Champions League Final: Liverpool FC V AC Milan

[J.R.]

http://www.uefa.com/ml/images/competitions/UCL/headerF2005_left.jpg (http://www.uefa.com/competitions/UCL/FixturesResults/Round=1972/Match=1086988/index.html)


Milan (http://www.uefa.com/Competitions/UCL/Clubs/Club=50058/index.html) - 20:45 - http://www.uefa.com/images/all/white_spacer.gifLiverpool (http://www.uefa.com/Competitions/UCL/Clubs/Club=7889/index.html)
http://www.uefa.com/imagescontent/competition/clubs/logos/50x50/50058.gif (http://www.uefa.com/Competitions/UCL/Clubs/Club=50058/index.html)http://www.uefa.com/imagescontent/competition/clubs/logos/50x50/7889.gif (http://www.uefa.com/Competitions/UCL/Clubs/Club=7889/index.html)
25 May 2005 (Wed.)
14:00 (EST) on TSN.
Atat?rk Olimpiyat - Istanbul.


Istanbul setting for first date

Two teams that have played 14 European Champion Clubs' Cup finals between them will meet for the first time in UEFA competition when Liverpool FC face AC Milan in the 2004/05 UEFA Champions League final at Istanbul's Atat?rk Olympic stadium.

http://www.uefa.com/images/all/spacer.gifhttp://www.uefa.com/images/all/spacer.gifLiverpool dominated European club football during the late 1970s and early 1980s when they won four finals in a seven-year span, but since then Milan have emerged as a continental force with three victories from five Champions' Cup final appearances between 1989 and 1994.

Indeed, the Italian side have appeared in nine finals altogether, with six victories on the field of play and their most recent success coming in a 2002/03 penalty shoot-out at the expense of Serie A rivals Juventus FC. Although Liverpool last lifted the blue-riband trophy in 1984, the Reds won the 2000/01 UEFA Cup after a nine-goal thriller against Deportivo Alav?s.

Milan have encountered English opposition before in a UEFA showpiece, having defeated Leeds United AFC 1-0 to claim the 1972/73 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. Liverpool, meanwhile, have had mixed fortunes against Italian teams in UEFA club finals - edging past AS Roma on penalties in the 1983/84 Champions' Cup but losing 12 months later to Juventus in a match tinged with tragedy at Brussels' Heysel stadium.

The Rossoneri have also overcome Premiership opponents en route to this season's final, accounting for Manchester United FC 2-0 on aggregate in the first knockout round. They subsequently beat FC Internazionale Milano and PSV Eindhoven to reach Istanbul. Liverpool's qualification followed a similar path to Milan's as they too ousted Italian and English rivals - seeing off Juventus and Chelsea FC at the quarter-final and semi-final stage respectively.

http://www.tsn.ca/images/stories/20050504/finalists_65834.jpg


Thoughts, comments, predictions?

[Madferret]

Could there be any two more boring Clubs to watch in the biggest Fixture of the year?
zzzzzz....

:conspire:

[BURY]

If Milan plays like they did in their second leg against PSV Eindhoven they'll lose this one but I think they'll come out strong and win 1-0 on a goal by Kaka :D

[Madferret]

Liverpool has proved me wrong in each Round so far, so I'm going to say 2-1 Reds....

[Canucklehead]

Liverpool 2-0.

[a4l]

Come on Pool. 1-0 will do it.

[Madferret]

Come on Pool. 1-0 will do it.

On like a flubbed corner kick own goal....
Zzzzzzzz...

Now, I'm all for the Cup being brought back to Engerland, especially against the Italians (Milan to be exact, The Italian Liverpool, Sleep Attack Soccer), but we know who the last true, proper, class EPL team who also brought back the League title and the FA Cup with her......

*GLORY GLORY*
*U-N-I-T-E-D *U-N-I-T-E-D *U-N-I-T-E-D*


.....what a bad year for to be a Reds fan
*sob*
:shrug:

[J.R.]

I'm looking forward to my first ever Champions League final, which in my opinion, is only second to international european football for on-pitch action.

Liverpool 2 - 1 AC Milan.

I think this game will be more entertaining than some believe.

[Amoroq]

2-1 Liverpool.

:D

[J.R.]

Great segment on SportsCentre today by the two match commentators who I really have enjoyed listening to throughout this competition - Derek Rae and Tommy Smyth. Rae is great on the play-by-play, perhaps in my top five favourite announcers. Today they did a preview of the final and the 'expert' (Smyth) also selected Liverpool to win 2-1. It's a consensus. We will see.

[a4l]

GO LIVERPOOL ... YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE

[a4l]

On like a flubbed corner kick own goal....


*GLORY GLORY*
*U-N-I-T-E-D *U-N-I-T-E-D *U-N-I-T-E-D*


.....what a bad year for to be a Reds fan
*sob*
:shrug:

I hear their name will be changed to the Buccaneers pretty soon.
http://www.sevillagrande.org/foro/style_emoticons/default/meparto.gif

http://img61.photobucket.com/albums/v185/MemoryLane/bolt.gif

[J.R.]

Why is that? Was Man.U-ankees rejected?

:(

[J.R.]

AC Milan "ripped" into Liverpool in the first half and lead three - zero. The Reds played the first 45 today, like the way they played all season in the EPL. Now that this one is out of reach, I want the slaughtering to continue. I would love to see a six - zero scoreline, just for the fun of it. There's not much else to cheer for.

[a4l]

I refuse to give up on them. Cisse hasn't played yet

[Amoroq]

Finally!! Ok now just 3 more ;)

[Canucklehead]

What a Sh_t game :mad:

[Amoroq]

Finally!! Ok now just 3 more ;)ok just 2 more ;)

[J.R.]

Eat my words!

Liverpool FC back within one.

:eek:

[Canucklehead]

Wait 3-2 now. Nevermind the earlier comment.

[Amoroq]

ok just 2 more ;)Cmon!!!! YESSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!

[Canucklehead]

WWWWWWWHHHHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! !!!!!!!

WHAT A COMEBACK!!!!!

[J.R.]

WTF? Really WTF?

The tale of two halves. It's been a tale of two halves.

:eek: :eek: :eek:

[a4l]

COME ON LIVERPOOL GET 1 MORE AND GO AHEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[J.R.]

This is one of those matches where I say, "I'm glad that I became a fan of european football."

[a4l]

A nail biter for sure. It's my kind of game.http://img62.exs.cx/img62/2879/silly30gn.gif

[J.R.]

Sweet.

Extra time at the Atat?rk Olimpiyat in Istanbul. :thumb:

Here's hoping it doesn't go to penalties. :)

[Canucklehead]

Extra time coming.This is one of the best games I have ever seen. Unbelievable.

[a4l]

Come on Pool. You can do it.
http://img75.exs.cx/img75/9009/n4pclapping.gif

[a4l]

Penalties. This is too much for my nerves. Two cup games going to penalties in a week. :conspire:

[Amoroq]

I detest shootout!! Even if liverpool wins!! But I'll take it. ;)

[J.R.]

Well, here we go...

#1 Beckham-esque. :eek:

[Amoroq]

I'd hate to win or lose like this!!

[J.R.]

A RED spectacle in Istan-pool!

http://www.soccernet.com/images/england/20050523/lfcceleb_cb.jpg

Congratulations, Amoroq.

[a4l]

YAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Way to go Pool!!!!!

[Amoroq]

I'll take the win but I would have been a lot more excited had it been an extra time goal.

[Canucklehead]

YAAAAAAYYYYYY!!!!!!!

What a comeback!

Dudek was great on those penalty kicks, although I think he moved forward too soon on the second.

[Amoroq]

The people who predicted Liverpool 2 Milan 1.....what fools!! ;)

[J.R.]

The people who predicted Liverpool 2 Milan 1.....what fools!! ;) :laughing:

Yep and as equally as foolish are the people who said the game was over after 45 minutes.

:doh:

[Madferret]

*shudder*
Congratulations Scousers....

[J.R.]

I think this game will be more entertaining than some believe. Just a hunch.

:thumb:

[a4l]

I can't wait to see how this is handled. Liverpool, as it stand can't play in next yr. CL so they can't defend their title

[J.R.]

I can't wait to see how this is handled. Liverpool, as it stand can't play in next yr. CL so they can't defend their title Yep. Let the debating begin.

I think they should be rewarded a 'wild card' spot or something. I just can't see them not getting a chance to defend.

Pressure builds to let Liverpool defend Champions title

LONDON -- English soccer officials are pressing European soccer's governing body to allow Liverpool to defend its Champions League title next season.

Liverpool beat AC Milan 3-2 on penalty kicks Wednesday night in Istanbul, Turkey, after trailing 3-0 at halftime, for its fifth victory in Europe's most prestigious club competition -- and first in 21 years.

Under UEFA's rules, Liverpool doesn't qualify for the tournament next season. The Reds finished fifth in England's Premier League, and only the top four teams qualify -- Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool's bitter crosstown rival, Everton.

"Liverpool are the European champions and we believe as European champions they should get the chance to play in the Champions League next season," England Football Association chief executive Brian Barwick said Thursday. "This is a difficult situation, but we had an extraordinary match, it's thrown up an extraordinary issue and it needs an extraordinary solution."

UEFA spokesman William Gaillard said he doesn't expect the qualifying rules to be changed.

Continued here: http://www.sportsline.com/soccer/story/8506439

[Madferret]

Scousers still are never happy...