Celtic

Let's not start off on the wrong foot. After their Champions League group stage performance, massive congratulations are due to Neil Lennon and his Celtic side for outlasting the more recently successful and wealthier Benfica and Spartak Moscow to qualify for the knockout rounds.

However, while the streets of Glasgow may still be filled with overjoyed Scotsmen delighted for their recently underwhelming club in Europe, it would take more than a miracle for the dream to continue any longer.

That is not intended as an insult to the 1967 European Cup winners and current SPL champions, but rather a testament to how far the club has regressed in recent years compared to their continental counterparts.

Before this season, the last time Celtic qualified for the Champions League group stage was in 2007-08, when they also finished second only to fall at the hands of Barcelona in the first knockout round.

Since that doomed campaign, the club have failed to find success on any European front. In three seasons, they have never even managed to make it past the UEFA Cup/Europa League group stage.

Prior to their domestic success in 2012, the club also found themselves consistently playing second fiddle to now defunct Rangers FC (rebirthed as a newco club currently in the Scottish Third Division), and many pundits would not shy away from the claim that Celtic's last title came largely as a result of their neighbor's financial implosion.

Surely, Neil Lennon deserves credit for organizing this mediocre squad and squeezing the best out of veterans such as Kris Commons and Georgios Samaras, who has scored five goals in Celtic's long Champions League campaign despite only striking once in the league.

In the offseason, the Northern Irishman brought in future star Victor Wanyama, scorer of a key goal in the club's 2-1 home victory against Barcelona, and also purchased English goalkeeper Fraser Foster after two seasons on loan to further supplement a team with little depth. All four of the players mentioned above have been key in Celtic's European quest.

And, it should never have been easy. Currently ranked 64th among teams in the UEFA rankings, the Glasgow club managed to defeat Barcelona (1), Spartak Moscow (55) and draw Benfica (14), amassing 10 points on their way to the Round of 16. Celtic now await a favorable draw, either pairing them with debutantes Málaga or Schalke 04, arguably the only sides among the group winners they have a reasonable chance to overcome.

For viewers of the competition, Celtic's return to prominence has been welcome. While there may have been moments of anti-football that no purist enjoys, there is at least now a genuine underdog to root for in Lennon's men.

Their failure to hit the ground running in the SPL, only at the top by one point and with one more draw and merely two less defeats than the entire 2011-12 season—without Rangers in the race, of course—could be a damning sign for the club. But, if the team is truly focusing on continental progress and not ultimate domestic dominance, then there remains hope for Hoop's supporters.

However, Cinderella stories are solely written when teams defy all of the odds. Celtic have done it so far regardless of critics' opinions. They will have to continue to defy reason if they are to miraculously make it to the Champions League quarterfinals for the first time in more than a decade.

Just a day removed from being able to celebrate his 20th birthday, Chivas USA forward Juan Agudelo may have one more thing to celebrate by week’s end.

After reportedly impressing Celtic FC boss Neil Lennon in his brief training stint with the club, a potential permanent move to the Scottish Premier League is in the works for Agudelo (via STV Sport), bringing a momentous end to his roller-coaster year.

In recent years, it has become almost commonplace for Americans to take their talents to Scotland. 

U.S. men’s national team players Carlos Bocanegra, Maurice Edu and Alejandro Bedoya have all recently played in the SPL—however, none are currently with bankrupt Rangers FC.

The question is: Is a permanent transfer to Glasgow ideal for the American youngster?

Agudelo’s potential move poses one minor issue. Simply put, the SPL is not regarded as one of the top-tier competitions in Europe.

The UEFA country coefficient—which accurately ranks the prestige of football associations across Europe—currently ranks Scotland 26th.

True, Agudelo would be playing against European opposition, but it would be inferior when compared to that of the MLS. As a whole, the moderate competition MLS provides is better suited to polish the skills of the 20-year-old striker. 

That said, a move to Celtic FC would still greatly benefit Agudelo.

Not only would he no longer be subjected to the ineptitude that personifies Chivas USA, but he would also have the opportunity to compete in the UEFA Champions League—widely considered the most prestigious competition in the world of soccer.

My apologies to the fans, but Chivas USA is a franchise in shambles.

After finishing last in the Western Conference with just seven wins and 30 points, Chivas is still an organization in search of a coach, a roster and an identity.

It is to the detriment of Agudelo to play for a franchise that has no direction and can only manage to score a total of 24 goals all season. His flashes of brilliance on the international level are proof that he deserves more than that.

After a monumental upset against Spanish super-club Barcelona, Celtic has captured the attention of many (including Snoop Dogg) and is in a prime position to advance to the round of 16 in the Champions League (currently tied for second in Group G).

There is no denying the invaluable experience playing in a tournament against renowned competition the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester United would provide Agudelo.

I recently asked ESPN analyst and American soccer legend Alexi Lalas on Twitter about Agudelo’s potential move. He and I shared the same sentiment.

It may not be ideal, but if Agudelo is able to consistently find his way on the pitch for Celtic, then there is no reason he should not embrace a permanent move to Glasgow.

That, however, is the key for Agudelo’s success. He must consistently show the flashes of brilliance that led to Lennon’s praise in order to avoid the similar fate bestowed upon Philadelphia Union striker Freddy Adu.

Like Adu, Agudelo is another prominent, young American talent looking to develop overseas after failing to make an impact in MLS.

It is incumbent upon Agudelo to avoid the lethargic effort Adu exhibited that led to a profusion of failed loans and tenures across Europe.

If he does not, then the story of Juan Agudelo will be nothing more than the prototypical, disappointing remake Hollywood studios are obsessively producing these days. 

Follow Eduardo on Twitter for more insight on a variety of sports topics. Follow @Mendez_FC

Celtic Park has witness countless memorable occasions in its history, but few that can match Wednesday night’s victory over Barcelona for nerve-shredding excitement, drama and joy. A late Lionel Messi tap-in could not prevent goals from Victor Wanyama and Tony Watt giving Celtic a famous win.

The Bhoys suffered a huge blow to their hopes before the match when captain Scott Brown, top striker Gary Hooper and James Forrest were all forced to drop out because of illness or injury.

It was an unfamiliar Celtic lineup, with Charlie Mulgrew in midfield and Georgios Samaras linking up with Miku in attack for the first time.

Barcelona also had a makeshift look about their defence, with Carlos Puyol injured and Gerard Pique not considered fit enough to start.

Javier Mascherano and Marc Bartra took their places with Alex Song in midfield replacing the suspended Sergio Busquets.

The match quickly settled into a familiar pattern with Barca monopolizing possession. They prodded and probed at the Celtic defence without ever carving out any clear-cut chances.

The closest they came in the opening exchanges was a Messi snapshot which went well over the bar in the seventh minute.

The Catalans had a lucky break in the 17th minute when Alex Song, who had already been booked, cynically brought down Miku Fedor as he burst past him in midfield.

Astonishingly, Dutch referee Bjorn Kuipers elected to keep the card in his pocket.

Before any sense of injustice was allowed to fester though, Celtic took the lead on 20 minutes.

Charlie Mulgrew’s delivery from a corner on Celtic’s right hand side was inch-perfect and Victor Wanyama rose majestically at the far post to power a header past Victor Valdes and send the Celtic support into delirium.

Barcelona responded immediately with Kelvin Wilson and Mulgrew blocking shots from Andres Iniesta and Dani Alves.

In the 28th minute, Lionel Messi hit a terrific shot from the edge of the box which Fraser Forster just tipped onto the crossbar and over, although the referee awarded a goal kick, so slight was Forster’s touch.

The closest Barcelona came in the first half was a looping header from Alexis Sanchez, which seemed to deceive Forster and hit the outside of the post before running to safety on 38 minutes.

Unlike last time at Camp Nou, Celtic managed to hold onto their lead until the halftime whistle, and at that stage, hopes began to grow that they could take something from the game.

Barca renewed their onslaught in the second half and appeared to be making repeated headway down Celtic’s left side.

While Dani Alves was repeatedly able to fire crosses in from that flank, it may actually have been playing into Celtic’s hands, with Kelvin Wilson and Efe Ambrose for the most part dealing comfortably with his deliveries.

Even when Barca attempted to tika-taka through the centre of the defence, Wilson and Ambrose proved an insurmountable barrier, ably assisted by Wanyama, who was immense throughout the match.

Celtic remained dangerous on the few occasions they managed to push forward and almost extended their lead when a high ball into the box was not dealt with by Bartra, who allowed it to bounce behind him before he managed to recover to block a close-range Charlie Mulgrew volley.

Inevitably, Barca created enough openings to threaten the Celtic goal, but whenever Wilson and Ambrose’s defensive line was breached, they found Fraser Forster in stunning form.

A double save from Alexis on 60 minutes was bettered eight minutes later when a powerful left-foot shot from Messi seemed destined for the back of the net.

Forster dived to his left and made an incredible one-handed stop, which had the huge crowd chanting his name.

Forster was involved in the moment which almost blew the roof off Celtic Park in the 81st minute. After comfortably holding a Messi free kick, he kicked the ball long upfield, where its trajectory was badly misjudged by Xavi Hernandez.

It bounced invitingly in front of 18-year-old substitute Tony Watt, who ran away from Javier Mascherano before coolly slotting the ball past Valdes as though it was nothing more than a training match.

The crowd were now in raptures and it so easily could have gotten even better for Celtic minutes later when Watt again burst past Mascherano who seemed to pull him back.

Rather than award a foul and a certain red card, referee Kuipers allowed play to continue.

Messi’s 91st minute counter—a left-foot shot into the roof of the net after Forster had again saved a goal bound effort—ensured a nervy last couple of minutes for Celtic, but this time there was to be no last-minute heartache for the Bhoys and Barca joined Juventus, Manchester United and AC Milan on the list of soccer giants put to the sword on Champions League duty at Celtic Park.

Player of the Match: Victor Wanyama. The young Kenyan was a powerhouse in midfield for Celtic, constantly disrupting Barcelona’s passing moves, winning the ball and showing composure and class in possession. His superb opening goal set the stadium alight.

Celtic: Forster, Matthews, Ambrose, Wilson, Mulgrew, Lustig (Watt), Commons, Ledley, Wanyama, Miku, Samaras (Kayal).

Barcelona: Valdes, Alves, Bartra (Pique), Alba, Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Mascherano, Song (Fabregas), Sanchez (Villa), Pedro

Celtic hearts be free tonight. After beating Barca, time is on your side.

Celtic's stunning 2-1 victory over mighty Barcelona on Wednesday night in Group G of the UEFA Champions League produced several stirring images. First, there was the glorious, giant mosaic in the stands before the match.

Then, after the final whistle, we saw Rod Stewart.

Yep, that Rod Stewart. The pop singer who's famous for classics like "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" and "Maggie May" is also a well-known Celtic supporter (he put a reference to the club in his song "You're In My Heart"). If you don't believe it, just watch the video.

Stewart, 67, was in attendance Wednesday night at Celtic Park as Celtic produced what The Guardian calls "one of the finest results in the club's European history." Considering the fact that Celtic won the 1967 European Cup and finished as runners-up three years later, that's quite a statement.

But Stewart's heartfelt reaction would seem to reinforce the idea. This was a big victory for Celtic, and it meant the world to their supporters.

The video of Stewart's tears of joy appears above. It's our Set Piece Video of the Day. Enjoy.

If you missed it, you can relive the whole night here in this video. Now, let's hope the success continues for Celtic, if only so we can see some more celebrity cameos.

This article says Jay Z is a Celtic supporter. Think he'd bring Beyoncé to Glasgow for the knockout rounds?

(h/t 101 Great Goals)

Follow @MikeCummings37