Showing posts with label Bayern Munich. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bayern Munich. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Your Champions League Semifinal Primer

Can Ronaldo carry Real Madrid to a Champions League title?

By Justin Sherman (@JShermOfficial) and Alejandro Vargas (@callmejandro)

The UEFA Champions League quarterfinals saw two huge upsets as Barcelona and PSG crashed out of the tournament, setting the stage for a fascinating, yet unpredictable round. The draw kept apart the two teams from Madrid, and denied Pep Guardiola the opportunity to face his club for next season, Manchester City, at least until a potential final.  

Who will be able to fight off their nerves and progress to the final in Milan? Alejandro and myself examine… 

Atletico Madrid vs. Bayern Munich / 1st leg April 27th 2:45 PM in Madrid/ 2nd leg May 3rd 2:45PM in Munich.

Overview

League standing: Bayern Munich 1st, ahead by 7 points. Atletico Madrid 2nd, even on points with 1st.

Diego Simeone's Atlético have reached the last four for the second time in three years, while Bayern are appearing at this stage for the fifth season in a row. This is Atlético's fifth European Cup semifinal appearance, and their record is a respectable 2-2. The Spanish side have not lost at home in a European Cup semifinal and are unbeaten in their last five home matches against German clubs. Bayern have won only two of their last 12 trips to Spain, and have not won any of their last seven knockout games away from home.

Did you know?

Simeone and Guardiola were regular opponents as players, playing in ten club matches when Simeone was with Atlético and Sevilla FC, and Guardiola was at Barcelona. Simeone recorded three wins to Guardiola's four, although the Argentinian did come out on top in the 1996 Copa del Rey final, with Atlético winning 1-0 after extra time.

Probable Starting XI

Atlético Madrid: GK Jan Oblak RB Juanfran CB Jose Gimenez CB Stefan Savic M Saul M Gabi LW Yannick Carrasco RW Koke F Antoine Griezmann F Fernando Torres

Bayern Munich: GK Manuel Neuer RB Philipp Lahm CB Medhi Benatia CB Javi Martinez LB David Alaba M Arturo Vidal M Thiago M Douglas Costa M Mario Gotze F Thomas Muller F Robert Lewandowski

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Soccer Shows America It Isn't Special… And That's Ok

Even Tim Howard's record-setting performance couldn't save the US against Belgium.
By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

The US Men's National Team fought with everything they had. Superhuman goalie Tim Howard made a World Cup-record 16 saves, and young lightning Julian Green scored on his first touch of the tournament, late in extra time, to keep the boys alive…

But America still lost.

That's soccer, or football as the rest of the world calls it, and if this World Cup has shown me anything it's that, while I still believe my country is great, we aren't special.