OT: Juventus vs Real Madrid Champions league final

[resdubwhite]

Juve looked a poor team in the second half. Lead up the 3rd goal was calamitous albeit with a great ghosted run by Ronaldo. Ramos is a disgrace. The cuadrado sending off down to his theatrics.

 

[BritPat]

Can someone help me? Seriously - I seem to never hear about this crap until it's already over. What's a good way for someone in the US who doesn't follow the regular season to know when there's a big event coming? I wish I could get a freaking email alert or something, cause I would have loved to have watched this.

It's about knowing the calendar really.

The NFL is much shorter and easier to follow than a normal football season, plus any normal summer tournaments that may follow.

When it comes to Europe, all of the leagues kick off between early August and early September. The continental competitions, Champions League and Europa League, start in mid-September (the draws for those usually take place at the end of August).

The leagues run until early-mid May, depending on your country, and the continental competitions usually have their finals at the end of May (this was the latest CL final I've known; when Liverpool won it in 2005, the final was held on the 25th of May).

In terms of International competitions, almost all of them are every four years; the World Cup is every four years (the next one is next year in Russia, which should be fun with their recent history of hooliganism) and usually runs for 4 weeks from the end of the second week in June.

Europe's own International competition, the European Championship, or more widely, the Euros, also runs every four years but is two years separated from the World Cup (the last one was last year in France, won by Portugal, the next one is in 2020 although it will be held across the continent to celebrate UEFA's 60th Birthday. The final and semi-finals though will be held at Wembley Stadium in London). Same time-scales as the World Cup (June/July)

There's also the Copa America, South America's International tournament, which is always brilliant to watch and is probably the most "fan-friendly" as it usually has the highest amount of flair and attacking football on show. If you want to start following football then that's the place to go, everyone falls in love with Brazil, unless you're an Argentinian of course. That has recently changed it's format though, there were two competitions back to back in 2015 and 2016 and it looks like it is moving to a biennial tournament from 2019 with an expanded allotment of teams (including the USA, I believe). The competition usually runs from early/mid June to early July.

Then there's the African Cup of Nations, or ACON. Now this has always been the outlier as it's been a biennial competition since the 1960's. The most recent one was this year with Cameroon beating Egypt in the final. It's held from mid-January to early February , due to the African heat. It's always an enjoyable tournament with some terrific players on show and usually some high-scoring games.

So really, knowing when football is on is key to knowing when the biggest games happen. Hope my post helps anyway.

 

[TheRazorsEdge]

You must have not watched much champions league this year. All they've done is be the best road team in the tournament. And put up clean sheets.

I did watch plenty but none the less that's a fair point. Wasn't what I was trying to say. They had a great campaign... simply said their defense isn't as good away as it is home. You fail to acknowledge quality of opponent (Juve had an easy group stage...porto were pretty bad this year... Barca was a great victory...and Monaco is too inexperienced ...so a defense that tends to slip up away... VS a team as hot as Madrid that's not a good thing........... As the result proves.

only noteable team that can be considered a power house that juventus disposed of was Barca...and I won't even mention how bad barca has been as of late. It was a great victory for the old lady.

In the past now. I admire Italian defensive philosophy ...Juve embodies that better than maybe any other serie A team.... But they aren't as good away than at home.. On any stage

 

[TheRazorsEdge]

3-1! Ronaldo with his second!

Juve utterly static at the back. Crazy.

Check out Juve during the serie A season...anytime they face adversity away from home the defensive unit..which is elite btw...chokes. Its been a trend.

 

[fnordcircle]

It's about knowing the calendar really.

The NFL is much shorter and easier to follow than a normal football season, plus any normal summer tournaments that may follow.

When it comes to Europe, all of the leagues kick off between early August and early September. The continental competitions, Champions League and Europa League, start in mid-September (the draws for those usually take place at the end of August).

The leagues run until early-mid May, depending on your country, and the continental competitions usually have their finals at the end of May (this was the latest CL final I've known; when Liverpool won it in 2005, the final was held on the 25th of May).

In terms of International competitions, almost all of them are every four years; the World Cup is every four years (the next one is next year in Russia, which should be fun with their recent history of hooliganism) and usually runs for 4 weeks from the end of the second week in June.

Europe's own International competition, the European Championship, or more widely, the Euros, also runs every four years but is two years separated from the World Cup (the last one was last year in France, won by Portugal, the next one is in 2020 although it will be held across the continent to celebrate UEFA's 60th Birthday. The final and semi-finals though will be held at Wembley Stadium in London). Same time-scales as the World Cup (June/July)

There's also the Copa America, South America's International tournament, which is always brilliant to watch and is probably the most "fan-friendly" as it usually has the highest amount of flair and attacking football on show. If you want to start following football then that's the place to go, everyone falls in love with Brazil, unless you're an Argentinian of course. That has recently changed it's format though, there were two competitions back to back in 2015 and 2016 and it looks like it is moving to a biennial tournament from 2019 with an expanded allotment of teams (including the USA, I believe). The competition usually runs from early/mid June to early July.

Then there's the African Cup of Nations, or ACON. Now this has always been the outlier as it's been a biennial competition since the 1960's. The most recent one was this year with Cameroon beating Egypt in the final. It's held from mid-January to early February , due to the African heat. It's always an enjoyable tournament with some terrific players on show and usually some high-scoring games.

So really, knowing when football is on is key to knowing when the biggest games happen. Hope my post helps anyway.

Wow man - thank you so much, this really helps a lot! I mean it, that was awesome and yeah, I think knowing the season start timeframes will be the key for me to start figuring out when the big events are happening.

 

[BritPat]

No worries, if you need any info then let me know.

If you want some good reading, then check out the likes of the Guardian, Times and Telegraph in the UK, certainly closer to kick off times for the Premier League.

Most of the UK media outlets will do a season preview that should help you get at least a basic understanding of each team and the expectations for them next season.

For other leagues I'd probably have to point you in the direction of some of the European nationals on here, although Kicker (Germany) and L'Equipe (France) are two of the most widely respected European football outlets, especially the latter.

 

[italian pat patriot]

i do not follows soccer so much ( strange eh...) but i saw the game as it was a 'must'...Juve playied well till half of the game then simply disappeared...give credit to Real...in the 2nd half there was no game...

i was expecting a better game from Juve no doubt at all...they were near to make the 'tripletta'

 

[drewskie]

The World Cup has the history and prestige, but ask any true futbol fan and they will tell you that in the current era, the UCL is the premier tournament in which players should be judged by.

Of note...Real Madrid had this long drought in terms of winning it all in the UCL before the current 3 in 4 years title window..they didnt win any for 12 years between 2002 until they won again in 2014. In the Raul era they had won in 1998/2000/2002.. but nothing until 2014/2016/2017... eerily similar to our Pats.

 

[fightingirish595]

i do not follows soccer so much ( strange eh...) but i saw the game as it was a 'must'...Juve playied well till half of the game then simply disappeared...give credit to Real...in the 2nd half there was no game...

i was expecting a better game from Juve no doubt at all...they were near to make the 'tripletta'

Juve got destroyed in the midfield from the second half on. Maybe it's my bias, but I thought juve were the better team in the first half, and they should've been disappointed to be tied 1-1. They could've been up 1 or 2 nil... easily. Real Madrid just took over the game in the second half, and max allegri saw exactly what I saw after goal number 2, a team in shock, they never recovered. Had they been up a goal or 2, At half, I'm not sure what would've happened. They probably would've just absorbed pressure, which there good at. But gotta credit Real Madrid. They took a poor juve giveaway and turned it into a goal. They were the better team in the second half and were able to keep the first half tied when they easily could've been down 2-0.

 

[BritPat]

Juve got destroyed in the midfield from the second half on. Maybe it's my bias, but I thought juve were the better team in the first half, and they should've been disappointed to be tied 1-1. They could've been up 1 or 2 nil... easily. Real Madrid just took over the game in the second half, and max allegri saw exactly what I saw after goal number 2, a team in shock, they never recovered. Had they been up a goal or 2, At half, I'm not sure what would've happened. They probably would've just absorbed pressure, which there good at. But gotta credit Real Madrid. They took a poor juve giveaway and turned it into a goal. They were the better team in the second half and were able to keep the first half tied when they easily could've been down 2-0.

Juve were absolutely superb in the first half, they did wobble just after the goal, but composed themselves and got a deserved equaliser.

Second half, Modric and Kroos brought themselves up to the level that Isco had been playing at in the first half, and they never looked back.

Football is largely decided by being able to score goals, but midfield is hugely hugely important. The best midfielders are as much in demand as the best forwards, because their impact on the game can be just as decisive, maybe even more so.