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CHAMPIONS CUP QUARTER FINALS LEG #2 AWAY AT PORTO
I focused on training with an eye to attacking set pieces today. With our 4-1 win at home, all we need to do is to hold serve and we’ll be fine. For today;s match, I am starting my best three DCs – Perez, Mputu, and Cecchi. Valenzuela, Oliver and the rest.
Pick up where you left off!!! Ricardo to Dong-Hyuk in the 0:33 mark. I slide to counter. I was expecting to start control and then ease back after it didn’t work or we got a goal, whichever was first. That was a fast goal though! As expected ,the kitchen sink is on the field and coming at us. We have a pair of counters that almost sink. And that’s when the magic happens. In the 33rd minute, off a third counter, the Jae-Hwan is drving, but all of the attackers to pass to are well marked – Grealish, Ricardo, Mance and Dong-Huk, and Jae-Hwan is being closed down. So he slides the ball back to unmarked Valenzuela. Who you might recall is an ace at long shots. As a player closes on Valenzuela, he dribbles up to range of his leg and just nails it, with no real opponents as everyone is man marking and keep Valenzuela from passing to them in the box. BOOM! That’s my team baby. 2-0 half. Keep it going! I sub in Ibrahim for Oliver, Kadodia for Mance. We are still taking hits from Porto, they are not letting up t the 85th minute, they have 19 shots and 11 on target. I sub in Garcia for Perez. We win 2-0 today, and 6-1 on aggregate. Congrats and making it to the Semis! Valenzuela is the MOM.
The other teams that won are Man City, Leverkusen, and Olympiakos
Semi Final Draw:
Leverkusen vs…..Man City
Melilla vs Olympiakos
Well, that’s a nice draw we’ve gotten. Napoli, Porto, and now Olympiakos. None of the heavies like Bayern M. (who was knocked out in the Group Stage) or Arsenal (Porto took them out).
I would not be surprised to see us in the finals.
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