...::[The Footy Desk]::... (Part 2)

[TheSantader25]

PSG without their usual star filled line up seem more dangerous this year somehow. it's like they finally have become a team. Liverpool have been arguably the best team of this season in europe but PSG were much better in the first leg and deserved to win the whole tie in the end in my opinion. They will be a force to be reckoned with and are a serious contender now. It's sucks that these two teams had to face each other this early though. It could have easily been us so I'm glad it wasn't lol.

[smokeless6]

It was a difficult draw, the worst reward for the best record in the group stage. PSG were the better side over both legs and deserved to go through.

 

Liverpool players ran their socks off and I can have no complaints. Congrats to PSG.

[Jason]

It's the first decent looking PSG team in years, and it's no coincidence it finally happened when they no longer had any of Mbappe, Neymar and Messi. Those three obviously are among the best around, Messi the best ever, but the club, the players behind them, were not suited to playing w/ those sorts of players in the team. I think they could use a good striker based on the two legs but overall they look a much stronger team, and they deserved it over the two legs.

 

Donnarumma continues to be a beast at penalty shootouts too lol.

[TheSantader25]

I didn't see a second touch on that penalty. No team other than Madrid gets these unclear calls in their favour yet they cry about refs weekly. 16th one incoming. 

 

Poor atleti getting knocked out 5 times in 10 years by this team.

 

Edited March 12 by TheSantader25

[Eutyphro]

Atleti is by definition unable to defeat Real. That's pretty much the way the cosmos is ordered.

 

Too bad Pool lost, but I was not completely surprised to see them struggle more against a team playing a more tactical and less physical style than they are used to.

[TonyRyodan]

15 hours ago, TheSantader25 said:

I didn't see a second touch on that penalty. No team other than Madrid gets these unclear calls in their favour yet they cry about refs weekly. 16th one incoming. 

 

Poor atleti getting knocked out 5 times in 10 years by this team.

 

If im not mistaken the ball automatically acusses when there is a second touch so... yeah the detail is sad and what a bad lucky right? 

 

But I dont think was a conspiracy for Real Madrid to win the game or so. 

On 3/12/2025 at 9:12 AM, Jason said:

Neymar

Neymar is the main cause, I guarantee

 

One of the most unprofessional players I've seen in my life

[TonyRyodan]

Nobody talking about Carlo's decision to get Vini out before penalties, very good decision! He was out of the game since he lost the penalty and the crowd calling him monkey and balloons dor wont helped him to relax

[Jason]

Apparently the automated offside tech detected the extra touch on the penalty. I'd like to see the evidence, the TV cameras don't have the frame rate to really tell.

[smokeless6]

That was a good football match.

 

I was surprised by Ancelloti's comments afterward when talking abut the fifth penalty. He said it was down to Endrick or Rudiger and once he saw Endrick's face he knew it had to be Rudiger!

 

Fair enough, but saying so in public is doing Endrick no favours. He was going to have Endrick take it but dude was melting.

[TheSantader25]

2 hours ago, TonyRyodan said:

 

 

But I dont think was a conspiracy for Real Madrid to win the game or so. 

 

So far none of the angles confirm this. But even if there was the slightest of touches involved, i bet none of the other 35 teams in the competition other than Madrid would get a call like this in their favour in an intense close match like this.

Edited March 13 by TheSantader25

[Jason]

A double touch is a double touch. It's a black and white rule.

[TonyRyodan]

1 hour ago, smokeless6 said:

Fair enough, but saying so in public is doing Endrick no favours. He was going to have Endrick take it but dude was melting.

Same thought here... He is 18 yo and saying that in public is unexpected, especially because Carlo usually is very good with the youngers. Maybe this is a hint to let him go to other club?

 

Anyway here is Brazil media says Endrick has no friends in the national and that the coach is boycotting him.

[smokeless6]

Yes, maybe there is something to read between the lines. Ancelotti's usually quite protective of his players in public comments, which is why I found it so surprising and mentioned it here. And especially so for a player so young, and one who obviously is feeling the pressure. This is not the way to ease that, so yeah, maybe more in it.

[smokeless6]

And while we are on the subject, I've watched the replay many times. I have no love for Madrid, the non-Atletico one, and I think Alvarez did touch the ball with both feet. Unfortunate, but the rule is clear. I think it was the right call, even if I wanted it to go the other way.

 

It's funny but I could only get this game in Spanish and I had no idea what all the fuss was about, and then later I saw their second penalty was a 'miss' and I'm thinking what the fook man? Only this morning did I learn what was going on.

[TheSantader25]

I'd like to feel sorry for atleti. They've had a hell of a week but... no.

f*ck them for being the scared little pussies that they are. Get f*cked bitches.

[Jason]

I know Newcastle are a state owned club but it is nice to see clubs outside the traditional top 4/6 win a trophy. Same for West Ham a few years back in Europe, I'd like to see Villa get one too. Well deserved win for the Toon as well, Liverpool weren't up for it, maybe tired legs from PSG midweek but you can't use that as a great excuse for a final tbh. Newcastle's midfield are fantastic, Joelinton, Bruno and Tonali has tons of quality and legs. Be tough keeping all three this summer, Isak as well.

 

As for Barca... all this talk in England about Salah winning the Ballon d'Or and all that... Raphinha's having a hell of a season too.

[TheSantader25]

Salah will not win it after that CL exit. Now it's between Mbappe, Kane and Raphinha 

Edit: and f*cking dembele lol.

Edited March 17 by TheSantader25

[smokeless6]

Dembele has like 25 goals this year. And I don't mean since August. That's in 2025 alone. He's been amazing.

 

Yeah, too bad Liverpool came up short, again. It would have been nice to see Slot open his account, but we got this one last year and for me, and many Liverpool supporters, it's the league that matters this year. Good thing, because that's all that's left!

 

Congrats to Newcastle, I know the Toon army is over the moon today, and frankly they deserve it. Newcastle the club have had a pragmatic approach since the oil-soaked cash arrived, not the sort of management I expected. But I'm impressed with how they've gone about things, and this is the reward. Well done.

[Jason]

Yea the English media is showing their arse again. Mbappe, Raphinha, Dembele and Kane are all having great seasons, all are in a title race, and all are still in the CL. Salah's having an unbelievable season but numbers wise he's not in a league of his own.

[TonyRyodan]

Dorival sucks.

Raphinha and Vini saved Brazil in the last minute but I would say that Colombia dominated most of the game, playing very aggressively with many fouls. Rodrygo was nullified by the defenders and the feeling that Dorival gives me is that he simply says: "Go out there and win, please." There is no tactic and the players often seem lost.

But what caught my attention the most was the goalkeeper Alisson. I know that he had good games at Liverpool, but yesterday he seemed very, very scared, he made several mistakes and seemed like he wanted to cry at times. I have no idea what is going on with him in the national team...

[TheSantader25]

Brazil are always held back by choosing sh*tty coaches. They have good players and can actually be a contender for the next world cup but not if they continue with these types of coaches like the past 20 years.

[TonyRyodan]

Dorival really, really sucks.

 

This is the worst defeat of the national team to Argentina since 1964 and the first game since the 7 x 1 that Brazil lost by a difference of 3 goals.

 

Im going to sleep now, and tomorrow I want to wake up and see news about Dorival leaving.

Edited March 26 by TonyRyodan

[smokeless6]

That had to painful to suffer through, my condolences mate.

 

And it's not like Brazil were just stymied by a hot keeper, or bad officiating, or anything else you could hang your hat on. Brazil were rotten, created nothing, and deserved to lose. I know that the 7-1 to Germany was the nadir for many, but this was probably worse.

[TonyRyodan]

Dorival is out

 

[smokeless6]

He was a dead man walking after that display

[TheSantader25]

One of my biggest complaints about modern footballers is that there is not a single decent freekick taker among them. this is why i'm f*cking absolutely surprised that Declan f*cking Rice has scored TWO beautiful consecutive freekicks against Real Madrid.

We have to get past Dortmund obviously but among all the teams, Inter scares me the most. Their style of play might be out kryptonite this season. I think they will be the toughest match up for Flick's system.

 

[Ehrmantraut]

Real Madrid should not be getting manhandled by Arsenal and Barcelona with the players they have.

Edited April 8 by Ehrmantraut

[Jason]

Not gonna lie, I expected Arsenal to sh*t the bed tonight. They did not. Comfortably the best team with three great goals.

 

Madrid just look like a team without any idea what they're meant to do other than counter attack, which they didn't do well except for one Mbappe chance in the first half.

[Eutyphro]

Without Kroos in midfield and Modric nearing 40 Madrid lack something in midfield. They are overrated.

[Jason]

It doesn't help their best midfielder keeps having to play right back lol.