This thread isn't too specific but I just want to see some great football matches (or other sports, even) from down memory lane. Videos/your match notes and memories all welcome. All levels and eras wanted.
I was inspired by suddenly remembering this beauty, and watching the extended highlights. There were so many mental occurrences that even in eight years had slipped my mind as the game tends to be remembered in the Torres/Gary Neville orgasm moment rather than the preceding 90 minutes which were absolutely insane, and somehow brought into a new light for me by this Zapruder tape with Peter Drury commentary which I hadn't seen before:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxlvxFO3bfc
- Seeing the Barcelona lineup I had forgotten just how fucking good and indeed terrifying to play against they were. It wasn't like playing against any team that exists today, it was another level of fear. I have no idea how we had won the first leg but then you go to the Nou Camp and see Xavi, Iniesta, Messi all at the absolute apex of their powers, not to mention the handy support act and Pep himself on the sidelines (in hindsight, did this match begin his slide into mentalism?)
- In contrast, our John Obi Mikel / Raul Meireles midfield pivot seems a little underwhelming.
- The game starts and Barcelona are basically fucking us with more than a dildo - their movement and pace of passing is incredible and Messi, as always, is a bad joke with the ball at his feet. Our only response in the first 35 minutes seems to be Drogba trying to murder Valdes/Pique.
- Barcelona inevitably score and then John Terry gets sent off for kneeing Alexis Sanchez in the back (I'd forgotten that it was Alexis Sanchez and just how ridiculous it was - Terry's worst moment in football and there were a few). Then they score again and it's basically a complete rim job in the offing... for about two minutes.
- At this point you remember the sheer absurdity that the mighty Pep was up against the management dream team of Roberto Di Matteo and Eddie Newton - in every single shot of Di Matteo, he looks completely bewildered about what's going on to the point where it's hard to believe he was doing any managing at all. Newton behind him looks far more switched on.
- We then score what is surely one of the most underrated goals in CL history - two separate Ramires runs, one with the ball and one without, sandwiching the most glorious pass from Lampard to complete one of the greatest counter-attacking goals ever scored, having been bumfucked for the full 45. We go up on aggregate here and never trail again. Even now Di Matteo looks in a haze, like he has been pulled in off the street.
- The second half is possibly even more mental than the first. I had completely forgotten that Didier Drogba (playing at left back) needlessly trips Fabregas and gives away a penalty, which Messi then moos into the crossbar. Like, what? Drury seems to have a heart attack at this point and never recovers. Messi also hit the post and they had two goals disallowed for very tight (but correct) offside calls - VAR would have ruined those.
- Drogba soon switches to right back, recovers the ball from Cuenca in his own corner (remember him?) and strolls past Puyol to have a shot from fully 75 yards out which is on target and the keeper has to dive to save. Was everyone on drugs or something? The high-as-a-kite Didier is then replaced by Torres, who is fully into his not-very-butch lesbian years by this point and the crack coaching team deploy him as the second left back. Prior to the famous one he has two or three good chances to launch a similar break into the empty half, and completely butchers all of them.
- I remember being completely emotionally drained after this match, and having to go out for some fresh air - reflecting now, it seems as much a statement on just how great the Barcelona team were that we were playing against that it felt like (and was) the heist of all heists to have come through the tie.
- Finally, the shot of Di Matteo and Newton running down the touchline at the end, hugging each other... my poor heart :wub:
Anyway, I'd like to see your greatest games.
