The Soccer Thread

[USSoccer]

Wow, I wasn't expecting the Union to win so early in the season. Incredible game.

 

This year will probably have a ton of growing pains, but that team has a ton of young talent. Mac, Torres, Orozco...thats a solid core of players. They'll be a handful next year.

 

Full credit to SOB and the Philly fans. 35k on opening night.

[shnsajax]

Bye bye Liverpool in the Champions League. United draw too meaning Arsenal can now pass them for 2nd.

[CubInOK]

Bye bye Liverpool in the Champions League. United draw too meaning Arsenal can now pass them for 2nd.

If you like Premiership soccer and goals, you wouldn't like today. 3 of today's 4 fixtures have finished scoreless, and Spurs and Portsmouth haven't breached yet.

[wolf stansson]

Chicago Fire's own Marco Pappa with the howitzer: http://www.mlssoccer.com/content/pappas-blast-equalizes-chicago

 

If people start talking about Edson Buddle for the MNT, I'm taking away their supporter's card.

[USSoccer]

Chicago Fire's own Marco Pappa with the howitzer: http://www.mlssoccer.com/content/pappas-blast-equalizes-chicago

 

If people start talking about Edson Buddle for the MNT, I'm taking away their supporter's card.

 

I was absolutely happy as hell that CSN had the Fire home opener in HD. Seriously happy. I haven't bothered to look it up yet, but I hope they commit to showing a significant number of games this season. 20k for the home opener was solid. Too bad Bobby Convey's corpse decided to actually make a useful pass and ruin it.

 

And Wolf, if we have to take a couple MLS strikers and Ching is out, who would you take? Findley didn't look nearly ready and everyone else is pants. The best thing I can say about Buddle is he plays with LD and is incredibly streaky.

 

If the 4th fwd is the 23rd man or so, I'd consider taking a U-21 type like Duka or even someone like McInerrney from Philly Union over just about any of the collection of crap in MLS.

[shnsajax]

Huge match today between Arsenal and Tottenham. Arsenal have to win to keep up with Chelsea, Tottenham to keep up with City for the last CL spot. van Persie comes back today too.

[wolf stansson]

And Wolf, if we have to take a couple MLS strikers and Ching is out, who would you take? Findley didn't look nearly ready and everyone else is pants. The best thing I can say about Buddle is he plays with LD and is incredibly streaky.

Conor Casey, Jeff Cunningham and Kenny Cooper can all do what he's doing in MLS. Bribe McBride to come. Herculez Gomez is tearing up Mexico. Play Clint up top.

 

This is a good article on Mikey Bradley: http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/soccer/news/story?id=5077789

[USSoccer]

You had me til McBride and Gomez. McBride is old and past it, and Gomez is nothing but Apetura Buddle. Nothing but poachy goals. Nothing really impressive.

 

I suppose if CD9 isn't back, we just go with Jozy and Clint up top with Casey and Findley in reserve. A lot depends on if Holden gets back too. If he does, it's easier to just slot Deuce up front, if not, we play the hybrid 4-5-1/4-3-3 that we played prior to Davies arrival.

 

I think Mikey's insane. Really insane. I love it. Did you check out the YouTube of he and Adu playing crossbar?

[Terp]

The first goal scored by Tottenham today was absolutely insane.

[jersey cubs fan]

the crowd is going wild here

[wolf stansson]

The first goal scored by Tottenham today was absolutely insane.

That was a holy [expletive] moment.

You had me til McBride and Gomez. McBride is old and past it, and Gomez is nothing but Apetura Buddle. Nothing but poachy goals. Nothing really impressive.

I don't disagree. I'm not voting for those guys. I'm voting against anything involving that donkey, Buddle. Complete garbage. I'd rather have Eddie Johnson.

 

 

The maniacal laughter when Bradley hits the crossbar in that youtube is hilarious.

[shnsajax]

The first goal scored by Tottenham today was absolutely insane.

That was a holy [expletive] moment.

 

Damn that was pretty. Nice way to start off your EPL career.

[wolf stansson]

What do you guys think Steve Zakuani in terms of the national team? I don't even know if he's eligible, but I think he could figure for 14 if we capped him.

[USSoccer]

What do you guys think Steve Zakuani in terms of the national team? I don't even know if he's eligible, but I think he could figure for 14 if we capped him.

 

He needs to show a plan B first. Last year he had one move-beat his man on the wing with speed. I like him as a player but he's still developing.

 

Also, I *think* he's not eligible. Not positive though.

 

We've all accepted that Jermaine Jones isn't playing for us, right?

[USSoccer]

Ok, Philly Union look like a real soccer team despite Danny the Traffic Cone and Seitz being terrible and gifting TFC the win. They pass really well, and Torres is the truth. Really enjoyable to watch.

 

Nowak has done a fantastic job 3 games in.

[wvcbxl]

Liverpool FC put up for sale

 

Any bets as to whom they end up with? :wink:

[wolf stansson]

We've all accepted that Jermaine Jones isn't playing for us, right?

He's said that even if he doesn't make it for the World Cup, he'd still like to play for us. That was at the Holland game.

 

Seitz has been a disaster so far. Zakuani would be eligible as he has lived here for more than two years and has a clear connection to the country (attended college).

[USSoccer]

We've all accepted that Jermaine Jones isn't playing for us, right?

He's said that even if he doesn't make it for the World Cup, he'd still like to play for us. That was at the Holland game.

 

Seitz has been a disaster so far. Zakuani would be eligible as he has lived here for more than two years and has a clear connection to the country (attended college).

 

Seitz has been really terrible in just about every area so far.

 

I have my doubts Jones will ever recover from his injury, to be honest.

 

If he's eligible, I'm all for Zakuani, Pontius, Cameron, Jack Mac, Ream and Orozco at the next Camp Cupcake.

[wolf stansson]

About the Seitz thing. I know he's a young guy. I also know that Tim Howard is relatively young and Brad Guzan is still very young for a keeper. Because of that, I'm not too concerned, but I think it bears mentioning that this is the thinnest our keeper pool has been since I've followed the team (2002 - present). You used to have Friedel, Keller, Meola and Howard. Now you have Howard and Hahnemann as the only keepers getting minutes in top flight football. Obviously Meola never went to Europe, but he tore up MLS. We have a ton of meh guys in MLS, but no clear-cut top dog. Hahnemann is getting up there (only a year younger than Friedel) and Guzan has more than twice the caps with the MNT than he does. Problem is, Guzan never plays. Friedel is retired from the NT and obviously way up there in age.

 

Seitz was supposed to be the next guy. At 23, he's played only 13 pro games and won't even factor in a World Cup until 4 years at the absolute earliest (huge long shot) and probably 8 years from now. By then maybe one of the other young guys like Luis Robles, Dom Cervi will have latched on to a starting job somewhere and will offer competition to be Guzan's #2. We don't really have any reason to be concerned, but I am. The security blanket of having Keller, Friedel, Meola and a little later, Howard was significant.

[USSoccer]

I'm not really worried. I think Guzan is a better overall keeper than Howard anyway. Howard is more athletic, Guzan technically better. Between the two of them we should be okay until the 2018 cycle, and by then we should have a candidate out of the Robles/Perkins/Seitz/Cervi crowd. Also, in 8 years MLS should be able to provide a couple decent backups to whoever is the alpha dog.

 

Personally, I think our current keeper pool is better than the 2002 pool. Keller=wildly overrated.

[TruffleShuffle]

Liverpool FC put up for sale

 

Any bets as to whom they end up with? :wink:

 

237 million pounds in debt? holy crap.

[Guest]

Scholes scores on a header in the 93rd minute to beat Man City.

 

Pretty entertaining game with an exciting finish that keeps the pressure on Chelsea. Also virtually locks in Arsenal to a top-3 spot.

[Jon]

Scholes scores on a header in the 93rd minute to beat Man City.

 

Pretty entertaining game with an exciting finish that keeps the pressure on Chelsea. Also virtually locks in Arsenal to a top-3 spot.

It was a little frustrating, though. Just no ability to finish on either end. So many good chances wasted by poor final touches and decisions.

 

Glad Rooney was pulled to spare those watching another 20 minutes of bitching.

 

A real punch to the guts of city supporters.

[Guest]

Great week for Tottenham beating both Arsenal and Chelsea and they jump City for fourth. Anything they get against Man U next Saturday would be gravy. Also, Chelsea lost their buffer over Man U with the loss.

 

The next couple weeks are going to be great with Champions League plus some tight EPL races for the title and for the CL spots.

[CubInOK]

Barca tied @Espanyol today. Real can make up ground home to Valencia tomorrow.