Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Soccer.
Oops, I just lost more than half of my readers. But those who like watching the best players in the best leagues compete against each other in the world’s most popular sport should tune to ESPN’s coverage of the Union of European Football Association (UEFA) Champions League semi-finals.
European soccer is an incredible spectacle. These games are exceptionally fast-paced, the passing is clean and the atmospheres are riotous — literally. In the quarterfinals, Manchester United supporters had to wait an hour and a half inside of AC Roma’s arena before they could leave because of threats to their safety, and they were still assaulted. Any visiting fan who traveled to Rome for a soccer game has my respect. That’s dedication. These games are something any soccer fan has to watch, for the atmosphere, if nothing else.
Today begins the all-important second leg of the semi-finals, and all four teams are stacked with world-class talent who are really fun to watch. Those who watched last summer’s World Cup closely will recognize most of the players.
For those unfamiliar with the rules of the Champions League, here’s a brief summary. In the elimination stage, each matchup (besides the winner-take-all final) consists of two games, one home and one away. The aggregate total of goals decides who moves on, with away goals as the tie-breaker. If the number of away goals is a tie, the teams go into overtime. If overtime decides nothing, a penalty shootout will.
Last week during the semi-final’s first leg, Manchester United hosted AC Milan in an absolute thriller. United was short-handed with injuries that plagued its back line, leaving the Brazilian Kaka, Milan’s amazing attacking midfielder, able to ravish his opponents with his power and speed.
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But those who like watching the best players in the best leagues compete against each other in the world’s most popular sport should tune to ESPN’s coverage of the Union of European Football Association (UEFA) Champions League semi-finals.
He scored two incredible goals in the first half. One left two Manchester defenders helpless after they collided into each other in an attempt to stop Kaka’s breakaway. As they converged, Kaka headed the ball through a tiny space between them, giving him a relatively easy finish once they were on the ground and embarrassed. He owned them both.
Manchester’s Christiano Ronaldo, the upstart 22-year-old superstar from Portugal, had an early first-half goal that left Milan up only 2-1 at the half. With two away goals already, Milan sat pretty. If the score remained the same, Manchester would need two away goals and a victory during the next leg to even think about advancing to the final.
As it turned out, England’s Wayne Rooney scored two second-half goals — one with only seconds remaining in the match — to lead his team to a clutch victory. Rooney’s late-game heroics have forced Milan to win at home on Wednesday. If he hadn’t scored, Manchester would have been in Milan’s situation, forced to win in Italy in order to advance. What a difference one goal can make.
The other semi-final features two English squads: Chelsea and Liverpool. The first leg saw Chelsea victorious, as Englishman Joe Cole’s goal (set up by a gorgeous run from Ivory Coast native Didier Drogba) was the difference in the 1-0 match. They play again today at 1:30 p.m.
Without an away goal, all the pressure is on Liverpool’s defense to perform at home. If Chelsea scores even once, Liverpool would need three goals to overcome the tie-breaker.
Who will advance to Athens, Greece, for the final? Only time will tell. It’s anybody’s game.
Robinett is an Austin, Texas, senior in journalism.
— Edited by Darla Slipke
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