For the first time since 2001, Bayern Munich has won the Union of European Football Associations Champions League Final on Saturday by defeating Borussia Dortmund 2-1 at Wembley Stadium in London.
Bayern Munich midfielder Arjen Robben of the Netherlands scored the game winning goal in the 89th minute of play. Robben, who led the Netherlands to the 2010 World Cup Final before losing to Spain, also registered an assist on Bayern Munich’s other goal from Mario Mandzukic of Croatia.
Ilkay Gundogan of Germany scored the lone goal for Borussia Dortmund. Gundogan tied the game at one after Bayern Munich defender Dante kicked Marco Reus of Borussia Dortmund in the groin area while Reus had possession of the soccer ball in the penalty area.
The victory was very gratifying for Bayern Munich, who lost the 2010 championship to Inter Milan and last year’s championship game to Chelsea. The 2014 UEFA Champions League final will take place in Lisbon, Portugal.
If you thought you had already received the last gift you’d be receiving this holiday season – you’re wrong! This week on the festive edition of 15 Minutes of Fame we’re looking at the latest NHL lockout news, the World Juniors, a big trade by the Blue Jays & a couple of notes from the NFL!
In the GABBYs: Santa Claus, Arian Foster, Lance Armstrong, Russian soccer fans, the Spengler Cup & Aston Villa. The Punchline this week is Philadelphia 76ers coach Doug Collins!
MEANWHILE: Since we are feeling generous (and didn’t end up getting last week’s video up in time), here is a second dose of 15MOF!
Soccer can be a very boring sport with not much ebb and flow throughout.
Nothing much was going on for the first 82 minutes. Bayern Munich dominated the play with 26 shots that went toward the Chelsea net, compared to Chelsea’s mere six. But many were not very good chances. One Bayern Munich goal early in the second half was called off because a player was offside.
All changed in the 83rd minute, when Thomas Muller scored for Bayern, and then it was all drama. Chelsea would tie the game on a brilliant header by Didier Drogba to send the game to overtime with only two minutes left.
In the extra period, Chelsea goaltender Peter Cech made an outstanding save off of Arjen Robben on a penalty kick after Drogba fouled Franck Ribery in the box.
The Drogba foul on Ribery was interesting because both players are French and Euro 2012 is only 18 days away.
For the first time in franchise history, the Edmonton Rush are in championship game. Tonight in New York state, the Rush take on the Rochester Knighthawks for the 2012 Champion’s Cup (Shaw HD, 5:30pm).
Now I’m not a huge supporter of a team with a losing record in the regular season making the playoffs, as the Rush were 6-10 and in fourth place in the Western Division, but you have to give the team credit for getting hot at just the right time.
There was a monumental upset in Barcelona, Spain on Tuesday. Chelsea defeated FC Barcelona 3-2 on aggregate to advance to the Champions League Final in Munich, Germany on May 19.
Chelsea, which led 1-0 heading into Tuesday’s action, seemed to have their chances of qualifying in the championship game diminished when they fell 2-0 and saw captain John Terry red carded for a first half foul.
But Chelsea showed an enormous amount of resiliency with one man down. Ramires put Chelsea in the driver’s seat with a goal right before half time. With this goal, Chelsea tied the two game total point series at two, but gave Chelsea the edge because they scored more road goals.
After FC Barcelona dominated the second half, Fernando Torres scored on a breakaway in injury time to give Chelsea the 3-2 win.
It is interesting because even though FC Barcelona dominated the play over the 180+ minutes, Chelsea’s roster is strong. In addition to Torres and Terry, they have Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba and Peter Cech.
Brendan Shanahan officially kicked off his reign as the NHL’s head disciplinarian on Thursday in a big way!
Shanny suspended Flames forward Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond (or “Peter Hyphen”) for the rest of the preseason (four games), plus one regular season game for a hit on Vancouver’s Matt Clackson on Tuesday. It was a pretty standard hit from behind, but nothing like what Jody Shelley did the next night!
Shelley absolutely destroyed Toronto’s Darryl Boyce from behind, leaving the NHL’s VP of Player Safety no choice but to throw the book at him. The Flyers enforcer, who was suspended twice last season, will sit out the rest of the preseason (five games) and the first five games of the regular season, at a cost of $67,073.15.
Shanny let us know about the suspensions via a couple of videos on the NHL website on Thursday, a first for the league.
You know, I was a little bit worried about the level of consistency we’d be seeing from the NHL this season after watching the breakdown of the new headshot/boarding rules this week, but it might not be so bad after all. I still think it’s going to be very tough for the on-ice officials to pick out the subtleties of these rules at game speed, but the supplemental discipline side might make up for that…(AFTER THE JUMP: League bans men from games, Fan recreates Fernando Torres miss on FIFA 11)(more…)
Have you been keeping up with the IAAF World Championships in South Korea?
Let me get you up to date so far: Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt was disqualified in the 100m, double-amputee Oscar Pistorius helped get the South African team to the 4×100 final but was then replaced…and American Samoa’s Sogelau Tuvalu showed us that slow and steady doesn’t always win the race!
The 17-year-old failed to qualify for the shot put, his event of choice, and somehow ended up in a preliminary heat for the 100m instead.
He didn’t have the right shoes or anything, but Tuvalu channeled his inner Trevor “The Tortoise” Misipeka and gave it all he had. By the time the first of his competitors crossed the finish line, you couldn’t even see Tuvalu on the screen anymore. To his credit, he didn’t do any of the things I would worry about if I were in his position – he didn’t false start, he didn’t fall and he didn’t hurt himself! (After the Jump: Video of Tuvalu’s run, Didier Drogba gets knocked out, Dwight Howard dunks on a giraffe…) (more…)
The preseason fundraisers, I mean tournaments, continue around the world this week for many of Europe’s top soccer teams, and it seems to have been an especially bloopery few days!
To give you an idea of where some of the big clubs are playing at the moment: Manchester United, Man City and Real Madrid are three of the teams taking part in the Herbalife World Football Challenge, a tournament that pits some of the top sides in the world against a handful of Major League Soccer teams. Barcelona is about to join the WFC after winning the Audi Cup over in Germany, while Chelsea is spending the summer over in Asia, battling for the Barclays Asia Trophy.
Sure, fans around the world have been treated to some great soccer so far, but they are also getting to see their fair share of flubs as well! Why don’t we let Chelsea’s Yossi Benayoun kick things off for us…(After the Jump: Crazy soccer bloopers!) (more…)
Things are heating up in England as the race for the Premier League title takes a few sudden turns and gets much more interesting…
If you haven’t been paying attention, here’s the Coles Notes version of what’s been going on: The current leaders, to a Man, are coming Untied at the wrong time, the second place Gunners have a shot but no ammo and the defending champions, once singing the Blues, are now playing their way back into the conversation as the season winds down!
On Monday, Chelsea beat Blackpool 3-1 thanks to a double from Frank Lampard and while it wasn’t their best outing of the season, it certainly wasn’t their worst and it earned them a huge three points. With the win, the Blues move to within nine points of league leaders Manchester United as they try to mount a late charge and repeat as EPL champs.
Nine points is a long way to come back, but it’s worth noting that Chelsea have a game in hand and also have a say in United dropping at least three more points when the two sides meet again on May 7th at Old Trafford… (more…)
Hey folks, it’s Monday and that means another 15 Minutes of Fame Video for you.
This week, Geoff and Jim talk about the Edmonton Oilers and the relatively healthy lineup the Oil are icing day to day. They talk about Zack Stortini and his demotion down to the AHL. They also talk about UFC 126 where Anderson Silva front kicked Vitor Belfort for a huge win. And they comment on the return of Peter Forsberg to the NHL.
In this week’s GABBYs: on the good side – BIG fight week in the NHL, BIG fight opportunity in the UFC and BIG slap shots in the KHL. On the bad side, BAD hits in the NHL, BAD names for fans of soccer and a BAD injury for Evgeni Malkin.
In Quick Hits: Jennifer Heil calls it quits, Tom Brady is the AP NFL MVP and Jim and I are hosting a live sports roundtable.
Check it out:
Lot’s more after the jump. Click “continue reading.” ———————>
It’s been four days since Fernando Torres made headlines in the soccer world by moving from Liverpool to Chelsea on a record breaking transfer, and while he gets ready to face his old club on Sunday, one Liverpool fan is mourning his team’s loss more than any other…
His name? Fernando Torres McCormark.
This Is Scunthorpe says the man, formerly known as Shaun McCormark, changed his name in December to honor his favorite team’s best player. Now he is left with a tough decision: does he stick with his club and get his name changed to something else, or does he follow Torres and become a Chelsea supporter? (more…)
What a start to the week in the English Premier League!
It was soccer’s version of the “trade deadline” that we all love so much in the hockey world, as the January transfer window came to a close with a flurry of player movement – none bigger than the transaction between Chelsea and Liverpool.
It cost them dearly but The Blues managed to secure the services of Spanish striker Fernando Torres from Anfield, where he spent the last three and a half seasons. Chelsea paid £50-million to bring the player over, smashing the British record by almost £20-million and making it the fourth most expensive transfer in the history of world football!
Who saw that one coming? By all accounts, Torres was happy at Liverpool and wasn’t really interested in a move. Or was he? James Sharman, who hosts The Score’s “The Footy Show,” says it’s coming out now that, in fact, the 26-year-old may have wanted out as early as last year! (more…)
The Shanahan Era
The preseason fundraisers, I mean tournaments, continue around the world this week for many of Europe’s top soccer teams, and it seems to have been an especially bloopery few days!
Things are heating up in England as the race for the Premier League title takes a few sudden turns and gets much more interesting…
What a start to the week in the English Premier League!
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