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Soccer Football 2017-18

Frayed Knot Jul 14 2017 04:01 AM

So, how 'bout that Wayne Rooney heading back to Everton? Actually I'm just finding out that he started with Everton. Also he looks to be pretty much on his last legs these days so I suspect this move means little in the big picture of his career or of the EPL But I really started this thread to say that I noticed that ESPN is running one of their '30 for 30' films next week and this upcoming one is on the life and times of George Best. I'll probably try to catch up with it specifically because I had no knowledge of the guy while he was playing and figure I might learn something. But I also thought that those of you here who are much more knowledgeable futbol fans -- our Irish friend in particular but probably several others here as well -- might want to check this one out. A 90 minute film, next Thursday (7/20) at 8 PM So one of these days I have to find out if this ongoing 'Confederations Cup' and/or the 'Gold Cup' are actually meaningful.

Lefty Specialist Jul 14 2017 09:40 AM Re: Soccer Football 2017-18

Is this the one with the big round inflatable ball? And the nets at either end?

MFS62 Jul 14 2017 02:09 PM Re: Soccer Football 2017-18

Lefty Specialist wrote: Is this the one with the big round inflatable ball? And the nets at either end? Yes. Its not a real football, which comes to a point at either end. Theirs is part of a Commie Pinko Liberal plot to draw young American males away from sports at which they can excel to a sport in which they will be humiliated by the rest of the world in International matches. Make America Great Again. Ban Soccer! Later SM= 84

Mets Willets Point Jul 14 2017 02:24 PM Re: Soccer Football 2017-18

In a surreal alternate universe America where stadiums packed with fans and cheerleaders watched soccer games, George Best scored this great goal. [youtube:1c4rwkdy]o8wGN5uDaVg[/youtube:1c4rwkdy]

metirish Jul 15 2017 01:20 PM Re: Soccer Football 2017-18

I saw the best 30 for 30 , it is worth watching especially if you don't know a lot about Best. I really didn't learn anything as Best was a legend all my life. It is a tragic story though. The video Willets posted is worth watching for the goal and the great commentary.... Rooney back at Everton, yeah, he is an old 31, drinks and smokes , a throwback to a bygone era of the British game... Manchester United on at 8pm tonight ,playing the LA Galaxy . The money being spent by the EPL clubs so far is insane but they can afford it as their TV rights deal is huge....TV money has allowed previously selling mid-table clubs to not only keep their players but also to but expensive ones.

Frayed Knot Jul 15 2017 01:48 PM Re: Soccer Football 2017-18

Ah, I didn't realize that the Best piece was previously run. ESPN ran a preview for it a couple days ago and I got the impression it was new ... but that's ESPN for you. They've got a lot of time to kill at this time of year with no football or basketball to show so they're probably dusting off all kinds of stuff they have in their vault in order to fill empty time slots. There was an article in Friday's NY Times just on the rumors that totally infect the soccer world during the summer transfer window. As an example they talked about an Irish Arsenal fan who completely invented a foreign teenager a couple years ago and talked him up enough on his own blog to have that name start to show up on more official sites as a possible big dollar signing before folks eventually caught on that it was all a ruse. Even the baseball web sites that are going to light up over the next couple weeks heading into the trade deadline aren't likely to be that crazy.

MFS62 Jul 15 2017 02:16 PM Re: Soccer Football 2017-18

A Sidd Finch in short pants. Later

metirish Jul 15 2017 05:52 PM Re: Soccer Football 2017-18

Actually FK I am not sure if that Best doc ran before as I watched it using a phone app, I too saw the ESPN promo during the Mike and the Mad Dog 30 for 30 and was surprised as it seemed like ESPN was presenting it as new. Yes, the nonsense with transfers right now is peaking , I unfollowed a bunch of soccer journalists recently as they are tweeting clickbait a lot of the time " huge #MUFC story, posting in 20 mins" EDIT - The MUFC game is at 10pm

Ashie62 Jul 15 2017 09:13 PM Re: Soccer Football 2017-18

Lefty Specialist wrote: Is this the one with the big round inflatable ball? And the nets at either end? Thats hockey I believe.

MFS62 Jul 21 2017 01:59 PM Re: Soccer Football 2017-18

ManCity and the Spurs. July 29 https://sports.yahoo.com/tottenham-hots ... 10697.html Too bad it isn't ManU. They could use some easy competition. (Sorry, Metirish. I couldn't resist) Later

Frayed Knot Jul 27 2017 03:39 AM Re: Soccer Football 2017-18

U.S. just scored in the 88th minute to break a 1-1 tie with Jamaica and (probably) win the Gold Cup final.

Frayed Knot Sep 02 2017 01:13 AM Re: Soccer Football 2017-18

U.S. puts themselves in real danger of not qualifying for the 2018 World Cup with a 2-0 home loss to Costa Rica tonight. Next match is [u:l0ku5hqf]at[/u:l0ku5hqf] Honduras on Tuesday, then the final two matches vs Panama (home) and Trinidad/Tobago (road) next month. They'll need at least six to seven points out of those three matches and even that might only get them to the play-in game for a WC slot. The max of nine points from the final three games might be needed to clinch a spot free and clear, and even then I assume that getting no better than a 3rd place finish in their CONCACAF group )behind Mexico & Costa Rica) won't do wonderful things for their overall seeding in the big tourney.

Ashie62 Sep 02 2017 01:48 AM Re: Soccer Football 2017-18

Lefty Specialist wrote: Is this the one with the big round inflatable ball? And the nets at either end? yes, the one filled with excitement, yes

Frayed Knot Sep 06 2017 12:43 AM Re: Soccer Football 2017-18

A goal by the U.S. in the 85th minute tied the game with Honduras and kept their 2018 World Cup hopes alive. Two more qualifying games remain (Panama & Trinidad/Tobago) and they'll probably need at least a win and a tie to gain an automatic bid into next summer's WC

Mets Willets Point Sep 07 2017 09:37 PM Re: Soccer Football 2017-18

Apparently bringing back the coach who last lead the USMNT to an ignominious early exit in the 2006 World Cup has not brought success, but instead made them shittier than they were 11 years ago.

Frayed Knot Sep 07 2017 10:11 PM Re: Soccer Football 2017-18

Well except that he initially did right the ship a bit as I believe they were off to an 0-2 start to the WC qualifying round when they booted Klinsman who was not only winless but apparently feuding with half the team as well. That said, I claim no insight as to how much credit/blame either deserves.

Frayed Knot Sep 12 2017 05:57 PM Re: Soccer Football 2017-18

Alexi Lalas on the USMNT: "It's dark days indeed but this is a time for leaders to step up, and so to the supposed leaders, I will say this.... Tim Howard. The Belgium game ended three years ago. We need you to save the ball now. Geoff Cameron. Clean it up, or let's get someone who will. Clint Dempsey. Yeah, you're a national team legend; now we need you to be a national team leader. Michael Bradley. The U.S. does not need you to be zen, the U.S. needs you to play better. Jozy Altidore. Is this really as good as it gets? Because it's still not good enough." Bruce Arena. Jurgen Klinsmann lost at home to Mexico. You lost at home to Costa Rica. This is now all on you, not Jurgen And, oh, by the way, to all the guys that I didn't mention, it's because you don't even warrant a mention. That includes you too, Wonder Boy [Pulisic] So, what are you guys going to do? Are you going to continue to be a bunch of soft, underperforming, tattooed millionaires? You are a soccer generation that has been given everything; you are a soccer generation who's on the verge of squandering everything. So now it's time to pay it back. Make us believe again. You don't owe it to yourselves, you owe it to us." Strongly worded letter to follow.

Frayed Knot Oct 07 2017 12:28 PM Re: Soccer Football 2017-18

WC slot not yet guaranteed, but while all the baseball was going on last night the US was putting a 4-0 thrashing on Panama

Frayed Knot Oct 11 2017 02:11 AM Re: Soccer Football 2017-18

U.S.A. is [u:2hk6ydtf]OUT[/u:2hk6ydtf] of next year's World Cup First time since 1986 that they've failed to qualify.

Mets Willets Point Oct 11 2017 04:26 AM Re: Soccer Football 2017-18

Sensed this would happen when they ditched Klinsmann and his long-term rebuild, for the guy who lead the team to an early exit in the 2006 WC.

d'Kong76 Oct 11 2017 11:25 AM Re: Soccer Football 2017-18

Great, now not only are we the laughing stock of the world we're the laughing stock of the world. USA dude scored the first goal for Trinidad and Tobago. Our country of over 300 million people can't field a soccer team to make The World Cup. My breast swells with pride.

Edgy MD Oct 11 2017 12:32 PM Re: Soccer Football 2017-18

We should have boycotted the damn thing to begin with. Now we're complicit in this nightmare and we don't even get to compete.

d'Kong76 Oct 11 2017 12:41 PM Re: Soccer Football 2017-18

bifl haha

Mets Willets Point Oct 11 2017 02:29 PM Re: Soccer Football 2017-18

Edgy MD wrote: We should have boycotted the damn thing to begin with. Now we're complicit in this nightmare and we don't even get to compete. Kind of relieved that the US won't be going to the Russia World Cup debacle. Need to organize a boycott of the Qatar travesty. Perhaps the US can host an alternate tournament where they only take on two countries at time: Trinidad AND Tobago, Antigua AND Barbuda, Saint Kitts AND Nevis, Saint Vincent AND the Grenadines, Sao Tome AND Principe, Newfoundland AND Labrador, Rhode Island AND Providence Plantations, et al.

HahnSolo Oct 11 2017 02:42 PM Re: Soccer Football 2017-18

A pickup game in Pelham Bay Park would have drawn a bigger crowd than they had at that game last night.

d'Kong76 Oct 11 2017 02:45 PM Re: Soccer Football 2017-18

What is this nightmare and debacle you guys speak of? I know nada futbol except that FIFA sounds more corrupt than the NYS Senate.

Edgy MD Oct 11 2017 02:55 PM Re: Soccer Football 2017-18

Yeah, add the New York Senate to the IOC and throw in a couple of Chinese manufacturing conglomerates. Join that with the Trump Foundation and the Enron board of directors, and you begin to touch on how dirty FIFA a is. But specifically what has gone down in Qatar is an international outrage. Trying to build a futbol infrastructure from the ground up on foreign slave labor.

Frayed Knot Oct 11 2017 02:57 PM Re: Soccer Football 2017-18

HahnSolo wrote: A pickup game in Pelham Bay Park would have drawn a bigger crowd than they had at that game last night. And the field would have been in better condition.

metirish Oct 11 2017 03:37 PM Re: Soccer Football 2017-18

#USMNT is a disgrace, cue calls for new thinking, reloading....and not fuck all happening. The Germans did rethink the whole thing after their Euro 2000 debacle...and well, as you can see.

Frayed Knot Oct 11 2017 04:42 PM Re: Soccer Football 2017-18

I mean, sure they'll miss the World Cup and set the interest in soccer in this country back a ways, but at least by losing last night they'll get a better draft pick next year.

d'Kong76 Oct 11 2017 06:55 PM Re: Soccer Football 2017-18

T and T was ranked 99th?? All they needed was a tie? Yikes.

Frayed Knot Oct 11 2017 07:35 PM Re: Soccer Football 2017-18

Other teams who often find themselves as insiders but will be watching the 2018 WC on TV: Netherlands - Austria - Cameroon - Ghana - China - Chile Italy is not out but they're also not yet in, needing to survive an upcoming play-in round in order to qualify. Also in play-in situations: Sweden, both Ireland & N. Ireland, Switzerland, Denmark, Greece, Croatia, Australia, Syria, Peru, and Honduras (that would have been the US's slot if they had just tied last night)

d'Kong76 Oct 11 2017 07:42 PM Re: Soccer Football 2017-18

Well if China sucks too, I don't feel so bad. Didn't realize this doesn't start until June until a few hours ago. Trinidad and Tobago... lmfao...

Ashie62 Oct 11 2017 09:41 PM Re: Soccer Football 2017-18

Trinidad & Tobago? five year break now.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Oct 12 2017 03:08 AM Re: Soccer Football 2017-18

Short-term, it's not fun. But it's potentially best long-term that the team didn't make it this cycle. (And I say this as somebody who's been processing some WFAN-overnight-caller-brand emotional swings over the last 24 hours.) If only because it shines a bright light on many, many big problems with the program-- weird 22-26 y/o talent gap, no technical director/national vision, insular field-of-vision regarding coaching and playing talent, the US Soccer Federation essentially being a partner-puppet of MLS ownership-- AND creates impetus to act on them, it's a potential boon. The main problem with accomplishing any necessary change is that it starts with one of the guys who probably needs to go, federation president Sunil Galati. Under his watch, since 2011, the US men have missed a U17 WC, an U20 WC, two Olympics, and a WC... all while nursing an aging, unchallenged core at the senior level AND presiding over an unused $100 million surplus. Challenging and usurping his presidency-- it's up in 2018-- is a good, vital first step in the right direction.

Frayed Knot Oct 12 2017 03:49 AM Re: Soccer Football 2017-18

btw, this was the goal that (helped) knock the Americans out of the WC. This was ruled a goal for Panama. They eventually won by one goal. A tie and the U.S. would still be alive (even if gasping for breath). [youtube:u2w5sg29]49RWRts9qqw[/youtube:u2w5sg29]

Frayed Knot Oct 12 2017 04:11 AM Re: Soccer Football 2017-18

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Short-term, it's not fun. But it's potentially best long-term that the team didn't make it this cycle. France finished top 4 in 1982 & 1986, then didn't qualify in either 1990 or 1994, then won it all in 1998 England failed to qualify in 1974 (two tourneys after they won it all) plus 1978 & 1994 And yet both country's programs survived. And while I'm sure that some could argue that European teams have a much tougher time qualifying (although also get more slots to qualify for) those misses didn't kill those teams and one could make the argument that, like surviving your first heart attack, missing the WC could just be the kick in the pants you really needed even if it doesn't seem that way at the time.

Mets Willets Point Oct 12 2017 09:16 PM Re: Soccer Football 2017-18

The Yankee Stadium MLS side project NYCFC is being dumped on Citi Field due to the ALCS.

HahnSolo Oct 13 2017 12:10 PM Re: Soccer Football 2017-18

Mets Willets Point wrote: The Yankee Stadium MLS side project NYCFC is being dumped on Citi Field due to the ALCS. First we host a Yankee game in September, now this? Just say no, Jeff. Let 'em go play in Columbia's football field.

Edgy MD Oct 26 2017 03:26 AM Re: Soccer Football 2017-18

The only thing as impressive as this guy's speed (and balance at full speed) is the announcer's commitment to his goal call. [youtube:39qkxxwe]SUpfJW_Ps-M[/youtube:39qkxxwe]

Frayed Knot Nov 14 2017 02:33 AM Re: Soccer Football 2017-18

And now it's Italy failing to qualify for the 2018 WC. First miss for the 1934, 1938, 1982 & 2006 winners since 1958 IN: Russia Brazil Iran Japan Mexico Belgium South Korea Saudi Arabia Germany England Spain Nigeria Costa Rica Poland Egypt Serbia Iceland France Portugal Uruguay Argentina Colombia Panama Morocco Senegal Tunisia Switzerland Croatia Sweden Fighting for the remaining three slots: Australia Honduras Peru New Zealand Denmark Ireland Not in (among frequent qualifiers) USA Ghana Chile Netherlands Italy Turkey Czech Ecuador

Frayed Knot Dec 02 2017 12:41 AM Re: Soccer Football 2017-18

[u:3ovkmkaw]2018 WORLD CUP DRAW[/u:3ovkmkaw] GROUP A: RUSSIA, URUGUAY, EGYPT, SAUDI ARABIA GROUP B: PORTUGAL, SPAIN, IRAN, MOROCCO GROUP C: FRANCE, PERU, DENMARK, AUSTRALIA GROUP D: ARGENTINA, CROATIA, ICELAND, NIGERIA GROUP E: BRAZIL, SWITZERLAND, COSTA RICA, SERBIA GROUP F: GERMANY, MEXICO, SWEDEN, SOUTH KOREA GROUP G: BELGIUM, ENGLAND, TUNISIA, PANAMA GROUP H: POLAND, COLOMBIA, SENEGAL, JAPAN

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Dec 02 2017 08:27 AM Re: Soccer Football 2017-18

Group G is a bear-- any of the other three could take out presumptive favorites Deutschland on a good night. (Groups F and H are tough to call, too.)