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***Official Soccer Discussion Thread*** (9 Viewers)

Here is an interesting piece on how Sunil transformed himself in one day from a relative non entity to a possible power player in world soccer

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By all accounts, Sunil Gulati, president of U.S. Soccer, played a pivotal role in the election of Gianni Infantino as FIFA president.

If you watched Fox Sports' wall-to-wall coverage of Friday's  FIFA Congress in Zurich, you'd have watched via the “SunilCam” Gulati arguing projected vote totals on the executive committee stage with Sheikh Ahmad of Kuwait, Sheikh Salman's handler, as the first-round ballots were being counted and then huddling with Infantino between rounds before scurrying to find Prince Ali and Sheikh Salman voters and convince them to switch to Infantino in the second round.

What began as a three-vote advantage for Infantino over Sheikh Salman after Round 1 became a 27-vote victory in Round 2.

"Gulati got a FIFA president he wanted, and he showed that the U.S. has emerged as a force on the world scene," reported SI.com's Grant Wahl. "The United States played a key role in the intense lobbying that saw Gianni Infantino elected FIFA president on Friday," wrote Simon Evans of Reuters in his post-election analysis. The headline in the Los Angeles Times: "Sunil Gulati pulls some serious strings to help soccer in the U.S."

Just how many votes Gulati swayed -- and from what confederations and what camps -- is not known. All that you needed to see, though, was FIFA delegates coming up to congratulate Gulati to know what was the view from the floor.

Tellingly, Gulati smiled when the New York Times' Sam Borden asked him what was the composition of Infantino's voters: “I’m much more familiar with how it got to 115 than the first 88."

The Congress floor theatrics would not have been possible without the key move: U.S. Soccer's decision to stick with Gulati's old friend, Prince Ali, whom it had nominated and supported in the May 2015 election against then-FIFA president Sepp Blatter. Some would argue there was no love lost between Prince Ali and Sheikh Salman, and Prince Ali's voters would automatically have switched to Infantino. But Infantino needed someone to work the floor for him with Prince Ali's blessing, and that's where Gulati came in.

What's next for Gulati? France Football reported Infantino would pick someone from Concacaf to be FIFA's new secretary general as payback for its late support for him. Reuters  reported speculation in Zurich was that Gulati would be a good choice for the FIFA CEO role.

It would be hard to imagine Gulati giving up his day job -- Columbia University economics professor -- to work at FIFA full-time. After all, his work at U.S. Soccer won't be finished until it is awarded the 2026 World Cup and avenges the stinging defeat to Qatar for the 2022 World Cup hosting rights five years ago. (On Monday night, Gulati said, "We can host a World Cup relatively easily. We can do it overnight.")

On the FIFA front, Gulati is where he needs to be. Overshadowed by Friday's presidential election was passage of sweeping reforms that will change the way FIFA operates. Just as much as Infantino's election was a victory, so were the FIFA reforms for Gulati, who headed the small but growing reform wing of the FIFA executive committee.

Indeed, Gulati's ability to help get Infantino elected reflected his growing influence on the exco. Gulati's close friendship with Prince Ali stems from their efforts to push change on the exco after he was elected in 2013 and in the face of extreme intransigence.

Since then, the voices of reform have grown with the addition of Englishman David Gill and Australian Moya Dodd. German Wolfgang Niersbach's future on the exco is in doubt as he has become embroiled in the German federation scandal stemming from its 2006 World Cup bid.

For others like Tunisian Tarek Bouchamaoui, the recent shift in the FIFA tides will allow them to become even more outspoken about change. (If anything, the big losers in Friday's election were the old African and Asian political machines.)

Gulati has been on the FIFA executive committee less than three years and he is already the ninth most senior member of the 25-person body that has been decimated by the FIFA scandal. (Twelve exco members who served with Gulati or quit before he was elected have been indicted or pleaded guilty to Federal corruption charges. And that doesn't include former UEFA president Michel Platini or Blatter, who are serving six-year soccer bans.)

Gulati's influence will only grow as the FIFA executive committee is dissolved and the 36-member FIFA council replaces it.


 
Sinn Fein said:
I wonder if Chelsea want a Europa spot, or would they rather regroup - like Man United a couple of years ago, without the extra games.
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Speaking strictly for myself, there's no question I want CFC to qualify for Europe. It's not easy, but I can manage midweek games pretty easily with a bit of planning. The hardest part is going back to work with a few beers under my belt, but that's common practice in Europe. 

 
Last night Giovanni Dos Santos played his first ever club professional soccer game in Mexico.

I sometimes forget he was so young when he went to Spain that he never played in Mexico at all.

 
Busby Babes to Fergisons Fledglings to Van Gals ??

Kids vs Watford......

                Rashford
Memphis Mata Herrera Martial
                 Scheiderlin
 Rojo Blind Fosu-Mensah Varela
               De Gea

 
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Meh... really nothing to play for this season now Gian.  Except a longshot UEFA Cup title that would get them into the CL.  

Probably time to drop guys like Lucas, Toure and Milner in favor of younger players.  Or it would be time if they had any other warm bodies to play in central defense.

 
I'm now the proud owner of Atlanta United FC season tickets!  Screw the haters on the team name, I'm pumped.  

I guess I may have to start following MLS to see which team is crap like Liverpool.

 
And that's how refs lose control of a game.  Up 3-0 there's really no downside to someone getting one back for Lallana.  Has to be a card for Fernandinho there.

 
Best home game for the team under the Klopp regime.  Great revenge for losing the cup on Sunday.  I think Flanagan taking out Sterling in the first five minutes set the tone.

So now I ask the question:  Does Pep have to come to City if they miss out on CL?  Because right now under a lame-duck manager, they are holding on by a thread.  All it takes is a hot streak from ManU and City is out.  

 
wdcrob said:
Up to the minute title odds...

Leicester 35.4%
Tottenham 32.8%
Arsenal 22.6%
Man City 9.2%
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Great day for Leicester.  They had their day to slip up and everyone around them crumbled.  I think they are going to get it done.  City are falling too far behind and Tottenham and Arsenal aren't used to closing it out either. It's gonna be a fun end of season.

 
shader said:
Best home game for the team under the Klopp regime.  Great revenge for losing the cup on Sunday.  I think Flanagan taking out Sterling in the first five minutes set the tone.

So now I ask the question:  Does Pep have to come to City if they miss out on CL?  Because right now under a lame-duck manager, they are holding on by a thread. All it takes is a hot streak from ManU and City is out.
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Let's not do this here

 
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The Gator said:
Let's not do here
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:lmao:

Don't look now but Liverpool is 6 points out of 4th.  Of course the way this season goes, we can't seem to string two great performances together and Crystal Palace away is going to be tough.  Glad Sturridge and Coutinho didn't have to play today.

That being said....in a weird way Lallana fits Klopp's system better than Coutinho.  He's obviously not as naturally gifted, but he presses and defends like a maniac.  I have no idea what the summer will hold, but it's something to think about.  

 
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