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

Miroslav Klose is trying to get his German Coaching License to help Hansi Flick at Bayern. To study abroad he's come to Milan to finish the internship with former coach Pioli who managed Klose in Calcio before. An interesting note here is AC Milan and Pioli style has changed since Pioli got here and has implemented a similar strategy that Flick and Bayern use. So Klose should fit right in helping the youngsters here. 

Former Calcio and German National team Striker finishing coaching license internship under Pioli at Milan

 
On another Milan not Fabrizio Romano as well big time CalcioLand Podcaster David Amoyal and others have sung the praises of American Hedgefund and Milan owners Elliot Management for their incredible work in transforming Milan back into a contender and righting the books. Numerous soccer people have praised Elliot as one of the best run European Sides by American Owners in awhile given where Milan was when they bought them and until now. With shroud moves like Pioli and signing Maldini as TD with Ricky Massara, revamping the Scouting Department and low cost high reward young talent signings. The biggest coup of them all being Theo Hernandez from Real Madrid who they paid 20M for at the time and has transformed himself into one of the top 2 LBs in Italy and one of the top overall LB's offensively in Europe since joining. Only key moves touted was bringing in Tonali as well as Rafeal Leo and Jen Petter Hauge. Veteran Signings like Simon Kjaer and Zlatan Ibrahimovic as well. Still a very long ways to go before we're competing for the Trophy with the Big Ears again but Milan is finally exciting again. And it's great for Calcio as well as world Football when Inter and Milan are doing well. 

 
Tigres beat Palmeiras 1-0 on a Gignac PK to earn a spot in the Club WC final vs Bayern.

A shame MLS has no shot at this with the timing of the season..but congrats for being the first concacaf team in the final of this.

 
El Floppo said:
Well, yeah.
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I thought they played excellent against Tigres.  They were leading in the second half too.

It feels like Gignac has been the best club player in this hemisphere for ever now.  I still don't understand how a player of his elite quality stayed in Mexico for so long.

 
NewlyRetired said:
I thought they played excellent against Tigres.  They were leading in the second half too.

It feels like Gignac has been the best club player in this hemisphere for ever now.  I still don't understand how a player of his elite quality stayed in Mexico for so long.
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Whenever I see him play, he looks decent but not all-world. But his numbers are pretty amazing, and he's carried that team during this run. I feel like he got called up at some point...and agree that it's interesting he hasn't had interest from other leagues. Maybe he married local and/or has other reasons he's stayed.

 
El Floppo said:
Whenever I see him play, he looks decent but not all-world. But his numbers are pretty amazing, and he's carried that team during this run. I feel like he got called up at some point...and agree that it's interesting he hasn't had interest from other leagues. Maybe he married local and/or has other reasons he's stayed.
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Gignac has 37 caps for France. Including 3 in the 2010 World Cup and some in the 2016 Euros.

He was 29 when he moved to Mexico, so I’m not surprised nobody has lured him back  

 
Ramsay Hunt Experience said:
Gignac has 37 caps for France. Including 3 in the 2010 World Cup and some in the 2016 Euros.

He was 29 when he moved to Mexico, so I’m not surprised nobody has lured him back 
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I have a feeling all scouts in the future are going to reset the idea of "age" in soccer.  Many of the best players in the world right now (Ronaldo, Messi, Lewondowski, Zlatan and others) are at an age where a decade ago they would have been considered washed up.

 
El Floppo said:
Tigres beat Palmeiras 1-0 on a Gignac PK to earn a spot in the Club WC final vs Bayern.

A shame MLS has no shot at this with the timing of the season..but congrats for being the first concacaf team in the final of this.
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Is this being broadcast anywhere in the US? I remember yrs ago FoxSoccer Channel would air some of the matches I think later in the tourney 

 
NewlyRetired said:
I have a feeling all scouts in the future are going to reset the idea of "age" in soccer.  Many of the best players in the world right now (Ronaldo, Messi, Lewondowski, Zlatan and others) are at an age where a decade ago they would have been considered washed up.
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These are the exception to the rule. You aren't gonna sign some guy who might be 3rd or 4th option sub off the bench who's that old unless you are a small club who wants veteran presence for the youngsters on the cheap. Milan 15 yrs ago Had the Milan Lab ( think Chineese owners let it go to waste do to money) but at the time it was futuristic science wise. Milan was the first clubs in any sport using Sports Science along with German National team. Milan would sign these aging players like Ronadinho and others and retransform their career.  Clarence Seedorf had a persistent groin problem over his career. Milan Lab simple removed his wisdom teeth and the problem stopped. Soccer pundits around the world thought Milan was crazy at the time for signing these aging players, but thanks to Sports Science, The Milan lab and it's Physio's they had a winning club. David Beckham said if it wasn't for the Milan Lab he probably never would've played as long as he ended up doing. 

Rise and Fall of The Milan Lab. What happened to one of Sports most prestigious Medical facilities?

 
NewlyRetired said:
I have a feeling all scouts in the future are going to reset the idea of "age" in soccer.  Many of the best players in the world right now (Ronaldo, Messi, Lewondowski, Zlatan and others) are at an age where a decade ago they would have been considered washed up.
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This is definitely becoming a thing and in more sports than just football/soccer.  Tom Brady is 43.  LeBron James is 36.  Neither look to have lost much at all.  I just think that modern day training means that 35 isn't necessarily the end of a sports career anymore.

How much do you think PSG is kicking themselves for not giving 36 year old Thiago Silva another contract?  He's been arguably the best CB in the EPL this season.

 
encaitar said:
This is definitely becoming a thing and in more sports than just football/soccer.  Tom Brady is 43.  LeBron James is 36.  Neither look to have lost much at all.  I just think that modern day training means that 35 isn't necessarily the end of a sports career anymore.
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It almost makes me chuckle wondering how the guys from the 70's made it as long as they did considering the things they were ingesting, even at half time :)

 
NewlyRetired said:
It almost makes me chuckle wondering how the guys from the 70's made it as long as they did considering the things they were ingesting, even at half time :)
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Speaking of, I saw a blurb today about some people being questioned about Maradona's death. Not sure if there is anything there

 
encaitar said:
This is definitely becoming a thing and in more sports than just football/soccer.  Tom Brady is 43.  LeBron James is 36.  Neither look to have lost much at all.  I just think that modern day training means that 35 isn't necessarily the end of a sports career anymore.
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I had the same thought earlier. I was wondering if the same thing is going on in baseball/hockey as I don't follow them as much. 

 
encaitar said:
How much do you think PSG is kicking themselves for not giving 36 year old Thiago Silva another contract?  He's been arguably the best CB in the EPL this season
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Dunno.  What were his salary and signing fee demands? 

Although in 3rd currently, PSG have the best GD and lowest goals allowed in Ligue 1. They are in knockouts of CL. Sure they aren't running away with a domestic title right now, but the competition is better than in previous seasons. 

 
Desert_Power said:
I had the same thought earlier. I was wondering if the same thing is going on in baseball/hockey as I don't follow them as much. 
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Baseball and hockey have historically been more likely to field older players than other sports.  Pitchers routinely pitch into their 40s if they have decent off speed stuff.  Great batters can usually find a DH spot well into their late 30s/early 40s.  

Hockey always has guys in their early 40s playing still.  Zdeno Chara is almost 43 and is still playing.  Historically, Gordie Howe played until 52.  

I think hockey, while being a physical sport, is more reliant on technique and skill and that allows players to play much longer.  Baseball, on the other hand, has certain spots where players don't really need excellent physical status to keep playing long.

Soccer has always been the hard one IMO.  There's no hiding a player if they can't run.  Losing a step looms large on a soccer field, so when guys like Ronaldo and Ibra keep performing so well into their late 30s, it really is remarkable. 

 
Desert_Power said:
I had the same thought earlier. I was wondering if the same thing is going on in baseball/hockey as I don't follow them as much. 
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Jaromír Jágr is 48 and playing in the Czech league for hockey. Just recently as of 2018 was playing for Calgary in the NHL. A few Baseball guys in their mid 30s but they are mostly role players on Minor league deals. For football though as well as basketball you got to remember how Physical both use to be. Not to say Football still isn't but it's flag football compared to what it use to be and that does wonders on the body. QBs like Brady are well more protected these days. As for basketball it is no where near as physical as it once was. They got rid of hand checking and breathing on a player gets you called for a foul. If Bird and MJ could play in todays league they'd have been playing well past what they did and maybe in better healthy. 

So we can say oh look how great these guys are doing at older ages and say they've changed training methods and take better care of their bodies. Which is true but rule changes also helped immensely especially in Football and Basketball 

 
Jerome Boateng left The Club World Cup for personal reasons and there was no reason behind it besides that. Today I learned his Ex GF who he just broke up with days before was found dead in a house in Germany from apparent suicide. Police ruled out any foul play. Boateng who has 2 kids from a prior relationship with an ex fiancee broke the news on his IG account the other day they broke up with an apology to his ex Fiancee and their kids. It sounds like there were issues with the now deceased ex but no details have been given. The Ex put a tweet out about the truth will come out soon or some cryptic message. So it sounds like there were issues in the relationship. Seems like she may have battled some sort of depression or something and decided to end her life. Really really sad situation no matter what. 

 
El Floppo said:
Tigres beat Palmeiras 1-0 on a Gignac PK to earn a spot in the Club WC final vs Bayern.

A shame MLS has no shot at this with the timing of the season..but congrats for being the first concacaf team in the final of this.
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Bayern won the final today 1-0.

Bayern played a VERY strong line up (Davies, Lewondowski, Gnabry, Sane, Pavard, Alaba, Kimmich, Coman, Neuer etc)

 
DJackson10 said:
When I first saw this today I thought you guys signed Pooch The Manager. 

Also saw some graphic designs and such of the Stadium you guys got going on there and it looks amazing. When complete it may fast become my favorite in MLS.
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Thanks man, we are pretty stoked. Getting another tour, which will be my first since they put in the pitch, next week.

Our podcast also got picked up by a Texas-based soccer media website.

https://www.thestrikertexas.com

 
Atlético just keep finding ways to get 3 points.  Amazingly, Suárez didn't have a brace today, but Correa and Llorente came up big.  Glad to see them get another win with Félix and Lemar out due to COVID and Trippier out due to stupid.  

12 points up on Barça through 21 matches.  Most goals for and fewest against in the league.  Couldn't ask for more. 

 
The Z Machine said:
Atlético just keep finding ways to get 3 points.  Amazingly, Suárez didn't have a brace today, but Correa and Llorente came up big.  Glad to see them get another win with Félix and Lemar out due to COVID and Trippier out due to stupid.  

12 points up on Barça through 21 matches.  Most goals for and fewest against in the league.  Couldn't ask for more. 
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The couple times I've seen them play, they look really good- deserve to be on top.

 
Ramsay Hunt Experience said:
Pato to Orlando City is 100% the kind of out of left field MLS signing I am here for.
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He'll be injured for 75% of the season with muscle issues. Really is a shame what happened. The Duck as he was known in Italy during his Milan time had some massive hype but very talented when he came. Many salivated over the Kaka/Pato partnership we could have. It's crazy considering the strikers we had Pato was one of the reasons Berlusconi and Galliani let Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang leave. What could've been if we had all known about Pato's issues.

Then when they tried to sell him he didn't leave. Rumors came out the club wouldn't sell him because at the time he was in a relationship with Silvio's daughter Barbra. He left Milan and hasn't been the same. Sao Paolo on loan with Corithians he scored 19 until he left for china and 17-19 he had 30 in 49 games. But he has always dealt with injury issues. There were rumors of Milan bringing him back awhile ago as a super sub type but it never materialized do to high wages and concerns of him staying healthy. He's only 31 a year younger then me but his body is like 45. 

 
rustycolts said:
Is he someone OCSC fans should be excited about?
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He was a former Milan player and was a hot prospect in the mid 2000s for Brazil. Everyone was excited for the partnership of him and Brazilian phenom Kaka to partner with. See my above post for more info but essential Pato left after he had numerous muscle issues. Hasn't been the same since. Even Milan's famous doctors who David Beckham credits for adding a few more yrs to his career and other older players for letting them play longer couldn't figure out what was wrong. 

Don't get too excited about him. He'll miss most of the games with some sort of muscle injury. He'll play a few games where he looks great and then will just disappear. At this point in his career he's a sexy name who I'd expect some Orlando soccer fans to know from his time at Milan and get attendance up. Other then that he's nothing to get excited anymore. 

 
rustycolts said:
Nani worked out ok. Is he similar or not same caliber player.
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No. Nana was a winger Pato is a striker and has played some CAM a playmaking MF. Nani was able to stay healthy. Pato has had health issues most of his career. Talent wise alone he would be among MLS best but do to injuries he's no where near that anymore. 

 
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