***Official Soccer Discussion Thread*** (4 Viewers)

[The Kansas Comet]

Alves to Bojan 30th min, 1-0 Barca.Dani Alves sometimes gets lost when credit is given out for Barca's success. He's a huge part of it, hope they resign him.

If so, it's only because that team is stacked. It's hard to be among the first mentioned for your team's success when that team has the three Ballon d'Or finalists and a team captain who started for the World Cup winners. The rest of the world knows how good he is. Barcelona's attack wouldn't be the same without him.

 

[JMon348]

Messi down as the half ends, doesn't look good. Lots of concern on the player's faces.

Seems to be his knee.

Was making a run, when his leg, the goalie's leg and the ball all hit at once.

 

[The Kansas Comet]

Tough draw for Barca - playing at Sevilla is always a bit tricky. Glad that Messi came back to play in the second half. Still 5 points clear, but can't afford to slip up.

 

[GoFishTN]

Apparently the A-League finale was a great game. I wonder if MLS can look at it and take anything away?

 

[Christo]

I don't want to jinx it. But it looks like we will be seeing QPR in the EPL next year people!

 

[NewlyRetired]

Apparently the A-League finale was a great game. I wonder if MLS can look at it and take anything away?

I am missing your point. What can MLS learn from a single game?Or do you mean look at the Australian League in general to see what they are doing? As an aside, the A-League only averages about 8300 per game with only 12 teams. MLS doubles that average with 18 teams (as of last year).

 

[Texas Football]

I don't want to jinx it. But it looks like we will be seeing QPR in the EPL next year people!

It would require something incredible for QPR not to be promoted. I am glad Ipswich does not have to deal with them again. Very solid Championship squad.With that said, what will they need to change/add to stay up next year? I know Taarabt is having a nice year, but is he or Helguson Prem quality.

Only thing left for me to root for in the Championship is that Norwich fail to get promoted.

 

[GoFishTN]

Apparently the A-League finale was a great game. I wonder if MLS can look at it and take anything away?

I am missing your point. What can MLS learn from a single game?Or do you mean look at the Australian League in general to see what they are doing? As an aside, the A-League only averages about 8300 per game with only 12 teams. MLS doubles that average with 18 teams (as of last year).

Both to an extent, but mostly I think the 50K attendance for a weakly attended league shows there is something to be said for not playing at a neutral site.

 

[El Floppo]

Apparently the A-League finale was a great game. I wonder if MLS can look at it and take anything away?

I am missing your point. What can MLS learn from a single game?Or do you mean look at the Australian League in general to see what they are doing? As an aside, the A-League only averages about 8300 per game with only 12 teams. MLS doubles that average with 18 teams (as of last year).

Both to an extent, but mostly I think the 50K attendance for a weakly attended league shows there is something to be said for not playing at a neutral site... in the middle of winter in Canada.

 

[GoFishTN]

Apparently the A-League finale was a great game. I wonder if MLS can look at it and take anything away?

I am missing your point. What can MLS learn from a single game?Or do you mean look at the Australian League in general to see what they are doing? As an aside, the A-League only averages about 8300 per game with only 12 teams. MLS doubles that average with 18 teams (as of last year).

Both to an extent, but mostly I think the 50K attendance for a weakly attended league shows there is something to be said for not playing at a neutral site... in the middle of winter in Canada.

That too!

 

[NewlyRetired]

Apparently the A-League finale was a great game. I wonder if MLS can look at it and take anything away?

I am missing your point. What can MLS learn from a single game?Or do you mean look at the Australian League in general to see what they are doing? As an aside, the A-League only averages about 8300 per game with only 12 teams. MLS doubles that average with 18 teams (as of last year).

Both to an extent, but mostly I think the 50K attendance for a weakly attended league shows there is something to be said for not playing at a neutral site.

I agree with you, as would most fans. The best ever MLS Cup attendance was when NE were announced to be the host of MLS Cup before the season started and the Revs made the final.The only reason it continues to be at a pre arranged site is due to TV. The league has always lived in fear of not having their championship game on TV. In the past, the league was scared to death of having one of the teams playing in an NFL stadium being the team that may host the MLS Cup.With almost every team in the league in control of their own stadium, this issue is greatly reduced. Only teams with issues now are NE and Sea as not having control of Sundays.

 

[NewlyRetired]

The US will be releasing the roster for the two upcoming friendlies this week.

Should be an interesting roster with MLS having a full slate of games for the Argentina game. I wonder if Bradley will name two rosters? I more Euro slant for the Argie game and a more MLS slant for the Paraguay game?

One player we all hoped to see more of in Juan Agudelo may not be called as he has been battling a groin injury all preseason for the Red Bulls.

 

[Christo]

I don't want to jinx it. But it looks like we will be seeing QPR in the EPL next year people!

It would require something incredible for QPR not to be promoted. I am glad Ipswich does not have to deal with them again. Very solid Championship squad.With that said, what will they need to change/add to stay up next year? I know Taarabt is having a nice year, but is he or Helguson Prem quality.

Only thing left for me to root for in the Championship is that Norwich fail to get promoted.

I'm sure they'll need a lot to stay up. It's not like Newcastle which already had a nucleus of EPL quality players. Does anyone know how much the Championship winner gets? I think the EPL teams get about 20 million pounds/yr. It would be nice if QPR could get an infusion of cash to spend on a few players.

 

[B Maverick]

United wins 2-0 on some superb play from the wonder twins playing outside mid and out of position and with some great saves by VDS in goal. Sets up the Manchester darby in the semis between United and City.

Arsenal looked the better side except on goals. United played very direct and mostly looked for the counter where Arsenal knocked the ball around and looked very creative at the top of the box. Arsenal, in the course of 2 weeks have been knocked out of 3 of their 4 competitions. OUCH

WES BROWN IS CRAP AND NEEDS TO NEVER STEP ON THE FIELD AGAIN.

Nice to see Valencia back and looks like Nani WILL be avail for the CL game tomorrow. That makes for some scary speed for united on the outsides and up front if Berb is on the bench again.

 

[El Floppo]

United wins 2-0 on some superb play from the wonder twins playing outside mid and out of position and with some great saves by VDS in goal. Sets up the Manchester darby in the semis between United and City.

Arsenal looked the better side except on goals. United played very direct and mostly looked for the counter where Arsenal knocked the ball around and looked very creative at the top of the box. Arsenal, in the course of 2 weeks have been knocked out of 3 of their 4 competitions. OUCH

WES BROWN IS CRAP AND NEEDS TO NEVER STEP ON THE FIELD AGAIN.

Nice to see Valencia back and looks like Nani WILL be avail for the CL game tomorrow. That makes for some scary speed for united on the outsides and up front if Berb is on the bench again.

This is some typical Arsenal AND Manchester United stuff here.

Yeah- agree about Arsenal. They almost always look the better side (except against Barcelona) but emphasize passing over scoring/winning. United does the opposite, although they had some beautiful passing in the lead up to the goals... just more direct and directed.Valencia looked like he hadn't lost a step.

 

[The Z Machine]

Alves to Bojan 30th min, 1-0 Barca.Dani Alves sometimes gets lost when credit is given out for Barca's success. He's a huge part of it, hope they resign him.

If so, it's only because that team is stacked. It's hard to be among the first mentioned for your team's success when that team has the three Ballon d'Or finalists and a team captain who started for the World Cup winners. The rest of the world knows how good he is. Barcelona's attack wouldn't be the same without him.

I still don't like him. In fact he's my least favorite Barça player.

 

[The Z Machine]

I don't want to jinx it. But it looks like we will be seeing QPR in the EPL next year people!

It would require something incredible for QPR not to be promoted. I am glad Ipswich does not have to deal with them again. Very solid Championship squad.With that said, what will they need to change/add to stay up next year? I know Taarabt is having a nice year, but is he or Helguson Prem quality.

Only thing left for me to root for in the Championship is that Norwich fail to get promoted.

I'm sure they'll need a lot to stay up. It's not like Newcastle which already had a nucleus of EPL quality players. Does anyone know how much the Championship winner gets? I think the EPL teams get about 20 million pounds/yr. It would be nice if QPR could get an infusion of cash to spend on a few players.

QPR can get a loan for that 20m pounds that they´ll be due from TV rights. I think the payment is at the end of the season, but a bank knows they're good for it and will loan it up front.

 

[NewlyRetired]

Some MLS tidbits

*Sporting KC signed veteran 32 year old Julio Cesar. He is already with the team and will be available to play opening weekend

*DC united will host Ajax on May 22

*Agudelo is back and training with the Red Bulls. Said to be available if needed for the opening game.

*With the two expansion teams and the growth of the roster size, there has been a ton of off season movement this year in MLS. This link does a nice job summarizing for each team http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/transactions

 

[NewlyRetired]

LONDON -- Goal-line technology could be coming to the Premier League next season, with Hawk-Eye hoping to test its system during top-level matches for the first time.But with soccer's rules-making body yet to allow referees to consult high-tech aids, the trials and results will remain secret.Hawk-Eye founder Paul Hawkins also is concerned that if his system contradicted a ruling on a disputed goal and the results were made public, the referee would be undermined.The sport moved closer to adopting goal-line technology earlier this month after the International Football Association Board approved another year of testing and FIFA president Sepp Blatter declared that it "helps referees."Hawk-Eye didn't participate in previous tests because they weren't conducted in stadium conditions.Blatter accepts that future tests will have to take place in stadiums and has identified England as a likely location.And Hawkins, whose company was sold to electronics giant Sony Corp. last week, plans to speak to FIFA in the next week to gain approval for further testing."We've got to find a stadium to put the tests in," Hawkins told The Associated Press. "We also need to check in advance what is wanted, testing-wise. I expect there will be a contractual commitment that we don't report the information from the tests so we don't undermine the officials if there is a controversial goal. Just at the time when we are testing technology that will hopefully help officials in the future, we don't want Hawk-Eye showing they are wrong."Hawk-Eye's ball-tracking technology, which achieved by positioning cameras around the stadium, already has been successfully deployed in tennis and cricket.

I wonder if this technology could be used to track FIFA committee members as well....

 

[B Maverick]

United wins 2-0 on some superb play from the wonder twins playing outside mid and out of position and with some great saves by VDS in goal. Sets up the Manchester darby in the semis between United and City.

Arsenal looked the better side except on goals. United played very direct and mostly looked for the counter where Arsenal knocked the ball around and looked very creative at the top of the box. Arsenal, in the course of 2 weeks have been knocked out of 3 of their 4 competitions. OUCH

WES BROWN IS CRAP AND NEEDS TO NEVER STEP ON THE FIELD AGAIN.

Nice to see Valencia back and looks like Nani WILL be avail for the CL game tomorrow. That makes for some scary speed for united on the outsides and up front if Berb is on the bench again.

This is some typical Arsenal AND Manchester United stuff here.

Yeah- agree about Arsenal. They almost always look the better side (except against Barcelona) but emphasize passing over scoring/winning. United does the opposite, although they had some beautiful passing in the lead up to the goals... just more direct and directed.Valencia looked like he hadn't lost a step.

Valencia looked great, just needs to get game fit to go 90 again. And yeah the passing on the first goal was impressive. Excellent ball from Fabio to Rafael and Rooney to Hernandez.

And I am not sure how the laws of Physics were suspended on Rooney's goal.... How the &^%$$&*^*% did that go in? talk about some spin on that ball?!?!

United host Merselle tomorrow! Oh what a day!

 

[bentley]

QPR! QPR! QPR!

Can't believe that Christo and I agree on a team.

 

[NewlyRetired]

More tidbits

* Tonight marks the start of the 16th season of MLS. I still remember the soccer bashing media back in late 1995 saying it would not last 16 months.

Seattle takes on LA tonight. Game starts at 10:00pm eastern, on ESPN

* Tonight will also have another less watched but arguably more important game involving an MLS team. RSL takes on Saprissa tonight in the first leg of the CCL. Game is at 10:00pm on FSC

* The US Soccer twitter community is having a grand old time with the following vid from 1990 on the US World Cup team. Remember the Super Bowl Shuffle? This is worse (or better depending on your point of view ) Make sure you watch long enough for the OJ cameo!

* www.mlssoccer.com has 3 different fantasy games running. 1 is a draft league, 1 is a salary cap league and 1 is a picks league. Details here

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/mlssoccercom-fantasy-three-different-games

 

[JMon348]

Anyone know if todays games are starting later than usual or is FoxSoccer channel just showing them late. I think they are showing ManU first then Bayern and Inter.

 

[NewlyRetired]

Anyone know if todays games are starting later than usual or is FoxSoccer channel just showing them late. I think they are showing ManU first then Bayern and Inter.

FSC is advertising the Man U game live but not the Bayern Inter. The Bayern Inter game really can't be live given the start time on FSC as you mentioned.Both games are being played at the same time so FSC could only choose one to show live.Maybe Fox Soccer Plus is having the Bayern Inter game live, let me check.

 

[NewlyRetired]

Maybe Fox Soccer Plus is having the Bayern Inter game live, let me check.

Nope, does not look live on Fox Soccer Plus either. Your best bet is FoxSoccer.tv or catching it elsewhere online today.

 

[Christo]

Anyone know if todays games are starting later than usual or is FoxSoccer channel just showing them late. I think they are showing ManU first then Bayern and Inter.

The games are an hour later here for a few weeks. Europe doesn't go on daylight savings until March 27.

 

[El Floppo]

fwiw- pretty sure they just showed the Inter v BM game live on FSC Spanish... or maybe it was from last year. I can never tell these things.

 

[NewlyRetired]

Must have been another year Flopp. This years game has not started yet.

 

[JMon348]

Anyone know if todays games are starting later than usual or is FoxSoccer channel just showing them late. I think they are showing ManU first then Bayern and Inter.

FSC is advertising the Man U game live but not the Bayern Inter. The Bayern Inter game really can't be live given the start time on FSC as you mentioned.Both games are being played at the same time so FSC could only choose one to show live.Maybe Fox Soccer Plus is having the Bayern Inter game live, let me check.

Thanks. Looks like I have to avoid the net til 8pm tonight.

 

[B Maverick]

Anyone know if todays games are starting later than usual or is FoxSoccer channel just showing them late. I think they are showing ManU first then Bayern and Inter.

The games are an hour later here for a few weeks. Europe doesn't go on daylight savings until March 27.

12:45 pacific? i was just getting geared up for my espn gamecast and saw this.... got to wait another hour? stupid daylight savings...anxuious to see who Fergie goes with. Vidic injury rumors mean effing brown in the middle with Smalling. :X PLEASE LET VIDIC BE OK TO PLAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Nani and Valencia are fit, do they start?

 

[prefontaine]

Maybe Fox Soccer Plus is having the Bayern Inter game live, let me check.

Nope, does not look live on Fox Soccer Plus either. Your best bet is FoxSoccer.tv or catching it elsewhere online today.

Fox Soccer has United - OMFox Sports has Bayern - InterBoth games are being broadcast live. I think it's tomorrow we get screwed and probably only the boring ### Chelsea game will be live.

 

[prefontaine]

Apparently the A-League finale was a great game. I wonder if MLS can look at it and take anything away?

I am missing your point. What can MLS learn from a single game?Or do you mean look at the Australian League in general to see what they are doing? As an aside, the A-League only averages about 8300 per game with only 12 teams. MLS doubles that average with 18 teams (as of last year).

Both to an extent, but mostly I think the 50K attendance for a weakly attended league shows there is something to be said for not playing at a neutral site... in the middle of winter in Canada.

That too!

This game happens to be on Plus now. I've watched the last bit. Here's the formula that made this finale a great game-Scoreless for 90 minutes-Road teams scores two in the first half of extra time. Game seems over.-Home team roars back to score two in the dying seconds of the 2nd half of extra time. To Penalties!-Home team wins on PKs. Crowd goes ape####. IMO, if MLS would just copy this formula, people will also call the MLS final an epic match

 

[Mjolnirs]

Going into media blackout mode.

Let's Go Bayern!

 

[B Maverick]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

STARTING 11 FOR UNITED: VDS, Oshea, Smalling, Brown, Evra, Nani, Carrick, Scholes, Giggs, Hernandez, Rooney.

why oh why is brown in there? at least put oshea in the middle and rafael out wide if Vidic cant go. ARGH.

 

[Christo]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! STARTING 11 FOR UNITED: VDS, Oshea, Smalling, Brown, Evra, Nani, Carrick, Scholes, Giggs, Hernandez, Rooney.why oh why is brown in there? at least put oshea in the middle and rafael out wide if Vidic cant go. ARGH.

If they keep attacking like that, they could have played me in the back 4 today.

 

[B Maverick]

sounds like a very high paced back and forth game. Merseille needs the tie to get thru, United the win. 2nd half will be interesting for sure.

 

[B Maverick]

F U WES BROWN!!!!!!!

 

[Christo]

F U WES BROWN!!!!!!!

Meh. He was stretching for it. If he didn't get his head to it Heinze was right behind him. More than one central defender has been in that position.

 

[ffldrew]

Bayern snatching defeat from the jaws of victory

 

[B Maverick]

F U WES BROWN!!!!!!!

Meh. He was stretching for it. If he didn't get his head to it Heinze was right behind him. More than one central defender has been in that position.

I still hate Wes Brown, only a matter of time before he caused a goal.... Anyway...Man Utd 2-1 Marseille. It's an 11th Champions League quarter-final for United, though they made it hard work for themselves. A poacher's brace from Chicharito sends them into the last eight. Wes Brown's own goal made the last ten minutes very interesting, but United held on and eagerly await the draw on Friday now.

 

[Txns8]

LONDON -- Goal-line technology could be coming to the Premier League next season, with Hawk-Eye hoping to test its system during top-level matches for the first time.But with soccer's rules-making body yet to allow referees to consult high-tech aids, the trials and results will remain secret.Hawk-Eye founder Paul Hawkins also is concerned that if his system contradicted a ruling on a disputed goal and the results were made public, the referee would be undermined.The sport moved closer to adopting goal-line technology earlier this month after the International Football Association Board approved another year of testing and FIFA president Sepp Blatter declared that it "helps referees."Hawk-Eye didn't participate in previous tests because they weren't conducted in stadium conditions.Blatter accepts that future tests will have to take place in stadiums and has identified England as a likely location.And Hawkins, whose company was sold to electronics giant Sony Corp. last week, plans to speak to FIFA in the next week to gain approval for further testing."We've got to find a stadium to put the tests in," Hawkins told The Associated Press. "We also need to check in advance what is wanted, testing-wise. I expect there will be a contractual commitment that we don't report the information from the tests so we don't undermine the officials if there is a controversial goal. Just at the time when we are testing technology that will hopefully help officials in the future, we don't want Hawk-Eye showing they are wrong."Hawk-Eye's ball-tracking technology, which achieved by positioning cameras around the stadium, already has been successfully deployed in tennis and cricket.

I wonder if this technology could be used to track FIFA committee members as well....

Yes, yes. The Buck-eye can track the size of the bulge created by the extra bucks they received...

 

[Mjolnirs]

Unfreaking Real! Bayern have nobody to blame except themselves. Sure Eto'o was offside on the first goal, but Bayern's inability to finish and sad typically bad defending cost them the match.

Should have been about 4-1 at the half.

 

[NewlyRetired]

Well this is one way to start a season 1 hour before your first game.

SEATTLE – Seattle Sounders FC announced on Tuesday that they have parted ways with Swiss forward Blaise Nkufo.The Designated Player and the club have mutually agreed to go their separate ways effective immediately. Financial details are being negotiated by the Sounders, the league and Nkufo’s agent.No specific reason was immediately given.Nkufo, who joined Seattle last July after representing Switzerland at the 2010 World Cup, finished third on the team with five goals last season. He played in 11 regular-season games and 16 in all competitions, and became the first player in franchise history to record a hat trick on Sept. 18 at Columbus.The 35-year-old entered the 2011 season as one of three DPs on Seattle’s roster, alongside Fredy Montero and Alvaro Fernandez.“This move improves our flexibility with regard to the salary cap,” Sounders FC general manager Adrian Hanauer said in a statement.The announcement came an hour before the Sounders kicked off the 2011 regular season against the LA Galaxy at Qwest Field.Head coach Sigi Schmid gave no indication of the move at Seattle's final training session on Monday, but he did downplay the club's expectation for the big striker."I don't know if you set a goal mark," Schmid told reporters. "Obviously we expect him to be a player who can contribute for us up front, hold the ball up and get other people involved in the game – also finish the opportunities that get presented to him. I always hate throwing a number out there."Local radio station KIRO-FM reported Tuesday that Nkufo had come to the team last week and asked for a trade.

 

[NewlyRetired]

I wonder how much FIFA will need to be bribed to go back to the Hex. At least it looks like CONCACAF wants the old system back

According to ESPN Deportes' Jorge Ramos, CONCACAF will ask FIFA to change their qualifying format for their 2014 World Cup back to the old six-team final group, often referred to as the Hexagonal or Hex.

 

[NewlyRetired]

Jesus they have to find a way to have a US game in this stadium in Seattle, these fans are incredible.

 

[NewlyRetired]

Well RSL just had a goal call backed for no reason at all. No offside, no foul, no nothing on the goal. If this was in Costa Rica it would just be business as usual but its in Salt Lake City. WTF

Edit: Well RSL had the best answer possible, they scored again in a minute. They are absolutely dominating Saprissa at the moment. Saprissa may have to come out of their shell.

 

[bentley]

Between the track pants and the bald head, Keller looks like a rec league guy that just wandered onto the field.

 

[bentley]

Becks is starting to show a little gap atop the dome, himself.

 

[NewlyRetired]

Ouch. Donovan has taken two hard hits tonight. That was a nasty high cleat on his thigh

 

[NewlyRetired]

RSL holding a 1-0 into halftime. Saprissa playing much better in the latter part of the half.