The Soccer Thread

[shnsajax]

Hopefully he gets a shot at the very least.

 

It would be nice if Wenger would sign Friedel in January, its not going to cost him much of anything but it still won't happen.

[wolf stansson]

http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/1614/americans-abroad/2010/12/06/2248428/report-liverpool-plan-10m-bid-for-fulhams-clint-dempsey

Clint to Liverpool for £10,000,000.

 

I think that could get it done. He'd be great value for them.

[shnsajax]

http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/1614/americans-abroad/2010/12/06/2248428/report-liverpool-plan-10m-bid-for-fulhams-clint-dempsey

Clint to Liverpool for £10,000,000.

 

I think that could get it done. He'd be great value for them.

 

And if Donovon goes back to Everton that would make for a fun derby for us to watch. Roy really does love Clint.

 

Chelsea's next 4 league games, @ Tottenham, v ManU, @ Arsenal, v Bolton. I hope they don't figure things out any time soon.

[Guest]

Arsenal gets through in the CL but the next round is likely going to be tough for them. There's a 75% chance they get one of Barcelona, Real Madrid or Bayern Munich since they can't get the other three English teams or Shaktar. Best case for them is they get Schalke.

[wolf stansson]

Arsenal gets through in the CL but the next round is likely going to be tough for them. There's a 75% chance they get one of Barcelona, Real Madrid or Bayern Munich since they can't get the other three English teams or Shaktar. Best case for them is they get Schalke.

Copenhagen is the best case, no?

[shnsajax]

Arsenal gets through in the CL but the next round is likely going to be tough for them. There's a 75% chance they get one of Barcelona, Real Madrid or Bayern Munich since they can't get the other three English teams or Shaktar. Best case for them is they get Schalke.

Copenhagen is the best case, no?

 

They also finished as a runner up so can't play them. Here's a good write up. Losing in the next round might help them towards staying in contention for the league or FA Cup.

 

http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/newsid=1574979.html#last+december+draw

[bukie]

Arsenal gets through in the CL but the next round is likely going to be tough for them. There's a 75% chance they get one of Barcelona, Real Madrid or Bayern Munich since they can't get the other three English teams or Shaktar. Best case for them is they get Schalke.

Copenhagen is the best case, no?

Don't the group winners get drawn against the second place finishers across the board? Copenhagen finished second to Barcelona.

 

On another note, Tottenham is sitting in a good spot, winning the group and can't draw Inter or Arsenal in the round of 16.

[shnsajax]

Not really soccer related, but thought I would throw this in here due to the person and just how much money he actually has.

 

A Russian oligarch has paid almost $400 million as part of an ambitious plan to create an art museum and commercial center on an island in the heart of St. Petersburg.

 

Roman Abramovich is buying an array of crumbling buildings on St. Petersburg's New Holland island, a former military base, reports the Daily Telegraph. The self-made steel and investments magnate, whose fortune is estimated at around $12 billion, plans to convert the 18th-century warehouses into art galleries, housing, retail and hotel spaces, according to a spokesman.

[Guest]

Arsenal gets through in the CL but the next round is likely going to be tough for them. There's a 75% chance they get one of Barcelona, Real Madrid or Bayern Munich since they can't get the other three English teams or Shaktar. Best case for them is they get Schalke.

Copenhagen is the best case, no?

Don't the group winners get drawn against the second place finishers across the board? Copenhagen finished second to Barcelona.

 

On another note, Tottenham is sitting in a good spot, winning the group and can't draw Inter or Arsenal in the round of 16.

 

Yeah, it's not until the quarterfinal draw that there aren't any rules about which teams can be drawn against each other. For the Round of 16, it has to be a first against a second with no rematches from the first round or matchups between two teams from the same country.

[shnsajax]

Arsenal gets through in the CL but the next round is likely going to be tough for them. There's a 75% chance they get one of Barcelona, Real Madrid or Bayern Munich since they can't get the other three English teams or Shaktar. Best case for them is they get Schalke.

Copenhagen is the best case, no?

Don't the group winners get drawn against the second place finishers across the board? Copenhagen finished second to Barcelona.

 

On another note, Tottenham is sitting in a good spot, winning the group and can't draw Inter or Arsenal in the round of 16.

 

Yeah, it's not until the quarterfinal draw that there aren't any rules about which teams can be drawn against each other. For the Round of 16, it has to be a first against a second with no rematches from the first round or matchups between two teams from the same country.

 

If Arsenal were to beat one now would be the time to do it as they are playing pretty well. If they play Barca they still need 6 of their starters to come down with he flu or something. Barca will still try to kidnap Cesc while they are playing too.

[wolf stansson]

Speaking of the Arsenal, Portland's away kit is the best jersey in MLS.

 

http://www.portlandtimbers.com/team/jersey

 

Love the red and white with the rose badge. I know the green is tradition, but the away kit should be it.

[USSoccer]

Speaking of the Arsenal, Portland's away kit is the best jersey in MLS.

 

http://www.portlandtimbers.com/team/jersey

 

Love the red and white with the rose badge. I know the green is tradition, but the away kit should be it.

 

That 2nd kit is awesome. That's what a badge should look like.

[shnsajax]

Mark Hughes claims he won't sell Dempsey which from makes some sense as they are fighting to stay up in the Premier League right now and he is fighting for his job.

[wolf stansson]

Mark Hughes claims he won't sell Dempsey which from makes some sense as they are fighting to stay up in the Premier League right now and he is fighting for his job.

Clint might want a switch though. Especially if game reports like this keep getting written: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=292941&league=ENG.1&cc=5901

 

 

I'll summarize in case you don't want to read the whole thing. Clint Dempsey ran the show, was near unstoppable but his teammates constantly let him down.

[wolf stansson]

Stu with the great winner v blackburn:

http://theoriginalwinger.com/2010-12-12-bolton-wanderers-vs-blackburn-rovers-highlights-english-premier-league

 

---------Best in form striker-------

--LD-----------Stu------------Deuce---

----------Jones------Bradley-------------

 

Stu and Deuce are on fire for their clubs right now.

[USSoccer]

Stu with the great winner v blackburn:

http://theoriginalwinger.com/2010-12-12-bolton-wanderers-vs-blackburn-rovers-highlights-english-premier-league

 

---------Best in form striker-------

--LD-----------Stu------------Deuce---

----------Jones------Bradley-------------

 

Stu and Deuce are on fire for their clubs right now.

 

That was a great finish from Stu.

 

We're going to get to the point at some time this cycle that we're going to have at least one, probably two really good mids left on the bench. Good problem to have, but Bradley has to make sure he works with every possible pairing.

[shnsajax]

Stu with the great winner v blackburn:

http://theoriginalwinger.com/2010-12-12-bolton-wanderers-vs-blackburn-rovers-highlights-english-premier-league

 

---------Best in form striker-------

--LD-----------Stu------------Deuce---

----------Jones------Bradley-------------

 

Stu and Deuce are on fire for their clubs right now.

 

That was a great finish from Stu.

 

We're going to get to the point at some time this cycle that we're going to have at least one, probably two really good mids left on the bench. Good problem to have, but Bradley has to make sure he works with every possible pairing.[/quote

 

Beautiful finish. Holden is quickly becoming one of my favorites. Bolton are only 1 point out of a Europa League spot.

 

Chelsea draw with Tottenham at home. Looking forward to Arsenal ManU tomorrow.

[Guest]

Beautiful finish. Holden is quickly becoming one of my favorites. Bolton are only 1 point out of a Europa League spot.

 

Anyone know why it's only the 5th place EPL team that goes to the Europa League this coming year? The last couple years the EPL has gotten 5th-7th in.

[Garwilly]

Beautiful finish. Holden is quickly becoming one of my favorites. Bolton are only 1 point out of a Europa League spot.

 

Anyone know why it's only the 5th place EPL team that goes to the Europa League this coming year? The last couple years the EPL has gotten 5th-7th in.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011%E2%80%9312_UEFA_Europa_League

 

It looks like the three English entries will be as follows:

 

Winners of 2010–11 Football League Cup

Winners of 2010–11 FA Cup

England 5th placed team of 2010–11 Premier League

[Exile on Waveland]

Beautiful finish. Holden is quickly becoming one of my favorites. Bolton are only 1 point out of a Europa League spot.

 

Anyone know why it's only the 5th place EPL team that goes to the Europa League this coming year? The last couple years the EPL has gotten 5th-7th in.

 

The Premiership gets three spots. They are first reserved for the fifth place league team, the FA Cup winner, and the Kiddie Cup winner. If either, or both, of the cup winners already qualified for the Champions or Europa League (i.e., finished in the top-5 of the league), then the sixth and seventh place teams qualify for Europa. Last year Chelsea won the FA Cup and Manchester United the Carling, and as both qualified for the Champions League, Aston Villa (sixth) and Liverpool (seventh*) qualified for Europa.

 

 

 

*It pains me to write seventh after the Reds.

[wolf stansson]

I think the ESPY's got it right when they gave Landon's goal v Algeria the sports moment of the year, but whatever, this is a solid choice:

http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/December/BBCLondonSportingMoment.aspx

Clint Dempsey was the proud recipient of the BBC London 2010 Sporting Moment Of The Year for his goal against Juventus in the UEFA Europa League.

 

That's a questionable scarf/jacket situation, but congrats to Clint anyway.

 

http://www.fulhamfc.com/Images/MainNews/NewsPages/Players/Dempsey/BBCAward.jpg

[Banedon]

FIFA President Sepp Blatter insisted Monday that the votes to award World Cups to Russia and Qatar were based on developing soccer and had nothing to do with money.

 

He also noted that the world's biggest soccer tournament will have to adjust to more than just the sweltering desert heat when it takes its party-like atmosphere to the Middle East in 2022.

 

Blatter said that homosexual fans "should refrain from any sexual activities" that are illegal in Qatar.

 

Drinking alcohol also is restricted in the country, but Blatter hopes soccer's universal appeal will bridge cultural differences at the 2022 World Cup.

"It's another culture and another religion, but in football we have no boundaries," said Blatter, who was in South Africa for the official closing of the 2010 World Cup. "We open everything to everybody and I think there shall not be any discrimination against any human beings, being on this side or that side, left or right or whatever.

 

"Football is a game that does not affect any discrimination. You may be assured ... if people want to watch a match in Qatar in 2022, they will be admitted to matches."

[wvcbxl]

FIFA President Sepp Blatter ....

 

"Football is a game that does not affect any discrimination. You may be assured ... if people want to watch a match in Qatar in 2022, they will be admitted to matches."

 

That could be fun when the orange army hits town.

 

http://www.sportressofblogitude.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/dutch-fans1.jpg

[USSoccer]

I need to move to the Netherlands.

[shnsajax]

Blackburn wants to hire Maradona. Everyone knows European blow is nowhere near as good as South American, so it might be tough for him to take the job.