Gunning them over

The first leg of the QF's for four of the contenders is over and I must say, Arsenal have a very good chance of making it to the Semi's. With their 2-0 win over Juve at Highbury, the gunners stamped their authority and this must have shaken up the Italian giants and the others as well. Right from the first goal by Fabregas, it was all Arsenal and by the time Henry added the second, the game was almost over. It was a sad return to Highbury for Vieira, who was booked and will miss the second leg at Turin along with Zebina and Camoranesi - who were sent off late in the game for a second bookable foul. Looks like the Champions League season is really kicking off for the Gunners. So will they emulate another Liverpool - finishing out of the Champions league slot in the League and winning the Champions League?!
Juve have had a rather fortunate run in the CL, but they need to conjure up something extra special to win at Turin and del Piero's return would call for more than a welcome from the fans.

In the other game, Barca were held to a goal-less draw in Benfica, but they must have scored atleast one counting the host of chances they had. Marcelo Moretto - the Benfica shotstopper - almost single handedly kept Benfica's chances alive by making a series of fantastic saves from Eto'O, Ronaldinho and co., which earned him the man of the match as well.
If Benfica can score and hold on to a draw in Spain, it can cause a major upset in the Champions League and all eyes will be on Milan and Arsenal - with Benfica lurking right behind them. But on the other hand, Barcelona have the fire power and they will be going all out at the Nou Camp and Moretto needs to produce another mind boggling performance if Benfica want to see themselves in the Semi-final.

Derailed...uh..Not exactly

Ever wondered what will happen if two Engines face other with hardly 10 feet separating them?I was wondering when I saw this happen at K.R Puram, the last time I was there. With two engines facing each other and my train on the adjacent track, it looked like there was a traffic jam - due to trains!! Would have been a real problem if all diesel engines did not have an option of reverse!
Well, I had to leave so left them to ponder as to who gets the rails!

Derailed...

I have never ever walked out of a movie before...That is, until last weekend!. My friend and I decided (I did, I must say!) to watch Derailed and it kinda put us off the track as well. I have heard of boring movies but this kinda takes the cake. After just 20 minutes, we had to walk out as it did not make sense to sit there and just stare at the screen!
At one point of time, there was a conversation between Clive Owen and Jennifer Aniston (No wonder the movie did not take off at all!) and neither my friend nor I listened to any part of it. It was just going above us! And my friend is a movie buff, so If she was not able to sit through this, then I have to say, it's quite a waste of time and money!

BTW, it was not my bright idea to go for Derailed, I just made a small mistake :) - thought it was Firewall - which I heard and read was a crummy movie by itself! So either way, I would have lost my money!:)

People going places.

Ballack seems to be on his way to Stamford Bridge even before the world cup starts. With ManU, Inter and Real pulling out (supposedly) of the race to sign the German skipper, Chelsea look set to sign him and to be more honest, his 120,000 a week contract will not be a pinch on the pocket only for the blues.

With the return of the in-form Saha, van Nistelrooy's place in the starting lineup seems to be under threat and there are rumours linking him with Milan, Tottenham and Roma lining up a bid for the Dutch hitman. I would personally love it if he stays at ManU but on the other hand, Milan is not something that I would be really sorry about - provided Shevchenko remains the star there!

Swords Drawn!

The slot for the QF's and the SF's have been drawn and it looks inviting with a possiblity of all the 'strong' teams in the SF's. But a Milan-Barcelona is not a possibility but rather a SF chance. If that happens, may God protect Milan!

Quarter-finals

Arsenal v Juventus

Lyon v AC Milan

Inter Milan or Ajax v Villarreal

Benfica v Barcelona


Semi-finals

Arsenal or Juventus v Inter Milan/Ajax or Villarreal

Lyon or AC Milan v Benfica or Barcelona

Finals

Too long a line and possibilties...only time will tell (I hope Milan are in there!)

Odds of Survival

AC MILAN
Milan are in second place in the Serie A (10 points behind Juve), so would be gunning to win the Champions League this season. And after last season's bitter defeat, they would have learned a lot and will be one of the favourites.
Watch out for: The enigmatic Shevchenko and playmaker Kaka
Could be a problem: aging defence? Will age catch up with them against teams with younger and faster players.
Verdict: Main contender. Not winning would be a disaster (esp for me!)
Odds: 5/1

ARSENAL
The Gunners' realistic hope for Champions League football next season seems to be by winning it. Struggling in the Premier League for a 4th place finish - let alone automatic qualification - they would love to win the Cup and make things a bit easier for them.
Watch out for: None other than Henry.
Could be a problem: An inexperienced side with a host of young players who have not been tested at this level yet.
Verdict: Stand a good chance if they can stick together as a team and Henry avoids an injury!
Odds: 9/1

BARCELONA
Now that Chelsea have been swept aside, Barca are the real contenders for the title and if they win it...They do deserve it. Flying high in the League, they do not have to worry much about it if they continue their fine form.
Watch out for: The Brazilian ace Ronaldinho and Maradona's heir - Messi.
Could be a problem: Apart from an injury to Ronaldinho and Messi, I do not see any major concerns right now.
Verdict: Favourites. Expected to win.
Odds: 15/8

BENFICA
Any team than can send ManU and Liverpool packing have to be given serious though. Their way to the second round was thought to be luck, but they showed what they are capable of by completing a 3-0 agg against Liverpool.
Watch out for: Sabrosa
Could be a problem: Not tested much at a higher level and could collapse under pressure
Verdict: Outside chance. But can go all the way if they play as a team.
Odds: 16/1


JUVENTUS
Leading the Serie A by a hige margin and have a wealth of experience and talent at their disposal. Winning the Cup matters most now, and after the scare against Bremen, they will be more cautious
Watch out for: Trezeguet, Vieira and Nedved
Could be a problem: Defence is vulnerable and not fast enough and leaves holes at times.
Verdict: One of the leading contenders but will need to score more than their leaky defence to go ahead.
Odds: 4/1

LYON
Champions of France but fail to cause a similar impact in Europe. The League title does not seem to be a problem now, and so they can concentrate on the Champions League now.
Watch out for: Juninho
Could be a problem: Not made an impact on the big tournament. Always failed without a fight away from the League
Verdict: Can make it to finals, if they maintain their current form and play as a team
Odds: 6/1

VILLAREAL
Down the table in the Spanish League and not much was expected of them in the Champions League as well. But they have defied the odds to make it to the last 8. They - arguably - had an 'easy' opponent in 'Rangers' but will try to build on the recent wins and go forward.
Watch out for: The former ManU misfit - Forlan and playmaker Riquelme.
Could be a problem: Not too many goals this season and goals win games ,so they have to start firing from all cylinders really soon.
Verdict: Outside chance. Not fancied, but need to get something special if they want to win.
Odds: 14/1

AJAX (yet to play)
Their performance in the Dutch league was not quite as expected with mixed fortunes and they are on the verge of elimination in the Champions League (2-2 in Amsterdam) as well. Yet to play the second leg, they have a massive task ahead to claw back and hold on to something.
Watch out for: Sneijder, Huntelaar
Could be a problem: Scoring 2 goals and winning at the san Siro is a touch ask and Sneijder may miss the key match and that could be a real blow.
Verdict: Rank Outsider. Need a miracle to win the title.
Odds: 100/1

INTER (yet to play)
Inter have the advantage over Ajax after their 2-2 draw in the first leg and will be hoping to make it to the next round past Ajax. Their position in the league has also dropped a few places and will have to fight it out to make it to the Champions league next season.
Watch out for: The dangerous Adriano
Could be a Problem: inconsistency is their main problem. And the defence does look vulnerable at times and that can be punished against stronger opposition.
Verdict: No Surprise if they make it to the finals. Just need to get their act together.
Odds: 17/2

Note: Odds based on William Hill.

Milan Thrash Bayern!

The second leg is over and what a night it was at the Sans Siro. The Italian giants, Milan, carried over the 1-1 draw from the first leg in Bayern and made it 5-2 agg by the time the night was over. Right from the start, the Rossoneri knew what they wanted to do and the completed the job they had started a fortnight ago in Germany. Bayern had hoped to put a dent in Milan's armour, but Inzaghi's opener on the 8th minute set the course of the game. 12 mintues later, Shevchenko got his name on the scoresheet and then unfortunately sent a penalty wide. But after the restart, Inzaghi completed his brace and the outstanding Kaka got a well deserved goal to complete the rout. Though Bayern scored one in the first half, it was not going to make much of a difference to the final result. Now...Milan look out for their next target...Will it be Barcelona? Arsenal? I shudder to think of what could happen if they had to face Barcelona. It would be a fit final (with Milan winning of course!).

We are the Champions.... That was last season's song for the Reds...But not anymore. After losing 1-0 to Benfica in the first leg, they had to try and win the second one by a higher margin, but in the end, the lost 2-0 at Anfield (which is quite suprising) and had a sorry 3-0 agg. Milan and Liverpool played against each other in last season's final with Milan losing out on Penalties, but this year,the 90 minutes at the san Siro and the 90 at Anfield were quite different...Milan won...Liverpool Lost!

Real's change in their administration failed to bring on the changes on the field as they were held to a 0-0 draw at highbury and thus, out of the Champions League. Beckham's return to England on the club game ended in disaster as the Galacticos were not able to break the Gunners defence. Arsenal hold the Union Jack as the only English team left in the competition. Real, on the other hand, need a complete makeover.

Gerard Houllier's Lyon continue their fantastic run in the Champions league with a 4-0 win of PSV which gives them an astounding 5-0 agg. Lyon do not have stars who are as 'famous' as the Glacticos of Real, or the money of Chelsea, but they do have an amazing team spirit and their team work is second to none. They were considered to be the underdogs of the lot, but If Lyon maintain their fine run, the others will need to raise their eyebrows and take a serious look at them. Complacency can result in a huge loss!

Inter still have to play Ajax and with the first leg score of 2-2 - at the Arena - Inter have the advantage of seeing the others in the QF's. After a few upsets and some great victories, the qualified teams look at their opponents with wary eyes! Wondering who will lift the Cup this year...

Men's Rules! (that women should know)

- Women, learn to work the toilet seat. You’re a big girl. If it’s up, put it down. We need it up, you need it down. You don’t hear us complaining about you leaving it down.
- Birthdays, Valentines, and Anniversaries are not considered by us to be opportunities to see if we can find the perfect present . . . . again!
- Sometimes we are not thinking about you. Live with it.
- Sunday = sports. It’s like the full moon or the changing of the tides. Let it be.
- Don’t cut your hair. Ever. Long hair is always more attractive than short hair. One of the big reasons guys fear getting married is that married women always cut their hair, and by then you’re stuck with her.
- Ask for what you want. Subtle hints do not work! Strong hints do not work! Obvious hints do not work! Just say it!
- We don’t remember dates. . . .Period!!
- Most guys own three pairs of shoes - tops. What makes you think we’d be any good at choosing which pair, out of thirty, would look good with your dress?
- Yes and No are perfectly acceptable answers to almost every question.
- Come to us with a problem only if you want help solving it. That’s what we do. Sympathy is what your girlfriends are for.
- A headache that lasts for 17 months is a problem. See a doctor.
- Anything we said 6 months ago is inadmissible in an argument. In fact, all comments become null and void after 7 days.
- If you won’t dress like the Victoria’s Secret girls, don’t expect us to act like soap opera guys.
- If you think you’re fat, you probably are. Don’t ask us. We’ve been tricked before!!
- If something we said can be interpreted two ways, and one of the ways makes you sad or angry, we meant the other one.
- Let us ogle. We are going to look anyway; it’s genetic.
- You can either ask us to do something or tell us how you want it done. Not both. If you already know best how to do it, just do it yourself.
- Whenever possible, please say whatever you have to say during commercials.
- Christopher Columbus did not need directions, and neither do we.
- The relationship is never going to be like it was the first two months we were going out. Get over it. And quit whining to your girlfriends.
- ALL men see in only 16 colors, like Windows default settings. Peach, for example, is a fruit, not a color. Pumpkin is also a fruit. We have no idea what mauve is.
- If it itches, it will be scratched. We do that.
- We are not mind readers and we never will be. Our lack of mind-reading ability is not proof of how little we care about you.
- If we ask what is wrong and you say “nothing,” we will act like nothing’s wrong. We know you are lying, but it is just not worth the hassle.
- If you ask a question you don’t want an answer to, expect an answer you don’t want to hear.
- Don’t ask us what we’re thinking about unless you are prepared to discuss such topics as navel lint, the shotgun formation, or monster trucks.
- Foreign films are best left to foreigners. (Unless it’s Bruce Lee or some war flick where it doesn’t really matter what they’re saying anyway.)
- BEER is as exciting for us as handbags are for you.
- Thank you for reading this; Yes, I know, I have to sleep on the couch tonight, but did you know, it’s like camping.

Barca send Chelsea Packing

Some people call it revenge, some call it the best team won but whatever it is, I - for one - am not feeling sorry for Chelsea. They are undoubtedly a great team with a great manager, but they needed to be brought down to earth and Rijkaard's men did just that. Ronaldinho scored the opening goal though a fantastic strike and by the time Chelsea made the scores 1-1 through a 90th minute Lampard penalty, all was lost. All the hype and media attention surrounding the game was fully justified as the game ended in a 1-1 draw but Barca go through having won the first leg 2-1 at Stamford Bridge. Last season, Barca saw the Quarter finals on the TV and this year, Chelsea have to do that. 25 minutes into the game, the home side got a scare as Messi limped off with a hamstring injury, but the other stars were not to let that disturb their gameplay and carried on with their job until it was completed.

Barca are on course for the Cup. That gives me quite a scare now. Last season, the team that defeated Chelsea won the cup....Will it be the same this year...? Barca do have the fire power and who can stop them now? Liverpool? Real? Or the giants Milan....I hope Milan win the cup, even if it means getting the better of Barcelona. With Ronaldinho, Deco, Eto'O, Messi and their skipper Puyol, Barca have all they need to get them past anybody...But if it happens, can they get the better of Pirlo, Gattuso, Kaka, Gilardino and the enigmatic Shevchenko? Only time and a suitable tie will tell. That would be an amazing game to watch and who do you think I will be rooting for? Milan! Obviously!

The other teams which made it through were Juventus, who scraped through after a dramatic late error by the W.Bremen custodian - Wiese - gifted them the goal that they needed. Juve were on the verge of a shock exit, when Wiese dropped the ball at Emerson's feet and he coolly slotted it home. It was ironic how Wiese became the villain after how had kept Bremen in the game by single handedly keeping the continuous onslaught of Nedved, del Piero, Mutu, Ibrahimovic and Trezeguet at bay. Earlier Micoud had scored the opener and Trezeguet had equalised to bring Juve a ray of hope...until Emerson's winner!

Villareal made it through on the away goals rule after a 1-1 tie with Rangers in Villareal but Rangers exit the champions league with their heads held high being the first Scottish team to make it this far. They could have won it after taloing the lead through Lovenkrands put the 1-0, but a Arruabarrena strike immediately after the restart shows Rangers the door.

Tonight's games see Milan against Bayern after a 1-1 tie in Germany, Liverpool trying to avenge their 1-0 first leg loss to Benfica, and they can very well do it at Anfield - which is an intimidating place for any away team!, Arsenal hoping to maintain their fine 1-0 win in the first leg against Real and Lyon taking on PSV with Lyon having the advantage after the 1-0 win in Holland.

And the Oscar goes to...

This year's showpiece in Hollywood got over day before yesterday and the results were more or less expected. Few of the important winners on this glorious night were...

Best Supporting Actress: Rachel Weisz for The Constant Gardner.

Best Supporting Actor: George Clooney for Syriana.

Best Actress: Reese Witherspoon for Walk the Line.

Best Actor: Philip Seymour Hoffman for Capote.

Best Movie: Crash.

Having watched Crash, I do believe it is Oscar material. The Movie was well shot and was worth all the gold that it got!

Crash...Boom...Bang...

Ahem...Not exactly :) Last weekend my friends and I went for the evening show of Crash and I have to say I quite like it. Though from the beginning I was not too keen on this movie - though it was a nominee for the oscars - I just tagged along to clambered into the screen along with the others. After a bit into the movie, I started to like it a bit and by the time the credits came, I liked it a lot!

The essence of the movie is about racial discrimination in the US and a lot of different people and situations are brought together in the end in a well oiled way. Once scene - out of the many - that really made me stop eating popcorn was when the Persian (You'll know who is who if you watch the movie!) fires at the little Mexican girl and his dad clutches her to his chest and her mom is screaming wildly! All this is in slow mo and there is no sound whatsoever, which makes the entire scene so so natural and emotional.

On the whole, one good movie to watch and keep an 'open mind' when you are in the United States! I would surely say it is worth the Oscar!

The Wanted Man!

Michael Ballack is a wanted man now. At the end of the season, he becomes a free agent and so all the 'high profile' clubs are taking a peek at him. His agent has openly stated that he would move only to a club which can win the Champions League - and that kinda rules out ManU. If you ask me (and you better do!), Chelsea, Milan, Real were promising clubs for Ballack, but right now Chelsea look set to land the German skipper. I was wondering how big an impact he would make and came up with the following...

Chelsea - They do have the money and the trophies to attract, but will he get the same star treatment he got at Bayern and will he get as many starts given the massive midfield of the blues which include Lampard, Robben, Essien, Duff, and the impressive Cole? There are rumours that he will be playing the role of a Striker, and that could be a possibility considering the form of Drogba, Crespo (who, I must say, is doing a good job now), Gudjohnson and Carlton Cole.

AC Milan - The Italian Giants would love to get the services of Ballack, but they do have a formidable midfield of Gattuso, Pirlo, Seedorf, rui Costa, Vogel and the amazing Brazilian - Kaka. And unlike the other teams, they just do not keep buying all the stars, so Milan have to be an outside runner. But, all aside, if he joins Milan, he would make a great addition to the squad.

Real Madrid - Off late, with all the confusion and several coaches in a couple of seasons, Real look to be a team in constant turmoil. With all the Galacticos, Ballack would be another addition (just another addition perhaps) and their current form would not even attract a midfielder who is on the bench in another team.

Liverpool - The Champions of Europe may have caught the Germans' eye, but am not sure if he would be able to fit into the Red's team based on their playing style. Moreover, they are solid in the midfield now and would not need anyone now. Unless the unthinkable happens and Gerrard leaves!

Arsenal - Arsenal would love to have him at highbury as a replacement for Vieira - whose departure to Juventus kinda triggered a downward spiral for the Gunners. Keeping that in mind, Ballack would be a welcome prospect for Arsenal and might even have a say in Henry's thoughts about staying with the Gunners.

Man Utd - Another team who would like to have Ballack in their red jersey is Man U. The shock departure of Keane left a gaping hole in the midfield which is still wide open. The short term replacements look like they are failing big time. The once proud and formidable midfield quartet of a fiery Scholes, Giggs, Beckham and Keane has vanished and now we see a makeshift midfielder in Smith, Park, Fletcher and Ronaldo making up the mid four. Ballack would be an ideal replacement for Keane and Man Utd would be a good choice, but being bundled out of the Champions League might prove decisive.

Juventus - Though there has not been any serious - or even thought - ideas about Juventus, they are certainly one of the big guns and I would not be surprised if they win the coveted Champions League this year , especially with the current form of del Piero (who, a lot of critics wrote off last year). And the signing of Vieira has strengthened their midifield to complete the team. With Buffon between the posts, conceding goals will not be too much of worry. Ballack should maybe think about it!! ;)

Having said and analysed all this, it still looks like Stampford Bridge is where he will land...Well, if he does, may God be with him!!!

Italia!!!!!

Wow What a game!!!
Italy thrashed Germany 4-1 in the pre world cup friendly, in Florence, thanks to goals from Gilardino, Toni, de Rossi and the ever present del Piero. This was a morale boosting win for the Italians and I seriously hope they win the cup at least now - after '82! If they can maintain their form and stay away from any serious injuries, then, the main title contenders better take a look at us!

In the other games, England edged out Uruguay, thanks to a Joe Cole winner late in the closing stages. The match looked set for a draw after Crouch had equalised Pouso's opener. But England had other ideas and Cole's 90th minute winner made the Anfield crowd bring down the roof!

Holland still maintained their form by edging out Ecuador with Kuyt finding the back of the net and A fortunate first half goal was enough to give Brazil victory over Russia, in Moscow.

There were a couple of shocks as well, with Argentina losing out to Croatia, with Simic scoring the only goal and France's unbeaten run coming to a tame end. 2-1, against Slovakia.

Buy...Buy...Buy

Now that I have (kinda) settled down in my studio apartment, am on a spree to buy stuff to fill it up! Almost everything I see seem to appeal to me, but unfortunately my place is not Buckingham Palace, so have to trim the list every now and then.
At least, - apart from the basic necessisites...
- a couple of paintings, da Vinci's perhaps!(ofcourse am kidding!)
- a nice table which can seat two people (ahem!)
- a bookshelf (I do have a few built in one's but I kinda have set my eyes on one cute little shelf!)
...And lots more! :)