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Honestly Barca played great and Messi was magical. We should not have stayed back and been content. Well done Barca..nice acting Alves. Thanks for ruining the game ref.

Originally Posted by embowafa

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Yeah...but they didn't.



My feelings on Sergio Busquets have been voiced in this thread. His actions today did nothing to change that.

How about this...did the better team win?

I bring Real Madrid up because you supposed purists of the sport seem to take no umbrage with their cynical tackling, playing 10 men behind the ball, 20% possession AT HOME, etc....doesn't that ruin the game? I think so.

You go after one side for the dives, the stretchers, the hounding the ref....I personally was not a fan of the way Barcelona acted at times today. But read the goddamn reports..****, just watch the game with your eyeballs...BOTH teams were doing it. Why not bring BOTH teams up when you talk about diving??? WHY? Because you guys already brought your own biases into this discussion. Whether Barcelona acted saintly for 90 minutes or rolled around like little bitches, you were going to come to the same conclusion..."I hate Barcelona" ****, at least own up to the fact that your opinion has no basis in objectivity.

I hate the Celtics, Giants, UCLA, and Notre Dame for no other reason than they exist and are rivals with teams I support. At least StephenHero had the balls to just say it.

I don't dislike Barcelona per se - I dislike that "my" team can't manage to consistently pass them. I don't appreciate RM any less for changing tactics to suit their opposition. If anything I admire it. In the Copa del Rey final (and even in the La Liga draw a week ago) Jose changed from the standard 4-2-3-1 into that hugely defensive 4-3-3/4-4-1-1 hybrid and they got the result. Barca continued bringing the ball out from the back because that's how they've been taught and played all their careers. They didn't have success, and Pep didn't change anything.

Jose seems to learn from his mistakes, and Pep just keeps hacking away with the same plan. Both have their merit (and both will be praised when they work).

All I'm saying - if the ref didn't ONCE AGAIN cave to Barca's collective whining, we would've had another draw on the cards with everything to play for at the Camp Nou.

Originally Posted by ibleedwhite

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Honestly Barca played great and Messi was magical. We should not have stayed back and been content. Well done Barca..nice acting Alves. Thanks for ruining the game ref.

That is such a fair assessment of the game. Coming from someone who knows what they're talking about when it comes to these two teams.

Respect.

Originally Posted by El Argentino

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I don't dislike Barcelona per se - I dislike that "my" team can't manage to consistently pass them. I don't appreciate RM any less for changing tactics to suit their opposition. If anything I admire it. In the Copa del Rey final (and even in the La Liga draw a week ago) Jose changed from the standard 4-2-3-1 into that hugely defensive 4-3-3/4-4-1-1 hybrid and they got the result. Barca continued bringing the ball out from the back because that's how they've been taught and played all their careers. They didn't have success, and Pep didn't change anything. Jose seems to learn from his mistakes, and Pep just keeps hacking away with the same plan. Both have their merit (and both will be praised when they work).
Lol wut? We talking about the same dudes here? Pep v Mou? One guy is 2-1-1 against the other this year. One has put up 8 goals while the other has put up 2. And you say Mou is outscheming Pep? Awesome. Just...awesome.

All I'm saying - if the ref didn't ONCE AGAIN cave to Barca's collective whining, we would've had another draw on the cards with everything to play for at the Camp Nou.

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ever stop to think that maybe...just maybe Mourinho's teams don't exactly play the cleanest game against Barcelona? Why does your conclusion lead you to ONCE AGAIN blame Barcelona. I mean, if it WAS them, why weren't guys getting sent off from Chelsea and Man U two years ago? And who, from Barcelona, will you blame for RVP's 2nd yellow in the knockout round this year? It's gotta be someone's fault right? Funny how all these expulsions at the hands of these jerkoff Barça players only come against teams coached by JoseMourinho. Asier Del Horno started it.....Pepe is just the latest...and most certainly won't be the last.

Whatever man. Whatever.

Originally Posted by El Argentino

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Whatever man. Whatever.

It sure is!



A Wembley!

Dude you are so obviously biased in one direction that it's impossible for you to see things any other way. I'm not sure who here is a die hard fan of whatever team, but I get the impression several of us are just fans of football and neither team in particular. Which is why I think Messi deserves credit, and the rest Barca deserves to be flamed.

I can't speak for everyone but I'm tired of hearing about how "their way" is how football should be played. All I saw was 90 minutes of diving and crowding the ref, with 10 seconds of magic, thanks to Barca's little haxor demigod they have in human form. When Barca plays against smaller opposition, it's a beautiful display of attacking football, in classic Dutch form. But if they want to be thought of as being among the Dutch greats like 1995 or 1974 Ajax or other classy teams like 1970 Brazil or Di Stefano's Real, they need to bring the style to the big matches. As of now, Barca is a disgrace in big games against strong opposition and the more time goes by the more this is realized. I wouldnt be so foolish as to claim conspiracy, but for ****'s sake has Barca one a single BIG game without going 11v10? I can't think of any, but I'm an observer not a fanboy.

Originally Posted by embowafa

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Yeah...but they didn't.
Barca gets all the calls because they complain so much and surround the ref. It is sad. While I will say that they did play much better than Real, they need to learn to stop constantly diving and faking injury. Really, you need a stretcher, but come right back on? Sadly Barca will win the Champions League only because they will get all the calls against Man U. Does Pep include ballet in their normal training? That being sad, what Jose said was hilarious. That man really is special.

Of course I'm biased. What's your excuse? And PLEASE don't make me laugh and say "I'm just an objective old fan.". Hahaha.

No one likes diving. I hate it. Both teams were excessive in this regard...today.

But Barça, "a disgrace to the game"?!?!? right. If you were truly objective, you'd throw some **** the other way, bit you didn't....cause you're not. That's MY point. Own up to it...it's fine. You don't like the guys in red and blue regardless of what they do. I can respect that.

It's a good thing you don't speak for everyone else, because you wouldn't be able to. This era of Barcelona football is easily considered one of the best in club history and another couple trophies this year is just going to move them that much further up the list. And no amount of you guys whining about "cheating" (which, again, L o l) is gonna change thatl

Seriously though...you guys are great. Keep it coming. I'll need some stuff to entertain me while I wait for the 2nd leg to watch my boys cheat their way to Wembley. great stuff.

Stop being so obnoxious. Are you 15?

I don't need an excuse to have an opinion, by the way. Apparently you do.

As a Liverpool fan, I can't believe I'm going to say this but I hope United win the final (I hate myself already for saying that) but last night's exhibition was a disgrace to football. Both teams cheating horribly, consistently and cynically.

Barcelona were significantly worse but they were both at it. Flinging yourself to the ground, screaming in agony and rolling over clutching your face/leg/whatever then jumping up and running around time after time isn't "playing the system" or "ok because they all do it". It is CHEATING and it sickens me.

The whole constant surrounding of the ref thing is a joke, too. Barcelona, in particular, don't need to do it. They are a wonderful footballing side and I really admire their skill.

As much as I admire him, Messi does get away with a lot. There were a couple of challenges from him late on last night that warranted at least a yellow. The fact that he puts up with a lot is irrelevant - a foul is a foul and it's not an eye for an eye in football.

Finally, embowafa - you're not doing your self any favours in this thread. I know the passion of this type of rivalry (you should hear me when we beat United) but defending your team at all costs doesn't help your credibility.

The game today was horrible to watch. Worst football I've seen in my life

Originally Posted by embowafa

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It sure is!

A Wembley!

Are you going?

Barcelona 'cry babies' anger Emmanuel Adebayor http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/13219709.stm

It really amazes me that a team like barca needs to resort to such acts for the result,as much as I love messi ,they do have some really classless players.i also hate that they all run to the ref,especially their keeper who runs halfway through the pitch to complain within 3 seconds when all of his team is already there..apparently there reserve keeper is not any better.
Mou has really made a team out of real,this is not the same galacticos set up and mentality.for those who complain against his method,it's his way that tamed barca and he turns defending into an art form of the game as much as going forward is.Barca and Messi couldn't do it when it was 11 vs. 11 which is credit to them,stupid ref.