BRING ON THE RIGA.

RIGA, RIGA, YOU ARE NEXT.

IF YOU HATE THE QUEEN AND RIGA, CLAP YOUR HANDS.

Third and final round:

Bnei Sakhnin FC (ISR) v RC Deportivo La Coruña (ESP)
Panionios GSS (GRE) v SSC Napoli (ITA)
Sivasspor (TUR) v SC Braga (POR)
Grasshopper-Club (SUI) v PFC Chernomorets Burgas (BUL)
FC Saturn Moskovskaya Oblast (RUS) v VfB Stuttgart (GER)
PFC Neftçi (AZE) v SC Vaslui (ROU)
Stade Rennais FC (FRA) v SC Tavriya Simferopol (UKR)
SK Sturm Graz (AUT) v Budapest Honvéd FC (HUN)
NAC Breda (NED) v Rosenborg BK (NOR)
Odense BK (DEN) v Aston Villa FC (ENG)
IF Elfsborg (SWE) v FK Riga (LVA)

(Riga beat Bohemian on away goals. Shock of the last round - it says here- was Neftçi beating Germinal Beerschot)

Yeah, from what I've read Beerschot just didn't have their act together this early in their season. They should have won the first leg convincingly, and instead only got a draw, and apparently didn't put up a huge fight in Baku. I have nothing against Vaslui, but would still like to see the Azeris go through to the UEFA.

Stuttgart could get caught out as well.

Good to see the big names in the draw - and they don't get much bigger than FC Saturn Moskovskaya Oblast...

An oblast? Is that like a county?

Welcome Indy.

Yes, an oblast is an administrative region, like a county. FC Saturn are from the Moscow suburbs.

Ramenskoye, to be precise. I've just watched them beat VfB Stuttgart pretty comprehensively, even if the final score was only 1-0.

Interesting fact: their nickname is "The Aliens".

Some good players in this squad -- especially Husin, who was immense for Dynamo Kiev the season they reached the semi-finals of the Champions League under Lobanovskyi. Loskov was a great midfielder for Lokomotiv Moscow a few years ago as well.

I see Jorge Porbillas' old friend Vadim Evseev is their right-back.

I notice that they actually rejoice in the full name Gossudarstvennoye utshreshdeniye Moskovskoi oblasti Futbolny klub "Saturn" Moskovskaya oblast.

ok, i confess i have again signed up to sentanta. yes a bugger to cancel last time, so just told my bank to do it and they did

but with a few wales games and calzahge fight, 12.99 seems a good deal

especially as i have a 6 week summer holiday about to start

villa look shit

Saturn are funded by the regional government, hence the name and location.

rick derris wrote:

QUOTE:
villa look shit

Cheers Rick!

You're correct though. Don't look like the 6th best team in the best league in the world (copyright A.Gray)

You're right. We looked shit last week but last night I thought it was obvious our fitness had improved immeasurably. Wilfred Bouma's injury looked awful. Thankfully it's *only* a disclocation of the ankle and not the break that we feared. The good thing that came out of it was that Barry had to come on much earlier than he may otherwise have had to and played outstandingly well. Of course, this now means we need to buy a left back as well as a right back. Ashley Young's goal is already a candidate for goal of the season <hubris o'meter going into red>. The commentators on Setatnta are truly shit aren't they? He referred to Young as Asley Cole at the end of the game.

Banner of the year:

DON;T GO
GARETH

Ah no, it wasn't an ";" it was a ",".