***Official Soccer Discussion Thread*** (3 Viewers)

[Mjolnirs]

Caught the Germany Euro 2012 qualifier yesterday afternoon. They look really good. And the field they were playing on was artificial turf, I think a lot of stadiums should make the switch tbh. Pretty sure the ball was moving nice and true the whole game. Made for lots of missed opportunities.

Fixed. I watched that game as well and the Germans did create plenty of opportunities, but most went away because the turf was faster than they were used to and didn't bounce quite right. They had plenty of difficulty getting the ball under control.

 

[guru_007]

Caught the Germany Euro 2012 qualifier yesterday afternoon. They look really good. And the field they were playing on was artificial turf, I think a lot of stadiums should make the switch tbh. Pretty sure the ball was moving nice and true the whole game. Made for lots of missed opportunities.

Fixed. I watched that game as well and the Germans did create plenty of opportunities, but most went away because the turf was faster than they were used to and didn't bounce quite right. They had plenty of difficulty getting the ball under control.

oh, sure they weren't used to it, especially in the first half. Klose had a few balls bounce up on him in particular. But they missed their own chances too and had plenty. Podolski ripped a sitter about 5 yards over the net, they had little trouble getting through the Kazahkstan defense.....and game time temperature was near zero at the 11 p.m. start time, so that may have accounted for a bit of their first half struggles. As they acclimated to the pitch, they fared quite a bit better.Either way, I still think the field made for a better game than if they had played on a natural field...in that environment.

 

[El Floppo]

btw- not sure if you guys caught the half-time part of the US game... Lalas asked JP Angel point blank if he was playing for the BullMetros next year- Angel said no.

I hope they get somebody worthwhile to replace him- he's been $$ for the team and the league, IMO... wonder what the story is too- is he being forced out? Wants to go home to Colombia? Bigger league? Other MLS team?

Anybody know?

 

[Eephus]

btw- not sure if you guys caught the half-time part of the US game... Lalas asked JP Angel point blank if he was playing for the BullMetros next year- Angel said no.

I hope they get somebody worthwhile to replace him- he's been $$ for the team and the league, IMO... wonder what the story is too- is he being forced out? Wants to go home to Colombia? Bigger league? Other MLS team?

Anybody know?

Speculation from the Jack Bell of the NY Times

 

[Steve Tasker]

btw- not sure if you guys caught the half-time part of the US game... Lalas asked JP Angel point blank if he was playing for the BullMetros next year- Angel said no.

I hope they get somebody worthwhile to replace him- he's been $$ for the team and the league, IMO... wonder what the story is too- is he being forced out? Wants to go home to Colombia? Bigger league? Other MLS team?

Anybody know?

Speculation from the Jack Bell of the NY Times

Not really a ton of insight there, really. Wonder how much of a paycut he'd be ok with. seems like a class act and has been one of the true stars of MLS for a few years now....hope he stays in the US.

 

[El Floppo]

btw- not sure if you guys caught the half-time part of the US game... Lalas asked JP Angel point blank if he was playing for the BullMetros next year- Angel said no.

I hope they get somebody worthwhile to replace him- he's been $$ for the team and the league, IMO... wonder what the story is too- is he being forced out? Wants to go home to Colombia? Bigger league? Other MLS team?

Anybody know?

Speculation from the Jack Bell of the NY Times

Not really a ton of insight there, really. Wonder how much of a paycut he'd be ok with. seems like a class act and has been one of the true stars of MLS for a few years now....hope he stays in the US.

I don't remember, but I think his contract is up at the end of this year- not clear from the article.

Real shame if he goes, especially without a real chance to gel with Marquez and Henry. If it's true, I hope they can win it this year (who am I kidding- I hope they win it this year regardless).

Backe seems to be incredibly euro-centric with his player choices, which is a shame- a relatively unheralded young south-of-the-border guy like Freddie Montero would be great for the StarsBulls. Moreso than some Scandinavian washout.

 

[NewlyRetired]

btw- not sure if you guys caught the half-time part of the US game... Lalas asked JP Angel point blank if he was playing for the BullMetros next year- Angel said no.

I hope they get somebody worthwhile to replace him- he's been $$ for the team and the league, IMO... wonder what the story is too- is he being forced out? Wants to go home to Colombia? Bigger league? Other MLS team?

Anybody know?

Speculation from the Jack Bell of the NY Times

Not really a ton of insight there, really. Wonder how much of a paycut he'd be ok with. seems like a class act and has been one of the true stars of MLS for a few years now....hope he stays in the US.

I don't remember, but I think his contract is up at the end of this year- not clear from the article.

Real shame if he goes, especially without a real chance to gel with Marquez and Henry. If it's true, I hope they can win it this year (who am I kidding- I hope they win it this year regardless).

Backe seems to be incredibly euro-centric with his player choices, which is a shame- a relatively unheralded young south-of-the-border guy like Freddie Montero would be great for the StarsBulls. Moreso than some Scandinavian washout.

Word is the Red Bull wants a bigger name than Angel with the 3rd DP slot they have and feel that at Angel's age, (35 I think), his best years are behind him.For my money Angel has been one of the best signings for the league. In hindsight, I wish Jozy had stayed at Red Bull, he could have learned a lot from Angel and Henry.

I think Angel will play at least one more year in MLS and like Steve I really hope he sticks around like Nowak did. Depends on how his family has settled in I guess.

 

[El Floppo]

btw- not sure if you guys caught the half-time part of the US game... Lalas asked JP Angel point blank if he was playing for the BullMetros next year- Angel said no.

I hope they get somebody worthwhile to replace him- he's been $$ for the team and the league, IMO... wonder what the story is too- is he being forced out? Wants to go home to Colombia? Bigger league? Other MLS team?

Anybody know?

Speculation from the Jack Bell of the NY Times

Not really a ton of insight there, really. Wonder how much of a paycut he'd be ok with. seems like a class act and has been one of the true stars of MLS for a few years now....hope he stays in the US.

I don't remember, but I think his contract is up at the end of this year- not clear from the article.

Real shame if he goes, especially without a real chance to gel with Marquez and Henry. If it's true, I hope they can win it this year (who am I kidding- I hope they win it this year regardless).

Backe seems to be incredibly euro-centric with his player choices, which is a shame- a relatively unheralded young south-of-the-border guy like Freddie Montero would be great for the StarsBulls. Moreso than some Scandinavian washout.

Word is the Red Bull wants a bigger name than Angel with the 3rd DP slot they have and feel that at Angel's age, (35 I think), his best years are behind him.For my money Angel has been one of the best signings for the league. In hindsight, I wish Jozy had stayed at Red Bull, he could have learned a lot from Angel and Henry.

I think Angel will play at least one more year in MLS and like Steve I really hope he sticks around like Nowak did. Depends on how his family has settled in I guess.

Time for the Ronaldinho rumors to start up again?

 

[NewlyRetired]

Time for the Ronaldinho rumors to start up again?

They have already sprung, but on the wrong coasthttp://www.tribalfootball.com/agents-ac-mi...meeting-1168931

 

[El Floppo]

Time for the Ronaldinho rumors to start up again?

They have already sprung, but on the wrong coasthttp://www.tribalfootball.com/agents-ac-mi...meeting-1168931

Yeah- he's been linked with them for a bit now, right? I want to say I started hearing about him to LA before the Henry to Bulls mill started up.You know- even though he's in his twilight as a player- NY could use Seedorf for a year or two. I could see it happening, if only based on his recurring association with the NY Times.

 

[Eephus]

Time for the Ronaldinho rumors to start up again?

They have already sprung, but on the wrong coasthttp://www.tribalfootball.com/agents-ac-mi...meeting-1168931

LA would be better for his film career. He's a natural for the sequel to Secretariat

 

[bentley]

I really ####### hate Tom Hicks. This fact cannot be overstated. #### that mother####er.

 

[Texas Football]

I really ####### hate Tom Hicks. This fact cannot be overstated. #### that mother####er.

What he said. The UK court is a streamlined missle compared to the US courts SCUD. It will take months to explain that it isn't the NFL form of football to the courts here.You can always get on board with Ipswich, Bentley. We have Keano and several fringe international players. Italy cannot beat a team with an Ipswich Town player on it. Tommy Smith was a member of the only team to go undefeated last Cup.

 

[El Floppo]

I really ####### hate Tom Hicks. This fact cannot be overstated. #### that mother####er.

What he said. The UK court is a streamlined missle compared to the US courts SCUD. It will take months to explain that it isn't the NFL form of football to the courts here.You can always get on board with Ipswich, Bentley. We have Keano and several fringe international players. Italy cannot beat a team with an Ipswich Town player on it. Tommy Smith was a member of the only team to go undefeated last Cup.

Is that US kid still with IT?

 

[JaxBill]

Anybody hear about the Italy-Serbia riot by Serbian fans in Genoa?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/20...gans-italy-riot

 

[prefontaine]

Time for the Ronaldinho rumors to start up again?

They have already sprung, but on the wrong coasthttp://www.tribalfootball.com/agents-ac-mi...meeting-1168931

Yeah- he's been linked with them for a bit now, right? I want to say I started hearing about him to LA before the Henry to Bulls mill started up.You know- even though he's in his twilight as a player- NY could use Seedorf for a year or two. I could see it happening, if only based on his recurring association with the NY Times.

You know, maybe the MetroBulls should look into bringing over Germany Jones. He may want to rekindle his American roots. That Germany Jones would likely sell a lot of tickets bc US fans love him already and have nicknamed him Germany Jones.

 

[El Floppo]

Time for the Ronaldinho rumors to start up again?

They have already sprung, but on the wrong coasthttp://www.tribalfootball.com/agents-ac-mi...meeting-1168931

Yeah- he's been linked with them for a bit now, right? I want to say I started hearing about him to LA before the Henry to Bulls mill started up.You know- even though he's in his twilight as a player- NY could use Seedorf for a year or two. I could see it happening, if only based on his recurring association with the NY Times.

You know, maybe the MetroBulls should look into bringing over Germany Jones. He may want to rekindle his American roots. That Germany Jones would likely sell a lot of tickets bc US fans love him already and have nicknamed him Germany Jones.

You're talking about Germany Jones, right?

 

[Texas Football]

I really ####### hate Tom Hicks. This fact cannot be overstated. #### that mother####er.

What he said. The UK court is a streamlined missle compared to the US courts SCUD. It will take months to explain that it isn't the NFL form of football to the courts here.You can always get on board with Ipswich, Bentley. We have Keano and several fringe international players. Italy cannot beat a team with an Ipswich Town player on it. Tommy Smith was a member of the only team to go undefeated last Cup.

Is that US kid still with IT?

Nope. Devann Yao was not kept on after his contract expired. Last I heard of him he was on trial at West Ham a few months back.

 

[prefontaine]

You're talking about Germany Jones, right?

Kinda looking forward to the late 1890s. The story is sucking me in

 

[Eephus]

You're talking about Germany Jones, right?

Kinda looking forward to the late 1890s. The story is sucking me in

1892-93The Wimbledon Old Centrals kept on winning, so that by the end of their first three seasons they had been beaten just 11 times in 61 outings, in a spell that also saw them switch home pitches.The Common Conservators decided that the Old Centrals had outgrown their Robin Hood Road side facility. The ball was creating problems for passers-by in their carriages, they said. The exact location of Wimbledon's next home pitch on the Common is unclear, but there is evidence to suggest it was between West Place and The Pound, as a daughter of a player of those formative years remembers he and his brother changing in a nearby cot­tage.Now big things were beckoning for the boys of the Wimbledon Old Centrals. The Herald Cup was the big competition contested locally, and they decided to go for it. Their Cup debut came on December 3, 1892, it was to prove a bad day, all round. It bucketed down; they lost 4-0; and their dressing room was robbed. It was a prowler, "of the thieving type," according to The Independent, who got into their Fox and Grapes dressing room and made off with Ned Scrutton's watch and chain, and 13 shillings out of Horace Anstee's purse.

 

[Mjolnirs]

Injury bug is putting the hurt on Bayern. van Bommel and Klose!

FC Bayern Munich captain Mark van Bommel (33) returned to Munich on Wednesday after appearing for the Netherlands in a Euro 2012 qualifier against Sweden. On his arrival, the player was examined by FCB chief medical officer Dr. Hans-Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfahrt. The following was diagnosed:- In the Euro 2012 qualifier between Moldova and the Netherlands, during which the player reported falling on his knee, he sustained a rupture to the fascia - a layer of fibrous tissue that surrounds muscles, groups of muscles, blood vessels, and nerves – in his right knee, with associated bruising.- Fluid had to be drained from the affected area by the club doctor today; 25 ml of blood was removed from the knee joint.- Due to the injury, Mark van Bommel now requires five days’ complete rest, followed by a further five days of remedial therapy. He will thus be unavailable for the club’s Bundesliga fixture against Hannover 96 (Saturday 16 October) and UEFA Champions League fixture away to CFR Cluj (Tuesday 19 October), and potentially longer.On Tuesday, FC Bayern Munich called on the Netherlands FA (KNVB) and its CEO Dr. Bert van Oostveen to send Mark van Bommel back to Munich immediately for a diagnosis and treatment. The KNVB rejected this on the grounds that Mark van Bommel was fit and able to play in the international fixture that evening, according to examinations conducted in the Netherlands.FC Bayern Munich will notify UEFA of this case in the next few days and explicitly reserves the right to pursue its case with the KNVB by recourse to law.“Unfortunately, exactly the situation we feared prior to the Euro 2012 qualifying match between the Netherlands and Sweden on Tuesday has now come about,” commented FC Bayern Munich AG chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. “The responsible approach would have been for Mark van Bommel to return to Munich yesterday for a diagnosis and treatment from our chief medical officer Dr. Hans-Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfahrt. Instead, we are once again presented with proof of an association exclusively looking after its own interests, regardless of the potential consequences for the player’s health and fitness.”

Ailing German champions Bayern Munich suffered another blow on Wednesday as it was announced striker Miroslav Klose would miss the next two matches with a left thigh injury.The 32-year-old - who took his international tally to 58 in 105 matches when he scored in the 3-0 Euro 2012 qualifier victory over Kazakhstan on Tuesday - will miss the league match with Hanover on Saturday and next Tuesday's Champions League clash with Romanian outfit Cluj.Klose - who has scored six goals in four qualifiers this season but failed to find the net in seven league games - joins Dutch midfielder Mark van Bommel on the treatment table following the Euro qualifiers.Bayern are already without star Dutch winger Arjen Robben - who was Bundesliga player of the season last term - and French playmaker Franck Ribery, both of whom are also injured.

 

[bentley]

I really ####### hate Tom Hicks. This fact cannot be overstated. #### that mother####er.

Bump. Lord willing, this will alll be over by 8 a.m. here in Texas. Kinda discomforting to know that a court in Dallas could somehow have the last word about the LFC sale.

 

[Eephus]

Injury bug is putting the hurt on Bayern. van Bommel and Klose!

30 something players who played a lot of extra football this summer

 

[The Gator]

I really ####### hate Tom Hicks. This fact cannot be overstated. #### that mother####er.

Bump. Lord willing, this will alll be over by 8 a.m. here in Texas. Kinda discomforting to know that a court in Dallas could somehow have the last word about the LFC sale.

I already don't like Dallas. I might go nucular if you people eff this up

 

[kblitz]

Anybody hear about the Italy-Serbia riot by Serbian fans in Genoa?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/20...gans-italy-riot

This is a common problem in the former yugoslavian countries for several decades. England hoologans are sissies compared to Partisan, Dynamo or Red Star fans. If they find nothing else they will smack each other for national reasons. If you look at Ivan Bogdanovs (the guy that cut through the fence) tatoos he had for example a orthodox cross and the year 1389 on his arm which stand for the Kosovo battle which is a very important date in serbian national identity. photosFor a couple of months now Serbs are allowed to travel through the EU without a visa which makes it a lot harder to stop these people form traveling to international games. They also don´t care about helping their team to get disqualified. It is just about having a international media plattform for their national agenda (Kosovo Great Serbia...). Elected polititians are often closely associated to these clubs

In general soccer fanclubs of several teams all over Europe are very nationalistic and often rasit in their views. Not just in the balkans but also in Italy (Lazio) Germany (Cottbus) etc.

 

[Sammy3469]

I really ####### hate Tom Hicks. This fact cannot be overstated. #### that mother####er.

Bump. Lord willing, this will alll be over by 8 a.m. here in Texas. Kinda discomforting to know that a court in Dallas could somehow have the last word about the LFC sale.

Sadly not over and now I really have no clue how this is going to end up. Pretty sure, Hicks is still out (NESV or another buyer still has 3 of the 5 board members and the British courts with them), but it wouldn't shock me if they end up in administration at some point.

 

[El Floppo]

Injury bug is putting the hurt on Bayern. van Bommel and Klose!

FC Bayern Munich captain Mark van Bommel (33) returned to Munich on Wednesday after appearing for the Netherlands in a Euro 2012 qualifier against Sweden. On his arrival, the player was examined by FCB chief medical officer Dr. Hans-Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfahrt. The following was diagnosed:- In the Euro 2012 qualifier between Moldova and the Netherlands, during which the player reported falling on his knee, he sustained a rupture to the fascia - a layer of fibrous tissue that surrounds muscles, groups of muscles, blood vessels, and nerves – in his right knee, with associated bruising.- Fluid had to be drained from the affected area by the club doctor today; 25 ml of blood was removed from the knee joint.- Due to the injury, Mark van Bommel now requires five days’ complete rest, followed by a further five days of remedial therapy. He will thus be unavailable for the club’s Bundesliga fixture against Hannover 96 (Saturday 16 October) and UEFA Champions League fixture away to CFR Cluj (Tuesday 19 October), and potentially longer.On Tuesday, FC Bayern Munich called on the Netherlands FA (KNVB) and its CEO Dr. Bert van Oostveen to send Mark van Bommel back to Munich immediately for a diagnosis and treatment. The KNVB rejected this on the grounds that Mark van Bommel was fit and able to play in the international fixture that evening, according to examinations conducted in the Netherlands.FC Bayern Munich will notify UEFA of this case in the next few days and explicitly reserves the right to pursue its case with the KNVB by recourse to law.“Unfortunately, exactly the situation we feared prior to the Euro 2012 qualifying match between the Netherlands and Sweden on Tuesday has now come about,” commented FC Bayern Munich AG chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. “The responsible approach would have been for Mark van Bommel to return to Munich yesterday for a diagnosis and treatment from our chief medical officer Dr. Hans-Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfahrt. Instead, we are once again presented with proof of an association exclusively looking after its own interests, regardless of the potential consequences for the player’s health and fitness.”

Ailing German champions Bayern Munich suffered another blow on Wednesday as it was announced striker Miroslav Klose would miss the next two matches with a left thigh injury.The 32-year-old - who took his international tally to 58 in 105 matches when he scored in the 3-0 Euro 2012 qualifier victory over Kazakhstan on Tuesday - will miss the league match with Hanover on Saturday and next Tuesday's Champions League clash with Romanian outfit Cluj.Klose - who has scored six goals in four qualifiers this season but failed to find the net in seven league games - joins Dutch midfielder Mark van Bommel on the treatment table following the Euro qualifiers.Bayern are already without star Dutch winger Arjen Robben - who was Bundesliga player of the season last term - and French playmaker Franck Ribery, both of whom are also injured.

Van Bommel... karma biting his ### for his daily thuggery.

 

[CletiusMaximus]

Injury bug is putting the hurt on Bayern. van Bommel and Klose!

30 something players who played a lot of extra football this summer

I expect Barcelona is dealing with the same thing so far this season. Both teams are full of players who've had a crazy year of football.

 

[Slapdash]

Injury bug is putting the hurt on Bayern. van Bommel and Klose!

30 something players who played a lot of extra football this summer

I expect Barcelona is dealing with the same thing so far this season. Both teams are full of players who've had a crazy year of football.

Yeah, Xavi will be out for this weekend clash with top of the table Valencia as will Pedro I think(injured himself on the Camp Nou's terrible pitch which has since been replaced). Villa and Messi still seem to be recovering for injuries, but are clear to play this weekend. Puyol has also missed time.

 

[Steve Tasker]

Can I just get the GERMANY JONES link to Wimbledon's history that you're cutting and pasting? Seems like an interesting read, but I don't want to wait for people to keep saying GERMANY JONES to read it.

 

[Steve Tasker]

I'm not a legal-guy, but I am a financial-guy, and I can't for the life of me figure out how Hicks/Gillett are claiming $1.6 billion in damages. Can someone break this down for me? $1.6 billion would have to bankrupt the team, or at least send them into financial ruin for a long, long time....

 

[El Floppo]

I'm not a legal-guy, but I am a financial-guy, and I can't for the life of me figure out how Hicks/Gillett are claiming $1.6 billion in damages. Can someone break this down for me? $1.6 billion would have to bankrupt the team, or at least send them into financial ruin for a long, long time....

So it's done.

LONDON (AP) — Liverpool was sold to the owners of the Boston Red Sox on Friday after a bitter trans-Atlantic court fight with the previous American owners over the storied English soccer club. The $476 million deal with New England Sports Ventures ends the turbulent three-year ownership by Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr. The sale finally went through after Hicks and Gillett withdrew the temporary restraining order blocking the sale they had obtained in a Texas court. But they intend to pursue a claim for $1.6 billion in damages.

 

[El Floppo]

And the US pulls out of the 2018 WC....

MIAMI (Reuters) - The United States have withdrawn their bid to host the 2018 World Cup to focus on 2022 and ensure the 2018 tournament will be held in Europe. The U.S. bid committee said they would now concentrate entirely on their bid to stage the 2022 tournament, which will be decided at the same time as the 2018 host. "For some time we have been in conversations with FIFA and UEFA about the possibility of focusing only on the 2022 bidding process, an option we have made reference to many times," said Sunil Gulati, chairman of the USA Bid Committee and president of U.S. Soccer. "We are confident this is in the best interests of the USA Bid." The decision immediately paved the way for a clearing up of double-bids for the two tournaments - with 2018 now guaranteed to go to Europe and 2022 to either the U.S. or Asia. A number of countries had bid for both but the U.S. decision was sure to trigger a series of European nations withdrawing from the 2022 race because they are no longer eligible. "We have had an open and constructive dialogue with the USA Bid for some time now, after it became apparent that there was a growing movement to stage the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Europe," said FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke, in the U.S. statement. "The announcement of today by the USA Bid to focus solely on the 2022 FIFA World Cup is therefore a welcome gesture which is much appreciated by FIFA," he added. The decision on where the two World Cups will be held will be made in December. There are now just four candidates, Belgium/Netherlands, England, Russia and Spain/Portugal, bidding for the 2018 World Cup. Under FIFA rules, the World Cup cannot be held on the same continent on successive occasions so the 2022 World Cup must be held in either the U.S., Australia, Japan, South Korea or Qatar. The votes for both tournaments will take place in Switzerland in December.

 

[NewlyRetired]

And the US pulls out of the 2018 WC....

yes!!!We were never going to get 2018 and this was the perfect political move. With Australia being the US's only real competition for 2022, this negates their move earlier of withdrawing (ie trying to garner favor with the other voters.Only a couple of more months now until we find out for sure.

 

[QuizGuy66]

And the US pulls out of the 2018 WC....

yes!!!We were never going to get 2018 and this was the perfect political move. With Australia being the US's only real competition for 2022, this negates their move earlier of withdrawing (ie trying to garner favor with the other voters.Only a couple of more months now until we find out for sure.

I was always curious if there wasn't another reason that this hasn't happened sooner - were they (FIFA/UEFA) trying to spur some of the Euros to enhance their bids in some fashion with the US sorta lurking. I never really though we had a realistic shot - it always seemed about timing. I personally think Russia would be the location that best enhances our chances of winning the '22 bid. The premise being that a riskier "exotic" location (yes, Russia qualifies - they've never hosted a major championship) would lessen the odds of FIFA going for someone new like Australia. I have a hard time believing Japan or South Korea would get a 2nd chance ahead of the US given that they would only be hosting 20 years apart. I think Qatar is just too outside of the box at this point - but I can see FIFA encouraging them to bid on, say '26 and give their technology a chance to advance even more (no, I don't think FIFA will ever get past a venue where while it may be comfy inside the stadium it'll be 114 degrees outside the stadium). Qatar's only real advantage is time zone relative to Europe. Of course it'll be too late for them by then as 2026 will end up being China.-QG

 

[guru_007]

I dunno, have you seen the stadiums Qatar is going to build for the WC? I almost would like them to win the bid and then travel there to watch the games.

eta video linkagae

 

[QuizGuy66]

I dunno, have you seen the stadiums Qatar is going to build for the WC? I almost would like them to win the bid and then travel there to watch the games.

I agree that their bid will be seen as innovative. They'll actually use Qatar's bid as a reason to punt Asia to 2026. That's when the Dragon will swoop in. Essentially Euro will become every 3rd cup.-QG

 

[prefontaine]

I would guess the withdrawal has been planned for a while. It has seemed obvious that 2018 is destined for Europe for a while, very likely England. But by keeping our name in the hat for a while longer, I'm hoping we were working the vote for 2022. Hey England, we'll pull out in '18 if you back us in '22. Hey Russia, we'll pull out in '18 if you back us in '22. Hey Portugal....

I always thought we were a shoe-in for '22 but some of the things I've heard lately make it sound like it's possible we whiff here. Hopefully we were savvy enough to work the crowd as above but with Gulati running things, I am a bit worried it went more like "We'd like the US to withdraw its '18 bid." "Yeah, doesn't look like we're getting it. Okay." End of conversation.

 

[QuizGuy66]

I would guess the withdrawal has been planned for a while. It has seemed obvious that 2018 is destined for Europe for a while, very likely England. But by keeping our name in the hat for a while longer, I'm hoping we were working the vote for 2022. Hey England, we'll pull out in '18 if you back us in '22. Hey Russia, we'll pull out in '18 if you back us in '22. Hey Portugal....I always thought we were a shoe-in for '22 but some of the things I've heard lately make it sound like it's possible we whiff here. Hopefully we were savvy enough to work the crowd as above but with Gulati running things, I am a bit worried it went more like "We'd like the US to withdraw its '18 bid." "Yeah, doesn't look like we're getting it. Okay." End of conversation.

It's totally possible we could've done the politics better but our argument is the same as it always is.FIFA will make more here than anywhere else.Australia's weakness are akin to ours (far flung country) and again a much more Euro-unfriendly time zone. What you mean you think there'll be many game here held at night? Not bloodly likely. Noon and 3 pm here work well for the Euros and our games will sell out anyhow. Australia would need to have 6am games to be in Euro prime time. Big liability.Clip and save: Russia '18, USA '22, China '26, England '30.-QG

 

[Moe.]

Obviously I know nothing of how politics work within FIFA and how much money they stand to make with a world cup in the US but why wouldn't the Aussies get 2022? We just had one.

 

[Eephus]

Can I just get the GERMANY JONES link to Wimbledon's history that you're cutting and pasting? Seems like an interesting read, but I don't want to wait for people to keep saying GERMANY JONES to read it.

http://www.historicaldons.com/The site is really a labor of love. Wimbledon FC didn't turn pro until 1964. They played in the Isthmian League for much of their first 3/4 century. Digging up match details couldn't have been easy.

 

[Offa]

If England doesn't win the 2018 bid we'll have been robbed. It would be a national catastrophe.

 

[QuizGuy66]

If England doesn't win the 2018 bid we'll have been robbed. It would be a national catastrophe.

FIFA works in mysterious ways...I don't know why I think it'll be Russia. I just do somehow.By the way one of the interesting things about the US drop-out was that it's admittedly been coordinated with Platini. It's part of why my theories about the US presence being used possibly to have the Euros kick their bids up to benefit FIFA came to mind.-QG

 

[Eephus]

If England doesn't win the 2018 bid we'll have been robbed. It would be a national catastrophe.

just thinking about how old I'll be in 2022 is a personal catastrophe

 

[NewlyRetired]

Obviously I know nothing of how politics work within FIFA and how much money they stand to make with a world cup in the US but why wouldn't the Aussies get 2022? We just had one.

it is all relative I guess depending upon point of view. By the time 2022 rolls around it will have been 28 years since the World Cup was in Cocacaf where as Asia would have held the world cup 8 years more recent.If you think of it in terms of confederations instead of countries that significantly strengthens the US bid over Aussie. I think it will be England and US announced in December

 

[Eephus]

Obviously I know nothing of how politics work within FIFA and how much money they stand to make with a world cup in the US but why wouldn't the Aussies get 2022? We just had one.

it is all relative I guess depending upon point of view. By the time 2022 rolls around it will have been 28 years since the World Cup was in Cocacaf where as Asia would have held the world cup 8 years more recent.If you think of it in terms of confederations instead of countries that significantly strengthens the US bid over Aussie. I think it will be England and US announced in December

it would serve the Socceroos right for bailing on the OFC

 

[QuizGuy66]

Obviously I know nothing of how politics work within FIFA and how much money they stand to make with a world cup in the US but why wouldn't the Aussies get 2022? We just had one.

it is all relative I guess depending upon point of view. By the time 2022 rolls around it will have been 28 years since the World Cup was in Cocacaf where as Asia would have held the world cup 8 years more recent.If you think of it in terms of confederations instead of countries that significantly strengthens the US bid over Aussie. I think it will be England and US announced in December

Yes, the confederation argument is the strongest. Ironically Australia switching confederations will proably be just the pretext needed to drop them from consideration on that basis - if they were still Oceania then they could play the whole "Oceania has never had the World Cup" card. I cannot imagine Japan or South Korea having a legitimate chance so soon after their shared hosting in '02. Factor in China's early signal for '26 and that really stacks the deck that much more. While they won't only look at money, FIFA likes the shiny object factor and China has that way more than Australia or Qatar would.Looking back and then deeper down the line...'30 Uruguay'34 Italy'38 France'50 Brazil'54 Switzerland'58 Sweden'62 Chile'66 England'70 Mexico'74 West Germany'78 Argentina - 36 years between South America cups (see Colombia for the real reason why). '82 Spain - 16 years more recently than England.'86 Mexico - This was supposed to be Colombia, so the argument of Concacaf getting too many chances goes away here'90 Italy'94 USA - was seen as a big gamble at the time, oddly while being a big money country, the fact that the US was relatively green as a market probably did as much to pave the way for countries like South Africa to have a chance to host.'98 France'02 Japan/South Korea'06 Germany'10 South Africa (a success beyond what they succeeded but surely a nail-biter - they'll be hard pressed to go back to Africa for some time)'14 Brazil (necessary given how long it has been since the continent hosted - that every other country on the continent backed out is a big reason why they've gone back to allowing multiple-continent bidding). So far it seems like it's been more chaotic than South Africa was in terms of meeting stadium bench marks and the like. South America is a long way from the era where they were guaranteed to get every 3rd Cup.'18 Have to think this was always going to be Europe. The rest was posturing and leverage. Almost certainly a coin-toss between Russia and England. I think they have a big natural edge. England for history (it is to soccer what Greece is to the Olympics) and that it's a sure winner financially and organizationally, Russia for it's huge market and the fact that it's new. The fact that both Netherlands and Spain made the finals is probably the best thing each of those countries have going for them - but dual bid countries have the natural disadvantage of taking an additional bid out of play and FIFA hates that.'22 While there's the perception that the USA just had one, 6 World Cups will have passed since the last chance for CONCACAF. There's a guarantee that this will make tons of money and be an easier World Cup to administer than one held anywhere else. It's also probably the most "neutral" ground - everyone has a diaspora here. Africa had a big problem in this regard as the US and England far outstripped everywhere else in ticket sales (even if they were for multiple countries' fans in the case of the US). The final factor of course is...'26 While FIFA hates one-bid cases (see Brazil), this will be the show of a multiple-bid process that really will just be China. Australia will be screwed if it goes England-USA in '18-'22 as the cultural similarity will be frowned upon. Qatar will probably take another shot and be used as leverage in terms of getting China to do more (not that I think they'd have a problem trying to put together a most impressive bid). Euros will enter, but more to jockey for '30 than anything else.'30 Will be Europe. Every third one will be Europe. Others that enter will be those jockeying for '34. The only thing that could possibly spoil this is if by some odd chance tiny Uruguay wanted to try and host a 100th anniversary World Cup. Even though it'll be 30 years later, the memory of the Athens Olympics alone would probably kill that concept. '34 If Africa ever hosts again this would be the time. This also would be the best shot for the Arab world because of course by then there will be world peace. -QG

 

[Mjolnirs]

Bayern Injury Crisis Worsens

The game is on Gol in the morning so I guess I'll get to see how this turns out.

Bayern Munich's injury crisis took a turn for the worse on Friday when it was revealed that the Bavarian giants will likely be without the services of Bastian Schweinsteiger and Daniel van Buyten during this weekend's match against Hannover. The former has yet to recover from an ankle knock, while the latter has complained of back pain.

"We are still waiting on whether they can play. They may be on the bench, but we cannot start them," coach Louis van Gaal told SPOX.

In addition to Schweinsteiger and Van Buyten, Bayern will be without Ivica Olic, Mark van Bommel, Miroslav Klose, Rouven Sattelmaier, Diego Contento, David Alaba, Frank Ribery, Arjen Robben and Breno.

"I have never seen anything like this before. We will have maybe two or three outfielders and a goalkeeper on the bench," Van Gaal added.

In conclusion, the Dutch coach noted that Saturday's match with Hannover would offer the opportunity for Bayern's fringe players to make an appeal for more playing time.

"The players who have been waiting for so long will be able to play. Now they can show something."

 

[Sebowski]

If England doesn't win the 2018 bid we'll have been robbed. It would be a national catastrophe.

just thinking about how old I'll be in 2022 is a personal catastrophe

I just went through the same catastrophe about 4 hours ago. Worst math problem I ever solved.

 

[prefontaine]

Chamakh is a total %^&*@!. After his embarrassing dive that gets a pk awarded. He tries to draw a foul midfield by ducking on a header. No call and he rolls around like a little #####."Maybe Chamakh has a low pain threshhold". Then he "made a quick recovery". Arsenal so desperately need another forward. Watching this guy makes me want to hate them. But I really try to reserve my hate for the true evil sides like Real Madrid and Liverpool.