And someone laughed at the drafting of Chiriches and Danny Rose during the draft!!!
Vertonghen (also) plays CB, and CB's are at a premium in the transfer market. He'll have no trouble finding a spot on a CL squad.Hard to say - he should be starting, and I am hopeful he plays on Saturday, but he and Fazio started in the Cap1 Cup on wednesday, and Pochettino has been rotating the squad pretty heavily between mid-week and league games.WTF is Vertonghen not starting?I must say, that while I will always be cautiously optimistic in any NLD - I am not really looking forward to this one...hoping for a reasonable scoreline - but I am afraid Spurs are going to roll Kaboul and Chiriches out at CB again, and it could get ugly. Hoping Gooners are a tad bit overconfident ...Those greedy ####ers. But can't say I blame them - may not like them, but if Lewis won't sell the club unless he gets an obscene price, I suppose Archway should hold out for their own obscene price.And how awesome Archway Sheet Metal is.Sinn Fein said:Can someone shoot me a PM when this whole MLS pissing contest is over.
I'd like to get this thread back on track about my fantasy team, Spurs, and how ####ty Liverpool (and Arsenal, and ManUtd) are.![]()
![]()
It's just the current shtick among Gooners. I'm sure you're going to see some Archway propaganda during this weekend's NLD.![]()
There is also something funky going on behind the scenes, all the reports from this summer were that Vertonghen had agreed to a new deal with Spurs - but now, all of a sudden he is not interested in signing the new deal. Some speculation that he has had a falling out with Pochettino - but honestly he has shown up and played well in the last two mid-week games, so I don't think he is sulking. He is saying the right things in the press - he is happy, just does not want to sign an extension, and still has 4 years on his current contract.
It may be that Spurs have decided to sell him in January, and are preparing for when he is not here - though I don't know where he can go that meets his objective of CL football, and not in some third-tier league. I doubt Levy will sell him to a PL club, but I think ManUtd were kicking the tires this summer, Barca was apparently interested, but their transfer ban should be in place now.
I have been holding out hope that Vertonghen and Fazio are first choice CBs and that playing them in mid-week games has only been done to get them acclimated to each other. We'll see tomorrow, but with Kaboul named club captain, it seems the coaches value him more than the fans, and that makes his pairing with Chiriches interesting to watch...
Wheels within wheels.And someone laughed at the drafting of Chiriches and Danny Rose during the draft!!!
Just because PSG overpaid to get Luiz, does not mean CL teams will be beating down the doors to sign Vertonghen at a premium.Vertonghen (also) plays CB, and CB's are at a premium in the transfer market. He'll have no trouble finding a spot on a CL squad.Hard to say - he should be starting, and I am hopeful he plays on Saturday, but he and Fazio started in the Cap1 Cup on wednesday, and Pochettino has been rotating the squad pretty heavily between mid-week and league games.WTF is Vertonghen not starting?I must say, that while I will always be cautiously optimistic in any NLD - I am not really looking forward to this one...hoping for a reasonable scoreline - but I am afraid Spurs are going to roll Kaboul and Chiriches out at CB again, and it could get ugly. Hoping Gooners are a tad bit overconfident ...Those greedy ####ers. But can't say I blame them - may not like them, but if Lewis won't sell the club unless he gets an obscene price, I suppose Archway should hold out for their own obscene price.And how awesome Archway Sheet Metal is.Sinn Fein said:Can someone shoot me a PM when this whole MLS pissing contest is over.
I'd like to get this thread back on track about my fantasy team, Spurs, and how ####ty Liverpool (and Arsenal, and ManUtd) are.![]()
![]()
It's just the current shtick among Gooners. I'm sure you're going to see some Archway propaganda during this weekend's NLD.![]()
There is also something funky going on behind the scenes, all the reports from this summer were that Vertonghen had agreed to a new deal with Spurs - but now, all of a sudden he is not interested in signing the new deal. Some speculation that he has had a falling out with Pochettino - but honestly he has shown up and played well in the last two mid-week games, so I don't think he is sulking. He is saying the right things in the press - he is happy, just does not want to sign an extension, and still has 4 years on his current contract.
It may be that Spurs have decided to sell him in January, and are preparing for when he is not here - though I don't know where he can go that meets his objective of CL football, and not in some third-tier league. I doubt Levy will sell him to a PL club, but I think ManUtd were kicking the tires this summer, Barca was apparently interested, but their transfer ban should be in place now.
I have been holding out hope that Vertonghen and Fazio are first choice CBs and that playing them in mid-week games has only been done to get them acclimated to each other. We'll see tomorrow, but with Kaboul named club captain, it seems the coaches value him more than the fans, and that makes his pairing with Chiriches interesting to watch...
Saturday’s Republic FC game is the hottest ticket in town
By Ed Fletcher
Published: Friday, Sep. 26, 2014 - 12:23 am
They may be a third-tier team playing one of this country’s second-tier sports, but good luck trying to get a ticket to their championship game.
The 8,000 tickets available for the Sacramento Republic FC’s match Saturday against the Harrisburg City Islanders from Pennsylvania were snapped up in minutes, putting the game in competition with the city’s Farm-to-Fork dinner on the Tower Bridge on Sunday for having the hottest ticket in town.
Those who failed to snag a ticket to soccer’s USL Pro championship match, which starts at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Bonney Field in Cal Expo, can still watch it on local Channel 31.
The least-expensive game ticket on resale site StubHub was selling for $105 Thursday afternoon, a 320 percent markup from its $25 face value. The most expensive ticket was listed at $300. The average price of resale tickets was $166.
The sharp demand for Republic tickets contrasts with the tepid market for Sacramento Kings games in recent years, with unwanted tickets sometimes dumped for as little as $2.
Professional soccer still ranks below football, baseball and basketball in national prominence. But Sacramento fans are showing why it’s considered by many to be an ascending sport. The overwhelming support for the city’s lower-division soccer team has helped lay the groundwork for a potential upgrade to Major League Soccer, the highest league in the U.S. An MLS delegation visited Sacramento last week, wooed by a group of Republic owners and investors who plan to build a new stadium in the dormant downtown railyard.
It’s widely believed that Sacramento is in a close race with Minneapolis for the 24th and final spot in MLS. The league’s owners could make a decision as early as December.
About 7,000 of the 8,000 tickets for Saturday’s game went to the team’s season-ticket holders and the league, said team spokeswoman Erika Bjork. Fans without season-ticket privileges faced a digital scrum to secure a seat in the stadium.
Nicole Comer of Fair Oaks was among those who came away disappointed.
“It’s very sad. My son was very sad. He was like, ‘What? You didn’t get tickets?’ ” said Comer, who grew up playing and watching soccer. Her son, who is 9, plays goalie on his club team. Her parents, who do have season tickets, will be going to the game.
She said she’s not surprised the team is drawing so well: “There is a lot of soccer around here.”
Comer said she and her husband got tied up at work and didn’t log on to the Republic website right away when the tickets went on sale at 10 a.m. Wednesday. But state worker Brandon Chapin waited with his credit card.
“I was able to bag two of them when it opened,” said Chapin, who will be taking his girlfriend. He said they’re both new soccer fans.
Student Jessica Trudell turned to Facebook, asking for a miracle.
“Greedy scalpers bought up all the Sac Republic tickets so they can sell them for much more than face value. I can’t afford to pay for an overpriced ticket on my student’s budget. I’m dying to go to the game and I’m hoping there’s a friend out there with an extra ticket or two who is willing to sell to me for face value,” Trudell wrote.
The team’s booster group – the Tower Bridge Battalion – offered to give tickets to fans who would willingly be tattooed with the group’s logo.
The group, which was also willing to pay the price of the tattoo, quickly found more takers than tickets.
Bjork said there was plenty of evidence, dating back to when the team packed Hughes Stadium with 20,000 fans earlier this year to start its inaugural season, that there would be more demand for tickets for the championship game than could fit in the new, smaller stadium. After four matches at Hughes, which doesn’t have the proper dimensions for soccer, the team moved to 8,000-seat Bonney Field at Cal Expo.
“We really do feel like we could have sold 20,000, 25,000, 30,000 tickets,” Bjork said. “Our phones have been ringing off the hook.”
After season-ticket holders were given tickets and tickets for the league were taken out of the mix, there were 1,500 to sell. Season-ticket holders were given access to an allotment of extra tickets Tuesday, leaving about 1,000 to sell to the general public on Wednesday, Bjork said.
The success of the Republic FC in many ways mirrors the early days of the region’s basketball Kings and baseball River Cats. Both teams enjoyed immediate fan support and made postseason appearances in their inaugural seasons.
Jerry Reynolds, a longtime color commentator for the Kings, said he sees similarities between the two franchises.
“There was an immediate love affair with the Kings, and there was an immediate love affair with this team,” Reynolds said.
But while the Kings played their first season in a small facility before moving into a larger one, the Republic experience has been the opposite. He said the team likely benefited from playing games in a smaller stadium much of the season, ensuring packed houses.
West Sacramento Mayor Christopher Cabaldon said there are similarities with the River Cats’ experience but that the Republic’s route was harder. The team had to prove to naysayers that the region would support soccer.
The sport has quickly become a hit with young people, said Emily Cameron, who chairs the Metro Edge young professionals group in the Sacramento Metro Chamber.
“It’s almost like the new watering hole or new town square,” she said. “A couple years ago, the complaint was that there wasn’t enough to do. Now, not only is there a lot to do, but a lot of amazing things to do.”
The success of the Republic and other events – including the city’s sold-out Farm-to-Fork gala dinner Sunday – shows how this community supports things it wraps its arms around, said Mike Testa, a spokesman for the Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau.
“When the citizens of Sacramento embrace something, they help it do well,” Testa said. “This city and this region is passionate, especially when it comes to sports.”
It isn't just Luiz.Just because PSG overpaid to get Luiz, does not mean CL teams will be beating down the doors to sign Vertonghen at a premium.Vertonghen (also) plays CB, and CB's are at a premium in the transfer market. He'll have no trouble finding a spot on a CL squad.Hard to say - he should be starting, and I am hopeful he plays on Saturday, but he and Fazio started in the Cap1 Cup on wednesday, and Pochettino has been rotating the squad pretty heavily between mid-week and league games.WTF is Vertonghen not starting?I must say, that while I will always be cautiously optimistic in any NLD - I am not really looking forward to this one...hoping for a reasonable scoreline - but I am afraid Spurs are going to roll Kaboul and Chiriches out at CB again, and it could get ugly. Hoping Gooners are a tad bit overconfident ...Those greedy ####ers. But can't say I blame them - may not like them, but if Lewis won't sell the club unless he gets an obscene price, I suppose Archway should hold out for their own obscene price.And how awesome Archway Sheet Metal is.Sinn Fein said:Can someone shoot me a PM when this whole MLS pissing contest is over.
I'd like to get this thread back on track about my fantasy team, Spurs, and how ####ty Liverpool (and Arsenal, and ManUtd) are.![]()
![]()
It's just the current shtick among Gooners. I'm sure you're going to see some Archway propaganda during this weekend's NLD.![]()
There is also something funky going on behind the scenes, all the reports from this summer were that Vertonghen had agreed to a new deal with Spurs - but now, all of a sudden he is not interested in signing the new deal. Some speculation that he has had a falling out with Pochettino - but honestly he has shown up and played well in the last two mid-week games, so I don't think he is sulking. He is saying the right things in the press - he is happy, just does not want to sign an extension, and still has 4 years on his current contract.
It may be that Spurs have decided to sell him in January, and are preparing for when he is not here - though I don't know where he can go that meets his objective of CL football, and not in some third-tier league. I doubt Levy will sell him to a PL club, but I think ManUtd were kicking the tires this summer, Barca was apparently interested, but their transfer ban should be in place now.
I have been holding out hope that Vertonghen and Fazio are first choice CBs and that playing them in mid-week games has only been done to get them acclimated to each other. We'll see tomorrow, but with Kaboul named club captain, it seems the coaches value him more than the fans, and that makes his pairing with Chiriches interesting to watch...
The Italian teams are all broke, will Arsenal, Chelsea, ManCity, or Liverpool overpay to get Vertonghen? I doubt it. Barca is out with the transfer ban, I don't think he suits the style of Atletico, RM is a possibility, maybe Bilbao - but I don't know their financial situation, can't imagine they have extra cash lying around.
The german teams seem like the most likely destination, but I don't know who needs/wants a CB, and willing to pay a premium to get him.
Knowing FIFA, Sunil had to horse trade something for this but at this point, who cares. This is going to be such a nice addition to this WC cycle.#### yes!!!!!!!
Sunil Gulati ✔ @sunilgulati
Thrilled that #fifa has added the 2016 Copa Centenario hosted by U.S. to the international calendar. Look forward to an amazing tournament.
It was this or a WC...Knowing FIFA, Sunil had to horse trade something for this but at this point, who cares. This is going to be such a nice addition to this WC cycle.#### yes!!!!!!!
Sunil Gulati ✔ @sunilgulati
Thrilled that #fifa has added the 2016 Copa Centenario hosted by U.S. to the international calendar. Look forward to an amazing tournament.
I am foolish, but I am stil hoping for a 2026 WC here.It was this or a WC...Knowing FIFA, Sunil had to horse trade something for this but at this point, who cares. This is going to be such a nice addition to this WC cycle.#### yes!!!!!!!
Sunil Gulati ✔ @sunilgulati
Thrilled that #fifa has added the 2016 Copa Centenario hosted by U.S. to the international calendar. Look forward to an amazing tournament.
Isn't Dier a CB?Hard to say - he should be starting, and I am hopeful he plays on Saturday, but he and Fazio started in the Cap1 Cup on wednesday, and Pochettino has been rotating the squad pretty heavily between mid-week and league games.WTF is Vertonghen not starting?I must say, that while I will always be cautiously optimistic in any NLD - I am not really looking forward to this one...hoping for a reasonable scoreline - but I am afraid Spurs are going to roll Kaboul and Chiriches out at CB again, and it could get ugly. Hoping Gooners are a tad bit overconfident ...Those greedy ####ers. But can't say I blame them - may not like them, but if Lewis won't sell the club unless he gets an obscene price, I suppose Archway should hold out for their own obscene price.And how awesome Archway Sheet Metal is.Sinn Fein said:Can someone shoot me a PM when this whole MLS pissing contest is over.
I'd like to get this thread back on track about my fantasy team, Spurs, and how ####ty Liverpool (and Arsenal, and ManUtd) are.![]()
![]()
It's just the current shtick among Gooners. I'm sure you're going to see some Archway propaganda during this weekend's NLD.![]()
There is also something funky going on behind the scenes, all the reports from this summer were that Vertonghen had agreed to a new deal with Spurs - but now, all of a sudden he is not interested in signing the new deal. Some speculation that he has had a falling out with Pochettino - but honestly he has shown up and played well in the last two mid-week games, so I don't think he is sulking. He is saying the right things in the press - he is happy, just does not want to sign an extension, and still has 4 years on his current contract.
It may be that Spurs have decided to sell him in January, and are preparing for when he is not here - though I don't know where he can go that meets his objective of CL football, and not in some third-tier league. I doubt Levy will sell him to a PL club, but I think ManUtd were kicking the tires this summer, Barca was apparently interested, but their transfer ban should be in place now.
I have been holding out hope that Vertonghen and Fazio are first choice CBs and that playing them in mid-week games has only been done to get them acclimated to each other. We'll see tomorrow, but with Kaboul named club captain, it seems the coaches value him more than the fans, and that makes his pairing with Chiriches interesting to watch...
Yes, but I suspect Walker is going to be out for awhile.Isn't Dier a CB?Hard to say - he should be starting, and I am hopeful he plays on Saturday, but he and Fazio started in the Cap1 Cup on wednesday, and Pochettino has been rotating the squad pretty heavily between mid-week and league games.There is also something funky going on behind the scenes, all the reports from this summer were that Vertonghen had agreed to a new deal with Spurs - but now, all of a sudden he is not interested in signing the new deal. Some speculation that he has had a falling out with Pochettino - but honestly he has shown up and played well in the last two mid-week games, so I don't think he is sulking. He is saying the right things in the press - he is happy, just does not want to sign an extension, and still has 4 years on his current contract.WTF is Vertonghen not starting?I must say, that while I will always be cautiously optimistic in any NLD - I am not really looking forward to this one...hoping for a reasonable scoreline - but I am afraid Spurs are going to roll Kaboul and Chiriches out at CB again, and it could get ugly. Hoping Gooners are a tad bit overconfident ...Those greedy ####ers. But can't say I blame them - may not like them, but if Lewis won't sell the club unless he gets an obscene price, I suppose Archway should hold out for their own obscene price.And how awesome Archway Sheet Metal is.Sinn Fein said:Can someone shoot me a PM when this whole MLS pissing contest is over.
I'd like to get this thread back on track about my fantasy team, Spurs, and how ####ty Liverpool (and Arsenal, and ManUtd) are.![]()
![]()
It's just the current shtick among Gooners. I'm sure you're going to see some Archway propaganda during this weekend's NLD.![]()
It may be that Spurs have decided to sell him in January, and are preparing for when he is not here - though I don't know where he can go that meets his objective of CL football, and not in some third-tier league. I doubt Levy will sell him to a PL club, but I think ManUtd were kicking the tires this summer, Barca was apparently interested, but their transfer ban should be in place now.
I have been holding out hope that Vertonghen and Fazio are first choice CBs and that playing them in mid-week games has only been done to get them acclimated to each other. We'll see tomorrow, but with Kaboul named club captain, it seems the coaches value him more than the fans, and that makes his pairing with Chiriches interesting to watch...
This. Dier and Naughton have been rotating at RB since Naughton was sent off against West Ham in the opener.Yes, but I suspect Walker is going to be out for awhile.Isn't Dier a CB?Hard to say - he should be starting, and I am hopeful he plays on Saturday, but he and Fazio started in the Cap1 Cup on wednesday, and Pochettino has been rotating the squad pretty heavily between mid-week and league games.There is also something funky going on behind the scenes, all the reports from this summer were that Vertonghen had agreed to a new deal with Spurs - but now, all of a sudden he is not interested in signing the new deal. Some speculation that he has had a falling out with Pochettino - but honestly he has shown up and played well in the last two mid-week games, so I don't think he is sulking. He is saying the right things in the press - he is happy, just does not want to sign an extension, and still has 4 years on his current contract.WTF is Vertonghen not starting?I must say, that while I will always be cautiously optimistic in any NLD - I am not really looking forward to this one...hoping for a reasonable scoreline - but I am afraid Spurs are going to roll Kaboul and Chiriches out at CB again, and it could get ugly. Hoping Gooners are a tad bit overconfident ...Those greedy ####ers. But can't say I blame them - may not like them, but if Lewis won't sell the club unless he gets an obscene price, I suppose Archway should hold out for their own obscene price.And how awesome Archway Sheet Metal is.Sinn Fein said:Can someone shoot me a PM when this whole MLS pissing contest is over.
I'd like to get this thread back on track about my fantasy team, Spurs, and how ####ty Liverpool (and Arsenal, and ManUtd) are.![]()
![]()
It's just the current shtick among Gooners. I'm sure you're going to see some Archway propaganda during this weekend's NLD.![]()
It may be that Spurs have decided to sell him in January, and are preparing for when he is not here - though I don't know where he can go that meets his objective of CL football, and not in some third-tier league. I doubt Levy will sell him to a PL club, but I think ManUtd were kicking the tires this summer, Barca was apparently interested, but their transfer ban should be in place now.
I have been holding out hope that Vertonghen and Fazio are first choice CBs and that playing them in mid-week games has only been done to get them acclimated to each other. We'll see tomorrow, but with Kaboul named club captain, it seems the coaches value him more than the fans, and that makes his pairing with Chiriches interesting to watch...
RAWK is down the hall to left - where you hear the flushing sounds....what is this, thefightingcock.co.uk?
We took over until you guys can get Smoovy under control.what is this, thefightingcock.co.uk?
NewlyRetired said:#### yes!!!!!!!
Sunil Gulati ✔ @sunilgulati
Thrilled that #fifa has added the 2016 Copa Centenario hosted by U.S. to the international calendar. Look forward to an amazing tournament.
Mangala was 40m Euros (Luiz was 50m), and looked worth every penny last weekend.CB stuff…. City paid a crazy amount for Mangala too, didn't they?
Unfortunately, the video of the incident looks a lot tamer.Fazio probably isn't a guy Spurs want to rely on this weekend, but he's good friends with Diego Costa, so maybe they'll play him against Chelsea.
Anything can happen in NLD's. Either of these teams could blow the doors off with a 5-0 win, or the game could be a dreary 0-0 or 1-1 affair, or of course anything in between.Maybe I'm just trying the old reverse jinx, but I think Spurs are just the type of team set up to murder Arsenal. Arsenal couldn't handle Dortmund's pressing and Pochettino is pretty much the closest thing to Klopp in the Prem when it comes to tactics.
If Ozil plays the 10 in a 4-2-3-1, I think Arsenal should be ok. If they revert back to the 4-1-4-1 with Ozil out wide, Arteta all alone at the base, and Wilshere and Ramsey getting in each other's way in the middle of the park, God help us.If gooners lose this game they should be embarrassed. Spurs are not yet playing with pochettino's tactics. Best chance is an ugly game with a fluke goal, but those have been going against Spurs lately.
Mathieu has looked very good thus far.Mangala was 40m Euros (Luiz was 50m), and looked worth every penny last weekend.CB stuff…. City paid a crazy amount for Mangala too, didn't they?
Some other CB's this window:
Benatia 28m
Loveren 25
Mathieu 20
Rojo 20
Manolas 13
Abdennour 13
Caulker 11
Vermaelen 10
Ginter 10
Fazio 10
Fernandez 10
.
.
.
Dier 5
Dawson 4.5
Agger 4
Not enough fascism for you eh?Just watched special on Merseyside Derby. How staid.
That would be Lazio....the goat#######.Not enough fascism for you eh?Just watched special on Merseyside Derby. How staid.
Incidentally, he timed out as having the fastest foot-speed on Barca's entire team.Mathieu has looked very good thus far.Mangala was 40m Euros (Luiz was 50m), and looked worth every penny last weekend.CB stuff…. City paid a crazy amount for Mangala too, didn't they?
Some other CB's this window:
Benatia 28m
Loveren 25
Mathieu 20
Rojo 20
Manolas 13
Abdennour 13
Caulker 11
Vermaelen 10
Ginter 10
Fazio 10
Fernandez 10
.
.
.
Dier 5
Dawson 4.5
Agger 4
http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/sep/26/german-inspectors-free-kick-vanishing-spray-health-hazard-bundesligaGerman inspectors say free-kick finishing spray is a health hazardInspectors in Germany have found that the vanishing spray used for free-kicks is a health hazard just weeks before its planned introduction to the Bundesliga.
Germany’s technical inspection agency (TueV) said on Friday that the spray used at the World Cup in Brazil had been found to contain parabens that are suspected of being “hormonally active”. TueV’s spokesman Ralf Diekmann said: “In its present form, the product is not usable in Germany and the European Union.”
The spray, used in the Premier League and several others across Europe, is due to be introduced in the Bundesliga in mid-October, and the German Football Federation has played down fears of a delay. It said it had not been aware of the study commissioned by the country’s biggest-selling newspaper but it is looking at alternatives anyway.
“Regardless, we have been in contact already for weeks with other suppliers to find an alternative to the costly import from Argentina,” said Lutz Michael Fröhlich, the chief of the federation’s department of referees. “We are sure we are going to find a solution that will not be faulty,” Fröhlich added, pointing out that the federation referees are sponsored by another inspection agency.
TueV said the packaging for the spray neglected to mention that the substance was highly flammable. Also, none of the packaging text was in German, and it also objected to the greenhouse effect and incomplete labelling. The agency makes safety inspections of products ranging from elevators to toys.
Parabens are often used as preservatives in cosmetics.
He should be watching on a tv like usSo Barry should have about 4 yellows right now?
Everton in blue, Liverpool in brown.He should be watching on a tv like usSo Barry should have about 4 yellows right now?![]()
Ps, what color are the uniforms on your tv?