On April 24, I watched in disbelief as Chelsea upset Barcelona in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinal. Knocking out arguably the greatest club team of all time, Chelsea tied Barcelona 2-2, giving them the final 3-2 victory after two games.
After their shocking 1-0 victory in the first game on April 18, Chelsea was down 2-0 early in the second game and dropped to only ten men after captain John Terry received a red card late in the first half. Barcelona, who dominated possession and endlessly attacked Chelsea’s goal, couldn’t get the ball into the back of the net after their first two goals. Even though they’re famous for their possession-oriented style of play, Barcelona lacked the spark they needed to finish their shots and solidify their victory. In the end, it’s all about how many goals they score, not how many passes they make to get there.
Late in the second half, Chelsea scored and leveled the two-game goal difference with another. Eager to knock out Barcelona in regulation, Chelsea fought until the last minute, when substitute Fernando Torres scored off a breakaway for the series-winning goal. After a lousy performance on Spain’s national team in the 2010 World Cup and a lag-period during which he only seemed able to assist goals for Chelsea, it’s about time Torres finally made himself useful as a forward.
On top of this upset, FC Bayern Munchen beat Real Madrid in penalty kicks in the second leg on Apr. 25, coming off a 2-1 victory in the first leg on Apr. 17. With Real Madrid ahead 2-1 at the end of the second game, the total goals were tied 3-3, sending the game into overtime then penalty kicks, which got me on the edge of my seat. Some may say penalty kicks are unfair, but I love the tension that builds up between the teams and among all the players.
Aside from Real Madrid’s goalie Iker Cassias, who saved two of Bayern Munchen’s five attempts, the team embarrassed themselves like never before. Missing their two first penalty shots, which went to the exact same spot, Real Madrid seemed doomed as Bayern Munchen made their first two. However, when Cassias made a save to keep Real on the board, Sergio Ramos clumsily sent a ball sailing over the goal with a shot that further diminished Real’s chances. When you’re so close to the goal during a penalty kick, one thinks that it would be impossible for anyone, let alone a professional, to kick the ball as off-frame as Ramos did.
Doing what a professional is supposed to do, Bayern Munchen forward Bastian Schweinsteiger scored on their fifth shot, winning the penalty kicks 3-1. After a tumultuous 120 minutes game with a full round of penalty kicks, Bayern Munchen emerged victorious.
It’s unbelievable to think that neither Barcelona nor Real Madrid will play in the Champions League final in May. Based on their successful track records, I think they both belong there; however, their lacking performances in the semifinals proved otherwise.
As exciting as the finals match between Bayern Munchen and Chelsea will be, I can’t help but wish there was a game to determine who gets third place because any match between Real Madrid and Barcelona is worth watching–that is, if they don’t repeat the mistakes they made in this tournament.
