I recently caught the second leg of the 05-06 Champions League semifinal between Barca and Milan. Fabulous match. It ended 0-0, which meant Barca advanced on the strength of its previous 1-0 victory over Milan (which I have not yet seen). Barca looked to be the better club for most of the game, although Milan poured it on in the latter part of the second half.

Critics who bemoan soccer's lack of scoring puzzle me. It's not as if nothing is happening merely because the score isn't being run up. Battles for open balls, one-on-ones, quick serial passes, precise long balls, defensive stops, gradually unfolding attacks, rapid counterattacks, errant shots, set pieces, saves -- all of these entertain. Would complainers prefer if points were awarded every time a team moved the ball into certain sections of the field -- a graduated system where a goal was several points (say, six); possession in the opponent's box half that; and possession in the opponent's half one point? Then there'd be plenty of "scoring" -- but it wouldn't be the "new scoring" that made the match interesting, it'd be the stuff that results in the scoring. The very stuff that already goes on now, if you do more than watch the non-graduated scoreboard.

FF