It’s the “Champions” League, Stupid…

By: Greg | October 24th, 2007

mathteam …NOT the “Play like you deserve the points and get a tough break here or there” League (Do you think the 1970 Stuyvesant High School Math Team pictured at left had any room for excuses in their pocket protectors? No!). In their loss yesterday, it seemed as though for long spells that Sporting “played like they deserved to get at least a point.” Roma went close a few times, as did Sporting. Roma got a homer gifted penalty, Sporting’s backup keeper Tiago parried and almost pulled a “Ricardo v. Poland” maneuver (ball off post, off back, into net). However it was not to be Sporting’s day as sub Mirko Vučinić fired home a much deserved tally in the 69th minute and Sporting lost 2-1. This also makes the second time (ManU were the last) that Sporting “played as though they deserved to get at least a point.” Unfortunately, this is essentially where “Champions” separate themselves from the rest by taking points they didn’t otherwise “deserve.”

For me, I was surprised to see such an offensive team thrown onto the pitch with Miguel “You know you want me” Veloso started in the center back spot. I didn’t mind it as it caused Roma to be aware going back for much of the beginning of the game, but this still yielded only one tally and a few chances. Yannick Djalo’s present form doesn’t justify his spot on the pitch in European competitions, he looks lost.

If Roma put the same team on the pitch in Portugal I can see Sporting taking all three points and I’m not even pandering to my Sporting-crazed mother-in-law in saying that. Based on only one full Roma match watched this year, they look like the Italian Chelsea to me in so far as I feel that they’re going to win matches in spite of themselves rather than due to a dynamite team effort and glorious technical displays. Sporting on the other hand are way too chameleon-like for me to try and predict where they’re going to go from here. One day they look like world beaters and the next day they play as though they’d lose to a Portuguese second division team (oops, Fatima).

This group was always looking extremely difficult with Roma and Manchester United in the draw. With ManU on 9 points and Roma ahead on 6, Sporting’s 3 is looking a little bleak at this point. A win in Portugal against Roma in the swing-round game in two weeks’ time will throw a nice little wrench into Roma’s knockout round travel plans and give Sporting new life going forward. Unfortunately, this loss just took a whole lotta wind out of the Sporting sails and I hope the young team can recover.

Benfica-Celtic and Porto-Marseille preview bloggage is coming a little later on today. That’ll be two bloggings for the price of one! What a Hump Day deal for my eleven faithful readers!