Barcelona v. Manchester United: A FIFA 09 Video Game Preview | SoccerNation's Blog

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| 07:54 PM ET 05.24 |

Barcelona v. Manchester United: A FIFA 09 Video Game Preview

Ladies and gentlemen, hello and welcome to the UEFA Champions League Final of 2008-2009. I'm Keeper and I'm going to be the Internet guy that will be updating the game for you. Martin Tyler and Andy Gray will be calling the match for those of you who can watch on TV. Here are the line-ups for today.

Lineups

Barcelona (Blue and Red Uniforms)

GK Victor Valdes

RB Martin Caceres

RCB Carles Puyol

LCB Gerard Pique

LB Sylvinho

RCM Andres Iniesta

CM Toure Yaya

LCM Xavi Hernandez

RW Lionel Messi

LW Thierry Henry

ST Samuel Eto'o

Bench:

GK Pinto

D Sanchez

M Alxsander Hleb

M Seydou Keita

M Eidur Gudjohnson

M Sergei Busquets

FW Bojan Krkic

Manchester United (White with Blue striped Uniforms)

GK Edwin van der Sar

RB Gary Neville

RCB Nemanja Vidic

LCB Rio Ferdinand

LB Patrice Evra

RM Cristiano Ronaldo

RCM Michael Carrick

LCM Paul Scholes

LM Ji-Sung Park

RS Dimitar Berbatov

LS Wayne Rooney

Bench:

GK Ben Foster

D Jonny Evans

D John O'Shea

M Nani

M Ryan Giggs

M Anderson

FW Carlos Tevez

The teams are now in the tunnel and awaiting the signal to walk out. They've received it and now must sit and wait to hear this wonderful song. The Champions League anthem is now over and we are ready to play. Barcelona will go from right to left in the first half.

First Half

1st- the whistle has blown, and we are under way.

2nd- Barca make a great move, played out by United. Messi takes a shot, van der Sar (VDS) saves. Corner.

4th- VDS makes another save; corner kick again.

6th- United countered, then Barca do likewise. Move stopped.

9th- United play a long ball to Ronaldo, who crosses dangerously. Then played away by Barca.

14th- Sylvinho goes in the book. Yellow Card.

15th- Messi is caught offside; United ball.

19th- Barca have a monopoly on passing.

22nd- United break. Ronaldo puts it onto Rooney's head but it is blocked.

24th- Berbatov has a hard shot saved by Valdes. Right at him, though.

26th- Barca still hold possession. Corner earned. Good work, Barca still in possession.

31st- United take it back and look to break. Over-the-top it goes to Rooney who has acres of space. He cuts in and shoots. Shot saved but deflected out to Berbatov's head. And he skys it. Goalkick.

32nd- United win the goalkick and look to possess themselves.

33rd- Ronaldo starts a great passing sequence that leads to a corner for United. Corner earned again. Corner yet again earned. Valdes with a fabulous point-blank save on Berbatov's header. Nothing comes.

35th- Barca defensive throw-in now.

37th- Eto'o has a go, but right at VDS.

39th- Berba finds Park who one-times it toward goal. Valdes flings himself at it and saves nicely. Corner given.

40th- Messi looked to be in on Barca's counter, but is deemed offside. Huge mental error by Iniesta who could have shot instead of pass. Man. U freekick.

44th- United finally get it back. United defensive throw.

45th- Eto'o hammers it right into the hands of VDS.

Half-Time. Barcelona 0, Manchester United 0

First Half Stats

Barcelona

Manchester United

GOALS

SHOTS

SHOTS ON TARGET

POSSESSION

60.00%

40.00%

TACKLES

FOULS

YELLOW CARDS

RED CARDS

INJURIES

OFFSIDES

CORNERS

SHOT ACCURACY

37.00%

60.00%

PASSING %

90.00%

80.00%

Second Half

48th- Eto'o finds Henry who hits it hard and near post. VDS saves impressively. Corner Barca.

49th- United clear a Toure volley.

50th- Henry finds Eto'o who hits it very slowly to VDS. Easiest save of the night.

51st- Messi finds Eto'o and he wastes an opportunity by bombing high over the bar.

53rd- Messi is offside again. His lone contribution to the game has been being found offside.

54th- United break again. Ronaldo finds Rooney with a cross and he heads into Valdes' hands.

58th- Barca earn a freekick for a ridiculous tackle.

* Substitutions *

Barca: ON Seydou Keita and Sergei Busquets, OFF Gerard Pique and Toure Yaya

United: ON Giggs and O'Shea, OFF Park and Neville

58th- Xavi to take the kick from about 25 yards out. He has a go, but VDS does very well to save it by diving down to his left.

63rd- Good passing from Barca, but you can't just walk it in against United!

65th- United need to clear toward Berbatov, no Ferguson.

68th- Barca have an offensive throw-in across from the 12. Let's see what comes of it. United clear.

70th- VDS saves Henry wonderfully. United need a spark, maybe Tevez.

72nd- Messi gets behind Evra but VDS saves.

75th- Ronaldo cracks into Sylvinho. He'll need a sub. This is not good for Barca. Barca don't have any defensive choices.

76th- * Substitutions *

Barca: ON Alexander Hleb, OFF Sylvinho

United: ON Carlos Tevez, OFF Berbatov's

Barca's lack of defensive options could hurt them. Those suspensions sure do mean a lot now. No more subs for either side. We will not see Bojan Krkic.

80th- Barca look rattled, but still hold possession. Xavi has to play left back, so he can't drive Barca in the midfield.

82nd- Busquets sets Messi up and he absolutely bombs one over.

83rd- Eto'o is in behind, in behind everyone except for VDS. Offside.

84th- Ronaldo is inches offside. And I mean offside. He was in.

86th- Looks like we're going to extra-time.

88th- Ronaldo begs for a free-kick but it isn't given to him this time.

88th- Henry hits the post from a very acute angle with so much power and place. VDS was beaten on that occasion and United are very lucky not to have lost out.

90th-

Manchester United. Carlos Tevez picks it up about 45 or 50 yards out and takes it all the way to the house. Keita tried to push him off the ball but Tevez was too strong. He got into the 18 and then shoved Xavi and Keita off the ball before shooting a shot through Valdes and in from 8 yards with his left foot!!!

90th- Barca are anxious to hoist it forward. Messi has it, but that is it. Manchester United are the champions of Europe for the second year in a row. Never before has a team completely dominated this competition two years in a row. UNITED ARE ONCE AGAIN THE CHAMPIONS OF EUROPE.

UEFA Champions League Final MVP: Edwin van der Sar

Barca's Man of the Match: Andres Iniesta

United's Man of the Match: Michael Carrick

Full-Time Stats

Barca

United

GOALS

SHOTS

SHOTS ON TARGET

POSSESSION

62.00%

38.00%