You're not a burner. I just appreciate that there's at least one writer out there who's not falling in line with the boring "Barca is the greatest thing to happen to soccer since the round ball" narrative. They're not invincible, nor is any team. But when all of the media and sports world are sucking your proverbial…

God, in all the talk about Munich's dominance, I had nearly forgotten how close Arsenal came to knocking them out. That would have been amazing. But then, lowly Malaga were 2 minutes from getting past BVB. I'm a Madrid fan, so it's a bit sad to see a very clear shift in power toward the Bundesliga.

You certainly can't draw conclusions after one game. But after Barca were beaten in the first leg by a thin Milan roster, only got past PSG on away goals, and have been beaten by Madrid in the last two Clásicos, it's fair to say that elite teams with the personnel to do so have figured out how to beat Barca.

The burners don't seem to like your stuff, but very apt description of Barca's weaknesses being exploited. Anyway, as a Madrid fan who just finished watching that shit-show, I think it's fair to say the Bundesliga is now the dominant force in Europe. Though, I wonder how much it'll be a one-horse race. BVB are an…

Great story, but question about the whole anonymity thing. It seems like the guy receiving his bone marrow could probably piece things together from this story and know who Lyle is, no?

Further over to the right... Luis Suarez does Luis Suarez thing.

Regarding witness protection, my girlfriend and I recently started watching Lilyhammer on Netflix (she's Norwegian, so she insisted), and holy fuck, that show is terrible. More specifically, the main character is an insufferable caricature, and deserves to die a painful death. Maybe he will, but I won't be sticking…

It looks like he's jerking off there.

But see, that's just it - most teams that can manage it are plenty happy to let Barca do their little passing triangles all day long, particularly when Messi's not around to finish them off. Like you said, all that possession doesn't mean a damn thing when there's nobody to put the ball in the back of the net.

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess you're a Barca fan. Your apparent rage aside, do you honestly feel confident with Barca's non-Messi attacking options (against good teams, not Mallorca) and their defense when going up against any of the 3 teams left in UCL?

Messi's impact aside, I don't see Barca beating any of the 3 teams left in the UCL.

Another one for neck flap.

Really enjoying your posts, Greg. It's a breath of fresh air to read such comprehensive, knowledgeable soccer writing on Deadspin.

Soccer doesn't need or want people like you.

I just got back from a debate on "The Existence of Nothing" at the AMNH, and holy shit, that was amazing. Granted, 91% of it was over my head, but fascinating nonetheless. Moderated by America's most valuable natural resource Neil DeGrasse Tyson, and a mix of journalists, philosophers, and physicists on the panel.…

Regarding multi-sport athletes, there's an amazing guy coming out of my alma mater SMU this year. Margus Hunt came from Estonia to SMU to train with our well-known track and field coach (Hunt was an Olympic discus thrower - he also happens to be 6'8'' and 275 of pure muscle).

Not saying they didn't, but that's one of the things that sets Hasek apart - his completely insane style: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominik_H…

Yep, any time my soccer team plays a far inferior team, I find myself getting bored and frustrated if I don't have anything to do. And yes, part of the appeal (particularly in soccer) is not having to run/skate at full tilt for the entire match.

Very interesting read for the masochistic few like myself who have an inexplicable fascination with being a goalkeeper. I played roller hockey in high school, and have played club soccer for the past 5 years, always as a keeper. Couldn't imagine playing any other position.

FWIW, Hasek is probably the best goalie in…

I just hope we can finally get 3 points. And that Miller doesn't step on the field.