The second half of the Champions League quarterfinals kick off this afternoon with Arsenal playing host to Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium and Chelsea travel to Turkey to take on Fenerbahce.
The Arsenal-Liverpool match is the ESPN2 game today so that will be the match I will follow on the running commentary today, however, I will have the ESPN360 cranked to the Chelsea-Fener tilt so I can throw some updates on that match as well.
If you will be watching the matches and will be around a computer, you know what to do. Check in here with your comments, opinions and view on the match. If you can't watch the matches, and want to know what's going on, be sure to check in here as the updates will be flowing.
If you want predictions, I'm going to with Arsenal 2-1 and Chelsea 1-0 Fenerbahce 1-0 (thought this game was in London at first).
Now, onto the soccer. Enjoy the action today.
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FINAL- Arsenal 1, Liverpool 1. The Gunners can't be happy with this result while Liverpool will gladly take it.
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90th minute- Three minutes of stoppage time for Arsenal to find a game-winner. Fabregas comes close with a header but it was right at Reina.
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A 30-yard laser into the top left corner. What a goal. WOW.
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GOAL FENERBAHCE. Deivid with an ABSOLUTE ROCKET of a shot to make it 2-1 Fenerbahce. You have to feel good for him considering he scored the own goal
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Kazim with the equalizer for Fener, running on to a perfect long ball and blasting from 16. The Turks are alive. 64th minute on the goal.
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CHELSEA-FENERBAHCE- And Fenerbahce equalizes
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71st minute- Arsenal is wasting some great chances here.
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69th minute- Okay, so maybe Kurt's pulldown wasn't an automatic penalty but I don't think Liverpool could have complained too much if it had been called.
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Chelsea-Fenerbahce is still 1-0 to Chelsea for those of you wondering.
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66th minute- Wow, a penalty is ignored by the referee as Dirk Kuyt pulled down Hleb. Interesting no-call.
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65th minute- Kudos to Liverpool's defense for some great work. Actually the team defense is stellar.
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57th minute- Apologies for disappearing. Had to knock out an interview with Jimmy Conrad. Yes, I'm doing a KC story for ESPN this week.
Yossi Benayoun on for Ryan Babel.
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HALFTIME- Chelsea 1, Fenerbahce 0. Drogba came back to the game so he looks fine. Fenerbahce is struggling to mount much of an attack, surprising considering they are at home.
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CHELSEA-FENERBAHCE- Didier Drogba is down with an injury, looks like a tweaked left ankle.
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HALFTIME- Arsenal 1, Liverpool 1. Liverpool has its important away goal and Arsenal needs to step it up on the second half if the Gunners don't want to go to Anfield with too much to do.
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40th minute- Fabregas has been quiet today so far.
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40th minute- Kuyt takes a knock from Flamini.
34th minute- Liverpool gets a dangerous free kick on a foul by Flamini on Torres. Flamini is lucky not to have a yellow card yet in this match.
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26th minute- GOAL LIVERPOOL!!!! Dirk Kuyt finishes off a great sequence by Steven Gerrard. Liverpool 1, Arsenal 1. What was I saying about this game needing to pick up?
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25th minute- Arsenal is in a good rhythm right now and Liverpool is struggling to keep up.
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23rd minute- GOAL ARSENAL- Emmanuel Adebayor with the header.
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22nd minute- SAVE REINA on a great shot by Robin Van Persie
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CHELSEA-FENERBAHCE- GOAL CHELSEA. An unfortunate own goal by Fenerbahce gives Chelsea a 1-0 lead.
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14th minute- A yawner so far. I'm starting to think the Chelsea-Fenerbahce was the better match to show on ESPN2. Okay, so maybe not, but this game needs to pick up.
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7th minute- Pepe Reina with some shaky goalkeeping as he gets caught outside the area, but he cleans up the mess.
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5th minute- Nothing much from the English clubs yet.
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1st minute- And we're off.
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PRE-GAME- Liverpool is sporting the black jerseys today against Arsena's traditional home red uniforms.
It will be interesting to see if Arsenal can slow down Fernando Torres.
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Ives Galarcep is an American soccer columnist for ESPNsoccernet.com and creator of SoccerByIves.net.
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Liverpool/Arsenal 2-0, Fenerbache/Chelsea 2-1
Posted by: Erik | April 02, 2008 at 02:35 PM
Winner gets a high five! I'm going to say Arsenal over Liverpool 3-1 and Chelsea over Fenerbache 1-0. I'm being optimistic in the Arsenal game
Posted by: Jonny | April 02, 2008 at 02:44 PM
Sorry for the off-topic, but I'm never ever teaching...
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-teacherplot2apr02,0,7178335.story
Posted by: Dominghosa | April 02, 2008 at 02:48 PM
Toronto FC move for ex-Arsenal, Spurs midfielder Ricketts
tribalfootball.com - April 01, 2008
Toronto FC have handed trials to former Tottenham and Arsenal midfielder Rohan Ricketts.
Ricketts is currently tied to Barnsley and has been offered a chance to continue his career in MLS by Toronto coach John Carver.
Posted by: j1 | April 02, 2008 at 02:57 PM
Aresnal with the strike. Good goal. Now if Adebayor can jsut score in league for my fantasy team...
Posted by: Dominghosa | April 02, 2008 at 03:08 PM
GOAL! Arsenal!
Posted by: Brendan | April 02, 2008 at 03:08 PM
Now its getting interesting. 1-1
Posted by: Brendan | April 02, 2008 at 03:11 PM
Dominghosa, it's okay to be a teacher, just not in Georgia! :)
Posted by: smokeminside | April 02, 2008 at 03:28 PM
Hey NYRB fans, I'd like to get your thoughts on this:
France goalkeeper Gregory Coupet could leave Lyon for America at the end of the season, according to the player's agent.
Coupet revealed last May that he was considering his options and spoke about possibly moving to New York to play in Major League Soccer.
He has since signed a new deal that ties him to Les Gones until the summer of 2010.
But his agent Frederic Dobraje told L'Equipe: "His growing desire of last season has taken on added weight this year. He is really thinking of leaving.
"There is no strategy (involved) really. It is just a desire that Greg has in him."
Coupet said last year: "I have even thought of going to play in New York, to live an adventure.
"There is the American dream and the chance for my children to learn the language. Within my sporting plans, there are family plans."
Posted by: Dominghosa | April 02, 2008 at 03:38 PM
I assume this will happen only if Coupet is willing to be paid for a little under $400K.
Posted by: Dominghosa | April 02, 2008 at 03:40 PM
Another off-topic..Landon on Europe (stolen from Sidline Views, gracias)
Landon Donovan: I don’t dislike the Mexican players, They’re nice and play with respect – some don’t, but the majority do. At this time, I think a lot about going to Europe. I love my life here, but one day I’d like to go back to Europe.
Posted by: Dominghosa | April 02, 2008 at 03:57 PM
if its real Dominghosa, he probably realizes he'll have to take a pay cut when his contract expires and looks at that as a nice temptation to go abroad O.o
Posted by: brett | April 02, 2008 at 04:02 PM
What a great defensive play by Bendtner.
Posted by: Dominghosa | April 02, 2008 at 04:12 PM
Maybe Landond Donovan will be the first American to go to Europe as a broken down former star taking a last lap for the money...
No wait, that was CLint Mathis.
Posted by: Tony in Quakeland | April 02, 2008 at 04:19 PM
Who is Leiva? On for Alonso? He looks like Torres' twin brother.
Posted by: Fireball | April 02, 2008 at 04:22 PM
Voronin in for Torres.
Posted by: Fireball | April 02, 2008 at 04:27 PM
Fenerbahce!
Posted by: Joamiq | April 02, 2008 at 04:39 PM
That was a penalty on Kuyt. Liverpool's luck in Europe continues. Credit to Kuyt though, he was all over the pitch.
Posted by: Preston | April 02, 2008 at 04:48 PM
I thought it was 50/50 call. It would have been a soft penalty on Kuyt, but I've seen spot kicks awarded for far less than that.
I follow Everton, but I like Torres a lot. He doesn't spend half his time flopping around on the ground like most attackers.
Posted by: Jamie Z. | April 02, 2008 at 05:03 PM
the second fenerbahce goal was amazing! they scored all 3 goals, but only won 2-1.
Posted by: fieldsy | April 02, 2008 at 07:33 PM
link to Deivid's goal:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=7X17WX_K_HQ
Posted by: smokeminside | April 02, 2008 at 08:17 PM
Deivid's goal was absolutely gorgeous!!!
I am a Liverpool fan, and I say, they shouldn't have drawn. They did well to draw despite being outpossessed and outplayed. Their midfield played too deep. But they are in great position for the next leg.
Posted by: Joe_in_ND | April 02, 2008 at 09:39 PM
Dynamo-Saprissa on PC or Mac:
http://www.justin.tv/psn_2
Enjoy!
Posted by: Nic | April 02, 2008 at 10:19 PM
Bendtner is a donkey
Posted by: Kim | April 02, 2008 at 10:27 PM
Not surprised about the Fener-Chelsea match, I called it!
Posted by: Erik | April 03, 2008 at 09:14 AM