What sports teams do you support?

[Arneb]

Oh, nothing against what Germany's Green Diva (aka Werder Bremen) got in their group: The defending champion, Inter, Totteringham, and Twente Enschede. Well, maybe they'll pull another golden rabbit out of their deep hat again...

[Heid the Ba]

It begins again, Euro 2012 qualifiers, all the Illuminati-R-Away:

Lithuania -v- Scotland
Belgium -v- Germany
San Marino -v- Netherlands

What can possibly go wrong? It is "only" Lithaunia, we have a 40 year old central defender . . .

I may be a terrible mess by halftime.

[Arneb]

Over here, everything as usual:
Belgium 0 - 1 Germany

The Germans have a habit of scoring a painful and inglorious victory in the first qualifier after a big tournament. They should be on their way to Poland and Ukraine in relative safety. But beware the Turks....

[Мастер]

Over here, everything as usual:
Belgium 0 - 1 Germany

The Germans have a habit of scoring a painful and inglorious victory in the first qualifier after a big tournament. They should be on their way to Poland and Ukraine in relative safety. But beware the Turks....

I saw the second half.

All the Irish bars here are showing the Springboks and the Wallabies (different sport, in case anyone is not familiar) at 11:30 PM.

[Arneb]

Germany 6 - 1 Azerbaijan (coached, would you believe it, Heid, by one Hans-Hubert Vogts of Korschenbroich, Germany) in a European Cup qualifier.

The Germans were a charm to watch. Intelligent, playful, inventive, physically strong. I can't remember a time when it was so much fun to see them play. Yes, the opposition is no. 105 n the world (up from a 146 since Berti took over) and didn't offer any real opposition, but I've seen enough drab, uninspired 1 - 0 wins over Albania and the like not to notice the difference.

How did Scotland do?

[Heid the Ba]

I saw some of the German game and they looked very good. I didn't know that is where wee Bertie is now.

I have no idea what Scotland were doing but it wasn't playing football.

[Мастер]

Wallabies and All Blacks play Saturday, although the All Blacks have already clinched the series.

[Heid the Ba]

But have they clinched the Bledisloe Cup or just the Tri-Nations?

[Мастер]

But have they clinched the Bledisloe Cup or just the Tri-Nations?

Both, if I understand things correctly. The All Blacks have won all five games in the Tri-Nations tournament, so even if they lose to Australia (who has won two, including one last week against South Africa as the clock ran out), they still win the Tri-Nations. They have also won both games in the Bledisloe Cup so far this year (Saturday's is the last of the Tri-Nations, and the third of four of the Bledisloe Cup), so even if Australia wins the remaining two, it is a two-two tie, and the Bledisloe Cup remains with the current holder, which is New Zealand.

[Мастер]

Wallabies and All Blacks play Saturday, although the All Blacks have already clinched the series.

There's a place down the street showing it, called the Boom-A-Rang, which is having a special on Victoria Bitter. I think it might be wise to be an Australia fan on this occasion . . .

[Мастер]

Definitely a majority Australian bar, but oddly enough, the serving staff were dressed in All Black :P A sizeable New Zealand contingent among the patronage. The Wallabies were ahead almost the whole match, but the All Blacks took it by one point in the closing minutes.

[Heid the Ba]

but the All Blacks took it by one point in the closing minutes.

They often do.

ManU -v- Rangers tonight, it could get ugly quickly.

[Мастер]

but the All Blacks took it by one point in the closing minutes.

They often do.

ManU -v- Rangers tonight, it could get ugly quickly.

The ManU fan club here is almost next door to the Newcastle fan club.

[Heid the Ba]

Typical ManU fans, they don't live in Manchester. :D

It is widely believed that very few ManU fans are from Manchester and anecdotal evidence from the six people I know who have been to Old Trafford suggests this has a strong basis in fact.

[Heid the Ba]

Another grinding goalless draw away from home, this one even lacked the tension and passion of some. It was as if ManU had never seen Rangers play in Europe before. Proper Catenaccio with a libero and two banks of four.

Of course it will all go tits up when we have to actually attack someone and score goals . . .

[Arneb]

Hey, don't worry, as we saw in 2008, you can reach Eruopean Finals with that kind of strategy.

I am not sure, though, that "catenaccio" is the right word for Glasgows way of playing. Hatin Italian football with a passion, in my book catenaccio , with unnerving certitude, always scores a goal or two. 1-0 is catenaccio, the typical Glasgow result seems to be 0-0. True?

[KLA2]

I'll support whoever that octopus picks ...

[Arneb]

I hope it picked Hertha over Union, which is runnning at the moment.

[Arneb]

Union Berlin 1 - 1 Hertha BSC

OK, everything went smoothly and nicely.
Heid, maybe the lack of acrimony in this derby stems from the fact that the two teams have NEVER met in professional football before. Quite unlike the Old Firm, and quite unlike Dortmund vs. Schalke.

[Lianachan]

OK, everything went smoothly and nicely.
Heid, maybe the lack of acrimony in this derby stems from the fact that the two teams have NEVER met in professional football before.

That's quite something. Is one of the teams quite new? Pardon my ignorance of German football.

[Arneb]

The rub is, Union was an Eastern and Herha a Western club. After reunification, there was one unification friendly, and after that the two teams parted company. Down to Fourth League for Union, up to Champions League for Hertha. After Hertha's digraceful relegation and Union's heroic ascendion, they are now meeting officially for the first time, Hertha as a Second League favourite, and Union as a Second League underdog.

[Lianachan]

The rub is, Union was an Eastern and Herha a Western club.

Ah, of course! I knew there had to be something going on.

[Heid the Ba]

I am not sure, though, that "catenaccio" is the right word for Glasgows way of playing. Hatin Italian football with a passion, in my book catenaccio , with unnerving certitude, always scores a goal or two. 1-0 is catenaccio, the typical Glasgow result seems to be 0-0. True?

Buckle up for more of the same this week when Valencia come to Ibrox.

Hertha are sitting pretty at the top of the table, but there is plenty of time for it all to go wrong. :D

[Arneb]

Oh, don't worry. They'll botch it when the time comes.

Although they DID beat Fuerth the day before yesterday

[Мастер]

New Zealand vs. Australia this Saturday in Hong Kong! I expect NZ will win.