Champions League 7/8 December 2010

[MrsB]

Tuesday, 7 December 2010
Barcelona v Rubin Kazan, GpD, 19:45
Benfica v Schalke 04, GpB, 19:45
Bursaspor v Rangers, GpC, 19:45
FC Copenhagen v Panathinaikos, GpD, 19:45
FC Twente v Tottenham, GpA, 19:45
Lyon v Hapoel Tel-Aviv, GpB, 19:45
Man Utd v Valencia, GpC, 19:45
Werder Bremen v Inter Milan, GpA, 19:45

Wednesday, 8 December 2010
AC Milan v Ajax, GpG, 19:45
Arsenal v Partizan Belgrade, GpH, 19:45
Bayern Munich v Basle, GpE, 19:45
CFR 1907 Cluj-Napoca v Roma, GpE, 19:45
MSK Zilina v Spartak Moscow, GpF, 19:45
Marseille v Chelsea, GpF, 19:45
Real Madrid v Auxerre, GpG, 19:45
Shakhtar Donetsk v Braga, GpH, 19:45

[Craig_H]

Thank god you post these threads MrsB, i cant imagine life without them

[MrsB]

I know.

[Baracus]

Finally the worst set of Champions league group stage games in my living memory are coming to and end. It has been boring, predictable and pointless. Only Spurs have broken the mould.

[dww]

Shakhtar Donetsk's boys from Brazil help take club to brink of history
Posted by Jonathan Wilson Tuesday 7 December 2010 13.00 GMT guardian.co.uk

The Ukrainians have bought 13 Brazilians in the past eight years and are aiming for a payback against Sporting Braga tomorrow evening


Douglas Costa of FC Shakhtar donetsk Shakhtar Donestsk's Douglas Costa, right, wins the ball during last month's 3-0 win at Partizan Belgrade. Tonight the Ukrainian side need only to draw with Sporting Braga to top Group H ahead of Arsenal. Photograph: Andrej Isakovic/AFP/Getty Images

When the late Yevhen Kucherevskyi was coach of Arsenal Tula, he was sent to Brazil to sign five players. By the time he got back to Russia, he found the directors had bought five of their own, and they encouraged him to pick a side featuring 10 Brazilian outfielders. That, clearly, was a farce, but the mass import of Brazilians to eastern Europe does not have to be like that.

In the past eight years Shakhtar Donetsk have bought 13 Brazilians – plus Eduardo da Silva, who was born in Brazil but is a naturalised Croatian. Not all have been successful but many, including Matuzalem, Elano, Jadson and Ilsinho, have been, and there can be little doubt they have been of benefit to Shakhtar. The one criticism of Mircea Lucecsu's reign has been his inability to deliver in the Champions League – although he did win the Uefa Cup with them in 2009 – but providing they avoid a four-goal defeat at home to Sporting Braga tomorrow evening, Shakhtar will reach the knockout phase for the first time.

The latest Brazilian prodigy to make an impression is Douglas Costa, a left-footed right-sided forward with an array of tricks and a strut that – usually – stays just the right side of arrogant. His story traces a paradigm that is becoming increasingly common, beginning with an obsession for the game that seemed to begin even before he was born. "My mother told me that I tried to play football inside her while she was pregnant," he said. "So, when my parents learned they had a boy they had no doubt I would be a football player. I remember myself always kicking a ball. A ball was my favourite toy. I can't do anything else; I don't even know how to dance samba."

He was born in Sapucaia do Sul and played street football there until his father decided to send him for trials at Novo Hamburgo's academy. He progressed rapidly in two years there and, in 2002, moved to Gremio. Four years later, aged 16, he joined the senior squad on a salary of £200 a month. His debut came against Botafogo a year later.

"Our coach, Celso Roth, asked me to control the middle of the field and unexpectedly move to the right or left wing of the attack," Douglas recalls. "The game was quite tense. We conceded a goal early in the game, but I levelled the score in the 33rd minute from 20 yards. To be honest, I was lucky because the ball deflected off a Botafogo defender, but after the final whistle I was probably the happiest man on earth."

So far so normal, but as his reputation grew Douglas began to be linked with Manchester United, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Barcelona. "I know definitely that Manchester United sent a fax to my club, Gremio, asking them to release me to their training ground so they could see my skills," he said. "But the bosses of Gremio refused, saying that I already had the ability to play at the top level. They told Manchester United they could sign me without any trials. I like the style of Manchester United and if I could have chosen I would have preferred to go there, but they weren't ready, and Shakhtar Donetsk offered what Gremio wanted."

And that, of course, is where Shakhtar's community of Brazilians is such a boon, and why the prospects for young Brazilian footballers are changing.

For the first to head to Ukraine, Shakhtar was a step into the unknown. Douglas, though, knew he was going to a place where he would find compatriots, where his compatriots have succeeded before. "I phoned Ukraine and talked with Willian and Luiz Adriano, who are both from my area of Porto Alegre," he said. "They advised me to join Shakhtar because they said this club is one of the strongest in Europe."

The Brazilians, though, are not insular, and seem to have made a conscious effort to involve themselves in local life. For Douglas that largely means spending the free time when he is not playing football games on his PlayStation at the mall, but he is making efforts to learn Russian. "It's very difficult," he said, "but I have a good example in my countryman Fernandinho, who speaks fluently in Russian."

And even without much of the language, he seems to be having fun. "People in Ukraine are very kind and friendly," he said. "For example in Brazil, if we were beaten, our fans would be completely silent while in Ukraine they applauded our efforts even after a defeat. And a lot of people here like to skate. My friend Tiago plays for the futsal team in Donetsk and he is crazy about skating. I've promised that I'll join him soon at the rink."

Lucescu may be less keen on the idea of one of his best players hurling himself around an ice-rink, but it is probably better than driving without a licence, something Douglas was caught doing in Brazil. Generally, though, he seems to be maturing and after a difficult first season, he is blossoming. Anything other than heavy defeat tomorrow, and he will have helped make Shakhtar history.

[Fernandinho]

Shakhtar Donetsk's boys from Brazil help take club to brink of history
Posted by Jonathan Wilson Tuesday 7 December 2010 13.00 GMT guardian.co.uk

The Ukrainians have bought 13 Brazilians in the past eight years and are aiming for a payback against Sporting Braga tomorrow evening


Douglas Costa of FC Shakhtar donetsk Shakhtar Donestsk's Douglas Costa, right, wins the ball during last month's 3-0 win at Partizan Belgrade. Tonight the Ukrainian side need only to draw with Sporting Braga to top Group H ahead of Arsenal. Photograph: Andrej Isakovic/AFP/Getty Images

When the late Yevhen Kucherevskyi was coach of Arsenal Tula, he was sent to Brazil to sign five players. By the time he got back to Russia, he found the directors had bought five of their own, and they encouraged him to pick a side featuring 10 Brazilian outfielders. That, clearly, was a farce, but the mass import of Brazilians to eastern Europe does not have to be like that.

In the past eight years Shakhtar Donetsk have bought 13 Brazilians – plus Eduardo da Silva, who was born in Brazil but is a naturalised Croatian. Not all have been successful but many, including Matuzalem, Elano, Jadson and Ilsinho, have been, and there can be little doubt they have been of benefit to Shakhtar. The one criticism of Mircea Lucecsu's reign has been his inability to deliver in the Champions League – although he did win the Uefa Cup with them in 2009 – but providing they avoid a four-goal defeat at home to Sporting Braga tomorrow evening, Shakhtar will reach the knockout phase for the first time.

The latest Brazilian prodigy to make an impression is Douglas Costa, a left-footed right-sided forward with an array of tricks and a strut that – usually – stays just the right side of arrogant. His story traces a paradigm that is becoming increasingly common, beginning with an obsession for the game that seemed to begin even before he was born. "My mother told me that I tried to play football inside her while she was pregnant," he said. "So, when my parents learned they had a boy they had no doubt I would be a football player. I remember myself always kicking a ball. A ball was my favourite toy. I can't do anything else; I don't even know how to dance samba."

He was born in Sapucaia do Sul and played street football there until his father decided to send him for trials at Novo Hamburgo's academy. He progressed rapidly in two years there and, in 2002, moved to Gremio. Four years later, aged 16, he joined the senior squad on a salary of £200 a month. His debut came against Botafogo a year later.

"Our coach, Celso Roth, asked me to control the middle of the field and unexpectedly move to the right or left wing of the attack," Douglas recalls. "The game was quite tense. We conceded a goal early in the game, but I levelled the score in the 33rd minute from 20 yards. To be honest, I was lucky because the ball deflected off a Botafogo defender, but after the final whistle I was probably the happiest man on earth."

So far so normal, but as his reputation grew Douglas began to be linked with Manchester United, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Barcelona. "I know definitely that Manchester United sent a fax to my club, Gremio, asking them to release me to their training ground so they could see my skills," he said. "But the bosses of Gremio refused, saying that I already had the ability to play at the top level. They told Manchester United they could sign me without any trials. I like the style of Manchester United and if I could have chosen I would have preferred to go there, but they weren't ready, and Shakhtar Donetsk offered what Gremio wanted."

And that, of course, is where Shakhtar's community of Brazilians is such a boon, and why the prospects for young Brazilian footballers are changing.

For the first to head to Ukraine, Shakhtar was a step into the unknown. Douglas, though, knew he was going to a place where he would find compatriots, where his compatriots have succeeded before. "I phoned Ukraine and talked with Willian and Luiz Adriano, who are both from my area of Porto Alegre," he said. "They advised me to join Shakhtar because they said this club is one of the strongest in Europe."

The Brazilians, though, are not insular, and seem to have made a conscious effort to involve themselves in local life. For Douglas that largely means spending the free time when he is not playing football games on his PlayStation at the mall, but he is making efforts to learn Russian. "It's very difficult," he said, "but I have a good example in my countryman Fernandinho, who speaks fluently in Russian."

And even without much of the language, he seems to be having fun. "People in Ukraine are very kind and friendly," he said. "For example in Brazil, if we were beaten, our fans would be completely silent while in Ukraine they applauded our efforts even after a defeat. And a lot of people here like to skate. My friend Tiago plays for the futsal team in Donetsk and he is crazy about skating. I've promised that I'll join him soon at the rink."

Lucescu may be less keen on the idea of one of his best players hurling himself around an ice-rink, but it is probably better than driving without a licence, something Douglas was caught doing in Brazil. Generally, though, he seems to be maturing and after a difficult first season, he is blossoming. Anything other than heavy defeat tomorrow, and he will have helped make Shakhtar history.

[Craig_H]

[Darkon]

Finally the worst set of Champions league group stage games in my living memory are coming to and end. It has been boring, predictable and pointless. Only Spurs have broken the mould.

FC Copenhagen are set to be the first ever danish team to get through the group stages if they win tonight, so something new is happening - perhaps.

Also if they get the three points tonight it is dead certain that the CL group stage won't have been pointless at least three have been given out.

[Drago]

Mascher actually getting a game tonight, alongside a bunch of kids & Pique.

[Mattshark]

What has happened to Inters defenders, Cambiasso is playing CB.

[ronanm]

Mascher actually getting a game tonight, alongside a bunch of kids & Pique.

Hopefully he's bitchin' in his wife's ear as mush as she did in his

[Craig_H]

Ref in the Spurs game is a dick - Jenas down injured, waiting for treatment - ref orders him off field - Jenas limping away, but goes down again before he gets off - ref books him.

[The Erectile Banana]

That Twente goalie is a comic genius. Encklemanesque.

[Drago]

Hopefully he's bitchin' in his wife's ear as mush as she did in his

Would love it if it was that simple. I'm afraid I just believe he's a bit of a mercenary ****.

[ronanm]

The Scum are down 1-0 - Valencia top that group now. Let's hope they can hold out (fat chance I'd say)