***Official Soccer Discussion Thread*** (15 Viewers)

[El Floppo]

I choose to believe this is going to work because the alternative is too awful to contemplate

How the 2026 World Cup is tackling its turf problem with the ‘most micromanaged grass in the world’

The quest to solve the 2026 World Cup's turf problem has led to a high-stakes experiment, with the solution set to debut at next week's CONCACAF Nations League matches at SoFI Stadium.

sports.yahoo.com

yeah... this isn' going to work.

 

[NewlyRetired]

I choose to believe this is going to work because the alternative is too awful to contemplate

How the 2026 World Cup is tackling its turf problem with the ‘most micromanaged grass in the world’

The quest to solve the 2026 World Cup's turf problem has led to a high-stakes experiment, with the solution set to debut at next week's CONCACAF Nations League matches at SoFI Stadium.

sports.yahoo.com

yeah... this isn' going to work.

Looks like we will get a good look at in Nations League. Sounds scary.

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

Some really nice footage of a young Diego at Barca.

(And also some game, if futile, attempts to shatter his ankles.)

 

[NewlyRetired]

A Bulgarian first division side holds a minute of silence prior to a game in memory of an ex-player, who turns out to be alive and at the stands. They issue an apology at halftime​

 

[NewlyRetired]

Very cool

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USL (United Soccer League) owners have voted on Tuesday to become the first professional soccer entity in the United States to adopt promotion and relegation. USL owners passed the vote with a supermajority. The expectation is that it will start in 2028 with the launch of the new USL Division 1 league

 

[B Maverick]

Very cool

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USL (United Soccer League) owners have voted on Tuesday to become the first professional soccer entity in the United States to adopt promotion and relegation. USL owners passed the vote with a supermajority. The expectation is that it will start in 2028 with the launch of the new USL Division 1 league

The initial reports I saw a couple weeks ago made it seem like USL is trying to compete with MLS as the "top league" and part of that is introducing pro/rel.

 

[zoobird]

Very cool

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USL (United Soccer League) owners have voted on Tuesday to become the first professional soccer entity in the United States to adopt promotion and relegation. USL owners passed the vote with a supermajority. The expectation is that it will start in 2028 with the launch of the new USL Division 1 league

The initial reports I saw a couple weeks ago made it seem like USL is trying to compete with MLS as the "top league" and part of that is introducing pro/rel.

Yeah, they've made two separate announcements: The formation of a top tier league (I think starting in 2027) and now the introduction of pro-rel among the three tiers (presumably starting in or after 2027). I know the President of the new Portland, Maine team in USL League One, so...Go Hearts of Pine!

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

Been meaning to do this for awhile, but just saw a David Lynch vid that took a crack at it. Liverpool seem like they're finally going to have a big transfer summer. Out of necessity. 2025 squad prediction:

Salah, Gakpo, new CF, new winger, Jota or new forward
Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Gravenberch, Jones, new 6/8 combo cover
Bradley, new RB
new LB, Robertson
VvD, Konate, new CB, Quansah
Alisson, Mamardashvili, Jaros

• That'd be the 20 game-day spots, with a 3rd GK taking up another of the 25 first-team roster slots. So there's still room for a couple developmental players like Bajcetic or someone else who's out on loan. Or an Endo-style spot minutes guy. Or a surprise vet available on a free or cheap. Or maybe they don't get a bid they like for Elliot. Etc.
• Of the out-of-contract players, I'm assuming Salah and VvD stay. If either of them go, the team is up a creek IMO. Just too much change to digest and too much talent to replace.
• Forwards out: Nunez is 100% gone IMO. Diaz seems a likely move too. Chiesa goes back to Italy. I'd personally keep Jota as a 5th forward, but he might go too.
• Midfielders out: Endo and Elliot (the EPL Diego Luna) leave for minutes.
• Defenders out: Trent has sounded, and played, like he was leaving for a long time but Bradley is ready to step into that role, so it's a backup they're loooking for. Tsimikas departs and Robertson becomes the backup on the left side. Gomez also leaves in search of a starters role.
• Goalkeepers out: Kelleher. It's' not impossible someone comes in with a bid for Alisson that would see him leave too, but I agree with Lynch's take that he'll stick around for a year.

That'd be 6-7 new players coming in, and anywhere from 8-10 leaving.

 

[NewlyRetired]

==============================

Mexican side Club Leon have been removed from this summer’s Club World Cup after failing to meet FIFA’s criteria on multi-club ownership.

Leon are majority owned by Grupo Pachuca, which also controls fellow Liga MX side and Club World Cup participant Pachuca.

A FIFA statement on Friday confirmed that a FIFA Appeal Committee had determined that the Mexican sides have “failed to meet the criteria on multi-club ownership defined under” the regulations for the Club World Cup.

Those regulations state that “no individual or legal entity may have control or influence over more than one club participating in the competition”.

FIFA says a replacement side will be announced “in due course”.

 

[El Floppo]

==============================

Mexican side Club Leon have been removed from this summer’s Club World Cup after failing to meet FIFA’s criteria on multi-club ownership.

Leon are majority owned by Grupo Pachuca, which also controls fellow Liga MX side and Club World Cup participant Pachuca.

A FIFA statement on Friday confirmed that a FIFA Appeal Committee had determined that the Mexican sides have “failed to meet the criteria on multi-club ownership defined under” the regulations for the Club World Cup.

Those regulations state that “no individual or legal entity may have control or influence over more than one club participating in the competition”.

FIFA says a replacement side will be announced “in due course”.

RB and City group teams all ok I assume. Because they're not from Mexico. (I have no idea if eithr of those groups have multiple teams in play.. but seems likely they might at some point).

 

[NewlyRetired]

==============================

Mexican side Club Leon have been removed from this summer’s Club World Cup after failing to meet FIFA’s criteria on multi-club ownership.

Leon are majority owned by Grupo Pachuca, which also controls fellow Liga MX side and Club World Cup participant Pachuca.

A FIFA statement on Friday confirmed that a FIFA Appeal Committee had determined that the Mexican sides have “failed to meet the criteria on multi-club ownership defined under” the regulations for the Club World Cup.

Those regulations state that “no individual or legal entity may have control or influence over more than one club participating in the competition”.

FIFA says a replacement side will be announced “in due course”.

RB and City group teams all ok I assume. Because they're not from Mexico. (I have no idea if eithr of those groups have multiple teams in play.. but seems likely they might at some point).

I think there are only one team of each of those groups in this event.

Man City and RB Salzburg.

FIFA is not setting rules about multiple team ownerships at club level, only for this specific tournament

 

[El Floppo]

==============================

Mexican side Club Leon have been removed from this summer’s Club World Cup after failing to meet FIFA’s criteria on multi-club ownership.

Leon are majority owned by Grupo Pachuca, which also controls fellow Liga MX side and Club World Cup participant Pachuca.

A FIFA statement on Friday confirmed that a FIFA Appeal Committee had determined that the Mexican sides have “failed to meet the criteria on multi-club ownership defined under” the regulations for the Club World Cup.

Those regulations state that “no individual or legal entity may have control or influence over more than one club participating in the competition”.

FIFA says a replacement side will be announced “in due course”.

RB and City group teams all ok I assume. Because they're not from Mexico. (I have no idea if eithr of those groups have multiple teams in play.. but seems likely they might at some point).

I think there are only one team of each of those groups in this event.

Man City and RB Salzburg.

FIFA is not setting rules about multiple team ownerships at club level, only for this specific tournament

I understood that. just wondering how much FIFA will bend when it's teams from a major player and continent.

 

[encaitar]

Tomorrow's FIFA announcement... "We are pleased to announce that Al Nassr are replacing Leon in the Club World Cup due to....... BS reasons incoming."

 

[El Floppo]

Italy finding new ways to drop out of competitions.

https://x.com/FOXSoccer/status/1903912257614192814?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1903912257614192814%7Ctwgr%5Efc807f7913fd4bbc237639c33589945cad24d9d3%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.espn.com%2Fsoccer%2F

 

[NewlyRetired]

Italy finding new ways to drop out of competitions.

https://x.com/FOXSoccer/status/1903912257614192814?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1903912257614192814%7Ctwgr%5Efc807f7913fd4bbc237639c33589945cad24d9d3%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.espn.com%2Fsoccer%2F

Oh dear.

And good on Germany. We don’t get any where near enough fast restarts in the sport for my liking.

 

[gianmarco]

Whoa

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

Italy finding new ways to drop out of competitions.

https://x.com/FOXSoccer/status/1903912257614192814?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1903912257614192814%7Ctwgr%5Efc807f7913fd4bbc237639c33589945cad24d9d3%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.espn.com%2Fsoccer%2F

That is so Donnarumma (my Donna Summer name never caught on).

 

[titusbramble]

For more or less the first time ever, I feel like I'm actually in the final straight of completing the 92 club, which for those not aware is basically the grand tour of English football grounds. I'm sat on single digits left to clear - obviously at this stage they're all ballache trips, but I've got back to back to back weekends getting three of them sorted, which is going to involve a hotel stop in Sheffield after our game on Friday then heading to another country in the morning, a pre-6am start the week after, then a weekender in Devon for the last of them

 

[Desert_Power]

For more or less the first time ever, I feel like I'm actually in the final straight of completing the 92 club, which for those not aware is basically the grand tour of English football grounds. I'm sat on single digits left to clear - obviously at this stage they're all ballache trips, but I've got back to back to back weekends getting three of them sorted, which is going to involve a hotel stop in Sheffield after our game on Friday then heading to another country in the morning, a pre-6am start the week after, then a weekender in Devon for the last of them

Way cool. When you're done, you should rank them all.

 

[titusbramble]

For more or less the first time ever, I feel like I'm actually in the final straight of completing the 92 club, which for those not aware is basically the grand tour of English football grounds. I'm sat on single digits left to clear - obviously at this stage they're all ballache trips, but I've got back to back to back weekends getting three of them sorted, which is going to involve a hotel stop in Sheffield after our game on Friday then heading to another country in the morning, a pre-6am start the week after, then a weekender in Devon for the last of them

Way cool. When you're done, you should rank them all.

92 - Hillsborough