Champions League Seeds are for the Birds

College football fans love to whine about the BCS rankings, especially the obscure computer rankings that spit out unpredictable results. But the co-efficients that UEFA uses to determine the seeds for the Champions League draw, being held today, might be even goofier.

UEFA uses past European performances to weigh the teams, then splits the 32 squads into four pots of eight teams each. The top eight ranked teams are one seeds, the next eight are two seeds, and so on. Each four-team group is supposedly balanced by including one of each seed. While this system takes away subjectivity, it fails to factor in the current squad. The flaw in this method is shown in the fact that AC Milan is a one seed and Real Madrid is a two seed.

AC Milan have been one of the more successful European sides of late, winning titles in 2003 and 2007 and finishing second in 2005. But the current squad has been lessened by transfers and will struggle to contend in Serie A this year. One of those key transfers? Kaka, who joins Cristiano Ronaldo at star-studded Real Madrid. But Real have been Euro duds since their last title in 2002, so one of the pre-tournament favorites find themselves in a pot with the likes of AZ Alkmaar and CSKA Moscow.

A system that incorporated some judging of the current roster's abilities would no doubt add controversy to the process, but if done in the name of common sense, the end result would enhance the group stages.

Checking in on the Champions League

On Friday UEFA drew the 10 fixtures that will determine the final qualifiers for this year's Champions League. Under the revised format, 22 teams are already in via automatic qualifying. In one of the most appealing qualifying round meetings ever, Celtic will face 2009 semifinalists Arsenal. For two teams accustomed to appearing in the group stages, a demotion to the Europea League will be tough to take.

While the fixtures in the "Champions Route," are lacking big names, they will accomplish UEFA's goal of getting more countries involved in the group stages. The champions of Moldova, Israel, Cyprus and Latvia are among those just two matches away from a huge windfall.

Champions League: Off We Go Again

Hardly a month has passed since Barcelona's triumph in Rome, and Europe's best are back at it again. Well, maybe not the "best." The revised format for Champions League qualifying has the continent's diminutive champions taking the field first. The first round kicked-off Tuesday with matches between the champions of Malta, Andorra, Montenegro and San Marino, allowing Europe's longest of long shots to enjoy a moment in the spotlight.

UEFA has always faced a delicate balancing act to ensure that the Champions League includes both "champions" and top teams such as Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Liverpool who do not win their leagues, but are clearly among the continent's best. This year 22 teams qualified automatically for the group stages, up from 16 in previous seasons. Champions of the the top 13 countries will automatically head to the group stages, three more than last season. This change is welcome news to the champions of Turkey, Ukraine and Belgium. The inclusion of six second-place teams remains the same, but now the top three third-place squads (Chelsea, Sevilla, AC Milan) do not have to navigate the qualifying rounds.

The qualifying path for the remaining 10 slots splits the field into champions and non-champions, guaranteeing five more domestic champions will join the Champions League proper. For the non-champions, they'll be facing one another for the five remaining slots, meaning the likes of Arsenal, Atletico Madrid and Fiorentina are more likely to be drawn together. Ultimately the Champions League group stages will be include 18 domestic champions and 14 non-champions.

UEFA's efforts to include more domestic champions adds some needed variety to the competition. Teams from England, Italy and Spain have comprised every finalist since the Porto-Monaco Final in 2004. While the latter stages of the tournament will likely remain dominated by teams from those nations, the outsiders now have a more manageable path to Madrid.

Counting Down the Best European Cup Finals

Wednesday's Champions League Final between Manchester United and Barcelona has the potential to be an all-time classic. All season long, ManU and Barca have stood out as the top two teams in Europe, so if you're not a fan of one of the two sides, you have to hope that Wednesday's meeting in Rome joins the list of great finals. Here's my take on the top 10 European Cup finals of all-time.

10) 1994: AC Milan 4, Barcelona 0: A meeting of the winners of three of the last five cups was noteworthy not for the match's close score line, but for the impressive manner in which AC Milan pounded the favored Catalans. Without star defenders Franco Baresi and Alessandro Costacurta, the Rossoneri scored four times within the first hour en route to their fifth title.

9) 2006: Barcelona 2, Arsenal 1: An early red card against goalkeeper Jens Lehmann left Arsenal down to 10 men, but the shorthanded Gunners shockingly took the lead on a 37th minute goal by Sol Campbell and gamely tried to preserve the advantage. But two goals by Barca in the final 15 minutes- a 76th minute equalizer by Samuel Eto'o and the winner from Juliano Belletti four minutes later- gave the Spaniards their second Cup.

8) 1987: Porto 2, Bayern Munich 1: Just 12 minutes from time, a sublime back heel touch from Porto's Rabah Madjer erased Bayern's first half lead. Before the Germans could recover, Juary put home the winner two minutes later. It would not be the last time Bayern would be victimized by a pair of late goals.

7) 1967: Celtic 2, Inter Milan 1: Another match highlighted by a second-half rally, Celtic broke the 11-year cup dominance of Mediterranean sides, becoming the first British team to win the title. The Celtic roster, made up entirely of players from within 50 minutes of Glasgow, are still celebrated fondly as the "Lisbon Lions."

6) 1960: Real Madrid 7, Eintracht Frankfurt 3: While many consider this match the greatest final of all-time, the lopsided score keeps it from ranking higher on my list. This was, however, the Real Madrid dynasty at the peak of its power. Ferenc Puskas scored four times and Alfredo Di Stefano added a hat trick as Real captured their record fifth-straight title.

5) 1968: Manchester United 4, Benfica 1, a.e.t.: In front of a pro-ManU crowd at a packed Wembley Stadium, Manchester United found their second wind in extra time, scoring three times in a five-minute span to capture their first title. Bobby Charlton scored the Red Devils' first and last goals, while George Best put home the eventual game winner.

4) 1999: Manchester United 2, Bayern Munich 1: The ultimate late show saw Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer both score in stoppage time to give Manchester United the treble. The shock ending lead to one of the all-time great broadcasting quotes from Clive Tyldesle: "What must Lothar Matthäus be thinking? Well, with the greatest respect, who cares?"

3) 1962: Benfica 5, Real Madrid 3: A meeting of the first six cup winners was a back-and-forth affair. Real took first half leads of 2-0 and 3-2, with all three goals coming from Puskas. After Benfica tied the match early in the second half, Eusebio netted a pair of goals to give the Portugese squad back-to-back titles.

2) 1956: Real Madrid 4, Stade de Reims, 3: The first European Cup Final set a lofty standard for future matches. Real rallied from 2-0 and 3-2 deficits, with Marquitos scoring in the 79th minute to send the innaugural title to Madrid.

1) 2005: Liverpool 3, AC Milan 3 (Liverpool wins on PKs): The two games above were the only time a team had rallied from two goals. Never had a team recovered from a three-goal margin. That was the deficit staring Liverpool in the face at halftime of their final against AC Milan. But as fast as you can say Gerrard, Smicer, Alonso, the Reds leveled the match and hung on for PKs. Two years after sealing a shootout win against Juventus, Andrei Shevchenko saw his spot kick saved, giving Liverpool an improbable fifth title. The match was the highest-scoring European final in 33 years.

If you don't like my list, SI.com has its own take on the Top 10.

Champions League: Chelsea Dagger

The last thing you want to read in the lead of any post-match recap is the name of the referee. The more prominent his name, the more controversial his performance. Such was the case with last night's Barcelona-Chelsea Champions League semifinal. While it should be remembered for two phenomenal strikes from Michael Essien and Andres Iniesta, the efforts of hack Norwegian official Tom Henning Ovrebo will forever be linked with this match.

There were plenty of bad calls to go around. Chelsea were obviously vocal in defeat (technically a draw), but had Barcelona fallen short, they would have had plenty to gripe about as well. The 66th minute red card to Barca's Eric Abidal was a highly questionable one, but no call (or lack there of) was more egregious than the missed hand ball against Barcelona's Gerard Pique. Pique's post-match comments were essentially, "Yeah, my bad. Oh well."

Barcelona's scenes of stoppage time joy were quickly overshadowed by Chelsea's post-match ugliness. You don't want to say Chelsea have only themselves to blame- they had every reason to dispute the poor officiating- but they could have settled the matter far earlier by converting any of numerous scoring chances after they lead 1-0, or by showing more offensive effort in the first leg at the Nou Camp. I don't put much stock in Chelsea's cries of a UEFA conspiracy to avoid another All-English Final, but there has to be some explanation as as to why such a poor official oversaw such a high profile game.


Nearly every game story included one of several frightening photos of Didier Drogba's post game fit. Rumors have long surrounded a possible Drogba departure from Stamford Bridge, but such negotiations will be trickier with Drogba likely facing a lengthy UEFA ban.

The end game did provide for comical fodder on YouTube, with Michael Ballack's hysterics set to the tune of the always enjoyable "Yakety Sax." If you can't lose with dignity, at least leave us laughing.

Champions League: Pick Your Pair

With the Champions League semifinals beginning this afternoon, the four remaining sides offer four potential Final match-ups with compelling story lines. Which of the following will we see in Rome May 27?

The 2006 Re-match: Arsenal vs. Barcelona: Arsenal rode the goaltending of Jens Lehmann to the 2006 Final with 10 consecutive clean sheets. Despite Lehmann's red card, 10-man Arsenal fought bravely against Barcelona, even taking the lead, before two goals in the final 15 minutes denied the Gunners. While Lehmann is gone and Thierry Henry has switched kits, there are plenty of Arsenal players and supporters who would love another crack at the Spaniards.

The 2008 Re-match: Manchester United vs. Chelsea: A Final settled on penalty kicks is never satisfying (just ask John Terry), so Chelsea would gladly take another fixture against their neighbors to the north. With Manchester United out of the FA Cup, the end of their bid for the quadruple takes some of the sizzle out of this match-up. But the showdown would be a historic first; two teams have never met in the European Final in consecutive seasons.

The All-London Final: Arsenal vs. Chelsea: No London side has ever captured the European Cup, but a showdown between the North London Gunners and the West London Blues would send the capital city into a frenzy.

The Dream Final: Manchester United vs. Barcelona: Ten years ago, Manchester United met Bayern Munich in a classic final in Barcelona. That match marked the last time that two teams that won their domestic leagues faced off for Europe's top honors in the same season. With both Barcelona and ManU in comfortable position atop their leagues, we could see that scenario repeat itself. These two sides have been Europe's best all year; a match-up of the two giants would be a fitting end to the season.

Prediction: ManU's form has slipped of late, while the fortunes of Arsenal have improved along with the team's health. Look for Arsenal to pull the upset and earn another date with Barcelona in the Final. 

The New York Times and Chicago Tribune have their takes on the semifinals as well.

Super London? Let's Make a Deal

A Super Bowl in London? The idea apparently has some legs with the BBC reporting that the NFL is in talks with the city of London to host a Super Bowl at Wembley. If England is to host the greatest single-day sporting event in American sports, then Europe should do us the courtesy of sending their showpiece event over here. Why not bring the European Champions League Final to America?

The idea makes as much sense as a Super Bowl in Europe and by the time the next Finals venues are awarded, America will have the perfect venue- the new Giants Stadium outside of New York, scheduled to open next fall. With just a five hour time difference between New York and London, the game could kick-off at 3 p.m. local time and be prime time viewing in Europe. For European fans, getting to New York is no more difficult than some recent Champions League finals destinations like Istanbul or Moscow. Just as the NFL uses games abroad as a way to build the brand globally, UEFA would gain tremendous exposure hosting the game in the U.S.

Europeans tend to be more narrow-minded in their focus when it comes to staging games internationally, as evidenced by the uproar over the proposed 39th EPL game, so don't expect this dream to come to fruition anytime soon. But if London is to grab a Super Bowl, such an event should come with a price, and this is the perfect trade.

Champions League: Reds Remarkable Rout

"Liverpool return to Anfield protecting a 1-0 advantage over Real Madrid," read the previews to yesterday's Champions League match. That word "protecting" typically indicates that fans can expect a defensive struggle, and with Liverpool's history of stay-at-home, counterattacking football in European matches, there was no reason not to anticipate such a match yesterday. When a scoreless draw sees you through, it's common to take a defensive approach.

For that reason, Liverpool's display yesterday was even more inspiring. Rather than build a fortress around Pepe Reina, the Reds attacked from the opening whistle and secured passage to the quarterfinals within 30 minutes en route to a 4-0 win and a 5-0 aggregate victory. While the penalty call that lead to Liverpool's second goal was simply awful, the constant pressure from Rafa Benitez's men created the opportunity. Even at 1-0, with the way Liverpool were playing, it was hard to see a Real Madrid winning the fixture. If not for Iker Casillas in goal for Real, Liverpool could have won by six.

Liverpool showed how an attacking team at the top of their game can be a delight to watch. Now if only they could replicate this form against the Premier League's bottom feeders.

Champions League: In Defense of Two Legs

On SI.com today, soccer columnist Gabriele Marcotti expressed his displeasure with the two-legged knockout round system, in particular criticizing the importance placed on road goals. But in presenting his case, Marcotti lays out the various scenarios that, in my opinion, make Champions League play uniquely intriguing. A sample of Marcotti's strategical breakdown includes the following.

Score first on the road and you force the opposition to throw everything at you, which, in turn, creates chances on the counterattack. If the home team doesn't beat you by a two-goal margin (which means they would need to score three, which is far from simple), all you need to do is win 1-0 at home in the return leg. And if the home team manages to equalize, you've got the luxury of a 0-0 draw on your side as well. Which, again, means that the side that played at home in the first leg has to come out and attack you away from home. And that's both risky and difficult.

Sounds good to me. The advantage in these two-legged affairs can shift in an instant, placing importance on all 180 minutes of play. For example, the game one home team can be cruising 2-0, but surrender a late goal and the opposition gains a valuable lifeline, knowing a 1-0 victory in the return leg will suffice. And which side has the advantage? The one needing only a 1-0 home victory, or the opponent who advances with a road draw? Such intricacies give Champions League matches a unique drama and constantly evolving strategy that entertains more often than not.

Champions League: UEFA Gets It Right

The recent selection of London and Munich as the venues for the 2011 and 2012 Champions League Finals is a positive step for UEFA as the biggest game in club football grows into a truly global event. Some of the recent venues- Istanbul (2005), Athens (2007) and Moscow (2008)- have been head scratchers. While the goal of spreading the event across the continent is a noble one, sending Western fans to Eastern outposts has been less than ideal. In 2007, dozens of Liverpool fans were turned away at the gate due to security concerns despite holding legitimate tickets. Last year's final in Moscow featured pre-game holding pens for rival Manchester United and Chelsea fans.

While Rome and Madrid are more desirable destinations for the Final this year and next, the stadiums are hardly the most up-to-date. That changes in 2011, when the state-of-the-art Wembley Stadium brings the Final back to England for the time since 2003. The following year, Munich's modern Allianz Arena takes center stage.

Moving the Final to Saturday in 2010 will build the game's profile. It's nice to see UEFA staging the games in stadiums that will do the same.

Champions League: A Unique Look at 1999

Maybe you've seen this before, but until Thursday, I had not. I was searching for the clip of the 1999 Champions League Final that includes Clive Tyldesley's famous call of "What must Lothar Matthäus be thinking? Well, with the greatest respect, who cares?" 

I couldn't find that clip, so if you have it, feel free to send me the link.  But I did come across a very unique look at ManU's shocking win over Bayern Munich, taken from behind the touch line where the Red Devils netted their two stoppage time goals.

Champions League: The Draw for Round Three

Heading into Friday's draw for Champions League third round qualifying fixtures, Atletico Madrid was the name all the big boys were hoping to avoid. Based on their status as Champions League participants for the first time in 12 seasons, La Liga's fourth-place team could have been drawn against the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal or Juventus. The unlucky foe turned out to be Schalke, the German side that advanced to last year's quarterfinals. The Gelsenkirchen outfit will now have a tough time reaching the group stages. The other noteworthy fixture was no doubt met with groans in the home of Steve McClaren. The new boss at Dutch squad FC Twente will not be greeted warmly at the Emirates when his troops face Arsenal.

The third-round qualifying doesn't get the coverage and attention of the Champions League proper, but in many ways carries more pressure than the group stages. Look at a team like Liverpool, which got off to an awful start in the group stages last season, but still had time over the course of the six-game mini league to gather themselves, advance and eventually reach the semifinals. While the competition for the big teams may be weaker in these two-legged qualifiers, there's no time to fall behind and rally as there is in the group stages.

Last year I attended the third-round qualifier second leg between Celtic and Spartak Moscow in Glasgow, (that's when the picture at the top of the page was taken) and the constant reminder in the press before and after the game was how much money was at stake. There's roughly $10 million US waiting for group stage qualifiers, and that's cash that can have a major impact on many teams' annual budgets. The combination of high stakes, quality competition and the potential for season-altering victories and defeats make for some tense encounters.

Champions League: Round Two Qualifying

The second round of Champions League qualifying starts Tuesday. Twenty-eight sides will be in action tomorrow and Wednesday, with the reverse fixtures to follow next week. Teams debuting at this stage include Turkish side Fenerbache, led by new coach Luis Aragones, and Scottish double cup winners Glasgow Rangers. On Friday the draw for the third-leg qualifying will be watched closely by the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal, Barcelona, Juventus and Marseille, all of whom join the action at that stage beginning August 12th.

Champions League: Here We Go Again

If you're like me, you're a little sad today now that Euro 2008 has come and gone and we have to wait a full month and a half for any meaningful games to return. But fear not, Champions League qualifying is never far away, and the first and second round qualifiers will learn their fate in tomorrow's draw.

There aren't a lot of big names in the first-round draw. In fact, I'm at a loss for what some of the three-letter country abbreviations represent. (FRO? MNE? SMR?) In round two, some better-known sides join the fray including UEFA Cup runners-up Glasgow Rangers, Panathinaikos from Greece and Turkey's Fenerbahçe. who are expected to add victorious Euro manager Luis Aragones as their head coach. First round matches start July 15.

Portugal: Champions League No Go for Porto

The sins of FC Porto's 2004 European Cup wining side came back to haunt the team today as the Portugese champs were booted from next seasons Champions League. Last month, Porto were found guilty by their domestic league of bribing refs during two league games in 2003-04. The six points the squad were docked did not effect their position in the standings, so they did not appeal.

But they will appeal the decision handed down by UEFA today, which excludes them from a competition they have won on two occasions. Porto were already slotted into the group stages.  That position will now go to third-place finisher Vitória de Guimarães, who will be joined by second-place Sporting Lisbon.  For one of the top teams from Europe's second tier of domestic leagues the financial blow of missing out on European competition next season will be significant.

Porto now hope their appeal will earn the same treatment as the one AC Milan submitted two years ago. In that case, the Rossoneri had been penalized by the Italian league for their involvement in a domestic match fixing scandal. Initially banned from the Champions League, AC Milan not only gained re-entry, but won the tournament.

One More View of Moscow

A very cool feature from The Telegraph- 3D analysis of all the key moments from last night's game.

The Shootout

Here's yesterday's shootout as seen from Fado in Chicago. My apologies for any jerky movements; it was tight quarters at the bar yesterday and my elbows got bumped a few times. Everytime I watch this I feel worse and worse for John Terry, and this is coming from a Liverpool fan.

Champions League, Chicago Style

The scene at Fado in Chicago yesterday for the Champions League Final was as lively as you'll get at any pub in Europe. Manchester United fans outnumbered Chelsea supporters by a wide margin and they were in full voice an hour before kickoff. I have a video of the shootout as seen from the bar and as soon as that's online I'll add it here. I also have a new favorite cheer from yesterday- "Who ate all the pies?" which was directed at Frank Lampard.

Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass did a wonderful job yesterday capturing the cult appeal of following soccer in this city. I just hope soccer doesn't become TOO popular in Chicago- there wasn't much room to spare at the bar yesterday.

The Road to Rome

Too early to start thinking about next year's Champions League? Nonsense! The Independent has your first look at how next season's title race will take shape.

Champions League Final Recap

Manchester United have won the European Cup for the third time in their history. Extra time winners in '68 and victors in a last-second thriller in '99, the Red Devils never take the easy road. Today's Champions League Final was no exception, as ManU won a penalty kick shootout 6-5 over Chelsea following a nervy 1-1 draw.

I feel terrible for Chelsea captain John Terry. With Didier Drogba sent off for a foolish red card in extra time, Terry bravely stepped forward to take Chelsea's fifth penalty kick with a chance to clinch the Cup. Slipping on the rain-soaked grass, Terry's effort sailed wide right. Two rounds later, Nicolas Anelka was stopped by Edwin van der Sar, and Manchester had won the title. Instead of lifting the trophy, a disconsolate Terry was left to accept his second-place medal.

The match was a highly entertaining back-and-forth affair. Manchester United controlled play in the first half and could have easily put the match away early if not for some great saves by Petr Chech. When Frank Lampard drew Chelsea level just before the break, the Blues took control of the game.

Tied at 1-1, Chelsea had narrow misses in the second half and extra time. Drogba hit the left bar late in regulation and Lampard drilled the bottom of the crossbar in extra time. PKs seemed inevitable by the time Drogba was red carded for his silly slap to the face on Nemanja Vidic, so ManU saw little benefit from the man advantage. But who knows what might have been if it was he and not Terry taking the fifth PK for Chelsea.

While Manchester United's biggest stars didn't exactly shine tonight- Wayne Rooney was a non-factor, Carlos Tevez struggled mightily, and Cristinao Ronaldo was nearly the goat in the shootout- the quality of veteran players like Rio Ferdinand, Paul Scholes, Edwin van Der Sar and Ryan Giggs carried the team through. It was a classic ending to a memorable season in Europe; a night when Manchester United painted Moscow red.