upper90 footie sweep-up

sweeper: a more versatile type of centre back who "sweeps up" the ball when the defensive line is breached. His or her position is more fluid than other defenders who man-mark their designated opponents.

Apologies for not posting all week, other creative stuff bubbled up to occupy my writing time, and I will do 20 laps and 200 pushups to make it up to you (my wearing a dress for halloween has NOTHING to do with my sudden spurt of arm exercises!)

I know you’re sitting there looking forlorn, soccer crack pipe empty, but here i come to sweep up my breach of writing duties with a super fantastic fun sexy soccer post!

Before we get started, a video of a 95 yard college goal, courtesy of Nish K.

AND HERE WE GO! CHAMPIONS LEAGUE UPDATE!!!

cue the melodramatic music, maestro!

I never gave the UEFA Champions League a proper intro (outside from a mention in one of my first post monstrosities), but it is one of the coolest competitions in all of sports. Here is the full scoop, the abridged version is that the UEFA CL is a 32 team league that you have to win or finish in the top 2-4 of your domestic league to qualify for.  ”UEFA” is the abbreviation for the European soccer association, which is where most of the top top club soccer is played.

Teams come from all over Europe:  Powerhouses from England, Spain, Germany and Italy match up against each other and unknowns from Turkey and the Ukraine alike, so a range of playing styles and playing quality are on display. Fans get to see whether the big money players and teams are actually that much better (they usually are, but upsets happen), and international bragging rights are up for grabs.

So teams play HARD for the Champions League. This is one of soccer’s most elite competitions, where reputations get made and broken. National, local, personal and club pride are alllll on the line when the guys walk out onto the field with the operatic CL theme song swelling.

The matchups are unlikely and interesting.

The English attack versus Italian defense, Spanish possession soccer vs. German pressure and physicality, Eastern European grit (and weather!) versus tactical Dutch teams. Corporate giants versus local traditions, big money players and coaches against their old teams…it’s a veritable sushi buffet of delights for the soccer junkie!

The tournament is a similar format to the world cup: first is the group stage, with the 32 teams broken into 8 groups, 4 teams each. Teams play the other 3 teams in their group home and away, and the top 2 finishers from each group enter the knockout/tournament round (after the winter break).

CL games are usually played every 2-3 weeks on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (weekends reserved for standard league play), with games featuring the bigger name teams broadcast on Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports Espanol.

This week, praise the lord/buddha/universe/profoundly insane homeless lady around the corner,  we had a round of CL games! The 2 main highlights:

BARCELONA UPSET BY RUSSIAN CHAMPS! The world’s #1 club team took their first loss of the season, 2-1, at home to Rubin Kazan, from Kazan, Russia. It’s my fault for not watching and beaming over good vibes. It’s surprising, but less so when you consider Barca’s roster is full of guys who had just traveled to play World Cup Qualifiers with their national teams. Some fatigue and loss of focus is inevitable…plus Kazan just came to play! (German) HIGHLIGHTS! check out Ibrahimovic’s goal for Barca at 3:40: dude is 6’5″ with the skills of a much shorter guy.

But all was forgotten by Barca fans, when on the next day AC MILAN COMES FROM BEHIND TO BEAT REAL MADRID AT HOME AT THE BERNABEAU! Sick sick game. This one I watched on DVR with Lead Foot Foster and it was a TREAT!

Milan recovered from a boneheaded play by Brazilian keeper Dida (1:25 on the highlights) to tie the score at 1-1 behind the GOAL OF THE WEEK from Italian midfielder Andrea Pirlo (2:25, wraps that sucker tight around the post!). Teenage striker Pato added one for Milan to make it 2-1 Milan (3:05), and Real Madrid dreadlocked Dutchman Royston Drenthe blasted one in to tie it at 2-2 (3:48).

It was looking to end in a 2-2 draw, until the Milan scored off a corner…and it was disallowed (4:50, nice little fracas after the play). It was looking to end in a 2-2 draw… until the 88th minute when PATO CONNECTS ON A BRILLIANT PASS WITH A BRILLIANT GAME WINNING STRIKE! (3:38!!)

Other big teams results: Man U 1-0 over CSKA Moscow, Chelsea thumped Athletico Madrid 4-0, Juventus 1-0 over Maccabe Haitha, French vlub Bordeaux beat German giants Bayern Munich 2-1, Liverpool lost 2-1 to Lyon, Arsenal drew 1-1 with Dutch club AZ Akmaar, and Scottish “giants” Rangers took a regal 4-1 asswhupping to Unirea Urziceni.

CL play resumes in two weeks, but this weekend it’s back to club action!

Our upper90 3 top games ARE!

1: Liverpool – Manchester United. HoooooooWEE! Battle of the titans here. Liverpool has been shakey lately, so a win at home vs. the Red Devils could be just what the doctor ordered. Hopefully there wont be any beach balls on the field this time for Liverpool’s sake…. Sunday at 9AM on Fox Soccer Channel/Fox Sports Espanol

2: From Argentina: BOCA JUNIORS vs. RIVER PLATE. One of the top top rivalries in the game. Expect rioting and tear gas. ArgenTINA! knows how to parrrrTY! 2PM Sunday on Fox Sports Espanol

and 3:  Club America vs. Chivas! This is mexican soccer at its best and most intense. This is the game I’m personally most interested in watching. Like I said, I’m supposed to hate Mexican soccer as a US fan, but I just can’t. Too much pride and passion! 6PM sunday on Univision.

Runner up: damn, big rivalry weekend! West Ham- Arsenal in a London derby! DAMN! 12:15 on Sunday afternoon, FSC/FSE.

Sorry again for the delay, and I hope the simplified format (and writing) is an improvement. Have a great weekend!

juanito