May The Best Win; Barcelona crowned European Championship

FC Barcelona made up crowned European champions for a third time – and the 2nd in four seasons – as a vivacious showing of pass and movement, capped by goals in either half from Samuel Eto'o and Lionel Messi, frustrated Manchester United FC in Rome.

Holders toppled
United, bidding to become the first team to successfully defend the trophy in the UEFA Champions League era, began an open contest at breakneck speed as Cristiano Ronaldo threatened three times. After ten minutes, however, Eto'o put the Spanish champions ahead and they never looked back. Xavi Hernández struck a post early in the second period and, though the clinching second goal did not arrive until the 70th minute – via, unusually, the head of Messi – Josep Guardiola's side were worthy winners. The 38-year-old becomes the sixth man to lift the European Champion Clubs' Cup as player and coach; United are the sixth club to lose the final as holders.

Relentless Ronaldo
Fourteen of the players who started the game had featured in a UEFA Champions League final before, yet initially it seemed United's experience would prove more telling. Ronaldo made his presence felt by unleashing a dipping free-kick that Víctor Valdés could only parry; former United defender Gerard Piqué's last-ditch tackle prevented Ji-Sung Park from converting the rebound. Ronaldo then had Valdés scrambling across goal twice in as many minutes with shots from distance. If an early breakthrough looked imminent, disastrously for United it arrived when Barcelona struck with their first real attack.

Eto'o brilliance
Fit-again Andrés Iniesta was the orchestrator, finding Eto'o inside the area, but there was still plenty for the striker to do with Nemanja Vidić in close attendance. One swift turn inside the centre-back later, Eto'o was free to prod a shot inside Edwin van der Sar's near post. United's vocal supporters were stunned into silence and their team mirrored that reaction, with Barcelona enjoying the better of the half thereafter. Perhaps not surprisingly against the competition's best defence, however, clear chances were at a premium. Long-range efforts from Messi and Xavi, and a low Messi cross fumbled by Van der Sar, were the best Barça could muster.

United reprieves
Sir Alex Ferguson had said beforehand that his best team-talks "usually come to me about three in the morning" and the Scot sorely needed inspiration in his half-time instructions, opting to introduce Carlos Tévez for Anderson. This did little to stem the tide. Thierry Henry tricked his way past Rio Ferdinand only to shoot weakly against Van der Sar before Xavi curled a free-kick beyond the keeper, the post coming to United's rescue. Then Wayne Rooney's right-wing centre bounced over Park's lunge as the holders began to edge their way back into proceedings, disrupting Barcelona's rhythm though creating little of their own.

Messi decisive
Twenty minutes from time, that hard work was undone. Xavi was allowed to advance down the right; with time and space, the midfielder measured a pinpoint cross for Messi, enjoying similar freedom, and the UEFA Champions League's top scorer produced a fabulous header for his ninth goal of this campaign. Valdés promptly denied Ronaldo to preserve the two-goal cushion, yet the better openings continued to come at the other end – Van der Sar frustrating Carles Puyol twice and Iniesta. Sir Alex therefore missed out on joining Bob Paisley as the only manager to lift three European Cups. Instead, Guardiola's superbly inventive Barça became the first Spanish side to win league, cup and UEFA Champions League in the same season.

Barcelona; A long and smooth way to the Final

FC Barcelona get achieved the UEFA Champions League final gives thanks to goalscoring bonanzas by the like Samuel Eto'o, Lionel Messi and Thierry Henry, along with a few expert defending.

UEFA Champions League Group C
Josep Guardiola's men struck a remarkable 18 goals in the group stage, and after kicking off their campaign with a 3-1 win over Sporting Clube de Portugal at Camp Nou they never looked back. The high points of their group stage campaign were a 5-0 victory at FC Basel 1893 and a 5-2 rout of Sporting in Lisbon before, with first place already secured, a largely inexperienced side lost Barcelona's final game 3-2 to UEFA Cup finalists FC Shakhtar Donetsk.

First knockout round
Olympique Lyonnais 1-1 FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona 5-2 Olympique Lyonnais (agg: 6-3)

A trademark free-kick from Lyon captain Juninho after just seven minutes, coupled with some intense first-half pressure, had the French champions believing they might just bring Barcelona's sojourn in Europe to an early end. Instead, Henry marked his return to France with a 67th equaliser and the second leg at Camp Nou turned into a rout. Henry struck twice inside the first 27 minutes in a stellar performance, Messi and Eto'o chipped in with further goals and Seydou Keita came off the bench to add a late fifth.

Quarter-finals
FC Barcelona 4-0 FC Bayern München
FC Bayern München 1-1 FC Barcelona (agg: 5-1)

The knowledge of what happened to Lyon a month earlier at the Camp Nou failed to prevent Bayern from suffering the same fate, with the four-time European champions being torn apart by a Barcelona side who needed only the first half of the first leg to decide the tie. Two goals from Messi and another from Eto'o set the tone before Henry completed the masterclass with Barcelona's fourth in the 43rd minute. Bayern were at least spared further embarassment in the second leg, with French international Franck Ribéry giving them a 47th minute lead before Keita levelled for the Catalans.

Semi-finals
FC Barcelona 0-0 FC Chelsea
FC Chelsea 1-1 FC Barcelona (agg: 1-1, Barcelona win on away goals)

Given what had gone before, Barcelona's eventual success against Chelsea could not have been more different. Their flamboyant attacking football came up against the granite wall of a Chelsea defence superbly marshalled by captain John Terry, clearly on a mission after missing his chance to win last season's final against Manchester United FC in a penalty shoot-out. His side made the perfect start to the second leg, with Michael Essien smashing home a candidate for goal of the competition after just nine minutes, a volley from outside the area which gave Víctor Valdés no chance. Sadly for the Ghanaian, it was his failure to clear his lines in the third minurte of added time that allowed Iniesta to send a clever snap-shot past Petr Čech and put Barcelona into the final.

from: uefa.com

Manchester United; Road To Final Champion League

Their goalscoring efforts this season might not catch those of Barcelona, but Manchester United FC's strike matching of Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney demonstrated highly efficient in taking the bearers back to the final, especially in the latter stages.


UEFA Champions League Group E
In a relatively tight group, just two wins from their six games were enough to secure United top slot, one point ahead of a resolute Villarreal CF side who held them to consecutive 0-0 draws. A 3-0 victory at Aalborg BK, courtesy of a double-strike by Dimitar Berbatov in the second half after Wayne Rooney's 22nd minute opener, got United's campaign properly under way. There was more of the same for Martin O'Neill's Celtic FC, also beaten 3-0 by another Berbatov brace before Rooney completed the scoring in a comprehensive home victory.

First knockout round
FC Internazionale Milano 0-0 Manchester United FC
Manchester United FC 2-0 FC Internazionale Milano

Inter coach José Mourinho had enjoyed success against Ferguson with both FC Porto and Chelsea FC but the Portuguese coach's luck run out when the two sides met for a second time at Old Trafford after a goalless first leg. United's Serbian defender Nemanja Vidić ended the deadlock after four minutes, rising to meet a Ryan Giggs corner with a powerful header. Ronaldo put the result beyond four minutes after the re-start nodding home his first goal in the UEFA Champions League since last season's final victory over Chelsea in Moscow.

Quarter-finals
Manchester United FC 2-2 FC Porto
FC Porto 0-1 Manchester United FC

United left themselves with plenty to do in the second leg after conceding Mariano's 89th minute equaliser in a thrilling game in Manchester. Trailing to Rodriguez's fourth minute strike, Rooney levelled soon afterwards for a below-par United who improved after the break and looked to have won it when Argentine substitute Carlos Tévez nipped in to score with five minutes left. United knew it would take something special for them to get through at the Estádio do Dragão and Ronaldo duly provided it on his return to Portugal with a stunning 35-metre strike after six minutes which broke his compatriots' resistance.

Semi-finals
Manchester United FC 1-0 Arsenal FC
Arsenal FC 1-3 Manchester United FC

United never looked like losing this all-Premier League tie and were unfortunate to have only John O'Shea's goal to show for their first-leg dominance. They made amends at the Emirates Stadium, though, with goals from Ji-Sung Park and Ronaldo within the first eleven minutes ripping the heart out of Arsène Wenger's young Arsenal side. Ronaldo added a third in the 61st minute before Robin van Persie converted a penalty as the only consolation for the 2006 finalists.
from : uefa.com

Antigua, Guatemala, is a beauty of a bargain

While it concerns fun and low-cost getaways to Central America, Republic of Costa Rica and Belize are the addresses getting almost of the attending these days.
But budget-conscious travelers with a thirst for adventure should consider Guatemala, a country less traveled by American tourists but no less fascinating than its neighbors.
Airfare to "the land of eternal spring" - Guatemala's nickname, thanks to warm, comfortable temperatures - starts at about $300 for a round-trip ticket from New York. And with the exchange rate a favorable 8 quetzals to the dollar, the cost of lodging is amazingly low. Nice hotels with private bathrooms range from about $25 to $100 per night - for two people; decent hostels cost about $7 a night, and a scrumptious meal like a thick meat-and-vegetable pepián stew will only set you back as much as lunch at a Manhattan McDonald's.
While flights from New York go direct to Guatemala City, it's best to avoid staying in the country's capital. Like many big cities in poor nations, it's heavy on crime and grime and low on charm. Venture instead to the colonial city of Antigua, which is only about an hour away by bus, and make that your base.
Tourist-friendly and steeped in history, Antigua is perfect for spending the day wandering around its cobblestone streets, historic churches and other buildings and vibrant markets. Visit the many beautiful hotel gardens around the city. Then park yourself at a table and enjoy a cup of piping-hot Guatemalan latte for 10 quetzals (about $1.20) at Cafe Condesa, or sip the local Moza beer at Cafe Sky while taking in breathtaking views of the nearby volcano range from its roof.
Even if you don't like shopping, don't miss the Thursday or Sunday markets in Chichicastenango, a $10 shuttle ride from Antigua. Get there the night before and stay at Hotel Giron for just $26, then watch one of the biggest bazaars in Central America come to life in the early morning (or take a predawn shuttle into town).
Whether you're looking for Guatemala's famed textiles or a live chicken (good luck bringing that back into the States), the market has it all. Bargaining is a breeze; it's recommended to offer half the asking price and work your way up from there.
You can't visit this region in south-central Guatemala without conquering Pacaya, an active volcano about an hour's ride from Antigua via a $15 shuttle bus and a popular tourist attraction.
Once there, buy a walking stick for 5 quetzals and take a guided hike to the top of Pacaya (the elevation is about 8,300 feet). The trip up takes about two hours and can leave you short of breath at times, but it's worth it. The view of the surrounding countryside is magnificent, and there are flowing rivers of lava on Pacaya's slopes in which you can dip the end of your stick and actually roast marshmallows - if you remember to bring some.
Just don't forget to wear old hiking shoes with thick soles - walking on the hot rocks will eat through sneakers and shoes.