02 May 2007

It’s Milan

3-0. Three to nil? So much for that much-heralded English domination of Europe. Yes, I'm guilty as charged as well.

Athens might have been saved a riot, and now we get a chance to see if all the nonsense 2005 fluke talk holds any water. Milan certainly won’t need any pre-match team talk, but I highly doubt Liverpool will either. No matter which team won today, there was going to be a storyline going into the match, but admittedly, I have to say I prefer a rematch of the extraordinary comeback from two years ago to one the game’s biggest rivalries transplanted to Greece, as both sides can present equal, if different, difficulties for Liverpool on the pitch.

There was only one team that looked like winning today. Manchester was outclassed in every single part of the game. Milan rarely put a foot wrong in defense, Giggs and Ronaldo were invisible for long periods, and the home side got three very good goals against a makeshift United defense marshaled by a very rusty Nemanja Vidic. That may not bode well for Liverpool in Athens, but Milan should come up against a bit more on May 23rd. United really were nowhere near their best today.

So it’s the 3rd placed Premiership team versus 3rd place in Serie A. That’s going to lead to some fun press. Whatever. Let the tabloids talk. I cannot wait three whole weeks.

3 comments :

Anonymous said...

Not that I have my mind on losing, but should we be unfortunate enough not to take home #6, I'm not sure that makes 2005 a fluke.
Not that YOU were insinuating that, but...

Now, to say it will be quite a test would be to understate the task at hand. But, my super-quick synopsis is, Kaka is the pivot. Neutralizing his impact HAS to be Priority Number One. And although it's easy to make that call b/c his name has been on the scoresheet so often in the CL (leading scorer), it's really b/c he's the fulcrum of the attack. It's uncanny just how often he's at the root of it all.

How dangerous do they look on the counter? It's like a wall on oncoming water -- forceful, deadly, but fluid and beautiful.

Secondly, should Seedorf stay in form, he'll need to dealt with. Now, I could go on with names like Inzaghi and Gildarino, and then to the back with Nesta and Maldini, but I won't. We all know the danger that lies ahead. But, I rest well knowing Rafa is up at this very hour working on it and that all the lads will be ready to avoid a repeat of 2005's first half.

nate said...

Yeah, I certainly was not insinuating that, sarcasm isn't translating well I guess. I'm sick of the media insinuating that. All the time.

Without jumping the gun on the preview I'll stumble through in a couple of weeks, I'll say that I cannot wait to see Mascherano up against Kaka. That's going to be a superb battle.

Yes_ThatisAnfield_OurPride said...
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