The Soccer Thread

[Guest]

Wow, the Fire are about to lose 2 points on maybe the worst handball call for a PK I've ever seen. Ball hit Segares above the elbow while he had his arm pulled into his side while turning away from the shot.

[USSoccer]

Wow, the Fire are about to lose 2 points on maybe the worst handball call for a PK I've ever seen. Ball hit Segares above the elbow while he had his arm pulled into his side while turning away from the shot.

 

Wouldn't have mattered if they hadn't keystone kop'd their way out of a 2nd down the stretch

[Guest]

Wow, the Fire are about to lose 2 points on maybe the worst handball call for a PK I've ever seen. Ball hit Segares above the elbow while he had his arm pulled into his side while turning away from the shot.

 

Wouldn't have mattered if they hadn't keystone kop'd their way out of a 2nd down the stretch

 

Yeah I only turned it on in the 84th minute and they seemed oddly uninterested in getting the ball to guys that were wide open in the box.

[USSoccer]

Wow, the Fire are about to lose 2 points on maybe the worst handball call for a PK I've ever seen. Ball hit Segares above the elbow while he had his arm pulled into his side while turning away from the shot.

 

Wouldn't have mattered if they hadn't keystone kop'd their way out of a 2nd down the stretch

 

Yeah I only turned it on in the 84th minute and they seemed oddly uninterested in getting the ball to guys that were wide open in the box.

 

It's been a problem for them for a couple years now. Shipp is really promising and Amerikwa is having a nice year, but they need more quality in the final third. Magee isn't that kind of player. They really need a high-quality attacking player.

[shnsajax]

Joe Gyau scored the winner for Dortmund yesterday.

[wolf stansson]

Joe Gyau scored the winner for Dortmund yesterday.

Don't know what to make of that move. Too old to play for a reserve team and not good enough to break through for their first team.

[wolf stansson]

Any thoughts on Besler staying with SKC?

 

At his age, it rules out Europe but I think that's fine. He's done fine as an MLS product and honestly if it opens up the Erik Palmer-Brown move to Juve now that SKC has their top CB pairing locked up, that's a more beneficial move for the MNT long-term. A 19 year old taking a crack at the big time with tons of growth potential vs a 27 year old grinding a lower-table EPL team is a better outcome. Let Bes be a leader for SKC and the league for the next 5-10 years.

 

I do think staying might put him out of a job in 4 years with the US based on Brooks' growth, but that might have happened anyway.

 

 

Sounds like Yedlin's move is just waiting on getting a Latvian passport. Greg Seltzer has Inter, Napoli and Arsenal as the three contenders. Roma out because they want him in January and he wants to go now. I'd be thrilled with whichever of those clubs offer him the best crack at PT.

also, unless someone talks me out of it, i think i am a chelsea fan.

Whys it gotta be in England, y'all?

I've never been able to love a euro club but if I could, I'd go for Dortmund or Inter or something on that level. I'm sure wherever the first american makes a break through on the champions league level, I'll become a fan, but to just jump on a team like Chelsea? I tried but never stuck. No heart there. Just drama, which can be fun, but not satisfying.

 

My advice would be to watch everything interesting, just dive in. When a personality or event sucks you in, you'll know. Tons of stuff out there.

[Guest]

also, unless someone talks me out of it, i think i am a chelsea fan.

Whys it gotta be in England, y'all?

I've never been able to love a euro club but if I could, I'd go for Dortmund or Inter or something on that level. I'm sure wherever the first american makes a break through on the champions league level, I'll become a fan, but to just jump on a team like Chelsea? I tried but never stuck. No heart there. Just drama, which can be fun, but not satisfying.

 

My advice would be to watch everything interesting, just dive in. When a personality or event sucks you in, you'll know. Tons of stuff out there.

 

Anything teams besides the usual suspects in La Liga? I figure I'd have an easier time following since I know Spanish.

[wolf stansson]

La Liga is boring even though it has more world class talent on its two best clubs than every other league's top 4 or 5 clubs.

 

I should be less critical of the EPL. It's the most accessible European league for American fans by far. It's my favorite foreign league. It's just kind of cliche. Every World Cup cycle there' are writers and sports fans that ask which EPL team to support. That's not how any other fandom works and so it never sticks. Bill Simmons is not a Tottenham fan but he sure did write tens of thousands of words about becoming one. Every year there's an NBA to EPL translator or an MLB or even a damn Game of Thrones to EPL one. None of that crap is analogous. It's all dumb fun but not any way to become an actual fan.

 

I think you just have to jump in and let a team find you. Love the sport and wait for your hook. My hook is the national team and it's forever quest to develop a world class player. That won't work for everyone. Maybe you'll love a manager like Mourinho or Klopp. Maybe you'll love a player like Gotze or James. Maybe you'll just love Inter's jersey or Fulham's stadium. There's lots to discover and shoehorning yourself into Chelsea is boring.

[biittner77]

also, unless someone talks me out of it, i think i am a chelsea fan.

Whys it gotta be in England, y'all?

I've never been able to love a euro club but if I could, I'd go for Dortmund or Inter or something on that level. I'm sure wherever the first american makes a break through on the champions league level, I'll become a fan, but to just jump on a team like Chelsea? I tried but never stuck. No heart there. Just drama, which can be fun, but not satisfying.

 

My advice would be to watch everything interesting, just dive in. When a personality or event sucks you in, you'll know. Tons of stuff out there.

 

Anything teams besides the usual suspects in La Liga? I figure I'd have an easier time following since I know Spanish.

 

I watched the world cup final on Univision and I found that not understanding Spanish made me enjoy the telecast and the game that much more. Of course it was a good game so that helped too.

[USSoccer]

Any thoughts on Besler staying with SKC?

 

At his age, it rules out Europe but I think that's fine. He's done fine as an MLS product and honestly if it opens up the Erik Palmer-Brown move to Juve now that SKC has their top CB pairing locked up, that's a more beneficial move for the MNT long-term. A 19 year old taking a crack at the big time with tons of growth potential vs a 27 year old grinding a lower-table EPL team is a better outcome. Let Bes be a leader for SKC and the league for the next 5-10 years.

 

I do think staying might put him out of a job in 4 years with the US based on Brooks' growth, but that might have happened anyway.

 

 

I think it's fantastic that Zusi and Besler stayed with SKC. Zusi wasn't going to see PT in Europe. Besler didn't need to take marginally more money to go play with some crap lower table EPL side. Both guys will be 31 in 2018. Regardless of what that does for their prospects for Russia, the fact that two more NT starters decided to stay home and continue to strengthen the league is fantastic for the long term health of MLS and the NT. Besler in particular will probably retire a one-club guy; he's captain at SKC and grew up there. That's the kind of stuff we need to have happen more often; the more that kids see guys making a good living playing here, the more kids stick with the game through their youth.

 

For guys like Yedlin who are 20 and still have a lot of room to grow, going to Europe makes more sense. I'd strongly prefer a team in the Bundesliga for him, though. I don't think EPL teams are going to be patient with the growing pains he'll see having to defend high-quality attacking players. Bundesliga teams tend to take a longer view, and I think it would be a better fit in general.

[treebird]

La Liga is boring even though it has more world class talent on its two best clubs than every other league's top 4 or 5 clubs.

 

I should be less critical of the EPL. It's the most accessible European league for American fans by far. It's my favorite foreign league. It's just kind of cliche. Every World Cup cycle there' are writers and sports fans that ask which EPL team to support. That's not how any other fandom works and so it never sticks. Bill Simmons is not a Tottenham fan but he sure did write tens of thousands of words about becoming one. Every year there's an NBA to EPL translator or an MLB or even a damn Game of Thrones to EPL one. None of that crap is analogous. It's all dumb fun but not any way to become an actual fan.

 

I think you just have to jump in and let a team find you. Love the sport and wait for your hook. My hook is the national team and it's forever quest to develop a world class player. That won't work for everyone. Maybe you'll love a manager like Mourinho or Klopp. Maybe you'll love a player like Gotze or James. Maybe you'll just love Inter's jersey or Fulham's stadium. There's lots to discover and shoehorning yourself into Chelsea is boring.

 

that makes sense and is my new plan. i fully intend to fall for chelsea, though, just to stick it to you guys. i also like rooting for blue teams.

[wolf stansson]

There is a lot to like about Chelsea. London, winning, Mourinho's managerial style being basically a mix between Ozzie Guillen's mouth and Bill Belichek's brain and cool jerseys. I like Fabregas. John Terry and Roman Abramovich are loathsome but I'd rather any American love Chelsea than be ambivalent about soccer.

[Guest]

My advice would be to watch everything interesting, just dive in. When a personality or event sucks you in, you'll know. Tons of stuff out there.

 

This is the best advice.

 

I've watched the EPL and UCL for years but it was only a few years ago that I became a Tottenham fan. It started by rooting for them to make the Champions League over City and them rooting for them to do well in the UCL. Then Gareth Bale decided to start scoring from wherever he wanted on the field and that pretty much sealed it.

[shnsajax]

Its a little more difficult to find, but watch early rounds of the FA Cup. It will give you an appreciation for the lower levels and also the promotion and relegation system.

[wolf stansson]

Red Bulls fans should have some fun with this now that Lampard has signed with NYCFC: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/british-soccer-star-mocked-americans-9-11-article-1.1874241

[treebird]

i am going to watch my first ever mls game tonight. chicago-sj is on nbc sports. san jose even has a guy i have heard of on the team!

[USSoccer]

i am going to watch my first ever mls game tonight. chicago-sj is on nbc sports. san jose even has a guy i have heard of on the team!

 

You'll recognize the Chicago team as the inept one. A common trait amon.gst our city's teams

[treebird]

the camera is like ten feet off the ground and it's really disorienting

[jersey cubs fan]

 

Apparently Arsenal players are walking around Hoboken, maybe they can be my new team.

[shnsajax]

That is the best one to pick

[CubInOK]

That is the best one to pick

Their warm-ups even look like USA's warm-ups.

[wolf stansson]

Jeff Bradley did a great interview with Wegner & Gazidis.

Some insight into Zelalem and how Arsene sees him as well.

 

http://www.si.com/soccer/planet-futbol/2014/07/24/arsene-wenger-arsenal-ivan-gazidis-gedion-zelalem-alexis-sanchez-red-bulls

[shnsajax]

Jeff Bradley did a great interview with Wegner & Gazidis.

Some insight into Zelalem and how Arsene sees him as well.

 

http://www.si.com/soccer/planet-futbol/2014/07/24/arsene-wenger-arsenal-ivan-gazidis-gedion-zelalem-alexis-sanchez-red-bulls

 

Really want to know if his dad was actually granted citizenship 2 months ago.

 

Sounds like Yedlin to Roma is done for $5 million. Not sure if he is loaned back to Seattle for the rest of the year.

[wolf stansson]

Zelalem can ball too.

USA USA