Bavarian Football Works: FanPosts

Report: Bayern Munich to build mosque in stadium

2013-05-19T00:16:53Z

According to unconfirmed reports online, Bayern Munich officials are planning on building a mosque within Allianz Arena to accommodate the team's Muslim players as well as fans next season. The construction is thought to be the idea of winger Franck Ribéry, who converted to Islam after playing for current Turkish Süper Lig champions Galatasaray in 2005.

The original report by cultural blog OnIslam.net has yet to be confirmed by larger, more notable, news agencies - but if true continues a trend recently started by English clubs like Newcastle United, who did the same thing for their players earlier in the year.

The story gained momentum on Twitter and on various blogs across the Internet throughout the past few days, which is understandable seeing as though this type of story goes a long way in normalizing Islam and Muslims in a time when misconceptions and prejudices run rampant.

German Champions Bayern Munich build Mosque within their Stadium to accommodate for Players, Staff & Fans. #Positive onislam.net/english/news/e…
— Muslim Footballers (@TheAMF_Official) May 13, 2013

Bayern Munich Muslim Players Gets Mosque - Onislam.net dlvr.it/3MWq93 #fcbayern
— FC Bayern Flinch (@BayernFlinch) May 13, 2013

Bayern Munich Build Mosque for Muslims europenews.dk/en/node/67587
— EuropeNews_english (@EuropeNews_engl) May 15, 2013

To see a sporting institution as big and as influential as FC Bayern Munich be this accommodating and inclusive to their players and fans can go a long way to influence the thoughts of people who may not have held the growing Muslim minority in Europe in the highest of regards.

With growing concern from FIFA and individual club management about general racism in and around the league, this sort of leadership by example can do much more than any sort of PSA campaign can.

Even though the construction is still a rumor at best, here’s hoping it is true. It would be nice to see a positive story make the runs so soon after the wildfire that was the Ribéry/Boateng Beer Fiasco (which Philip Quinn already shown it to have been an overblown falsehood).

German Champions Bayern Munich build Mosque within their Stadium to accommodate for Players, Staff & Fans. #Positive onislam.net/english/news/e…
— Muslim Footballers (@TheAMF_Official) May 13, 2013

Bayern Munich Muslim Players Gets Mosque - Onislam.net dlvr.it/3MWq93 #fcbayern
— FC Bayern Flinch (@BayernFlinch) May 13, 2013

Bayern Munich Build Mosque for Muslims europenews.dk/en/node/67587
— EuropeNews_english (@EuropeNews_engl) May 15, 2013

With growing concern from FIFA and individual club management about general racism in and around the league, this sort of leadership by example can do much more than any sort of PSA campaign can.

What Will Heynckes Do At The End Of The Season?

2013-05-12T11:38:20Z

As you can tell by my username, I am indeed a Barca fan. Firstly I would like to congratulate Bayern for completely destroying Barcelona with a style and a grace that has not been seen in past years. As I watched this dismantlement of my team piece by piece, I realised that this Bayern team was truly a work of pure German art. It was flawless, perfectly planned and executed and, while Messi was not at full fitness/not playing (indeed if he had the result would have been different) the outcome would have undoubtedly remained the same. Bayern targeted and assaulted all of Barcelona's weaknesses and showed the world that we can be beaten very well by playing attractive, attacking and clean football (minus the Muller shoulder charge in the first leg). I think it was one of, if not the most clinical display of football I have ever witnessed in my life. I have always admired Bayern, but through this defeat I come out respecting them much more - both the team and the coach.

I have only realised this year just how damn good of a coach Jupp Heynckes is, and while Pep Guardiola is set to replace him come the next season, can he really give this club any more than we have witnessed this year? Was it a mistake to let a man of Heynckes platinum calibre go for another who has legendary status but is untried and untested with the more physical German style of pass-and-move football? Can Pep ever match the level of success that Heynckes has had with Bayern Munich, and if so, how long will that take him? Fate can ultimately only answer these questions, but whatever the case I trust that you Bavarians will be in for some very attractive, eye-watering football. All the best to both of these men and their futures in and out of the sport, because I know for sure that they are both charismatic, down-to-earth leaders who have brought the sport great victories, memories, and statistics that will stand in the Hall of Fame, untouched and unscathed, for many years to come.

The main reason I wrote this article was to ask you guys if you know any plans for Jupp's future in football as of now? Has he made any announcements that he will return to coaching or as a member of staff at some point down the track, and for who? I am just curious because I can only imagine many clubs chasing his signature all around the world at the moment. Pep indeed took a year's break before Bayern tempted him with a three-year deal that the world of football is dying to witness come July, but maybe Jupp is ready to dive straight into another managerial adventure?

Again, respect to Bayern for their performances all season and to Heynckes for making this powerhouse play so well and stay so motivated throughout. I don't understand how people can hate on Bayern for beating Barca like this, whether they're Cules or not. The main thing is that the true Cules and football fans will (or should) accept that Bayern were on another level in those two legs and have been in a bit of a league of their own all season to be perfectly honest, because the fact is that they were. The better team won, and more or less deserved the score they got as well.

All the best for next season and in the UCL final, but while I do respect this team a lot, I will be backing Dortmund ;) (you have to respect Dortmund given their beautiful football and crafty players, as well as awesome coach.)

Bundesliga Celebration Time

2013-05-12T03:15:43Z

WE GOT THE SHIELD!!!!! Heynckes got a Beer Bath. And now we celebrate with the pictures and videos that are out there. So if you have something, post it!!!!

Schweini, Robben, and Müller Singing:

Neuer holding the shield:

Lahm, Neuer and Schweini in a car with the shield:

Neuer so excited. Look at that face!

Balcony time:

Schweini after the match amid the confetti:

Neuer giving a girl a beer bath:

Alaba and Martinez:

The Shield amongst the confetti:

Captain Lahm:

Emre Can gets Robben:

Gomez gifs:

Holger Badstuber and Thomas Müller:

Javi Martinez with the shield:

Dante with beer, galsses, and the fake shield:

Captain Philipp Lahm looking like a boss:

Toni Kroos with the shield:

Luka Robben and Arjen Robben (WHERE IS JULIAN LAHM???)

Lahm being carried by Tom Starke celebration gifs:

Boateng gets Ribery:

Thomas and Lahm:

Rafinha and Shaqiri - what a goofy pair:

Being shielded by the sheild - Manueal Neuer & Philipp Lahm:

Van Buyten, Neuer, Ribery:

Okay, now it is your turn...

WE GOT THE SHIELD!!!!! Heynckes got a Beer Bath. And now we celebrate with the pictures and videos that are out there. So if you have something, post it!!!!

Schweini, Robben, and Müller Singing:

Neuer holding the shield:

Lahm, Neuer and Schweini in a car with the shield:

Neuer so excited. Look at that face!

Balcony time:

Schweini after the match amid the confetti:

Neuer giving a girl a beer bath:

Alaba and Martinez:

The Shield amongst the confetti:

Captain Lahm:

Emre Can gets Robben:

Gomez gifs:

Holger Badstuber and Thomas Müller:

Javi Martinez with the shield:

Dante with beer, galsses, and the fake shield:

Captain Philipp Lahm looking like a boss:

Toni Kroos with the shield:

Luka Robben and Arjen Robben (WHERE IS JULIAN LAHM???)

Lahm being carried by Tom Starke celebration gifs:

Boateng gets Ribery:

Thomas and Lahm:

Rafinha and Shaqiri - what a goofy pair:

Being shielded by the sheild - Manueal Neuer & Philipp Lahm:

Van Buyten, Neuer, Ribery:

Okay, now it is your turn...

BuLi Team of the Season

2013-05-09T22:25:33Z

Per bundesliga.com:

Neuer
Uchida-Hummels-Dante-Alaba
Gundogan-Schweinsteiger
Blazsczykowski-Goetze-Juan Arango
Lewandowski

So we get the bulk of the defense-oriented positions (I'm including holding midfield in this category), but no one in the attack. I think we're probably all agreed that Der Kapitan got a screw-job done on him, and, while fully accounting for how excellent Javi has been, he was always a long shot given the more eye-popping role Gundogan plays for BVB. I can't complain about Hummels, either, though for my money he's been a little shakier this year than last.

Things get trickier in the front four, however. I don't personally think Mandzukic scored enough goals to take the striker spot, but he is certainly in the conversation. Kiessling, meanwhile, has a very good case: he's scored as many goals as Lewa, but in a side that has 16 fewer in total. Remove Kiessling's goals from Leverkusen, and they have a goal differential of 0. Without Lewandowski, BVB still has a +17, which would still be third best in the league. I'm not at all trying to argue that Kiessling is better than Lewandowski- Lewa is a much more complete player, and likely to prove more successful on the bigger stages- but Leverkusen supporters can rightly champion their man.

Center attacking mid is a tough one: leaving off either Toni Kroos or Goetze feels like a shame. Kroos, prior to his injury, was enjoying his best season for Bayern, increasing his goal threat while also helping maintain possession in the final third, a role which- for all the qualities of Arjen Robben and Thomas Mueller- he alone can truly play for Bayern. Schweinsteiger ensures that we boss midfield, Kroos lets us camp in the opposition's end. But Goetze, of course, is a highly mobile, technical, and modern player, more athletic and visionary than Kroos, even if less consistent in possession. I'd personally say the odds were about 55-45 in his favor, maybe 60-40.

For all that, it's the selections on the wings that make me feel most for our boys. In my opinion, both Franck Ribery and Thomas Mueller should be in the conversation for German Player of the Year, and the Fifa World XI. I don't think there's a pure winger (meaning, no Ronaldo and no Bale) in the world better and more dangerous than Ribery. (I also think he's just outright better than Bale, but that's a different story.) And Tommy, for all his newborn-calf running style and Peter Crouchian appearance, is one of the most dangerous and all-around effective players on the face of the earth right now. Arango and Kuba, to be fair, are both fine players- but not like ours.

So, that's my piece. Who are your biggest snubs (from Bayern or elsewhere)?

Per bundesliga.com:

Poll

Who is hardest done by the Bundesliga XI?

ANY BAYERN FANS IN NEW YORK CITY?

2013-05-05T07:34:13Z

Hello Bayern Fans!

Hi everyone, my name is Yasir Kamal, I'm in my Senior year at college (RPI, near Albany).

However I will be home for the summer time near New York City. I live around Long Island area.

I was wondering if there are any Bayern fans in the New York City area, willing to meet up and watch the two last big games of the season!

Anyone willing to meet up, lets try to pick a designated location (obviously a bar) there are a lot of German bars in the city. One specific Bavarian bar comes to mind. Called Zum Schneider. However it got really packed last year for CL FINAL, I couldnt get in, even though we showed up an hour early.

However, for this years CL FINAL, I'll be in the Queens area to watch the game with friends at a bar. If your willing to meet, let me know, and we can plan it out.

However for the DFL POKAL FINAL, I am considering trying to go back to the Bavarian bar and enjoy it with many more Bayern fans in red!

So respond if your interested, lets make it big, I wanna march down together to the bars!!

Kinda like this!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmJZNYkUT_M

Hello Bayern Fans!

Hi everyone, my name is Yasir Kamal, I'm in my Senior year at college (RPI, near Albany).

However I will be home for the summer time near New York City. I live around Long Island area.

I was wondering if there are any Bayern fans in the New York City area, willing to meet up and watch the two last big games of the season!

However, for this years CL FINAL, I'll be in the Queens area to watch the game with friends at a bar. If your willing to meet, let me know, and we can plan it out.

However for the DFL POKAL FINAL, I am considering trying to go back to the Bavarian bar and enjoy it with many more Bayern fans in red!

So respond if your interested, lets make it big, I wanna march down together to the bars!!

Kinda like this!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmJZNYkUT_M

CL Bracket Challenge Semi-Final Standings

2013-05-03T02:45:42Z

It has happened. An all German final. At the start of the season, it seemed like a pipe dream, but now we have it and we are so close from the ultimate dream happening... the treble! And now there is just one more match in this years Champions League. We have again made it to the final, for the second year in a row.

In this latest round of the Bracket Challenge, only Twinkle got every single prediction right. So hats off to her.

Now, without further ado, here are the current standings:

	Participant	Semifinals	Finals	Total
1	Gilly	17		101.75
2	Twinkle	18		101.25
3	sportsfan1	17		99.25
4	Nishant33	17		96.75
5	KateL	17		96.5
6	Cousin_Drew	17		96
7	Grudnik	10		92.75
8	Ibonier	16		90.5
9	Vrdo4ever	10		90.25
10	BabyBrey	17		87.25
11	HenryBayernMalta	9		84.25
12	adebayo	0		78.75
13	Markopolo	10		71
14	ChrisP31	16		64
15	Der Bomber	0		38
16	Smartguy	0		29.25
17	Rohit Bhatta	0		23.75
17	Khaveen	0		23.75
19	Suleiman Kano	0		23
20	tuxybuzz	0		22.5
21	Jolly Angus	0		21
22	BayernMan	0		20
23	Pete194a	0		18.25
24	Messi Who?	8		8
25	wschaeferiii	0		2.25
26	tman10485	0		2
26	Lavlinjer	0		2
28	Kinkam	0		1.75
29	Peopleschamp	0		1.5

Now, for the the final predictions of the season, you just need to put the name of the winning team in the comments below. If you correctly predict the winner, you will be awarded 10 points (which would have meant a lot more if the draw was the same as last year vs this year.

Predictions:

Kate
sportsfan1
BabyBrey
Gilly
Vrdo4ever
Twinkle
HenryBayernMalta

In this latest round of the Bracket Challenge, only Twinkle got every single prediction right. So hats off to her.

Now, without further ado, here are the current standings:

	Participant	Semifinals	Finals	Total
1	Gilly	17		101.75
2	Twinkle	18		101.25
3	sportsfan1	17		99.25
4	Nishant33	17		96.75
5	KateL	17		96.5
6	Cousin_Drew	17		96
7	Grudnik	10		92.75
8	Ibonier	16		90.5
9	Vrdo4ever	10		90.25
10	BabyBrey	17		87.25
11	HenryBayernMalta	9		84.25
12	adebayo	0		78.75
13	Markopolo	10		71
14	ChrisP31	16		64
15	Der Bomber	0		38
16	Smartguy	0		29.25
17	Rohit Bhatta	0		23.75
17	Khaveen	0		23.75
19	Suleiman Kano	0		23
20	tuxybuzz	0		22.5
21	Jolly Angus	0		21
22	BayernMan	0		20
23	Pete194a	0		18.25
24	Messi Who?	8		8
25	wschaeferiii	0		2.25
26	tman10485	0		2
26	Lavlinjer	0		2
28	Kinkam	0		1.75
29	Peopleschamp	0		1.5

Predictions:

Kate
sportsfan1
BabyBrey
Gilly
Vrdo4ever
Twinkle
HenryBayernMalta

CL Semifinal Victory over Barcelona Celebration pics

2013-05-02T04:38:12Z

Can you believe that we won 7-0 over Barcelona??? Who would have thought it? I know that I predicted we would win against them, but I never would have thought we would have such a decisive victory. And due to such a historic victory, there are pictures and videos aplenty on the interwebs. So rather than have them thrown out amongst a million posts and stuff, here is one place where we can have them all in one place. I am just going to post a few main ones on this and then feel free to add more in the comments section. The more the merrier!

Schweini & Neuer:

The Bayern Machine, rolling down the street. Taking out anything and everything that gets in its way:

I think this possibly beats the Dante crazy gifs:

CELEBRATING WITH THE PITCH INVADER!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh my goodness. Two minutes of the invader situation. This is great. Probably the best moment of this guys life:

Kind of awkward from Neuer:

Schweini & Neuer:

The Bayern Machine, rolling down the street. Taking out anything and everything that gets in its way:

I think this possibly beats the Dante crazy gifs:

CELEBRATING WITH THE PITCH INVADER!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh my goodness. Two minutes of the invader situation. This is great. Probably the best moment of this guys life:

Kind of awkward from Neuer:

Kroos update?

2013-05-01T23:23:25Z

Does anyone happen to have any recent info on Kroos?

I recall reports early in that he was maybe attempting to come back around the CL finals.

My apologies if this has been discussed recently and I've overlooked it.

A quick search online didn't give me anything current.

Just curious how his recovery is going and if he is close to working out. Its amazing how well we have done without him. Not that i doubted our team, i just thought it would be a tough spot to fill. He was having a fantastic season.

Thanks in advance!!

Does anyone happen to have any recent info on Kroos?

I recall reports early in that he was maybe attempting to come back around the CL finals.

My apologies if this has been discussed recently and I've overlooked it.

A quick search online didn't give me anything current.

Thanks in advance!!

Away goal system VS aggregate

2013-04-28T18:32:38Z

They way goal system has always bothered me. I don't understand why it is more impressive to lose 4-1 on the road and win 3-0 at home. Either match says that the one team was 3 goals "better" than the other. I wish they would go for aggregate. I believe it to be better and it might open games up a bit. Teams wouldn't be so afraid of giving up the dreaded home goal that would put them in a 1 goal handicap. What do you think?

They way goal system has always bothered me. I don't understand why it is more impressive to lose 4-1 on the road and win 3-0 at home. Either match says that the one team was 3 goals "better" than the other. I wish they would go for aggregate. I believe it to be better and it might open games up a bit. Teams wouldn't be so afraid of giving up the dreaded home goal that would put them in a 1 goal handicap. What do you think?

Poll

Way goal Vs Aggregate.

I wish I knew German sometimes, but what does Stephan Lehman say when Bayern scores?

2013-04-26T04:47:13Z

Hey everyone!

This is probably a silly question, unrelated to the ridiculousness form of Bayern at the moment, but whenever Bayern scores, what does Stephan Lehman announce out loud? I know he ends with saying Thank you and the fans reply
"your welcome" or some form of that nature. I think he also mentions the score line too? Something about how many goals Neur let in and the crowd replies the score line or something?

Pardon my German.

Hey everyone!

Pardon my German.

Where to Watch Bayern in Orlando for CL Semi's - 2nd Leg

2013-04-16T15:45:35Z

Hi Everyone:

I am bringing the kiddies to Disney World during the last week of April, which means that I will be in Orlando during the 2nd leg of the CL Semi's. Does anyone have any suggestions of where would be a great place to watch the Bayern Game on Wednesday, May 1st?

I need to plan ahead, as obviously I am not going to miss it.

Thank you for your help, I really appreciate it!

Kurt.

Hi Everyone: I am bringing the kiddies to Disney World during the last week of April, which means that I will be in Orlando during the 2nd leg of the CL Semi's. Does anyone have any suggestions of where would be a great place to watch the Bayern Game on Wednesday, May 1st? I need to plan ahead, as obviously I am not going to miss it. Thank you for your help, I really appreciate it! Kurt.

CL Bracket Challenge Standings and Semifinal Predictions

2013-04-12T23:26:35Z

I want to start out this post with a STERN reprimand to all who dared to go against a Bayern win in the second leg of the quarterfinals. Your potential punishment will be decided in the poll below. I hope you learned your lesson! This is Bayern we are talking about!!! Who cares about one point when you can have your teams back!

First I will post the updated standings. Considering that we all correctly predicted the four advancing teams, there wasn't any huge changes. Everyone got between 24-26 points. Let me just say that having the drawings set up this way is not helping with the challenge of predicting everything in advance.

Standings:

	Participant	Quarterfinals	Semifinals	Finals	Total
1	Gilly	24			84.75
2	Twinkle	25			83.25
3	Grudnik	25			82.75
3	sportsfan1	26			82.25
5	Vrdo4ever	26			80.25
6	Nishant33	25			79.75
7	KateL	26			79.5
8	Cousin_Drew	26			79
9	adebayo	24			78.75
10	HenryBayernMalta	25			75.25
11	Ibonier	26			74.5
12	BabyBrey	25			70.25
13	Markopolo	24			61
14	ChrisP31	25			48
15	Der Bomber	0			38
16	Smartguy	0			29.25
17	Rohit Bhatta	0			23.75
17	Khaveen	0			23.75
19	Suleiman Kano	0			23
20	tuxybuzz	0			22.5
21	Jolly Angus	0			21
22	BayernMan	0			20
23	Pete194a	0			18.25
24	wschaeferiii	0			2.25
25	tman10485	0			2
25	Lavlinjer	0			2
27	Kinkam	0			1.75
28	Peopleschamp	0			1.5

Semifinal Predictions

Bayern is to face Barcelona in what is billed as a clash of the titans. This is the chance for us to take the title of "Best Club in the World" from them. And the way we have been playing this season, we would deserve that title. This has been a record breaking season for Bayern and let's all just hope that we don't drop the ball at this point.

Real Madrid faces Borussia Dortmund in what could be their opportunity to avenge their poor group stage showings against our fellow German club.

As some notes about this round, each correctly predicted match is worth 1 point and each correctly predicted advancing team is worth 7 points. Having just one prediction thread seemed to work really well last time so we will do that again. Again, you will have until the start of the first match to change your predictions for the first leg and the advancing teams. You have until the start of the return leg to change your predictions for the return leg.

Matches:

Leg 1:

Bayern Munich vs Barcelona (April 23rd)

Borussia Dortmund vs Real Madrid (April 24th)

Leg 2:

Real Madrid vs Borussian Dortmund (April 30th)

Barcelona vs Bayern Munich (May 1st)

Posting Format:

When posting your prediction, please clearly indicate OVERALL, 1ST LEG, and 2ND LEG so that there is no confusion. In addition, please use the following forms to indicate your predicted winner. I will be using Bayern vs Barcelona as the example. If you have any questions, please ask in the comments section. You can use my prediction comment as a guide.

Bayern vs Barcelona (winner in bold)

BAYERN vs Barcelona (winner in caps)

Bayern vs Barcelona DRAW (in case of a draw)

Final Notes:

If you have any questions about your score, please leave a comment and I would be happy to answer. If you want to see a break down of your score, I can provide you with that as well. Thanks for participating. I have had a fun time and I hope that you all have had a fun time as well!

Overall Prediction:

KateL
messi fan
Twinkle
Markopolo
Cousin_Drew
ChrisP31
BabyBrey
Nishant33
Gilly
vrdo4ever
HenryBayernMalta
grudnik
sportsfan1
Ibonier

First Leg Prediction:

KateL
messi fan
Twinkle
Markopolo
Cousin_Drew
ChrisP31
BabyBrey
Nishant33
Gilly
vrdo4ever
HenryBayernMalta
grudnik
sportsfan1
Ibonier

Second Leg Prediction:

KateL
messi fan
Twinkle
Markopolo
Cousin_Drew
ChrisP31
BabyBrey
Nishant33
Gilly
vrdo4ever
HenryBayernMalta
sportsfan1
Ibonier
grudnik (4/25/13)

Standings:

	Participant	Quarterfinals	Semifinals	Finals	Total
1	Gilly	24			84.75
2	Twinkle	25			83.25
3	Grudnik	25			82.75
3	sportsfan1	26			82.25
5	Vrdo4ever	26			80.25
6	Nishant33	25			79.75
7	KateL	26			79.5
8	Cousin_Drew	26			79
9	adebayo	24			78.75
10	HenryBayernMalta	25			75.25
11	Ibonier	26			74.5
12	BabyBrey	25			70.25
13	Markopolo	24			61
14	ChrisP31	25			48
15	Der Bomber	0			38
16	Smartguy	0			29.25
17	Rohit Bhatta	0			23.75
17	Khaveen	0			23.75
19	Suleiman Kano	0			23
20	tuxybuzz	0			22.5
21	Jolly Angus	0			21
22	BayernMan	0			20
23	Pete194a	0			18.25
24	wschaeferiii	0			2.25
25	tman10485	0			2
25	Lavlinjer	0			2
27	Kinkam	0			1.75
28	Peopleschamp	0			1.5

Semifinal Predictions

Real Madrid faces Borussia Dortmund in what could be their opportunity to avenge their poor group stage showings against our fellow German club.

Matches:

Leg 1:

Bayern Munich vs Barcelona (April 23rd)

Borussia Dortmund vs Real Madrid (April 24th)

Leg 2:

Real Madrid vs Borussian Dortmund (April 30th)

Barcelona vs Bayern Munich (May 1st)

Posting Format:

Bayern vs Barcelona (winner in bold)

BAYERN vs Barcelona (winner in caps)

Bayern vs Barcelona DRAW (in case of a draw)

Final Notes:

Overall Prediction:

KateL
messi fan
Twinkle
Markopolo
Cousin_Drew
ChrisP31
BabyBrey
Nishant33
Gilly
vrdo4ever
HenryBayernMalta
grudnik
sportsfan1
Ibonier

First Leg Prediction:

KateL
messi fan
Twinkle
Markopolo
Cousin_Drew
ChrisP31
BabyBrey
Nishant33
Gilly
vrdo4ever
HenryBayernMalta
grudnik
sportsfan1
Ibonier

Second Leg Prediction:

KateL
messi fan
Twinkle
Markopolo
Cousin_Drew
ChrisP31
BabyBrey
Nishant33
Gilly
vrdo4ever
HenryBayernMalta
sportsfan1
Ibonier
grudnik (4/25/13)

Poll

Do you think that those who predicted a Bayern draw should suffer a 5 point deduction???

Yes. How dare anyone go against Bayern in this competition!

7 votes

No. They deserve a far more severe punishment. My suggestion is below.

1 votes

No. Their shame is punishment enough.

9 votes

17 votes | Poll has closed

Breaking Down Semi-Final Matchups

2013-04-10T22:41:51Z

First off, beautiful performance today from die Bayern. Bossed the midfield, scored on two clean chances (better goals, to be honest, than in the first leg), and kept a clean sheet against the pride of Italy. Wonderful stuff.

So, we're on to the semis alongside (very unusually) probably the best teams in Europe this season. It's rare that the last four is composed of the teams that have really been on top form, but that's the case here. Madrid and Dortmund, for all their domestic troubles, have been quite good in Europe, and Barca- despite looking increasingly wobbly and wounded- are still dynastic and worthy of much respect. (Juve, while certainly a good team, may have benefited from advantageous draws to this point in the UCL.)

I'm particularly excited for this next round because, regardless of how the draw goes, Bayern will have a competitive and compelling tie. Here are the ways it could break down:

1. Civil War

It's eminently possible that we could see a Spain vs. Spain and Germany vs. Germany semifinal. That, in and of itself, would be intriguing, and it would have the further benefit of guaranteeing Germany a decent boost to our coefficient: we would inevitably have a BuLi team in the final. And beyond that, despite the relative domination both Barca and we have enjoyed in our leagues, the second-place challengers have been disproportionately difficult for us to put away. Real Madrid seems to have Barca's number this year, claiming more than their share of the Classico spoils. And, despite the fact that they've yet to beat us this season, Dortmund has been a thorn in our side, denying us what should have been a win in the league, and fighting us to the bitter end in the cup.

2. Like Versus Like

All four remaining teams fit neatly into two categories: possession teams, and counterattack teams. Of the counterattack outfits, Real and BVB, Dortmund is "purer," less inclined to play a possession game against weaker opponents. Madrid is deadly on the break, but also fairly comfortable on the ball. They would likely take the role of dominating the ball, and Dortmund would look to hit them hard off the turnover, a strategy which already paid dividends in the group stage. Of the possession teams, Barca is clearly the purer. We are very, very comfortable in possession, and routinely dominate the ball against Bundesliga competition, but we also have an outstandingly efficient counter. (In this respect, Kroos being out and Robben being in- normally a detriment to us- may prove advantageous in this particular match-up, much as it did against Juve. Robben has all kinds of pace, and the mentality to take advantage of chances on the break.) Much as we did to Arsenal, we would likely settle in to absorb pressure and look to the holding midfield to key a counter. Last year, given the fragility of our defense, this would have been an awful tactic, but this year, it is probably our best chance against the Blaugranas.

3. Opposites Attract

Finally, there is the possibility of the German possession team against the Spanish counterattackers, and vice versa. Not only would this involve the purest exponent of the tiki taka style, Barca, against the most straightforward countering team, Dortmund, it would also pit Bayern against Madrid in a replay of last year's semi, in which we came right down to the wire before dispatching them on PKs. Frankly, the chance to stick it to Madrid again- and this year, I think we're stronger and they're weaker- is very enticing.

So which draw is preferable? Of the three, the draw that gives Bayern the best odds of advancing is probably versus Dortmund. For all their status as our bogey team, we seem to be claiming more and more from them each time we play. This draw also guarantees a German finalist, which ain't nothing. But, low risk, low reward- there's no possibility here of an all-German final, and a defeat would be hugely deflating to us after our successes against Dortmund in the league and cup.

The highest risk and highest reward draw would be against Barcelona. They've shown frailty lately, but, on their day and with a healthy Messi, they are as dangerous as they come. Getting over them would be difficult- especially as their long spells of possession might frustrate us and lead to errors of aggression- but highly satisfying. In the immortal words of Ric Flair, "To be the man, you gotta beat the man," and we want to be the man. Taking down Barca would be like winning the lineal championship for the title of best team in Europe. And honestly, given Dortmund's past performances against RM, an all-German final could be quite likely in this scenario.

Finally, the most balanced draw, on the whole, would pit us against Madrid. They're a talented team, no question- and it drives me crazy that they landed Mesut Oezil, my absolute favorite player- but we've proven we can beat them, and have only improved since last year. History is with us, too- we're their least favorite opponent, La Bestia Negra (Die Schwarze Bestie, auf Deutsch). And it's a good clash of styles: they like to counter, we like to have the ball, but we're both balanced sides. Meanwhile, given Barca's defensive lapses and Dortmund's lightning counter, I wouldn't count BVB out on that side of the draw, either.

None of the possible ties are clear cut, either way, but I would bet on us winning any of them. Bayern vor! A treble for Jupp!

I'm particularly excited for this next round because, regardless of how the draw goes, Bayern will have a competitive and compelling tie. Here are the ways it could break down:

1. Civil War

2. Like Versus Like

3. Opposites Attract

None of the possible ties are clear cut, either way, but I would bet on us winning any of them. Bayern vor! A treble for Jupp!

Poll

What draw would you like to see for the semifinals?

Germany vs. Germany, Spain vs. Spain

2 votes

Barca-Bayern, Dortmund-Madrid

11 votes

Bayern-Madrid, Barca-Dortmund

6 votes

19 votes | Poll has closed

CL Semifinal Yellow Cards(EDITED: 4/24)

2013-04-10T21:13:51Z

EDIT: Post-first leg.

Same basic Bayern information, but with all the other semifinalists included. And I noted which players with 3 cards would miss the upcoming match.

As always, after 3 yellow cards accumulated a player is suspended for the next match, as well as after ever odd number card that follows(5,7,etc.). Only one yellow can be accumulated per match. A double yellow resulting in a red card only counts as a red card.

Bayern
4: Martinez, Schweinsteiger
3: Mandzukic
2: Lahm, Dante, Gustavo, Gomez
1: Boateng, Müller, Pizarro, Ribery, Tymoshchuck, Rafinha, Shaqiri

Barcelona
3: Mascherano, Rodriguez, Adriano, Alba(suspended 2nd match)
2: Song, Pique
1: Busquets, Alves, Fabregas, Bartra, Sanchez, Iniesta

Dortmund
2: Großkreutz
1: Reus, Götze, Gündogan, Hummels, Blaszczykowski, Schmelzer, Bender, Lewandowski

Real Madrid
4: Ramos
3: Arbeloa, Alonso
2: Essien
1: Ronaldo, Kaka, Pepe, Modric, Carvalho, Khedira, Özil

NOTE: Arbeloa is suspended for the 1st leg after a red card(double yellow) for pissing off the ref.

EDIT: Post-first leg.

Same basic Bayern information, but with all the other semifinalists included. And I noted which players with 3 cards would miss the upcoming match.

Bayern
4: Martinez, Schweinsteiger
3: Mandzukic
2: Lahm, Dante, Gustavo, Gomez
1: Boateng, Müller, Pizarro, Ribery, Tymoshchuck, Rafinha, Shaqiri

Barcelona
3: Mascherano, Rodriguez, Adriano, Alba(suspended 2nd match)
2: Song, Pique
1: Busquets, Alves, Fabregas, Bartra, Sanchez, Iniesta

Dortmund
2: Großkreutz
1: Reus, Götze, Gündogan, Hummels, Blaszczykowski, Schmelzer, Bender, Lewandowski

Real Madrid
4: Ramos
3: Arbeloa, Alonso
2: Essien
1: Ronaldo, Kaka, Pepe, Modric, Carvalho, Khedira, Özil

NOTE: Arbeloa is suspended for the 1st leg after a red card(double yellow) for pissing off the ref.

Champions League Open Thread - April 9th

2013-04-09T18:44:47Z

Dortmund vs. Malaga

Galatasaray vs. Real Madrid

The favorites(Dortmund and Madrid) are in better position in terms of yellow cards than the underdogs if they both move on. Dortmund are far and away the best situated with only one player sitting on 2 cards and 5 on just a single booking. Madrid have 3 players with 3 cards(and at least one of them sitting out this match) and only one player sitting on 2 cards.

Real Madrid have a 3-0 lead on the tie against Galatasaray and one away goal would most likely clinch it. Especially with Galatasaray missing star striker Yilmaz who got his third booking last week. Dortmund need to score goals today with the tie sitting at 0-0. Not netting an away goal means that giving up a goal to Malaga today would mean their offense has to perform even better.

Dortmund vs. Malaga

Galatasaray vs. Real Madrid