Anyone watch European soccer / Champions League?

[LG]

Anyone watch what the rest of the world (bar Americans) calls football? You know, the round ball, goals with nets, goalkeepers, no handling just kicking (that's why it's called football), Pele, Maradona, Cruyff, Best, Zidane, Ronaldinho, Adriano, Ronaldo, Shevchenko, Henry, Rooney, Vieira and all those guys?

Who do you think will win the Champion's League this year? I hope it's not Chelsea, but they stand a real chance. I'd put my money on Juventus or Barcelona. Real Madrid are terrifying attackwise, but lack defensive guile and bite, Man United need to replace Keane, Bayern aren't what they used to be and Liverpool are unlikely to get a repeat of the fluky luck that helped them to the final (which they deserved to win against a Milan side that capitulated when it should have ripped the Benitez' men to shreds).

What about the World Cup? I really can't see further than Brazil, although I hope that Holland can put a real fight. France need to recapture their old glory and perhaps they will, Germany will need to get lucky to get to the semis, the Czech Republic, Portugal, Italy, Argentina and England should all get to the quarter finals. I think after the repeated shocks of the last few years (Porto vs Monaco in the Champs. League final, Liverpool winning it, Greece in 2004 and the good performance by Korea, Turkey and Senegal in WC 2002) the big footballing powers will rise again.

[LG]

And the answer to my question above is a resounding 'NO'

Certainly as far as this forum is concerned.

[NickTheQuick]

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[brickcitybrother]

Ummm - This is up in the air this season

[eziorossi]

Surely Juventus :lol:

[NickTheQuick]

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[TomSelis]

Arsenal baby!!!

the Gooners are #1!!!

[NickTheQuick]

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[TomSelis]

Arsenal baby!!!

the Gooners are #1!!!

"Gooners"? LMAO.

Did you hear that Jay Z is looking to buy a part of them? I wonder if their fans would get as pissed as Man U fans did when Glazer bought them.

Their logo is a cannon, but they have crazy accents. A lot of brits from London pronounce "gun" like "goon" where we would call them the gunners, the fans are called "gooners."

Jay-Z is a smart man. They usually end up 1,2, or 3 in the Premier League. Yeah, they would be pissed if he was part owner though.

[NickTheQuick]

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[TomSelis]

Roit on scedhule wif ya post, e's a right smart geeza that Jay-Z. Cheeas!

[LG]

Tom Selis: the Gooners are not number one. Right now they are number eight and lie well below the leaders. Realistically, I don't think the Arse(nal) have a chance. I don't support them, as you will have realised, but in truth, I respect the quality of their football at home. Henry and Reyes provide a great attacking thrust, a real European va-va-voom, but as a team they are not suited to European football. They always seem to self-destruct in Europe. I'd rather they do well than Chelsea, however, but I think Chelsea will get very close this year.

Juve and Milan certainly do look strong. Milan may be a little weaker than last year- that defence is looking pretty weary back there, with a combined age of about 756 years (okay, okay about 140 for the back four) but Juve now have Vieira. Arsenal certainly do miss him- they've collected one point from their four away games.

Barca have Ronaldinho ably supported by a great side. Real have lots of class players but only Robinho seems to be consistently showing his class. and yet, they're top of the league.

NickTheQuick: I think Trezeguet will be back soon. I'm not sure how long Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be out. I think Buffon has an injury too. Meanwhile, Arsenal are missing Henry and United will be without Heinze for most of the rest of the season. Chelsea's Duff was injured in an international.

[NickTheQuick]

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[Michael Knight]

Yeah i watch the best club cup competition in the world. im in the uk and i cant get enough of it. Arsenal are my team not doing bad so far 2 wins outs 2 but were gonna be pushed tonight as Sparta Prague are a decent team plus we have got alot of injuries which has done us no good in the premiership. I cant wait for tonight should be a good game a tough one none the less. i dont think arsenal are gonna win it i think it will be chelsea or juventus.

[Lafuerza]

Henry had a great comeback. Just in time for the Gunners who desperately a player who could things round.

Regarding the initial thread question:

I'm actively following the Dutch, English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Brazilian and Argentinean leagues and passively following the Mexican, Swiss, Belgian, Norwegian, Swedish, Austrian, Turkish, Scottish and Greek leagues.

Though I try to keep up with everything I generally don't pay attention to other leagues.

Favorite clubs :

F= definite favorite, S=having sympathy for at the moment (other than current top clubs)

Holland: F= Ajax - S = AZ

England: F= not anyone in particular. S = Bolton Wanderers, West Ham United, Birmingham City

France: F= not anyone in particular. S = Olympique Marseille, Saint-Etienne, Stade Rennes, Sochaux-Montbeliard, Auxerre, Bordeaux, Monaco.

Italy: F= AC Milan S = Palermo, Fiorentina, Udinese, Sampdoria

Spain: F= Real Madrid S= Betis, Osasuna, Athletic de Bilbao, Atletico Madrid

Portugal: F= not anyone in particular, though I used to dislike Porto more than the clubs of Lisboa. S= Vitoria Guimaraes, Maritimo Funchal.

Germany: F= not anyone in particular. S= HSV, Werder Bremen, Bayer Leverkusen, BVB 09 (not Schalke!)

Brazil: F= Palmeiras (Paulista), Vasco Da Gama (Carioca), Internacional (Rio Grande do Sul), Cruzeiro (Minas Gerais). S= São Paolo, Santos, Atletico Paraneanse, Atletico Mineiro.

Argentina: F= River Plate S= San Lorenzo, Racing Club, Independiente.

Scotland: F= Celtic S= Hearts (since 1997, not the current succesful run)

Mexico: F= Necaxa S= Santos Laguna, Chivas de Guadalajara, Monterrey.

Sweden: F= Malmö FF S= Djurgardens IF, Halmstads BK

Greece: F= Olympiakos Piraeus S= AEK Athens, OFI

[TomSelis]

Portugal: Benfica!

Brazil: Flamengo!