Football Season 2012/2013

[TJ]

Well, everyone knows the ref ruined the game. The way it was going it looked like Man U were going to win for sure. Another crap decision robbing a team of a result, football.. when will you learn.

---------- Post added 2013-03-05 at 09:43 PM ----------

Fair play to Jose saying the best team lost, definitely true.

[Nerph-]

This isn't the first time crap like this has happened and it definitely wont be the last. Well, United can maybe focus more on making sure they win the BPL and maybe grab the FA Cup too now without any CL pressure (not saying I'm happy with the result, not at all, but I guess one can see a positive side to this too... if you really try... -_-).

[TJ]

hahah Roy Keane going wild!

[Hulari]

This isn't the first time crap like this has happened and it definitely wont be the last. Well, United can maybe focus more on making sure they win the BPL and maybe grab the FA Cup too now without any CL pressure (not saying I'm happy with the result, not at all, but I guess one can see a positive side to this too... if you really try... -_-).

I agree. It gives us the chance to focus on the home game but the result is still going to hurt.

[koodledrum]

United looked to be cruising, but there was a lot of football to play when the red came - would have been interesting to see how it played out but that's football. After that Madrid took control, but tomorrow we're going to be talking a Turkish ref instead of what was an entertaining match when he didn't have the whistle in his mouth.

Fair play to Roy Keane sticking up for the ref but if you see that challenge 100 times, 99 you'll see a yellow card issued for it!

[Deleted]

Wow! This ref just ruined the game for 75k+ people. I would demand the money back.

[laffling]

Wow! This ref just ruined the game for 75k+ people. I would demand the money back.

75k?? Millions.

[TJ]

75k?? Millions.

He means for the people in the stadium.

[Northern Goblin]

I almost feel sorry for Chelsea in the FA Cup.

---------- Post added 2013-03-05 at 10:02 PM ----------

Also I'm taking most things Roy Keane says with a pinch of salt, the man has been bitter since his abrupt leaving at Old Trafford and it's shown any time he's on commentary.

When the manager of the team you're playing says it's a bad call, along with Vincent Kompany and David Moyes? I'll ignore the bitter Irishman.

[Mouri Kogorou]

i think the red card was justified, as that is noway to get control of a ball. his booth feet were in the air, how is he supposed to control it :s

[Northern Goblin]

i think the red card was justified, as that is noway to get control of a ball. his booth feet were in the air, how is he supposed to control it :s

People do that week in week out, the ball comes down at the base of your shin where the foot curls up, almost scooping it up, and you lower your leg down with the ball.

[laffling]

Sure it was red if nani was looking at the person but he wasn't.

[Northern Goblin]

Ferguson isn't even doing the post match press conference, Phelan's doing it.

Can't imagine how furious Sir Alex is right now.

[CrusaderNerò87]

It was insane by the ref. Nani never saw real M player coming, he only tried to take the ball down. If thats a red card, fine. Then alot of stuff should be a damn red card in football.

The magnitude of this match was so huge, its difficult to compare it to anything. Hundred of millions of people watched it, and especially waited for this game for so long. To see 22 of the worlds best players fight it out in the hardets club tournament in the world.

Then this singel referee comes along and ruins it all. Just look at the Real M players after the match, they knew what happend and how lucky they were.

[Norganon]

Firstly, I wanna apologize to you United fans who feel screwed over by the ref. No one wants an epic tie decided like this. I'd also like to say that this decision is not Madrid's fault, Arbeloa did get hit hard in the ribs and us Madrid fans didn't want this game ruined.

Also, I cannot believe we survived death week (2 Clasicos and the CL tie) with 3 wins. Hasta el final, vamos Real!

[Northern Goblin]

Firstly, I wanna apologize to you United fans who feel screwed over by the ref. No one wants an epic tie decided like this. I'd also like to say that this decision is not Madrid's fault, Arbeloa did get hit hard in the ribs and us Madrid fans didn't want this game ruined.

Also, I cannot believe we survived death week (2 Clasicos and the CL tie) with 3 wins. Hasta el final, vamos Real!

Honestly, I don't think anyone can hold fault against Madrid here, at the moment of the red card, Mourinho's reaction said it all. Post match his immediate action to apologise and leave, his players very low key celebration, and his comments as well as Alonso's post game all summed up how they felt.

I've actually gained a measure of respect for some people with the way they conducted themselves, though there's something that riles me about Modric, not sure what it is.

[Norganon]

Having taken a more close look at the foul and the several replays, I'm going to say the red card was justified.
Quoting FIFA (and Reddit)

Serious Foul Play
Any player who lunges at an opponent when challenging for the ball from the front, from the side or from behind using one or both legs, with excessive force and endangering the safety of an opponent, is guilty of serious foul play.

That's a straight red, no questions asked.

Now I've said my piece.

[Northern Goblin]

So what was the double fisted punch on Vidic that didn't get the ball?

Edit: Same could be said for Arbeloa, studs up, high leg on Evra and he only gets booked?

Also Nani didn't lunge at an opponent, the opponent wasn't there when he started forward motion, the other player came across and into it.

[Nerph-]

If you take all the factors into account as Northern Goblin said above, I think giving a red card was harsh. It was worth a booking, but I don't agree that it was worth a red card. That and the fact it completely ruined the tempo of the game, it seemed to knock United completely off balance and they defended as well as possible but just couldn't do it with 10 men, however well they tried (and they did, how many times did the Real keeper save a Vidic header from a corner? Twice?). You could see on Mourinho's face he wasn't expecting it either, and even to say after the match that 'the best team lost' says enough for me, United deserved to go through that evening and they didn't because of a harsh referee blunder.

Either way, it's past tense now, United no longer need to worry about European matches and can fully concentrate on the Premier League and the FA Cup. If United can carry on playing like they did last night, and their last Premier League matches, I think we stand a very good chance of making the double. Something has sparked in the United side, I'm not quite sure what or when, but they've been playing outstandingly in my opinion the last month and I hope it carries on that way.

[Northern Goblin]

Something sparked the day City won the league.

Like I said earlier, I almost feel sorry for Chelsea on Sunday, there's going to be a lot of very angry players with a point to prove.


Edit: I'm also being unfair and not giving credit where it's due here, Lopez was an absolute brick wall for Madrid. United could easily have pulled that back without him making some exceptional stops.