UEFA Champions League round-of-16 draw

Arsenal are going to get hammered... yet again by Barcelona.

How does Chelsea always get an easy draw! Couldn't possibly be all that Russian money, could it??

Feb. 15, huh? Maybe Jones can work his way back up to the varsity by then?

Inter-Bayern and Arsenal-Barcelona are, on paper, the most intriguing...but I think the big surprise in this round will come from the Copenhagen-Chelsea games. Mark my words.

The knockout draw is sweet justice for Arsenal always getting a cream puff group. Spurs-Milan could be very exciting, more so than Barca doing it's thing business as usual.

draw is RIGGED.

Inter/Bayern is going to be very tight--but this time I think Bayern gets revenge.

Arsenal may do better vs Barcelona than people think--but Barca has been sick lately, I must agree...

Landon Donovan to Newcastle, Fulham or Everton? Dempsey to Liverpool? Really? Or a lot of BS?:

http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/blog.php?u=163847

WAXTAP!

I really just wanted to practice typing the only word I know from the Cyrillic alphabet that my keyboard can handle.

Barcelona-Arsenal should be pretty attractive based on how the teams play. But there's bound to be some good stuff. Usually the better games are in the return leg when everything is at stake.

Actually, I think Spurs, Barcelona, and Bayern are going to win comfortably (Bayern might be close). Let's face it, Inter is not feeling it without Mourinho.

However, Marseille vs Man U might be a little closer. I'd love to watch all of them, but something tells me this game will be interesting.

I get the feeling Lyon can handle Madrid, as much as I wouldn't like to see it, just cause this seems the time they always go out.

Rex Grossman, really?

Inter-Bayern is definitely the one to watch, although Barça-Arsenal will be entertaining as always

As an Eagles fan, benching McNabb just gives me another reason to hate and laugh at the Redskins.

A level down, in the Europa League, Liverpool gets Sparta Prague, Villareal faces Napoli and Aris Thessaloniki (where it's rumored Freddy Adu plays) takes on Manchester City.

Some creampuff group Arsenal had, given they didn't win it. If they had, they'd have avoided all this mess and would be playing Roma or somebody a little less brilliant than flippin' Barcelona again.

Sepp "apologizes"...it's like saying "if you took offense, I'm sorry."

"If somebody feels hurt, then I regret and present apologies," added Blatter.

New poll: Which is the worst professional sports franchise in DC?

OWNTF..... My gut says Redskins, only for constantly making the most overhyped off season moves to keep a delusional fan base in a sense of false consciousness about their playoff chances. However, then I realized they have a stadium and DC would do anything it could to build them a new one. Therefore, I'll say United is the worst.

What mystifies me is that the Redskins suuuuuuuuuk, year after year, and yet they're worth more as a franchise than any soccer team on the planet other than Man U.

United, even without a stadium, is miles above the Wizards, Redskins or Nationals. the Nats and Wiz may have some hope of turning a corner, but i think United's path to relevance/success is much clearer.

@soccerman - agreed about Chelsea; their recent form has been really terrible. but they have 2 months before these games to regain their footing, so it could be a different story come February.

is Jermaine Jones the only American who might possible play in these games provided he's worked his way out of the Schalke doghouse by then? i guess Gooch could conceivably play, though that seems like even more of a longshot.

Yep, we're rich in fans, passion, poor in reality. Though the Wizards and Redskins are pretty pathetic as well.

FIFA's mucketymucks continue to leave open the possibility of moving the 2022 Qatar games to a winter date:

http://www.socceramerica.com/article/40800/first-winter-world-cup-to-be-studied.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/dec/17/sepp-blatter-qatar

F'in FIFA!

So, you request bids to hold a competition in the summer, select a country as the winner in a part of the word that is very hot, and then, based on your selection, change the time of the competition?

What if after a team dominates a game, but loses 1-0 on a freak goal, we decide that the winner is not the team that scored the most goals, but the team that had the most possession? How can you change the rules after the fact?

Judging by its recent performances, Barca is going to smash all EPL challengers.

[From the above link] "FIFA's job is to have a World Cup that protects the players so we take note of the recommendations and go through the list of requirements," FIFA President Sepp Blatter told journalists in Qatar

Ummm Sepp? Your own committee listed Qatar as the highest risk specifically because of player safety issues.

I request that the Soccer Insider legal department put together a package bring FIFA to justice at The Hague for crimes against common sense.

Thought I'd respond to some comments above. The Tottenham-AC Milan match-up should be thrilling, as both teams are capable of scoring a lot and both teams have Swiss cheese defenses. I wouldn't predict Spurs in a walk.

The reason the Redskins are so valuable is they have a devoted, very well-off and very large fan base...and they own their own stadium (constructed for very little money, as these things go)!! That's something United could emulate, except the team (and ownership) isn't rich enough to build on its own. The 'Skins do benefit by being the only local team to really have anything like that kind of following. In the NY area, for example, there are 2 baseball teams, at least one hockey team and one basketball team that vie for attention with two extremely popular gridiron teams. The Caps are starting to make inroads in this area, but they're no real threat to the Redskins in getting attention and coverage. United will never be a real threat either, but the team can carve out a successful niche.

Dougmac -- Qatar already won, despite the huge obvious problems the bid presented. Now, people are trying to figure out how to fix this fine mess -- to make it work. Your example kinda finals, because if Qatar won handily on the premise of a summer bid, it would have been a slam dunk on a winter schedule.

I don't intend to discriminate against old people, and if any of them are offended I regret and apologize and don't care, but as Sepp Blatter demonstrates, once people hit about 65, and certainly by Sepp's ripe age of 74, they say stupid stuff.

That's one reason I wasn't able to support John McCain. He's just too old. It's time to take senior citizens out of power, and gently move them to adviser positions so we can capture their wisdom but also filter for the stupid stuff they say and outdated stuff they think.

My parents are included in this category, by the way.

Also, the idea that they want to change the timing of the Qatar tournament makes me mad. What am I going to do with the stock I bought in the company that makes carbon neutral stadium sized outdoor air conditioners!

Roma vs. Shakhtar Donetsk
It's not maybe very popular couple, but it'll be interesting to see who'll be better. I think italians are more experienced (read trickier).

AC Milan vs. Tottenham
Great deal and maybe most interesting match. Football titan vs upcoming Tottenham. Experience vs power? Interesting, but I see Tottenham going forward

Valencia vs Schalke
Unattractive couple, but it'll be great battle worth quarter finals. Spanish lucidity or german stamina? Details will decide, I believe on german side.

Inter Milan vs. Bayern Munich
Last years finalists rematching and trying to preserve season. It will depend on mistakes exploitation, and I see Bayern's revenge.

Lyon vs. Real Madrid
Lyon is dark horse for Real, but not this time. Mourinho's machine is too strong.

Arsenal vs. Barcelona
Two teams playing most beautiful football. Barcelona has either creativity and hardness.

Marseille vs. Manchester United
Hundred years' war should go to english side.

Copenhagen vs. Chelsea
David vs Goliat, but Copenhagen could expensively sell its skin.

Marseille vs. Manchester United
Hundred years' war should go to english side.

Copenhagen vs. Chelsea
David vs Goliat, but Copenhagen could expensively sell its skin.

Posted by: davidperanic

Re. Copenhagen/Chelsea, to continue the theme of Marseille/Man U: Danes have not done well in England for about 1,000 years now.

D.C. United just traded Troy Perkins to Portland for Steve Cronin and allocation money.

http://www.dcunited.com/press-release/2010/12/dc-united-acquires-goalkeeper-steve-cronin

Steve Carlton?? He only had one good year, 35 years ago....

What?

"I don't intend to discriminate against old people..." And then you proceeded to do just that.

C'mon, man!

Cmon...Carlton won 4 Cy Youngs.

Michael Bradley just bagged a big assist. He made a nice run to get past a defender and get to to the back line, and then served up a GREAT cross that bent away from the 'keeper. Left his teammate with an easy header to earn an assist and tie up the game, less than a minute after Elia had put Hamburg on top.

@Rand-al-Thor: Give him a break. He wrote a politician's apology.

Let's play spot the difference:

"I think there shall not be any discrimination against any human beings be it on this side or that side, be it left, right or whatever." Sepp Blatter 14 December 2010

"Unless they're old" World Cup 17 December 2010

Ah, youth! I guess we need a "filter for the stupid stuff they say and outdated stuff they think."

Cmon...Carlton won 4 Cy Youngs.

Posted by: Reignking | December 17, 2010

And hit 13 home runs.

Cmon...Carlton won 4 Cy Youngs.

Posted by: Reignking | December 17, 2010

And hit 13 home runs.

Posted by: BlackandRedRedDevil | December 17, 2010 4:12 PM

But he has no right foot....

Yikes!

http://www.theonion.com/articles/landon-donovan-a-disgrace-to-the-soccerloving-coun,18624/

@Rand-al-Thor

"I don't intend to discriminate against old people..." And then you proceeded to do just that.

Of course I did. I was mocking Blatter. You know better than to take people literally on this blog.

You're right, WC. My bad. I of all people should recognize sarcasm when I see it.

Sepp makes my head hurt.

@JkR... Carlton was like Etcheverry. His awesome left made up for his non-existent right.

Sucks to be a fan of the Gunners. Barcelona looks way too strong.

Shakhtar Donetsk and Copenhagen in the final. You read it here first.

Indeed. I'll be sure to remind you.

Shakhtar's new kits will be designed by Versace.

Donetsk Donatella.