Soccer What? 109,000 See ManU vs. Real Madrid in Michigan

Yeah, sure, there are still plenty of old school, narrow-minded people in the U.S who say nobody cares about soccer in the U.S.

We'd argue they are wrong.

Dead wrong.

109,000-plus...a U.S record crowd...showed up Saturday to watch the Real Madrid vs. Manchester United friendly game at the University of Michigan's massive football stadium.

Yes folks, 109,318 people showed up to see a soccer game.

The game was won by Man U and stars like Wayne Rooney and Christiano Ronaldo played in the game, but it's the fact so many people came out to the game that makes this a big story.

Your game highlights:

OSG UEFA: Real Smokes Bayern

((HT: UEFA/Fox Soccer))

Sergio Ramos scored twice in five minutes and Cristiano Ronaldo punched it through twice on his own...

As a matter of fact, the goals by CR7 set a new Champions League record for goals in a campaign- with 16...

The final was 5-0 on aggregate- and it wasn't even that close...

Here's the PK by CR7 to advance to the final for the first time since 2002...


Bayern had never lost by three goals at home in Europe- they lost by four today...

Copa Goes To Real

((HT: UEFA))

Thanks to Gareth Bale


Hell of a run... and that's why they paid all that money to Spurs to get him to La Liga...

The 2-1 win gives Madrid their 19th Copa del Rey and the first trophy under coach Carlo Ancelotti.

OSG UEFA: Chelsea Climbs Ladder At Home, Real Survives In Quarters

((HT: UEFA/beINSport))

Chelsea had only one thing in their pocket going into the second leg of the Champions League quarters...
The one road goal...

Losing 3-1 wasn't all bad. It just had to be done at home by a two-goal margin...
And thanks to Schurrle and Ba... (who had those two in the fantasy league scoring column...?)
They advance to the semis with a 2-0 win...


Chelsea is now in the last four for the seventh time in the last 11 years.

And, in the other quarter of the day, Real Madrid sat an injured Cristiano Ronaldo from their starting XI. Lewandoski was starting for Borussia Dortmund and they needed some help. But they had to score a little more than they did by the end...

A 2-0 final kept them a goal short of advancing...


Bayern Munich hosts Manchester United Wednesday, and Barcelona takes on Atletico Madrid after both first legs ended 1-1 in the other quarterfinals match-ups.

OSG UEFA: Real and PSG Put Up 3 Each In Leg One...

((HT: UEFA))

It was a busy day for goalkeepers- in a bad way- in the first legs of the UEFA Champions League semifinals...

At PSG, it was Lavezzi breaking through early and the home side didn't look back in a dominating 3-1 win over Chelsea. The only saving grace for the Blues is the one road goal in the process before next week's game at Stamford Bridge


The larger issue for PSG in the second leg is the health of Zlatan Ibrahimovich- who went down late with either a knee or hamstring injury. The upside is having Cavani taking over that spot isn't to much of a drop off...

In the other semi, Real Madrid took care of Borussia Dortmund by a 3-0 score...
Three different goal scorers- including Gareth Bale- made it really difficult for an anemic offense like Dortmund's to try and do something in the second leg on the road...


The issue for Real is the injury on Cristiano Ronaldo, but look for him to sit a lot with a three goal lead in Leg 2...

El Clasico Certainly Was

((HT: La Liga/Star Sports))

When Benzema put Real Madrid in front of Barcelona 2-1, you thought it was going to be a two-team race for the top of the La Liga ladder. But if you thought that, you were sadly mistaken...

A Messi hat trick (of course) put FCB in front for a hotly and highly-contested 4-3 final that puts these two teams and Athletico Madrid all separated by one point in the top of the table...

Here's the goals...


Cristiano, of course, after the match felt he wuz robbed...via Football Espana

“We played against 12. It's always the same. They don't allow us. Maybe they wanted Barca back in the League. I don't want to leave this inside of me and I’m not looking for excuses, but the ref is not at the required level for a game like this. If Barca lost today they would have been out. After five years here, I understand how things work."

He also promised the team would win the league and feels Real Madrid never gets their calls in game...

Ah, rivalry...

OSG Prem: Chelsea Maintains, Real Destroys Schalke

((HT: UEFA/Fox Soccer))

Let's face it...

There are a couple of words that come to mind with the absolute dismantling that Real Madrid had of Schalke today in Champions League play. When it's 6-1, sometimes it's hard to find an adjective that will fit...

But surgical comes to mind... two goals each from Benzema, Bale, and CR7... in order, in each half...


And, then, with all of the reporter shenanigans in and around the joke The Chosen One told in confidence about Samuel Eto'o, you wondered if something would be up with their match against Galatasaray in Turkey...

But Chelsea maintained... they got their road goal setting up a return of Drogba to Stamford Bridge in a game that means something...

Just How Bad Will It Get For Atletico After CR7 Crowned By Lighter...???

((HT: RUSport/La Liga))

First off, this is flat stupid by Atleti fans during their Copa loss to Real Madrid...


Something could have happened that could have seriously injured one of the world's greatest footballers...

"I think the consequences could be serious because it could have hurt a player," Real's keeper, Iker Casillas, told Real's website. "There is always someone who tries to smear the image of a club like Atletico and it doesn’t reflect how the majority of their fans are."

The match ref put the crowning in his post-match report and Atleti could be fined up to €30,000 and have their ground closed for one to three games...

Stay Classy, Soccer Fan... Marcelo Told He's A Monkey...

((HT: South American Football))

The Copa del Rey semifinals were yesterday in Spain...

Real Madrid had Cristiano Ronaldo before his three-match ban was to kick in during La Liga play, and they had an easy time with Atletico Madrid winning 3-0...

After the match, Real's Marcelo was cooling off on the pitch with his son when the Atletico fans started chanting toward him- claiming that he was a "monkey" and that they "hoped his father died.

Here's the chanting...
Really classy...


No word on whether or not the fans or Atletico themselves will be disciplined...

OSG Clasico: Barca Up At The Break (UPDATED W/Barca 2-1 Win)

((HT: beINSport))

And here's how... it had nothing to do with Messi or CR7

Post by beIN SPORT USA.

The game is being seen by a billion people- about three times the Roman Numeral Clasico played here in the States...

Chew on that for a second...

More game details at the final whistle...

PM UPDATE: A ridiculous goal by Alexis Sanchez gave Barca enough cushion to survive el Clasico, 2-1. But one point of contention for the Real fans came from this no-call that should have given an equalizer to the visitors...
((HT: beINSport via Instagram))


Oh, here's the Sanchez goal... see for yourself...

Ronaldo Goes For A Hat Trick

((HT: Fox Soccer))

It's something the HQ enjoys occasionally...
It's like the All-Star Game for soccer...

UEFA Champions League started again today with not a whole lot of surprises...
Just some dominating performances...

Like Ronaldo against Galatasaray...


Man City and ManU also had dominating performances...
More action tomorrow...

Cristiano Ronaldo Hugs A Fan

We're all too aware these days on just how dangerous a public figure can be...

And most athletes have flashbacks to Monica Seles more than anything else...

Last night could have been one of those incidents that added to that list, but thankfully it didn't...

It was the final of the ICC tournament in Miami between Chelsea and Real Madrid when a guy hopped the fence and ended up in the arms of Cristiano Ronaldo...


Turns out the guy just wanted a picture and a hug by the looks of things...

A very gracious move in, at first glance, what could have been catastrophic...

You Don't Want $80M...?? Okay, How About $85M??? Bale Not Real's Yet...

The HQ, admittedly, is a novice at this whole soccer football thing...

But we do know that Tottenham Hotspurs Gareth Bale had a flat-out ridiculous season last year...
It was a coming out party...
Evidence below...
((HT: EPL))


It's no secret that Real Madrid are making some kind of play for him- even as Spurs manager Andre Villas-Boas is denying that he'll go (or not) and that the transfer fee Real is ponying up has increased up to a world-record 100-million euros (or 86.3-million pounds)...

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has refused the offer flat and Bale is hot about it- in a bad way...

From the Guardian newspaper:
The situation has got under Bale's skin and it is threatening to turn ugly. He has had a glute muscle problem, which has restricted him in pre-season, but it has come to feel slightly convenient as he has been in no frame of mind to play. Bale featured in the club's opening friendly against Swindon Town but he missed the game against Colchester United and, although he travelled to Hong Kong for the Asia Trophy, he has not trained and he missed Tottenham's matches against Sunderland and South China.

After a 6-0 win in China, AVB wouldn't say anything on the ongoings...

"I don't want to comment on anything like that," Villas-Boas said. "I cannot speak about anything." The manager gave the same response to a question about Real's conduct.

Spurs are trying to shore up their scoring in case of a Bale exit. In the off-season, they are close to wrapping up the €30-million transfer order on Valencia striker Roberto Soldado. They have already signed the midfielder Paulinho for a club-record £17m from Corinthians and the winger Nacer Chadli for £7m from FC Twente.

But, that won't add up to Bale...

Zinedine Zidane (remember his head butt in the Worlds?) is now part of Real's front office and admits what everyone seems to know- except, maybe, Spurs:

“We have not given up on Gareth Bale – it is impossible to give up a player of that quality.

“Of course Tottenham are doing the right thing by trying to get him to sign a new contract.

“We have made it clear he is a target, but Real Madrid have a very good ­relationship with Tottenham so we would make sure any approach is done in the correct way.

“It is ideal to get any new players in as early as possible so they can integrate with the team – but it is not always ­ possible and the best players are worth waiting for.”

And the HQ thinks this is only the beginning as the next move is, probably, a written request to go by Bale himself...

Your No Look Golazo Of The Week

((HT: CANAL+/FriendlyPLAY1))

Lyon's Clement Grenier came with a lot of hype associated with his new deal that got him to stay at home instead of going to Arsenal...

And this golazo against Real Madrid might be part of the reason why...


Told ya...

Just think what Cazorla and Grenier could have done with each other for the Gunners...
People can dream...

BREAKING: Lewandoski Goes Four On The Floor Vs. Real

It was one of those night that people dream about under normal circumstances...

Much less against Real Madrid in the Champions League semis at home...
It started with a flick on goal early on and, simply, did not stop...
((HT: UEFA))


Robert Lewandoski (8th, 50th, 55th, 66th) put in three normally and knocked home one from the penalty spot as it is looking more and more like the Champions League final at Wembley might be Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund...

Oh... the final score...??? 4-1 Dortmund...

It even took Diego Lopez to get in front of another Lewandoski ball to keep him from five...
How ridiculous is that...???

Turkish Fans Attack TV Station Before Soccer Match

((HT: Beyaz TV))

Because their pundits picked the other guys...
Doesn't matter of the other guys are Real Madrid...

Galatasaray was set to play Real in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League Quarterfinal at the Bernabeu...
And the fans heard the local TV guys go the other way...

Here's the security camera from the outside of the building as to what the fans who didn't make the trip did next...


Ronaldo did the first bit of scoring in the 10th minute and Karim Benzema followed that up with one of his own in the 29th...

So much for the pundits being wrong... and Galatasaray will have to do more at home than they're doing on the road...

Barca's Valdes Suspended Four Games For El Clasico Rant

((HT: BeInSport US))

FC Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes has been handed a four-match suspension after being sent off in the 2-1 La Liga defeat to Real Madrid. He was shown a red card for verbally abusing referee Miguel Angel Perez Lasa after Lasa didn't award a PK in the last minutes of stoppage time in their loss to Real Madrid in last weekend's el Classico...

Here's the highlights with Valdes outburst at the end
((HT: Canal1))


Barcelona actually has what they call a "legal department," and will appeal the decision.

Valdes will miss Primera Division games against Deportivo La Coruna, Rayo Vallecano, Celta de Vigo and Real Mallorca if the suspension is upheld- none of them all that important...

ManU, Man Down: Real Loss In Champions League

Two goals in four minutes spelled the end of Manchester United's run in the UEFA Champions League...

But the 1-0 lead that ManU had on an own goal by Sergio Ramos was knocked aside by a ghost-red card on Nani in his collision with Arbeloa. With Manchester United down to ten men, that was when Real Madrid took advantage.

Jose Mourinho subbed for Luca Modric- and the sub gave instant dividends...


Cristiano Ronaldo scored four minutes later and had a very muted celebration...

Real Madrid moved on to the final 8- despite the conspiracy theories on the lead official...

Your Gus Update: Game One In Football (Not THAT Kind Of Football, The Other Kind)

((HT: Fox Sports))

It's an interesting mix... Gus Johnson and football...
He was paired with Warren Barton to call the first leg of the work with ManU and Real Madrid...

Here's a sample of the goal calls from his debut... an understated Gus...
But it sets the growth curve...


It's an interesting experiment that David Hill is trying for their expanded coverage in the sport...

It makes you ask:
1) How he did and,
2) Does every soccer announcer have to be British to be accepted...???

The HQ would answer in the negative and give JP Dellacamera as our example...

What do you think, dear reader...???

El Clasico... Was... Again...

((HT: LFL/youtube))

We're not even really going to talk about it...
Let's just show you... and the Messi free kick was ridiculous...


See...???
we told you...