The Soccer Thread

[reggiemiller rules]

Hopefully Guzan can come up big next week cause I really need them to get at least a point at Old Trafford next week.

[Guest]

Liverpool have won their last three games by a combined score of 13-1. That's an impressive run before you consider that two were Man U and Real Madrid and the other was Aston Villa, the fifth place team in the EPL.

[circlechange]

Draws for the next round are out.

Arsenal vs Villarreal

Liverpool vs Chelsea

ManU vs Porto

Barca vs Bayern

 

Maybe it is because I hate them, but does it always seem like ManU gets the easiest draw every time in the quarters.

 

.... Utd............Liverpool

08 Roma.......... Arsenal

07 Roma...........PSV

06 DNQ............DNQ

05 DNQ...........Juve

04 DNQ**.........DNQ

03 Real*...........DNQ

02 Deportivo.....Leverkusen

01 Bayern*.......DNQ

00 Real*...........DNQ

99 Inter...........DNQ

 

* Eventual Champion

** Lost to eventual champion in previous round

 

Utd's winning '99 team played Inter - Juve - Bayern

L'pool's winning '05 team played Juve - Chelsea - Milan

Utd's winning '08 team played Roma - Barca - Chelsea

 

So, no, it doesn't. :) This year they certainly have it easier, though. Liverpool's side is brutal.

[USSoccer]

-Saturday's game against the Sallies is going to be interesting. Guzan or Hahnneman? Sacha or Pablo? We also get our first taste of CONCACAF bunker-y goodness. It will be interesting to see if we're any better at breaking down a packed third of the field than we were 3 years ago.

 

-Mexico's NT is completely melting down. Marquez took a veiled shot at the FMF a day before Nery Castillo lost it on a reporter at a press conference.

 

-The home tie of the Hex on Wednesday against T&T should be the one where we see a start from Jozy, maybe Freddy, probably Jonathan Spector, and Torres.

[Jon]

http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/yhst-96316601417599_2047_3842492

 

http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/yhst-96316601417599_2047_3175912

[shnsajax]

http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/yhst-96316601417599_2047_3842492

 

http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/yhst-96316601417599_2047_3175912

 

Awesome thank you :-)

 

I can't decide which one I want.

[Guest]

-Saturday's game against the Sallies is going to be interesting. Guzan or Hahnneman? Sacha or Pablo? We also get our first taste of CONCACAF bunker-y goodness. It will be interesting to see if we're any better at breaking down a packed third of the field than we were 3 years ago.

 

I'm thinking we'll manage to squeak out a goal midway through the second half and win 1-0.

[shnsajax]

-Saturday's game against the Sallies is going to be interesting. Guzan or Hahnneman? Sacha or Pablo? We also get our first taste of CONCACAF bunker-y goodness. It will be interesting to see if we're any better at breaking down a packed third of the field than we were 3 years ago.

 

I'm thinking we'll manage to squeak out a goal midway through the second half and win 1-0.

 

Where is the game on tv?

[Guest]

-Saturday's game against the Sallies is going to be interesting. Guzan or Hahnneman? Sacha or Pablo? We also get our first taste of CONCACAF bunker-y goodness. It will be interesting to see if we're any better at breaking down a packed third of the field than we were 3 years ago.

 

I'm thinking we'll manage to squeak out a goal midway through the second half and win 1-0.

 

Where is the game on tv?

 

ESPN2 at 9 p.m. ET.

[Mark Priors Calves]

-Saturday's game against the Sallies is going to be interesting. Guzan or Hahnneman? Sacha or Pablo? We also get our first taste of CONCACAF bunker-y goodness. It will be interesting to see if we're any better at breaking down a packed third of the field than we were 3 years ago.

 

I'm thinking we'll manage to squeak out a goal midway through the second half and win 1-0.

 

Where is the game on tv?

 

ESPN2 at 9 p.m. ET.

the guide on my directv didn't have the game listed at all, until today. so i set it up to record manually.

[Guest]

Mine on Dish Network doesn't either but it's listed on ESPN's online TV listings.

[USSoccer]

I know Craig Bellamy is a tool, but his postgame after Wales was effectively eliminated from 2010 was pretty much the opposite of anything any American athlete ever says after a game:

 

'he's not a good enough player to score'

'they aren't a good side...i know we've just lost, but...pfft...'

 

awesome interview.

[shnsajax]

I can't decide if I like the new England jerseys or not. Thought they were a little too plain, but look like a throwback.

[USSoccer]

Gooch, EJ, Adu and Howard all not dressing tonight.

 

I guess that means an interesting night in central defense. Figure Califf, Demerit or Spector to start.

 

My money is (unfortunately) on Califf.

[wolf stansson]

As of last night the DirectTv guide had women's college basketball listed, but this morning it was the qualifier.

[USSoccer]

The U.S. Starters:

18-Brad Guzan;

2-Frankie Hejduk, 3-Carlos Bocanegra (capt.), 14-Danny Califf, 15-Heath Pearce;

8-Clint Dempsey, 12-Michael Bradley, 16-Sacha Kljestan, 7-DaMarcus Beasley;

10-Landon Donovan, 11-Brian Ching

 

Bench:

1-Marcus Hahnemann, 4-Pablo Mastroeni, 5-Jay DeMerit, 6- José Francisco Torres, 9-Jozy Altidore, 13-Maurice Edu, 17-Jonathan Spector

 

BOOOOOO to that back four. Come on. I know its a Central American WCQ but it's the weakest Hex opponent, and one that plans on bunkering. Hejduk, Pearce and Califf aren't first choice material right now for a top side.

 

What makes it worse is that we have 2 EPL quality defenders in Spector and (stretching it a bit) DeMerit.

 

I'm mildly surprised at Sacha over Pablo as well

[USSoccer]

Mexico is getting every call against Costa Rica and lead 2-0. Their number 2 keeper Ochoa has made some nice saves

[USSoccer]

DAMMIT TO HELL

 

Nice backline play.

[Jon]

That was quite bad.

 

I must say, though, that the dive by #6 was quite amusing.

[USSoccer]

GET CALIFF OUT NOW

[wolf stansson]

Get this jag off the field or get him on his [expletive] feet.

 

 

Pearce off, Bob going with a formation I like.

 

----Frankie-----Califf-----Bocanegra----

--Dempsey---Kljestan--Bradley--Beasley

--Jozy------Ching----Landon

Edited March 29, 2009 by wolf stansson

[wolf stansson]

Sacha is ass today.

[wolf stansson]

You're a piece of [expletive], Beasley. You're a piece of [expletive], Frankie.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

You've got to be kidding me.

[wolf stansson]

I want to stab their keeper.