http://www.theoffside.com League Football, Soccer News and Views from Around the World Fri, 10 Feb 2012 21:55:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 http://www.theoffside.com/tournaments/champions-league/getting-a-boot-in.html http://www.theoffside.com/tournaments/champions-league/getting-a-boot-in.html#comments Thu, 08 Dec 2011 16:46:01 +0000 chris http://www.theoffside.com/tournaments/champions-league/getting-a-boot-in.html Soft penalties are an epidemic. Stephane Mbia’s challenge/rearranging of Sebastian Kehl’s face is not a soft penalty. This is earning every single bit of the penalty and then some, with Kehl being subbed off. (He’s fine, though probably not remembering much of pi.) Fair warning: not for the exceedingly squeamish. [101gg] ]]> http://www.theoffside.com/tournaments/champions-league/getting-a-boot-in.html/feed 1 http://www.theoffside.com/tournaments/champions-league/dinamo-versus-lyon-versus-the-gambling-authorities.html http://www.theoffside.com/tournaments/champions-league/dinamo-versus-lyon-versus-the-gambling-authorities.html#comments Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:51:55 +0000 chris http://www.theoffside.com/tournaments/champions-league/dinamo-versus-lyon-versus-the-gambling-authorities.html It’s not entirely shocking that a team with a -13 goal difference over 5 games and which was down to ten men before the half hour was bludgeoned like a horror movie victim. However, the exceptional swing in goal differential was exactly that which was needed to move Lyon above Ajax and into the Champions [...]]]> http://www.theoffside.com/tournaments/champions-league/dinamo-versus-lyon-versus-the-gambling-authorities.html/feed 0 http://www.theoffside.com/tournaments/champions-league/the-city-of-manchester-now-sans-champions-league-football.html http://www.theoffside.com/tournaments/champions-league/the-city-of-manchester-now-sans-champions-league-football.html#comments Wed, 07 Dec 2011 21:41:49 +0000 chris http://www.theoffside.com/tournaments/champions-league/the-city-of-manchester-now-sans-champions-league-football.html This is extraordinary. Just extraordinary. It’s entirely possible that, with a group comprised of Bayern, Napoli and Villarreal, Manchester City’s first foray wouldn’t go brilliantly. And it didn’t, dropping down to the 3rd spot below the Germans and Italians. (Villarreal finishing with a big fat goose egg.) But Manchester United too? In that group? Utterly inconceivable. [...]]]> http://www.theoffside.com/tournaments/champions-league/the-city-of-manchester-now-sans-champions-league-football.html/feed 5 http://www.theoffside.com/tournaments/champions-league/mario-gomez-v-morgan-de-sanctis-the-finale.html http://www.theoffside.com/tournaments/champions-league/mario-gomez-v-morgan-de-sanctis-the-finale.html#comments Wed, 02 Nov 2011 23:00:07 +0000 chris http://www.theoffside.com/tournaments/champions-league/mario-gomez-v-morgan-de-sanctis-the-finale.html Mario Gomez scored three goals by the half, bringing his Champions League tally to 5 goal in 4 games, to go along with its Bundesliga counterpart of 12 in 10. In a few words, he’s untouchable right now. And yet, the most memorable will be the one he didn’t score in the final seconds of [...]]]> http://www.theoffside.com/tournaments/champions-league/mario-gomez-v-morgan-de-sanctis-the-finale.html/feed 2 http://www.theoffside.com/tournaments/champions-league/quote-of-the-week-perspective.html http://www.theoffside.com/tournaments/champions-league/quote-of-the-week-perspective.html#comments Fri, 21 Oct 2011 13:28:03 +0000 chris http://www.theoffside.com/tournaments/champions-league/quote-of-the-week-perspective.html UEFA’s weekly wrap is always excellent, but this quote from Otelul Galati president Marius Stan is both funny and eye-popping. Because be honest – you didn’t know who they were until the Champions League draw. “They are celebrating 25 years with Sir Alex Ferguson on the bench and we are celebrating 25 weeks since we have [...]]]> http://www.theoffside.com/tournaments/champions-league/quote-of-the-week-perspective.html/feed 0 http://www.theoffside.com/tournaments/champions-league/the-power-of-curly-prayer.html http://www.theoffside.com/tournaments/champions-league/the-power-of-curly-prayer.html#comments Thu, 20 Oct 2011 14:55:48 +0000 chris http://www.theoffside.com/tournaments/champions-league/the-power-of-curly-prayer.html Before last night’s thrashing of Genk, David Luiz and that mop of curls atop his head took to touching Fernando Torres’ head before the match – saying it was a rabbit’s foot thing, rather than “I’m about to quit Chelsea to lead my own congregation on early morning TV…would you like to buy my book?” [...]]]> http://www.theoffside.com/tournaments/champions-league/the-power-of-curly-prayer.html/feed 0 http://www.theoffside.com/tournaments/champions-league/death-and-the-champions-league.html http://www.theoffside.com/tournaments/champions-league/death-and-the-champions-league.html#comments Wed, 19 Oct 2011 21:43:51 +0000 chris http://www.theoffside.com/tournaments/champions-league/death-and-the-champions-league.html Today, we breath a heavy sigh of relief for Lille’s Aurelien Chedjou, a man who, judging by the sounds emitted from his body last evening, very nearly gave his life for Champions League group stage football. What a trooper. Or maybe it was just gamesmanship which spawned a lot of unneeded “football is for [fill [...]]]> http://www.theoffside.com/tournaments/champions-league/death-and-the-champions-league.html/feed 0 http://www.theoffside.com/world-football/aspiring-thespians-death-by-massimialiano-allegri.html http://www.theoffside.com/world-football/aspiring-thespians-death-by-massimialiano-allegri.html#comments Tue, 18 Oct 2011 15:24:37 +0000 chris http://www.theoffside.com/world-football/aspiring-thespians-death-by-massimialiano-allegri.html Easily one of the most underrated aspects of football is the prematch press conference photography. Before the Champions League? It’s magic. Dozens of photogs clamoring for the best facial expressions, angles and moments of maniacal madness. Andres Villas Boas appears as though he’s running through the cycle of emotions posed by an acting class teacher, [...]]]> http://www.theoffside.com/world-football/aspiring-thespians-death-by-massimialiano-allegri.html/feed 0 http://www.theoffside.com/tournaments/champions-league/danny-the-dog.html http://www.theoffside.com/tournaments/champions-league/danny-the-dog.html#comments Wed, 28 Sep 2011 19:48:17 +0000 chris http://www.theoffside.com/tournaments/champions-league/danny-the-dog.html Isn’t that a Jet Li film? (Appears so.) Obviously, this is both the best and worst celebration in the history of Zenit’s participation of the Champions League. It might enjoy/suffer the same fate for the entirety of the Champions League itself, and it’s surely due an explanation, which we don’t really want. (He used to play [...]]]> http://www.theoffside.com/tournaments/champions-league/danny-the-dog.html/feed 0 http://www.theoffside.com/tournaments/champions-league/photo-swiss-red.html http://www.theoffside.com/tournaments/champions-league/photo-swiss-red.html#comments Tue, 27 Sep 2011 19:52:39 +0000 chris http://www.theoffside.com/tournaments/champions-league/photo-swiss-red.html Basel’s currently getting comfortably beaten at Old Trafford, where a trouncing is very possibly on the docket*. However, this photo of their fans should at least serve as some consolation – dibs for photo of the season thus far. (Michael Regan/Getty Images) * – Well, it would appear the Swiss men disagreed – 3-3 end. ]]> http://www.theoffside.com/tournaments/champions-league/photo-swiss-red.html/feed 2