Champions League opponents

[Frans]

I've said it before but i'll say it again. Heavy penalties (fines, suspensions) for divers based on video evidence would at least be a start in combatting the problem.

[aveslacker]

Nice one SPL. This is one aspect of the game that is holding it back in Australia. Most australians are used to hard, physical contact sports (Aussie Rules, Rugby etc), so when they see players rolling on the ground like they have been shot it really pisses them off.

I have watched so many games with mates, who I have tried to convert to liking out game, and each time they start to appreciate it, some little poonce gets a slight shove and goes rolling in "agony" on the grass for 15 consecutive rolls.

Here's a note to all the little shithead divers out there...
1. You look like an arse
2. Come and play rugby or aussie rules for 5min. These guys will sort you out. if you tried that shit here, you may never walk again, let alone think about diving.
3. When you really, really get hurt, you don't actually roll around, over and over until someone comes and puts a sponge on the "hurty" bit. You actually hit the deck like a bag of bricks.
4. see # 1
5. You ruin the "beautiful" game.

In signing off I say this:
NOTE TO DIVERS...F*ck off. You suck and we all hate you.

I have the same problem with my friends in the US. They're already convinced that soccer isn't "manly" enough, and when they see some longhair rolling around on the floor as if a high heel was broken, it just confirms their suspicions.

The problem is that for many cultures diving is ok if you get away with it. I once read a defense of Maradona's "hand of god" that made this argument -- it wasn't cheating because he didn't get caught. And not long ago, a well-known Argentinian whose name currently escapes me said that he thought the Argentinians should do more, not less, diving and shirt-pulling. As if they don't do enough already!!!

[FlaFlu]

And not long ago, a well-known Argentinian whose name currently escapes me said that he thought the Argentinians should do more, not less, diving and shirt-pulling. As if they don't do enough already!!!

Wasn't it Claudio Cannigia?

[aveslacker]

That sounds right.

[Philippe]

inter have a not-so-easy away game that they can not afford to lose tomorrow in Livorno.

:1 Juventus 66
2 AC Milan 54
3 Inter Milan 54
4 Fiorentina 50
5 AS Roma 48
6 Livorno 42

[Blind3]

Always take Claudio Cannigia's comments with the same grain of coke as their author. Say No To Drugs.

[Venezuelan Ajacied]

Always take Claudio Cannigia's comments with the same grain of coke as their author. Say No To Drugs.

:drecul2: that one gave me a laugh.. kind of sad but very very true.

[carcajou]

Villareal IF we manage to knock Inter out.

Apparently we already know the opponent we would get in the semis as well?

What are the rules?

[Kowalczyk]

That's a great draw.

Yes, yes, I know: we have to beat Inter first and that will be very hard, etcetera, etcetera. But having said that: it is very nice to know that the quarter final will be fun and that we'd actually have a chance in it, too!

Would have been a bit disappointing to play Inter for a confrontation with Milan or Juventus. This is nicer, and definitely an encouragement to the team, I'm sure!

K.

[J.C.]

Apparently we already know the opponent we would get in the semis as well?

Arsenal or Juventus.

[ZoefdeHaas]

http://www.uefa.com/magazine/news/Kind= ... 02446.html

Good read.

[carcajou]

Apparently we already know the opponent we would get in the semis as well?

Arsenal or Juventus.

X'C X'C

But I guess you just can't get a weak anymore in the semis, so let's deal with it.

[ofey]

It's a terrific draw. I really do think that Ajax would beat the spaniards over 2 legs but the situation against Inter does look rather bleak. Without Galasek and Sneijder, I still feel our foward line could have done it but now without both Heitinga and Grygera, it's going to be next to impossible. Still, hope springs eternal and @ De Hams in London I will be to cheer the lads on... Hup Ajax Hup!!

[dws]

It's a terrific draw. I really do think that Ajax would beat the spaniards over 2 legs but the situation against Inter does look rather bleak. Without Galasek and Sneijder, I still feel our foward line could have done it but now without both Heitinga and Grygera, it's going to be next to impossible. Still, hope springs eternal and @ De Hams in London I will be to cheer the lads on... Hup Ajax Hup!!

Villereal is a nice incentive :yes: :yes:

We have reasonable options for the back four: Trab, Maduro/Lindenbergh, Vermaelen and Urby. Remember, Inter is not too clever at the back.
The key to this game is the midfield. If our midfield can supply Rosenberg and Rosales with enough ball they in turn will provide enough chances for Huntelaar to win us the tie. :xyxthumbs:

[afckeeper95]

Apparently we already know the opponent we would get in the semis as well?

Arsenal or Juventus.

X'C X'C

But I guess you just can't get a weak anymore in the semis, so let's deal with it.

Maybe IF we reach the semis, Arsenal or Juve will think" well, at least we got the weakest team"

[jamcocteau]

The key to this game is the midfield. If our midfield can supply Rosenberg and Rosales with enough ball they in turn will provide enough chances for Huntelaar to win us the tie. :xyxthumbs:

Think you have hit on the head there. In my opinion, the midfield is the key area - in the first half at the ArenA the Ajax midfield were superb and this why Ajax controlled the game until half time. Inter made a switch at start of second half, which changed the face of the midfield and ultimately the game. From the start on Tuesday if we can win the midfield battle then we have a chance.

[Kowalczyk]

I will reply to Jamcocteau's post, but not in this thread...

Let's discuss the CL draw here and the Inter game HERE.

K.

[FlaFlu]

Villarreal is the best draw we could have hoped for, I think. Benfica is at about the same level but they are defensively stronger.

We're far from the semi's but if we would manage to get past Inter and Villarreal I'm hoping Arsenal knock out Juve.

[SE6Ajacied]

Still, hope springs eternal and @ De Hams in London I will be to cheer the lads on... Hup Ajax Hup!!

OK, so we can have a little party at De Hems. Who else is going to be there? I'll probably wear this seasons shirt with "Anastasiou 17" on the back but send me a PM if you want to meet up :xyxthumbs:

[ofey]

I'll usually be in a jersey from a couple of seasons ago. You can't miss me as I'll probably be the only chinese asian in the pub. Anyhow, I wonder if they'll (De Hams) be showing the P$V game tonight? Will probably call later to ask. Anyone else?

[SE6Ajacied]

I wonder if they'll (De Hams) be showing the P$V game tonight? Will probably call later to ask. Anyone else?

I doubt it (and don't necessarily believe what the person who answers the phone tells you). A few weeks back they said they were showing the Willem II midweek home game...but when we got there, surprise surprise they hadn't got the right channel. They can show the CL games which are on Nederlands 2 (Dutch version of BBC2) but not the live league games which are on Versatel (Dutch version of Sky Sports pay TV).

Good Luck with finding somewhere to watch anyway :xyxthumbs:

[Kowalczyk]

Time to start thinking about the Champions League. It's closer than we think!

Here is the total list of participants on UEFA.com:
http://www.uefa.com/competitions/UCL/ne ... 29304.html

Next week, on 11 July, are the first Champions League qualifiers iof the new season: the first legs in the first preliminary round. The draw for the first two qualifying rounds has already taken place. The draw for the third preliminary round (which is when Ajax will enter the competition) is on Friday 28 July.

We will once again be one of the seeded teams for that draw, so we can not get Arsenal, Liverpool, Valencia or Inter. However, if you look at the access list you will see that there is a number of clubs that finished high on the table in major football countries, but have a low UEFA co-efficient. Ajax, in other words, might be paired with Osasuna (#4 in Spain), Fiorentina (#4 in Italy), Heart of Midlothian (#2 in Scotland), Standard Liege (#2 in Belgium), Legia Warsaw (champions of Poland) or Hamburger SV (#3 in Germany). Most of these clubs will be non-seeded because they didn't do much in Europe in recent years.

All in all, the list of possible opponents seems to be more worrying than last season, I would say. This could be a very tricky qualifying round. That's the ironic thing about being a seeded side in the third preliminary round: you can get VÃ¥lerenga from Norway, but you can also get Osasuna, the 4th best team from Spain. The differences in quality between the various non-seeded teams is quite huge.

Another difference with last season: last summer Ajax played for the Johan Cruyff Shield (against PSV) before the first CL qualifier against Brøndby. The J.C. Shield was like a very useful 'dress rehearsal'. A serious, major test case. This season the first CL qualifier will be Ajax's very first 'real' game of the season. The last time that happened (in 2003, against Grazer AK) Ajax were total crap in the first leg.

That's what's so dangerous about having to qualify for the CL: the very first game of the season is immediately a 'final' of crucial importance. Starting the season slowly can be fatal and cost the club millions of euros.

In a way I would quite fancy Hearts: great club, great city, wonderful atmopshere, etcetera. But on the other hand I'd say: let's have IF Knäckebrød from Iceland... :D

K.

[Blind3]

Come on Iceland.

Although, if we did draw Hearts, at least their squad is a bit unsettled at the moment. What with two good players, Webster and Skacel seemingly wanting out in order to join George Burley at Southampton.If websites like Sporting Life have a clue.

Last , I wonder what will happen if Fiorentina are found guilty?

[SE6Ajacied]

let's have IF Knäckebrød from Iceland... :D

K.

That sounds like something you eat with cheese :D I'd quite like Hearts as well btw, as you say, nice city though we never seem to do well in Scotland.

Hamburg would be an interesting reunion but I think would be a very tough game so perhaps not.

[Kowalczyk]

That sounds like something you eat with cheese :D I'd quite like Hearts as well btw, as you say, nice city though we never seem to do well in Scotland.

Ummm... I wouldn't say that.

Our very last visit to Scotland was for a friendly against Celtic (July 2002) nd we played 'em off the park: 1-3.

In August 2002 (CL qualifiers) Celtic stuffed us in Amsterdam, but we did very well at Celtic Park: 0-1, which was their first European home defeat in years.

Last time before that was the CL group phase in the fall of 1996: a whopping 4-1 win at home (two goals by Dani), followed by a hard-fought buit vital 0-1 win at Ibrox.

Longer ago we lost 1-0 at Celtic Park (March 1971), but we had already won 3-0 at home.

January 1973: two wins over Rangers (1-3 at Ibrox, 3-2 at home).

September 1982: elimination by Celtic, but they beat us in Amsterdam (1-2), not in Scotland (2-2).

So, we have a 100% score against Rangers (4 games, 4 wins). Out of the three times we played Celtic they eliminated us twice, but on both occasions the result in Scotland was good. Ajax played five official games in UEFA competition on Scottish soil: 3 wins, 1 draw, 1 defeat (must be said that one of those wins didn't help, but on the other hand the only defeat didn't hurt).

That's not too bad, I would say.

We never played any other Scottish clubs in UEFA competition than the Old Firm clubs, by the way. Hearts would be nice.

K.