soccer soccer soccer

[Transmogrified Tiger]

My favorite(if it's not gauche to call it a favorite) recent soccer story is of Wigan Athletic in the Championship. They have changed owners twice in the last couple years, and despite having very little debt relative to their peers, they were strangely put into administration less than a month after being sold in June. There are numerous theories on why, my favorite which is semi-plausible is the owners are trying to ensure they get relegated(administration carries a 12 point penalty) so a big bet from the Phillippines pays off:

 

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However, Wigan the team is basically going full Major League amidst that backdrop, they currently lead Hull 7-0 at halftime, and with only 2 games after today they have a reasonable shot of avoiding relegation even after the points deduction.

 

oh no, Wigan tied their last 2 matches and missed being safe even with the administration penalty by 2 points

[stitchface]

Looking forward to watching Pulisic lead the comeback in today's game . . . should be entertaining.

[stitchface]

Looking forward to watching Pulisic lead the comeback in today's game . . . should be entertaining.

 

 

even better than expected.

[wolf stansson]

Looking forward to watching Pulisic lead the comeback in today's game . . . should be entertaining.

 

 

even better than expected.

Dude.

 

Pulisic's recent form has really exposed how deep my US Soccer PTSD goes, because I've always believed he was objectively talented and driven enough to do stuff like this, and yet I'm torn between shocked and vindicated every time he does something legitimately world class. I'm so used to American being better than the haters expect rather than straight up dominant that when he grabs a game by the throat, against a defense as good as Liverpool or Man City's, I'm caught off guard every time. I think deep down, I thought he could be a valuable piece on a team like Chelsea. On par with a Joe Cole, Willian, Malouda, Gudjohnson. To see him do truly elite horsefeathers on a level a tick above those guys at 21 is a totally new feeling as a USS die hard.

 

The anxiety has pivoted from "will we ever produce a world class player" to "will our incompetence waste a world class player?" I'm excited about the implications, because having a talent like him should attract better managerial/coaching talent if Berhalter can't get it done.

[stitchface]

that first goal (the abraham one) felt like a watershed moment . . .

[imb]

here's a fun one

 

make an argument for chelsea club player of the year being someone not pulisic

[stitchface]

here's a fun one

 

make an argument for chelsea club player of the year being someone not pulisic

 

 

hey, if Jordan Henderson is FWA player of the year, why not anyone?

[wolf stansson]

Mount starting. That’s a mistake.

 

Kepa on the bench. Not a mistake.

[imb]

Mount starting. That’s a mistake.

 

Kepa on the bench. Not a mistake.

 

I don’t understand the insistence of putting mount on the wing

[soccer10k]

Mount starting. That’s a mistake.

 

Kepa on the bench. Not a mistake.

 

Mount just flipped you the bird.

 

I haven’t been watching them much so he might have been crap up until now.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

NWSL Cup final between Chicago and Houston on big CBS right now. I'm no diehard but following Chicago a bit from a distance seems like they're a consistently strong team, and they have a couple USWNT stalwarts in Ertz and Naeher. Also if you're into jerseys, both of theirs this year are tremendous.

 

 

 

You can't quite make it out but the blue stripes in the white kit spell out every neighborhood in the city. Also both jerseys have an outline of the skyline on the back.

[PackLandVA]

Family member was on the Chicago roster last summer for a bit. I moved out to Arizona by that time, so didn't get a chance to see any games.

[wolf stansson]

Mount just flipped you the bird.

Yes, he had an excellent free kick goal, however if Willian had been playing instead, Pulisic would have had a hat trick. Conservative estimate imo.

[imb]

tough break for leicester. clear third-best team for 75 percent of the season and could never get it going after the restart.

 

chelsea just unbelievably fortunate all year. third best team in their CL group and they make it out only because Ajax picked up like 4 red cards at the end of what should have been a blowout ajax win. worst keeper in the PL and they somehow make it through despite a rough goal differential.

 

be a cool end to the season if they go beat arsenal and then we just will pretend the second leg of the bayern matchup doesnt happen.

 

top 4

FA finals

champions league knockout rounds

add Ziyech, Werner, Havertz+++

 

that's a hell of a year

[soccer10k]

Leicester was in free fall before the shut down. Last eight games before the break they won 2, tied 2 and lost 4. Three of those four losses were to Southampton, Burnley and Norwich. They also tied Norwich earlier in the season also. 12 wins in their first 16 games but only 6 in the last 22.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Leicester’s trajectory is definitely disappointing, but I think I saw today that they have 2 guys making 100k/week (their opponent today has 10 with a bunch of those over 200k), and that this was their 2nd season in 57 years in the Top 5(this might be slightly off but the spirit is true). Since they were the ones who won it a few years ago I think we understate the degree of an upset their position is.

 

As for Chelsea, this is likely just me wanting to see more Pulisic, but I could see them pulling off a Liverpool v. Barca against Bayern, who will have been a month since their last competitive match(and locked up the title early too).

[imb]

Leicester was in free fall before the shut down. Last eight games before the break they won 2, tied 2 and lost 4. Three of those four losses were to Southampton, Burnley and Norwich. They also tied Norwich earlier in the season also. 12 wins in their first 16 games but only 6 in the last 22.

 

you're right. i had no idea they had played that poorly before the break.

[stitchface]

Leicester’s trajectory is definitely disappointing, but I think I saw today that they have 2 guys making 100k/week (their opponent today has 10 with a bunch of those over 200k), and that this was their 2nd season in 57 years in the Top 5(this might be slightly off but the spirit is true). Since they were the ones who won it a few years ago I think we understate the degree of an upset their position is.

 

As for Chelsea, this is likely just me wanting to see more Pulisic, but I could see them pulling off a Liverpool v. Barca against Bayern, who will have been a month since their last competitive match(and locked up the title early too).

 

 

I think Bayern is too good. We'll see though in UCL. Bayern is just so fast AND skilled.

[wolf stansson]

Top 4 finish.

Champions league semis.

FA Cup final.

 

That is absolutely killer for a rebuilding year. Arsenal & United would kill for a rebuild like that. On balance, Lamps absolutely killed it. It’s really tough to balance results with important squad evaluation opportunities that well.

 

I used too many variations of “kill.” You still get it.

[stitchface]

Champions league semis?

[bukie]

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[soccer10k]

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Plus, not only did the betting site pay the guy anyway but the guy donated the money to a Black Lives Matter fund in the UK.

[UMFan83]

Man I wish Pulisic could stay healthy. That didn’t look good today

[stitchface]

Man I wish Pulisic could stay healthy. That didn’t look good today

 

 

yea, I didn't know if he already works with a nutritionist etc. but he needs some kind of new plan.

[wolf stansson]

 

TAA will deservedly win, but still very cool.