Fútbol chatter

[Stephane Dumas]

The AFC Cleveland Royals of the NPSL (a minor soccer league https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Premier_Soccer_League ) bring another championship to Cleveland.
http://afccleveland.com/news/story.php?id=149
http://www.cleveland.com/sports/index.ssf/2016/08/soccers_royals_bring_cleveland.html

[CNGL-Leudimin]

Meanwhile, La Liga (the Spanish association football league) has kicked off. As always I'm rooting for 18 teams (Everyone but Real Madrid and FC Barcelona), with a special mention to Atlético. However the team I root the most is not among them, as it's SD Huesca, currently playing in La Liga 2 (2nd tier). They will be playing against regional rivals Real Zaragoza on the third matchday (September 4th)!

[nexus73]

The Olympic final of Brazil vs Germany with the Brazilians getting revenge for their blowout loss in World Cup play via penalty kick shootout was the perfect capper for this sport in 2016.  Even Hollywood could not have written a better script!

Rick

[Desert Man]

The Phoenix Rising MLS expansion team bid failed, but that's a really cool team name. Phoenix, AZ is the largest North American (US/Canada) city without a MLS team. The 5th largest US city as well, could there be 2 MLS teams in the Phoenix metro area, like Mesa AZ (pop: over 500,000) can have one too? The Mesa Gold? Mesa Miners? or Los Mexicanos del Mesa? even Mesa Mormons, due to the city has one of the oldest LDS church temples.

[Desert Man]

If I was a FIFA official, I would vote the US to host the 2026 world cup, the 2nd in US history (1994) and knowing the US has a following in soccer, notably MLS founded 1996. Canada seeks to host the FIFA world cup as well, this is going to be tough because Canada rarely had an appearance in FIFA world cup history. Time to bring out my "crystal ball" of future FIFA world cups, still held every four years, respecting regional championship events, like Euro Cup and Copa Americas, as well in Asia, Africa and Oceania/Australia.

2026 USA, 2030 Argentina/Uruguay (world cup centennial), 2034 Australia, 2038 Canada, 2042 Sweden/Norway, 2046 India, 2050 Netherlands/Belgium, 2054 China, 2058 Morocco (past African cup host), 2062 Colombia (failed to keep the 1986 world cup, given to Mexico, hosted in 1970) and 2066 England/Wales (millennium anniversary of England, as well United Kingdom of Great Britain). 

[english si]

2066 England/Wales (millennium anniversary of England, as well United Kingdom of Great Britain).

100 years between holding World Cups too. Which is outrageous given that England could hold one easily (without needing Cardiff's stadium) now and has a wealth of fans and so on that would make it one of the best off-the-pitch World Cups.

And, of course, it's not the millennial anniversary of England*. And the UK of GB was founded by the Act of Union 1707, so what anniversary are you talking about?

*Millennial anniversary of the death of England, maybe - the last truly English king died, the Norman yoke thrown over us. The half-Norman king we started the year with is seen as English as he (and his Danish-Norman half-brother who preceded him, and even his Danish step-dad who was king before that) didn't completely rewrite English law, customs and change the entire ruling class (and the country's religion) unlike Guillaume le Bâtard. It's been 1000 years, 4 months and 3 days since the throne of England last passed between two Englishmen. Every monarch since Edmund Ironside, save Harold Godwinson, has had at least some non-English parent or grandparent. But, lets ignore all that: England had been united in 937, give or take a few rebellions.

[CNGL-Leudimin]

The group stage of both European competitions (Champions League and Europa League) have kicked off. Following what I did with the March Madness I decided to mock-up both, replacing all eighty teams with ones based mostly in places with funny names. I've also grandfathered what I call the 'Pearson trio' (ADPI Rivas, UD Ariza and Rosales CF replacing Barça, Atlético and Real Madrid respectively, the first two are real teams playing at regional level, the other is completely made-up) into the Champions League, as these had already appeared as part of mock-ups of some well-known matches: The Clásico was referred to me as being contested by ADPI Rivas and Rosales CF, and the derby (no longer Madrid derby as now both teams are in Zaragoza province) was between the latter and UD Ariza.

[Stephane Dumas]

The 2016 MLS Eastern conference final will be all-Canadian between the Montreal Impact vs the Toronto FC.

[Bruce]

The aforementioned Eastern Conference final featured quite the hiccup, a 30-minute delay due to the markings on the field being too small (specifically, the 18-yard box). So, ESPN and an audience of 1 million Canadians tuned in to watch paint being dried by leafblowers.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/nov/22/mls-playoffs-montreal-beat-toronto-in-thriller-after-wrong-lines-painted-on-pitch

https://twitter.com/ESPNFC/status/801232240374063104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

[Stephane Dumas]

Toronto won the 2nd game 5-2 and there the 1st Canadian team to go to the MLS finals.

[CNGL-Leudimin]

Last Saturday a Barça-Real Madrid match (The Clásico) took place and ended with an 1-1 tie. And of course it was parodied by me into ADPI Rivas vs Rosales CF, the former featuring a team full of corrupt politicians against a team of diseases .

[Bruce]

The last week or so has been pretty interesting for soccer, both at home and abroad.

The crash in Colombia (and subsequent outpouring of support), the sex abuse scandal in England, and the implosion of NASL in the United States (along with the rise of a new Canadian league).

And tomorrow, the MLS Cup will be awarded to a first-time winner. Either hosts Toronto or everyone's favorite Seattle will be able to hoist their first league championship in what will likely be the coldest MLS Cup final played yet, in front of 36,000 at BMO Field.

[Bruce]

Sounders win the cup! An amazing save by Stefan Frei and a good penalty shootout that went to extra rounds!

https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/807794848354988032

First team to win the MLS Cup with 0 shots on record...against a 3-defender Toronto. Haha.

[Bruce]

MLS preseason begins today!

Some news from our defending champions Seattle: Clint Dempsey has been cleared to practice after ending his season early last year because of an irregular heartbeat. Many feared that his career would be over. http://www.seattletimes.com/sports/sounders/sounders-forward-clint-dempsey-medically-cleared-to-return-to-practice/

CONCACAF decided to change the format of the Champions League, moving US, Mexican and Canadian teams into the knockout rounds directly and having Caribbean/Central American teams play in a qualification tournament. The Sounders and other MLS entrants will play next March in the new format, a full year after qualification.

[bing101]

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Group-Holds-Rally-San-Diego-Plans-Stadium-412189083.html

San Diego now a bargaining chip city for the MLS

[Bruce]

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Group-Holds-Rally-San-Diego-Plans-Stadium-412189083.html

San Diego now a bargaining chip city for the MLS

That's not quite accurate, as San Diego is not being targeted for team relocations (which is what the term is meant for, see NFL and LA prior to 2015). San Diego is merely one of several candidates (and arguably one of the stronger ones) to get the few remaining expansion franchises.

After MLS bloats up to 32 teams, who knows if the league will turn into an NFL-like ransomer. I hope not, as soccer doesn't need to be tied up in messy political battles over public financing for stadiums.

[Buck87]

Has a defending EPL/First Division champion ever been relegated before?

Starting to look like a very real possibility this year.

[english si]

Has a defending EPL/First Division champion ever been relegated before?

Chelsea ran it close last season!

Man United were relegated in 1937, with Man City champions, but the blue half of Manchester's joy was shortlived - their team the next season were top scorers, but let in lots (though still 3 less than they scored) and were relegated having lost 20 games. To add insult to injury, United were promoted back to the top flight in second place.

----

Anyway, I'm currently enjoying perhaps the most 'mismatched' game in FA Cup history - there's a big upset as Arsenal have just beaten Sutton 2-0.

It's somewhat flattering to Arsenal - Sutton have been good for a goal, and Arsenal (playing with a stronger team than the one that beat Southampton's third team in the last round) haven't been obviously superior, despite being 105 league places above.

Full credit to Arsenal for using the dressing room  (the home dressing room is the same, but painted a more pleasant white), putting big names out, and taking the game seriously. Full credit for Sutton for hitting the bar and deserving more, having Arsenal's first goal nearly a third of the way through the game being against the run of play, being more able to keep up with Arsenal than Arsenal were able to keep up with Bayern Munich last Tuesday, not dropping physically despite being part-timers who only train twice a week.

Sutton, who won the National League South (tier 6) last season played so well against a team who came second to Leicester last season that their manager had to say that he was glad his team was mentally fit else they wouldn't have won..

Next in Arsenal's easiest FA Cup draw ever* - non-league Lincoln, who beat EPL Burnley and head to the Emirates as their reward.

*other than better league's teams entering later in the competition, the draw is random.

[CNGL-Leudimin]

Wow, Lincoln City has made it to quarter finals! That's incredible for a non-League team, especially considering that no teams from League Two (tier 4) remain (And potentially no teams from Champioship, as Huddersfield Town has to replay Manchester City - Millwall from League One, tier 3, is still alive).

[english si]

^^ Huddersfield are replaying Man City.

If Sutton had won tonight, it would have guaranteed a non-league team in the semi-finals. Lincoln and Sutton joined Colchester United (1948), Yeovil Town ('49), Blyth Spartans ('78), Telford United ('85), Kidderminster Harriers ('94), Crawley Town ('11) and Luton Town ('13) in making it to the 5th round from outside the League since '45.

Blyth took Wrexham to a replay and lost 2-1 at home, Kidderminster lost 1-0 at home to West Ham, Crawley Town lost 1-0 away to Man U - Sutton's 2-0 loss at home is amongst these better results. Lincoln's 1-0 win away against Burnley (who are a team strong at home) is the first non-league team through to the sixth round (never 'quarter finals' for the FA Cup) since QPR in 1914.

[Bruce]

MLS has started up again, to great fanfare.

Atlanta United had 55,297 show up for their debut in their temporary home.



Orlando City opened their new stadium to a full crowd of 25,527:



Crowd shot (Warning: Large image)

Minnesota United has already sold 30,000 tickets to their home opener (also in temporary accommodations) this weekend, so things are going to keep looking good for the league.

[CNGL-Leudimin]

Blyth took Wrexham to a replay and lost 2-1 at home, Kidderminster lost 1-0 at home to West Ham, Crawley Town lost 1-0 away to Man U - Sutton's 2-0 loss at home is amongst these better results. Lincoln's 1-0 win away against Burnley (who are a team strong at home) is the first non-league team through to the sixth round (never 'quarter finals' for the FA Cup) since QPR in 1914.

Any round with eight teams left is always quarter finals for me, regardless if it's officially called Sixth Round, Elite 8, Division Series or whatever.

[mgk920]

Anyone catch last weekend's F.C.Barcelona @ Paris Saint-Germain UEFA game?



Mike

[CNGL-Leudimin]

It was mid-week, and it was in Champions League. And in Europe we list the home team first, so I always reverse the order in the Big Four. Anyway, I was so sure FC Barcelona was out, I had to eat that statement with potatoes. But didn't last long, they lost in La Liga to Deportivo.

[english si]

some of the Barcelona players did some good auditions for the high board on the swim team, and I'm sure some casting directors will be ringing some of them too.

But it's something we've not seen in the Champions League for years, if ever. Liverpool's win in the 2005 final, coming back from 3-0 down is up there though.