Planet Fútbol Podcast: Champions League reaction; Friedel, De Rosario

The Champions League final is set: Juventus will play Barcelona on June 6 in Berlin, after they eliminated the last two champions, Real Madrid and Bayern
Planet Fútbol Podcast: Champions League reaction; Friedel, De Rosario
Planet Fútbol Podcast: Champions League reaction; Friedel, De Rosario /

The Champions League final is set: Juventus will play Barcelona on June 6 in Berlin, after they eliminated the last two champions, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, respectively.

On verge of treble, winning proves to be Barcelona's elixir after turmoil

Messi-Suárez-Neymar front line

SI's Brian Straus then joins the fray to pay tribute to the great careers of Brad Friedel and Dwayne De Rosario, with both announcing their retirements this week. Where does De Rosario rank among the MLS all-time greats? What's the lasting impact of Friedel's career, both for club and country?

Listen to the latest edition of the Planet Fútbol Podcast below:

GALLERY: Tifos around the world

Best soccer tifos from around the world

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Emrah Yorulmaz/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Galatasaray fans display a sensational "Rocky" tifo ahead of their clash against rival Fenerbahce. It didn't inspire a victory, though. The Turkish rivals played to a 0-0 draw.

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Alexandre Simoes/Getty Images

Borussia Dortmund fans channel their 1963 cup triumph over Benfica ahead of the teams' second leg in the Champions League round of 16 at Signal Iduna Park.

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Jack Guez

Hapoel Be'er Sheva fans turn to Moses for tifo inspiration, with his splitting the Red Sea illustrating how "impossible is nothing" in their Europa League series against Besiktas.

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Fethi Belaid/Getty Images

Fans of Tunisia's Club Africain display this pointed tifo at a friendly against PSG, whose Qatari owners have pumped millions and millions into the club.

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Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

U.S. fans in Columbus, Ohio, make a "One Nation, One Team" statement ahead of the USMNT's World Cup qualifying match against Mexico on November 11, 2016.

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Stuart Franklin/Getty Images

Germany fans display their heart for the team colors ahead of a World Cup qualifier against Czech Republic in October 2016.

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Paolo Bruno/Getty Images

Italy fans spell out their support for the Azzurri ahead of a massive World Cup qualifier vs. Spain in October 2018.

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Alexander Scheuber/UEFA/Getty Images

Iceland fans keep up their world-famous passion for the national team during a World Cup qualifier against Turkey in October 2016.

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Karim Sahib/Getty Images

Fans in the United Arab Emirates set their sights on reaching the 2018 World Cup in Russia during a qualifying match vs. Australia in September 2016.

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Juan Finol/CON/Getty Images

Colombia fans send a massive jersey around the stadium during a World Cup qualifier vs. Venezuela in September 2016.

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Ted S. Warren/AP

Seattle Sounders fans turn to Game Of Thrones for inspiration in a game against the Cascadia rival Vancouver Whitecaps in September 2016.

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Marcus Ericsson/Ombrello/Getty Images

Djurgardens fans go all out in Sweden for a match against AIK in September 2016.

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Nico Vereecken/Photonews/Getty Images

Zulte Waregem fans prepare Kortrijk for the absolute worst in this Belgian top-flight match in September 2016.

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Ted S. Warren/AP

Seattle Sounders fans turn their pop culture reference to Poltergeist in March 2016 ahead of the season home opener against Sporting Kansas City.

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Steve Dykes/Getty Images

The Timbers Army doubles down on their Eastbound and Down theme, adding another wrinkle during the club's MLS Western Conference final first leg vs. FC Dallas on November 22, 2015 at Providence Park.

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Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP

Fans make a French flag tifo at Wembley Stadium during the singing of Le Marseillaise ahead of England's friendly vs. France, which took place days after the terrorist attacks in Paris.

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The Timbers Army referenced Eastbound & Down's Kenny Powers with their "Cup Bound and Down" tifo for the Portland Timbers' MLS playoff elimination game against Sporting Kansas City on October 29, 2015.

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Lars Ronbog/FrontZoneSport via Getty Images

Brondby IF fans display a gladiator holding up a lion's head during the team's Danish Alka Superliga match against FC Copenhagen, whose logo is a lion's head, on September 27, 2015.

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Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire

New England Revolution fans equate Jermaine Jones to Indiana Jones on their quest to capture the 2015 MLS Cup on September 26, 2015.

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Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire

New England Revolution fans display a Lion King theme in honor of Orlando City FC's first visit to Gillette Stadium on September 5, 2015.

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Cal Sport Media/AP

Red Bulls fans take a shot at NYCFC's two summer arrivals, 37-year-old Frank Lampard and 36-year-old Andrea Pirlo, ahead of their third MLS meeting of 2015.

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Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts/Getty Images

Germany fans in Cologne salute their World Cup champions ahead of a friendly against the United States in June, 2015.

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Angel Martinez/Real Madrid/Getty Images

Real Madrid fans went all out prior to the second leg of the 2014-15 Champions League semifinal vs. Juventus.

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Filippo Monteforte/AFP/Getty Images

Lazio fans display a stunning eagle tifo ahead of the Rome derby against AS Roma in their penultimate Serie A match of the 2014-15 season.

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Manu Fernandez/AP

Barcelona fans bid farewell to veteran midfielder Xavi with this banner at his last league game at Camp Nou before he departs for Qatari club Al Sadd.

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Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty Images

Fans at Anfield pay tribute to Steven Gerrard in his final home match as a Liverpool player in May 2015.

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Michael Regan/Getty Images

Juventus fans state their case to beat Real Madrid in the 2014-15 Champions League semifinals and reach the final in Berlin.

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Carlos Rodrigues/Getty Images

Fans at Benfica's Estadio da Luz remind rival Porto who the Primeira Liga reigning champion is during an April 2015 match in Portugal.

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Bryan Smith/ZUMA Wire

New York Red Bulls fans send a pointed message to their NYCFC counterparts prior to the teams' first MLS meeting in May, 2015.

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Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Inter Milan's Curva Nord announces its presence ahead of the April 2015 Derby della Madonnina–the annual clashes between city rivals Inter and AC Milan.

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A. Beier/FC Bayern Munich/Getty Images

Bayern Munich fans implore their club to (translated) "Never give up" in the Champions League quarterfinal second leg vs. Porto. Bayern then turned a 3-1 first-leg deficit into a 7-4 aggregate win and a place in the semifinals.

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Patrik Stollarz/AFP/Getty Images

Dortmund fans commemorate their 1997 Champions League trophy in the club's clash vs. Juventus–the opponent on the wrong side of that title bout.

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Don Ryan/AP

Portland Timbers fans speak out against homophobia with this tifo in a 2013 match against Chivas USA

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Gerard Julien/AFP/Getty Image

Atletico's supporters display a banner reading "Atleti crushes" before the Spanish league match between Atletico Madrid and FC Barcelona at the Vicente Calderon stadium in Madrid,

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Odd Andersen/AFP/Getty Images

Borussia Dortmund fans put on a remarkable display ahead of a UEFA Champions League quarterfinal second leg match.

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Lars Ronbog/FrontZoneSport via Getty Images

Brondby IF fans unveil a tifo ahead of a match in Denmark against Randers FC.

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David Ramos/Getty Images

FC Barcelona fans display a huge banner in memory of former head coach Tito Vilanova.

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Burak Akbulut/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Galatasaray fans support their team during the UEFA Champions League Group D match between Borussia Dortmund and Galatasaray at the Turk Telekom Arena in Istanbul.

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Tony Quinn/Icon SMI

The American Outlaws unveil a huge tifo ahead of a 2014 World Cup send-off match between the USA and Turkey at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J.

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Patrick Valasseris/AFP/Getty Images

Marseille's supporters use paper sheets to create an "OM" (Olympique de Marseille) tifo at the beginning of the French L1 football match between Marseille and Genoble.

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Ted S. Warren/AP

Seattle Sounders fans display their tifo that shows coach Sigi Schmid playing cards and holding a Royal Flush before a match against the Portland Timbers.

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Louisa Gouliamaki/AFP/Getty Images

Panathinaikos Athens fans display a banner during the UEFA Europa League match against Dynamo Moscow.

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Fayez Nureldine/AFP/Getty Images

Fans of the Saudi Al-Hilal team celebrate after the scoring of a goal against Uzbekistan's Bunyodkor.

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Ted S. Warren/AP

Seattle Sounders fans unveil a tifo inspired from the “Build a Bonfire” chant, featuring Sounder players holding torches on horseback ahead of a game against the Portland Timbers.

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Jan-Philipp Burmann/City-Press via Getty images

Fans of Hertha BSC before the Bundesliga match between Hertha BSC and Werder Bremen in Berlin.

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Andy Mead/YCJ/Icon SMI

Sporting Kansas City fans channel their inner Mario ahead of the 2013 MLS Cup final vs. Real Salt Lake.

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Lars Ronbog/FrontzoneSport via Getty Images

Brondby IF fans.

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Manuel Blondeau/AOP Press/DPPI/Icon Sportswire

Thousands of Barcelona fans hold up cards to spell out "Barca! Orgull," which translates to "Barcelona pride" ahead of a Champions League clash with Bayern Munich at Camp Nou.

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Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images

Fans raise a tifo celebrating “Community, Club and Country” ahead of a CONCACAF Gold Cup match between the USA and Belize in Portland, Oregon.

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VI Images via Getty Images

Vitesse fans unfurl a massive Eagle banner at the Dutch Eredivisie match against Ajax at the GelreDome.

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Manuel Queimadelos Alonso/Getty Images

Valencia fans drape a banner featuring a king for a Copa del Rey ("The King's Cup) match against Atletico Madrid.

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Jonathan Moscrop/LaPresse/Icon Sportswire

Juventus fans make a statement in Turin in a match vs. Inter Milan.

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Matthias Hangst/Getty Images

Dortmund fans put on another strong display at a Bundesliga match against Mainz 05.

germany-tifo
John MacDougall/AFP/Getty Images

German fans boast the newest star earned by the national team, symbolizing its 2014 World Cup triumph, at a Euro 2016 qualifying match in Dortmund.

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Pedro Castillo/Real Madrid/Getty Images

Real Madrid fans make a point to display the club's 10 European championships ahead of the October 2014 clash against rival Barcelona at the Bernabeu.

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John Hefti/Icon SMI

San Jose Earthquakes fans unleash a massive tifo to mark the opening of Avaya Stadium, MLS's newest soccer-specific venue, in March 2015.

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Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Barcelona fans show all who the real 12th man is ahead of the March 2015 Clásico vs. Real Madrid.

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Ivan Villa/STR/LatinContent/Getty Images

Ahead of a clash with Mexican foe Monterrey, Tigres players are treated by this message by its fervent supporters.

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Yorick Jansens/AFP/Getty Images

Standard Liege fans have a pointed message for Steven Defour, who departed the club for Belgian rival Anderlecht.

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Alex Menendez/Getty Images

Orlando City fans mark their club's inaugural MLS game vs. fellow expansion side New York City FC with a statement that the Lions' "reign begins now."

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Pedro Castillo/Real Madrid/Getty Images

Real Madrid fans salute Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo after he captured the most prestigious individual prize in world soccer again.

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VI Images via Getty Images

Vitesse fans pay homage to Operation Market Garden ahead of an Eredivisie match against SC Heerenveen.

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Filippo Monteforte/AFP/Getty Images

Sevilla's fans deploy a giant banner in the stands before the UEFA Europa league final match between Benfica and Sevilla.

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Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

Fans in Liverpool’s Kop End at Anfield commemorate those lost in the Hillsborough disaster.

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Eddy Lemastre/DPPI/Icon SMI

Lyon fans during a game against Saint Etienne.


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