ffldrew
Footballguy
No doubt ...is there a stat out there that would prove this..it really seems out of hand for them this year.
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***Official Soccer Discussion Thread*** (8 Viewers)
- Thread starter jpeace121
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ffldrew
Footballguy
Really got nailed on not being in shape as well - you can't tire out at 60 minutes in Premier League.
Steve Tasker
Footballguy
Arsenal 2 points back of United with a game in-hand at the halfway mark...can't honestly say I saw this coming.
TLEF316
Footballguy
yeah, the announcers were all over him for the cramping.I know he's not getting regular burn, but you still need to be ready. He looked a little heavier yesterday than he was this summer, but that might be because he was wearing layers to combat the cold.
The Z Machine
Footballguy
There's a pretty cool tournament going on in Spain right now. It's a tournament for 12 year olds called "Internacional Alevín de Fútbol 7". It's 7-on-7 single elimination tournament with players representing the professional teams where they are enrolled in the youth academies. It's televised on broadcast Spanish television (Cadena Sur). It seems that both Barça and Real were eliminated already...
The teams playing this year are:
Group A: Barcelona, Espanyol, Villarreal, Inter
Group B: R.Madrid, Almería, Manchester, Borussia D
Group C: Valencia, Sevilla, At.Madrid, Benfica
I think it's pretty dope that kids at this age get the opportunity to play in such a high level tournament. Are there other tournaments like this in other countries? What's the biggest tournament for youth soccer in the US? Also the 7 on 7 format (6 field players) makes things quite a bit different I'm sure.
The teams playing this year are:
Group A: Barcelona, Espanyol, Villarreal, Inter
Group B: R.Madrid, Almería, Manchester, Borussia D
Group C: Valencia, Sevilla, At.Madrid, Benfica
I think it's pretty dope that kids at this age get the opportunity to play in such a high level tournament. Are there other tournaments like this in other countries? What's the biggest tournament for youth soccer in the US? Also the 7 on 7 format (6 field players) makes things quite a bit different I'm sure.
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Just catching a bit of the English Premier League on ESPN and I thought of a question for the FFA soccer fans.
As a newcomer to the game, one of my biggest frustrations in watching the game is the histrionics of players attempting to draw a card. They flop and flounder as if they've been shot in the knee, look around and see if there's a card being given, and then hop right up and continue playing. Is there/has there ever been an effort to eliminate or at least cut back on the diving? In hockey diving is a penalty - can you get a yellow for diving in soccer? If not, why? If yes, why do I never see them? TIA.
As a newcomer to the game, one of my biggest frustrations in watching the game is the histrionics of players attempting to draw a card. They flop and flounder as if they've been shot in the knee, look around and see if there's a card being given, and then hop right up and continue playing. Is there/has there ever been an effort to eliminate or at least cut back on the diving? In hockey diving is a penalty - can you get a yellow for diving in soccer? If not, why? If yes, why do I never see them? TIA.
Ted Lange as your Bartender
Footballguy
You can get a yellow card for diving in soccer, it's not called all that often, and the few times I've seen it called have been blatant dives in the penalty area. I think your complaint is not so much the diving, but the timewasting and writhing on the ground for sometimes legitimate fouls and tackles. Mexico and many of the Central America teams are particularly notorious for quickly jumping up after fouls and quickstarting off free kicks when behind or tied in a match they're supposed to win, but then once they get a late lead, suddenly they fall apart whenever touched. I agree it's annoying, but I'm not sure how to police it besides giving additional stoppage time, because sometimes the injuries aren't fake, just inconvenient for the team needing to score.Genedoc said:
andy_b
Footballguy
you are not alone in your hatred of this. Even as a die hard soccer fan this is the one part of the sport I hate.Yes refs do give yellows for diving but it is rare.Ironically, the EPL is one of the better leagues in the world for lack of diving. If it bothers you in the EPL, it will bother you greatly in other leagues.Genedoc said:
Spartans Rule
Footballguy
derek245583
Footballguy
City played like crap today but got the win.
Anyone watch the game? The goalkeeper for Wolves threw the ball at the ref, I laughed.
Anyone watch the game? The goalkeeper for Wolves threw the ball at the ref, I laughed.
editor47
Footballguy
no he didn't. he threw it toward the sideline in the vicinity of the sideline official. he got a card for it, but i thought that was a pretty weak card.think its actually an american goalie, too.
derek245583
Footballguy
Sorry, I thought they were all called refs.My bad.How is that a weak card? His intention was to cleary buzz the tower of the "sideline official"...that is pretty classless imoBabies get cards for #### like that.
PIK95
Footballguy
I agree. I stopped watching because it sux w/o that Chelski homer talking trash.
City fan here. Love soccer in HD.He definitely threw the ball in the area of the sideline official and had a few words to say. Was rightly carded.City didn't control the ball enough, but they won almost every defensive header and were never really threatened from a set piece. Mancini has definitely made defensive improvements. City has been weak against set pieces all year and leaking goals. So I'll take back to back shutouts regardless of the competition. It'll be hard to keep that up considering we'll be without our top 3 CB's (Toure, Lescott, Onouha).
El Floppo
Footballguy
Yo Gene- a couple of things:- vs hockey, soccer players are usually on one foot when they've got the ball (one foot on the ball, one on the ground), and so are more prone to being taken down. I've never played hockey- but I'm guessing with the stick controlling the puck (and more chance for two skates on the ice) guys are less likely to go down with typical contact vs soccer.If you don't like diving, stay away from Serie A.
- players are also taught to "ride" tackles- getting your plant foot off the ground when you sense a tackle coming in... makes you fall down more often than not, but also keeps your limbs in place. Also makes determining a dive vs a tackle much more complicated.
- getting kicked in the foot/ankle/calf/shin/knee/thigh at full speed hurts like ####... if only for a little while. A lot of US soccer antagonists can't fathom that an foul/injury can momentarily take a player out of a game but not be bad enough to keep him out. I know every NFL player that limps off the field with the aid of trainers always immediately gets taken to the hospital, not to return to the game. (and fwiw- it's a FIFA edict to get refs to speed the game up to call for stretchers/trainers to escort "hurt" players off the field so that the game can continue).
Ok...
None of those points go towards explaining the histrionics. And I agree with you 100% about how annoying that is. Given the points I made and the unfortunate added element of players trying to gain an advantage with a free kick (lots of goals scored on dead-balls), the rolling around is generally a total embarassment, IMO, and usually unnecessary. By the time the dive or foul has occurred, the ref will have blown the whistle or not... the rolling around can only go towards conning the ref into awarding a yellow or red on the play- class-less.
And yeah- players draw yellows for diving. Can't remember who recently drew a second yellow (ie: red) for a "dive" (that didn't, IMO, look like a dive- more like riding the tackle) in the EPL... pretty sure it was Craig Bellamy.
FWIW- as the other guys have said, the EPL is one of the least egregious in that regard. For as long as I've followed the league (before it was the "Premier" league), when a player dives or hams it up, opposing players usually get right in his dish about it. But more foreign players have brought more diving/faking... even though it's still one of the better leagues about it. Australia's A-League has very little of either, and MLS isn't bad either.
Totally agree that Serie A in Italy is one of the worst- although I'd give Argentina's Primera those honors. I've played teams from pretty much all over the world (barring Asia and the Middle East), and everywhere I've played and everywhere I've seen games- they dive and "make a meal" of it.
I'd still like to see games reviewed after the fact for this kind of thing- implement $$ fines and suspensions to obvious cases which will hurt both the players and their teams; I think that's the only way to get it to stop. It a tough challenge though- most dives are bang-bang plays that don't look much different than fouls.
Here's what the Netherland's (and AC Milan... and one of my favorite players) Clarence Seedorf had to say about it recently in the NYTimes:
El Floppo
Footballguy
I actually like Wynalda. Liked him as a player, and his commentary is pretty similar- selfish, brash, sometimes thoughtless, obnoxious, but direct and from the gut. Cat also has the resume to back up everything he's saying, and often gives insight into the game from the point of view of a day-to-day professional- I appreciate that most of all. Not enough of most that on TV- especially from an American talking soccer.I agree. I stopped watching because it sux w/o that Chelski homer talking trash.
andy_b
Footballguy
yeah, I read that DMB will be out for a while. Bad timing considering how well he has been playing. Hell, forget playing well, just playing period.
El Floppo
Footballguy
ugh.I was hoping it was just a minor boo-boo- not enough for him to lose any more time than last game. Any idea how long they're saying?
andy_b
Footballguy
it was originally thought to be 2-3 weeks but things look better from DMB's twitter this morning""Yea the injury is not as bad as we thought.. So with rest and extra treatment hope to be back by the end of the week! Fingers crossed!""
Moe.
Footballguy
TLEF316
Footballguy
just a complete and total epic failure.
In other news, Edwin Van Der Saar's wife had a brain hemorage, so he's on indefinite leave from ManU. He was injured anyway, but this still hurts them. It could also hurt the Dutch in south africa if her condition is really serious.
In other news, Edwin Van Der Saar's wife had a brain hemorage, so he's on indefinite leave from ManU. He was injured anyway, but this still hurts them. It could also hurt the Dutch in south africa if her condition is really serious.
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andy_b
Footballguy
stomach punchjeez, I never expected Freddy to be an elite player due to his lack of speed and quickness required for someone of his playing style However I also never dreamed his general club career would be such a mess.
El Floppo
Footballguy
guh.at least there's no limbo there and he can "move on"... but to where? IIRC, there was a substantial salary that somebody had to cover and Benefica didn't seem to want to... is that right?andy_b said:
I think Holland would be a good fit for him- team at the bottom of the table where he might get some PT. I wonder if Scandavia would be any better than MLS?
DA RAIDERS
Footballguy
i met bora milutivic(sp) last night. interesting dude. very intense
andy_b
Footballguy
very cool! What occasion did you have to meet him? Isn't he coaching one of the middle eastern teams right now? Won't seem like a World Cup with out him some times after him coaching in 5 straight with 5 different teams (I don't think he coached in 2006 though)
Sebowski
Footballguy
At this point I think the MLS is probably his best bet. Let him compete with the guys that are getting the national minutes he can try to take back. Guys like Sacha, Beckerman.... He can still sell tickets in the US so it would be a good move for the MLS as well.
Native
Footballguy
Yes, he needs to come back ASAP. He will get playing time, sell tickets and gain invaluable experience. he may even be invited back to the National Team. He has plenty of time to go back to Europe if he so chooses in 4-5 years - he'll still only be 25.
Steve Tasker
Footballguy
Somewhere in this thread awhile back, I went on a nice tirade about how Wynalda was making a complete ### of himself on that show. He came off as absolutely classless.Don't get me wrong, I loved the guy as a player, but he's quite possibly the worst commentator I've ever seen.
El Floppo
Footballguy
Time Warner Cable here in NYC (or is it everywhere?) is in a #####-fight with Fox right now over money. Currently stands to lose all Fox channels Jan 1... REALLY hoping FSC isn't included in that.Oh... flew Jet Blue down to the inlaws for xmas- flew back the day after the smarty-bomb-pants hijacker, so everything was a mess. 40 minute flight turned into 2 1/2 hours on the plane... but with Setanta AND Gol-TV. Caught 2 games
... which didn't please the wife who got stuck trying to keep the 2yo happy.
The Z Machine
Footballguy
FYP... flew Jet Blue down to the inlaws for xmas- flew back the day after the smarty-bomb-pants hijacker, so everything was a mess. 40 minute flight turned into 2 1/2 hours on the plane... but with Setanta AND Gol-TV. Caught 2 games
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El Floppo
Footballguy
He's got a mean left foot.FYP... flew Jet Blue down to the inlaws for xmas- flew back the day after the smarty-bomb-pants hijacker, so everything was a mess. 40 minute flight turned into 2 1/2 hours on the plane... but with Setanta AND Gol-TV. Caught 2 games
PIK95
Footballguy
Mjolnirs
Footballguy
midwest_kc
Footballguy
Arsenal on 51 goals through 19 games - might break the goals record set by Man U in 99-00 (97).
El Floppo
Footballguy
I've been there, but never heard of the team. Pretty place- smallish, but not too small. Really hope it's a good fit for EJ and he gets some minutes. The Greek league is obviously not a top tier place- but their best are capable of putting up noise in the Champions' League (and attracting quality talent from around the world), so that will be good for him to run against.Count me as ***OFFICIALLY*** given up on Adu.
DA RAIDERS
Footballguy
i was at a restaurant. he came (2 hours late) to join his niece(hots0r) for dinner. i had gotten to talking to the party he joined & was like wtf? when he showed up.
El Floppo
Footballguy
Very cool.Was he rocking the coke-bottle glasses?
DA RAIDERS
Footballguy
yep. hair all f-ing crazy & a mean man purse.
El Floppo
Footballguy
Oh come on!
DA RAIDERS
Footballguy
http://www.plusshe.com/wp-content/uploads/...Bag-300x300.jpg
something like this, but in black. the damn strap was so long the bag nearly hit the ground hanging on his chair.
something like this, but in black. the damn strap was so long the bag nearly hit the ground hanging on his chair.
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