Steve Tasker
Footballguy
It's been awhile since I've cheered for Iran in anything.
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***Official 2014 World Cup Thread*** (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter NewlyRetired
- Start date
Steve Tasker
Footballguy
If you watch the US next qualifying cycle, you'll sound like a soccer savant when next World Cup comes around (assuming the US makes itYep that was me and I'm all ears. From following this thread I'm getting the sense I should have followed the qualifying. I didn't even know it was going on until it was over.TenTimes, was it you earlier in the thread who said the WC is becoming one of your favorite sporting events?
If so and you don't want to wait 4 years between events, lets us know, we can suggest other tournaments you might like (there are 2 huge ones coming up in 2016 that should be great).
Also, WC Qualifying itself is really fun to follow and makes the WC itself even more interesting.
If I am mixing you up with some one else, please ignore
). You learn so much more about the US players and their playing styles.
Ilov80s
Footballguy
No reason to start now.
Steve Tasker
Footballguy
At the club level, UEFA Champions League is truly the best of the best. It's comprised of the best teams in the best European leagues, and is a year-long tournament culminating in May (Real Madrid just beat Atletico in an all-Spain final; there was an all-German final a few years ago). The very early qualifying rounds will be starting soon...probably early August-ish? The teams you've heard of don't get involved until the third qualifying round at the earliest. The group stage play, which is the real "start" of the Champions League, takes place all through the fall. Games are on Tuesday/Wednesday afternoons, 2:45 PM ET usually.
From an individual league standpoint, the best leagues in the world are in England, Spain, Germany, and Italy. IMO, it's much easier to get into the English league as it's the most accessible in the US. All of the games are on TV (if you get NBCSN), some Americans play in the league, etc. The top teams in Spain and Germany have been better than the top teams in England for the past handful of years, but the quality of play and parity - if you can call it that - appears to be better in England. ETA: I guess that's not really fair as Chelsea did win the Champions League three years ago, but it wasn't exactly pretty soccer that got them the title, some would say.
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NewlyRetired
Footballguy
So I was surfing my favorite porn site last night and even it changed its logo from the generic logo to one with a soccer ball over it. I have never seen them change their logo for anything else
Ilov80s
Footballguy
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/060719
This article from Bill Simmons is a couple years old, but still works. It's his quest to pick a team to adopt as his EPL team to follow. I know not everyone likes Simmons, but it's a good primer on the EPL teams.
This article from Bill Simmons is a couple years old, but still works. It's his quest to pick a team to adopt as his EPL team to follow. I know not everyone likes Simmons, but it's a good primer on the EPL teams.
Steve Tasker
Footballguy
TenTimes, here is a link to the 2014-15 UEFA Champions League on Wikipedia - link
The tournament actually starts on July 1st with the "first qualifying round". For reference, that round features the champions of the worst 6 leagues that qualify for the tournament....Levadia Tallinn (Estonia), HB (Faroe Islands), FC Santa Coloma (Andorra), Banants (Armenia), La Fiorita (San Marino), and Lincoln Red Imps (GIbraltar).
The play-off round is really when the "big boys" start to enter the tournament. It is the 4th qualifying round and will take place during the last 2 weeks of August. The big-name teams entering the tournament in that round include Arsenal, Porto, Bayer Leverkusen, Athletic Bilbao, and Napoli.
The tournament actually starts on July 1st with the "first qualifying round". For reference, that round features the champions of the worst 6 leagues that qualify for the tournament....Levadia Tallinn (Estonia), HB (Faroe Islands), FC Santa Coloma (Andorra), Banants (Armenia), La Fiorita (San Marino), and Lincoln Red Imps (GIbraltar).
The play-off round is really when the "big boys" start to enter the tournament. It is the 4th qualifying round and will take place during the last 2 weeks of August. The big-name teams entering the tournament in that round include Arsenal, Porto, Bayer Leverkusen, Athletic Bilbao, and Napoli.
Sand
Footballguy
Dad was in the oil industry (I was there 30 years ago as a wee lad). Loved it. Quito is incredible. The Andes are amazing. The coast (Salinas) is also great. Loved Cuenca (though it was dirt road to get there back then, I'm sure it is very different). The Galapagos and amazon are lifetime experiences. Skip Guayaquil - it's a pit. Also really loved the native folks there, the marketplaces, etc.
IMO Suarez is the best striker in the world right now. But I'd put Muller, Benzema, Valencia, Van Persie, etc. on that second level. We're seeing some awesome offensive play in this cup.
There was an article not too long ago talking about the US team's most important goals and this was left off. I'd put this goal in the top 3. Still remember watching this while in college - had to search around for someone who had a tv with the channel it was on.
NewlyRetired
Footballguy
I watched in college as well. The game was not even shown live. It was on tape delay, although back then it was meaningless since it was next to impossible to get a spoiler.
Here is an 1989 article from just before that game from one of the few soccer writers in the country at that time for a real newspaper
http://www.nytimes.com/1989/11/19/sports/the-world-cup-where-us-pride-rests-on-one-game.html
I agree - Argentina has the talent to make things happen, but there have been a number of poor crosses/passes.
NewlyRetired
Footballguy
TenTimes, so that you don't get bogged down in this stuff while watching the WC, make sure you stay with us in the soccer thread and bring this topic back up then. We do this almost every year now as more and more fans want to see what goes on outside of the WC itself (or what ever other big soccer event they just watched) in the sport.
While the quality is no where near the big Euro leagues, if you have a local MLS side, I would recommend checking them out if you can. Depending on where you are, the games are decent and a good value.
While the quality is no where near the big Euro leagues, if you have a local MLS side, I would recommend checking them out if you can. Depending on where you are, the games are decent and a good value.
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Dinsy Ejotuz
Footballguy
Pure dumb luck I saw it on TV at my girlfriend's my senior year of college. Had zero idea what it meant and didn't really pay too much attention. Do remember thinking the GK should have had it though.
derek245583
Footballguy
Sand
Footballguy
Huh - I don't remember that part. All I remember is that school was on break (but I was stuck on campus). My dorm didn't get ESPN or whatever channel it was on. I had to hit up a friend in one of the ritzy dorms. I sat in this guy's room and screamed my head off. I would have been embarrassed, but this was the honors dorm, so I was still well in the normal zone.
Dinsy Ejotuz
Footballguy
Love the Argentine guys in the sky blue Pope hats.
derek245583
Footballguy
One goal and it should be an awesome second half.
Whoever that dude was that had the header shoulda buried that for sure.
Steve Tasker
Footballguy
Argentina probably gonna win this 4-0.
Tottenham Hotspur:
Nickname: The Spurs. This is important. You either call them "Tottenham Hotspur" or you call them "the Spurs" but no other option is acceptable.
Its tough to judge against a parked bus, but Argentina has not looked as strong in their first two games as some of the other contenders.
Why do you hate America?Wow, close one.
Argentina is not crisp at all.
Let's go, Iran.
Steve Tasker
Footballguy
I expected Argentina to get one quick and then the Iranian wheels to fall off.
Dare I say that Iran has had better chances this half so far?
Steve Tasker
Footballguy
GregR
Footballguy
Question for you guys on some of the nuances off the offsides rule.
Let's say we're both forwards. I'm offsides on one side of the field, while you are onsides. I remain in an offsides position, but the ball is passed to your side and you outrun the defender to pick it up, so we are now both upfield of any defender other than the goalkeeper.
I know that if the pass came to me the play is dead because I'm offsides... but if I'm not involved the play continues. At what point can I get back involved in the play again though? Does it just require anyone other than me to touch the ball (without me contesting for the ball)? So as soon as you take the ball legally, or if a defender touches it, I can now get involved legally again?
Let's say we're both forwards. I'm offsides on one side of the field, while you are onsides. I remain in an offsides position, but the ball is passed to your side and you outrun the defender to pick it up, so we are now both upfield of any defender other than the goalkeeper.
I know that if the pass came to me the play is dead because I'm offsides... but if I'm not involved the play continues. At what point can I get back involved in the play again though? Does it just require anyone other than me to touch the ball (without me contesting for the ball)? So as soon as you take the ball legally, or if a defender touches it, I can now get involved legally again?
dparker713
Footballguy
dparker713
Footballguy
You'd need to get back to an onside position first. So if you receive a pass or get a rebound, the play is over.
He cannot be involved in the play if his original offside position allowed him to gain an advantage during active play. So if the advantage he gained by being offside disappears during the play he shouldn't be flagged for thereafter becoming involved in the play.
roadkill1292
Footballguy
With my hairline I could totally do a Palacio rattail.
effin autospell
effin autospell
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Time Kibitzer
Footballguy
Does Di Maria always this bad at scoring? What a painful player to watch, obviously has all the talent in the world but he just blasts the balls as hard as he can straight at the keeper, what an idiot.
GregR
Footballguy
Ah, ok... I was replying to the previous reply but this makes more sense for the situation that gave rise to my question.
The question came about because of France's goal at 40' yesterday against Switzerland. Player on the right seemed clearly offsides at time the ball is kicked. Onsides player on left outpaces defender and picks ball with both offensive players now upfield of defender. Offsides player on right stayed ahead of the defender all the way into the box where he takes a pass and scores the goal.
I think it's fair to say he didn't have an advantage from being offside, as they all had to run a bit further before the pass and goal took place.
Steve Tasker
Footballguy
Interesting story on Gucci....he actually voided his contract with Hereenveen and retired in 2009 to focus on his college studies. Marc Overmars met him a few weeks later and convinced him that Gucci reminded him of a younger version of himself. Gucci signed for Overmars' team Go Ahead Eagles under the conditiion that they let him leave practice early every day so he could get to college in time for class....they agreed. He studied law and poli sci in college.
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Steve Tasker
Footballguy
Hey, that Messi guy is pretty decent.
MESSI!
dparker713
Footballguy
They certainly played quite defensively, but they did get forward some and create some good chances. Not as negative a game from them as I might have expected.
