What he said.
And if Fox was really concerned with the casual fan, they’d have put their own commentators on and dumbed it down rather than using the feed with Tyler and Gray.
Love him, Hate him, Love to hate him – The Special One is atop the soccer world again
I don’t think so… Del Bosque was fired after winning, the german dude was fired after winning… not CL mind you.
I want to see Mournho actually coach a team who isn’t the richest in the league.
The problem with educating the casual fan is that it’s off-putting to everyone else who knows the game already. So it’s a rather dicey line to walk.
Also, Bretos is now with ESPN.
not even Brazil plays the beautiful game any more. more important to win. new Sports Illustrated has an interesting article on this.
Is it more important to play beautiful soccer or win trophies?
Play beautiful and lose in the semi-finals or take second place in the league gets managers fired. Play ugly and win a treble makes a manager a hero. Unless the fans change how they respond to those two scenarios Inter’s style will continue to prevail.
Brazil has Dunga as manager. Someone at the Brazilian Federation seems to agree that trophies are more important (no, I’m not saying that Brazil is going to win this year but I would imagine that is the thinking for hiring Dunga as manager). It’s disappointing for the neutral fan since it kills the style of a game but I would guess that if you’re an Inter fan you LOVE Mourinho.
Are there any Inter, Porto or Chelsea fans on this board that don’t smile when they hear “Mourinho”? I’m interested to hear your opinion.
Consider how well Inter has played in the knockout rounds:
Chelsea – 1 goal (over 2 matches)
CSKA – 0 goals (over 2 matches)
Barca – 2 goals (over 2 matches)
Bayern – 0 goals (1 match)
That’s a pretty damned impressive defensive record against some of the best scoring clubs in all of soccer – 3 goals in 7 matches.
And is there any player more suited to a fast counter-attack than C. Ronaldo
“Does Madrid really want this every week if they hire Mourinho?”
You mean does Madrid was a Champions League title? I’d venture to guess “yes”.
You Coach to the talent you possess. Inter is well suited to defense and counter-attack
I can only imagine that Muller is going to dream about that chance at the start of the second half for the rest of his life. It might be more of the nightmare type. A goal there would have changed everything and made this a much more interesting game.
yeah nobody’s taking control though and really there’s nobody else doing what he’s doing. lots of standing around by the others in my opinion and not a lot of precision. big picture i don’t think Robben is there problem at the moment. In fact i think he’s the closest thing they’ve shown to a solution. But they look sloppy at the moment.
Does Madrid really want this every week if they hire Mourinho? Anti football is not the Madrid way.
Didn’t Klose get substituted into the game?
He’s been okay. At least Bayern put in an effort to win. The Bayern defenders were so bored they didn’t know how to defend once it was there chance.
Just wait until the USA sees this tactic from the Algerians and Slovenia.
My two cents…
I don’t understand the concern about the casual fan. Casual fans don’t watch much of anything for very long. Look at super bowl parties. Most of the casual fans don’t really even watch the game. They just eat and drink and are at a party. Sure, advertisers make money off of these fans (because the ads are bigger than the game) but that is only because the league developed a passionate fan base that bring the casual fans to the big events.
If you create a broadcast tailored to casual fans you’re going to talk down to the passionate or sophisticated fan. That will turn those people off and then you’ll never get the casual fans to come in for the big events.
I’m just thrilled that this is on broadcast TV rather than some obscure soccer specific cable/satellite station!
I’m sure that people will disagree with me on this but that is because the people that read this far down the comments of Soccer by Ives are the passionate ones!
Even though it seems to be in a losing effort, I think Muller has been exceptionally active and dangerous for Bayern – by far their best player today. He did miss that one incredible chance to start the second half, though.
Oh look, Pandev off. Less diving in the game now, what a clown.
Horribly boring game – like someone else posted, now I am on the computer.
Inter and Mourihno have brought back the true Italian version of football.
I’m past the point at wringing my hands over whether or not “casual” fans care about a game. There are 60 something games in June and I’m sure there will be plenty of decent games. I doubt many “casual” fans are watching a game on Saturday afternoon in mid-May.
Andy Gray saying “It isn’ quite over.”
Yeah, Andy. It is. Say good night, Gracie.
Van Buyten left picking up his jock strap after that move.
Surely there’s no chance Inter loses this match now.
Van Buyten…smoked.
Van Buyten skinned alive by Milito.
Beautiful move by Milito at the top of the box. I think this one is about done
Oh MY!!! Milito!
Unfortunately, the cycling on versus is more exciting than this. An inauspicious debut for CL on Fox. The casual soccer fan might have tuned out some time ago.
most all the american announcers are crap. just because you’re involved with the national team does not make you a decent commentator. arena, wynalda, harkes, dellacamera, o’sullivan — they all suck.
first time the champions league final is on a major network, and these guys do nothing to educate the casual fan. max bretos is the only fox announcer worth listening to.
Klose? Bayern is desperate
Sooo many blue shirts behind the ball.
Zing! Very nice. I approve.
Robben is going to have to do something a lot more productive if they are going to work him on that right touchline…he ends up holding it forever and ends up creating little or nothing. Bayern is throwing a lot more in attack though and they are making a bit of headway – it’s just a question of whether Inter will punish them with a counter before they can draw even though
That would make Fox a bunch of tossers, then, wouldn’t it?
Good point, and your comment made me chuckle. I just can’t be too hard on a guy who has scored as many incredible goals as he has.
I love how soccer atmosphere is more than just white-noise; that is why I can’t stand the hissing when the opposing team has the ball… ugh.
I would pull Muller and insert Gomez…
not manufactured, but there were two very good scoring chances to start the 2nd half and these announcers barely changed their tone and sounded like nothing interesting happened.
That would have been an awesome way to start the second half!!!
Okay, FOX really needs to work on the toss to and unmute of two guys that aren’t a part of the company’s broadcast. The silence after Menefee’s toss and coming into Tyler’s conversation after he starts is a bit of a nuisance.
SHOULD have been a goal by Muller. Devastating miss.
Arena just performed one of my pet peeves of any American commentator for any pro sport – stating the blindingly obvious.
Q: What does Bayern need to do to be able to win?
A: They need to get back in the game.
Me: No, ya think?
The worst response to “what does team X need to do to win” is when the commentator shows off all that knowledge with, “Well, they need to score goals…”
No, really? You need to score goals to win? Shocking.
I don’t disagree with either of you. I’m just think that Robben find the need to be the focus even when his offense is at full strength. It’s a debatable strategy.
Eric Wynalda is better than John Harkes
pure class game IMO, soccer is more than attack , attack, it’s all about defending and knowing when to attack!!!!
Schweisteiger needs to step it up…
This game has been a snore fest! Ives, looks like the Jersey traffic got ya!
Chivu looks like Carl Spackler
Thanks
considering how midfields i’ve seen in MLS often pass and stand still then lose the ball i can’t begrudge a guy that passes and moves and is looking to play quick one twos and to take players on. Barcelona and Brazil have done it for 40 years so i think he’s alright. I wish we had a few more Americans (and American coaches) with his desire and to take players on with the ball at his feet.
This game is far from over…We have yet to see Gomez…