A loud roar echoes through the crowd as the ball rockets into the net in the final moments, securing the game.
The top European soccer clubs face off in the prestigious Champions League bracket which happens once a year.
“I like that it takes teams from many different leagues and puts them in a competitive bracket,” junior Zachary Chance said. “I would really like to see my favorite team win, but I would still watch the rest of the tournament if they got knocked out.”
The Champions League is a tournament between the top 36 teams in Europe. There are five teams from the Premier League, four from the Bundesliga, four from Serie A, three from Ligue 1, and a couple from various other leagues that are not considered the top in the world.
“The Champions League is a great experience to see, especially with all the unpredictable outcomes,” junior Allen Gubraiel said. “If my favorite team were to win it, I would be very happy knowing that they are the best team in Europe.”
It is a prestigious tournament that occurs once a year with Real Madrid, winning the most with 15 wins. There is a group stage event, and then a knockout bracket between the remaining 24 teams from the group stage. Currently, the competition is at the semi-finals of the knockout bracket, with the remaining teams being Arsenal, PSG, Barcelona, and Inter. As the tournament narrows to its final teams, excitement builds, especially for students like Peter Al Hanoka.
“The Champions League to me is a tournament held every year, and it is pretty hard to win it; that’s the reason why I love it,” junior Peter Al Hanoka said. “We go against big and small teams and just have fun. If Barcelona wins, it’ll mean the world to me because we haven’t even been in the semifinals in six years, and this year we’re playing insane.”
The crowd cheers as the final whistle blows, and their favorite team has finally won, securing a spot in the finals.
