The Last Word - Sports Blog (Sean Simara)

On to the 2019 Champions League Final now as Liverpool returned after their heartbreak of last year and they faced Tottenham. An all English final for the first time since 2008.  Both these sides came through some unforgettable semi-finals. Liverpool turned around a 3-0 deficit against Barcelona. While Tottenham came through a hell of a tie against Ajax.  Coming into the match Spurs were left worrying about the fitness of Harry Kane. Kane came into the game struggling but declared himself fit for the match after missing the semi-final. For Liverpool, no real major injury concerns. It was the start that Liverpool fans could only dream of. After only 20 seconds Moussa Sissoko was penalised for 'handball' from a cross by Sadio Mane which seemed to hit his chest. His arm was out in an unnatural position and after a VAR check the penalty was given. It was down to Mo Salah who was so cruelly taken off injured last year to give Liverpool the lead, which the Egyptian did. ...

A hell of a game this one and one that would be remembered for years to come. It was Liverpool’s turn to try and topple Real Madrid as they faced up in Kiev, Ukraine. This match had some outstanding goals, controversy, drama and some hilarious mistakes. Liverpool were looking for their 6th European Cup while Madrid were hoping to make it 3 in a row. Both teams came out of the blocks very fast creating a lot of chances. The major moment of the first half though came around the 25-minute mark. Remember Sergio Ramos and his shithouse antics in Cardiff last year? Well here he got himself into a tangle with Mo Salah which sadly saw the Egyptian star forced off with an injury. I thought it was a fair challenge and Ramos landed on Salah’s arm by accident while rolling up on his shoulder with his full body weight. These things happen in the game. The first half did in fact end 0-0 but it was in the second is where all the entertainment came. Madrid took the lead through Karim Benzema but i...

To the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff now for another sensational final as Juventus faced the tough task against defending champions Real Madrid. Los Blancos were looking to become the first team to retain the cup under the Champions League era. Juventus headed into the final hoping to finally get their hands on the trophy since 1996. The Old Lady were also looking to lock down their own treble. Juventus had a much-changed team since their last appearance in the final against Barcelona 2 years ago. Real Madrid were pretty much the same team as they were last year. The closed roof of the Millennium made a cracking atmosphere and Juventus started the game much stronger and were unlucky not to take the lead early doors through a couple of strikes from Gonazlo Hugain. The break-through did finally come from Madrid’s talisman Cristiano Ronaldo. His sweeping right foot effort nicked off Leonardo Bonucci into the bottom corner. Juventus were the better side in the first half and their h...

A repeat of the 2014 final now as Real Madrid faced city rivals Atletico. This time the setting was the San Siro in Milan. Zinedine Zidane was now the head coach of Real Madrid taking over the side in early January 2016, with pretty much the Champions League the only hope of success. This game was not as open as their encounter two years ago, but it still had its drama. Real took the league through fan favourite and one of my favourite players ever Sergio Ramos. The captain managed to get a touch on Gareth Bale’s flick on which saw it just go past Jan Oblak in goal.  Atletico had the perfect chance to level it up from the spot but their star Frenchman Antoine Griezmann’s penalty smashed off the bar and bounced out. Chances in this were few and far between with an excellent display in goal for Atletico by Oblak. With just over 10 minutes left on the clock Atletico finally found the net. A cross from Juanfran on the right-hand side was smashed in by the substitute Yannick Carrasc...

Off to Berlin now for this year’s final between Juventus and Barcelona. Both sides here chasing their own treble for the season after wrapping up their domestic leagues and cups.  Could Barcelona get any better from the Pep era? Well yes, they sort of did. They added Luis Suarez to the mix the summer of 2014 boosting their fire power to untouchable heights. ‘MSN’ Messi, Suarez and Neymar racked up a remarkable 122 goals that season. Coming into this game Barcelona were the heavy favourites but Juventus had a cracking team themselves. A midfield four of Andrea Pirlo, Paul Pogba, Claudio Marchisio & Arturo Vidal had talent and creation. The pair up front was Carlos Tevez and Alvaro Morata who can get goals on their day. This should have been quite a game and maybe a little more even. Well to the match and Juventus plan to keep it tight at the back was blown out of the water as Ivan Rakitic scored after only 4 minutes. This brought Juventus out on the attack and played into th...

What a game this was and one of my favourites looking back. The stage was set as Real Madrid took on city rivals Atletico Madrid in the capital of Portugal, Lisbon for the 2014 Champions League Final. Real Madrid were on the hunt for ‘La Decima’ (their 10th European Cup) and Atletico looking for their very first. Atletico came into the game having recently won La Liga.  This game had it all from start to finish, with some of the best on show they all turned up for the main event. You might have forgotten main man for Atletico Diego Costa was forced off early with an injury, could things have been different if he were fully fit? It all added to the drama of a great game. Atletico took the lead with a trademark set piece goal Diego Simeone’s side were well know for. Real Madrid keeper Iker Casillas was caught in no man’s land and Diego Godin’s looping header caught him out. What we saw next was some sensational defending from Atletico putting everything on the line as Real went ult...

The first ever all German final at the home of football Wembley Stadium saw Borussia Dortmund face Bayern Munich in Der Klassiker which is the German Classico.  In their respective semi-finals they took out Barcelona and Real Madrid, so this was sure to be a cracker and yes our boy Arjen Robben played a massive role here again. In a very open game both sides had chances, but the breakthrough came after the hour via Mario Mandzukic who scored for Bayern. Dortmund leveled it up via the spot with a penalty from Ilkay Gundogan. A familiar face in English football now as he’s at Manchester City. (Side note Dante should have got a second yellow & been sent off for Bayern for giving away the penalty)  The chances still came at both ends during the second half and just as extra time loomed up stepped our familiar face. After fluffing his lines last year Robben found the net with only 2 minutes remaining rolling in his one on one with his famous left foot.  Wembley expl...

From the feedback so far on the blog for some reason Bayern Munich v Chelsea is the one a lot want to read and reflect on. I can't think why. Well the German side back in the final on their home patch surely it’s the perfect time for them to lift the Champions League again? Well football is not that easy and can be cruel.  Roberto Di Matteo was named caretaker manager of Chelsea in March 2012 until the end of that season after the sacking of Andre Villas-Boas. What came in the few months after will forever be remembered in Chelsea’s history. Leading up to the final ‘leader’ John Terry was suspended after getting sent off in the semi-final against Barcelona. This was literally set up for Munich to win.  Looking back at this game I remembered the surprise selection of Ryan Bertrand in the starting line up and Arjen Robben missing a lot of chances for Bayern, boy did he miss a lot. Chelsea pretty much defended for most the game (in particular though Ashley Cole was outstandin...

A footballing lesson was handed out in 2011 at Wembley Stadium as Barcelona took on Manchester United. Barcelona at the peak of their powers under Pep Guardiola dominated the game from start to finish proving they were one of the greatest sides ever assembled.  Looking back at this game and the starting line ups it wasn’t a bad United team, with a back four including Ferdinand, Vidic & Evra. Rooney as number 10 and Hernandez up top. However, Barcelona with the midfield trio of Iniesta, Xavi & Busquets (the best midfield trio in the world) and someone called Messi up front, simply tore United apart. A few half chances at the start for United but the Catalan side created chance after chance and finally broke through with a Pedro strike sending Van der Sar the wrong way. Rooney did grab an equaliser for United but the class difference between the two sides grew in the second half and Messi & Co extended the lead with a couple of stunning goals. Messi’s goal came in the...

To kick off my throwback review of Champions League finals the first brings us to Bayern Munich v Inter Milan in 2010 at the Santiago Bernabéu in Spain. It was the completion of a historic treble for Inter Milan as they also landed Serie A and the Coppa Italia that season. This was also Jose Mourinho's second Champions League victory. The game was remembered for a display of master class finishing from Diego Milito who netted both goals for Inter. The second all his own work, taking on Van Buyten before slotting his right foot strike pass Butt in goal. In true Mourinho fashion the Inter tactics were pretty much what many football fans of that time expected of him, soak up the pressure and hit on the counterattack. Robben pulled the strings for Bayern but he couldn't quite find the net, a very similar performance from him appears in a few years’ time which I will get to. For the German side this was a breakthrough season of one Thomas Muller, one of the modern day greats of ...

Championship  1. Fulham 2. Cardiff City 3. Bristol City 4. Leeds 5. WBA 6. Blackburn Rovers 7. Nottingham Forest 8. Preston Relegated  Reading Birmingham  Charlton  League One 1. Peterborough  2. Ipswich 3. Sunderland 4. Portsmouth  5. Doncaster  6. Bristol Rovers 7. Burton 8. MK Dons Relegated Bury Bolton Tranmere Southend League Two 1. Mansfield 2. Northampton  3. Scunthorpe United 4. Newport 5. Salford 6. Colchester United 7. Bradford 8  Walsall Relegated Macclesfield Crawley

Super Bowl weekend is upon us once again as the New England Patriots face off against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII. One team seem to always get there while the other is a breath of fresh air. For that reason the 'neutral' fans will be cheering on The Eagles probably because they just simple don't want to see a smug Tom Brady winning a 6th Lombardi Trophy. The Patriots with Bill and Tom pretty much done what was expected with a record of 13-3 in the regular season. They saw off the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars in the post season, which included an impressive 4th quarter come-back against the Jags. The dynasty between Bilichick and Brady didn't really have anything more to prove, but there's no doubt they would want to add another ring to the collection. The Philadelphia Eagle are slightly different and are searching for their first Super Bowl victory. They flew through the NFC East and had a regular season record of 13-3. Eagles the...

Here's my picks for the NFL Wild Card Weekend. Tennessee Titans at Kansas City Chiefs The first wild card match up of the weekend. I will roll with Alex Smith and the home team. Chiefs are just the better football team and should take this one. Tennessee Titans     21 Kansas City Chiefs   30 Buffalo Bills at Jacksonville Jaguars If the Bills' Running Back LeSean McCoy pulls the Bills win. He is currently day to day off the back of a ankle injury. Jaguars do have a mean defence though and love to get at the Quarter-Back. A tight one but I'm going with Buffalo who are in their first play off for a very very long time. Buffalo Bills               21 Jacksonville Jaguars   20 Atlanta Falcons at LA Rams  Atlanta were the butt of all jokes for their Super Bowl collapse, the steps to redemption I feel will fall at the first play off hurdle. The LA Rams are young and exciting ad I expect them to p...

Only a few changes they have it pretty much right. There's a clear La Liga love in though so I also have a non La Liga side thrown in.   WINNING TEAM Goalkeeper: Gianluigi Buffon (ITA/Juventus) Defenders: Dani Alves (BRA/Juventus/Paris Saint-Germain), Leonardo Bonucci (ITA/Juventus/AC Milan), Sergio Ramos (ESP/Real Madrid), Marcelo (BRA/Real Madrid) Midfielders: Andres Iniesta (ESP/Barcelona), Toni Kroos (GER/Real Madrid), Luka Modric (CRO/Real Madrid) Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo (POR/Real Madrid), Lionel Messi (ARG/Barcelona), Neymar (BRA/FC Barcelona/Paris Saint-Germain) MY TEAM  Goalkeeper: Gianluigi Buffon (ITA/Juventus) Defenders: Dani Alves (BRA/Juventus/Paris Saint-Germain), Leonardo Bonucci (ITA/Juventus/AC Milan), Sergio Ramos (ESP/Real Madrid), Marcelo (BRA/Real Madrid) Midfielders: N'Golo Kante (FRA / Chelsea) Isco (SPA/Real Madrid), Luka Modric (CRO/Real Madrid) Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo (POR/Real Madrid), Lionel Messi (ARG/Barc...

The debate of he's a world class striker rumbles on across Europe. What makes a world class striker? Winning titles, doing it for your country? Dragging your team single handed through a tournament? There's many factors that all play a role. I have made a list of the top 4 strikers  /  forwards across the top 5 leagues in Europe. Some rouge wingers might slip in but picking just 4 is head enough. Ranking them World Class - WC. Knocking on the door of world class - KOD. Quality Player - QP. And last in Harry Redknapp style Top Top Player - TTP. England Harry Kane - KOD Sergio Aguero - KOD Romelu Lukaku - QP Alexis Sanchez - KOD Spain Lionel Messi - WC Cristiano Ronaldo - WC Antoine Griezmann - KOD Gareth Bale - KOD France Radamel Falcao - KOD Edinson Cavani - QP Kylian M'Bappe - QP Neymar - KOD Italy Paulo Dybala - KOD Dries Mertens - QP Mauro Icardi - TTP Gonzalo Higuain - QP Germany Robert Lewandowski - KOD...

Some NFL picks and a very early Super Bowl prediction: AFC EAST - New England Patriots AFC SOUTH - Houston Texans AFC NORTH - Pittsburgh Steelers AFC WEST - Oakland Raiders  NFC SOUTH - Atlanta Falcons  NFC EAST - NY Giants NFC WEST - Arizona Cardinals  NFC NORTH - Green Bay Packers SUPERBOWL WINNERS - Pittsburgh Steelers 

1. Manchester United Well if ever there was a manager who gets it right in the second season its Jose. Now he did land United 2 cups and Champions League football which was the aim last season. The league form was pretty dire and must improve should improve and I think will improve. I pick them just to pip City as they actually have some players who will defend. It’s looking like United will be very physical and most of the squad is around 6ft tall. They will bully their way to the league title it might be glamorous all the time, but they will. Key Man – Romelu Lukaku filling Zlatan’s big boots now, we know he can do it in the Premier League. However against the big teams does he go missing? We will see this season, the Belgian will also be tested in the Champions League.  2. Manchester City Pep went out and spent over £100m on full backs, yes just full backs. Going forward City are the best in the league Sterling, Sane, De Bruyne, Jesus. I mean Aguero might not even be h...

In what's known as the toughest league of the world to get out of, the Championship this season is looking like a real battle, to just survive never mind winning it. Here's my preview on what will once again be a bumpy ride of a season, The 46 game slog-fest starts on Friday night when Nottingham Forest face Millwall & Derby travel to newly relegated Sunderland. So who will live up to the pre season hype? Who will flatter to deceive? And who will be the shock team of the season? Middlesbrough have spent big, splashing out £9m on Martin Braithwaite from Toulose & Britt Assombalonga £15m from Forest. Gary Monk is in as new manager,  surprising he left Leeds, but it's a unstable situation there. At The Riverside Boro' look the best bet to go straight back up at the first time of asking. Sunderland who also went down look like there in a bit of a mess and things could get even worse. There better players have all jumped ship. The big earners who have done nothing ...

What's the latest? Here we go.... Neymar on his way to PSG? a deal that is just mega money as PSG look to trigger his release clause. But is he really going off to Paris? He wants a Ballon D'or its a Brazil thing. You can't win it when your not the best player at in your team so maybe. However FIFA don't give the award for PSG players. We shall wait and see on that one. Virgil Van Dijk is on 'Van Strike' as he has been training on his own and wants out. What does training on his own mean? Kicking a ball against at wall at Southampton's training ground? No players talking to him? Naby Keita looks like he will be staying at RB Leipzig as Liverpool have had 3 bids rejected. He did nearly cripple a team mate in training this week. West Ham finally landed some players, the signing of Javier Hernandez 'Chicharito' is a good bit of business a proven scorer and for so cheap in today's market. Over at Man City Pep got rid of all his full backs this su...

Here's the latest from the past week. Kyle Walker is now the most expensive defender in football as he sets off to Man City. Now to me Spurs always make good business for the books. Berbatov, Modric, Bale etc Levy is no fool. But if Tottenham really want to challenge again making themselves weaker & City stronger may not be the best way of going about things. 'Sanchez Saga Latest' : He's making comments about playing 'Champions League' football, he may have to force a move out the club himself if he really wants to go. Bayern have said their no interested. At West Ham it looks like Joe Hart will be their marquee signing after passing his medical. For me he is done and West Ham may come to regret this move.  Chelsea's hunt for a new forward may bring the to the door of Sergio Aguero . You would think no way City would sell to a rival and a player who has done so much for them. It would be really REALLY annoying if they land him. Man United mak...