Author Topic: Football/Soccer Thread (Read 46945 times)

EDGECRUSHER · « **Reply #350 on:** May 10, 2013, 10:20:14 PM »

If Tottenham doesn't make the Top 4, Bale is gone. That is just a rumor I read and I barely know anything about it or how buying players works, but how could he be gone if he is under contract until 2016? Tottenham wants him to sign a new contract now as well.

If he goes to Manchester United, I am done with English soccer. It's just too lopsided and ridiculous.

Nightmares · « **Reply #351 on:** May 11, 2013, 07:22:04 PM »

Manchester United is little different from the New York Yankees or the Los Angeles Lakers

EDGECRUSHER · « **Reply #352 on:** May 12, 2013, 11:18:45 AM »

Yeah, they could afford to buy both those teams and put them on their bench.

The league just isn't competitive. Even last year when Man City won, they only did so on goal differential. Man U already wins almost every year, so they take the best player in Van Persie because he wants a cheap trophy and now they are going to take the second best player in the whole league in Bale. Why even bother having a league when one team has won it 13 times in 21 years?

Havok816 · « **Reply #353 on:** May 12, 2013, 01:55:08 PM »

The FA Cup final yesterday was a great game. Underdogs Wigan slaying the giants Manchester City. My boy Roger Espinoza became the first player to win the US Open Cup and the FA Cup in consecutive seasons!

Really hope they keep the momentum going against Arsenal and can win on the final day to send Aston Villa down to the Championship.

EDGECRUSHER · « **Reply #354 on:** May 12, 2013, 06:55:41 PM »

I am sure Arsenal will underwhelm when it matters most and either draw or be defeated. I have been a supporter for 2 years and all I know is underachieving and pocketing profits.

Havok816 · « **Reply #355 on:** May 12, 2013, 06:58:47 PM »

Quote from: EDGECRUSHER on May 12, 2013, 06:55:41 PM

I am sure Arsenal will underwhelm when it matters most and either draw or be defeated. I have been a supporter for 2 years and all I know is underachieving and pocketing profits.

Go home Piers Morgan, you know nothing about that.

Sincerely,
Birmingham City Fans

EDGECRUSHER · « **Reply #356 on:** May 12, 2013, 07:06:04 PM »

I saw his rants during the Tottenham loss. They were smashing.

Havok816 · « **Reply #357 on:** May 25, 2013, 04:38:57 PM »

Holy shit. The Champion's League Final.

Havok816 · « **Reply #358 on:** July 16, 2013, 10:08:33 PM »

USA. 8 games. 8 wins.

KoppoKick · « **Reply #359 on:** July 20, 2013, 01:36:59 AM »

How many were minnows?

Havok816 · « **Reply #360 on:** July 20, 2013, 09:47:35 AM »

Quote from: KoppoKick on July 20, 2013, 01:36:59 AM

How many were minnows?

They've beaten: Germany(friendly), Jamaica(WCQ), Panama(WCQ), Honduras(WCQ), Guatemala(friendly), Belieze(Gold Cup), Cuba(Gold Cup) and Costa Rica(Gold Cup).

So 6 or 7 minnows. It depends on if you consider Costa Rica a good team or not. Still, it's been a fun couple of months.

If they win the next game, they'll be in the FIFA top 20 again. Whether or not you put any stock in the rankings is another matter,

KoppoKick · « **Reply #361 on:** July 24, 2013, 10:08:21 PM »

10 in a row! Scoring many more goals than normal. Donovan is in great form. Klinsmann is banned from the final against Mexico.

Havok816 · « **Reply #362 on:** July 25, 2013, 12:32:57 AM »

Quote from: KoppoKick on July 24, 2013, 10:08:21 PM

10 in a row! Scoring many more goals than normal. Donovan is in great form. Klinsmann is banned from the final against ~~Mexico~~.

The disciplinary committee will meet in a day or two to review that. He's probably banned, but it won't make much of a difference.

The really big news from tonight was Panama beating Mexico 2-1. Again.

They're a pretty good team, though. The final will be a lot of fun.

Havok816 · « **Reply #363 on:** August 02, 2013, 10:50:14 AM »

USA won the Gold Cup, making it 11 wins in a row.

Last night was hilarious on Twitter. http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2013/08/02/night-twitter-convinced-us-clint-dempsey-was-going-seattle-sign-sounders-exc

For a few weeks there's been some quiet rumblings that Seattle was approaching Clint Dempsey to make an offer. Well, yesterday afternoon someone tweeted a picture with him and said that Dempsey was on his flight from San Fran to Seattle.

The Seattle-based corner of Twitter exploded. #DempseyWatch was started. People were tracking all the flights. Fans showed up at the airport in the middle of the night to wait at the gate of one flight. All for naught, as he was nowhere to be seen.

The guy that started the frenzy had made a second post a short time after the first saying "Oops, he went to a different gate.", but nobody seemed to notice.

Also of interest, Everton was in SF last night playing in some pre-season tournament. If he really was in SF, it's possible he was there to sign with them.

KoppoKick · « **Reply #364 on:** August 28, 2013, 06:26:15 PM »

MINE EYES HAVE SEEN THE GLORY

KoppoKick · « **Reply #365 on:** September 10, 2013, 10:03:17 PM »

The USMNT can book their place in Brazil 2014!

Havok816 · « **Reply #366 on:** September 11, 2013, 12:40:16 AM »

Dos a Cero!

I'll be at the next game against Jamaica. Going to be a huge party.

Havok816 · « **Reply #367 on:** October 11, 2013, 11:01:12 PM »

USA beat Jamaica 2-0 tonight to clinch first place in qualifying.

Game was boring until the second half. Have to assume JK laid into the team in the locker room, because the second half was fantastic. Zusi and Jozy scoring within minutes of each other and everyone was just going absolutely nuts. More for Zusi, since he was playing in his home stadium in front of his fans. My voice is shot and I'm sore as hell, but I'm glad I went to the game.

Now if Panama can please come back and at least draw with Mexico, next week will be so much better.

KoppoKick · « **Reply #368 on:** October 12, 2013, 01:12:55 PM »

Does 1st place in qualifying carry any significance as it relates to the World Cup?

Havok816 · « **Reply #369 on:** October 12, 2013, 01:38:20 PM »

Quote from: KoppoKick on October 12, 2013, 01:12:55 PM

Does 1st place in qualifying carry any significance as it relates to the World Cup?

Nope. Only the Top 7 teams in the FIFA world rankings and the host country get seeded. That'll be determined by the rankings that come out next week following the Tuesday game. The USA has a very, very slim chance of making the top 8, but it involves a lot of good teams losing both of their games. Haven't checked, but I'm sure it's impossible now.

KoppoKick · « **Reply #370 on:** October 12, 2013, 06:25:05 PM »

Netherlands is ranked 9th. I am shocked they are not higher.

Havok816 · « **Reply #371 on:** October 14, 2013, 12:09:42 PM »

They should be higher, but it's all about who you play. If you get stuck in a group with low ranked teams, you have a harder time going up the rankings. Like with the USA. They've won 14 of the last 16 games, but they played teams like Jamaica(78), Cuba(84), Belize(145) and El Salvador(93) that aren't that high on the list. That said, Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama and Honduras are all in the top 40 right now. And beating Germany in that friendly was a huge boost to their score.

A lot of people hate the system they use, but I don't know of any alternatives.

Havok816 · « **Reply #372 on:** October 15, 2013, 12:20:18 PM »

Quote from: KoppoKick on October 12, 2013, 06:25:05 PM

Netherlands is ranked 9th. I am shocked they are not higher.

Good article explaining how teams could end up getting seeded.

http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/worldcupcentral/id/854?cc=5901

The USA ~~could be seeded, but the following has to happen~~ ~~won't be seeded because the other teams wouldn't throw their games, the jerks~~ holy shit, not one of the other games went our way.

USA beats Panama
Uruguay loses to Argentina(but not by a large enough margin to jump to 4th)
-AND Uruguay loses in the play-in game next month against the African team
Slovenia beats Switzerland
Turkey beats Netherlands
A draw or loss for Chile, vs Ecuador
A draw or loss for England, vs Poland

Havok816 · « **Reply #373 on:** October 15, 2013, 05:03:50 PM »

KoppoKick · « **Reply #374 on:** October 15, 2013, 10:47:33 PM »

If FIFA is like the NCAA, we will be in Colombia's group to harken back to 1994.

What is the reason that Asia wraps up their qualifying so early in the process? I imagine Africa does it so late in the process due to climate?

With Uruguay beating Argentina tonight, I am going to assume they will be a seeded team (assuming they beat Jordan in the playoff). Seems like a strong chance that Holland will be in the Group of Death.