***Official Soccer Discussion Thread*** (7 Viewers)

[B Maverick]

United looked like they were playing more of a 4-4-2 this week. Rooney looked a bit better, Martial more involved and Lingard looked like what Memphis was supposed to be. Although they still have an issue with the final ball esp when a team packs it in and stays compact. One problem is that none of the center mids want to shoot from the top of the box (Carrick, Schweini or Schneiderlin) so no one has to step to them. A couple shots might help draw people out. I dont think Schweini has any shots this season.

 

[The Gator]

GMTAN cross-post:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfNRXTS55nY

 

[Steve Tasker]

I don't know how many (if any) are following the IAAF/WADA/Russia press conference, but basically Russia was a 1980's Eastern Germany (basically every Russian in Sochi was doped to the gills and they destroyed all the samples on FSB/KGB instructions).

I bring this up because:

1. The Russian organizing WC2018 was complicit (shocking I know)

2. Interpol is investigating IAAF, Russiad officals, other sports, and other countries. The other sports/countries may end up including a bunch of soccer guys. The guys reporting this stuff seem to think that's the next shoe to fall. Basically any heavily European sport is probably going to have some fallout.

What does this mean for 2018?

 

[Sammy3469]

I don't know how many (if any) are following the IAAF/WADA/Russia press conference, but basically Russia was a 1980's Eastern Germany (basically every Russian in Sochi was doped to the gills and they destroyed all the samples on FSB/KGB instructions).

I bring this up because:

1. The Russian organizing WC2018 was complicit (shocking I know)

2. Interpol is investigating IAAF, Russiad officals, other sports, and other countries. The other sports/countries may end up including a bunch of soccer guys. The guys reporting this stuff seem to think that's the next shoe to fall. Basically any heavily European sport is probably going to have some fallout.

What does this mean for 2018?

Until we hear from Interpol, basically nothing.

However, this entire story is just getting started. The guys and gals that make a cottage industry on following doping (keep in mind this IAAF/Russia thing started from a media story that slowly gathered steam) have been making rumblings that athletics (in terms of sports) and Russia (in terms of countries) are really just the tip of the iceberg. **** Pound made passing references to niche sports like cross country skiing/biathlon and Kenyan long-distance runners getting swept up as well and had a big no comment on soccer.

Let me put it this way, we know cycling and athletics (the two biggest individual sports in Europe) are highly compromised, why wouldn't soccer as well.

 

[NewlyRetired]

Vieira to NYCFC as HC is official. This has 90% disaster potential (if not more). I guess the only good news is Reyna is still "Sporting Director" which I hope means he knows the ins and outs of MLS's salary cap.

Vieira press conference quote.

We need to buy seven players immediately starting with Keane in LA.

I'm sure he "gets it."*

* I'm sure it was a joke.

This hiring has made me think of an old interview (2010) with Ruud Gullit who flopped as an MLS coach with LA.

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

“It was too much of a clash between my way of being used to working and the rules of the MLS,” he said.

Gullit couldn’t cope with restrictions such as Major League Soccer’s salary cap and its draft.

Having coached previously at Chelsea, Newcastle and Feyenoord, he was accustomed to the ways everywhere else in the soccer world: When you want a player, you go out and buy him.

He also can’t get used to the American system of playoffs that MLS uses. Gullit thinks it creates an atmosphere that’s not conducive to top soccer, clashing with the rest of the world, where the team that finishes first automatically is the champion.

“Every week you have to play well to be the champion. But here it’s just a matter of getting in the playoffs, and how you get there is not so much important as long as you play well in the knockout stages,” he said.

“I always say to a lot of people all around about American football, I say: ‘Look, you underestimate it. You go and play in 90 degrees, on turf, in the afternoon, traveling six

hours,'” he explained. “And when they play under the normal circumstances, all of the sudden these teams say: “Hey, wait a minute. This is not as bad. They play some good

football.'”

 

[Sammy3469]

and as I wrote the above...apparently FIFA's ethics panel is going to look at Mutko's role (Russian in charge of their WC) in the WADA/IAAF scandal since he is named there.

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

Apparently Sakho hasn't actually torn his ACL. Still some medium-term damage to a ligament, but being reported as several weeks rather than several months.

 

[NewlyRetired]

Sergio Ramos's answer to if he gets excited during the El Classico games

"Excited? I don’t know, I’ve never reached an orgasm personally during the Clasico but almost."

 

[NewlyRetired]

And the hits keep coming.

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

Marcus ChristensonVerified account‏@m_christenson
German FA president Wolfgang Niersbach has resigned!

 

[NewlyRetired]

Dortmund has scored an astounding 71 goals in 22 matches this season.

35 in 12 league games

9 in 2 German Cup games

17 in 4 Europa Cup play in games

10 in 4 Europ Cup group stage games

 

[Sammy3469]

And the hits keep coming.

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

Marcus ChristensonVerified account‏@m_christenson
German FA president Wolfgang Niersbach has resigned!

The two acting VP's released a statement saying Beckenbauer signed a contract with Warner 4 days before the 2006 in 2000 for "services" to the DFB.

Nice knowing you Becks.

 

[NewlyRetired]

And the hits keep coming.

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

Marcus ChristensonVerified account‏@m_christenson

German FA president Wolfgang Niersbach has resigned!

The two acting VP's released a statement saying Beckenbauer signed a contract with Warner 4 days before the 2006 in 2000 for "services" to the DFB.

Nice knowing you Becks.

I love how no matter where the dirt comes up, Warner is always involved some how

 

[Sammy3469]

And the hits keep coming.

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

Marcus ChristensonVerified account‏@m_christenson

German FA president Wolfgang Niersbach has resigned!

The two acting VP's released a statement saying Beckenbauer signed a contract with Warner 4 days before the 2006 in 2000 for "services" to the DFB.

Nice knowing you Becks.

I love how no matter where the dirt comes up, Warner is always involved some how

Well he always seems to come up on the winning side. I'm sure the 2006 S African bid was paying off the SA and/or Asians as well if investigated.

EDIT: Apparently the COL ExCo member (Bedoya) resigned yesterday as well. So that's 2 ExCo members resigning yesterday and Mutko's name was all over the IAAF stuff. Just another day in the life of corrupt international sports.

 

[CGRdrJoe]

2 things that popped in my mind this morning

1. The Ronaldo movie opens today I have no idea why I'm excited but I am.

2. Gator> next halloween please schedule a game for your team and then sit in the stands the whole time scribbling in a notebook. About every 15 minutes send an assistant coach to the pitch to yell at your players. At the end of the game when the parents want to kick your ###, simply explain to them that you were merely acting out your halloween costume, yes gb I'm asking you to be LVG next halloween.

 

[CletiusMaximus]

2. Gator> next halloween please schedule a game for your team and then sit in the stands the whole time scribbling in a notebook. About every 15 minutes send an assistant coach to the pitch to yell at your players. At the end of the game when the parents want to kick your ###, simply explain to them that you were merely acting out your halloween costume, yes gb I'm asking you to be LVG next halloween.

oldie/goodie: "The guy at the costume shop gave me a Liverpool kit for the halloween party. He misheard me - I said I wanted to go as a count."

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

2 things that popped in my mind this morning

1. The Ronaldo movie opens today I have no idea why I'm excited but I am.

Same creative team that brought us Senna, which was extraordinary. I don't give a **** about F1, and I found it fascinating.

The Ronaldo movie seems all the more fascinating for being such a vanity project. You have to wonder if being that into a bubble is actually a prerequisite for that type of greatness.

 

[Steve Tasker]

And the hits keep coming.

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

Marcus ChristensonVerified account‏@m_christenson

German FA president Wolfgang Niersbach has resigned!

The two acting VP's released a statement saying Beckenbauer signed a contract with Warner 4 days before the 2006 in 2000 for "services" to the DFB.

Nice knowing you Becks.

I love how no matter where the dirt comes up, Warner is always involved some how

http://news.power102fm.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/warner2_3318957b-500x312.jpg

 

[Steve Tasker]

This past Saturday, my father and I were spending the late morning painting my the living room of my house. I had soccer on the TV, EPL game, I don't remember which. Out of the blue, my dad goes "so they keep talking about this FIFA corruption, what happened?"

"Okay so there was this guy, Chuck Blazer. He kept an apartment in NYC just for his cats..."

"Each FIFA sanctioned nation gets a vote in the World Cup votes..."

"So then the Trinidadian mastermind Jack Warner arranged for all of these payments..."

"Some guy from Barbados blew them in with a bunch of text messages and screenshots..."

"In Qatar, they're gonna have all of these open-air stadiums but they're all going to be air-conditioned..."

"Like a zillion workers have died building these stadiums...."

"But they're going to move the World Cup to the winter and all of the European leagues are pissed..."

<30 minutes later>

"So basically pretty much every person is corrupt. We're all hoping they take the World Cup away from Qatar and put it in America in 2022 so we can go to the games."

 

[Kafka]

Was gonna post, but just thought to myself &said....what the ####, all you grammar Nazis...I'm drunk, & you're probably all better than me! ...So there! JAYSUS CHRISTMAS! ...

 

[Sebowski]

This past Saturday, my father and I were spending the late morning painting my the living room of my house. I had soccer on the TV, EPL game, I don't remember which. Out of the blue, my dad goes "so they keep talking about this FIFA corruption, what happened?"

"Okay so there was this guy, Chuck Blazer. He kept an apartment in NYC just for his cats..."

"Each FIFA sanctioned nation gets a vote in the World Cup votes..."

"So then the Trinidadian mastermind Jack Warner arranged for all of these payments..."

"Some guy from Barbados blew them in with a bunch of text messages and screenshots..."

"In Qatar, they're gonna have all of these open-air stadiums but they're all going to be air-conditioned..."

"Like a zillion workers have died building these stadiums...."

"But they're going to move the World Cup to the winter and all of the European leagues are pissed..."

<30 minutes later>

"So basically pretty much every person is corrupt. We're all hoping they take the World Cup away from Qatar and put it in America in 2022 so we can go to the games."

I'd rather us take ourselves out of the running for legitimacy and for a real excuse to finally go to Australia.

 

[Kafka]

This past Saturday, my father and I were spending the late morning painting my the living room of my house. I had soccer on the TV, EPL game, I don't remember which. Out of the blue, my dad goes "so they keep talking about this FIFA corruption, what happened?"

"Okay so there was this guy, Chuck Blazer. He kept an apartment in NYC just for his cats..."

"Each FIFA sanctioned nation gets a vote in the World Cup votes..."

"So then the Trinidadian mastermind Jack Warner arranged for all of these payments..."

"Some guy from Barbados blew them in with a bunch of text messages and screenshots..."

"In Qatar, they're gonna have all of these open-air stadiums but they're all going to be air-conditioned..."

"Like a zillion workers have died building these stadiums...."

"But they're going to move the World Cup to the winter and all of the European leagues are pissed..."

<30 minutes later>

"So basically pretty much every person is corrupt. We're all hoping they take the World Cup away from Qatar and put it in America in 2022 so we can go to the games."

I'd rather us take ourselves out of the running for legitimacy and for a real excuse to finally go to Australia.

absolutely fascinating.

 

[Kafka]

That was wrong...self-inflicted 30 day timeout...because too much IPA. Mea Culpa.

 

[Sebowski]

Never too much IPA

 

[Christo]

Any IPA is too much IPA

 

[Jaysus]

Was gonna post, but just thought to myself &said....what the ####, all you grammar Nazis...I'm drunk, & you're probably all better than me! ...So there! JAYSUS CHRISTMAS! ...

'Sup?

 

[Jaysus]

:giggles: https://streamable.com/gg91

 

[roadkill1292]

Looking at the weekend schedule, it appears that I may actually be able to get in some yard work for a change. I'll take a break for Norway-Hungary, maybe Martin Odegaaaaaaaaaard will get in.

 

[Native]

Brazil's massage therapist jumps in to help them save two goal bound shots

 

[roadkill1292]

Brazil's massage therapist jumps in to help them save two goal bound shots

The guy running like a thief was the best part of that. Stand up guy.

 

[CBusAlex]

Brazil's massage therapist jumps in to help them save two goal bound shots

The guy running like a thief was the best part of that. Stand up guy.

Smart move. They've drawn and quartered people for less 'round those parts.

 

[CletiusMaximus]

Looking at the weekend schedule, it appears that I may actually be able to get in some yard work for a change. I'll take a break for Norway-Hungary, maybe Martin Odegaaaaaaaaaard will get in.

Can't miss action from OT in the Becks v Zidane UNICEF game, featuring FFA favorite and international superstar La'Don.

UK and Ireland squad in full: Sir Alex Ferguson (manager), David Beckham (captain), David Seaman, David James, Sol Campbell, John Terry, Phil Neville, Rio Ferdinand, Jamie Carragher, Ashley Cole, Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Michael Owen, Andy ColeRest of the World squad in full: Carlo Ancelotti (manager), Zinedine Zidane (captain), Edwin van der Sar, Cafu, Fabio Cannavaro, Alessandro Nesta, Luis Figo, Ronaldinho, Patrick Vieira, Michael Ballack, Massimo Ambrosini, Robert Pires, Dwight Yorke, Patrick Kluivert, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Landon Donovan

 

[Jaysus]

I will become a FIRE! fan if this happens: link

 

[Sammy3469]

Looking at the weekend schedule, it appears that I may actually be able to get in some yard work for a change. I'll take a break for Norway-Hungary, maybe Martin Odegaaaaaaaaaard will get in.

Can't miss action from OT in the Becks v Zidane UNICEF game, featuring FFA favorite and international superstar La'Don.

UK and Ireland squad in full: Sir Alex Ferguson (manager), David Beckham (captain), David Seaman, David James, Sol Campbell, John Terry, Phil Neville, Rio Ferdinand, Jamie Carragher, Ashley Cole, Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Michael Owen, Andy ColeRest of the World squad in full: Carlo Ancelotti (manager), Zinedine Zidane (captain), Edwin van der Sar, Cafu, Fabio Cannavaro, Alessandro Nesta, Luis Figo, Ronaldinho, Patrick Vieira, Michael Ballack, Massimo Ambrosini, Robert Pires, Dwight Yorke, Patrick Kluivert, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Landon Donovan

Lol

 

[roadkill1292]

That Don Ovan guy could be halfway decent.

 

[El Floppo]

I will become a FIRE! fan if this happens: link

you must really love Petke.

 

[Jaysus]

Looking at the weekend schedule, it appears that I may actually be able to get in some yard work for a change. I'll take a break for Norway-Hungary, maybe Martin Odegaaaaaaaaaard will get in.

Can't miss action from OT in the Becks v Zidane UNICEF game, featuring FFA favorite and international superstar La'Don.

UK and Ireland squad in full: Sir Alex Ferguson (manager), David Beckham (captain), David Seaman, David James, Sol Campbell, John Terry, Phil Neville, Rio Ferdinand, Jamie Carragher, Ashley Cole, Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Michael Owen, Andy ColeRest of the World squad in full: Carlo Ancelotti (manager), Zinedine Zidane (captain), Edwin van der Sar, Cafu, Fabio Cannavaro, Alessandro Nesta, Luis Figo, Ronaldinho, Patrick Vieira, Michael Ballack, Massimo Ambrosini, Robert Pires, Dwight Yorke, Patrick Kluivert, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Landon Donovan

Where's all the Irish guys?

 

[El Floppo]

Looking at the weekend schedule, it appears that I may actually be able to get in some yard work for a change. I'll take a break for Norway-Hungary, maybe Martin Odegaaaaaaaaaard will get in.

Can't miss action from OT in the Becks v Zidane UNICEF game, featuring FFA favorite and international superstar La'Don.

UK and Ireland squad in full: Sir Alex Ferguson (manager), David Beckham (captain), David Seaman, David James, Sol Campbell, John Terry, Phil Neville, Rio Ferdinand, Jamie Carragher, Ashley Cole, Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Michael Owen, Andy ColeRest of the World squad in full: Carlo Ancelotti (manager), Zinedine Zidane (captain), Edwin van der Sar, Cafu, Fabio Cannavaro, Alessandro Nesta, Luis Figo, Ronaldinho, Patrick Vieira, Michael Ballack, Massimo Ambrosini, Robert Pires, Dwight Yorke, Patrick Kluivert, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Landon Donovan

Where's all the Irish guys?

getting drunk most likely.

 

[Eephus]

Looking at the weekend schedule, it appears that I may actually be able to get in some yard work for a change. I'll take a break for Norway-Hungary, maybe Martin Odegaaaaaaaaaard will get in.

Can't miss action from OT in the Becks v Zidane UNICEF game, featuring FFA favorite and international superstar La'Don.

UK and Ireland squad in full: Sir Alex Ferguson (manager), David Beckham (captain), David Seaman, David James, Sol Campbell, John Terry, Phil Neville, Rio Ferdinand, Jamie Carragher, Ashley Cole, Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Michael Owen, Andy ColeRest of the World squad in full: Carlo Ancelotti (manager), Zinedine Zidane (captain), Edwin van der Sar, Cafu, Fabio Cannavaro, Alessandro Nesta, Luis Figo, Ronaldinho, Patrick Vieira, Michael Ballack, Massimo Ambrosini, Robert Pires, Dwight Yorke, Patrick Kluivert, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Landon Donovan

Where's all the Irish guys?

getting drunk most likely.

along with the Scots

 

[Jaysus]

Looking at the weekend schedule, it appears that I may actually be able to get in some yard work for a change. I'll take a break for Norway-Hungary, maybe Martin Odegaaaaaaaaaard will get in.

Can't miss action from OT in the Becks v Zidane UNICEF game, featuring FFA favorite and international superstar La'Don.

UK and Ireland squad in full: Sir Alex Ferguson (manager), David Beckham (captain), David Seaman, David James, Sol Campbell, John Terry, Phil Neville, Rio Ferdinand, Jamie Carragher, Ashley Cole, Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Michael Owen, Andy ColeRest of the World squad in full: Carlo Ancelotti (manager), Zinedine Zidane (captain), Edwin van der Sar, Cafu, Fabio Cannavaro, Alessandro Nesta, Luis Figo, Ronaldinho, Patrick Vieira, Michael Ballack, Massimo Ambrosini, Robert Pires, Dwight Yorke, Patrick Kluivert, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Landon Donovan

Where's all the Irish guys?

getting drunk most likely.

along with the Scots

The welsh guy isn't even welsh.

 

[El Floppo]

btw- love to see the double CONCACAF love there.

 

[Eephus]

Looking at the weekend schedule, it appears that I may actually be able to get in some yard work for a change. I'll take a break for Norway-Hungary, maybe Martin Odegaaaaaaaaaard will get in.

Can't miss action from OT in the Becks v Zidane UNICEF game, featuring FFA favorite and international superstar La'Don.

UK and Ireland squad in full: Sir Alex Ferguson (manager), David Beckham (captain), David Seaman, David James, Sol Campbell, John Terry, Phil Neville, Rio Ferdinand, Jamie Carragher, Ashley Cole, Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Michael Owen, Andy ColeRest of the World squad in full: Carlo Ancelotti (manager), Zinedine Zidane (captain), Edwin van der Sar, Cafu, Fabio Cannavaro, Alessandro Nesta, Luis Figo, Ronaldinho, Patrick Vieira, Michael Ballack, Massimo Ambrosini, Robert Pires, Dwight Yorke, Patrick Kluivert, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Landon Donovan

Where's all the Irish guys?

getting drunk most likely.

along with the Scots

The welsh guy isn't even welsh.

He was eligible to play for Sierra Leone

 

[CletiusMaximus]

Argentina v Brazil suspended 24 hours due to weather.

https://streamable.com/nlb2

 

[Christo]

I will become a FIRE! fan if this happens: link

Don't tease me, bro!

 

[NewlyRetired]

This news is just breaking on twitter and elsewhere but from what I can tell, Adrian Hanauer has purchased all of Paul Allen's shares of the Seattle Sounders which moves Hanauer from a minority owner to the majority owner of the Sounders.

I don't quite understand if this affects anything between the Sounders and Seahawks as I think they already separated the two organizations.

 

[AAABatteries]

Dortmund has scored an astounding 71 goals in 22 matches this season.

35 in 12 league games

9 in 2 German Cup games

17 in 4 Europa Cup play in games

10 in 4 Europ Cup group stage games

Klopp is just that good. /Gator

 

[roadkill1292]

NJ Devils (hockey, right?) owner Josh Harris becomes the sixth American owner of a PL club with his purchase of a controlling interest in Palace this week. This worries me a little. I think those guys have an inherent dislike of pro/rel and would legislate it away in an instant if they thought they could get away with it.

Chile-Colombia was fun last night, with Hamas getting a sweet goal with his off foot. Vidal with a goal and lucky not to get a red. Will be home in time tonight for Argentina-Brazil, woohoo.

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

I can't get enough of this Benzema / Valbuena story. As Billy Haisley writes at Deadspin:

Imagine Chris Bosh getting investigated in a blackmailing scheme targeting Tyson Chandler over a sex tape, and over the days following the gradual accretion of evidence leading you from “Hold up, there’s no way he actually did this, right?” to “Holy ####, he actually probably did this!?!”

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

Also, hat tip to the commenter who has dubbed this scandal "Benzghazi."

 

[roadkill1292]

I can't get enough of this Benzema / Valbuena story. As Billy Haisley writes at Deadspin:

Imagine Chris Bosh getting investigated in a blackmailing scheme targeting Tyson Chandler over a sex tape, and over the days following the gradual accretion of evidence leading you from “Hold up, there’s no way he actually did this, right?” to “Holy ####, he actually probably did this!?!”

It really is pretty cool. "Can you see my tattoos?"

 

[NewlyRetired]

some MLS tidbits

- Bournemouth are talking to NY Red Bull about a BWP transfer this winter

- LAFC are rumored to be targeting LA Galaxy player Robbie Keane to be their first head coach. Keane is currently working on getting his coaching badge as he has every intent on moving in that direction once he retires.