I was just commenting on the way he just smacks the ball out the park. Overall, I know there are many better out there. Even Shoaib Malik can claim to be a better batsmen, but he hits it with so much force it makes him so much fun to watch. As for Tendulker, Overrated
Are you Pakistani? I might as well not even bother pulling up his stats and accomplishments. Indians can actually once in a while praise Pakistani bowlers and batters, but Pakis sure have a hard ass time admitting anything good about the Indian side.
About Rudd Van Nistelrooiy (sp?), I just can't figure this guy out. He's got no exceptional skills whatsoever, yet is the most prolific striker in the world. All hsi skills are normal, and his goals look so fluky...but when you watch goal after goal after goal after goal, it kind of get you thinking. The guy is absolutely amazing, but I still reserve judgement on his future because his style of play is so....normal. I just don't get this guy, and even though I support Holland with respect to Euro teams, this guy really annoys me. As a soccer enthusiast, someone who microanalyzes everything seen regarding soccer, this guy annoys the hell out of me. How the hell does he do it?
Hmm. How much would you be willing to bet that neither of those teams is in the CL final? Real's defense is pitiful. Bayern just isn't that good. For them to win, Ballack has to play much, much better than he has this season. Chelsea v. Juventus. Juventus wins. (I'm a Man Utd fan, btw).
1. Watch the way he plays the off sides trap. He ****ing destroys it. He stays intentionally offsides, then dances on and off when he thinks through balls are going to be put through. 2. He's technically excellent. Watch how easily he holds the ball up. He's not exceptionally fast - but when you're as strong as he is, it's easy to shield the ball from defenders. 3. He's the best pure striker of the ball in the world. There is none better. Watch the angles from which he can score. I think Henry and Raul are better players - but neither is half the player RVN is in the box. He can volley it in from an almost completely acute angle and leave the keeper utterly no chance.
$ 100 that one of these two teams will be in the final this year. Another $ 100 that Chelsea will not even make it to the semis.
Ok, ok... you called my bluff. I don't actually gamble on sports . But I do honestly think that neither side will make the finals. If I had to guess, I'd say Bayern will make the quarters... Real the semis. Think it was a huge mistake selling Makelele... they'll miss him more and more the further they get. They can simply out-gun everyone at the lower stages... but once the defenses get better, they'll need more solidity at the back... and they lack a true DM or even elite CBs. As for Bayern... I think you're just being biased there. Same team that crashed out last year... though they certainly underachieved. Ballack is fantastic but having a comparatively poor season (for him)... but they have relatively poor wing play. Chelsea's sort of my default team. I don't think they're all that spectacular, but they're so damned deep that injuries and suspensions won't effect them like everyone else. I hope they crash. I'd much rather see anyone other than Madrid lift the CL cup (even Arsenal).
Impossible as they are facing each other in the next round and only the winner will advance . I will confidently and full of bias say that Bayern has the strongest left wing in the world - nobody, including Real with Roberto Carlos, can compete with that. Lizarazu is a top athlete - won everything - world championship, european championship, champions league, german championship, club world championship, you name it. In fact, he held all of these titles at the same time as - as far as I know - the first player in about 30 years (Beckenbauer et al. held the same distinction after 1974). Anyway, Liza is a very gritty defender that matches up very well with Beckham and completely takes him out of the game. BUT - not only that - in front of Lizarazu, you have Ze Roberto, who is a true artist with the ball. As one German top defender was quoted: "That guy is so quick, you don't even get there in time to foul him." I don't know if you have ever seen that guy play, but he is a starter on the Brazilian national team and he is like a Jason Kidd in soccer. Hardly ever scores, but gets tons of assists and just does spectacular things. On the right wing, we have Sagnol, who plays in the French national team himself, and Salihamidzic, who has more than once dominated the matchup with Roberto Carlos. Salihamidzic can run all day and will outrun Roberto Carlos easily. He also scores a goal or two once in a while as he used to be a striker. When he is healthy, you have a guy there with Sebastian Deisler who was described by Lizarazu as a guy who could be on the same level with Zidane if he put his mind to it (he is suffering from severe depression, unfortunately, and is in a hospital right now). Liza said that in his life, he has only seen two players that gifted, and one of them is Deisler. That still does not take Scholl into consideration, who could be seen as a German Brazilian (in fact, he is half Turkish). Neither is Roque Santa Cruz on the list yet, who is probably the best Paraguyan player ever already, even though he is only 21 or 22. Look at the forwards - Makaay and Pizzarro. Makaay easily outscored Ronaldo and Raul in the Spanish league last year and while he might not be the greatest artist with the ball, he just has a knack for putting the ball into the goal. I was in the Nou Camp stadium in Barcelona to watch Barca vs. Deportivo last year, Deportivo won 4-2 and I think Makaay scored three goals or so. They call him "The Phantom" because you might not see him for 85 minutes and then he will score the decisive goal. Pizzarro, on the other hand, can probably challenge Teofilo Cubillas for best Peruvian player ever. He might become better than Makaay and he also does a lot more defensively and to orchestrate the attack. Real might have Raul and Ronaldo, but Makaay and Pizzarro are really not far behind at all. Bayern's defense is way better than Real's no need to even go into detail. And Bayern still has the best, ugliest and most fanatic goalie in the world in Oliver Kahn. Bayern just matches up extremely well with Real and that is why Real is already ****-scared to face Bayern in the next round! All that was nothing but the truth. And hell yes, I am biased .
No, Im not Paki. Im half Indian. Want proof. Moms from Kurnool. small town near hyderabad. Mohammad Azharuddin, My favourite player. INDIAN. just because I like a paki batsman and dislike tendulker doesnt show that I have a hard time admitting anything about India. And no my other half is not paki. Its arab. Saudi Arabia.
I'd forgotten they faced each other. That was just sort of my assessment of talent-level. Poor Bixente is also not half the player he was 5 years ago. He also disappears for weeks at a time and gets muscled off the ball ridiculously easily. After watching him play for Leverkusen a couple years ago, I thought he was one of the best in the world. I've seen many other games since, and he's been anonymous. Sagnol is class. Salihamdzic has never impressed me. At the top level, he's a nice player. As for matching up individually against Roberto Carlos... I'm sort of a flip-flop on him myself. Hate the defensive sacrifices... and he doesn't always give the best service... but occasionally, he just takes your breath away. You know, you really shouldn't use player-to-player descriptioins. You get some really ridiculous ones now and then. I like Deisler - but isn't he in an asylum right now? Santa Cruz isn't a great striker of the ball for a striker. Scholl is past his best days. Please. Pizzarro isn't rated nearly as highly as he was 3 years ago as a prospect. Makaay can't even get into his own national team. Actually, that's unfair. I don't think much of Kluivert - and I actually prefer him to the overrated Ronaldo - but he isn't near Raul (and in turn, I don't consider Pizarro anything close to Ronaldo). Off-form since sucking against Brazil in the world cup. Yep . Bayern are a solid CL squad. I would say they have a chance, but they're not one of the 3-4 that I'd say all have about equal talent.
You have quite a sense of humor there. Bayern has been outplayed badly in the few games I've seen them play in. Namely, the Stuttgart match in December, where they were lucky as hell to get 1 goal and to hold Stuttgart to nil. Real will win on aggregate 4-1.
Bayern never ever faces players the caliber that Real has. The only good players in the Bootyliga are on Bayern.
Still SJC, assuming everything you said is true, compare that to Ronaldo Raul Zidane Figo Beckham Roberto Carlos Salgado I mean common, the first four guys have been in every World Player of the year race sicne 1997 I believe. We're in 2004 now, maing it 7 years. It's not just one per year either, there's been at least 2 of them in 4 of the 7 years. Raul and Ronaldo is simply the best strike force out there. Had Ronaldo been in shape for the Juve clash last season Real would win the final. Although I belieev selling Makelele was absolutely STUPID, I still think they have enough offensive firepower to offset the difference. They attack you from everywhere: Raul unstoppable in the box, Ronaldo unstoppable coming into the box, then you have Figo, Zidane and Beckham attacking the Left, Centre, and right midfield, with Salgado and Carlos on the flanks supporting them. If they sign a good central defender any time soon without letting go of any of these guys - they will be absolutely incredible. I hope they face Juve - I want revenge.
I just went to see the mexican teams today, America is a good team and the other team from moterrey was good too, but the PA anouncer keept saying that they were from guadalajara which is like not even close to monterrer, man that was some good soccer today, it was a 1-1 tie, but it was back and forth all day, it was a fun game at the reliant stadium, wish we could get an MLS team here, that would be sweet.
Chelsea will win it all because they have very talented young players who are hungry for titles...unlike Real who are filled with old stuckup players who had accomplished pretty much everything possible... ManU.. too vulnerable on D AC Milan.. will probably go to the final.. Shevchenko is the best player in the world (The better version of Kirilenko in NBA) Arsenal will go to the quarters and knocked out after facing a stiffer competition Bayern will be knocked out by Madrid Real Sociedad is my other favorite team but they will probably knocked out in the quarters.. but they still have a chance upsetting the favorites Juve will go to the semi along with Milan Madrid and Chelsea let's see how it turns out in a couple of months
Chelsea is much more vulnerable on defense, imo. Cudicini is not as good as last year. Terry is an own goal/goal allowing machine. I love Chelsea's depth, but I don't think they have the quality for Champs League. I could easily see them winning the EPL, since the domestic League is much more of an endurance match. Chelsea's starting 11 is damn nice, but not as good as Man U's, Juve, or Real imo.
