Real Madrid's hopes of landing their 10th European Cup title (and manager Jose Mourinho's hopes of winning the CL title 3 times with 3 different teams) went up in smoke after losing 3-1 in penalties to Bayern Munich at the Santiago Bernabeu this morning. The match had finished 2-1 to Real in normal time, making them all square in a 3-3 aggregate score, hence the resulting penalty shoot-out to decide who goes through to the final in Munich, at Bayern's own stadium, the Allianz Arena. I didn't watch the match "live", so I don't want to comment too much on it personally and not going into the FULL details of the match, but judging from the highlights I watched, it seemed that Real Madrid were the better team in the whole 90 minutes of normal time. Winning 2-1 was not enough, it seemed, and "hero" of normal time, Cristiano Ronaldo, became "zero" after he missed his penalty in the shoot-out! Such was his (and his team's) luck! Bayern's Bastian Schweinsteiger became the 'hero' after he scored the penalty that effectively killed off Real's hopes of entering the final.
With so much going on in the match I wished I could have watched it "live", but it was too late for me. Having already watched the Chelsea - Barcelona game yesterday and lacking sleep I wasn't going to repeat that for the 2nd night in a row! Haha! But as for the final, THAT I will sacrifice sleep to watch! It will definitely be a cracker! ;)
So glad that it's gonna be Bayern Munich vs Chelsea. Glad that B. Munich will get to play in their own stadium... :)
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
VIVA TORRES (and Chelsea!)
BLUE IS THE COLOUR!!! VIVA TORRES!!!
Chelsea's victory over Barcelona in this morning's Champions League semi-final 2nd leg was both exciting and heart-stopping. Also, both in a good way and a bad way. Despite playing with only 10 men they just had the sheer will to frustrate Barca and keep pressing on, resulting in a richly-rewarded third goal that totally killed of Barca's hopes of getting a winner in the game. To top it all off, it was the much-maligned Fernando Torres who scored the goal in the last minute! This despite Barca getting two goals early in the game, making Didier Drogba's solitary first leg goal redundant. It seemed as though Barca were going to go rampant and reach the final easily, given that Chelsea were playing with 10 men, with captain John Terry needlessly getting himself sent off in the first half. But Chelsea had other ideas. Ramires scored at the stroke of the end of the first half a sublime chip over 'keeper Victor Valdes against the run of play, giving Chelsea a lifeline, and making the scoreline 2-1. Second half, Barca totally dominated the whole game again. Barca just kept pressing on and on at the Chelsea goal, hit the post a few times, and Lionel Messi hit the crossbar with his penalty kick. It showed that the 'CL title defence curse' struck again. No team has ever defended the CL title back-to-back in its current format. The last team to defend the trophy was AC Milan back in 1990, and back then it was still called the European Cup. Well, there was only going to be one winner, and Chelsea really worked hard to earn their place in the final. Tough luck, Barca... Looking back, whoa...it was such heart-wrenching and nail-biting stuff! It was good to see Torres score a good goal to give himself and the team a kind of confidence. Totally worth watching, man... I only got home around 5a.m. got less than 2 hours of sleep, but it's all worth it. Chelsea, in only their 2nd final in the Champions League, will definitely fight on, and will most probably give whoever their other final opponent is a good fight. If they showed heart and character here with only 10 men, then with 11 men I am sure they will work their opponents hard in the final. For Barcelona, there's always next season to try again.....
Come on, Chelsea! Go claim your first ever CL trophy!
Chelsea's victory over Barcelona in this morning's Champions League semi-final 2nd leg was both exciting and heart-stopping. Also, both in a good way and a bad way. Despite playing with only 10 men they just had the sheer will to frustrate Barca and keep pressing on, resulting in a richly-rewarded third goal that totally killed of Barca's hopes of getting a winner in the game. To top it all off, it was the much-maligned Fernando Torres who scored the goal in the last minute! This despite Barca getting two goals early in the game, making Didier Drogba's solitary first leg goal redundant. It seemed as though Barca were going to go rampant and reach the final easily, given that Chelsea were playing with 10 men, with captain John Terry needlessly getting himself sent off in the first half. But Chelsea had other ideas. Ramires scored at the stroke of the end of the first half a sublime chip over 'keeper Victor Valdes against the run of play, giving Chelsea a lifeline, and making the scoreline 2-1. Second half, Barca totally dominated the whole game again. Barca just kept pressing on and on at the Chelsea goal, hit the post a few times, and Lionel Messi hit the crossbar with his penalty kick. It showed that the 'CL title defence curse' struck again. No team has ever defended the CL title back-to-back in its current format. The last team to defend the trophy was AC Milan back in 1990, and back then it was still called the European Cup. Well, there was only going to be one winner, and Chelsea really worked hard to earn their place in the final. Tough luck, Barca... Looking back, whoa...it was such heart-wrenching and nail-biting stuff! It was good to see Torres score a good goal to give himself and the team a kind of confidence. Totally worth watching, man... I only got home around 5a.m. got less than 2 hours of sleep, but it's all worth it. Chelsea, in only their 2nd final in the Champions League, will definitely fight on, and will most probably give whoever their other final opponent is a good fight. If they showed heart and character here with only 10 men, then with 11 men I am sure they will work their opponents hard in the final. For Barcelona, there's always next season to try again.....
Come on, Chelsea! Go claim your first ever CL trophy!
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Nico Rosberg wins 2012 Chinese Grand Prix!
Just watched the Chinese Grand Prix through live streaming. Boy, was it an interesting race! So much overtaking and exciting moments! Also glad to see Nico Rosberg of Mercedes AMG Petronas get his first victory in his Formula One career. It also happened to be Mercedes' first win as a works team since 1955! He started from pole position, and went on to hold off the other drivers to grab his first win. Great drive from Nico, but a shame his teammate, Michael Schumacher retired with a loose wheel early in the race. Apparently a mechanic failed to screw the nut into the wheel, resulting in Schumacher stopping the car to prevent any more damage to the car. Such bad luck, as he was then running in second position. Could have been a Merc 1-2... Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton, both of Mclaren Mercedes, came in second and third respectively. Here are the rest of the results:
All said and done, just good that F1 is not so predictable this year. Hope to see more new winners!
Next stop: Bahrain Grand Prix, next weekend!
| 4. |  Mark Webber | Red Bull | +27.924 | ||
| 5. | Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull | +30.483 | ||
| 6. | Romain Grosjean | Lotus | +31.491 | ||
| 7. | Bruno Senna | Williams | +34.597 | ||
| 8. | Pastor Maldonado | Williams | +35.643 | ||
| 9. | Fernando Alonso | Ferrari | +37.256 | ||
| 10. | Kamui Kobayashi | Sauber | +38.720 | ||
| 11. | Sergio Perez | Sauber | +41.066 | ||
| 12. | Paul di Resta | Force India | +42.273 | ||
| 13. | Felipe Massa | Ferrari | +42.779 | ||
| 14. | Kimi Räikkönen | Lotus | +50.573 | ||
| 15. | Nico Hülkenberg | Force India | +51.213 | ||
| 16. | Jean-Eric Vergne | Toro Rosso | +51.756 | ||
| 17. | Daniel Ricciardo | Toro Rosso | +1:03.156 | ||
| 18. | Vitaly Petrov | Caterham | +1 Lap | ||
| 19. | Timo Glock | Marussia | +1 Lap | ||
| 20. | Charles Pic | Marussia | +1 Lap | ||
| 21. | Pedro de la Rosa | HRT | +1 Lap | ||
| 22. | Narain Karthikeyan | HRT | +2 Laps | ||
| 23. | Heikki Kovalainen | Caterham | +3 Laps |
All said and done, just good that F1 is not so predictable this year. Hope to see more new winners!
Next stop: Bahrain Grand Prix, next weekend!
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Wembley, here we come(again)!
WE'RE IN THE FA CUP FINAL!~
Hi there! So happy to be a fan of Liverpool, as they've booked a spot in the final of this season's FA Cup! They defeated Mersey rivals Everton 2-1 in a pulsating game earlier. Not only the win being a shocker for me, as we were a goal down in the first half, but for the fact that Andy Carroll scored the winner for the second consecutive match! By the way Luis Suarez scored the equalizing goal. I do hope this is a good sign of things to come for Carroll. Wow...a second final this season, and also a second visit to Wembley for the Reds... Amazing times indeed...
The other semifinal will be played tomorrow, and it will be contested between Chelsea and Tottenham. May the best team win.
Saturday, April 7, 2012
denied by the woodwork (again!)
ADUI! Now I feel the muscles acting up. Leg muscles, to be more precise. I just came back from playing futsal with Saiful and other Cilantro Academy guys, and it has been at least two months since I last played the game. Now my feet are aching. Poor feet o mine...
Anyways, the futsal session went well. I tried to improve my style, but I found it hard. A kind guy whom I played with told me to make a few changes in the way I defend, so I've learnt something new today. Positioning for me has been an enigma. Futsal positioning is different from field football, so a big thanks to that guy who not only taught me something new, but also settled the bill for us all. Hahahaha! Tried to go forward a few times, and with my limited range of skills I guess I should be thankful that I got one shot on target! However, it didn't materialize in a goal for me. Unfortunately, my weak shot managed to beat the 'keeper at close range but struck the post. MOTHER-TRUCKER!!! This is the second time I've played futsal and not score and also hit the post once! Maybe I'm gonna stay away from futsal for a while. Call it a 'sabbatical'. Don't know why, but I guess I'm just not comfortable playing the game that I so-called like. A break from it all should be good...
A not so funny thing would be the fact that I didn't eat dinner at all yesterday! (I call it yesterday as I started playing at 9-ish.) Didn't eat anything prior to the game, because I wouldn't want to feel queasy while playing. But it's late already, and I have replacement class (later), so tahan till tomorrow lah. Grrr.....
Right then...I guess I better hit the sack. Got replacement class MUCH later in the morning. Got to wake up early on a Saturday. How depressing. Sigh.....
Anyways, the futsal session went well. I tried to improve my style, but I found it hard. A kind guy whom I played with told me to make a few changes in the way I defend, so I've learnt something new today. Positioning for me has been an enigma. Futsal positioning is different from field football, so a big thanks to that guy who not only taught me something new, but also settled the bill for us all. Hahahaha! Tried to go forward a few times, and with my limited range of skills I guess I should be thankful that I got one shot on target! However, it didn't materialize in a goal for me. Unfortunately, my weak shot managed to beat the 'keeper at close range but struck the post. MOTHER-TRUCKER!!! This is the second time I've played futsal and not score and also hit the post once! Maybe I'm gonna stay away from futsal for a while. Call it a 'sabbatical'. Don't know why, but I guess I'm just not comfortable playing the game that I so-called like. A break from it all should be good...
A not so funny thing would be the fact that I didn't eat dinner at all yesterday! (I call it yesterday as I started playing at 9-ish.) Didn't eat anything prior to the game, because I wouldn't want to feel queasy while playing. But it's late already, and I have replacement class (later), so tahan till tomorrow lah. Grrr.....
Right then...I guess I better hit the sack. Got replacement class MUCH later in the morning. Got to wake up early on a Saturday. How depressing. Sigh.....
Sunday, April 1, 2012
TOO COOL!
*Certain events were from yesterday*
TOO COOL! That's what I can say about my 'impromptu' trip up to Genting Highlands with Eric. We actually went for dinner, but after that wanted to do something 'fun', and voila! we ended up going to a 'few' places first before GH. We wanted to go to Ulu Yam to see the waterfall and also to visit the place, as we have never visited this particular area before, so Eric took the Lebuhraya Rawang to go there. Naturally on the way to Ulu Yam we stopped by Rawang. Basically not Rawang itself, but Tesco Rawang! Hahaha! Strange but true. So, after Tesco, we headed back on the trail to Ulu Yam. Reached there, but since it was dark we 'gave up' the opportunity to visit the waterfall (postponing it to another day, and go during DAYTIME!). Saw GH in the distance, so we didn't give a damn and just went with it. Boy, was it nostalgic! First of all, it was because 1) the last time I went to GH was more than a decade ago, and now here I was, admiring it again! And 2) the chilly wind there reminded me of my trip to Melbourne (in winter, of course) in 2010. *Such bliss* Took the old road there, and it was scarily dark! But maybe that just adds to the 'feeling'. Haaaa..... Anyways the windy road leading up was nice, and since it was already midnight-ish, there weren't many cars to jostle with on the road. Once we reached there, we stopped by Old Town White Coffee for supper, then walked around the place to see what was still going on at late hours. Surprisingly there were still many 'night people' at the pubs, fast food outlets, etc! Totally fun! Left around 2-ish. Reached Subang around 3-ish. Got a drink, and on the way back I decided to stay over at Eric's place as I wanted to follow him to church. Haven't gone to church for a long time! Better to go once in a while.....
*Back to today's events*
Stayed at Eric's place. Woke up at 10:15. Church was at 11, so I listened to music while waiting for him to wake up. Went to church with Eric, which was very near his house. Worship was almost ending when we arrived, which was a relief as I didn't know most of the songs sung there. Hate it when it's like that! Anyways the message from the pastor was quite nice to listen to, but the way he delivered his message was uninteresting. But good to go to church lah... No harm... Had lunch afterwards at Mr.Teppanyaki in Sunway Pyramid. The food was okay, but I very much prefer my teppanyaki meal prepared by an authentic Japanese chef. The chefs in Mr.Teppanyaki are foreigners. Not being racist, mind you. Just stating what I feel. Oh well I guess if I want a Jap to prepare my meal I have to go to a 'real' Jap restaurant. Haaa.... Eric sent me home around 2-ish, and yeah, here I am, blogging and Facebook-ing. A bit tired. Could use a nap now...
That's all for my 'adventures' over this weekend!
*BTW* it's the 1st of April! HAPPY APRIL FOOL'S DAY!
TOO COOL! That's what I can say about my 'impromptu' trip up to Genting Highlands with Eric. We actually went for dinner, but after that wanted to do something 'fun', and voila! we ended up going to a 'few' places first before GH. We wanted to go to Ulu Yam to see the waterfall and also to visit the place, as we have never visited this particular area before, so Eric took the Lebuhraya Rawang to go there. Naturally on the way to Ulu Yam we stopped by Rawang. Basically not Rawang itself, but Tesco Rawang! Hahaha! Strange but true. So, after Tesco, we headed back on the trail to Ulu Yam. Reached there, but since it was dark we 'gave up' the opportunity to visit the waterfall (postponing it to another day, and go during DAYTIME!). Saw GH in the distance, so we didn't give a damn and just went with it. Boy, was it nostalgic! First of all, it was because 1) the last time I went to GH was more than a decade ago, and now here I was, admiring it again! And 2) the chilly wind there reminded me of my trip to Melbourne (in winter, of course) in 2010. *Such bliss* Took the old road there, and it was scarily dark! But maybe that just adds to the 'feeling'. Haaaa..... Anyways the windy road leading up was nice, and since it was already midnight-ish, there weren't many cars to jostle with on the road. Once we reached there, we stopped by Old Town White Coffee for supper, then walked around the place to see what was still going on at late hours. Surprisingly there were still many 'night people' at the pubs, fast food outlets, etc! Totally fun! Left around 2-ish. Reached Subang around 3-ish. Got a drink, and on the way back I decided to stay over at Eric's place as I wanted to follow him to church. Haven't gone to church for a long time! Better to go once in a while.....
*Back to today's events*
Stayed at Eric's place. Woke up at 10:15. Church was at 11, so I listened to music while waiting for him to wake up. Went to church with Eric, which was very near his house. Worship was almost ending when we arrived, which was a relief as I didn't know most of the songs sung there. Hate it when it's like that! Anyways the message from the pastor was quite nice to listen to, but the way he delivered his message was uninteresting. But good to go to church lah... No harm... Had lunch afterwards at Mr.Teppanyaki in Sunway Pyramid. The food was okay, but I very much prefer my teppanyaki meal prepared by an authentic Japanese chef. The chefs in Mr.Teppanyaki are foreigners. Not being racist, mind you. Just stating what I feel. Oh well I guess if I want a Jap to prepare my meal I have to go to a 'real' Jap restaurant. Haaa.... Eric sent me home around 2-ish, and yeah, here I am, blogging and Facebook-ing. A bit tired. Could use a nap now...
That's all for my 'adventures' over this weekend!
*BTW* it's the 1st of April! HAPPY APRIL FOOL'S DAY!
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