Football Focus

[spadetownboy]

Ladygooner Wrote:

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> If Chelsea lose - would Ashley Cole become the

> first player to have lost in two finals?

hope so.

[????]

I'd like to extend my good wishes to Man U and Chelsea....I hope they both lose

[Sandperson]

spadetownboy Wrote:

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> Ladygooner Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > If Chelsea lose - would Ashley Cole become the

> > first player to have lost in two finals?

>

>

> hope so.

Me too. And thanks ???? I hope that your team continue to lose! ;-)

[Keef]

Likely to be a pretty shite game, but you never know.

I was loving that training ground tackle on Ashley Cole, it was proper 2 footed going in hard, would have been so funny if he'd missed the final from it!

Will give this game a shot, but if it's as dull as I suspect it might be, I'm turning over to The Apprentice, and to hell with it!

[MrBen]

For the first time in my life I actually feel slightly sorry for John Terry....

[Ladygooner]

How exciting was that?! Cheered when Ronaldo missed but also cheered when Anelka missed so not sure who I wanted to win. Roll on next season........

[atila the gooner]

How funny was it watching Terry crying, and the looks on the faces of the rest of the Chavski team, priceless! Hopefully Ronaldos miss will encourage him to stop that stupid stop start run up of his. Lucky for him Anelkas penalty was a stinker and easy for Van de Saar to save.

[dc]

Penalties are always good if they go in and 'stinkers' if they don't. No penalty is easy to save (although it helps - as in Terry's case when the keeper goes the wrong way and you miss anyway).

Chelsea were unlucky - they hit the post and the underside of the bar. I don't like Ronaldo's jinking at pens so some justice that he missed. When I used to read "You are the Ref" in Shoot (incorporating Goal) doing a dummy at a pen was always marked down as 'ungentlemanly conduct'(!)

[SimonM]

I thoought Ronaldo's penalty tonight was actually "illegal" as on this occasion he came to a full stop in his run-up, as distinct form his usual run--up which almost stops but remains legal as he never quite stops moving?

And although I appreciate the venue for the final has to be moved around each year accoring to the grand old principle of Buggins' Turn, tonight's conditions were just so atrocious...really for such a showpiece game in mid-May somewhere a bit further south might havve been better!

[Annasfield]

I have never felt such mixed emotions in my life.

[Keef]

By the end of the game I was kind of "cheering" chelsea. I thought they deserved the victory over the match. Ronaldo's penalties are cheating in my book, and I was glad the little sh!t missed, and I have to say it would have been justice had that miss cost his club the cup. How cool was Gigg's penalty though, that is experience for you.

Di feel sorry for Terry, even though as a bloke I think he's a horrid thug.

[lozzyloz]

Well it certainly wasn't a dull game. It could've gone either way, shame that in the end it was one mis-kick that settled the result. Both teams were unlucky not to have scored a winner in extra time but on balance it should have been Chelsea's night.

[SeanMacGabhann]

mixed emotions sums the thing up. The whole room cheered the roof off when Ronaldo missed his penalty, yet when Terry stepped up to take the penalty, more than one person said it was doomed.

I had a sliiiiight preference for Man U to win but I would agree that Chelsea probably deserved to win and I thought Terry was man of the match - until that penalty. Still don't like him tho'

[SeanMacGabhann]

As for the location of the final, this amused me yesterday:

THE RISE AND FALL OF A UEFA OFFICIAL: A TRAGEDY IN TWO PARTS

October 4, 2006

1.30pm: Time to pick host city for next season's Big Cup final! Notice that Uefa canteen is putting on extra large buffet for lunch, featuring fondue with 93 different types of cheese, blue whale steaks and side of elephant.

1.32pm: Realise you don't have time to attend buffet and find host city that will combine good transport links, cheap hotel rooms and stadium with immaculate playing pitch.

1.33pm: Stick pin into map of Europe and rush off to buffet, briefly noting that pin has stuck on Moscow, world's most expensive city.

1.34pm: Stifle doubts over staging final in world's most expensive city by tucking into buffet.

May 21 2008

9am: Arrive in Moscow for Big Cup final. Notice that Moscow's streets are doing an uncanny impression of Siberian wastes. Wonder whether hosting final in world's most expensive city was such a good idea after all.

9.15am: Yelp in fear as you open the Kommersant newspaper - which you can read because, for narrative purposes, you're fluent in Russian - and read this zinger from the head of the national tourist office. "The invasion didn't happen. Many people were put off by high prices for flights, hotels and services. Additionally the tickets for the match are expensive. The companies organising flights for fans are in panic."

9.22am: Calm self down with extra helpings of shashlyk, washed down with 19 bowls of borscht and knowledge that Man United and Chelsea's famously global fan base will fill stadium. After all, both clubs are always boasting about how well supported they are.

9.25am: Yelp in fear as rumours circulate that there will be empty seats for tonight's game. Remember that Man United and Chelsea's global fan base only extends as far as the home counties.

11am: Brief high as news comes in that celebrity fan Mick Hucknall will not be attending final, even if - judging by his appearance on Later with Jools Holland last week - it means another three empty seats.

11.15am: Panic sets in again as realisation hits that only celebrity fan present for final is Andrei Lugovoi, man accused by British government of murdering Alexander Litvinenko.

11.20am: Desperately attempt to save job by booking TV's James Richardson to do half-time show and Rebranded Website celebrity Barry Glendenning to write minute-by-minute report.

11.20am (and two seconds): Receive P45.

[ratty]

Found myself wanting Chelsea to win last night - very strange feeling that was! Pretty gutted for JT tbh!

[Sandperson]

Ugh. How many more of you are going to say you feel sorry for Terry?

Well, I enjoyed it and managed to root for United all the way through instead of my usual plastic habit of changing sides when I think another team will win. As for Chelsea deserving it on the night how do you work that out? I thought it was pretty well balanced tbh. The Ronaldo penalty IS either against the rules or at least ungentlemanly conduct. Even the United fans don't like him doing it but still, as The Beatles never sang Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da Man Utd European Champions!

[ratty]

Makes it even better that Pompey knocked them out of the FA Cup and stopped them doing the treble imo!

[spadetownboy]

what is all this chelsea were the better team,chelsea deserved to win rubbish. were you actually watching the same game i was, chelsea were lucky not to be on their way home at half time. granted they had the better of the second half but 1st half and extra time were dominated by utd.based on chances created and incisive attacking play they were by far the better team, even the goal chelsea scored had luck written all over it although to be fair lampard finished well. as regards drogba being sent off, about bloody time a ref stood up to the chelsea players and their antics, thats one of the reasons why they are so despised,the constant gathering around and cajoling of the ref and general lack of respect towards the officals. which brings me on to terry he as club captain should be preventing this type of behaviour in his players yet always appears to be one of the main protagonists, thats the reason why chelsea lost the pens as drogba would have been a cert to take one responsibility fell to terry and he missed and no he didnt slip a la beckham, he slipped after it was taken, and it couldnt have happened to a nicer fella. and finally good old le sulk, he had the look of a dead man walking,reminded me of sheva in the 05 final as he was about to take his pen. still at the end of the day the better team won.

[Sandperson]

Well said STB! And Ratty I hope you have to wait another 70 years for a cup win. ;-)

[Annasfield]

JT is a nasty bit of work and I don't feel sorry for him at all. This cracked me up. :))

[ratty]

Sandperson Wrote:

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> Well said STB! And Ratty I hope you have to wait

> another 70 years for a cup win. ;-)

I am sure we will!!!! :(

[mockney piers]

I think it was a pretty evenly balanced game.

Utd should have put it beyond Chelsea in the first half as they dominated and missed good chances, but get this....they didn't.

Chelsea should have scored their chances in the second half which they by and large dominated, but nor did they.

First half of extra time was man utd's but still no winner, and it went to penalties.

What Keef said re Ronaldo...the tit; hopefully he'll belt it like normal people in future. If he wants a master class in alternative penalty taking he needs to watch some Di Canio footage.

Good game, entertaining, and Terry made an almighty captaincy error there, too focussed on the historic glory to realise Kalou would have won it for Chelsea. He has some of sympathy, as I would anyone who went through that, but it was his own fault, so it's pretty limited sympathy to be honest.

Good stuff all told and a better match than I was expecting.

Well done man utd frankly, I have no love for you, but best (prem) team of the season without question.

[*Bob*]

Even I watched this. My observations:

Alex F was clearly the more experienced manager, being as he was sensible enough to put his anorak on when it was raining.

Chelsea's goalie was wearing an outfit fashioned from radioactive fabric, visible from outer space.

When you've just lost a big match, there's no way to wear a medal without it looking really, really silly.

[Keef]

Agree that it was a much better game than expected, and yes Man U were the best team over the season, but I still stick by what I said about Chelsea being the better side over the 120 minutes last night. Yes they were lucky to go in level at half time, but in the second half I thought they were fantastic.

Forgot about Drogba's sending off until STB mentioned it. Pleased he went, and think he is another horrible character, who brings people's dislike to his team, but I have to say that a red card for that load of handbags was a bit crap.

Just for the record, I'm not taking away from Man U's acheivement, fair play to them. I would never claim that Liverpool deserved to win in 2005 over the 120 minutes, we just had an amazing spell. At the end of the day, the history books will show Man U as champs, and that's what matters.

[Annasfield]

Apparently John Terry spat at Tevez immediately after Drogba was sent off. He tried to disguise it by pretending to wipe his nose with his sleeve as he approaches Tevez but then all of a sudden gobs at Tevez who then swings around feeling his neck to see who it was only to see a yellow card being brandished at him by the ref which means the incident goes no further.

Nice fella....:-S

I have an immense dislike for Man Utd but I think as a team they deserved it so much more than Chelsea. How can England's captain behave in such a manner and then encourage his team mates to the same? I never ever thought I'd say this, but I was glad that United won last night. (don't tell anyone - that's the most difficult thing I've ever had to type :-$)