To dive, or not to dive?
Any games of note today? Well, besides the Chelsea/Bolton tilt in the Carling Cup. Two teams probably with Swine Flu. Who shall win!?!?!
And then… I remember. Manchester City vs. Sc**thorpe Liverpool vs. Arsenal, for some royally inconsequential bragging rights. Rafa Benitez and his band of chronically-afflicted underdogs v. Arsene Wenger and his Traveling Circus of Aesthetes. A complete toss-up, but, if Wenger pulls out his band of precocious teens, it could be a massacre.
The biggest fun will come in seeing which manager blinks first and puts out a starting XI that isn’t hilariously understrength. But for us LFC fans, we might get a proper look at Alberto Aquilani, and that’s good, right?
Lineups after the jump, and let’s all see whose team is the best at winning games no-one cares about.
And to be expected, Rafa makes 10 changes while Wenger makes 11. I despair. Why even bother entering this competition?!?!
Arsenal (4-1-2-3) Fabianski; Gilbert, Senderos, Silvestre, Gibbs; Eastmond; Nasri, Ramsey; Bendtner, Eduardo, Merida.
Subs: Szczesny, Bartley, Coquelin, Frimpong, Randall, Sunu, Watt.
Liverpool (4-2-3-1) Cavalieri; Degen, Skrtel, Kyrgiakos, Insua; Spearing, Plessis; Kuyt, Voronin, Babel; Ngog.
Subs: Reina, Aquilani, Benayoun, Darby, Dossena, Eccleston, Ayala.
Rafa is starting Kristin Cavalleri in goal?
/recycled joke
What can you tell me about this Spearing fellow? I’m not familiar with his work.
Just how many Jay Spearings are there?
How could you have left out Juve v. Sampdoria?? Big Serie A fixture.
Did they just introduce the Arnenal players by first name only? Gay.
Philly Phanatic making an appearance.
Because, to quote a friend of mine, Italy is gay as f**k.
Of course, he switched his allegiance from Milan to Inter over the summer, so he may not be entirely trustworthy.
Jay Spearing looks like he might be a midget.
@The NY Kid — That’s a goal-line stand I’d like to make.
No announcer on 360, this is weird.
@HL – Spearing is a born-and-bred Merseysider, Liverpool youth team, etc., etc. I believe he’s 20 yrs old.
He’s the white Edgar Davids.
@NYK
Thanks. I obviously know about our youngsters but am embarrassingly unfamiliar with the rest of the big 4.
MCR: Talkin’ about my motherland, there, bucko. Watch out.
I’m trying to figure out if I prefer no commentary or some foreign language. Not having anything is kind of freaking me out. I will take the picture quality any day though. Almost as good as FSC.
Citeh is dead serious about winning the CC. Yet another nearly first team starting XI.
“MCR: Talkin’ about my motherland, there, bucko. Watch out.”
So you no doubt are enjoying the Plessis butt shot on the screen right now.
I love 360. But I hate when I have to install or update it. For some reason it never works smoothly.
I installed the software last night, and it had to patch before the game today. Not as tedious at the CBS March Madness stuff.
Caroline Cheese, God you’re dumb. “1953: Nicklas Bendtner gives the ball away to Ryan Babel, who promptly gives it straight back to Jack Wilshere. Shot eventually blocked by the Liverpool defence. ” Considering that Jack is not dressed, FAIL.
360 is cool, but it doesn’t play nice with Firefox.
Or, rather, it doesn’t play nice with Firefox when there’s only 256 MB of RAM to spread around. I f**king hate watching at work.
I’m not watching, but I’m assuming that she confused Ramsey with Wilshere. All those white kids look alike.
She did issue a correction.
Should’ve scored there. When did Ngog learn to touch?
All I have is an “upgrading player” note and a twirly circle thing (apologies for the technical jargon, I’ll try to bring it back down to UF level). No idea of where it’s at in the process or anything. Ah well. Anything exciting going on besides Jack Wilshere’s ghost on the field?
“So you no doubt are enjoying the Plessis butt shot on the screen right now.”
I’m watching the Juve-Samp match. Where else will you find a central defender who spends more time attacking the opposition’s penalty area than defending? :P I’ll catch the Englsh stuff on replay.
I looked at Liverpool’s lineup and thought “Arsenal should win” then I saw Senderos was playing.
Hey! Commentary. Good work ESPN.
Diving c**t.
Where else will you find a central defender who spends more time attacking the opposition’s penalty area than defending?
Any time Willy Galgas is playing?
Weak effort by Nasri.
In any Arsenal match, of course. We didn’t sign the Verminator for nothing.
Eastmond passes to Kodak
“Any time Willy Galgas is playing?”
I should have said, “And does both well.”
Giorgio Chiellini, ftw.
Jesus Senderos AND Degen in the same game, London is the nexus of s**t tonight.
Fabianski just got showed up by Voronin, not a good sign.
Eccleston better get on tonight.
The f**k was that?
HAHA Bendtner you useless c**t.
Damnit Bendy! Don’t forget to shoot!
shoot for f**ks sake.
Voronin you useless c**t.
Cracker!
Super Fran!
Fantastic!
Merida is the only guy not afraid to take a crack. And look what happens. What a strike.
Nice “Good, Bad, WTF” hat Cesc – christ.
I need to go to our IT department with a baggie of blow and a stripper and tell someone they better start allowing me access to pirated Iraqi feeds of European soccer.
Spearing is 20 y/o? He looks closer to 45.
Cavielieri should have had it too. This is why I don’t get playing more kids, when some of your reserves are f**king awful, what’s the point of playing them in favor of prospects?
Hahahah holy s**t he wasn’t kidding about City, that team sheet is ridiculous.
Diego corner drops right in front of goal, Amauri pokes it in with his bright-red boots. Juve 1, Samp 0.
Senderos with a tidy piece of defending.
GOAL OF THE WEEK MOTHER F**KERS
Holy s**t, what a goal from Insua.
Oh goddammit.
Senderos with a tidy piece of defending.
Not possible.
Not much you can do about that.
“Not possible.”
It was on Voronin …
Well, you’re not going to believe this, but City’s backline defends like s**t and gives up a goal to Scunny. 1-1.
Sc**thorpe levels against City.
The Duke Brothers nod in silent approval.
Come on Sc**thorpe!
One of Arsene’s anal beads is on the field, medium style.
Senderos with a lucky toe poke. /fixed.
Everytime I see Senderos I can’t not imagine him getting turned inside and out three times over by Benny McCarthy from a few years ago. It is a sad thing.
Merida looks outstanding, granted it’s been against Spearing and Voronin, and he has the full force of the Death Star in front of him in the first team blocking his way.
Shit we can’t even keep a clean sheet with our first choice back line. Silvestre and Senderos is barely better than Colashipment.
Sloppy, sloppy sloppy. Both sides.
Ah yes a reminder of Julio Baptista’s prowess in this competition, puts things in perspective.
Bendtner’s been hanging out with Eddie.
Arsenal players going down awwwwwful quick.
Go faster Kieran, Kieran is gaining on us!
Nice bit of perspective showing the Merida replay right after Bentner’s weak shot from close to the same spot.
Do Chelsea ever play teams not in the bottom half of the table?
City back on top.
God damnit Voronin has no soccer smarts.
Chelsea’s ability to involuntarily navigate the league schedule/cup draws and the normal landmines is beyond comprehension.
Holy s**t, after Frimpong and Sanchez Watt you could have shown me the names of the bench players and I would have thought they were made up, not Gunners.
We even have a Sununu (almost).
They should bring on Sununu for Bentner – he is having a f**king awful game. Can’t finish, can’t cross, dribbled the ball directly out of bounds. the f**k?
Amauri on the ball on the left, receives a pass into the penalty area from Chiellini who made a run forward; Amauri uses a few step-overs, shuffles to his left, passes the ball into the heart of the penalty area, where Chiellini pokes the ball into Samp’s net. Juve 2, Samp 0.
Arsenal brought the passing boots today.
The announcer is masturbating right now.
JESUS CHRIST WHY IS THIS KEEPER PLAYING
Holy s**t. How do you not score that? Bendtner is having a bit of a shocker.
I can see how Bentner drove his car off the road into a tree. It’s painfully clear right now.
jape: But God saved him.
A gift to us Spurs fans, if you will.
Oh for f**k’s sake Bendtner.
Maybe it’s better that I can’t see it. Seems like 09-10 Bendtner is the same as the 08-09 model.
Tommy Smith thinks Schevchenko is a good player. Hilarious.
Barbados Slim in studio for ESPN today.
Shaka had a tear in his eye a minute ago.
Seems like 09-10 Bendtner is the same as the 08-09 model.
Now with pants-falling-down action!
Damn. Diego is a dead-ball wizard. The man is sick.
Stankevicius.
Is he a delicious Stankovic?
Camoranesi slots home Juve’s 3rd.
Samp is being totally exposed. No attack, no possession, it’s all Juve.
Seems like 09-10 Bendtner is the same as the 08-09 model.
Now with pants-falling-down action!
And occasional goal-scoring action as well.
HOLY SHIT!! BENDTNER!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nicky!!!
Julio Baptista everyone!
Thank GOD Agger is healthy (for now) because Skrtel is playing like a bad joke.
Skrtel hasnt been the same since the head injury…too bad…he was a rock last season