Send us a message

Interested in being a part of the team? Get in touch with us today.

European Finals And Wembley: A Match Made In History

 Posted by on May 16, 2013 at 8:13 pm  Europe, GFT Special, Global Football Today, UEFA Champions League
May 162013
 

When London’s Wembley Stadium welcomes Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund on Saturday May 25 for the UEFA Champions League final, there will be plenty of history being made.

This will be the first time two German clubs have met in the final of Europe’s most prestigious club competition; format not withstanding. It’s also the first time one venue will have hosted two finals in three years. 2011 saw Barcelona reach the peak of their proverbial power by defeating Manchester United at Wembley by a score of 3-1, but more on that in a moment.

Let’s take a look back at the other finals that have been played at Wembley.

1963-Milan 2-1 Benfica

Goals

18′-Eusebio (Benfica)

58′-Jose Altafini (Milan)

66′-Jose Altafini (Milan)

 

The European final has been particularly cruel to Benfica and Portuguese legend Eusebio. He scored the opener in the first half, only to be outdone by Milan’s Brazilian forward Jose Altafini. It was the first title for one of Italy’s premier sides, but only 45,700 turned out to see the match that was officiated by English referee Arthur Holland.

 

1968-Manchester United 4-1 Benfica

Goals

53′-Bobby Charlton (Manchester United)

75′-Graca (Benfica)

93′-George Best (Manchester United)

94′-Brian Kidd (Manchester United)

99′-Charlton

Ten years after the tragic Munich air disaster, Manchester United rose to power thanks to a “golden generation” of British talent. After a lackluster first half, Sir Bobby Charlton opened the scoring only to have the Portuguese side 22 minutes later. From there it was more stalemate action as the Red Devils kept the legendary Eusebio on lock down.

Then extra time came and Benfica (once again) found themselves on the wrong end of the scoreline. This was all prior to the “golden goal” rule so Manchester United would go on to tally three extra time goals courtesy of the great George Best, newly turned 19 Brian Kidd, and a second for good measure from Charlton.

92,225 fans passed through the turnstiles that day.

 

1971-Ajax 2-0 Panathinaikos

Goals

5′-Dick van Dijk (Ajax)

87′-Arie Haan (Ajax)

Panathinaikos became the first Greek side to reach a European final in club competition and they were quite the plucky underdogs in this match going up against the Johan Cruyff and the birth of “total football”. Unfortunately, there was no fairy-tale ending in this one as Ajax forward Dick van Dijk (no, not THAT Dick van Dyke) scored in the fifth minute and put the Greek side on their heels from the get go. Midfielder Arie Haan, who came on after halftime as a substitute, added a second for good measure just before the final whistle blew.

A solid crowd of 83,179 turned out for this one and there was still an English presence on the field as Jack Taylor oversaw the match as head official.

 

1978-Liverpool 1-0 Club Brugge

Goals

64′-Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool)

Once again, an English side was at the peak of its power when the final returned to Wembley. This time it was Liverpool representing the host nation and they searching for their second in a row after defeating Germany’s Borussia Mönchengladbach 3-1 in 1977.

The Belgian side made its first appearance in a final, but it was ultimately Liverpool who won thanks to a Kenny Dalglish strike midway through the first half. The match was hardly entertaining and both sides essentially blamed the other for the lackluster display. Still, 92,500 showed up to see the Reds clinch back-to-back titles.

 

1992-Barcelona 1-0 Sampdoria

Goals

111′-Ronald Koeman (Barcelona)

After a bit of hiatus, the European final returned to Wembley in 1992, just several months prior to one participant (Barcelona) hosting the summer Olympics. The Spanish side would go on to win in extra time thanks to Dutch defender Ronald Koeman’s free kick effort.

Several future high profile managers could be found on the field in this match including Swansea’s Michael Laudrup, former Barcelona/soon-to-be Bayern Munich manager Josep “Pep” Guardiola, and now former Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini.

This was Barcelona’s first European conquest and a meager 70,827 would wind up turning out to see. If only they knew what was to come.

 

2011-Barcelona 3-1 Manchester United

Goals

27′-Pedro (Barcelona)

34′-Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)

54′-Lionel Messi (Barcelona)

69′-David Villa (Barcelona)

 

Sometimes knockout tournaments don’t allow for the two best teams to meet in the final. This was not the case in 2011 as the eventual champions of Spain and England went head to head in front of 87,695 people. Pedro opened the scoring midway through the first half, but Wayne Rooney gave the Red Devils hope when he equalized in the 34th minute.

But this was Barcelona at the peak of their power of Pep Guardiola and second half goals from Lionel Messi and David Villa saw the Catalan side earn their fourth European title. They also defeated United in 2009 in Rome by a score of 2-0.

 

*If you’re looking for a place to stay for this year’s final, Holiday Inn has several outstanding locations for to choose from. Check out the individual location pages below to see which one best fits your needs.*

Holiday Inn London Kensington Forum - www.hikensingtonforumhotel.co.uk/

Holiday Inn London Brent Cross - www.hilondonbrentcrosshotel.co.uk

Holiday Inn London Bloomsbury - www.hilondonbloomsburyhotel.co.uk

Holiday Inn London Regents Park - www.hilondonregentsparkhotel.co.uk

Holiday Inn London Mayfair - www.hilondonmayfairhotel.co.uk

Is Borussia Dortmund The Most “Likeable” Club In Europe?

 Posted by on April 9, 2013 at 8:30 pm  Europe, Germany, Global Football Today, Global Headlines, UEFA Champions League
Apr 092013
 

Lionel Messi has his detractors. Everyone loves to hate Cristiano Ronaldo. The same holds true for Manchester United, AC Milan, and countless other powerhouse European clubs.

Who hates Borussia Dortmund?

(Well…outside of supporters of any other German club…)

I’ve been active on Twitter for about three years. While it’s not exactly a “scientific” indicator, I have never seen anyone on Twitter speaking out passionately against the black and yellow club. But that’s only half the battle. It’s not enough to have a minimal number of naysayers; you have to have positive attributes as well.

Here’s a rundown of why I believe Borussia Dortmund to be the most “likeable” club in all of Europe.

Supporters

Their passion is unrivaled.

Show me another club whose fans are capable of this…

bvb skull 300x194 Is Borussia Dortmund The Most Likeable Club In Europe?

bvb snow 300x200 Is Borussia Dortmund The Most Likeable Club In Europe?

bvb crown 300x186 Is Borussia Dortmund The Most Likeable Club In Europe?

bvb eyes 300x225 Is Borussia Dortmund The Most Likeable Club In Europe?

 

 

And just to show you how they do away from home…

 

No Oil Money Necessary

In a time when clubs like Chelsea, Manchester City, and most recently Paris-Saint Germain rise to prominence because a wealthy oil baron(s) fell into their lap, Borussia Dortmund’s success has been the result of good old fashion “buy young, sell high”.

Perhaps their best player, Mario Götze, is only 20 years old and comes straight from Dortmund’s youth ranks. The same can be said for fullbacks Marcel Schmelzer (age 25) and Marc Hornschuh (age 22). They’ve also brought in talented youngsters Marco Reus (Borussia Monchengladbach) and talented center back duo Neven Subotic (Mainz) and Mats Hummels (Bayern Munich) from outside their ranks without drastically overpaying.

It’s very refreshing to watch a championship caliber team be built with smart purchases and an outstanding youth system.

Jürgen Klopp

Sometimes all it takes is an unlikeable manager to make or break a club’s reputation. Fortunately for Dortmund, Klopp is very candid in interviews (he’s done some time as a TV analyst) and at the (somewhat) young age of 45 he doesn’t take himself too seriously in general. He also has a son who plays for Borussia Dortmund’s b-team and lives in the same neighborhood as many of his players.

Talk about devotion to the club!

Style

There’s no distinct about the way they play; they are simply fun to watch. Marco Reus is one of the finest dribblers in the world, Götze can pass as well as anyone, and guys like Robert Lewandowski and Jakub Blaszczykowski work tirelessly without any semblance of selfish or indignant behavior. Fullbacks Lukasz Pizczek and Marcel Schmelzer love to go forward as much as anyone.

There are no “superstars” or “divas” on this team and that is also very refreshing in the current times in which we live.

Colors

Okay, so I’m partial to this last one as a Columbus Crew supporter.

But I did take a graphic design class once in college and I learned that yellow and black is the single most effective color combination to use when you want people to retain your “message”.

 

Many of the world’s finest clubs have at least one glaring attribute that causes a certain segment of the neutral fan population to hate them. But I’m not sure you can find such a flaw with Borussia Dortmund. There’s too much energy, too many positive vibes surrounding this team.

Will it last forever? Who knows. But I’ll always be a fan until they give me a reason to feel otherwise…

 

Champions League 3/5/2013 Highlights

 Posted by on March 6, 2013 at 9:18 am  Global Football Today, Manchester United, Real Madrid, UEFA Champions League
Mar 062013
 

article 2288723 1876786F000005DC 954 634x419 Champions League 3/5/2013 Highlights

Manchester United – Real Madrid:


Manchester United – Real Madrid 1-2 All Highlights 2013 by FootballOnline24

Borussia Dortmund – Shakhtar Donetsk:


Borussia Dortmund 3-0 Shakhtar Donetsk (Maç Özeti) by futbl

Manchester United – Real Madrid Pre-Match Interviews

 Posted by on March 4, 2013 at 8:53 pm  Global Football Today, Manchester United, Real Madrid, UEFA Champions League
Mar 042013
 

sir alex mourinho Manchester United Real Madrid Pre Match Interviews

Videos before the 2nd leg match between Manchester United and Real Madrid at Old Trafford.


Ferguson – Ronaldo will cause problems by PressAssociation


Ryan Giggs set to reach landmark figure by PressAssociation


Mourinho hypes Manchester-Madrid clash by PressAssociation


Alonso talks Ronaldo hype by PressAssociation

I was wrong about De Gea

 Posted by on February 18, 2013 at 1:03 pm  Blogs/Media, England, EPL, Europe, European Champions League, Manchester United, UEFA Champions League
Feb 182013
 

article 2278420 179030B9000005DC 993 634x388 I was wrong about De Gea

There, I said it.  Over the past two seasons, I have been one of the most vocal about De Gea not being good enough for Manchester United.  He has very visible weaknesses.  He struggles when a physical presence is required on crosses and set pieces, and his inability to speak English fluently greatly impairs his ability to command the back line.  These are obvious, and were clear from the first big game against Manchester City in the community shield.  The problem is, many people (myself included) never took the time to re-evaluate.  Over the last couple of months though, I’ve come around.  Not only do United have the best young keeper in the world right now, but they most likely have the best shot stopper in the world, period.

When evaluating goalkeepers, you have to also look at their supporting cast.  When you look at United, you naturally would think that De Gea is surrounded by the best players possible.  The problem with that theory is that it ignores the injuries and father time, which have wrecked havoc on United over the past two seasons.

Here are the appearances for Manchester United’s top defenders in the premier league so far this year: 26 total games played (starts)

Patrice Evra: 25 (25)
Rafael: 21 (20)
Rio Ferdinand: 20 (19)
Jonny Evans: 17 (16)
Chris Smalling: 12 (7)
Nemanja Vidic: 11 (10)
Phil Jones: 9 (5)

Nemanja Vidic has never really made it back to the every week starter, and defensive rock, that he was before his injury against Basel in the Champions League last season.  With only 11 appearances so far this season for Vidic, De Gea has been deprived of not only his best defender, but the undoubted leader of this squad.  Its clear to anyone watching that United are a much different animal when Vidic is in the lineup.  It also speaks volumes that Evra is leading the way in appearances, and starts, while he is also seen by many as a weak link in the United defense.  Far past his prime, its well known that Fergie was looking to bring in Leighton Baines as a replacement over the summer.  The one bright spot has been the play of Jonny Evans.  The player that pushed Pique out the door to blossom at Barcelona, has often been a disappointment to many United fans, but he’s been probably the most consistently good defender this season.  With Vidic working his way back to full health, Rafael maturing into a world class right back, and Rio seeming to defy time, De Gea is set up to finally have some consistency in front of him for the rest of this season.

Now, getting to the man himself, one major argument in De Gea’s favor is to simply look at the stats.  The below stats are from www.eplindex.com and show the comparison between David De Gea and Joe Hart.  Hart is widely considered to be the best keeper in the EPL, more reliable, more mature, and generally favored by the media.  Upon closer inspection though, De Gea is the clear winner.  De Gea has obviously had to work more, 68 shots compared to 44, and over double the amount of saves per game.  The one huge stat that took me by surprise was the aerial duels.  De Gea won an astonishing 83% of his aerial battles, which flies in the face of everything you’ve have heard from people like me over the past 2 years.  Clearly he doesn’t look the most confident, but its obvious that whatever he does works.

Saves: Hart – 44, de Gea – 68
Saves per game: Hart – 1.7, de Gea – 3.8
Saves to shot %: Hart – 65, de Gea – 77
Successful clearances: Hart – 26, de Gea – 24
Successful clearances per game: Hart – 1, de Gea – 1.3
Aerial duels won %: Hart – 75%, de Gea – 83%
Passing accuracy %: Hart – 60%%, de Gea – 56%
Total loss of possession: Hart – 224, de Gea – 188
Errors that lead to goals: Hart – 4, de Gea – 1

This plays into the other aspect of his game, his complete unorthodox style.  This was on display for all to see in Madrid for their Champions League match against Real Madrid.  Right off the bat, in probably his biggest game yet for United, De Gea made a save with his fingernails to dive and divert Coentrao’s wicked curling effort, that traveled through multiple players before being forced onto the post, in what was probably the save of the season. Later in the same match De Gea displayed what is quickly becoming his trademark, a glorious kick save of Coentrao’s effort. De Gea said: ”It all happened so fast, I got across and was lucky enough to save it with my feet. Overall, I am very happy with my performance. I am improving every day at Old Trafford and I am very happy.”  Which has to make every Manchester United fan very happy to hear.  De Gea has proven already that when it comes to pure shot stopping, he has very few peers … if any.

It speaks volumes that coming out of a Champions League knockout match between two of the biggest clubs in the world, where Ronaldo (arguably the world best player) faced his former team Manchester United (which he’s still in love with), the major talking point was not about any of that, but it was all about the greatness of De Gea.  Well done sir, you’ve proved a lot of us wrong and for once, I am glad to admit my mistake.

 Older Entries