soccer soccer soccer

[stitchface]

I can now confirm both Gio Reyna and Pulisic are still alive and at their respective clubs.

[soccer10k]

Now that the season is effectively over hopefully Spurs send Conte back to Italy on the AC Milan team plane.

 

In a game where they needed at least one goal, Spurs had 0.09 xG in the first half. They ended up with 0.98 xG total over the two legs.

[soccer10k]

Spurs were booed off at half-time and full-time against Milan with supporters also jeering Conte's decision to replace winger Dejan Kulusevski with defender Davinson Sanchez for the final 12 minutes when needing a goal to force extra-time.

 

"I am really sorry for the fans, I am really sorry for the fans but we cannot invent the win," continued Conte in his post-match press conference.

 

This is why Conte sucks. Sure, you can’t just invent a win. But you sure as shit can actually try to win a game that you have to win. You don’t have to set up in a 3-5-2 (or 3-4-3) with two of those midfielders being wingbacks. Throw an extra attacker on there and go with a 4-2-3-1. I’d much rather have my team go for the win and get bounced losing something like 3-2 or drawing 2-2 because they gave up a couple goals on the counter instead of the limp dick display Spurs put out yesterday.

 

And the subbing on a defender for an attacker at the end was hilariously pathetic. It’s like he thought there was a third leg in the tie and was trying to keep it close.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

FM23 update vol. 10, things have escalated yet again

 

 

If you remember, I finished 4th in Serie A in 2033, putting me in the champions league (in my 4,200-seater lol)

 

i figured i'd come in and just get my ass stomped, make a couple million and call it a year. But the weirdest thing happened, despite being average in the league (late surge has me up to 6th with 11 matches to go and a game in hand) I'm destroying the UCL. Look at these results

 

First stage (for the record the UCL is using the future format rather than group stages)

 

Beat Maccabi Tel Aviv 2-0 at home

Drew with Rangers 3-3 away

Beat PSG 1-0 at home(lol i still can't believe this. my best winger scored in the 16th minute and I held on, but it wasn't luck - i had 16 shots and 10 on goal)

Beat Dortmund 1-0 away

Beat Eintracht Frankfurt 2-0 away

Beat Real San Sebastian 7-1 at home (lmao xG of 2.40)

Drew Man City 1-1 away

Beat RB Leipzig 2-0 at home

 

Knockouts

Beat Renne 5-3 on aggregate.

 

I'm in the quarterfinals now lol

 

How are you handling rotation with all the midweek fixtures? I've always felt like I don't quite get that right, but I might just be paranoid about fitness level and guys are actually fine starting more games(albeit at the cost of the happiness of depth players)

[stitchface]

Spurs were booed off at half-time and full-time against Milan with supporters also jeering Conte's decision to replace winger Dejan Kulusevski with defender Davinson Sanchez for the final 12 minutes when needing a goal to force extra-time.

 

"I am really sorry for the fans, I am really sorry for the fans but we cannot invent the win," continued Conte in his post-match press conference.

 

This is why Conte sucks. Sure, you can’t just invent a win. But you sure as shit can actually try to win a game that you have to win. You don’t have to set up in a 3-5-2 (or 3-4-3) with two of those midfielders being wingbacks. Throw an extra attacker on there and go with a 4-2-3-1. I’d much rather have my team go for the win and get bounced losing something like 3-2 or drawing 2-2 because they gave up a couple goals on the counter instead of the limp dick display Spurs put out yesterday.

 

And the subbing on a defender for an attacker at the end was hilariously pathetic. It’s like he thought there was a third leg in the tie and was trying to keep it close.

 

Very strange. Sorry for you. It's basically why no one watches italian soccer. Spurs need to stop hiring these types of managers and find one who has a plan. I'm always amazed by hiring of defensive managers who excel at small clubs but have no attacking ideas.

[imb]

FM23 update vol. 10, things have escalated yet again

 

 

If you remember, I finished 4th in Serie A in 2033, putting me in the champions league (in my 4,200-seater lol)

 

i figured i'd come in and just get my ass stomped, make a couple million and call it a year. But the weirdest thing happened, despite being average in the league (late surge has me up to 6th with 11 matches to go and a game in hand) I'm destroying the UCL. Look at these results

 

First stage (for the record the UCL is using the future format rather than group stages)

 

Beat Maccabi Tel Aviv 2-0 at home

Drew with Rangers 3-3 away

Beat PSG 1-0 at home(lol i still can't believe this. my best winger scored in the 16th minute and I held on, but it wasn't luck - i had 16 shots and 10 on goal)

Beat Dortmund 1-0 away

Beat Eintracht Frankfurt 2-0 away

Beat Real San Sebastian 7-1 at home (lmao xG of 2.40)

Drew Man City 1-1 away

Beat RB Leipzig 2-0 at home

 

Knockouts

Beat Renne 5-3 on aggregate.

 

I'm in the quarterfinals now lol

 

How are you handling rotation with all the midweek fixtures? I've always felt like I don't quite get that right, but I might just be paranoid about fitness level and guys are actually fine starting more games(albeit at the cost of the happiness of depth players)

 

its difficult since this is really my first year playing continental football, so my guys arent used to it. I didnt really come into it with a plan, i assumed id get bounced out of the UCL ASAP, but i kept winning, so i've had to rotate in league games, which probably explains why im 6th in the league this year instead of 4th.

 

the upshot is i should still be in europe next year and i've made almost $40m off the champions league wins so far, so it's been worth it.

[wolf stansson]

 

 

 

Let me get a hell yeah

[wvcbxl]

Reims are unbeaten in their last 16 Ligue 1 games - that’s impressive.

[imb]

I won the freaking UCL, I don't think I'll ever top this lol

 

Beat Madrid 3-0 away in the first leg of the quarters, immediately went down 2-0 at home in the second leg, but ended up winning 5-3 on agg.

 

Played Newcastle in the semis, won 2-0 at home and 1-2 away to win 3-2 on agg

 

In the finals I beat Aston Villa (??????) 3-0 despite getting out xG'd like 3-1. Love to get the chance to FM the computer in a cup final for a change.

 

[Transmogrified Tiger]

US Soccer released the report on the investigation into the Berhalter/Reyna stuff, and from this summary it makes the Reynas look absolutely *terrible*

 

So many specific quotes too that remove any doubt about the motivations and intended malice.

[imb]

yikes. kind of puts Gio's ... everything ... in a different light. He's 19 years old and his parents are insane. Hard not to get a little screwy

[wolf stansson]

I’m sensitive to the idea that losing your eldest child would affect you in all kinds of ‘d up ways, including being incredibly over protective of your extremely gifted middle child, especially one who’s talent took him (mostly solo) across the globe to pursue a career at age 16. As a parent, I’m sure that’s been hard. That said, this is as whack as it gets, and if I was Gio, I’d create some temporary distance with my parents until we were able to build some clearly much-needed boundaries.

 

 

Also, some of this stuff, like Claudio’s misogyny towards the female ref, and the stuff about Claudio demanding USSF fly Gio business class when he was a u-17, is just gross. Just talk horsefeathers in your inner circle like a normal person. Don’t call everyone in the fed every time you’re mildly annoyed. Just stew and bitch in the shadows like everyone else.

 

 

I mean, flying from Europe to the US in coach is not ideal, but come on, he’s 16. He’ll live.

[Rex Buckingham]

part of the problem is that Berhalter, McBride, Stewart, et al. were probably some of the people Reyna considered his "inner circle" so he felt like he could spill his lunacy to them - and his ego (which is probably not all that different from most extremely successful athletes) led him to believe he could get special treatment from his buddies in powerful positions.

[squally1313]

2026 World Cup going back to 12 four team groups, will need to iron out the details on the final 8 teams (out of the 12 3rd place teams) to make the bracket. A shockingly good decision from FIFA, but one that will come with it's own issues (now going to be a total of 104 games vs 64 in 2022, which means they are taking 9 days out of the warm-up/practice time period).

[stitchface]

2026 World Cup going back to 12 four team groups, will need to iron out the details on the final 8 teams (out of the 12 3rd place teams) to make the bracket. A shockingly good decision from FIFA, but one that will come with it's own issues (now going to be a total of 104 games vs 64 in 2022, which means they are taking 9 days out of the warm-up/practice time period).

 

it's ok because 72 of those games will be nearly meaningless

[Transmogrified Tiger]

72 group stage games to eliminate 16 teams eh, I guess it could be worse. Think I still prefer the cross-fire groups of 3(your group of 3 doesn't play each other, but plays the same 3 opponents so ranking on points is fair) but I understand how that feels like too much complexity for a world cup.

[stitchface]

72 group stage games to eliminate 16 teams eh, I guess it could be worse. Think I still prefer the cross-fire groups of 3(your group of 3 doesn't play each other, but plays the same 3 opponents so ranking on points is fair) but I understand how that feels like too much complexity for a world cup.

 

First place teams get a first KO round bye? This format is going to result in a lot of sitting stars (see NBA). It's stupid to play that many games for that few eliminations. Hell, at least make the third-place teams play-in instead of deciding on weird tie-breakers. This is just classic FIFA, crank out more games. 32 teams advancing is asinine.

[soccer10k]

72 group stage games to eliminate 16 teams eh, I guess it could be worse. Think I still prefer the cross-fire groups of 3(your group of 3 doesn't play each other, but plays the same 3 opponents so ranking on points is fair) but I understand how that feels like too much complexity for a world cup.

 

First place teams get a first KO round bye? This format is going to result in a lot of sitting stars (see NBA). It's stupid to play that many games for that few eliminations. Hell, at least make the third-place teams play-in instead of deciding on weird tie-breakers. This is just classic FIFA, crank out more games. 32 teams advancing is asinine.

 

I dislike the new format also but I don’t think there will be any more sitting than there currently is. Teams already prioritize finishing first which won’t change. I would think there’s even less incentive to rest guys in the final group game because you can still get a bye. Whereas now a team might have clinched a knockout round spot but they might not care if they finish 1st or 2nd depending on the matchup they get. With the bye no team is going to want that extra game.

 

I guess there could be a situation where a team has clinched a knockout spot but can only finish 2nd or 3rd in their group and they don’t care which spot they get.that seems pretty unlikely though since not every 3rd place team would advance.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

There aren't knockout round byes, 8 of the 12 3rd place teams make the knockout round which has 32 teams. That's why it's 72 games(6 games x 12 groups) to eliminate 16 teams(48 to 32).

[squally1313]

If I were in charge of the world and had no timing constraints to schedule games, I could maybe get creative and

 

1. Make the 8 third place teams play a knockout round to get down to 4 teams

2. Add those 4 teams into the group of 12 second place teams, and make them go through 2 knockout rounds to get down to 4 teams

3. Add those 4 teams to the group of 12 group winners and go pure knockout from there.

 

But that's another week or so of time that you just aren't going to be able to fit in to the schedule. Honestly, I like the idea of just having a blind draw among the 12 third place teams. Let them know it's out of their control if they can't finish top 2.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

If I were in charge of the world and had no timing constraints to schedule games, I could maybe get creative and

 

1. Make the 8 third place teams play a knockout round to get down to 4 teams

2. Add those 4 teams into the group of 12 second place teams, and make them go through 2 knockout rounds to get down to 4 teams

3. Add those 4 teams to the group of 12 group winners and go pure knockout from there.

 

But that's another week or so of time that you just aren't going to be able to fit in to the schedule. Honestly, I like the idea of just having a blind draw among the 12 third place teams. Let them know it's out of their control if they can't finish top 2.

 

Henry Bushnell shared this reader submitted one which was kinda interesting, it essentially makes the entire tournament a double elimination bracket. You do it by dividing the 48 into 3 groups of 16, and then within the group winners and losers keep playing each other to get to the knockout round number(with the best GD of the 3 undefeated group teams getting a bye for numbers/motivation).

 

[stitchface]

72 group stage games to eliminate 16 teams eh, I guess it could be worse. Think I still prefer the cross-fire groups of 3(your group of 3 doesn't play each other, but plays the same 3 opponents so ranking on points is fair) but I understand how that feels like too much complexity for a world cup.

 

First place teams get a first KO round bye? This format is going to result in a lot of sitting stars (see NBA). It's stupid to play that many games for that few eliminations. Hell, at least make the third-place teams play-in instead of deciding on weird tie-breakers. This is just classic FIFA, crank out more games. 32 teams advancing is asinine.

 

I dislike the new format also but I don’t think there will be any more sitting than there currently is. Teams already prioritize finishing first which won’t change. I would think there’s even less incentive to rest guys in the final group game because you can still get a bye. Whereas now a team might have clinched a knockout round spot but they might not care if they finish 1st or 2nd depending on the matchup they get. With the bye no team is going to want that extra game.

 

I guess there could be a situation where a team has clinched a knockout spot but can only finish 2nd or 3rd in their group and they don’t care which spot they get.that seems pretty unlikely though since not every 3rd place team would advance.

 

sorry, that was a bit of a rant - I would suggest they should get byes to make the groups meaningful.

[soccer10k]

There aren't knockout round byes, 8 of the 12 3rd place teams make the knockout round which has 32 teams. That's why it's 72 games(6 games x 12 groups) to eliminate 16 teams(48 to 32).

 

I should have known that. I must have confused it with the Europa League and Conference League.

[UMFan83]

Gio getting the call up for the March window, yay. Tyler Adams is missing the window with an injury

 

[stitchface]

Gio getting the call up for the March window, yay. Tyler Adams is missing the window with an injury

 

 

I wonder what Gio thinks about his parents? I'd be pushing them away and hard.