Europa League Semis Live!
posted by The Blue Devil @ 2:40 PM
Lakenheath Old Boys
We are all former students at Lakenheath High School and other public schools in East Anglia. We were in school in the 70s and 80s and drank deeply from the well of British culture of those decades - the pints, the telly, and of course the footie!
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Lakenheath Old Boys
We are all former students at Lakenheath High School and other public schools in East Anglia. We were in school in the 70s and 80s and drank deeply from the well of British culture of those decades - the pints, the telly, and of course the footie!
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84 Comments:
I'm skiving off work this afternoon. The only telly coverage that I can see is on GolTV, which I don't currently get. So, I'm on "Link 3" on this First Row stream, which has ITV coverage of the Valencia v. Atletico match:
http://www.firstrowsports.eu/watch/121097/3/watch-valencia-cf-vs-atletico-madrid.html
Atletico go into this match with a two goal advantage (2-4) over Valencia.
Sporting go into this one with a more slender 1-2 lead against Bilbao. Both matches could swing either way, as we've seen from the cracking CL semis this week.
The team news out of Sam Mames this evening:
Bilbao: Iraizoz, Amorebieta, Iraola, Aurtenetxe, Susaeta, Ander,
Iturraspe, Martínez, Llorente, Muniain, Gómez
Sporting: Patricio, João Pereira, Polga, Insúa, Xandão, Schaars, Pereirinha, André Martins, Capel, Fernández, van Wolfswinkel
Referee: Martin Atkinson
And for the one at the Mestailla:
Valencia: Alves, Rami, Costa, Barragan, Canales, Alba, Parenjo, Albeida, Feghouli, Jonas, Soldado.
Atletico: Courtois, Godin, Filipe Luis, Miranda, Turan, Diego, Suarez, Juanfran, Tiago, Falcao, Adrian.
Referee: Damir Skomina
My link for the all-Spanish clash has buggered off so I'm on one for the Bilbao v. Sporting clash. Ah well.
Kick off time!
Let's hope these two matches can live up to the high standards of the earlier matches in the Champions League this week.
Scrappy start to the proceedings here at San Mames. It's likely to be a tense, low-scoring affair. Bilbao have to be slight favorites as their home ground is a fortress for them.
Sporting have an early free kick chance here.
Fernandez looks like he may hit this from range....
Well over.
Oh - Llorente did really well to bring that long ball down and turn but then he seemed to run out of ideas. The chance was snuffed out.
Van Wolfswinkel slides in and picks up a needless yellow card that will rule him out of the final. Silly name, silly boy.
Big shout from Bilbao for a penalty as Llorente wriggles away from Polga and goes down. Should have been a card for the Bilbao man.
The two managers are prowling the touchlines now. Tense stuff.
So, no goals in either match in the first fifteen minutes.
Increasing pressure from Bilbao now. Gomez jinked through into the area and got a shot off.
GOAL! It was coming and it's Susaeta who's bagged the opening goal after a great lay off from Llorente.
1-0 Bilbao (2-2 on agg.)
So, Sporting are in the same position that Bayern were in last night after that early Ronaldo goal. They'll need to score because of Bilbao's away goal.
Oh - almost an immediate response. Great ball over from Capel but the header from Van Wolfswinkel was well over.
No goals at the Mestailla, so Atletico still have a two goal advantage.
Bilbao knocking it about for fun now. Sporting will have to sort themselves out. They clearly came to protect their lead and now that option is gone.
Oh - Susaeda had it in the goal again but he's flagged offside.
Oh - Llorente was in there but scuffed his shot badly. Good save.
All Bilbao now. Hard to see Sporting changes things unless they go to their bench. Van Wolfswinkel has clearly been affected by that yellow card early on. He's been anonymous.
Capel, on the other hand, has been the lone spark for Sporting, and he's on his bike again. Fed Insua who won a corner.
GOAL! Sporting are back in it! And it's Ricky van Wolfswinkel with the goal.
It all came from the corner which was half cleared but when it came back in it broke kindly to VW who stuck it in the bottom corner.
2-3 Sporting and you can hear UWS cheering from here.
GOAL! Gomez gets behind the back four and levels it up!
3-3!
Great move there with Llorente in the middle of it playing a lovely lay off that allowed Gomez to steal in.
Another European cracker!
And that's half time. No goals at the Mestailla but I've enjoyed three from the San Mames. I chose well.
Level here and Madrid still two goals in front.
We're back on for the second half then.
Oh - off the bar from Martinez! A really close call there for Sporting.
Oh - now it's Insua with a rocket off the outside of the Sunday roast. This is tight as a tick!
I definitely picked the right match to watch this afternoon. It's still 0-0 at the Mestailla - Atletico appear to be cruising it at this point. Valencia getting nowhere fast.
Atletico have added to their lead through Adrian. So that one's done and well and truly dusted, to the joy of MUR and Thomas.
Good afternoon, BD. I was a hall monitor during my conference period , so I was unavailable. I have a class, but will join you for the remainder of the match.
A little over twenty minutes for these sides to decide this one before it goes to extra time.
I am pleased. I desperately need the points.
The space opened up for the defensive middie Itturaspe but his shot was well covered.
Afternoon, MUR - I hope the hall monitoring went well. When I had those duties in days past, I used to bring a book along so that I could read. When I had "bowl patrol" I used to grade papers.
Are these matches the second leg semi matches?
It was pure drudgery. I had a partner who was informing of some the frustrations we suffer in the profession.
They will let us read, but not grade papers.
This really does seem to be shaping up like yesterday's match did. How many Germans do Sporting have for the penalties?
Well, that's at least something, if you have someone to chat with.
Oh - Llorente was nearly in there at the near post with a header. Another corner.
That is true, BD. I don't think Sporting have any Germans. I rmembver a Dutchman or two, a Chilean, and a Russian.
Are these semi matches ?
Yellow card for Gomez for an absolutely pathetic simulation attempt.
Yes - these are semi-final second legs, same as earlier in the week in the Champions League.
Excellent! My Athletico are all but in the final. I hope they face Sporting so Thomas and I are pitted against Thomas' dad. The more LOBers with a team in the final, the better.
They have a chance, for sure, although Bilbao are certainly making more chances.
Ten minutes left and then extra time and perhaps the dreaded penalty shoot-out again.
Marcelo Bielsa, Bilbao's legendary manager is the likeliest candidate to take over from Pep Guardiola, who has talked of stepping down at Barca.
I will be around for extra time because class will end around the time it starts, but some of my students are needing help with their homework assignment.
I am not so sure about him. His track record is mediocre. Where will Pep go next?
That's a good question. If Citeh were to sack Mancini, he'd be a top choice for that job. I'd love to have him in at England.
Sporting with a free kick now...
Poor delivery and it's cleared out.
I believe that Pep's next job will be in the EPL. I am not sure why, but my instincts tell me that.He would be good for the English game.
COME ON YOU GREEN AND WHITE HOOPS!
Of course, if Arsenal were smart, they'd move Arsene upstairs as a Director of Football and bring Pep in as manager. If....
This one's winding down - there hasn't been a real chance in ten minutes or so.
GOAL! There it is! Sorry, mate - it's going to be an all-Spanish final. UWS will be gutted.
Bit of a scrappy goal there but it's Llorente again who's done the damage after some great work on the wing from Gomez. Llorente beat Polga to it and it went in off the post.
BUGGER!!!I am sorry to hear that. There is still time for Sporting to pull one back.That is all they need to be in the final.
He's the player that was a thorn in United's side.
Everyone was expecting an all-Spanish final in the CL as well. Can you imagine how boring that would have been.
In many respects, Chelski have done the Premiership a favor by qualifying for the final.
It looks like an athletic final as opposed to a sedentary final.
He is a real predator, Llorente. He'll be in the Spanish squad for sure.
They sure did. They really helped the EPL.
True.
Athletico Madrid have won 0-1 at Valencia and are in the final.
COME ON SPORTING!
Serie A has again had a miserable season in Europe. No sides in either the CL or Europa League semis. I'm not even sure that there were any in the quarters.
WIll Athletico Madrid be the official LOB Europa League team?
Atletico are trying to make another defensive change.
AC Milan were in the quarters.Inter may have been too.
They'll have to be - you and Thomas could bag six priceless points.
BUGGER !!! Bilbao are in the final.
That's right. Good memory.
We would love that. I sure can use thise six points.
That's that - Atletico v. Athletic in the final in Bucharest next month.
Actually Inter were not. They were eliminated by Marseille in the round of 16, but AC Milan were
That's it for me, mate. I'm going to do some reading. Have a good rest of the day. Chat with you this weekend, eh?
An all Spanish final. YAWN!
Cheers BD. Have a great day. I will catch you on Saturday.
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