2009/2010 Football (Soccer) Thread

[HaemishM]

If you didn't watch the Hull/Man City game today, not only did you miss a good match, but you missed Jozy Altidore's first Premier League goal! WOOT! Good shot too. He seems to have a good relationship going with Jan Venegoor of Hesselink (still the greatest name in football). He went off in the 60's with a niggling little limp, but I don't think it was serious. Man City looked pretty shitty most of the game.

The Merseyside Derby was an ugly ugly game, despite being able to watch it in HD on ESPN2. If you watched it and didn't think both that Greek guy and Fellaini should have gone off with red cards, you are wrong and I don't know what game you were watching. There were a ton of shitty challenges in that game. It was entertaining, but ugly football. Donovan didn't have a bad game, but he didn't distinguish himself either.

[Amarr HM]

Yeh that Derby was really old school kicking lumps out of each other, not easy on the eye. Saw the Altidore goal I liked the way he kissed the Haitian wristband after scoring. Though until his explanation it was a bit vague, I thought he was blowin his nose with a hanky.

[WayAbvPar]

I have always loathed Felllaini and would have been happy to see him get sent off (even though I was rooting for Everton). That was really ugly. I wonder if the FA will do anything to him retroactively?

[veredus]

For anyone without Fox Soccer Channel, foxsoccer.com is doing a free stream of champions league Man U vs Milan. Halftime now so can at least catch the second half.

[WayAbvPar]

Fox Sports regional channels had it in HD. I am so glad I noticed- was planning to watch it at 2 on FSC then saw it was live on FSN in HD.

Pure skill on the Scholes goal. Love that Valencia contributes a gorgeous assist 2 minutes after replacing the utterly useless Nani. VDS kept them in the game until they got their feet under them. Should be clear path to the semis now.

[Amarr HM]

we can live without Ronaldo there was plenty games where he was a liability.

Anyone see the Lyon Real game? If that Ronaldo had played for Utd tonight we would have probably lost 2-1. We were lucky and Rooney made it count.

[sigil]

Agreed, it could have very easily been 4-1  Milan in the first half. One near miss and a couple great VDS saves allowed for it to be close.

And Rooney with two headers, He's becoming truly fierce.

I saw the second half of the Lyon match, Real just do not look like a 200 million Euro team.

[Amarr HM]

Indeed Sigil it's good to see Rooney blossoming without that twinkle toed faggot hogging the limelight.

I think the problem with Madrid is the same problem I reckon Liverpool had and that is the overall ability of Alonso. He's a crafted passer of the ball and rarerly loses it, but he doesn't dictate the pace of the game or press forward when it's called for, he's always doing the same thing. They are really missing the craft of Sneijder in the final third he was their best player last year.

[sigil]

Arsenal, more to the point Fabianski had a total shocker last night.

Also Fox Soccer Plus will be picking up rugby as well as  Carling cup and Championship matches, so some of those earlier fears should be relieved. :looks at Haem:

Hold on... pure skill on scholes goal? you mean the one where he missed the kick and it bounced in off his plant foot? Not sure that was skill, myself. 

[HaemishM]

Also Fox Soccer Plus will be picking up rugby as well as  Carling cup and Championship matches, so some of those earlier fears should be relieved. :looks at Haem:

It won't be a relief until I hear DirecTV say they are actually going to fucking carry the goddamn channel. Bastards have been fiddle-farting around with this AND the FSC in HD question for far too long.

[sigil]

Also Fox Soccer Plus will be picking up rugby as well as  Carling cup and Championship matches, so some of those earlier fears should be relieved. :looks at Haem:

It won't be a relief until I hear DirecTV say they are actually going to fucking carry the goddamn channel. Bastards have been fiddle-farting around with this AND the FSC in HD question for far too long.

I'm on comcast (damn pine trees on other people property) so I will just continue being thankful that  they added FSC and Gol last year.

[WayAbvPar]

Arsenal, more to the point Fabianski had a total shocker last night.

God that was horrifying. And all the Arsenal fans were excited that someone beside Almunia was in the net. Whoops.

Also- Porto plays some ugly, dirty football. I hope Arsenal gets their shit together and whips them at Emirates.

[Bokonon]

Fulham grinds their way to the Europa League Round of 16!

Woohoo!

[sigil]

Fulham grinds their way to the Europa League Round of 16!

Woohoo!

Good for them :) Everton choked like dogs. . .

So, update time:

Pompey in administration, and i would not be surprised if they wound up being shut down anyway.  Liverpool will have to go small if they don't make the top four or they'll be just as fucked as Leeds were. Crystal Palace can't fund a buyer,and they'll likely  fade away.

A salary cap is coming. It just about has to.

[HaemishM]

I really don't think a salary cap will help the Premier League in anyway. Maybe a cap on transfer fees, or some kind of restriction on just how retarded an amount of debt a club can put on itself. Pompey has been a goddamn shambles since Redknapp left, and I can't say part of the blame shouldn't rest on him for overspending. Of course, Liverpool is probably in as precarious a position as you can get, because not only are they saddled with debt and two owners who could give a flying fuck, their football is passable at best and if they don't make the top 4, it won't get any better in the summer. The football part I put on Benitez - he seemed unwilling to get a striker even on the cheap when that was the most glaring weakness in the whole team. When I look at the bargain deals teams like Wolves got with Kevin Doyle, or Hull got with Zaki, Vennegor of Hesselink and Altidore, it pisses me off that when Torres' glass hamstrings go out like they always do, the best options are Kuyt and N'Gog.

[sigil]

I really don't think a salary cap will help the Premier League in anyway. Maybe a cap on transfer fees, or some kind of restriction on just how retarded an amount of debt a club can put on itself. Pompey has been a goddamn shambles since Redknapp left, and I can't say part of the blame shouldn't rest on him for overspending. Of course, Liverpool is probably in as precarious a position as you can get, because not only are they saddled with debt and two owners who could give a flying fuck, their football is passable at best and if they don't make the top 4, it won't get any better in the summer. The football part I put on Benitez - he seemed unwilling to get a striker even on the cheap when that was the most glaring weakness in the whole team. When I look at the bargain deals teams like Wolves got with Kevin Doyle, or Hull got with Zaki, Vennegor of Hesselink and Altidore, it pisses me off that when Torres' glass hamstrings go out like they always do, the best options are Kuyt and N'Gog.

Fox Soccer plus on Direc TV and Fios on Monday.

[HaemishM]

I keep hearing that but the Directv website doesn't tell you a fucking thing about it and my program guide says nothing either.

[sigil]

Oh Jesus that tackle on Aaron Ramsey... 

for those that missed it,  don't say you weren't warned.

[Amarr HM]

I saw it live, felt a bit ill :(

[HaemishM]

OH HOLY MOTHER OF CRAP! 

I heard it was bad, but OH GODDAMNIT MY EYES!! That's like Theismann bad.

On a happier note, I watched the Bolton/Wolves game, which wasn't happy at all except that Stuart Holden made his first Premier League start for Bolton. Didn't even know he'd transferred to England. He played well, made a few good runs into the box from midfield positions to get a crack at goal, did decently on corners and free kicks, all in all, he acquitted himself well. Of course, it was against Wolves, but still.

[Amarr HM]

I have to say the Americans are really making an impression in the Premiership these days, Landon Donovan was man of the match against Man U. I believe you have a bit of a Golden era going at the moment.

[sigil]

From man of the match to miss of the year. That was a pure MLS moment that was.

[Numtini]

I keep hearing that but the Directv website doesn't tell you a fucking thing about it and my program guide says nothing either.

$15 a month. So $30/month total for FSC and FSC+ 

No, gonna pass on that.

[HaemishM]

If you were already a Setanta subscriber, Directv enrolled you with Fox Soccer Plus automatically.

FSC should only be $12.99 with the Sports Pack on Directv, and it's included with the top tier package.

[WayAbvPar]

Ahahahahahahahahhahahaahah Real Madrid out of the CL. So awesome.

[Hoax]

Was an interesting game, Real's first goal was a bit fortunate considering the quality of Lyon's keeper but then they proceeded to just make a mess of things in front of goal and from corners/free kicks.  If they had gone up 2-0 in the first half the entire game would have been different.  Instead the French came out with fire in the second, Kaka got lost and Ronaldo was double marked and service became nonexistent.  Very deserving win for Lyon but a shame as a neutral since the first 20 minutes or so of the match showed a dangerous attacking football that almost no other teams can ever be capable of against quality opposition.

The French league is really doing well this year.  Now if Chelsea could just get knocked out somehow that would make my day.

[HaemishM]

Real lost to a French side. /snicker

I'd be laughing out loud if it weren't for the losses Liverpool took to French opposition in the CL as well.

[Amarr HM]

How could it happen with such an amazing team player as Ronaldo, we'll never know I guess.

[HaemishM]

Funny how buying as many of the best players in the world as you can afford doesn't translate into instant success. They should have paid attention to the Yankees.

[sigil]

What was that about losing to French opposition Haem?

Fulham got smacked around, but three cheers for Clint Dempsey back playing!

[Bokonon]

About the only consolation Fulham has is that they got an away goal. Now they have to win 2-0; at home, at least.

[HaemishM]

What was that about losing to French opposition Haem?

If you watched Liverpool's Europa Cup game with Lille, you saw the same shit you saw against Wigan. This team has completely lost the fucking plot. They turned into a useless long ball team, with no passing ability, no ability to hold possession, no real attacking prowess whatso-fucking-ever. It was pitiful. You have two holding midfielders (Lucas & Mascherano), and everyone else in the midfield is running up field waiting for a pass. Lucas and Masch are outnumbered in the midfield 4-2 so either lose the ball when they get it or have to pass back to the defense who then either have to try to run it up field themselves or kick it long. Kuyt has completely forgotten how to play in the last two games - maybe he's wore down. Babel was up there doing his usual - i.e. running directly at people and losing the ball to the slightest hint of a tackle. Gerrard kept trying to get open but even when he did, he had no one to pass it to. Torres was on a fucking island all night getting beat to shit by the backs which the refs never call because half the time he's diving anyway. Neither fullback is capable of playing how Rafa's trying to get them to play, as a full fledged winger while the guys playing on the wings are supposed to squeeze inside. And when they lose possession, the fullbacks have to bust their asses to get back and cover their spots because Lucas sure as fuck can't do it.

And the bench is even worse. You have a decent real left winger on the bench in Riera and apparently Rafa just doesn't think he can play anymore. Aquilani has been a complete flop through no fault of his own - Benitez refuses to start him instead of Lucas, despite the fact that Lucas can't see a pass out of midfield that isn't square or back to the defense. 20 million pounds to come off the bench every 2 or 3 games and have no real impact because he's not what you'd call a super sub. When he's played, he's looked ok, but he hasn't played. And their set pieces are fucking nightmares. When they aren't asleep, they usually just aren't anywhere near where they need to be. That Lille goal was a fucking crime. No ball that lazy should be let go to drift into the net like that - either the keeper needs to come out for it and risk being beaten by a header or the fucking defense needs to get a touch on it. Standing there like statues killed them.

4th place? Fuck it, they'll be lucky if they get a Europa League spot.

[sigil]

One of the three is Tottenham. I'm pretty sure they'll find a way to fuck it up. I'm just waiting on it to happen. I say this as a Spurs fan,  where the unofficial motto is, "This is why we can't have nice things"

Villa? eh maybe I'd feel more comfortable with them than City.

[Bokonon]

See, the above two comments is glad I happened into supporting FFC. Sure, the first two years were rough, but right about now the fans are like, "this is pretty good, what's next?"

[sigil]

See, the above two comments is glad I happened into supporting FFC. Sure, the first two years were rough, but right about now the fans are like, "this is pretty good, what's next?"

True, but we have a  competing train wreck that may just combine to have something really good happen, just so that something really bad can happen later. I refer to the Pavy/'arry feud. Pavy may be the spark that lifts Tottenham to fourth, only to be sold off by the Redknapp in the summer