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

[NewlyRetired]

54'Oooh controversy. Evra, of all people, bursts through the middle and Varane brings him down but the referee waves play on. Fergie apoplectic. That was a foul and a red card. Big, big call.wtf??

The refs been letting a lot of pushing and shoving go. But on that one the RM player grabbed Evra's jersey. It was a certain foul and he was the last defender.

thanks, hate to see a red change the game, but if its the right call it has to be made.

It was no worse really than Jones foul in the box that should have been a pk. The ref has been consistent.

when was that one?

First half. Full arm extended push clearing out DiMaria. http://forums.footballguys.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=305522&view=findpost&p=15308866

ahh i see it now. thanks41'Furious pace to the game now - Jones shoves Di Maria down off the ball in the area but no penalty given, then RVP squanders possession again. United wobbling.

Yeah. Man U missed out on a possible red against RM, and RM missed out on a possible pk against Man U. It probably worked out slightly in favor of Man U (since it is much more likely to score a pk than it is to score against 10 men into second half).

 

[Christo]

Weak yellow for Valencia. If you're going to throw your elbows, throw your GD elbows!

 

[ffldrew]

Wow - blew the whistle with corner comingTime to look at referee fixing

 

[Christo]

DeGea MOTM

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

Some great saves by both keepers. Could have had a half-dozen goals scored.

 

[B Maverick]

Weak yellow for Valencia. If you're going to throw your elbows, throw your GD elbows!

got to see the last 15 on fox desportes... poor call and a meal by RM

Wow - blew the whistle with corner comingTime to look at referee fixing

what a bad call. no ref calls time with a corner coming. Thats just not done. Great pass and shot by rvp great save by RM.De Gea must like being home in Spain, had a phenomenal game!

 

[B Maverick]

1-1 with an away goal is not a bad position to be in.

 

[Christo]

Weak yellow for Valencia. If you're going to throw your elbows, throw your GD elbows!

got to see the last 15 on fox desportes... poor call and a meal by RM

Sergio Ramos and unsportsmanlike conduct go hand-in-hand

 

[Good Posting Judge]

1-1 with an away goal is not a bad position to be in.

Agreed. I'm not unhappy if I'm a United fan.It'll be interesting to see if a few more games like this change MU's position on De Gea.

 

[Christo]

And I have to give it up to Gus. For the first time, he didn't ruin a game for me. Maybe soccer is his true calling.

 

[B Maverick]

Weak yellow for Valencia. If you're going to throw your elbows, throw your GD elbows!

got to see the last 15 on fox desportes... poor call and a meal by RM

Sergio Ramos and unsportsmanlike conduct go hand-in-hand

Didnt realize that was Ramos....

1-1 with an away goal is not a bad position to be in.

Agreed. I'm not unhappy if I'm a United fan.It'll be interesting to see if a few more games like this change MU's position on De Gea.

Not unhappy at all. But it will still be a battle at OT in 3 weeks.I was very happy with how he caught the ball and held on. He was never bad on shots from outside which is what RM seemed to do a lot of. Crosses and catching are his flaws. But today seemed to be a view into how good he can be.... hope the upward trend continues.

Question for all you rules guys, I didnt think the game could end with a ball not being in play. Even if its a throw in at midfield and not a corner for United. Whats the rule? Most refs let the offensive play end before calling it so that was a homer call.

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

Whose the American dude doing play-by-play on FSC? Hes actually not terrible!BTW absolutelty incredible atmosphere at the Bernabeu. Its buzzing.

is that gus johnson?

Yes. He has improved quite a bit from last seasons MLS games.

Guys, hes one of the better US play-by-play guys Ive heard. Really enjoying his call. Great energy as you would expect from him but not too chatty. Also lets the atmosphere soak in. On the down side, hes doesnt overwhelm with his knowledge of the sport, tactics, etc. But to be fair though, the color commentary guy chimes in with strategy, tactics, etc.I like it

My link

That article cracks me up. Every quote for Gus is given as if he's just crammed to pass his oral exams on soccer at Oxford. "Hey Gus, what did you have for breakfast?""As I was eating my bagel, I was thinking of Tal Ben Haim."

 

[sporthenry]

And I have to give it up to Gus. For the first time, he didn't ruin a game for me. Maybe soccer is his true calling.

College basketball and nobody will convince me otherwise. Or maybe the last 2 minutes of Broncos games.

 

[sporthenry]

Question for all you rules guys, I didnt think the game could end with a ball not being in play. Even if its a throw in at midfield and not a corner for United. Whats the rule? Most refs let the offensive play end before calling it so that was a homer call.

Not true. Game can end with the ball out of play. Often times the ref lets the ball leave the offensive zone especially if the team hustles to get the corner in but usually it depends how much time is left. If there is 3 minutes of extra time and you are working it around with near 4 minutes left when you get the corner, the ref usually ends it right there.

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

I think everyone's worry with Gus is that Fox would try to groom him into some kind of American Andres Cantor. I DVRd the game, but as long as he doesn't have some ridiculous goal call, I'll live with it. I don't mind enthusiasm. God knows Martin Tyler could stand do a few lines before calling a game.

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

Question for all you rules guys, I didnt think the game could end with a ball not being in play. Even if its a throw in at midfield and not a corner for United. Whats the rule? Most refs let the offensive play end before calling it so that was a homer call.

Not true. Game can end with the ball out of play. Often times the ref lets the ball leave the offensive zone especially if the team hustles to get the corner in but usually it depends how much time is left. If there is 3 minutes of extra time and you are working it around with near 4 minutes left when you get the corner, the ref usually ends it right there.

In fact, the Aston Villa/West Ham game ended on a WHAM corner on Saturday. So we don't need to go back too far for precedent.

 

[The Z Machine]

So any of you haters change your mind on De Gea today? The dude has some sick reactions.

 

[B Maverick]

Question for all you rules guys, I didnt think the game could end with a ball not being in play. Even if its a throw in at midfield and not a corner for United. Whats the rule? Most refs let the offensive play end before calling it so that was a homer call.

Not true. Game can end with the ball out of play. Often times the ref lets the ball leave the offensive zone especially if the team hustles to get the corner in but usually it depends how much time is left. If there is 3 minutes of extra time and you are working it around with near 4 minutes left when you get the corner, the ref usually ends it right there.

In fact, the Aston Villa/West Ham game ended on a WHAM corner on Saturday. So we don't need to go back too far for precedent.

Thanks guys. And I understand if its the 4th minute of 3 mins extra time, but to not let the corner go when they are lining up within a couple secs of the 3 min mark is weak. And yes if RM was lining up I would say the same thing and be extremely pissed when they score.

 

[B Maverick]

So any of you haters change your mind on De Gea today? The dude has some sick reactions.

not a hater but his reactions have never been the issue. great shot stopper. The anger is about his inability to punch balls clear, own his box and go up strong on crosses/corners/etc. I have seen some improvement on crosses and today he caught the ball well. Hope its not just from being back in spain for a day....

 

[jonessed]

The two key aspects of the game were De Gea's shot stopping and Phil Jones being allowed to play rugby out there.

 

[Christo]

The two key aspects of the game were De Gea's shot stopping and Phil Jones being allowed to play rugby out there.

Give me a break, RM was no less physical.

 

[Christo]

And don't get me wrong, I love a physical game. The ref did a very good job letting things go. And the players did a very good job not overreacting and getting pissy. They all just played a good aggressive game. It really was a good game to watch.I'm going to make sure the afternoon of 3/5 is clear.

 

[gianmarco]

The two key aspects of the game were De Gea's shot stopping and Phil Jones being allowed to play rugby out there.

Give me a break, RM was no less physical.

(man, that hurts on a Christo post)

 

[jonessed]

The two key aspects of the game were De Gea's shot stopping and Phil Jones being allowed to play rugby out there.

Give me a break, RM was no less physical.

That first half shoulder-barge on Di Maria was an easy penalty. He even followed it up with a nice straight arm when Di Maria didn't completely go down.He was doing the same thing all over the field.It worked. He was very disruptive and it was a big part of breaking up RM's play, but he should have been put on a yellow early. It went on way too long.

 

[Christo]

The two key aspects of the game were De Gea's shot stopping and Phil Jones being allowed to play rugby out there.

Give me a break, RM was no less physical.

That first half shoulder-barge on Di Maria was an easy penalty. He even followed it up with a nice straight arm when Di Maria didn't completely go down.He was doing the same thing all over the field.It worked. He was very disruptive and it was a big part of breaking up RM's play, but he should have been put on a yellow early. It went on way too long.

 

[Steve Tasker]

De Gea was great and I thought the ref called a fantastic game. Let the players play on a big stage without letting the game get out of hand. Not sure I agree with blowing the whistle before that last corner, but otherwise I thought he did a great job.I was really impressed with Di Maria too. I don't see too many RM games but I've always thought he was outshadowed by Ronaldo, Ozil, etc....he really shined today. I think it's fascinating to see a team like RM expose United's weak spots, guys like Carrick, Jones, Rafael. They all looked very weak out there today, in sharp contrast to EPL games where they all look like world-beaters. RM is just on a different level, talent-wise. Full credit to United though, not easy to get a draw + an away goal at the Bernabeu...set themselves up very well for the return leg.

 

[Good Posting Judge]

ZM

 

[Good Posting Judge]

I agree with Cox that the last two substitutions for RM were curious. There's no sense in taking off Di Maria at all. It'll be interesting to see MU's gameplan for the return leg.

 

[gianmarco]

http://m.bleacherreport.com/articles/1527529-daniel-sturridge-analysing-his-liverpool-stats-so-farGood read on Sturridge with his new team so far.

 

[Christo]

ZM

The second half situation was an exaggerated version of the first half – Real played higher up the pitch, United dropped deeper and still tried to break. In fact, the away side’s best moment of the game came shortly after the break, when a classic ‘up, back and through’ saw Evra racing through on goal, where he was halted by a slightly clumsy Varane challenge.

I guess that's one way to put it.

 

[The Gator]

The two key aspects of the game were De Gea's shot stopping and Phil Jones being allowed to play rugby out there.

and I really hope the whiners get their way way De Gea is moved. Dood os going to be a beast once he learns to control those shots he saves

 

[Good Posting Judge]

Today's installment of As the Goalie Turns:Marca reporting that Barcelona has a pre-agreement with Ter Stegen of Borussia Moenchengladbach. But, it's Marca.

 

[Good Posting Judge]

My God:https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/72946_186735948117068_1568138823_n.jpg

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

My God:https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/72946_186735948117068_1568138823_n.jpg

Posterized. That was freaking majestic.

 

[El Floppo]

Why are we arguing over who is a real fan based on who they support?Who cares if someone watches his team practice live 4 times a week vs someone has never even been in the country and calls the club "we". Just have fun with who you support whether in be in misery or glory, plenty of both to go around

Agreed - - good posting

Disagree... terrible posting. SignedA real fan.,

 

[SmoovySmoov]

My God:https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/72946_186735948117068_1568138823_n.jpg

Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.

 

[NewlyRetired]

The Frenchies do like them young. You would think there would be enough groupies that these guys would not need prostitutes. Its not like they are any more secure using them vs a regular groupie.

French probe opened into under-age prostitutionPARIS (AP) -- A France national team player is under suspicion for soliciting an under-age prostitute as part of a preliminary investigation opened by Paris prosecutors.Prosecutors' office spokeswoman Agnes Thibault-Lecuivre told The Associated Press on Wednesday that "an international player'' is under suspicion after a 16-year-old girl was arrested for shoplifting and his name appeared on her mobile phone records."An inquiry is under way. A minor was arrested a few weeks ago, for shoplifting, and her mobile phone was examined,'' Thibault-Lecuivre said. "It's after the examination of this telephone that an inquiry was opened for prostitution of a minor, but I won't confirm the name of those who could be cited, notably football players.''She confirmed that the player concerned "is an international player'' for France without giving further details."Checks have to be made first of all. For the moment it is (a case of) suspicion,'' she added.French Football Federation president Noel Le Graet has distanced himself from the investigation."Honestly, I don't know who it is. This has got nothing to do with the France team anyway,'' he told RTL radio. "I don't know what happened or what might happen. That said, this belongs in the private domain.''Three years ago, preliminary charges were filed against France internationals Franck Ribery and Karim Benzema for soliciting an underage prostitute - the latest setback for a national team that had returned from the 2010 World Cup in disgrace and disarray.

 

[SmoovySmoov]

The Frenchies do like them young. You would think there would be enough groupies that these guys would not need prostitutes. Its not like they are any more secure using them vs a regular groupie.

French probe opened into under-age prostitutionPARIS (AP) -- A France national team player is under suspicion for soliciting an under-age prostitute as part of a preliminary investigation opened by Paris prosecutors.Prosecutors' office spokeswoman Agnes Thibault-Lecuivre told The Associated Press on Wednesday that "an international player'' is under suspicion after a 16-year-old girl was arrested for shoplifting and his name appeared on her mobile phone records."An inquiry is under way. A minor was arrested a few weeks ago, for shoplifting, and her mobile phone was examined,'' Thibault-Lecuivre said. "It's after the examination of this telephone that an inquiry was opened for prostitution of a minor, but I won't confirm the name of those who could be cited, notably football players.''She confirmed that the player concerned "is an international player'' for France without giving further details."Checks have to be made first of all. For the moment it is (a case of) suspicion,'' she added.French Football Federation president Noel Le Graet has distanced himself from the investigation."Honestly, I don't know who it is. This has got nothing to do with the France team anyway,'' he told RTL radio. "I don't know what happened or what might happen. That said, this belongs in the private domain.''Three years ago, preliminary charges were filed against France internationals Franck Ribery and Karim Benzema for soliciting an underage prostitute - the latest setback for a national team that had returned from the 2010 World Cup in disgrace and disarray.

Ribery.........I'm looking at you.

 

[NewlyRetired]

If anyone is interested in some fun US Mens National Team history, ASN.com just released the second of a three part story that focuses on a period lost to most of us, the 1985 time frame during qualifying. It is a really fun read with plenty of youtube clips sprinkled in.Here are part 1 and 2http://americansoccernow.com/articles/u-s-soccer-in-1985-the-end-of-the-beginninghttp://americansoccernow.com/articles/american-soccer-in-1985-the-nightmare-approaches

 

[CletiusMaximus]

I love you Europa League. I do, really for reals. Let's go CFC.

 

[Slapdash]

WTF happened to Napoli?

 

[ffldrew]

My wife picked our family up tickets to the CR qualifier at ##### Sporting Goods on Mar 22nd through the Rapids - god I hope they play better. A nice snowy evening would be fun as well - weather could be 80 that day or 10 degrees - I wonder if the US brass has a preference.ETA - nice block - the #####=large sporting goods chain in the US - please don't ban me mods

 

[Christo]

Wicked free kick by Bale.

 

[GoFishTN]

I think this Bale kid is going to be pretty good.

 

[Tremendous Upside]

Lyon equalizes with a true golazo from Umtiti

 

[Christo]

Two of the best goals in a single game I've ever seen.

 

[The Z Machine]

Rubin Kazan is up 1-0 on my boys in Madrid in Europa play. This could be their first home loss all season...

 

[Christo]

 

[jonessed]

Bale is ridiculous.

 

[GoFishTN]

Bale is ridiculous.