2009/2010 Football (Soccer) Thread

[HaemishM]

Jan Vinegoor of Hesselink (GOD I LOVE THAT NAME) will be a good pick up for Hull, especially if Phil Brown is smart (HAH!) and uses him in combo with Jozy. If he keeps playing him like he does Folan, well, he'll still be an upgrade, but Jan is better when paired with a speedy guy. He's a good target man.

Chelsea can suck it hard. I look forward to them withering and falling to mid-table by the time the ban is over, as they are already bordering being too old. Way to not build talent from within. Assgolbins.

[sigil]

Arshavin

And how much did you pay to have Arshavin?

[sidereal]

I do not know who that puppet is, but I fear it.

And how much did you pay to have Arshavin?

Like 8 Mil US.  He was cheap.  He'd been riding the pine for Man U behind Ronaldo, Berbatov, and Rooney and he was pissed off.  Then Barca signed him away from me a couple of seasons later.

Big issue with taking a lower-ranking team in FM is that it takes forever for the reputation to catch up with your actual performance and players way overvalue reputation.  So you can sit in the top half of the Premiership and go to Europe every single season for 5,6,7 seasons in a row, and your best players get poached away by 'reputation' clubs like Arsenal and Tottenham, even if they're crap (or hell, have been demoted).  I had Newcastle poach Milos Krasic away from me from the Championship because Milos was giddy as a schoolgirl at the prospect of playing for 'such a well-supported club' and demanded I accept a transfer offer.  Shit like that happens every season.  The only way to stop it is to just give up and play Man U.

[sigil]

Oh My God...

Time to enlighten :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gr_K_xEAGfg

[HaemishM]

God, I love Special1TV.

[Amarr HM]

 Chelsea is banned from the transfer market for four years.

It's actually two years but still that's pretty amazing.

[Abagadro]

Nice clearance Bornstein. You aren't supposed to serve it into your own box you know.

[sigil]

Nice clearance Bornstein. You aren't supposed to serve it into your own box you know.

Fortunately, Costa Rica is choking like the dogs they are.

For top of the table, god damn do we suck. Deuce actually  looked stoned out there. Like glassy eyes and a permant "Wait, What?" face...

Holden needs to start a game over Deuce.

Really wanting Honduras to make the final three with us. Even if they tried their best to refuse to play a game against mexico.

Also, Uruguay V Argentina might be the game that keeps Messi out of the cup. Surely Diego Maradonna has to be considered the worst disgrace of a manager  in possibly the existence of football? Well except for Steve Sampson, of course

[Hoax]

I'm feeling pretty damn right about the USMNT.  Dempsey is a sulking waste of space who doesn't deserve to start.  Bocanegra is terrible, Bornstein gets burned too easily but at least he's on the screen getting burned not just showing up to commit sloppy fouls and/or watch the play unlike our glorious captain.  When/if Maurice Edu finally returns we will almost have a solid midfield with a tiny bit of depth.  We're still going to be relying heavily on unpolished kids next year (Davies, Altidore, Clark & Bradley as starters) and a defense that is capable of turning in some awful games on a whim esp when Bradley can't seem to grasp that Spector provides better service when he can afford to push up and plays a more solid and dependable right back then anyone else on the roster or that Bocanegra sucks ass.

If things come together and Altidore becomes a more consistent and smarter striker along with some kind of epiphany in defense and Bradley/Clark continuing to improve as central mids I'd actually expect us to win a game in group for once.  That is probably asking too much though, unless we get North Korea in our group.

Argentina and Portugal not making the finals is pretty awful, though only Argentina surprises me.

[sigil]

I'm feeling pretty damn right about the USMNT.  Dempsey is a sulking waste of space who doesn't deserve to start.  Bocanegra is terrible, Bornstein gets burned too easily but at least he's on the screen getting burned not just showing up to commit sloppy fouls and/or watch the play unlike our glorious captain.  When/if Maurice Edu finally returns we will almost have a solid midfield with a tiny bit of depth.  We're still going to be relying heavily on unpolished kids next year (Davies, Altidore, Clark & Bradley as starters) and a defense that is capable of turning in some awful games on a whim esp when Bradley can't seem to grasp that Spector provides better service when he can afford to push up and plays a more solid and dependable right back then anyone else on the roster or that Bocanegra sucks ass.

If things come together and Altidore becomes a more consistent and smarter striker along with some kind of epiphany in defense and Bradley/Clark continuing to improve as central mids I'd actually expect us to win a game in group for once.  That is probably asking too much though, unless we get North Korea in our group.

Argentina and Portugal not making the finals is pretty awful, though only Argentina surprises me.

I want to see edgar castillo starts against honduras, as he's now  back on the american side now. I think he'll take care of our left back issues this time around. Would like to see Jones in next years early friendlies. Think Holden will be starting 11 come  first game of the world cup or else Demspey will have a fire lit under his ass and makes Holden the super sub.

Actually thinking about it,
              Timmeh
Spector Onyewu Boca/JDM Castillo
             Jones
  Feilhaber         Donovan (Holden to switch between any of the wing/forward positions on the midfield)
            Dempsey
     Altidore      Davies

that's actually a decent linuep: Ching, Marshall, Cherundolo Holden Bradley Guzan and whoever else can make it.

this team still goes as far as Landon Donovan takes it, but gives him more viable options and sets the stage for a possible next step up coming real soon now.

[Hoax]

You overrate Holden who will do nothing against WC Finals competition.  I'm not sure how you can come up with a starting lineup without Edu who was one of our best mids before he got hurt.  I know nothing of this Jones kid since MLS is too terrible for me to stand watching but I think your overrating Feilhaber who should be coming off the bench if these last few tough games where he has been invisible or wishing he was so nobody would see his terrible play.

Holden is at best a 80th minute sub who might manage to get by some tired legs and if he does has decent service and a pretty good shot if its on target from what little I've seen of him.  No idea where you get this starter talk from.  He's not even in starter contention if you have everyone to choose from.

[sigil]

As it stands now he's not a starter, I think he will be. Consistently solid performer who has done nothing but improve in his time on the olympic team, time with the Dynamo, (who unlike the rest of MLS takes international competition seriously and has had good meaningful games against UNAM, Pachuca, Atlante and has played well in some godforsaken hellholes in central america) And has done nothing but show positive  performances in all his appearances for the nats.

Jermaine Jones is from Schalke. One of the best definsive midfielders in the Bundesliga. He's doing as Edgar Castillo did and switching allegiances.

Notice, most of these players are not in MLS, but nearly all of them spent time developing in MLS. Don't make me get all nationalistic on you.  


You're not seeing the  nice passes that Benny is making. He is  moving the ball along, and keeping things progressing on offense. Unlike Dempsey he would also track back on D. I'm not alone on those assessments.

[sigil]

Well it's been a bit, but  an interesting  few weeks it has been has it not?.   

Aresenal  should scare everyone right now, and vermaelen  added to that squad now looks like near overkill

I think Tottenham, provided they can stay healthy might just possibly take a top four,  but  I'm still uncertain who it would be that falls out.  Liverpool, perhaps, but  the whole situation is so damn fluid right now.


Well except for Man U injury time winners. that's  the surest ground one could hope to find :P

Also, English fans bitching about seeing the Ukraine game on the net only should come to the US and find one of the five places here that will show the Honduras game.

[HaemishM]

Fucking Liverpool just burn a hole in my stomach. Lucas still in the fucking starting 11. Benayoun on the bench when he's clearly been our most consistent performer. Put Gerrard in Lucas' place, put Benayoun on the left or in the Gerrard hole and have those two switch all game, call it a day. Our defense is still suspect as hell.

Hull finally get a win AND score more than 1 goal with a good performance against Wigan. Still no Jozy Altidore in the starting 11, but Brown seems dead set on going with 1 striker up top. At least he picked Jan Vennegor of Hesselink for that role, since he can do that well.

Wolves losing to Pompey was sad. I don't quite get why both Ebanks-Blake and Maierhoffer were on the bench. Doyle and Keogh are hard workers, but dropping one of those for the tallest fucking in the EPL seems like a no-brainer. Portsmouth, though - I need Wikipedia just to figure out their lineup. Talk about a bunch of no-names. It's no wonder this was their first win.

[Hoax]

Looks like the playoffs will be something like, if its really just the fifa rankings that determine seeding.

Russia
France
Greece      
Portugal

versus

Ukraine
Ireland
Bosnia
Slovenia

I'd like to see Slovenia, Portugal and Russia make it don't really care beyond that except France not making it would be hilarious and Greece is so boring that I pray they don't get in.

[Amarr HM]

Nice of Platini to make the playoff draw seeded 80% way through the campaign when it's obvious France are going to come second. Cunt.

[sigil]

Six World Cups in a row! American soccer fans are  starting their three part apologies to Conor Casey right about now...

But also, Honduras, choked choked choked choked. Carlos Pavon might need to be put on suicide watch.

[sigil]

Charlie Davies was involved in a one car accident this morning in DC. One confirmed Fatality, think it's his girlfriend. He's in serious but stable condition ar a local hospital. Still currently in surgery.

Links and more as I collect them.

http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local-beat/One-Dead-Road-Blocked-in-GW-Parkway-Accident-64073357.html

USSF originally  said Davie's injuries were  considered as possibly career threatening, but then walked back that statement.

Unconfirmed, but those close to the persons involved , the woman was a friend of Alecko Eskandarian, but  Alcohol was definitely involved.

This is going to  be an unholy fucking mess.

[WayAbvPar]

The pics from the accident scene are chilling. The SUV was split in half. Do you have any idea what it would take to do that in a 1 car accident? Whoever was driving had to be suicidal to be going that fast.

[sigil]

Unconfirmed broken Femur and tibia.

Dude's going to be lucky to not walk like House, let alone play again.  

Update:

Fractured femur and tibia. titanium rods in both.  Fractured Elbow. Facial fractures. Lacerated Bladder.

His career is over.  He does get to live. A second chance, even.

[Abagadro]

The pics from the accident scene are chilling. The SUV was split in half. Do you have any idea what it would take to do that in a 1 car accident? Whoever was driving had to be suicidal to be going that fast.

Part of that could be the result of the extraction with them cutting the car up to get at the injured.

I feel bad for the guy, but what a fucking dumbass. Two days before a match and you break curfew to go out boozing?

[HaemishM]

Le fuck. What a great talent that's probably going to be completely wasted.

[Tige]

Sucks about Davies.

If his absence is the reason the US is playing like they are tonight we'll be having an earlier exit.....again.  I thought we would actually have a shot at being seeded this time around early on but no way with our team play and prior WC performance.  We're 11 now, don't see that getting any better.

WayAbvPar,

How is Osvaldo Alonso working out in Seattle?

[sigil]

MOTHER FUCKER

Gooch went down in a heap untouched. Knee buckled.


But, we kicked those  cheating  timewasting shits out of the automatic spot. Enjoy Uruguay, Bitches!

[Abagadro]

I'm glad Argentina made it in just because a WC without Messi would be a bad thing, but good god is Maradona a fuckwad. All that cocaine must have rotten out his brain.

[sigil]

I'm glad Argentina made it in just because a WC without Messi would be a bad thing, but good god is Maradona a fuckwad. All that cocaine must have rotten out his brain.

Just as long as the US is not in their group...

Gooch has a torn Patella Tendon:  out 3-4 months

[WayAbvPar]

WayAbvPar,

How is Osvaldo Alonso working out in Seattle?

He is one of my favorite players. Consistent ball winner @ CDM, and has chipped in a couple of sweet goals.[/quote]

Stayed up way past my bedtime to watch my USMNT recording. Wow, what a game. Sucks that Gooch got hurt, but more for Milan than the US 

[sigil]

They should loan Gooch to MLS to make sure he get playing time before the Cup 

Milan is requesting damages from the USSF for that too  

But if anyone can fix Gooch, it would be AC Milan. If they can keep that squad of Dinosaurs  out there for that long I think they'll have Gooch in good shape.

[Tige]

He is one of my favorite players. Consistent ball winner @ CDM, and has chipped in a couple of sweet goals.

Stayed up way past my bedtime to watch my USMNT recording. Wow, what a game. Sucks that Gooch got hurt, but more for Milan than the US  

His first US team was the Charleston Battery in the USL after his defection, hated to see him go but not unexpected .  Unfortunately it looks like the MSL and USL talent gap is getting bigger.  I can see many USL teams losing talent of his caliber on a regular basis.


I wonder what slight of hand FIFA is going pull on Monday's draw to ensure Portugal and France don't wind up playing each other in the play offs?  

[sigil]

weighted seeds by fifa ranking. problem solved for the cheating french and the french head of UEFA

[HaemishM]

FUCK.

Did Liverpool ever look like monkey shit today. Thanks, Rafa - let's list the things we're thankful to you for. How's that not buying a striker in the offseason working for you? Bet you wish you had more striker options than Ngog and Kuyt right about now, what with Torres' glass hamstrings. And about that - how come every fucking time he goes on international duty, he comes back broken? And we can thank Rafa for Aquilani's fantastic play - oh right, he's still fucking hurt and we have Luke the Burro in midfield. Yeah, Lucas is SHIT. Whatever potential he has just hasn't panned out. He's probably great Championship material, but he is not worthy of a place in the starting 11 of the top flight. What kind of whack ass formation was Rafa running today? 5 defenders, 3 centre halves who kept tripping over each other, and absolutely no creativity in midfield. Babel is worthless. Even Benayoun didn't have a great day. There was so much wrong with that lineup it's not even funny. Did he really lack that much respect for Sunderland? The Black Cats are a strong side this season, especially right now - 3 good strikers, scrappy midfield. They plain outplayed Liverpool today. Fucking disgusting.

[sigil]

Johnson had a great save on the beach ball though. 

[lamaros]

I hope this continues. Liverpool has a shit squad and a terrible league manager (good for cups, tho). Was hilarious reading all the "Liverpool to win, Arsenal to drop out of the top 4" hacks at the start of the season. Hope they all get the sack.

Yep.

[Amarr HM]

Fuck Liverpool you were a good team in the 80's stop living on past victories, so sick of the hype surrounding them about time they delivered on it. Also fuck Jamie Redknapp and your pencil ties you are obviously dressed by your wife and you were one of the most distinctly average players around, but by Liverpools rosey tinted standards you were basically Zidane. Kudos to Valencia a (underrated) player who actually delivers the ball first time without a million stepovers, ok he won't score a million goals but he also won't insist on playing upfront at the cost of a natural striker.

To all the pundits and people who said United are fucked without Ronaldo.

………../´¯/)
………,/¯../
………/…/
…./´¯/.’…/´¯¯·¸
../’/…./…./…./¨¨/¯\
(’(….´….´…..¯;/’…’)
.\……………..’…../
.’\'…\……….._.·´
…\…………..(
….\………….\

[Hoax]

They aren't fucked, they just aren't anywhere near as good.