2007-08 EPL Thread

[lamaros]

I don't disagree that Mascherano deserved the second booking for one second. But I lose sympathy with refs when they don't go on to hold everyone else to the same standard. Most obviously Ferdinand and Carragher in the second half, or John Terry in every single match.

As for Man U 'dominating' anyone, meh, if either team played like they did today for the rest of the season, they'd be competing with Newcastle.

What the fuck were you watching? Before the sendoff Liverpool had nardly a sniff at goal and Rooney missed two great chances, one which would have been a penalty to anyone else. And we also scored. After the sendoff Utd completely and utterly dominated play and missed a further 4 good chances. You could say that if we finished like that for the rest of the year then fair enough, but we outplayed Liverpool, no doubt. Gerrard wasn't in the game at all.

To compare Ferdinand or Carragher in the second half to Mascherano in the first would be daft. (and Ferdinand was booked for a marginal foul too). Mascherano was behaving like a little kid. Turning his back to the ref after his first foul, running his mouth nonstop from then, running across the field and getting involved when clearly told to desist; there is no comparison.

[Luxor]

He really is a tactical genius isn't he?

[HaemishM]

Mascherano should have gotten sent off for being a dumbass. He had no business coming up to the ref when it wasn't even him who'd gotten the card. Frankly, I am sick to death of watching a ref get mobbed by players every time he calls a foul, whether it be players bitching about the free kick or players trying to get the ref to hand out a booking. Chelsea is usually the worst offender of the lot, but I've seen it in too many games. Stop holding up the game and get on with it. I'd be quite fine with restricting discussions with the ref to captains only. Really, if anyone should have been bitching to the ref about Torres' booking, it should have been Gerrard. Since he wasn't, Javier should have shut his festering gob.

As for Liverpool being dominated before the sending off... no. Not really. Yes, Man. U. was having the better run of play, but it was hardly a domination. The biggest problem the Reds had was Reina. He looked completely lost out there, from kicks to deciding when to come out and when to sit still. That first goal shouldn't even have gotten close, but Reina just didn't seem to have any clue what he was doing out there. I still don't think Liverpool would have won with 11 men, but they wouldn't have lost 3-0.

[sigil]

ROFL at that pic.

If you have Drogba out there, and he gives a shit, you could climb on top of the divider and jerk off on to the pitch and be considered a tactical genius.

[eldaec]

Mascherano should have gotten sent off for being a dumbass. He had no business coming up to the ref when it wasn't even him who'd gotten the card. Frankly, I am sick to death of watching a ref get mobbed by players every time he calls a foul, whether it be players bitching about the free kick or players trying to get the ref to hand out a booking.

Agree, but it won't change with occaisional random bookings, when the ref is confident he can pick off a single player.

Rule needs to be hard, fast, and consistent, anything more than one immeadiate shout, and anything involving foul language or advancing on the ref = booking.

The Masch sending off didn't even affect the players in that game, who presumably just put it down to randomness.

People in the UK keep talking about some stupid suggestion where only the captain can talk the ref. Wouldn't work because refs won't enforce it.

[HaemishM]

People in the UK keep talking about some stupid suggestion where only the captain can talk the ref. Wouldn't work because refs won't enforce it.

At that point, the FA should then just start awarding players yellow cards AFTER the game. Once fuckheads started getting 1-match bans for an accumulation of cards, they might learn to STFU.

[eldaec]

People in the UK keep talking about some stupid suggestion where only the captain can talk the ref. Wouldn't work because refs won't enforce it.

At that point, the FA should then just start awarding players yellow cards AFTER the game.

Sepp Blatter says you aren't allowed to do that.

In other news, Sepp Blatter is a twat.

[HaemishM]

If you can award extra suspension time because of egregious tackles, like in the Thatcher incident at the beginning of last season, you can sure as fuck award extra yellow cards.

[eldaec]

If you can award extra suspension time because of egregious tackles, like in the Thatcher incident at the beginning of last season, you can sure as fuck award extra yellow cards.

Thatcher was about setting the length of a suspension triggered by a red card. Which for whatever reason, is allowed. So long as you base the decision on the referees report and not on evidence.

You can't do shit if the referee saw it at the time but chose not to send a player off.

And Fifa frown and harrumph and suggest you'll never get a world cup if you push the point.



Looking at TV pictures in any context during or after a game is considered poor form by the idiots at FIFA. On one occasion a few years back at a Bolton game, a 4th official spotted a player cheating on a replay on a monitor at pitch side. All hell broke loose. The guy in question had to swear he saw the offence first hand, no one could do anything about it because they weren't allowed to look at the video evidence of the official staring at a monitor. It's funny shit.

[HaemishM]

FIFA really does have their head up their ass about using technology to improve the game. They seem to throw a shit fit everytime anyone brings up anything about video replay or goal mouth sensors. I definitely wouldn't want to see replay used like it is in American football, but somethings are just common sense good things.

[sigil]

you talk of FIFA and common sense in the same breath?



The only common sense that matters to Sepp and his buddies is the cash that lines their pockets.

[lamaros]

Ronaldo will have to win player of the year. Only some sort of miracle play by Fabergas in the Champ. League will be able to stop him at this point I feel.

[lamaros]

I concur with my earlier assessment.

[sigil]

Seconded. God damn if he isn't looking like one of the best to ever play. right now

[Hoax]

Seconded. God damn if he isn't looking like one of the best to ever play. right now

I think I would take the time to point out I called this way back in the 2006 WC which was before the bandwagon was really rolling and was the first time I'd personally seen him play.  Except I'm not 100% I called it here.


*hahaha you didn't quote it, pig fucking asshole!  Now you can never prove I edited my post to say 2006 WC instead of 2004!

[sigil]

I must have missed the 2004 World Cup. 

[HaemishM]

Goddamnit, what a great game. I won't post spoilers for those haven't seen it, but you have to admit no matter which team you rooted for, that was a classic for the ages.

[sigil]

good, entertaining, but I don't think it a classic.

Today will be an interesting day for American Soccer, can they show that MLS has arrived on the continent, or are we still stuck at almost  there.

[HaemishM]

What's going on with MLS today? I must have missed the news.

[sigil]

second leg of Concacaf Champions cup

DC at home to Pachuca down 2-0.

Houston in San Jose, score tied at 0-0.

DC has everyone but will have to make up the deficit, which CAN be done.

Houston is missing, Onstad, Robinson and Holden. I will be absolutely shocked if they can advance in light of the  situation.


I've got to say It looks like there's a noticeable improvement in the overall quality of play in the league. I also never thought I'd say that the best looking teama right now are The Kansas City Wizards and The Colorado Rapids.

[HaemishM]

The Rapids looked awesome against the Galaxy, and I'm happy to say that the Fire looked great against New England even before Larentowicz got sent off.

[sigil]

Sidetracking this thread for the moment, it's now not out of the realm of possibility for MLS to actually be a big time league.

You've got some really deep pockets calling the shots. It's just a matter of getting the butts in seats and eyes on the tube. Attendance continues to climb. We'll see about ratings this year. We need good matchups and more Beckham and Blanco games on the Deuce.

The potential is there. There's enough fans of the sport in this nation to make for a very profitable league. You just have to make a product that's of sufficient quality  to attract the followers of South American and Latin American soccer to realize that there's good games here locally. Getting eurosnobs would be nice as well, but frankly I think the Eurosnob isn't going to be bothered with it until  people left europe in their prime for MLS in numbers, which isn't going ot happen. But what can happen is Argentine and Brazillian players making their way here in gradually larger numbers and quality.

 DC United  was the trailblazer on how to make this happen. Harvesting good talent from  South America and Latin America and bringing them here gives a boost to their quality and  gives followers of those leagues something they can latch on to. The league is starting to develop a rep for hard charging and fast, if not  very technical soccer. But you do see flair showing up in fits and starts. It's better than what it was five years ago by a long shot.

Chicago's got a good balance and a good coach. Blanco amazingly is taking the league very seriously. In fact, all of the DPs I've seen come in  are taking it seriously. It's not Beckham's fault that Alexi Lalas make Isaiah Thomas look like Billy Beane.

[eldaec]

Champions League : 

Anyway, I know we aren't supposed to spoil results until 15 weeks after the matches because some people seem to be waiting for the signal to be reflected off Alpha Centuri. But anyhow, I will say that I wish all matches between the English big 3 + Chelsea were half as good to watch as the Liverpool Arsenal match this week, and I wish they could be played somewhere near the same spirit, and I wish the fans of any of the sides would remain as positive an influence.

Fact is the semi final will be an awful experience, and the potential all English final remains a throughly depressing prospect.

[lamaros]

One of the semi-finals will be awesome. One won't.

[HaemishM]

The potential is there. There's enough fans of the sport in this nation to make for a very profitable league.

5 more years and a lot of the kids who are right now playing youth soccer will join the ones who played youth soccer 5 years before that. The youth programs that started popping up everywhere in the late '90's are what's going to be the real driving force behind MLS in the future. MLS will never reach the heights of the big 3 in America, but it can get bigger than the NHL because it can be played anywhere in the country without special rinks or equipment. The NHL really fucked itself with the strike, and that will give MLS a leg up. Hell, it's already a leg up for having a weekly game on ESPN.

[Jobu]

The potential is there... But what can happen is Argentine and Brazillian players making their way here in gradually larger numbers and quality...
The league is starting to develop a rep for hard charging and fast, if not  very technical soccer. But you do see flair showing up in fits and starts. It's better than what it was five years ago by a long shot.

I've been trying to watch MLS games when here and there, and I think "not very technical" is a woeful understatement. I'd love to watch the games, but I get disgusted watching teams not able to string together 4 passes before losing possession. It's very aggravating. I can only hope you are right and all those foreign players from South America show everyone how to play properly.

[Jobu]

Fact is the semi final will be an awful experience, and the potential all English final remains a throughly depressing prospect.

The only saving grace is Manchester United will be the other half of the all English final. Imagine if Chelsea-Liverpool were the final? Ugh. I hope Chelsea beat them. I'm so damn sick of seeing Liverpool flounder about like turds in the EPL and somehow justify making it so far in the CL every year.

If only Barcelona were the team they were last year, the game at Camp Nou at the end of the month could potentially have been an epic game for the ages. Now, not so much I'm guessing.

[HaemishM]

The potential is there... But what can happen is Argentine and Brazillian players making their way here in gradually larger numbers and quality...
The league is starting to develop a rep for hard charging and fast, if not  very technical soccer. But you do see flair showing up in fits and starts. It's better than what it was five years ago by a long shot.

I've been trying to watch MLS games when here and there, and I think "not very technical" is a woeful understatement. I'd love to watch the games, but I get disgusted watching teams not able to string together 4 passes before losing possession. It's very aggravating. I can only hope you are right and all those foreign players from South America show everyone how to play properly.

In the games I've watched so far, the play in MLS has been better this year. It's still butt ugly when you compare it to someone like Arsenal's play, but it's getting there. Beckham being healthy helps a lot. Of course, what would also help is getting every team off that goddamn turf shit they play on in New York and Salt Lake. That shit has got to go, it's like watching a fucking foosball game. I think both teams are getting new stadiums next year. Strangely enough, the turf New England plays on doesn't seem anywhere near as bad as those two.

[sigil]

Holy Shit, actual MLS talk.

Stadium situations are rapidly improving. Salt lake opens in their new stadium I believe in the fall of this year.


http://www.rslstadium.com/webcam.html


New York's will open next year

That one's going to be niiiice.

Houston are in the final stages to get one made right next to Minute Maid Park Downtown.

Seattle will use Qwest field in its soccer configuration, but at 15,000 season tickets and counting they may open up the upper bowl.

New England's turf is FIFA approved. it's the same field as Toronto.

Philly will open in their own park.

If they continue to grow the league the right way and put  the attention on the product like they're focusing on now, long term -30 years MLS will be top three and a premier league in the world, the western hemisphere's counterpart to Barclays. And the US will still not be a world power in soccer :D

[HaemishM]

When is Philadelphia supposed to start playing? I know about Seattle next year, but hadn't heard about Philly.

Also, I don't think the MLS will be a top 3 World League in my lifetime.

[sigil]

Well here's the rationale behind it.

American Demographics continue to shift more hispanic.

American billionaires continue to build the league (which is now consistently turning out an overall profit) and start to increase salaries.

high profile transfers keep the league in the public eye while the slow build continues.

The key will be when the quality of the teams is such that they can consistantly win the continental competitions. We've been close for a few years now, but the teams need the increased depth from a bigger salary structure. Houston showed that perfectly last night. 1-11 they're pretty good, but when people get injured things can go south in a hurry. Caig was shite between the pipes and the defense is one player deep

but improved performances will draw interest. which increases revenues which increases the depth of the salary pool and so on.

I'm thinking I'll be an old man before it will happen, but I think it's a generational thing.


Remember, fifty years ago nothing was going to knock down horse racing and boxing.

[sidereal]

Seattle will use Qwest field in its soccer configuration, but at 15,000 season tickets and counting they may open up the upper bowl.

Hey, I'm one of those.  And we even got the ownership to table the dreadful 'Seattle Alliance' and use the Sounders name, which has a lot of history here.

MLS play is always going to look shitty if you're just coming off watching EPL or La Liga.  It looks fine if you've just been watching South American domestic leagues (except the top of Brazil) or J-League.

In my lifetime, I think it's possible MLS will be top 3 (my lifetime is a longtime dontcha know), but I don't think it's likely.  You're talking about passing up the Bundesliga or Serie A and football is by far the number one sport in those countries.  I'd be happy if we got up around 6th.  I've honestly never seen a ranking of domestic leagues that wasn't completely subjective, so you could reasonably argue the current MLS ranking is anywhere from 10 to 40.  Personally, I'd put it behind the top 20 UEFA leagues plus about 5 South American leagues and maybe Mexico.

[sigil]

Congrats on being a Sounders ticket holder. May your team not suck hard right out of the gate.

I think putting the MLS long term as the best league in this hemisphere is what they should shoot for and seeing where you put it sounds about right.

However, I'd like to see us beat some mexican league teams consistently, and that's just not happening right now.

[Abagadro]

That free kick by Hargreaves was just sick today.

As for the Salt Lake stadium, they really built it in the wrong part of town based upon some bullshit wheeling-dealing.  They may have a hard time surviving out here.

[sigil]

define wrong part of town?

part of the problem with some of the MLS solutions is that they're putting them out in the boonies. Like Frisco for Dallas and Bridgeview for Chicago, but it's better than lines on the field. and sixty thousand empty seats That's what makes me so gung-ho about Houston.

Fulham may still be going down, but damn if they didn't do a hell of a job against woeful Reading.  Damn them for giving me hope.