Fútbol chatter

[US 89]

Also, the Mens' team held their own and played a very even game against Mexico in the CONCACAF Gold Cup championship game at Soldier Field in Chicago later on that evening.  It was just that one of Mexico's shots hit its mark while none of the USA's did.

Eh, Mexico was definitely the better team, but the US might have had a chance if the refereeing had been more fair. Seriously, in what league is grabbing the neck of an opponent not even a yellow card, much less a red?

[thspfc]

Griezmann to Barcelona.

[thspfc]

EPL starts back up tomorrow!! Norwich is going to get quite a rude welcoming into the top flight, playing at Liverpool in the opener.

[Bruce]

Best use of the field mic in MLS history

https://twitter.com/AndrewGourdie/status/1158172790144434176

The Rapids cancelled their fireworks show because of plague-carrying prairie dogs and still won 6-3.

Atlanta United and Minnesota United will play in the 106th U.S. Open Cup Final. Both teams entered MLS in 2017 and currently sit in 2nd place for their respective conference. Osvaldo Alonso is playing in his seventh U.S. Open Cup Final in 12 years!

[thspfc]

Add the prairie dogs to the "small animals messing with sporting events"  list.

[english si]

USA advance to the Women's World Cup Final for the third consecutive (and fifth overall) time. Some late scares (and dirty play) from England at the end, but it worked out as intended.

Hardly dirty play - and what there was was punished.

In England this loss was oddly taken as being disappointing - to keep the game alive right to the end against a team that is a level above everyone else isn't disappointing. I guess fluffing all the chances was. The men get through to the semis and it's treated as a massive achievement to lose to Croatia. The women lose to the USA in the semis and it's an underachievement? Bollocks it is. Add in that while England's mens run did restore some care for the team (and having Nation's League success, albeit on pay channels, helped keep it up) that most weren't fussed about in Euro 2016, the women's run established them as something beyond a niche interest - the semi was the most watched TV programme of the year (I think the Cricket World Cup final beat it - but that's a final with England that was possibly the best one day cricket game ever and word of mouth spread the hype) and it got similar figures to a men's group stage game despite far less promotion or brand recognition.

I see the vocal members of the US women's team were undervaluing their worth to US soccer by saying they should be paid as much as the men - the US women's team is far more commercially successful than the men's so they should be paid more. Club soccer is different of course, but the women's game is far more popular at international level in the US.

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I think Norwich knew they were going to be destroyed last night - they aren't Spring Chickens at being promoted to the Premier League and then struggling

[thspfc]

USA advance to the Women's World Cup Final for the third consecutive (and fifth overall) time. Some late scares (and dirty play) from England at the end, but it worked out as intended.

Hardly dirty play - and what there was was punished.

In England this loss was oddly taken as being disappointing - to keep the game alive right to the end against a team that is a level above everyone else isn't disappointing. I guess fluffing all the chances was. The men get through to the semis and it's treated as a massive achievement to lose to Croatia. The women lose to the USA in the semis and it's an underachievement? Bollocks it is. Add in that while England's mens run did restore some care for the team (and having Nation's League success, albeit on pay channels, helped keep it up) that most weren't fussed about in Euro 2016, the women's run established them as something beyond a niche interest - the semi was the most watched TV programme of the year (I think the Cricket World Cup final beat it - but that's a final with England that was possibly the best one day cricket game ever and word of mouth spread the hype) and it got similar figures to a men's group stage game despite far less promotion or brand recognition.

I see the vocal members of the US women's team were undervaluing their worth to US soccer by saying they should be paid as much as the men - the US women's team is far more commercially successful than the men's so they should be paid more. Club soccer is different of course, but the women's game is far more popular at international level in the US.

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I think Norwich knew they were going to be destroyed last night - they aren't Spring Chickens at being promoted to the Premier League and then struggling

Can we just forget about the WWC? It was a huge mess.

As for Norwich, they did show signs of life in the loss. I think they can stay up at least one year.

[english si]

As for Norwich, they did show signs of life in the loss. I think they can stay up at least one year.

damage limitation for tonight when Spuds kick off yet another trophyless season with newly promoted Villians coming to North London?

VAR continuing to take getting used to, but seems to be being done better in the Premier League than the WWC. Still odd - Saints had a red card check (negative) on a challenge, then ten minutes later no check when Burnley player did the same.

City's flattening of West Ham had some VAR issues too.

[thspfc]

Good start. It looked ugly down 1-0 for a while, but Kane looks like Kane again, so that's good news. 

[english si]

Kane always scores in August. But my jocular suggestions of "damage limitation" were nearly right - Spurs left it late!

Chelsea losing heavily to United suggests that both sides of Manchester are up for it and that the title isn't a two horse race. London's top clubs (all European finalists) showing they aren't up for it and will only really fight for 4th place - Spuds making work of beating Villa, Arses failing to impress against Newcastle and Cheatskis losing heavily.

[thspfc]

Kane always scores in August. But my jocular suggestions of "damage limitation" were nearly right - Spurs left it late!

Chelsea losing heavily to United suggests that both sides of Manchester are up for it and that the title isn't a two horse race. London's top clubs (all European finalists) showing they aren't up for it and will only really fight for 4th place - Spuds making work of beating Villa, Arses failing to impress against Newcastle and Cheatskis losing heavily.

Chelsea is not a formidable opponent for any of the other big clubs, save for Arsenal, at this point. I wouldn't be surprised if somebody like Everton or Wolves slipped into 6th place ahead of them.

[english si]

The partisan blinkers might be on, but you are right that Chelsea are unlikely to challenge for 4th.

Everton as 6th? That's not likely. They finished below Watford last year (whose hapless end of season run has continued into this) and don't look any better this.

[Alps]

The partisan blinkers might be on, but you are right that Chelsea are unlikely to challenge for 4th.

Everton as 6th? That's not likely. They finished below Watford last year (whose hapless end of season run has continued into this) and don't look any better this.

Even as a Chelsea fan, I'm inclined to agree that they are hamstrung the next few years.

[thspfc]

as a Chelsea fan

I wish I could ask you to leave, but you're a mod so I can't.

[Bruce]

Hollywood producer Joe Roth has sold his stake in the Seattle Sounders, so a group of 11 Seattle-based families have joined together to replace him. Adrian Hanauer remains as majority owner alongside existing minority owners Jody Allen (managing the estate of Paul Allen) and comedian Drew Carey.

The new owners are: Macklemore and his wife, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and his wife, Seahawks QB Russell Wilson and his wife Ciara, and a few other Microsoft executives.

[Alps]

as a Chelsea fan

I wish I could ask you to leave, but you're a mod so I can't.

I'm also a Yankees fan. Come at me bro.

[thspfc]

Best tie in the history of Tottenham Hotspur.

[jp the roadgeek]

as a Chelsea fan

I wish I could ask you to leave, but you're a mod so I can't.

I'm also a Yankees fan. Come at me bro.

And I suppose you also like Duke basketball and the Lakers?  Those 2, along with the Yankees, complete the Evil Trinity.

[Alps]

as a Chelsea fan

I wish I could ask you to leave, but you're a mod so I can't.

I'm also a Yankees fan. Come at me bro.

And I suppose you also like Duke basketball and the Lakers?  Those 2, along with the Yankees, complete the Evil Trinity.

I thought the Evil Trinity was Red Sux, Pats*, and Puke.

[thspfc]

I think nowadays it's Golden State, Patriots, and Duke. A few years ago it was San Antonio Spurs, Seahawks, and Villanova.

[hotdogPi]

Yankees, Lakers, and Trump.

[jp the roadgeek]

Yankees, Lakers, and Trump "The Squad"

FTFY

[Alps]

Yankees, Lakers, and Trump "The Squad" Politics in a roads forum

FTFY

FTFBOY

[Bruce]

I guess this would be a bad time to bring up MLS's bone-headed political messages policy, but I digress.

There's important news for Tuesday: St. Louis is being awarded the 28th MLS franchise. The team will begin play in 2022 and will have 22,000-seater stadium near Union Station.

[mgk920]

I guess this would be a bad time to bring up MLS's bone-headed political messages policy, but I digress.

There's important news for Tuesday: St. Louis is being awarded the 28th MLS franchise. The team will begin play in 2022 and will have 22,000-seater stadium near Union Station.

What is the practical limit for the size of that league?  The promotion/relegation first division leagues in Europe are all much smaller than 28 teams - ie. Ligue1, Serie A, LaLiga and the Premier League each have 20 teams while the Bundesliga has only 18 teams and their schedule formulae are all home/home against all of the rest of the teams in their respective leagues.



Mike