***Official Soccer Discussion Thread*** (1 Viewer)

[NewlyRetired]

Some more bad news for Man United

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

Following goalkeeper David De Gea dislocating a finger during a training session with Spain on Friday, Manchester United had a second player injured during the international break. Dutch midfielder Daley Blind must undergo an MRI on Monday after suffering a suspected medial ligament injury while playing for the Netherlands. The 24-year-old, who joined Man United this season on a $22 million transfer, limped off 20 minutes into the 6-0 victory over Latvia. Netherlands coach Guus Hiddink said: "I'm rather negative. I think it's a medial ligament that is twisted. It might be a rupture."

 

[Sinn Fein]

Some more bad news for Man United

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

Following goalkeeper David De Gea dislocating a finger during a training session with Spain on Friday, Manchester United had a second player injured during the international break. Dutch midfielder Daley Blind must undergo an MRI on Monday after suffering a suspected medial ligament injury while playing for the Netherlands. The 24-year-old, who joined Man United this season on a $22 million transfer, limped off 20 minutes into the 6-0 victory over Latvia. Netherlands coach Guus Hiddink said: "I'm rather negative. I think it's a medial ligament that is twisted. It might be a rupture."

I understand Hiddink is not a doctor, but he did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

 

[Christo]

Nice!

 

[El Floppo]

Hfs

 

[Christo]

I don't always gamble. But when I do it's at Paradise Casino.

 

[Good Posting Judge]

On a scale of 1-10, how yucky/morally reprehensible is it to have Qatar Airlines (fyi: Qatar Airlines is wholly owned and controlled by the Qatari government) on the front of your shirt?

 

[QuizGuy66]

Nice!

I like the Pong Numbers on the white team's jersey as well

-QG

 

[Sebowski]

On a scale of 1-10, how yucky/morally reprehensible is it to have Qatar Airlines (fyi: Qatar Airlines is wholly owned and controlled by the Qatari government) on the front of your shirt?

2

Hate it.

 

[Good Posting Judge]

On a scale of 1-10, how yucky/morally reprehensible is it to have Qatar Airlines (fyi: Qatar Airlines is wholly owned and controlled by the Qatari government) on the front of your shirt?

2

Hate it.

I don't really drink the Kool-Aid on a lot of the "mes que un club" stuff, but taking money from those guys is pretty odious stuff for anybody.

The Qatar Foundation seems fine, but Barca signed the agreement stating that QSI could change the name on the shirt in the third year (of five), which they did, obviously. Yeah I know I'm like a year and a half late on this.

 

[CletiusMaximus]

On a scale of 1-10, how yucky/morally reprehensible is it to have Qatar Airlines (fyi: Qatar Airlines is wholly owned and controlled by the Qatari government) on the front of your shirt?

2

Hate it.

Totally mitigated by keeping UNICEF (even if it's in the small print on the bottom of the back of the jersey.) All is well.

 

[El Floppo]

fwiw- Emirates Airlines kicks ###.

 

[Slapdash]

On a scale of 1-10, how yucky/morally reprehensible is it to have Qatar Airlines (fyi: Qatar Airlines is wholly owned and controlled by the Qatari government) on the front of your shirt?

2

Hate it.

I don't really drink the Kool-Aid on a lot of the "mes que un club" stuff, but taking money from those guys is pretty odious stuff for anybody.

The Qatar Foundation seems fine, but Barca signed the agreement stating that QSI could change the name on the shirt in the third year (of five), which they did, obviously. Yeah I know I'm like a year and a half late on this.

This is about the club's relation to Catalunya, not the implications you read commonly here or in the press. In that respect, the Beko deal is even worse. Still do not want any advertisers....there are some rumblings it could switch back in a few years.

 

[Sammy3469]

There's comedy, high comedy, low comedy and then FIFA

http://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/organisation/news/newsid=2476219/index.html?intcmp=fifacom_hp_module_news_top

Move along, nothing to see here.

 

[CBusAlex]

Of course 2022 will be in Qatar. It would be such a pity if all those slave laborers died for nothing.

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

It would be such a pity if all those slave laborers died for nothing.

~Sepp Blatter, sometime soon

 

[Good Posting Judge]

On a scale of 1-10, how yucky/morally reprehensible is it to have Qatar Airlines (fyi: Qatar Airlines is wholly owned and controlled by the Qatari government) on the front of your shirt?

2

Hate it.

I don't really drink the Kool-Aid on a lot of the "mes que un club" stuff, but taking money from those guys is pretty odious stuff for anybody.

The Qatar Foundation seems fine, but Barca signed the agreement stating that QSI could change the name on the shirt in the third year (of five), which they did, obviously. Yeah I know I'm like a year and a half late on this.

This is about the club's relation to Catalunya, not the implications you read commonly here or in the press. In that respect, the Beko deal is even worse. Still do not want any advertisers....there are some rumblings it could switch back in a few years.

You sure? Last half of the last paragraph:

http://www.fcbarcelona.com/club/board-members/detail/card/more-than-a-club

 

[NewlyRetired]

There's comedy, high comedy, low comedy and then FIFA

http://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/organisation/news/newsid=2476219/index.html?intcmp=fifacom_hp_module_news_top

Move along, nothing to see here.

I am not understanding this. I thought this "judge" recently determined that there was nothing worth pursuing in the report....(and even made up a summary of the report to support not doing anything)

 

[NewlyRetired]

The Revs sold out their allotment of 1200 tickets for the away leg of the Eastern Conference Finals.

23 Greyhound type buses will convoy down from Boston to Harrison. It should make quite the site on the highway

It sounds like we should arrive well ahead of game time. Is it a safe area to walk around during the day time?

The Jersey guys who never go to games can probably tell you better... but likely, you'll pull into the parking lot and there's not much of anything around the stadium walking-wise. They do have an 'avenue' leading to the stadium between parking lots set up with activities that I never have the time to check out- might be worth doing in the absence of anything else. And/Or you just walk around inside the stadium completely at your leisure to take in the not-a-bad-seat-in-the-house totality of it. It's going to make you jealous and hopeful that someday NE might get off their keesters and get this thing done.

I am a stadium freak so I am going to take your advice and tour the place. I remember being as happy as a kid on Christmas morning going to Crew stadium the day it opened and could not believe soccer in the US finally had a real stadium.

Now Crew Stadium looks like it was made with legos compared to RBA and Sporting Park which appear to be the two real jewels we have. If DC can finalize there deal, the plans they have would make it 3 awesome stadiums.

Unfortunately I don't see the Krafts ever building. The finances make no sense for them unless they get the land for free and that will never happen in a city like Boston.

Too bad about the Krafts. Ah well.

But yeah- make a point to walk up and down the place if they let you. I'm always struck by visits that no matter where my vantage point is- from seats or looking in from the walkway- the view is always great.

Since it was relevant to our conversation, this was on the front page of the print edition of the Boston Globe today and the lead story and was also the lead story online

http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2014/11/18/krafts-exploring-soccer-stadium-boston/s7p5krvDeH1J7UgjlEIFtM/story.html

 

[Sebowski]

So weird to have these Euro teams playing friendlies after the qualifiers this weekend. Isn't normally reversed? Friendly to warm up for a qualifier? Really takes the wind out of it from a fan and a player perspective, doesn't it?

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

I was kind of hoping that former U-17 World Cup Golden Ball and Golden Shoe winner Florent Sinama Pongolle could revive his career with the FIRE!

But he's had his option declined along with half the team. Definitely starting along with Nil Lamptey and Freddy Adu on the all unfulfilled hype team.

 

[QuizGuy66]

There's comedy, high comedy, low comedy and then FIFA

http://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/organisation/news/newsid=2476219/index.html?intcmp=fifacom_hp_module_news_top

Move along, nothing to see here.

LOL they are going to prosecute all of the losing bidders!

-QG

 

[Sammy3469]

There's comedy, high comedy, low comedy and then FIFA

http://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/organisation/news/newsid=2476219/index.html?intcmp=fifacom_hp_module_news_top

Move along, nothing to see here.

I am not understanding this. I thought this "judge" recently determined that there was nothing worth pursuing in the report....(and even made up a summary of the report to support not doing anything)

You're not the only one. Sepp doesn't either...even though he's the one that lodged the complaint (I'm not making that up).

"I lodged the criminal complaint upon the recommendation of Judge Eckert," Blatter said. "I cannot, however, comment on any possible criminal offences. I am not a lawyer. I also was not the addressee of the investigatory report, which I have never seen. However, given Judge Eckert's recommendation, it was my duty -- as the president of FIFA -- to lodge the complaint."

"In such situations, however, the options within the federation are obviously exhausted at some point," Blatter said. "Michael Garcia has delivered his report, and Judge Eckert has assessed it and issued his statement on it. He has also concluded that the Office of the Attorney General needs to conduct further investigations into certain issues. That is no doubt correct, and I am relying upon his judgement here.

so Eckhart is basically the only one that has "read" the report. Just a complete kabuki theatre.

http://www.espnfc.us/fifa-world-cup/story/2151031/fifa-files-criminal-complaint-in-switzerland-against-unnamed-individuals-in-world-cup-bidding

 

[CletiusMaximus]

There's comedy, high comedy, low comedy and then FIFA

http://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/organisation/news/newsid=2476219/index.html?intcmp=fifacom_hp_module_news_top

Move along, nothing to see here.

LOL they are going to prosecute all of the losing bidders!

-QG

I'm now in the mode where the crazier FIFA gets, the more hopeful I become that it might crash.

 

[NewlyRetired]

There's comedy, high comedy, low comedy and then FIFA

http://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/organisation/news/newsid=2476219/index.html?intcmp=fifacom_hp_module_news_top

Move along, nothing to see here.

LOL they are going to prosecute all of the losing bidders!

-QG

I'm now in the mode where the crazier FIFA gets, the more hopeful I become that it might crash.

They are pushing the boundaries even for their normal lunacy standard.

 

[charvik]

Interesting article on PL spending and revenues. It's heavily LFC centric, but I think non-LFC fans could be interested in the numbers as well:

http://www.thisisanfield.com/2014/11/kopblog-real-transition-period/

 

[Slapdash]

On a scale of 1-10, how yucky/morally reprehensible is it to have Qatar Airlines (fyi: Qatar Airlines is wholly owned and controlled by the Qatari government) on the front of your shirt?

2

Hate it.

I don't really drink the Kool-Aid on a lot of the "mes que un club" stuff, but taking money from those guys is pretty odious stuff for anybody.

The Qatar Foundation seems fine, but Barca signed the agreement stating that QSI could change the name on the shirt in the third year (of five), which they did, obviously. Yeah I know I'm like a year and a half late on this.

This is about the club's relation to Catalunya, not the implications you read commonly here or in the press. In that respect, the Beko deal is even worse. Still do not want any advertisers....there are some rumblings it could switch back in a few years.

You sure? Last half of the last paragraph:

http://www.fcbarcelona.com/club/board-members/detail/card/more-than-a-club

Pretty clearly superseded by explaining what the phrase means in the first half IMO. It is a political thing. Unicef was likely always about getting supporters used to something across the Blaugrana before they really cashed in. Same thing with the Qatar "Foundation" sham.

 

[CletiusMaximus]

Another awesome Chelsea love triangle scandal - "Courtois gave me in a night what DeBruyne couldn't in three years."

 

[GoFishTN]

Another awesome Chelsea love triangle scandal - "Courtois gave me in a night what DeBruyne couldn't in three years."

But seriously, two rich and famous guys are fighting over her?

 

[CletiusMaximus]

Rich, famous and, one of them, a very good cook

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

That picture of her and KDB looked a date to the middle school dance that went badly.

 

[ffldrew]

Well that was a nice way to poop away all the good they have done this year.

Altidore is a hot mess - I might even take him in my beer league.

Somehow we need to find the dangerous player in the final 18 and right now prospects are about as low as I can recall.

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

Looks like D-Studge has broken down again in training. Damn those Caribbean genes!

 

[charvik]

Looks like D-Studge has broken down again in training. Damn those Caribbean genes!

I didn't even realize owlface was due to visit Melwood.

 

[T Bell]

The Shrub.

 

[El Floppo]

"he's an interesting guy. well... he has interests"

 

[The Gator]

Looks like D-Studge has broken down again in training. Damn those Caribbean genes!

This is about the time I say #### it and restart my FIFA season

Jfc

 

[roadkill1292]

Marina Hyde remarking on FIFA's ability to slip a punch in the Guardian today:

In fact, I can’t help feeling that in the event of a global nuclear apocalypse, the only manmade structure left standing would be Fifa’s Zurich headquarters. I’m not sure even one pane of its exoskeleton would be shattered. That distinctive architectural shell isn’t glass – it’s a deflector shield somehow capable of repelling all past and future flak. As Earth’s few remaining survivors prepared to withdraw into its catacombs to distil drinking water from their own urine, Sepp Blatter would simply blow the fallout ash off his $12,000 attache case and get on with his day.

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

You'll be glad to know that the IAFF has awarded the 2019 World Track & Field Championships to Qatar.

 

[Sammy3469]

Marina Hyde remarking on FIFA's ability to slip a punch in the Guardian today:

In fact, I can’t help feeling that in the event of a global nuclear apocalypse, the only manmade structure left standing would be Fifa’s Zurich headquarters. I’m not sure even one pane of its exoskeleton would be shattered. That distinctive architectural shell isn’t glass – it’s a deflector shield somehow capable of repelling all past and future flak. As Earth’s few remaining survivors prepared to withdraw into its catacombs to distil drinking water from their own urine, Sepp Blatter would simply blow the fallout ash off his $12,000 attache case and get on with his day.

I'm not sure why anyone is really shocked by it. FIFA created a structure where it isn't beholden to anyone. It's managed to decentralize power to the extreme which gives no one any actual power besides Blatter (and even he can be surprised at times) while at the same time shielding him from any responsibility (if something goes wrong he just blames those that voted). It's really the perfect system for corruption if the leader of the organization is himself corrupt.

Nothing will change until the top teams in Europe decide they are leaving money on the table by not having a true continental league and form their own organization (and that's tremendously risky right now and probably in the future since each of their own countries football associations are mini-FIFAs).

Really a top-notch system for graft.

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

"Kenny Wilshere. Philosopher, poet, midfielder, plumber, ..., philosopher."

Totally signing that guy.

 

[T Bell]

The funniest thing about Mertesacker's "sister" is how much she looks like him. I seriously waited until she reappeared in that clip to confirm it wasn't him in drag the first time I watched it.

 

[roadkill1292]

Marina Hyde remarking on FIFA's ability to slip a punch in the Guardian today:

In fact, I can’t help feeling that in the event of a global nuclear apocalypse, the only manmade structure left standing would be Fifa’s Zurich headquarters. I’m not sure even one pane of its exoskeleton would be shattered. That distinctive architectural shell isn’t glass – it’s a deflector shield somehow capable of repelling all past and future flak. As Earth’s few remaining survivors prepared to withdraw into its catacombs to distil drinking water from their own urine, Sepp Blatter would simply blow the fallout ash off his $12,000 attache case and get on with his day.

I'm not sure why anyone is really shocked by it. FIFA created a structure where it isn't beholden to anyone. It's managed to decentralize power to the extreme which gives no one any actual power besides Blatter (and even he can be surprised at times) while at the same time shielding him from any responsibility (if something goes wrong he just blames those that voted). It's really the perfect system for corruption if the leader of the organization is himself corrupt.

Nothing will change until the top teams in Europe decide they are leaving money on the table by not having a true continental league and form their own organization (and that's tremendously risky right now and probably in the future since each of their own countries football associations are mini-FIFAs).

Really a top-notch system for graft.

More Marina Hyde:

Perhaps Fifa is just becoming one of those rogue states we either can’t or daren’t do anything about. The more eye-popping the charges against world football’s governing body, the more sensationally impervious to them it seems, with even those of us who write bi-monthly about them beginning to lose track of who the hell would technically have jurisdiction over its activities. The Hague?........

............And you know what, maybe that’s the most rational way to do it: following an emergency session of the UN security council, the international community informs Switzerland that its willingness to harbour Fifa has violated its own long-established status of permanent neutrality, and that it has three weeks to expel Fifa and begin dismantling its networks, or to face the consequences.

This is complete insanity. I don't know why it doesn't make me madder than it does. The NFL enrages me to sputtering idiocy but Sepp and his gang of crooks just makes me laugh.

 

[Eephus]

African Cup of Nations finalists

Algeria

Burkina Faso

Cameroon

Cape Verde

Congo

Cote d'Ivoire

Democratic Rep Congo

Equatorial Guinea

Gabon

Ghana

Guinea

Mali

Senegal

South Africa

Tunisia

Zambia

I'm looking forward to potential Congo-Congo and Guinea-Guinea matchups.

 

[roadkill1292]

Senegal!!! Roar, you Lions of Tarenga!!!

 

[NewlyRetired]

Only 7 Chivas USA today players were claimed in the dispersal draft. These 7 retain their expected 2015 salaries.

The rest go onto the waiver wires.

 

[bentley]

So what happens now with Chivas disappearing? Does the MLS play with an odd number of teams next year. Apologies if this has been addressed, but I'm not familiar with the MLS schedule structure at all.

 

[NewlyRetired]

So what happens now with Chivas disappearing? Does the MLS play with an odd number of teams next year. Apologies if this has been addressed, but I'm not familiar with the MLS schedule structure at all.

MLS was at an odd number of teams the last couple of years at 19.

Next year Chivas disappears and NYCFC and Orlando join, making 20 teams total.

They will jump to 22 in 2017 when LA2 and Atlanta join.

MLS does not play a balanced schedule.

 

[AAABatteries]

Another awesome Chelsea love triangle scandal - "Courtois gave me in a night what DeBruyne couldn't in three years."

"De Bruyne has achieved so much in his 23 years that he recently brought out an autobiography."

 

[NewlyRetired]

Now that the dispersal Chivas USA draft is over, the much more interesting expansion draft comes next for NY and Orlando.

Each MLS team can protect 11 players

If a DP has a no trade clause, he must be one of the 11, else DP's can be left unprotected

No MLS team can lose more than 2 players

The extra spice this time around is that the CBA just expired. Typically these moves (both for the current teams and the new teams) are very cap centric but no one will know what the cap is when making these choices.

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

Do you still get to protect another guy if one of your players is selected?