[EU] Champions League 2008/2009 (38 Viewers)

[swag]

Chelsea came in with a gameplan and executed it

Which is precisely why I feel their gameplan was the root of their failure.

Could you imagine the sort of outcome that would have happened if, like most teams entering a CL elimination tie, Chelsea was only able to execute on a fraction of their gameplan? Talk about maximizing your probability of failure -- you nail your gameplan and you still go home the loser.

 

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[David01]

when Barca were down to ten Chelsea had no reason to camp in their penalty area anymore
possible ref errors aside Chelsea were at fault here and so was Hiddink

 

[Bisco]

when Barca were down to ten Chelsea had no reason to camp in their penalty area anymore
possible ref errors aside Chelsea were at fault here and so was Hiddink

there is some truth in that. i think chelsea paid the price of not finishing this game off when they had the chance by a second and a very possible third goal thats how owned barca was!!! and they paid the price for wasting there chances. this and the fact they have been robbed clearly has caused this tie to end the way it ended last night. luck too was on barca's side and thats part of footie but yesterday just proved that the best team over two legs is'nt always the winner of the final out come.

 

[only-juve]

I guess the best two teams in europe made it to the final. Not a fan of neither of them but for a Neutral fan it would be interesting to watch the final this year....

 

[David01]

it looks like an interesting final but I fear that ManU will play like Chelsea did
they contained Barca and almost were succesful
don't care who wins but as a neutral I'm just hoping for some good football

 

[Salvo]

pep guardiola said he will attack and im sure we will see it, i hope for free flowing football.

 

[David01]

it takes two to tango

 

[Salvo]

it takes two to tango

thats the problem.

 

[Juventino★★★]

I guess the best two teams in europe made it to the final. Not a fan of neither of them but for a Neutral fan it would be interesting to watch the final this year....

thats true, i didnt want to see barca losing this match because they were the better side who wanted to play their beautiful football but chelsea was just trying to stop them and wait for barca defenders to make errors to punish them.

good luck to barca in the final and i hope they win the CL not because i support them because they play the most beautiful football.

 

[Alen]

Which is precisely why I feel their gameplan was the root of their failure.

Could you imagine the sort of outcome that would have happened if, like most teams entering a CL elimination tie, Chelsea was only able to execute on a fraction of their gameplan? Talk about maximizing your probability of failure -- you nail your gameplan and you still go home the loser.

Nah, i believe that Chelsea would have lost the tie at Nou Camp already if they didn't play the way they played.
It's not like the Chelsea we've seen against Barca is the usual Chelsea we see all the time when they play against big teams. I mean, they came to the semis with a 3:1 and 4:4 in the quarters. Just before that they played an exciting 2:2 with us.
You simply can't leave space to Barcelona to play their game and you certainly don't rush forward against them leaving the back 4 exposed against Messi, Iniesta, Xavi, Henry and Eto'o.

Hiddink had two options: Certain failure if he plays open football vs chance of failure if much more attention is paid to defense than to attack.

His only mistake was replacing Drogba. Chelsea were smartly playing the counters in the last 25 minutes and they found themselves in many positions to kill the game off (it's not true that Chelsea only parked the bus in front of their goal when they had a man advantage. No, when Barca were reduced to 10 men Chelsea started putting strong presure in midfield already and they stole many balls there which resulted with counters). Had Drogba been there, it could have been different.

It was a perfect gameplan, perfectly executed for 180 minutes, and it was going to be an easy win for Chelsea if the attackers didn't betray the team.....and if the referee was fair.

 

[Salvo]

why was that referee chosen? i mean whos decision was that?

he was the idiot who fucked italy over against romania.

 

[Alen]

why was that referee chosen? i mean whos decision was that?

he was the idiot who fucked italy over against romania.

"He was chosen to referee at Euro 2008 - his first major tournament and the first time he was chosen over fellow countryman and colleague Terje Hauge. He refereed the Germany - Poland match on the opening day of Group B. He refereed the Italy - Romania match which resulted in a 1-1 draw. The Italian Football Federation later demanded an apology from UEFA after Luca Toni’s goal was incorrectly ruled out for offside in the Italy - Romania match that Øvrebø refereed.[2] There was also criticism of the official for a penalty shot given to Romania and a yellow card to Daniele De Rossi at the ending moments of the game. Afterwards, Øvrebø admitted he had made a mistake during the game.[3] Øvrebø was not assigned any more matches to referee at Euro 2008.[4]."

From wikipedia

 

[sateeh]

Nah, i believe that Chelsea would have lost the tie at Nou Camp already if they didn't play the way they played.
It's not like the Chelsea we've seen against Barca is the usual Chelsea we see all the time when they play against big teams. I mean, they came to the semis with a 3:1 and 4:4 in the quarters. Just before that they played an exciting 2:2 with us.
You simply can't leave space to Barcelona to play their game and you certainly don't rush forward against them leaving the back 4 exposed against Messi, Iniesta, Xavi, Henry and Eto'o.

Hiddink had two options: Certain failure if he plays open football vs chance of failure if much more attention is paid to defense than to attack.

His only mistake was replacing Drogba. Chelsea were smartly playing the counters in the last 25 minutes and they found themselves in many positions to kill the game off (it's not true that Chelsea only parked the bus in front of their goal when they had a man advantage. No, when Barca were reduced to 10 men Chelsea started putting strong presure in midfield already and they stole many balls there which resulted with counters). Had Drogba been there, it could have been different.

It was a perfect gameplan, perfectly executed for 180 minutes, and it was going to be an easy win for Chelsea if the attackers didn't betray the team.....and if the referee was fair.

Hes the one who missed the easiest chance of the game. And he was visibly injured, Hiddink's only mistake was that he brought on a defensive player rather kalou for example.

However, you if you don't fault him for the way he played in the camp nou then certainly you can't for doing the same a week later against ten men.

Anyway, i don't why many people are worked up about Chelsea kicked out. They're the ones who kicked us out!

 

[Alen]

Anyway, i don't why many people are worked up about Chelsea kicked out. They're the ones who kicked us out!

I think it has more to do with Barcelona proceding than with Chelsea being kicked out. :smile:

And what beautiful football are people talking about here when they celebrate Barca going to the final? Did any of you see beautiful football by Barca in the last 2 legs? They bore everybody to death. I've seen them passing in midfield, raping the ball, panicking in defense and nothing else.
What was so beautiful about it? Chelsea at least managed to get inside Barca's box and create something. Actually, Chelsea were the more creative team when you think about it. They created more chances against Barcelona, they gave us a spectacle against Liverpool. They are a more exciting team to watch than those joga bonito wannabees that almost made me asleep last night with their endless useless midfield passes.

Oh, and Cristiano Ronaldo > Messi. The former scores in the finals and semis, wins you matches, while Messi chokes hard come the semis.

 

[David01]

I don't mind them going out
I think that with all the money that team cost Abramovic we could and should be asking for more then the coward football they played last night
at Nou Camp I can understand they play like that but at home and eventually against 10 men?
pretty pathetic if you ask me
Hiddink made a mistake subbing Drogba for Belleti
and extra defender while they were already under pressure
a fast forward would have finished Barca off but now we will never know

 

[Alex-444]

 

[Alen]

Belletti played as pure winger last night. The sub was striker for winger. Barca were missing a defender on the left so Hiddink probably tried to use that space. Belletti was always on the right side of Chelsea's attack when you think about it.

 

[David01]

funny

 

[David01]

Belletti played as pure winger last night. The sub was striker for winger. Barca were missing a defender on the left so Hiddink probably tried to use that space. Belletti was always on the right side of Chelsea's attack when you think about it.

a pure winger?
Chelsea were camping in their own penalty box with a lone striker up front
first Drogba and later Anelka who started on the flank first half
so Belleti moved to Anelka's position when Drogba came off
if you want to call that a winger, fine by me but when you play with 10 behind the ball I don' t believe you can talk about wingers

 

[only-juve]

Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink said last night’s referee was the worst he’d ever seen. But, asks Giancarlo Rinaldi, what about Byron Moreno?

The summer of 2002 is one I don't recall with any pleasure. I had to get time off work to get out of the office to watch the Azzurri clash with South Korea in the World Cup. I remember wishing I hadn't bothered.

And yet all the memories have come flooding back to me following Chelsea's elimination from the Champions League. The same finger-pointing at the referee, the same conspiracy theories, the same bitter recriminations. Except it has all been turned upside down.

Let us recall what Italy fans were told after they lost out in the Far East. "Get over it," was the main message. "You didn't take your chances - so don't blame the referee. You are just making excuses."

Well, Blues of Stamford Bridge, how about taking that advice?

How many times have I seen an Italian team which based its game on stout defence and great organisation go out to a late goal? We are usually told it serves us right. So why does the same not hold true for an English club side?

The conspiracy theory about UEFA not wanting an all-English Final is laughable. Magnificent as the match referee was, how could he have foreseen Iniesta's late, late thunderbolt? Without that, remember, Chelsea were heading to Rome. And how does the ludicrous red card for a Barca player fit into the theory anyway?

Of course, those of us long enough in the tooth to remember South Korea will recall who was sitting on the opposition bench that day. Yes, it was Mr Hiddink. So when he says the referee on Wednesday night was the worst he has ever seen it is hard not to think he might have a slightly selective memory.

Byron Moreno was streets ahead of Tommy Ovrebo in the controversial decision department. He managed to send a man off when he should have got a penalty. Now imagine if that had happened to Didier Drogba...

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