The Super Sports Saturday of June 6 Thread For 6/6/15: Barcelona Are Treblerric Once Again (Postgame Versions)
Final Words:
From Luis Enrique being on the hot seat to being a manager of one of the greatest sides in the history of the game, Barcelona have proven how amazing their club is once again and will go to the Club World Cup to make official their status as the best football side on Earth.
It has been another memorable year covering the Champions League. Here is the team of the season below, where the likes of Carlos Tevez, Thomas Muller, Jordi Alba, Thiago Silva and Dani Alves just miss out. Until next season, when it starts back up in late July and August, peace to this great competition.
Full Time: Juventus 1-3 Barcelona (Barcelona become 8th European treble winners)
More to come, including the team of this season's Champions League
GK: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus) - The 37-year-old marvel may still not have a European trophy to his name, but he still is one of the best in the world and showed it all competition. Even today, despite not being able to parry Messi's hard shot for Suarez's winning tap in, Juve's legendary shot stopper was still so marvelous indeed. Unlike Iker Casillas, no question who is the main for the Turin giants
RB: Danilo (Porto) - Despite the longer campaigns for Dani Alves and Stephan Lichtsteiner, the future Real Madrid man showed why he is a growing star, leading the Portuguese giants to a fine quarterfinal showing and making Bayern Munich sweat.
CB: Gerard Pique (Barcelona) - After a few seasons into the wilderness and wondering if his career had peaked too early, the stoic but skillful centerback return to his place as arguably the world's best centerback. Pique was more physical and stronger this season, while adding his unique talents to show all his critics that the 28-year-old's question ability is here to stay for more years to come.
CB: Javier Mascherano (Barcelona) - Arguably helping Pique return to his form has been the amazing evolution of the Argentine hard tackler and ball winner from a quality holding midfielder into a top centerback. His positioning and timing has helped give Luis Enrique confidence and Barcelona fans' assurance that they haven't seen from their centerbacks since the latter days of Carles Puyol.
LB: Patrice Evra (Juventus) - When the energetic Frenchmen left Manchester United for Serie A, most thought that his best days of playing consistently at the elite level were gone. How those analysts were proven wrong, as the 34-year-old rolled back the years with a terrific season of fine positional defending and venturing forward at the right time as he has always been able to do.
M: Ivan Rakitic - What a debut campaign at a massive club for the Croatian, who cemented himself as one of the world's best midfielders as the perfect replacement for the legendary Xavi. Few humans on the planet could do what Rakitic did this season, with the mental and physical pressure to perform in new, highly charged surroundings on him. He handled it so beautifully.
M: Arturo Vidal - The Chilean proved how he is such a force in the midfield, especially when fellow box to box dynamo Paul Pogba was out. Quality going forward and always willing to do the defensive work when he comes back, the former Bayern Leverkusen man proved for another campaign why he has to be in everyone's world class list.
M: Lionel Messi - He was only placed in the midfield to get all the deserving attacking talent on the field. Even without scoring in the final, he was still the best player on the field of many fine performers. Nothing more needs to be said.
M: Cristiano Ronaldo - You couldn't have just one all time leading goal scorer on this team and leave out the other, even if the other goes trophyless this season. Despite not playing well against Juventus and again not being a superstar in big games, the Portuguese talisman is still a legend and undoubtedly second only to Messi.
F: Neymar - All the Brazilian wonderkid did was become the first player to score in a quarterfinal, semifinal and final of the Champions League. He has lived up to the hype, and will only get better from here on out.
F: Luis Suarez - From "The Bite Seen Around The World" to the "Winning Goal Heard Round the World." Suarez may not have made anyone forget his carnivore actions, but he's reminded everyone how outstanding a player he truly is once more.
Halftime Version-The Goal
-Battle of the fullbacks: Evra and Litchsteiner have slowly come on towards the end of the half.
-Pirlo protecting his centerbacks: Can the greatest play maker do the defensive duties today. SO far in the first half, he did not on the first goal, as he allowed Rakitic to come in the box with no problem.
-Can Busquets harass Pogba: Still the case, but Pogba has definitely had his moments.
From Luis Enrique being on the hot seat to being a manager of one of the greatest sides in the history of the game, Barcelona have proven how amazing their club is once again and will go to the Club World Cup to make official their status as the best football side on Earth.
It has been another memorable year covering the Champions League. Here is the team of the season below, where the likes of Carlos Tevez, Thomas Muller, Jordi Alba, Thiago Silva and Dani Alves just miss out. Until next season, when it starts back up in late July and August, peace to this great competition.
Full Time: Juventus 1-3 Barcelona (Barcelona become 8th European treble winners)
More to come, including the team of this season's Champions League
GK: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus) - The 37-year-old marvel may still not have a European trophy to his name, but he still is one of the best in the world and showed it all competition. Even today, despite not being able to parry Messi's hard shot for Suarez's winning tap in, Juve's legendary shot stopper was still so marvelous indeed. Unlike Iker Casillas, no question who is the main for the Turin giants
RB: Danilo (Porto) - Despite the longer campaigns for Dani Alves and Stephan Lichtsteiner, the future Real Madrid man showed why he is a growing star, leading the Portuguese giants to a fine quarterfinal showing and making Bayern Munich sweat.
CB: Gerard Pique (Barcelona) - After a few seasons into the wilderness and wondering if his career had peaked too early, the stoic but skillful centerback return to his place as arguably the world's best centerback. Pique was more physical and stronger this season, while adding his unique talents to show all his critics that the 28-year-old's question ability is here to stay for more years to come.
CB: Javier Mascherano (Barcelona) - Arguably helping Pique return to his form has been the amazing evolution of the Argentine hard tackler and ball winner from a quality holding midfielder into a top centerback. His positioning and timing has helped give Luis Enrique confidence and Barcelona fans' assurance that they haven't seen from their centerbacks since the latter days of Carles Puyol.
LB: Patrice Evra (Juventus) - When the energetic Frenchmen left Manchester United for Serie A, most thought that his best days of playing consistently at the elite level were gone. How those analysts were proven wrong, as the 34-year-old rolled back the years with a terrific season of fine positional defending and venturing forward at the right time as he has always been able to do.
M: Ivan Rakitic - What a debut campaign at a massive club for the Croatian, who cemented himself as one of the world's best midfielders as the perfect replacement for the legendary Xavi. Few humans on the planet could do what Rakitic did this season, with the mental and physical pressure to perform in new, highly charged surroundings on him. He handled it so beautifully.
M: Arturo Vidal - The Chilean proved how he is such a force in the midfield, especially when fellow box to box dynamo Paul Pogba was out. Quality going forward and always willing to do the defensive work when he comes back, the former Bayern Leverkusen man proved for another campaign why he has to be in everyone's world class list.
M: Lionel Messi - He was only placed in the midfield to get all the deserving attacking talent on the field. Even without scoring in the final, he was still the best player on the field of many fine performers. Nothing more needs to be said.
M: Cristiano Ronaldo - You couldn't have just one all time leading goal scorer on this team and leave out the other, even if the other goes trophyless this season. Despite not playing well against Juventus and again not being a superstar in big games, the Portuguese talisman is still a legend and undoubtedly second only to Messi.
F: Neymar - All the Brazilian wonderkid did was become the first player to score in a quarterfinal, semifinal and final of the Champions League. He has lived up to the hype, and will only get better from here on out.
F: Luis Suarez - From "The Bite Seen Around The World" to the "Winning Goal Heard Round the World." Suarez may not have made anyone forget his carnivore actions, but he's reminded everyone how outstanding a player he truly is once more.
Halftime Version-The Goal
Key Matchups of the Game
-Battle of the fullbacks: Evra and Litchsteiner have slowly come on towards the end of the half.
-Pirlo protecting his centerbacks: Can the greatest play maker do the defensive duties today. SO far in the first half, he did not on the first goal, as he allowed Rakitic to come in the box with no problem.
-Can Busquets harass Pogba: Still the case, but Pogba has definitely had his moments.
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