The Soccer Thread

[wolf stansson]

They didn't qualify this year so it's no guarantee that they'll be in there for the 09/10 season. They should be there, but then again they should have qualified this year as well.

 

I should say that I don't consider the qualifying stages being in the Champions League. If you make the first phase, then you're in the Champions League. There's a reason they call the round Rangers lost in a qualifying round.

 

You said they aren't in next season and that you don't consider it CL football until the first phase. Well, the draw for the group stage is in about two weeks, aka this year. So like I said, they are out this year because of the loss to FBK Kaunus that you cited as the reason they aren't in "next year."

 

We have no way of knowing whether they will be in or out next year, but given that a non-Old Firm team has cracked the top 2 only once in the last 10 years I think it's pretty safe to assume they'll qualify for at least the qualifying stage and that they won't get massively upset like they did this year.

 

Whatever. Next year, this year; we're just arguing semantics at this point.

I was confused by our exchange.

[wolf stansson]

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/soccerinsider/

 

DaMarcus Beasley is the last addition to the Q squad.

[wvcbxl]

In the Olympic soccer tournament, Belgium got past Italy despite being a man and a goal down after 15 minutes to advance to the semi-finals. :D

[shnsajax]

In the Olympic soccer tournament, Belgium got past Italy despite being a man and a goal down after 15 minutes to advance to the semi-finals. :D

 

That's great, stupid Italians :-). Is this the best showing for Belgium since the '86 WC.

 

Dammit Holland should have taken the lead on Argentina right now.

[shnsajax]

damn this has been a great final 5 minutes Messi and Babel with great chances. I need the ghost of Bergkamp here.

[Guest]

Torres just netted a pretty nice goal in the 83rd minute to put Liverpool up 1-0 at Sunderland.

[wolf stansson]

Torres just netted a pretty nice goal in the 83rd minute to put Liverpool up 1-0 at Sunderland.

What a boring game that was.

[wvcbxl]

Stumbled upon this fun trivia story by accident:

 

Last week, Albanian player Bajram Sadrijaj came in to a German cup game for Dortmund in the 71st minute as a sub. He was redcarded for a tackle after twelve seconds, apparently a new world record. And it was on his birthday as well.

[wvcbxl]

In an interview that appeared today, Oguchi Onyewu refused to comment on tranfer rumours (to 1FC Kôln, Paris Saint-Germain or Lazio Roma) and just said that "everything remains possible".

The current tranfer window closes on 08/31.

[sweetpeteman]

In an interview that appeared today, Oguchi Onyewu refused to comment on tranfer rumours (to 1FC Kôln, Paris Saint-Germain or Lazio Roma) and just said that "everything remains possible".

The current tranfer window closes on 08/31.

 

 

/begin random comment

 

He went to my highschool

 

/end random comment

[wolf stansson]

I'd like to see Gooch go to Italy.

[sethuel1]

Except Lazio sucks.

[wolf stansson]

Except Lazio sucks.

Baptista and Totti would abuse him.

[USSoccer]

Except Lazio sucks.

 

Gooch isn't facist enough for Lazio.

 

Honestly, Gooch isn't going to get any better no matter where he plays. His limtations aren't really technical at this point. He is what he is: a guy who can shut down forwards like Klose, Toni (big, physical forwards) and a guy who is gonna have trouble handling smaller, faster guys. Playing in Serie A isn't going to change that.

 

That said, if one thinks he can improve on that flaw, then maybe a league like the Erdevisie makes some sense, given how high scoring it is.

[sethuel1]

Gooch is fairly big on anti-racism in soccer, I think, so I'm doubting he'd actually be interested in Lazio, with their Nazi-saluting, Paolo DiCanio lookalike fans.

 

I see USS has made the same point.

[wvcbxl]

Following the reasoning of previous posts, it sounds like PSG would make sense for Gooch.

[shnsajax]

Curious to see highlights of Argentinas 3-0 win over Brazil. Dammit Holland this could be you, or maybe US had you not blown the Holland game.

[USSoccer]

For tonights game...I'd love to see something like a 3-0 statement win.

 

But we don't have the roster for that. We took a conservative roster down simply due to the venue.

 

We'll be lucky to win 1-0. I wouldn't be stunned to see 0-0. They will probably bunker against us (because that always works) and we'll struggle as usual to break down the bunker (because we never play our best tactical lineup/formation and we don't have our best techical players down there).

 

If we score, look for it on a set piece and not the run of play.

[wolf stansson]

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3288/2776190774_da02ea1c15.jpg?v=0

 

Nice bling, Fred.

 

GREAT autobiographical story by Matt Taylor, an American who has gone from cut in MLS, rejected in the A League to debuting last weekend in the Bundesliga and scoring a great goal.

[shnsajax]

I can already tell the Rays/ Angels game is going to cut into the US game. I hope I am wrong.

[shnsajax]

I can already tell the Rays/ Angels game is going to cut into the US game. I hope I am wrong.

[shnsajax]

Ching sucks, he should have nailed Eddie Lewis with a short cross after Lewis beat his defender.

 

I am calling a goal by Gooch tonight.

[Jon]

What did Dempsey do to deserve a yellow on that?

[shnsajax]

What did Dempsey do to deserve a yellow on that?

 

He's American.

 

Peirce looks bad.

[USSoccer]

Okay...

 

Dempsey has looked good, when he's had the ball. Crap yellow. He needs to be more central and more towards the midfield.

 

Donovan's first touch has been crap. We'll give him a break since the field is soaked. Swap him and Clint, I think.

 

'Dolo needs to overlap more and get forward.

 

Eddie Lewis is getting bent over on that side. Ditto for Pearce.

 

Bradley can't be a linking mid. Benny needs to be on the field. Let MB play the Mastro role.

 

Ching has been worthless. Gooch has been stepping up really well.

 

I hate it when we play in Central America. It's soccer at it's most annoying. Although credit to Guatemala-they are attacking us, which makes me chuckle a little bit at our roster, because if we had Wynne, Benny and even one of Adu/Jozy, we could counter them to death.

 

I could see us giving up a goal here and losing...which would be a bad thing and a good thing.