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***Official Soccer Discussion Thread*** (4 Viewers)

Other than the fact that Blatter is basically a Bond villain, why wouldn't he just step down "for the good of FIFA" and quickly relocate somewhere without an extradition treaty. How much more money could he possibly need to steal at 79 years old?
Apologies if this has been mentioned, thread moved a lot since last time I checked it.

I think it was on Outside the Lines that someone (Jeremy Schaap maybe, or someone he interviewed?) was saying Blatter is in it for power, not for money. And that if he's not in it for the money there may not be much evidence of him getting involved in the corruption himself. His role would be maintaining the corrupt environment in exchange for the support of those who prosper from it, but not getting his own hands directly dirty.

I hope that isn't the case.

 
Other than the fact that Blatter is basically a Bond villain, why wouldn't he just step down "for the good of FIFA" and quickly relocate somewhere without an extradition treaty. How much more money could he possibly need to steal at 79 years old?
Apologies if this has been mentioned, thread moved a lot since last time I checked it.

I think it was on Outside the Lines that someone (Jeremy Schaap maybe, or someone he interviewed?) was saying Blatter is in it for power, not for money. And that if he's not in it for the money there may not be much evidence of him getting involved in the corruption himself. His role would be maintaining the corrupt environment in exchange for the support of those who prosper from it, but not getting his own hands directly dirty.

I hope that isn't the case.
Of course that's the case. And he probably thinks he's amassing this power and allowing the corruption to poison the world football waters for the betterment of the developing world, which is the base of his power.He has let monies parties bankroll this corruption, but has not personally taken part in said bribery and schemes. He simply looked the other way and didn't ask questions.

 
Bundesliga promotion battle:

Leg 1 - Karlsruher 1:1 Hamburg

Karlsruher scored in the 78th to inch towards promotion.

Hamburg scored in the 1st minute of added time to force extra time.

Currently in the 109th minute.

 
Bundesliga promotion battle:

Leg 1 - Karlsruher 1:1 Hamburg

Karlsruher scored in the 78th to inch towards promotion.

Hamburg scored in the 1st minute of added time to force extra time.

Currently in the 109th minute.
Hamburg goal in the 115th! 5 minutes to stay up.
For the second season in a row Hamburg win the promotion/relegation playoff to stay in the top flight.
What's the deal with Hamburg the last few years? Poor coaching? Poor players? Something else?

 
Bundesliga promotion battle:

Leg 1 - Karlsruher 1:1 Hamburg

Karlsruher scored in the 78th to inch towards promotion.

Hamburg scored in the 1st minute of added time to force extra time.

Currently in the 109th minute.
Hamburg goal in the 115th! 5 minutes to stay up.
For the second season in a row Hamburg win the promotion/relegation playoff to stay in the top flight.
They really don't want to go down.

 
Bundesliga promotion battle:

Leg 1 - Karlsruher 1:1 Hamburg

Karlsruher scored in the 78th to inch towards promotion.

Hamburg scored in the 1st minute of added time to force extra time.

Currently in the 109th minute.
Hamburg goal in the 115th! 5 minutes to stay up.
For the second season in a row Hamburg win the promotion/relegation playoff to stay in the top flight.
They really don't want to go down.
Might as well call them My Wife FC.

 
Bundesliga promotion battle:

Leg 1 - Karlsruher 1:1 Hamburg

Karlsruher scored in the 78th to inch towards promotion.

Hamburg scored in the 1st minute of added time to force extra time.

Currently in the 109th minute.
Hamburg goal in the 115th! 5 minutes to stay up.
For the second season in a row Hamburg win the promotion/relegation playoff to stay in the top flight.
They really don't want to go down.
Might as well call them My Wife FC.
:lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao:

 
This game is pretty great... Making me stay up to watch.
Wish I had stayed up to watch the whole thing. Went to bed at the start of hte 2nd half when Honduras knocked in their second direct free kick of the game to go up 3-1... again, despite Uzbek looking the better side (minus a lot of god-awful give-aways in the back). game apparently ended up 4-3 with each team scoring in injury time.

 
Bundesliga promotion battle:

Leg 1 - Karlsruher 1:1 Hamburg

Karlsruher scored in the 78th to inch towards promotion.

Hamburg scored in the 1st minute of added time to force extra time.

Currently in the 109th minute.
Hamburg goal in the 115th! 5 minutes to stay up.
For the second season in a row Hamburg win the promotion/relegation playoff to stay in the top flight.
They really don't want to go down.
Might as well call them My Wife FC.
:lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao:
it's not funny.

 
This game is pretty great... Making me stay up to watch.
Wish I had stayed up to watch the whole thing. Went to bed at the start of hte 2nd half when Honduras knocked in their second direct free kick of the game to go up 3-1... again, despite Uzbek looking the better side (minus a lot of god-awful give-aways in the back). game apparently ended up 4-3 with each team scoring in injury time.
Orlando City's Rochez scored twice for Honduras. I hope he does not turn into another Jerry Bengston for Orlando's sake.

The U20's have been great entertainment so far. The Brazil Nigeria game was really fun. Lots of attacking for both sides.

 
This game is pretty great... Making me stay up to watch.
Wish I had stayed up to watch the whole thing. Went to bed at the start of hte 2nd half when Honduras knocked in their second direct free kick of the game to go up 3-1... again, despite Uzbek looking the better side (minus a lot of god-awful give-aways in the back). game apparently ended up 4-3 with each team scoring in injury time.
Orlando City's Rochez scored twice for Honduras. I hope he does not turn into another Jerry Bengston for Orlando's sake.

The U20's have been great entertainment so far. The Brazil Nigeria game was really fun. Lots of attacking for both sides.
I really want to get home in time to watch Myanmar v Ukraine, to gauge where the US stands. I have a feeling it's going to be a blow-out- that Myanmar put on a great show against hte US, putting together good d with enough quality touches and looks on O, but won't stand up against what looked like a pretty classy Ukraine side if those touches and looks aren't there.

btw- the US's second goal looked soooooo easy. quick movement and passing with the ball going where it needed- not just lumped in hopefully somewhere. really thought the rest of hte 2nd half was going to look like that, but the US- similar to qualifying against Guat- took their foot off, sat back, and allowed Myanmar room and space going forward.

 
Bundesliga promotion battle:

Leg 1 - Karlsruher 1:1 Hamburg

Karlsruher scored in the 78th to inch towards promotion.

Hamburg scored in the 1st minute of added time to force extra time.

Currently in the 109th minute.
Hamburg goal in the 115th! 5 minutes to stay up.
For the second season in a row Hamburg win the promotion/relegation playoff to stay in the top flight.
Woo! Hoo! All aboard Die Rothosen train! Only team to never be relegated from the Bundesliga!

 
Futbol Agent ‏@Futbol_Agent_ 4h4 hours ago
BREAKING: Arsenal have agreed a Deal with Porto for Jackson Martinez. Fee believed to be £35M. #AFC

Futbol Agent ‏@Futbol_Agent_ 4h4 hours ago
BREAKING: Manchester United have lodged a £32M bid for PSG's Thiago Silva. #MUFC
 
Futbol Agent ‏@Futbol_Agent_ 4h4 hours ago
BREAKING: Arsenal have agreed a Deal with Porto for Jackson Martinez. Fee believed to be £35M. #AFC

Futbol Agent ‏@Futbol_Agent_ 4h4 hours ago
BREAKING: Manchester United have lodged a £32M bid for PSG's Thiago Silva. #MUFC
I don't believe anything unless Soulfly posts it.

 
Futbol Agent ‏@Futbol_Agent_ 4h4 hours ago

BREAKING: Arsenal have agreed a Deal with Porto for Jackson Martinez. Fee believed to be £35M. #AFC
His name is all over the place. Earlier today Valencia was close to signing him and then his agent said he has not signed with Arsenal yet.

I absolutely love this player. He might be one of my favorite players who does not play in one of the top leagues. Arsenal would do well to sign him.

 
So where does Arsenal go from here? Stay pat, and develop with the guys they have or do you think they buy a big name for the third straight summer to go with Ozil and Alexis? Obviously I would love a another big name to add to the core, but I'm not so sure Wenger will do it. For the last year the top need was always a DM, but with Coquelin doing a fantastic job the last 4 months I don't think one is needed, so that probably takes out names like Schneiderlin and Khedira. It looks like Walcott will get a chance to start up front and show if he can be the man at striker, and with Giroud and Welbeck, I don't think they are buying there either. Those two positions were the two most talked about in need of an upgrade.

Personally I'd love to get in the mix for Bale or Rues and put him at the wing opposite Alexis. Also I'd love to get a top CB to replace Mertesacker, but neither is a drastic hole. Also rumors of Cech coming, and I don't know how big of an upgrade that would be:

Depth Chart:

Striker:

Walcott

Giroud

Welbeck

Wings:

Alexis

Chamberlain

Welbeck(striker)

Ramsey(CM)

CM:

Ozil

Cazorla

Ramsey

Wilshire

Rosicky

DM:

Coquelin

Flamini

Arteta

LB:

Monreal

Gibbs

RB:

Debuchy

Bellerin

CB:

Koscienlny

Mertesacker

Gabriel

Chambers

GK:

Ospina

Szczesny

Are any of the young guys ready to be brought up? Gnabry, Bielik, Zelalem?
I don't know what they need to get over the top, but it is clear they need something. I would be happy with 3 new starters on the backline. Bellerin and Debuachy are the only two I like, and the play the same position.

Giroud, Walcott, and Welbeck are good strikers. Are they win the league good? I'd lean no, but I don't know who is out there that is better? Is Martinez that much better than these guys? Cavani?

Coquellin has been great, but is he good enough to win the league? Again, I'd lean no. Cazorla is coming off his best year, but I'm not sure he can elevate again. If anything I see him rolling down hill sooner than later. I think Vidal or Pogba would be upgrades there. I don't know much about the other guys rumored for that spot. The rest of the team is all about staying healthy. There are some great players wearing the jersey when they aren't wearing hospital gowns.

 
Futbol Agent ‏@Futbol_Agent_ 4h4 hours ago

BREAKING: Arsenal have agreed a Deal with Porto for Jackson Martinez. Fee believed to be £35M. #AFC
His name is all over the place. Earlier today Valencia was close to signing him and then his agent said he has not signed with Arsenal yet.

I absolutely love this player. He might be one of my favorite players who does not play in one of the top leagues. Arsenal would do well to sign him.
Im quoting the source more than the rumor. This guy was spot on all last summer and hes reporting that its a done deal. Pretty ballsy of Arsenal if true given that Martinez will be 29 before Christmas. But a nice statement of intent from Wenger.

 
I've been lurking in this thread for about a year now and enjoying it quite a bit. I swore to follow soccer more after the WC, so I spent last year dipping my toes in the water with EPL. The weird start times took some getting used to, but it was as entertaining as I expected, considering the learning curve and not knowing much about the players and various clubs. I picked Arsenal as a side before the season started for a few reasons. As a lifelong Bills fan, I now feel karmically entitled to glom onto a top-shelf side. Their attacking style is aesthetically appealing even to somebody who doesn't understand the intricacies of the game that well. And they have a cool name. There's always that.

It's taken me a while to figure out how the various national leagues operate as opposed to inter-league events like the Champions League, but now I'm starting to get it and I realize I need to pay attention to some of the other leagues as well.

I can see where this is a really entertaining sport once you get into it. Good stuff.

 
Oh Valcke..it had to be you signed off on the 10 million. Dude confidently cancels his trip to Canada. Waiting game now.

The noose has tightened. Neither Valcke nor Blatter will step foot in an English speaking country for the foreseeable future.

 
I've been lurking in this thread for about a year now and enjoying it quite a bit. I swore to follow soccer more after the WC, so I spent last year dipping my toes in the water with EPL. The weird start times took some getting used to, but it was as entertaining as I expected, considering the learning curve and not knowing much about the players and various clubs. I picked Arsenal as a side before the season started for a few reasons. As a lifelong Bills fan, I now feel karmically entitled to glom onto a top-shelf side. Their attacking style is aesthetically appealing even to somebody who doesn't understand the intricacies of the game that well. And they have a cool name. There's always that.

It's taken me a while to figure out how the various national leagues operate as opposed to inter-league events like the Champions League, but now I'm starting to get it and I realize I need to pay attention to some of the other leagues as well.

I can see where this is a really entertaining sport once you get into it. Good stuff.
Welcome. Even though there are few games in the summer, this is a still fun time of year - transfer season, international matches and some barnstorming in the Far East and the US.

 
I've been lurking in this thread for about a year now and enjoying it quite a bit. I swore to follow soccer more after the WC, so I spent last year dipping my toes in the water with EPL. The weird start times took some getting used to, but it was as entertaining as I expected, considering the learning curve and not knowing much about the players and various clubs. I picked Arsenal as a side before the season started for a few reasons. As a lifelong Bills fan, I now feel karmically entitled to glom onto a top-shelf side. Their attacking style is aesthetically appealing even to somebody who doesn't understand the intricacies of the game that well. And they have a cool name. There's always that.

It's taken me a while to figure out how the various national leagues operate as opposed to inter-league events like the Champions League, but now I'm starting to get it and I realize I need to pay attention to some of the other leagues as well.

I can see where this is a really entertaining sport once you get into it. Good stuff.
Welcome, although you pick a league that has been weakening in performance despite massive salaries. But, hey, at least the commentators speak English!

 
I've been lurking in this thread for about a year now and enjoying it quite a bit. I swore to follow soccer more after the WC, so I spent last year dipping my toes in the water with EPL. The weird start times took some getting used to, but it was as entertaining as I expected, considering the learning curve and not knowing much about the players and various clubs. I picked Arsenal as a side before the season started for a few reasons. As a lifelong Bills fan, I now feel karmically entitled to glom onto a top-shelf side. Their attacking style is aesthetically appealing even to somebody who doesn't understand the intricacies of the game that well. And they have a cool name. There's always that.

It's taken me a while to figure out how the various national leagues operate as opposed to inter-league events like the Champions League, but now I'm starting to get it and I realize I need to pay attention to some of the other leagues as well.

I can see where this is a really entertaining sport once you get into it. Good stuff.
Awesome!

Ask as many questions as you have. We love answering them.

And never feel bad about not knowing something, those of us who have been fans for decades still ask a ton of questions. The sport is so massive.

 
Thanks guys. I'm still in learning mode, but just wanted to say thanks for keeping this thread going. :thumbup:
Do you have a country that you follow?

If you follow the US, you will likely enjoy the Gold Cup this summer. It is our regions confederations championship (Asia, South America, Europe, Africa and Oceania all have them).

 
Thanks guys. I'm still in learning mode, but just wanted to say thanks for keeping this thread going. :thumbup:
You can join me as a new Hamburg SV fan. We can learn the Bundesilga together! I tried with St. Pauli a few years ago but they were promptly relegated. I seem to have a problem with that. The Watford FC bandwagon has some room too.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
So maybe I'm just not up on my Thai slurs, but what was racist about the Leicester City video? I've only seen the 1 minute clip on deadspin, but didn't really hear any slurs. Just a bunch of dude's with English accents going all Patrick Bateman (minus the murder) on some Asian whores.

 
So maybe I'm just not up on my Thai slurs, but what was racist about the Leicester City video? I've only seen the 1 minute clip on deadspin, but didn't really hear any slurs. Just a bunch of dude's with English accents going all Patrick Bateman (minus the murder) on some Asian whores.
I have not watched the video. According to reports, the term "Slits" was used.

 
looks like Valcke is next on the hit list. Click for full story, these are just snippets

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

http://www.espnfc.us/fifa-world-cup/story/2476058/fifa-official-jerome-valcke-responsible-for-$10m-payoff

U.S. authorities say FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke allegedly made $10 million in payments at the centre of the scandal sweeping through world football's governing body, according to the New York Times.

Valcke, who denied culpability to the Times and has not been charged, is FIFA's highest non-elected official and would be the top figure yet targeted in an investigation that has already seen two sitting vice presidents and a dozen others connected to the game indicted on federal charges including bribery, racketeering and money laundering.

.

.

.

.

Earlier on Monday, Valcke cancelled his planned trip to represent FIFA at the Women's World Cup in Canada, which begins this weekend.

"It is important that he attend to matters at FIFA's headquarters in Zurich," Fischer said.

 
looks like Valcke is next on the hit list. Click for full story, these are just snippets

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

http://www.espnfc.us/fifa-world-cup/story/2476058/fifa-official-jerome-valcke-responsible-for-$10m-payoff

U.S. authorities say FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke allegedly made $10 million in payments at the centre of the scandal sweeping through world football's governing body, according to the New York Times.

Valcke, who denied culpability to the Times and has not been charged, is FIFA's highest non-elected official and would be the top figure yet targeted in an investigation that has already seen two sitting vice presidents and a dozen others connected to the game indicted on federal charges including bribery, racketeering and money laundering.

.

.

.

.

Earlier on Monday, Valcke cancelled his planned trip to represent FIFA at the Women's World Cup in Canada, which begins this weekend.

"It is important that he attend to matters at FIFA's headquarters in Zurich," Fischer said.
Like destroying incriminating evidence?

 
CCL draw

GROUP A

W Connection F.C. (TRI)

Deportivo Saprissa (CRC)

Santos Laguna (MEX)

GROUP B

Isidro Metapan (SLV)

Herediano (CRC)

UANL Tigres (MEX)

GROUP C

Verdes FC (BLZ)

San Francisco FC (PAN)

Queretaro (MEX)

GROUP D

Central FC (TRI)

Comunicaciones FC (GUA)

LA Galaxy (USA)

GROUP E

C.D. Walter Ferreti (NCA)

C.D. Motagua (HON)

Club América (MEX)

GROUP F

Vancouver Whitecaps (CAN)

C.D. Olimpia (HON)

Seattle Sounders FC (USA)

GROUP G

Santa Tecla (SLV)

Municipal (GUA)

Real Salt Lake (USA)

GROUP H

Montego Bay United (JAM)

C.D. Arabe Unido (PAN)

D.C. United (USA)

 

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