Superbowl - European Version
First off, buzzedangel where are you? This post is dedicated to you.
I just got home after watching the UEFA Champions League final match. As best I can tell this is equivalent to the Superbowl. Many of the European nations have their own football (soccer) leagues. The top teams participate in the Champions League culminating in the European finals, this is an annual event. Tonight was the final match. AC Milan versus Liverpool.
A couple weeks ago I was asked to attend a quarter final match of Liverpool at Juventus. Juventus is out of Torino, an hour west of Milan where the next Olympics are to be held. AC Milan is owned by the Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi. Juventus and AC Milan are arch-rivals. (Think Red Sox vs. Yankees.) In Torino I saw Liverpool eliminate Juventus in the Champions League quarter finals. Liverpool made it through the semi-finals and faced AC Milan. Of note is that even though AC Milan advanced further in Champions League play, Juventus beat out AC Milan for the Italian league championship. The championship match was being held in Istanbul, Turkey
One thing better than watching football/soccer/calcio is watching Italians watch calcio. One of the bars we frequent here in Lodi is owned by a rabid Juventus supporter. Tonight he was a rabid Liverpool supporter. He was very entertaining to say the least.
At half time Juventus was ahead 3 nil. Early in the second half, Liverpool scored three times in 6 minutes to tie the match. After 90+ minutes of regulation time the match was still tied at three. 30 minutes of additional time produced no goals. It was down to penalty shots. Liverpool with their Polish goalie, "Dudek", came out on top edging out Juventus, to be the top football team in Europe.
I am not a huge sports fan but given how important Football is to many of the European nations, it was definitely enjoyable to watch the match. Hopefully I will still be in Europe come World Cup time next year. It really is a lot of fun to watch Italians watch football.
Conversation between Colin and me tonight around half-time:
R: I bet there will be a lot of drunk Englishmen going for a kebab when this match is over.
C: Turkey is a long way to go to watch your team lose three - nil.
R: Unlike here (Lodi) or Turkey it is not summer in Liverpool yet.
C: It's never summer in Liverpool.
Needless to say it was a fun night.
I just got home after watching the UEFA Champions League final match. As best I can tell this is equivalent to the Superbowl. Many of the European nations have their own football (soccer) leagues. The top teams participate in the Champions League culminating in the European finals, this is an annual event. Tonight was the final match. AC Milan versus Liverpool.
A couple weeks ago I was asked to attend a quarter final match of Liverpool at Juventus. Juventus is out of Torino, an hour west of Milan where the next Olympics are to be held. AC Milan is owned by the Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi. Juventus and AC Milan are arch-rivals. (Think Red Sox vs. Yankees.) In Torino I saw Liverpool eliminate Juventus in the Champions League quarter finals. Liverpool made it through the semi-finals and faced AC Milan. Of note is that even though AC Milan advanced further in Champions League play, Juventus beat out AC Milan for the Italian league championship. The championship match was being held in Istanbul, Turkey
One thing better than watching football/soccer/calcio is watching Italians watch calcio. One of the bars we frequent here in Lodi is owned by a rabid Juventus supporter. Tonight he was a rabid Liverpool supporter. He was very entertaining to say the least.
At half time Juventus was ahead 3 nil. Early in the second half, Liverpool scored three times in 6 minutes to tie the match. After 90+ minutes of regulation time the match was still tied at three. 30 minutes of additional time produced no goals. It was down to penalty shots. Liverpool with their Polish goalie, "Dudek", came out on top edging out Juventus, to be the top football team in Europe.
I am not a huge sports fan but given how important Football is to many of the European nations, it was definitely enjoyable to watch the match. Hopefully I will still be in Europe come World Cup time next year. It really is a lot of fun to watch Italians watch football.
Conversation between Colin and me tonight around half-time:
R: I bet there will be a lot of drunk Englishmen going for a kebab when this match is over.
C: Turkey is a long way to go to watch your team lose three - nil.
R: Unlike here (Lodi) or Turkey it is not summer in Liverpool yet.
C: It's never summer in Liverpool.
Needless to say it was a fun night.