I'm not sure which game I'm more upset about missing--this one or last night's NCAA final. Man, this "school" stuff is really starting to chap my ass, if you know what I mean.
Ugh, this game sounded so amazing. Okay, I guess you're all going to need a quick explanation of how Champion's League soccer works: Up until the final, you play two-legged ties, meaning you play two games, one at each club's home, with the team that has the better aggregate score moving through. If there is a tie, the club with more away goals, that is, goals scored at the other team's field, wins.
Liverpool drew the first leg at the Emirates (where Arsenal plays) 1-1, which was an excellent result because they came back to Anfield (their home) without a deficit and an away goal to work with. So, all they needed to do was keep Arsenal off the scoreboard today, their specialty, and they would move through. I figured if LFC gave up a goal, they would lose or at least have to go to penalties, if they didn't, they would win (obviously).
But to paraphrase Bill Simmons, the lesson is, as usual, that I'm an idiot.
Arsenal jumped out to an early lead behind an Abou Diaby* goal in the 13th minute, which LFC answered with a Sami Hyppia header. In the second half, Liverpool moved ahead with a Fernando Torres goal (he's an absolute goal-machine at this point). But just when it seemed things were looking good for Rafa Benitez' men, Emmannuel Adebayor scored in the 83rd, and now, at 2-2 Arsenal was prepared to move forward on away goals. It was not to be though, as a apparently, LFC caught Arsenal completely with their pants down, and while they were still celebrating, Ryan Babel burst into the box and drew an (apparently very iffy) penalty, which Steven Gerrard (my favorite player, if you must know) finished off. Babel then sealed it as Arsenal pushed everyone forward.
*This is a funny name. Abou Diaby. Abou Daby. Aboodaby. Aboodoo baby. Funny stuff. Also, this guy was supposed to be a Viera-type. How the hell is he so good on the wing? Wenger is really amazing sometimes. (Yes, I know roughly 0.5% of you understood that. Forgive me.)
What a game! It does seem that Liverpool got the benefit of the refereeing decisions in both games (a penalty not called in the first and the one called in this one), but I'm not complaining.
Ah, it so hard to be an American who loves soccer. To paraphrase Herman Melville: Ah, Sam! Ah, Humanity!
Picture courtesy of Soccernet.
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