May 26, 201115 yr i'm curious to know where people would put Xavi and Iniesta in this whole debate (one which i promised not to enter into 3 days ago lol) or would be comparing apples and oranges then? Iniesta is slightly better in my opinion, simply because of his versatility and ability to do just about anything. If I had to rank the best footballers in the world right now, I'd probably have Iniesta at #2 and Xavi somewhere in the top 5. They're both brilliant footballers.
May 26, 201115 yr Let's not forget the fact that Iniesta loves to show up big when it counts. This video gives me chills every time. Perhaps the best use of a Coldplay song in history. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUpF8netIrc]YouTube - Dramatic Iniesta Goal vs Chelsea 1-1 2009 HD[/ame] Anyone else think he'll score at Wembley on Saturday?
May 26, 201115 yr Let's not forget the fact that Iniesta loves to show up big when it counts. This video gives me chills every time. Perhaps the best use of a Coldplay song in history. YouTube - Dramatic Iniesta Goal vs Chelsea 1-1 2009 HD Anyone else think he'll score at Wembley on Saturday? Pep Gaurdiola would like that. He loves Coldplay....and U2. In fact Viva La Vida is the team's unofficial anthem and is played before every game at the Nou Camp. Iniesta does know when to pull out the BIG goal doesn't he. But I still prefer Xavi.
May 27, 201115 yr iniesta scored the winning goal in the world cup final didnt he? champions league final! biggest sporting event of the year and i aint taking arguments against that cos it's the truth! the way i see this game unfolding is wave after wave of barca attack with plenty of last ditch defending from man utd and incredible saves from van der sar and then the odd threatening counter attack from man utd. i can see hernandez giving a bit of grief to the barca defenders but how many opportunities he will get to do so is the worrying matter. i can see that being the game for the first 60 to 70 minutes. it's in the last 20 to 30mins i can see man utd being a lot more dangerous like they have been all season long. it's the period in which arsenal has caught barca napping on a couple of occasions. i don't see nani being much of a threat to barca but with valencia being fresh i really hope he has a killer game. when i compare the two teams in paper it is rather disheartening. when you look at the barca team you have 5 or 6 of the top 20 players in the world. when you look at man utd you'll struggle to find a spot for any of them except maybe vidic and nani. much of that would have to do with the fact that since the last time they met. barca has spent 150 million whereas man utd has spent a little over 30 and sold a 80 million pound man.
May 27, 201115 yr [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ln06429pfw&feature=player_embedded]YouTube - Football player attacked by own fans with firecracker ?[/ame]
May 27, 201115 yr the way i see this game unfolding is wave after wave of barca attack with plenty of last ditch defending from man utd and incredible saves from van der sar and then the odd threatening counter attack from man utd. i can see hernandez giving a bit of grief to the barca defenders but how many opportunities he will get to do so is the worrying matter. i can see that being the game for the first 60 to 70 minutes. it's in the last 20 to 30mins i can see man utd being a lot more dangerous like they have been all season long. it's the period in which arsenal has caught barca napping on a couple of occasions. Agreed on most points. If United is to win this game, they'll have to make some great saves throughout the first half, and hope for a counterattack goal near the end from Hernandez to steal the game from Barsa...but I don't think that will happen. I think Messi will slip one in in the first half and United will struggle to come back.
May 27, 201115 yr such as............? I stopped myself from mentioning the likes of "City," Milan, Inter... Maybe for one season only Ian, before realistically we have to somehow start winning titles, and european cups or it may all fizzle out. Then it will be as you were. Barca Madrid Man United and the rest. Maybee in 5 years it may change to Madrid or Man United... being top...all the rest can only hope to be there..
May 27, 201115 yr Absolutely. Barcelona could get away without having Messi in their squad. But if you took Xavi and Iniesta out of the team then they'd have some big big problems. Individually Messi may be the best player in the world but in the end football is a team game and that's why I think Xavi and Iniesta are the best two players in the world. I'd stand out Xavi. He does the dirty work and is responsible of Barca's spectacular game style. The way he orders the midfield in addition to his accurate passes are pretty much the pillars of the team. Iniesta is more of an explosive player, with some bursts to complete the plays. Messi as I said is just the dude that after getting clear the midfield dribbles through 2 or 3 defenders and scores or assists. Of course his dribling and skills are insane, up there with Zidane and Ronaldo from the last 20 years.
May 27, 201115 yr I'd stand out Xavi. He does the dirty work and is responsible of Barca's spectacular game style. The way he orders the midfield in addition to his accurate passes are pretty much the pillars of the team. Iniesta is more of an explosive player, with some bursts to complete the plays. Messi as I said is just the dude that after getting clear the midfield dribbles through 2 or 3 defenders and scores or assists. Of course his dribling and skills are insane, up there with Zidane and Ronaldo from the last 20 years. Definitely.
May 28, 201115 yr this got me even more pumped up about the game! [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPACf5SIKJM&feature=channel_video_title]YouTube - Barcelona v Manchester United: Glory is ours.[/ame]
May 28, 201115 yr only 8 hours to go..... hope to see a bit more discussion in the hours leading up to kick off. cos this is huge!
May 28, 201115 yr Champions League: Man Utd have learned from 2009 - Scholes Paul Scholes has said Manchester United will not repeat the mistakes they made two years ago when they face Barcelona in Saturday's Champions League final. The midfielder stated that United learned some painful lessons in the 2-0 defeat by Barca in the 2009 final, as the Catalan giants dominated the match. "There is a determination to make sure that doesn't happen again," he said. "It wasn't a nice night and the summer afterwards felt very long. This time we intend to at least give it a go." Scholes came on in the dying moments of the 2009 final in Rome, but the game had already passed United by as goals by Samuel Eto'o and Lionel Messi confirmed Barca's superiority. Barcelona are being talked up by some as the best club side in the history of the sport, and Scholes believes the clash between the champions of Spain and England will be a fitting climax to the season. "There is no doubt the two best teams have made it to the final," the 36-year-old added. "Barcelona are the ultimate. They are what we all look to and want to play like. But our football can be just as good as theirs at times. We have a lot of quality too. Both teams want to go forward and score goals, so I don't think anyone could ask for a bigger or a better final." Much of the pre-match attention has fallen on Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi, the reigning Fifa World Player of the Year. But Manchester United skipper Nemanja Vidic has cautioned his side against focusing too much on the 23-year-old Argentine at the expense of the other stellar attacking talents in Barca's line-up. "Messi is a great player and is really hard to stop," Vidic commented. But I would not underestimate the other players they have like Xavi and Andres Iniesta, they're really good players who can produce good performances in the vital games. "It is not just about one player. It's about stopping Barcelona as a team." Barcelona winger Ibrahim Afellay also looked back to the 2009 final, and suggested that his side would face a better all-round side at Wembley than two years ago. "They have more experience and they have new players, good players. It will be a great game," said the Netherlands international. In football, you never know. It's a one-off game." The 25-year-old, who came on as a substitute in both legs of Barcelona's semi-final against Real Madrid, believes there are threats to the Catalan club from all over the pitch. "When you play Manchester United, everyone is a good player," he said. "You have players like Wayne Rooney, Ryan Giggs and the others." The former PSV Eindhoven captain - who played down speculation linking him with a move to Liverpool - said that Barcelona's players will not be affected by the ash cloud that forced them to travel early to London. Afellay explained: "As professionals, you have to focus on the game. Maybe it's good to go a couple of days beforehand so you are with the group." Barcelona's former Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano conceded that victory against Manchester United would be sweeter because he had previously played for the Anfield club. "Yes, it will be, for my past," stated the Argentina midfielder. "Obviously it's a bit different for me because I know the feeling for Liverpool supporters at the moment. But now I play for Barca and want to win for me and this club." For all the titles and trophies won by Barca in the course of a glorious few years for the club, Mascherano insists his team-mates are still hungry for more. "It is really difficult to find, in football, people like this. I am talking about my team-mates," he said. "I have team-mates who have won everything but they want to win again. You can see it in their faces." http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/13567856.stm
May 28, 201115 yr Having a party with friends before the game! Leaving for the final in a few hours!! I'm SO pumped!! GLORY GLORY MAN UNITED!!!
May 28, 201115 yr i am a little upset to see my beloved Red Devils go down to barca but i hate it even more that the season is over. it has been wonderful watching this team go from being the team that everyone had written off as being the worst united team in 20yrs to being english champions and european finalists. i can't wait to see what 2011/2012 brings. GLORY GLORY MAN UNITED :D
May 28, 201115 yr i am a little upset to see my beloved Red Devils go down to barca but i hate it even more that the season is over. it has been wonderful watching this team go from being the team that everyone had written off as being the worst united team in 20yrs to being english champions and european finalists. i can't wait to see what 2011/2012 brings. GLORY GLORY MAN UNITED :D +1 :thumbsup:
May 28, 201115 yr 2 games left of the season Huddersfield v Peterborough Swansea v Reading Any predictions?
May 29, 201115 yr [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6xbFirqhJk]YouTube - Barcelona 3-1 Manchester United Pedro Goal 5/28/11[/ame] Watching the highlights of yesterday's match again. That first goal was all Xavi. Faking left, drawing the defenders away, and making a quick pass right to the feet of a wide open Pedro. Brilliant, brilliant football.
May 29, 201115 yr YouTube - Barcelona 3-1 Manchester United Pedro Goal 5/28/11[/url] Watching the highlights of yesterday's match again. That first goal was all Xavi. Faking left, drawing the defenders away, and making a quick pass right to the feet of a wide open Pedro. Brilliant, brilliant football. Xavi - Just why I thought he edges Iniesta! Wasn't he just incredible last night! Jesus do they play football as the beautiful game.
May 30, 201115 yr So far Swansea are on their way to the Premier League Reading 0-2 Swansea (30 mins)
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