Okay, maybe there are three or four of you who know what the Champions League is. You see the TV listing in the paper, and move on to baseball or golf or basketball . . . you know the American sports.

Soccer has proven over and over again that it’s a hard sell here in the U.S. of A.

And, I’m a neophyte. But I’ll share a bit, now that my fave, FC Barcelona, has made it to the Champions League title game in Rome against Manchester United. (They’re my team because when I visited Barcelona a few summers ago, our hotel was next door to the team store and I bought a jersey. Actually I think they’re called kits. Uh, maybe. Odd. Fan loyalties have odd derivations, eh?)

If I’m correct, the Champions League is kind of a season long tournament among the teams that won the various top echelon leagues in various European countries the season before. Which means that Barca, and other teams, are competing both in their regular leagues, and, given success last season, in the Champions League. I hope I’m right about that.

Anyway, Barca and Man U, two titans of the sport, have fought their way to the one game championship. But the earlier rounds are two games each. Barcelona played Chelsea in the semis. The first game in Spain was a 0-0 tie. No matter, the team that advances is the one with the total aggregate score in the home and home games. If tied then, the team with the most away goals wins. And, well, don’t ask what happens if those are even. I’ve reached the end of my knowledge on this point.

Anyway, all Barca needed today was a tie to advance. They fell behind on a Chelsea goal early. And, frankly, looked like dead meat, behind 0-1. Then they scored a goal in the 92d minute of the match to tie and advance.

The astute among you might wonder what up with that since the games are only 90 minutes? Well, the ref adds minutes at the end to compensate for stoppage of play when there are injuries. The clock never stops during play in soccer.

Confused? Sorry.

All I know is that when you watch soccer and allow yourself to appreciate the talent and gain some appreciation of strategy and technique, it is as compelling as any other sport we know and love. Today’s game was plenty interesting. My team won. I’m wearing the red & blue striped jersey/kit as I write.

– Seedy K