Europa League 09-10 Thread

[Hobo]

Why do I think the referee is afraid to send any Benfica players off?

Edit: Oh fuck off. That didn't look like a deliberate hand ball at all.

[therockbox]

Officials have been wearing Benfica shirts since the sending off. Shambolic stuff.

[Hobo]

I'm guessing we get to pick the refs next week then? Only fair.

[Asuka's Gonna Kill You]

Then again, what do you expect with Benfica? I'd expect and hope Liverpool to beat them in the return leg. A friend of mine keeps going on about how Benfica are apparently one of the best teams in Europe (which is hilarious), so Liverpool knocking them out will be a great laugh.

Gutted for Fulham with Wolfsburg getting a late goal, but happy at the same time as I had Zamora to score first and to win 2-1 (Y)

[Crybaby Bunting]

Babel is an absolute idiot

I get the feeling that he got the card for being abusive towards the referee, not for getting involved in the scuffle.

[therockbox]

Babel is an absolute idiot

I get the feeling that he got the card for being abusive towards the referee, not for getting involved in the scuffle.

Lucas said after the game that the referee had told them it was for "hand to face, or something like that."

[Colossus]

Both the penaltys were stupid by Insua and Carra, and atleast one more penalty wouldn't have shocked me (the one where Carra hits Cardozo shoulder)

Good win, could have been more goals, but we have the ability to kill the game in Liverpool

EDIT: And JohnnyPerfect, maybe 4 or 5 teams play better football that Benfica this season

Edited April 1, 2010 by Colossus

[IAceI]

4 or 5? Sheesh.

And to be honest I wouldn't want to have been the referee for that match, Benfica fans probably has missiles trained on him throughout.

Home bias always prevails with the big teams and especially in places like Europe. For the exception to the rule, see Chelsea vs. Barcelona.

[hbk for champ]

We shouldn't complain about the ref, Insua's penalty could have sent him off right away, stupid foul really.

And yes Benfica is playing great football at the moment, one of the best teams in Europe, definitely among the top 10 (just look at their 5-0 over Everton and some great results at the Portuguese League)

[Colossus]

4 or 5? Sheesh.

And to be honest I wouldn't want to have been the referee for that match, Benfica fans probably has missiles trained on him throughout.

Home bias always prevails with the big teams and especially in places like Europe. For the exception to the rule, see Chelsea vs. Barcelona.

Yes, 4 or 5 teams. We have played well all season long and have been very solid

[Johnny Latino Heat]

Really? People are actually saying Benfica were favored? Really? So I'm guessing the penalty kicks weren't penalties, then. And I'm guessing EVERY SINGLE TIME a Liverpool player fell down, the referee didn't blow the whistle, while almost needing to see someone behead a Benfica player to whistle for a foul for Benfica.

Regarding the audience and the "rockets". It was just a small part of the audience that had the "rockets". The rest of us didn't go along with that crap. The whole stadium was against them when they blew the rockets.

As for the send off... I didn't get a good look at the stadium, I was on the opposite side and couldn't see what happened. I just watched it on the TV, and I don't think that warranted a red card. A warning for both of them (after the yellow card to Luisão, of course, nobody says it wasn't fair) would suffice, I think. THAT is the only error I think the referee made that was for Benfica.

Overall good game, and I'm glad we were able to turn the game, but everything's open, and the next game should be one hell of a match.

[Hobo]

There were several occasions where Benfica players fouled Liverpool players and got away with it. For the life of me I can't see how Benfica had only two bookings. Yet they committed FIFTEEN FOULS. Fifteen fouls and two bookings does not add up. Benfica were a team of hatchet men tonight. There were still a few times that they escaped without punishment.

They weren't even that impressive for a supposedly great side. I really think the second penalty was a bit lucky. The second looked ball to hand to me. I don't think Carragher deliberately handled that. The first was a penalty. I think the second was debatable. The second half was a joke in terms of refereeing anyway.

[Johnny Latino Heat]

I honestly don't see it that way. We played a good game, not great, we've certainly done way better this season (as already mentioned, the Everton one comes to mind). I was near one of the corners. I saw all kinds of things, from Liverpool guys almost ripping Di Maria's shirt and no foul, to Benfica guys being kicked... no fouls. As for Liverpool, on the second half, I can't say, because they were attacking to the other side (I was sitting near the goal where both goals were scored). But the first half, what I saw was the referee whistling for absolutely EVERYTHING for Liverpool, including dives. And, IMO, there were two more penalties that should have been given (minutes 2.00 and 2.40 of this video).

I honestly think we were the better team today and we deserved the win.

I would also like to say that most Benfica blogs I visit are condemning that little section of fans. It was a shameful act they put on display, and are not representative of Benfica fans in general. When they were fucking things up, I turned to my friend and compared them to the Liverpool fans, actually. I said something like "see those fans? Now THOSE are fans. They are losing and don't do anything, unlike these idiots. I wish all fans were like that." (No, I'm not sucking up.) On behalf of Benfica fans, I would like to apologize for the shameful behavior of some idiotic "fans".

Also, I'd like to apologize if I'm not very clear in some parts of the post. I'm not quite sure how the football terms and lingo translate into English.

EDIT: Oh yeah, a question: does Reina usually waste this much time on the Premiership? I mean, seriously, that was way too much.

Edited April 2, 2010 by Johnny Latino Heat

[DavidMarrio]

i thought the ref was a joke tbh but then again i may be partially biased but felt that some of the decisions were dreadful aka Kuyt weren't interferring with play when we had Torres's goal disallowed. If your going to send Babel off for a hand with no force whatsoever to the face then why the hell didn't the other player get sent off and some freekicks were stupid we kept geting yellow cards while benfica got squat in terms of cards. Plus yeh i can understand the 1st penalty being given but the second one was a bit harsh. I thought we did well but poor officiating decisions led to us loosing

[Asuka's Gonna Kill You]

Both the penaltys were stupid by Insua and Carra, and atleast one more penalty wouldn't have shocked me (the one where Carra hits Cardozo shoulder)

Good win, could have been more goals, but we have the ability to kill the game in Liverpool

EDIT: And JohnnyPerfect, maybe 4 or 5 teams play better football that Benfica this season

Stop being stupid. Four or five teams? Benfica not ever doing fuck all in the CL is proof that they're nowhere near one of the best teams in Europe. United, Arsenal, Barcelona, Madrid, AC Milan, Inter Milan, Bayern Munich, Lyon and Chelsea, and that's only naming some of the top European sides. You could then throw in the likes of Liverpool, who are also a better team. Benfica are almost the most overrated team in Europe and it's ridiculous ANYBODY would believe only four or five teams play better football. Many teams play beautiful football at times, that doesn't make you a great team either. I'd also expect an in form Liverpool to put them to bed in the second leg.

[therockbox]

I honestly don't see it that way. We played a good game, not great, we've certainly done way better this season (as already mentioned, the Everton one comes to mind). I was near one of the corners. I saw all kinds of things, from Liverpool guys almost ripping Di Maria's shirt and no foul, to Benfica guys being kicked... no fouls. As for Liverpool, on the second half, I can't say, because they were attacking to the other side (I was sitting near the goal where both goals were scored). But the first half, what I saw was the referee whistling for absolutely EVERYTHING for Liverpool, including dives. And, IMO, there were two more penalties that should have been given (minutes 2.00 and 2.40 of this video).

Your two centrebacks were both VERY lucky not to get sent off. Luisao should have gone for the kick on Torres, and Ruiz was already on a yellow when he tripped Torres as he'd skinned him and was on his way relatively unchallenged into the box. For the first penalty Aimar was already on his way down when Insua made contact, it probably was a penalty but if you're going to complain about diving then, you know, glass houses and all that (I'd be interested to know what dives you're talking about for us, though).

Torres spent the game getting systematically kicked by your entire backline, who were clearly trying to get a reaction out of him. The referee was poor but he was clearly coming down on your side - watch the Babel sending off again and tell me that he's being more aggressive than Luisao, who also raises his hand and is the one forcing Babel back. It was a ridiculous decision. It's no coincidence either that the second penalty was only given after Di Maria had turned and shouted at the referee behind the goal, which in turn led to the crowd behind him (who had already thrown firecrackers at him) demanding a penalty.

The video you linked to has been taken down but I'm guessing one of the 'penalties' was Carragher's high boot on Cardozo? Firstly, Cardozo was play acting, he was barely touched. Secondly, the referee ignored two incidents of Benfica players kicking Liverpool players in the head in the first half. At least with that he was consistent.

As for Reina's timewasting, he got booked for taking 6 seconds with a goalkick. That isn't timewasting, it's a referee shitting himself.

[Crybaby Bunting]

Shock horror as Benfica fan and Liverpool fan manage to argue

But seriously, that referee was horrible yet Liverpool managed to get a goal out of the match.

It just sets up the second leg to be a VERY interesting game.

Especially if the ref is just as horrible

[Johnny Latino Heat]

Reina was time wasting from the beginning of the game. He took his sweet time with every single goal kick.

The video had both the kick on Cardozo's shoulder, which wasn't "play acting"; he got kicked in the shoulder, and I'm absolutely certain if it was a Liverpool player everyone would be here saying "dirty ref, didn't whistle for the penalty", and a handball.

I really can't see how people can say those aren't penalties. Aimar was kicked from behind (and the defender got away with it without getting yellow carded for the second time), and Carragher handballed, making a center go to the outside right in front of the goal referee.

As for the red card, if you'd be so kind to look up a few couple of posts, I already said that, to me, it wasn't enough for a red card, a warning for both, but not more.

David Luiz got a yellow card for... kicking the ball? At least that's what it looked like from where I was standing. The referee had blown the whistle, he kicked the ball, and then got carded. And Torres may have gotten "kicked" a lot, but from what I saw, he dived several times on the first half (like I said, I can't really judge the second half because Liverpool was attacking the opposing side of where I was sitting and I couldn't get a good view).

Torres may have been kicked sometimes, but most of the times, from what I saw, he fell on his own, getting scores and scores of ghost fouls against Benfica.

Even the English press are saying Benfica deserved the victory. The only difference between the English press and the Portuguese press is that the English say the referee was favoring Benfica, and the Portuguese say he was favoring Liverpool. Look at the stats: Benfica had 17 shots to Liverpool's 5, and 56% possession. If that doesn't paint a pretty clear picture, I don't know what does.

This will obviously lead to nowhere. We could be here all week and not come to a consensus. I'm biased, and I admit it, and I also didn't get a good look at Liverpool's second half. I'd say English fans are biased as well, and only see what they want. With that, I withdraw from this discussion, as I don't think it will lead anywhere.

[ONO]

It is good to see Fulham doing so well, as I have a soft spot for Roy Hodgson.

Although I fear Dzeko may put them to the sword in Germany. I hope they can hold out though.

[therockbox]

Even the English press are saying Benfica deserved the victory. The only difference between the English press and the Portuguese press is that the English say the referee was favoring Benfica, and the Portuguese say he was favoring Liverpool. Look at the stats: Benfica had 17 shots to Liverpool's 5, and 56% possession. If that doesn't paint a pretty clear picture, I don't know what does.

We played for an hour with 10 men. I'd pretty much expect that.

Every time the ball went near Torres he was kicked. He didn't dive at all. It was the usual tactic used against him - boot him knowing full well the referee will do fuck all about it.

Luiz was booked once, then continued to commit fouls (including the cynical one on Torres I mentioned after he'd been skinned by the byline). He should have gone.

The second penalty wasn't deliberate handball, so it wasn't a penalty. It was only given when the missile-throwing Benfica fans started baying for one.

edit: I'm not saying Benfica didn't deserve to win, they clearly did, although the dodgy sending off helped them to no end. I do think the two penalties disguised your general wastfulness in front of goal though, and if Torres had finished that one-on-one when the score was 1-1 I think we probably would have won.

I'm confident we'll turn you over next week.