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

Thought this was interesting (from the Liverpool Echo):


Referees, where they are from and who they support:


Martin Atkinson (Bradford) : Leeds

Stuart Attwell (Nuneaton): Luton





Match referee Mark Clattenburg awards a third penalty for Liverpool during the Barclays Premier League match at Old Trafford, Manchester. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Sunday March 16, 2014. See PA story SOCCER Man Utd.
Mark Clattenburg (County Durham): Newcastle

Mike Dean (Wirral): Tranmere

Roger East (Wiltshire): Unknown

Kevin Friend (Bristol): Bristol City

Simon Hooper (Wiltshire): Swindon

Mike Jones (Chester): Chester

Robert Madley (Wakefield): Huddersfield





Match referee Andre Marriner gestures during the Barclays Premier League match at Anfield, Liverpool. Peter Byrne/PA Wire
Andre Marriner (Birmingham): Aston Villa

Lee Mason (Bolton): Bolton

Jon Moss (Sunderland): Sunderland

Michael Oliver (Ashington): Newcastle





Referee Craig Pawson
Craig Pawson (South Yorkshire): Sheffield United

Graham Scott (Oxford): Swindon

Keith Stroud (Dorset): Luton

Neil Swarbrick (Preston): Preston

Anthony Taylor (Wythenshawe): Altrincham

Paul Tierney (Wigan): Wigan

 
This weekend was awful.

I think I'm finally ready to admit that soccer has surpassed the NFL/college football for me.  

 
Saw this headline this morning.   

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

Top teams from Belgium, Holland, Scotland, Denmark, Norway and Sweden negotiating about a North European league

 
Betting currently suspended on Conte being the next manager to leave. :oldunsure:

Betway have stopped taking bets on the Italian being the next Premier League boss to leave his post. Meanwhile, Paddy Power and William Hill have slashed their odds from 33/1 to 7/1 and 20/1 to 4/1 respectively after a flurry of wagers.

Those crazy Brits... So does this mean no January war chest for Conte?

 
NewlyRetired said:
Saw this headline this morning.   

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

Top teams from Belgium, Holland, Scotland, Denmark, Norway and Sweden negotiating about a North European league
Click to expand...
NASL!

oh.

NESTLE! ...somehow

 
NewlyRetired said:
Saw this headline this morning.   

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

Top teams from Belgium, Holland, Scotland, Denmark, Norway and Sweden negotiating about a North European league
Click to expand...
Let us populate this league.

Anderlecht

Standard Liege

Brugge?/Gent?

Ajax

PSV

Feyenoord

Celtic

Rangers

Aberdeen?  Hearts?

Malmo

Gothenberg

Copenhagen

Brondby

Molde

Rosenborg

 
There are 4 fundamentals blocks for revenue for soccer teams (non player related), whether you be a big league or a smaller one like the ones mentioned above looking to form the new Northern Europe League.

Game Day Revenue, Merchandise, Sponsorship and TV.

If you remove say Rangers, Celtic and Hearts from the SPL, I would have to think all 4 of those revenue blocks drop dramatically.  It makes you wonder just how much smaller those leagues that lose their marquee teams will become from a financial aspect.

 
Ramsay Hunt Experience said:
Let us populate this league.

Anderlecht

Standard Liege

Brugge?/Gent?

Ajax

PSV

Feyenoord

Celtic

Rangers

Aberdeen?  Hearts?

Malmo

Gothenberg

Copenhagen

Brondby

Molde

Rosenborg
Click to expand...
I wish I could read the article but I think I saw the number 18 mentioned which would likely be 3 teams from each league.  The 15 you mention above seem very likely to break away should this actually come together.

 
Ramsay Hunt Experience said:
Are you suggesting that I don't have the third most historically successful team in the Swedish Allsvenkan in my immediate recall?
Click to expand...
sadly... I think all of those teams are on all of our speed-dials of recollection. 

reminder- I watched Scottish Challenge Cup (not to be confused with Scottish Cup) action over the weekend between Alloa Athletic vs Balla Town. and yes- I just had to google all of that, because Patrick Thistle they aint.

 
Klopp: on Xmas period “We play two games in 48 hours, there will be injuries and then some Dutch guy (on Twitter) will say things.”

:lmao:

I only know about the "Dutch guy (on Twitter)" because he seems to blame Poch's training whenever a Spurs player gets injured or is tired.  I am pretty sure the same guy has blamed Klopp for Liverpool injuries - I just find it humorous that Klopp even knows about it...

ETA - The "Dutch guy" is Raymond Verheijen

ETA - Part 2:  Dutch guy responds:  


Raymond Verheijen @raymondverheije


Liverpool manager Klopp caused 20 hamstring injuries in 10 months but keeps blaming external factors for injuries.
 
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So I was taking an anti-money laundering refresher class today and lo and behold who's the first example they use?  

FIFA

 
MLS tidbits from the second to last weekend

* It was determined by the Montreal staff that Drogba was not healthy enough to start but he could be available as a sub.  Drogba did not like this as he felt he should start and withdrew himself from the 18.  Not a good situation with the club getting ready for the playoffs.

* Seattle has gone 16 straight games with out a road win in games Ozzie Alonso has missed

* Dallas needs a draw in last game to secure the Supporters Shield and the double, but they also lost their best player Diaz for rest of year with Achilles injury.

* Atlanta picks first in expansion draft and Minnesota picks first in Super draft.

* 4 teams in the west are separated by only 2 points with one game to go.  Those 4 teams are fighting for 3 playoff spots.  One of Portland, Seattle, RSL and KC will miss playoffs.

* The east is more clear.  Philly is up 3 points on NE for the last playoff spot.

 
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NewlyRetired said:
MLS tidbits from the second to last weekend

* It was determined by the Montreal staff that Drogba was not healthy enough to start but he could be available as a sub.  Drogba did not like this as he felt he should start and withdrew himself from the 18.  Not a good situation with the club getting ready for the playoffs.

* Seattle has gone 16 straight games with out a road win in games Ozzie Alonso has missed

* Dallas needs a draw in last game to secure the Supporters Shield and the double, but they also lost their best player Diaz for rest of year with Achilles injury.

* Atlanta picks first in expansion draft and Minnesota picks first in Super draft.

* 4 teams in the west are separated by only 2 points with one game to go.  Those 4 teams are fighting for 3 playoff spots.  One of Portland, Seattle, RSL and KC will miss playoffs.

* The east is more clear.  Philly is up 3 points on NE for the last playoff spot.
Click to expand...
was there a bit of shambolic NE defending this weekend? I know NYC looked pretty happy back there. by happy- I mean just dreadful.

but RBs looking good in yet another game where they ran up the score and then held on over the last 15 in a 3-2 win over columbus. with Dax back- they are looking really good... but dammit, they have tighten #### up at the end.

 
El Floppo said:
was there a bit of shambolic NE defending this weekend? I know NYC looked pretty happy back there. by happy- I mean just dreadful.

but RBs looking good in yet another game where they ran up the score and then held on over the last 15 in a 3-2 win over columbus. with Dax back- they are looking really good... but dammit, they have tighten #### up at the end.
Click to expand...
The east is weak but I really like how the RB's are coming together.  Sacha is pulling the strings, BWP continues to be a scoring machine and Dax should provide the anchor they need in playoffs.

I also have to hand it to DC.  Their run to end the season in a safe playoff spot was not something I could predict.

NE is a mess.  That team has too much talent to miss the playoffs.  Heaps has to be on the chopping block but the issues run much deeper than coach.

 
DCU also drew over 30K fans at home for the first time since Beckham was in MLS.  It's hard to overstate how surprising the DCU turnaround has been.  They weren't just bad in the first half of the season.  They were flat out dreadful to watch.  But with Nyarko and Sam providing exciting width and Patty Mullins doing his Jr. Wondo thing, they haven't just won, they've provided some crowd pleasing soccer. 

 
Ramsay Hunt Experience said:
DCU also drew over 30K fans at home for the first time since Beckham was in MLS.  It's hard to overstate how surprising the DCU turnaround has been.  They weren't just bad in the first half of the season.  They were flat out dreadful to watch.  But with Nyarko and Sam providing exciting width and Patty Mullins doing his Jr. Wondo thing, they haven't just won, they've provided some crowd pleasing soccer. 
Click to expand...
I have not gotten a chance to watch more than highlights.  Mullins was a decent but not great player for the Revs.  Is he just in a purple patch where every bounce is going his way or do we need to start considering him as a January camp type player?

 
Here is a sample of just how rotten the Revs organization is.

The Union launched in 2010.  The Revs launched in 1996.

The Union have built a stadium, launched a USL team, built a soccer focused high school and built a training facility.

The Revs can now proudly boast that they have a weight room in Gillette they can use.

 
NewlyRetired said:
I have not gotten a chance to watch more than highlights.  Mullins was a decent but not great player for the Revs.  Is he just in a purple patch where every bounce is going his way or do we need to start considering him as a January camp type player?
Click to expand...
I think Mullins would need a full 15 goal + season to even consider for the Nats.  He's not particularly physically gifted and I've seen games where his passing was a nightmare.  But he is a very opportunistic striker who seems to have a very good knack for getting his shot off in the box.  That's why I compare him to Wondo.  He's in the right spot, and more importantly, he's prepared to shoot.  David Villa also has that quality (but much, much more skill).  I feel pretty good about the current striker pool though.  Morris is better than Mullins right now and has much, much more room to grow IMO. 

 
Ramsay Hunt Experience said:
I think Mullins would need a full 15 goal + season to even consider for the Nats.  He's not particularly physically gifted and I've seen games where his passing was a nightmare.  But he is a very opportunistic striker who seems to have a very good knack for getting his shot off in the box.  That's why I compare him to Wondo.  He's in the right spot, and more importantly, he's prepared to shoot.  David Villa also has that quality (but much, much more skill).  I feel pretty good about the current striker pool though.  Morris is better than Mullins right now and has much, much more room to grow IMO. 
Click to expand...
agree with this. 

he reminds me of Wolnyiec from the Metros- opportunistic (smart read of the game in front of goal), decent skills, not advantageously athletic. I don't follow enough to know if his goal-scoring record is more like Wolny or like a Ching/Wondo.. but yeah, he's been hot lately. The last couple games I've seen him play (vs NYC or RB, likely) and he's looked surprisingly (to me) solid- better than I remember. so maybe he's in purple patch, or maybe he's finally learned his craft well enough to elevate it. Guess I'll have to pay more attention next time.

eta: but mentioning him in the same breath as Villa is nutso.

 
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I think I worded my question poorly.  I did not mean to ask if Mullins should be on the full national team.  I was asking more about being considered for January camp.

January camp is far from the full team and is typically made up of whom ever is healthy in the MLS off season.

Typically JK has invited 5 strikers to January camp and MLS is far from loaded with American goal scorers.

Here is the current scoring leader list for Americans:

Morris, Wondo and Pontius have 12

Jozy has 10

Neagle has 9

Mullins and Dempsey have 8

Of this group, only Jozy has a better goal per 90 minute average than Mullins does as Mullins has played significantly less minutes than most. 

 
El Floppo said:
sadly... I think all of those teams are on all of our speed-dials of recollection. 

reminder- I watched Scottish Challenge Cup (not to be confused with Scottish Cup) action over the weekend between Alloa Athletic vs Balla Town. and yes- I just had to google all of that, because Patrick Thistle they aint.
Click to expand...
Or his brother, Partick.

 
gianmarco said:
Fellaini scheduled to start?
Click to expand...
looks that way.  :wall:

As usual I watched a different game then the "experts" who are raving about Fro's game.  For some reason they believe he had a great game.  I guess that's true if you dont mind the following:
1) a guy whos supposed to be good in the air misses a free header from 10 yards out.  Not even putting the ball on target?!?!
2) One of the saves De Gea made came right after the pass into the box went through Fellaini's legs
3) Has to receive the ball and look around to find the next pass.  Doesnt naturally know where to go, has no field vision or speed of play.
4) Does well in space with no one on him allowing him to turn and look around
5) Yes he did have some nice tackles on defense and a clear or two with his head.  Nothing that Carrick, Schneiderlin or anyone else could do.
6) oh and same guy who is "great in the air" cant win a header if someone challenges him.

But to be fair, Zlatan was probably United's worst player on the day.  Pogba struggled.  Young was ok, worked hard, not great but not poor.  Bailley, Valencia and Herrera were top field players and De Gea saved the day again. Going forward they missed the creativity of Mata

It was a very Jose type game, organized Def set up to hold Liverpool on the road and play for the 1-0 win...  Too bad they couldn't sneak in the 1.

 
Prem ratings down 19% in England, almost as much here in the states. This mirrors the big current NFL ratings decline, which I'm unwilling to pass judgment on until the election is over, but I'm wondering if we aren't seeing signs of Peak TV Sports at least.

 
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