![]() ![]() United up to that point looked pretty damn good. Once Samuel Eto'o drilled that mesmerizing finish of his, it altered the game completely. Enlarge Alberto Pizzoli/AFP/Getty ImagesAfter Samuel Eto'o scored against United in the ninth minute of the 2009 Champions League final, Barcelona took full control of the match.įinal in Rome, in first five minutes especially, United had a couple golden opportunities to score those misses were absolutely key. If United can do that, they may have a chance, but the key is that they capitalize on the few chances they get. However, United is coming from a league notorious for its helter-skelter athleticism, and Barcelona aren't used to intense, energetic pressurizing. If Barcelona hits the operatic high notes, United will be chasing ghosts. United will hope they can catch Barcelona on an off day. They'll probably get their 70 percent possession. Hudson: It will be the same-old for Barcelona - keep the ball. How do you see the tactics evolving? Will United pack five players in the midfield and try to counter Barcelona's possession-style game? So it's not a confident statement, but I believe that Barcelona will win. That's balanced out, though, by the incredible form of Chicharito and Wayne Rooney. Whereas I think United is a little deficient without Cristiano Ronaldo. They've improved since the last time these teams met in the final. They've got the players and the pace and the lethal finishers and a tremendous defense that can be devastating.įor this final, we have wonderful footballers, marvelous expressionist players, and talent galore. They will attack Barcelona, I'm sure of that. Manchester United is able to alter tactics a little bit more, but they won't just defend. Barcelona can't change their game - and thank the Almighty for that. These fabulous clubs won't betray their natural instincts to play their game. We're dealing with a different set of mentalities here. Hudson: I would imagine it'll be an open, ultra entertaining game unlike last year's type of final, extremely cat-and-mouse between Inter and Bayern Munich. So who better to discuss the European Cup final as the tension continues to mount? There's a man that fully appreciates football's appeal. I can't watch until about 8 o'clock that night, because I enjoy the extra tension, the buildup." House is on fire? I don't care, let it burn. I won't answer the phone or go near a computer. "I have to record it - I cannot watch it live," he said of the Manchester United-Barcelona final Saturday. When I rang him up to chat about the Champions League final, Hudson was already fired up. But Hudson won't be waxing poetic on air for the Champions League final - Fox gets the honor - and that's probably a good thing for the former Newcastle midfielder. ("Messi can walk on the beach and not leave a single footprint," is my personal favorite.) The English language is his true medium. The GOL TV commentator is the voice of La Liga for many of us, the man who grafts together adjectives, verbs and nouns in ways that leave us slack-jawed with their unique brilliance. As soon as one match finishes, you're looking forward to the next game full of promise.Īnd I can't think of a bigger one than the inimitable Ray Hudson. You could end up with an instant classic or an overly tactical snooze-fest. Yet that doesn't stop us from daydreaming, because before that opening whistle is blown, anything is possible. Most matches can't possibly live up to the hype and hyperbole. Football, perhaps more than any other sport, does an amazing job of making you feel like the next game is the Biggest Match of All Time.īut that's the attraction, isn't it - the heightened sense of anticipation before a match, which grips us most powerfully in the week before a Champions League final. ![]() ![]() He'll crack wise that there's a "massive" match of football going on somewhere in the world on any given day. This last statement invariably makes one of my buddies, a tennis writer by trade, prone to paroxysms of laughter. It is, in short, the biggest game of the season. The Champions League final is the exclamation point of an almost year-long campaign that starts with qualifying in July for some teams and ends by crowning the ruler of Europe at the end of May. Here we are, heading into the last game of the European club season. David Ramos/Getty ImagesThe buildup to the Champions League final between United and Barca is officially under way.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |