It’s long been said that opportunity makes the man, that the big occasion grants its greatest performer an indelible place amongst legends. In today's world of soccer, one man has become synonymous with such moments. Andres Iniesta has consistently provided for FC Barcelona and the Spanish national team during their times of greatest need.
We missed this, man. We really did. And now he's back, scoring amazing goals that only Messi (and to an extent only Barcelona) can score.
Barcelona obliterated Roma 6-1 in his first start and second game back, and he tallied two goals and an assist. Luis Suarez also scored twice and Gerard Pique and Adriano also scored.
Messi's first goal since injuring his knee in September came after a build-up of 29 straight passes from Barca, a Champions League record.
The eyes were on Lionel Messi ahead of Barcelona's Champions League match vs Roma. And of course, La Pulga delivered. Scoring the second of Barcelona's 3 first half goals with a classic chip over the goalkeeper. But the person who continued his perfect form? Lucho Suarez. The Uruguayan not only assisted Messi's goal, but he also gave fans a volley for the ages, when he wound up from just inside the box, and curled a left to right rip past the goalkeeper.
If you want to know how to watch a live stream online and on mobile of Arsenal vs. Dinamo Zagreb, you've come to the right place.
Growing up in the United States, I used to hear about the intense atmosphere at European football matches. I heard horror stories of young children going to their first live match and leaving drenched in tears, sweat, and spilled beer. These matches were attended only by the craziest fans in the world, or at least that’s how they were made to seem. Only later, when I started watching live matches regularly, did I realize how blown out of proportion those stories were.
If you watched the Liverpool-Manchester City match on Saturday, the one thing you were probably thinking was, "what is going on?" A Kompnay-less Manchester City defense was shredded by Jurgen Klopp's bunch en rout to a 4-1 victory in the Etihad. All of Liverpool's goals vs Manchester City were beauties aside from the own-goal by Mangala. The Brazilian's for Liverpool were who stole the show though. Philipe Coutinho and Roberto Firminho each registered a goal and an assist to one another.
One league in Italy is hoping to draw in more viewers through easily accessible games. It isn’t Serie A, but rather Lega Pro, Italy’s third division. Through the Italian streaming site Sportube.tv, fans can access a plethora of Lega Pro games in addition to streams for other sporting events, such as volleyball and motor sports. It goes without saying that the biggest leagues in soccer have very little trouble generating dedicated fan bases and reaching large television viewership.
Sepp Blatter's take on his recent health scare:
"I was between the angels who were singing and the devil who was lighting the fire, but it was the angels who sang."
Perhaps he was just lighting a cigarette and happened to take a glance at a mirror, but all jokes aside the suspended FIFA president claims he was really close to the final whistle.
Barcelona didn't have to twist the knife. But they did.
Leading Real Madrid 3-0 in the Bernabeu, and making a powerful statement in the first Clasico of the year, the Blaugrana could have easily killed the game off and returned to Catalonia the triumphant victors, the clear favorites in La Liga and the masters of El Clasico.
Real Madrid have lost only two games in all competitions this season. They sit atop their Champions League group (one that includes Paris Saint-Germain) and they’ve plundered 33 goals while conceding only 11. Their combined goal difference in La Liga and the Champions League is a resounding +22.
And yet, such is the nature of the beast in the Santiago Bernabéu, all is certainly not right in Madrid.