Football 2012-2013

[kaosmark2]

Well you went for a draw, Neil for Real and me for United. None of us are ever right...

Match abandoned it is then.

[Kyelo]

A few photos of Eintracht Frankfurt's Commerzbank Arena:

[Jaybles]

Going for a fully confident Man Utd to win 3 - 1, to disguise my fears that Madrid are gonna nick it on away goals.

[The Nal]

to disguise my fears that Madrid are gonna nick it on away goals.

[kaosmark2]

Kagawa and Rooney benched.

Hard to see the logic behind such decisions. Advantage Madrid already?

[pink_triangle]

Kagawa and Rooney benched.

Hard to see the logic behind such decisions. Advantage Madrid already?

[TheGayTent]

Excellent - Dortmund leading

[TheGayTent]

Can't wait for Fergie's thoughts on the referee's performance...

[Paul ™]

News at 10 have just tweeted they will be running late due to Fergie Time ™

[kaosmark2]

Mourinho said that the best team lost. Very much disagree with that, Man U looked good, but I thought it was about equal up until the red card. Man U were lucky to get the goal, and lucky to get the disallowed goal decision in the first half.

Completely understand the red card, slightly harsh but that looks reckless and dangerous. From replays I'd say a yellow would have been a better decision, but I don't think the ref deserves criticism.

Not impressed with this comment:

Everton manager David Moyes on BBC Radio 5 live: "I am looking from a manager's point of view and Manchester United have had hard time tonight. I think they have a right to surround the referee"

Outrageous IMO, condoning pressuring the ref.

Giggs excellent tonight, Cleverley and Carrick outclassed. Rafael coping surprisingly well with Coentrao and Ronaldo until the Red. Modric fantastic after he came on, best 30 minutes I've seen of him.

Varane looks an excellent centre-back already though. Hadn't heard of him until 3 months ago but seen him in 3 games in the last month and he's been ace every one.

[Essex_George]

Must be the first time I have ever agreed with Roy Keane.

[Kyelo]

Mourinho said that the best team lost. Very much disagree with that, Man U looked good, but I thought it was about equal up until the red card. Man U were lucky to get the goal, and lucky to get the disallowed goal decision in the first half.

Edited March 5, 2013 by Kyelo

[kaosmark2]

Could also be argued they were unlucky to hit the post and unlucky they had several shots stopped by superb goal keeping in the last ten minutes.

Totally agree with Mourinho, United were the better team just and they lost but that is football! Real won't win it, it's going to a German team.

[thegremlin_1999]

It was at least a booking tho. And if it'd been a real player who hadn't been sent off for the same challenge you'd be moaning too...

(I agree it shouldn't have been red though, but I can see why it was...)

[pink_triangle]

I think an important fact that many have missed is that it is still very possible that Real Madrid could have won the league 11 v 11. It was very close over the 2 games and either team could have won. Some red cards are definitely correct and some definitely wrong, I see this one as somewhere in the middle, so it can definitely be justified. It probably wouldnt result in the majority of games in England however its not an english domestic game and it will always be refereed differently. I dont think it was intentional and can partially be put down to bad luck, however luck is a part of the game and works both ways. Coming from behind when down to 10 men is not as easy as some make out, so real deserve some credit, barca found it a lot harder to break chelsea down last year.

Edited March 6, 2013 by pink_triangle

[strummer77]

I wouldn't have given it, but I definitely see why he gave it.

That said United didn't hold it together at that point and reacted poorly for a spell. That's what cost them.

[Jaybles]

Horrible decision.

Never a red card. Turned the game completely and ruined a competitive game.

[eFestivals]

Mourinho said that the best team lost. Very much disagree with that

me too. Cute comment by Moaniho tho.

I love the way that the media are trying to play up the red card as "controversial" - or better put as "we was robbed by those cheating foreigners" - while all three pundits on ITV said they weren't surprised for it to get a red (and Keane and Southgate went further and said it was a red).

So was it a red? Well, if Suarez is always a cheating dirty nasty bastard, then Nani is too - cos while the initial contact was very probably accidental, there was absolutely no need for Nani to include a deliberate kick into the guys chest along with the accidental contact.

Rumours that fergie had to skip the press conference due to his head exploding in misplaced rage are confirmed.

[eFestivals]

Never a red card.

Blikers PMSL

That might not be a red from every ref, but plenty would give it. As Keane said, did Nani give the ref the opportunity to send him off? Yes he did. So it's a justified red.

[pink_triangle]

Horrible decision.

Never a red card. Turned the game completely and ruined a competitive game.

[strummer77]

Thing is as Pink Triangle said, Chelsea coped down to ten last year v Barca. Even LIverpool v United down to ten coped for a long time this season. Last night Real scored 2 within ten minutes. Mourinho reacted right away whilst SAF didn't until too late.

Edited March 6, 2013 by strummer77

[eFestivals]

so anyway .... Nani's kick. Was it a deliberate kick at the player?

I'm not meaning the initial collision, I'm meaning Nani extending his leg into the guy's chest after first contact had been made.

Amusingly - cos we can't have Utd thought of as dirty now, can we? - in bits I've seen on TV this morning they're choosing not to show the angle that shows Nani extending his leg, so they can keep saying it was "controversial".

If the ref or his assistants saw that leg extend (it would depend on their viewing angles) then few refs wouldn't give a red.

[thetime]

Didnt see the game, damn gig clashes.

Seen the main incidents though, of course it was a red as nanis foot was dangerously high and not in control.

Cant comment who should of won though, amazing how suarez has been included in the discussion already

I expected it to be at least lunchtime.

Edited March 6, 2013 by thetime

[eFestivals]

Seen the main incidents though, of course it was a red as nanis foot was dangerously high and not in control.

the foot being that high and out of control is one thing, and (in plenty of minds) deserving of a red by itself.

But there was more to it than just a collision with a high foot. There was what looked like a deliberate kick too.

Cant comment who should of won though, amazing how suarez has been included in the discussion already

If it were Suarez, the media wouldn't have shut up about the bit that looks like a deliberate kick. But from last night, I've yet to see a single mention of it.

Within what happened there is very definitely what looks like a deliberate kick (it can't be seen from at least one of the camera angles tho, so you need to view the right angle).

I'm prepared to accept that it might not have been the deliberate kick that it looks like being - there's all sorts of things going on with a person's balance when a fast moving person is impacted by another - but from the posters here which have steadfastly refused to accept there can ever be any balance issues in the mix with Suarez, surely they can't accept that kick from Nani as an accident too, on the same basis.

Or perhaps more double standards are at play than some will ever own up to.

So ... let's see those double standards. Was it a kick?

[The Nal]

Yellow card for a high foot. Never a red. Shame. Ruined a good game.