⚽ Soccer Match-day Thread (2 Viewers)

[Zigg]

Interesting nugget.

In a former life, I was a sports writer in Minnesota and once wrote a story on this world-class soccer player that had moved to the Minneapolis suburbs to live near his wife's family.

Went to their house and spent the day with them. Had no idea who the guy was.

His daughter was in high school at the time. She was a great athlete, a singer, an aspiring model, involved in theater.

His son was in middle school and was already apparently a nationally known soccer phenom.

It was a fun day hanging out with them. Great people.

The dad? Alex Bunbury.

The daughter? Kylie Bunbury, who now stars on Big Sky on ABC.

The son, of course, was Teal Bunbury. No idea he was on New England.

Is the kid a national team at prospect? Which country will he play for? No idea about him, but know his dad is Canadian.

 

[El Floppo]

chelsea without any of Kante, Kova or Jorg... like the US without MMA- kind of a mess. Saul... so far, not quite my tempo.

watford flat out ripping up chelsea now. well deserved tying goal and looking to grab more.

I'm watching on my phone, so couldn't tell who gave the ball away to watford at midfield leading to the goal- mount? saul? 

(and that foul on Mount just now didn't look like a foul to me)

 

[El Floppo]

Is the kid a national team at prospect? Which country will he play for? No idea about him, but know his dad is Canadian.

pretty sure he's played for the US. not a prominent figure for them, but a solid pro just on the fringes.

 

[CletiusMaximus]

pretty sure he's played for the US. not a prominent figure for them, but a solid pro just on the fringes.

I'm an Oscar Wilde aficionado, so have always been a big fan - "Bunburying" being one of the great plot creations from my favorite work - Importance of Being Earnest.

 

[BeTheMatch]

Is the kid a national team at prospect? Which country will he play for? No idea about him, but know his dad is Canadian.

Not sure. I think he was on the u18 national team when he was like 13 or something. Don't know what his status is anymore.

 

[gianmarco]

Maupay with a ridiculous goal for Brighton.

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

Chelsea, City, and Liverpool are so far ahead of the rest of the league.

It's still kind of weird that this faded giant that couldn't really defend for like the first 20 years I watched them have morphed into a top 3/4 team in the world.

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

pretty sure he's played for the US. not a prominent figure for them, but a solid pro just on the fringes.

Yeah, Teal picked the US and got a few caps between 2010 and 2012.  

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

Not sure. I think he was on the u18 national team when he was like 13 or something. Don't know what his status is anymore.

Wiki says he played for Canada's U17 and U20 teams.

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

That Jota goal was pretty sweet.

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

Salah was asked about finishing 7th in the BdO and his laugh was pretty funny.  Nothing sarcastic, just honest bemusement.  "No comment."

 

[DJackson10]

Ibra is still a god. Another FK goal today like it's just causal shoot around again. 

 

[Sinn Fein]

I was travelling and missed the game.

Crazy playoffs this year with lower seeds advancing. Sorry the revs couldn't get the deserved double after such an epic season.

@Sammy3469 hungover somewhere?

Timely article: https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/news/mls-cup-playoffs-how-the-topsy-turvy-postseason-has-not-rewarded-regular-season-success/

"No team knows that better than the New England Revolution as they were rewarded for winning Supporters Shield and breaking the MLS single-season points record with... a 23-day layoff before their first match facing NYCFC. For comparison the Rapids, in a similar boat, had an 18-day break between their matches. No team should have a break that long where they can lose rhythm by not playing matches as the rustiness showed."

Thats ungood!  MLS needs to think through how to fix that (or skip the play-offs altogether!)

 

[The Gator]

Whatever Klopp said about Firmino changing the false 9; take that and add goals to it and you have Jota.  
 

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

Thats ungood!  MLS needs to think through how to fix that (or skip the play-offs altogether!)

Even worse than the NHL IMO - the best team almost never wins.

Make the Supporter's Shield the championship and run a League Cup tournament at the end of the year.  Single city, all the teams entered, multiple games a day -- NCAA style.

 

[B Maverick]

Just like United to hurt their own keeper and let in an easy goal.  

Just like the ref to see the keeper lying on the floor and let the play continue until a goal is scored.

 

[CletiusMaximus]

Just like United to hurt their own keeper and let in an easy goal.  

Just like the ref to see the keeper lying on the floor and let the play continue until a goal is scored.

What's the proper ruling here?  https://streamwo.com/file/61a9283aaefbb

Is the ref supposed to stop play because Fred stepped on DeGea?

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

What's the proper ruling here?  https://streamwo.com/file/61a9283aaefbb

Is the ref supposed to stop play because Fred stepped on DeGea?

DeGea has to learn to grab his head.

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

Arsenal and Tottenham are 5th and 6th right now.

 

[Sinn Fein]

Arsenal and Tottenham are 5th and 6th right now.

The race for the 4th spot from among Arsenal, Tottenham, West Ham, and Manchester United should be quite the scrap.

Hopefully the race for the title will be a 3-way joust into May.

Relegation does not look as exciting, just yet, but its early.

 

[B Maverick]

What's the proper ruling here?  https://streamwo.com/file/61a9283aaefbb

Is the ref supposed to stop play because Fred stepped on DeGea?

Typically refs tend to overprotect keepers so when De Gea goes down on a corner like that, they tend to blow the whistle.  
Is it required they do? No.
Would you expect the ref to have blown the whistle before the shot?  Yes
Did VAR make the right call? Yes.  Esp since the ref didn't stop play and there was no foul.

 

[El Floppo]

That winning goal from West Ham was crazy. Mendy isn't going to be happy about his game today.

But also crazy Chels likely going from first to third.

 

[Poke_4_Life]

That winning goal from West Ham was crazy. Mendy isn't going to be happy about his game today.

But also crazy Chels likely going from first to third.

Yeah, I didn't catch all the game but Mendy looked poor for the 30mins I saw. 

 

[leftcoastguy7]

my online bookmaker used to offer a live match tracker that would track possession of soccer teams as a graph throughout the entire game. Like this

But they got rid of it and went with something worse. 

Can anybody tell me where I could access a tracker like this?

 

[El Floppo]

my online bookmaker used to offer a live match tracker that would track possession of soccer teams as a graph throughout the entire game. Like this

But they got rid of it and went with something worse. 

Can anybody tell me where I could access a tracker like this?

Here

 

[El Floppo]

Wolves v Liverpool has been a fun game so far, despite not many if any chances.

 

[gianmarco]

@Dinsy Ejotuz favorite complaint about offside (which I agree with) when Hwang clearly offside and affecting the play but not called because he let it go through after defense had to react to him. 

 

[McBokonon]

my online bookmaker used to offer a live match tracker that would track possession of soccer teams as a graph throughout the entire game. Like this

But they got rid of it and went with something worse. 

Can anybody tell me where I could access a tracker like this?

Download the AiScore app. Looks like this

 

[Sinn Fein]

Oh Jota

 

[gianmarco]

Oh Jota

That was literally going to be my exact post.

 

[El Floppo]

Oh Jota

That was literally going to be my exact post.

A Hedwig's angry inch away from scoring there.

 

[El Floppo]

I like Traore... but he likes to dribble into multiple defenders in pretty terrible spots on the field a lot. given away a lot of breaks to liverpool.

 

[El Floppo]

wow.

what a ball across to Salah. 

wolves heartbroken.

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

Honduras Wanderers more like.

 

[El Floppo]

Honduras Wanderers more like.

you've piqued my interest.

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

you've piqued my interest.

Defending the 0-0 one "injury" at a time.

 

[El Floppo]

Huge goal and win for Liverpool.

Chelsea have themselves to blame for dropping down the standings today.

 

[El Floppo]

Defending the 0-0 one "injury" at a time.

Bolton?

I"m trying to figure out the Wanderers part.

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

Bolton?

I"m trying to figure out the Wanderers part.

Wolverhampton Wanderers

 

[El Floppo]

Wolverhampton Wanderers

snikey.

been so long since I've heard them called anything but Wolves, I forgot all about that.

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

There may not be a player with a more legit claim to "club legend" who's played fewer minutes for that club than Origi.  He's scored a ton of ridiculously important, game-winning goals.

I hope they build a statue to him and make it a pilgrimage for every bit player that passes through.

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

snikey.

been so long since I've heard them called anything but Wolves, I forgot all about that.

I debated Honduras Wolves, but since I was replacing the Wolverhampton part I stuck with the official name.  I'm not sure "Wolverhampton Wolves" is a thing.  I think I've only ever heard it Wolves or Wolverhampton Wanderers.

#OverthinkingThingsfor$2000Alex

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

I like Traore... but he likes to dribble into multiple defenders in pretty terrible spots on the field a lot. given away a lot of breaks to liverpool.

Is he a good player? 

He has so many splash plays, but then you look at the overall output/impact and... I honestly don't know how to answer the question.  Does he do enough to help his team actually win games?

 

[gianmarco]

Defending the 0-0 one "injury" at a time.

Gotta love Raul getting "hurt" off the pitch and managing to make his way back on to remain "hurt".

 

[gianmarco]

<------ #1 fan of Watford

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

Gotta love Raul getting "hurt" off the pitch and managing to make his way back on to remain "hurt".

That was the worst of the bunch.  At least the ref did add 8 minutes total (3 then 5), and since Liverpool scored in the 94th, they needed all of it.

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

<------ #1 fan of Watford

Oddsmakers/538 really love/hate today's results for Liverpool/Chelsea.

The underlying stats have never loved Chelsea, so dropping to third has hit their odds bigtime.

I don't expect these to change a ton with a City win, but they'll move a little bit.  Currently:

• City: 46%
  
• Liverpool: 41%
  
• Chelsea: 12%
  

 

[gianmarco]

Oddsmakers/538 really love/hate today's results for Liverpool/Chelsea.

The underlying stats have never loved Chelsea, so dropping to third has hit their odds bigtime.

I don't expect these to change a ton with a City win, but they'll move a little bit.  Currently:

• City: 46%
  
• Liverpool: 41%
  
• Chelsea: 12%
  

I find that strange because I think Chelsea has been the most consistent of the three, especially in how stingy their defense has been. And doing that with Lukaku out to boot.

I think it's 33/33/33 at this point.

 

[NewlyRetired]

Philly plays in the conference final tomorrow.  yikes :(

======================

Jonathan Tannenwald

@thegoalkeeper

Eleven Union players are in MLS’ health and safety protocols, according to the team’s game notes that were just published: Alejandro Bedoya Joe Bendik Andre Blake Cory Burke Jack Elliott Jakob Glesnes Ilsinho Alvas Powell Sergio Santos Quinn Sullivan Kai Wagner

 

[Ted Lange as your Bartender]

Sigh.  This week was literally the first time in 11 years that the Union got even an inkling of mainstream interest, so of course this happens

Eleven Union players are in MLS’ health and safety protocols, according to the team’s game notes that were just published:

Alejandro Bedoya
Joe Bendik
Andre Blake
Cory Burke
Jack Elliott
Jakob Glesnes
Ilsinho
Alvas Powell
Sergio Santos
Quinn Sullivan
Kai Wagner

https://twitter.com/thegoalkeeper/status/1467166039905611790?s=10