soccer soccer soccer

[JHBulls]

Saw a comment that Young Trafford is as leaky as Old Trafford. 

[soccer10k]

You're tied 2-2, down a man. There's just over a minute left of added time and you've scored two goals with 10 men to tie the defending league champions. And yet for some reason, you've got 5 guys pressing their 5 (one Liv player off screen to the right). Now, I can do math and that leaves a 5 v 4 behind. And that means that when Liverpool moves the ball well, they end up with a wide open shot, 12 yards out, a couple yards to one side of the penalty spot. Newcastle should have been running a 6-3-0 formation at that point in the game.

[JHBulls]

I was actually wondering how ETH was doing with Leverkusen not even two hours ago.

I guess I have my answer.

[soccer10k]

Lol, he lasted three games.

[soccer10k]

Someone tell me why I should have any expectations for the USMNT at the World Cup next year beyond making it out of what will likely be a softer group because we'll be seeded and maybe winning the R32 game? Upsets obviously could happen and maybe we get lucky with a softer R16 game too. But realistically, if we finish 1st or 2nd in our group and win the R32 game, we're going to get a group winner in the R16 which is likely a heavyweight.

[JHBulls]

Germans are ruthlessly honest lol

 

[bukie]

On 9/7/2025 at 12:51 AM, soccer10k said:

Someone tell me why I should have any expectations for the USMNT at the World Cup next year beyond making it out of what will likely be a softer group because we'll be seeded and maybe winning the R32 game? Upsets obviously could happen and maybe we get lucky with a softer R16 game too. But realistically, if we finish 1st or 2nd in our group and win the R32 game, we're going to get a group winner in the R16 which is likely a heavyweight.

I've reached the point where I hope the USMNT goes winless while being embarrassed by CAF and AFC minnows in empty stadiums because the idiots in charge of FIFA and our country deserve all the embarrassment they can manage. 

[UMFan83]

Can US Soccer demand that every World Cup match they have be played in Columbus? Yeah Japans B team in a friendly but Dos a Cero bitches (I’m dying for anything sports related to make me happy right now)

[soccer10k]

Anytime you can take your shirt off celebrating a goal in the 3rd round of the Carabao Cup against the team in 19th place in the EFL Championship when you're already on a yellow card, you just have to do it.

Hugo Ekitike is your sports idiot of the week.

I mean, it's a stupid rule, but it's a rule and has been for a while now.

[soccer10k]

Wake up to see ManU just lost 3-1 to Brentford (fans chanted you’re getting sacked in the morning after the third goal) and then Chelsea gets a red card which leads to them blowing a 1-0 lead to lose at home.

Thats a good start to the day.

[JHBulls]

Looks like Canada and Mexico are ready for next years World Cup.

[bukie]

From a Chicago Fire perspective, year 1 of the Gregg era has to be seen as a rousing success. FIrst playoff berth since 2017, and with tonight's 3-1 win, first postseason goal since 2012 and first postseason win since 2009.

Fire managed 24(!) shot attempts, and really dominated this game, which is not something I'm used to seeing from the Fire since...well, ever?

Fire closed the season strong, losing just 2 of their final 15 games. Unfortunately, one of those losses was 4-0 against Philly, their next opponent.

[soccer10k]

Can't say I've ever seen a defender take the ball from one penalty box to the other and score before.

[soccer10k]

Some crazy stuff happening in CONCACAF qualifying going into the final matchday.

Group A has Panama (33), El Salvador (81), Guatemala (106) and Suriname (137). Suriname leads the group on GD and is 3 goals up on Panama. They're at least guaranteed a playoff match as the runner up. Win at Guatemala and they're likely in the WC.

Group B has Jamaica (63), Curacao (90), Trinidad (100) and Bermuda (168). Curacao leads the group and is 1 point up on Jamaica. They play at Jamaica in the last game. They're also guaranteed at least a playoff match.

Group C has Costa Rica (54), Honduras (75), Haiti (83) and Nicaragua (133). Honduras currently leads the group over Haiti on GD and they're 2 points up on Costa Rica. However, Honduras plays at Costa Rica while Haiti is home to Guatemala. So if Haiti wins, there's a decent chance they qualify automatically.

Suriname and Curacao have never made the WC. Haiti made it once, in 1974. Jamaica made it once, in 1998.

[JHBulls]

Would be kind of ridiculous and pretty funny if Sweden make the World Cup after failing to win a single match in qualification. 

[bukie]

What's gotten into the USMNT today?

[UMFan83]

2 hours ago, bukie said:

What's gotten into the USMNT today?

How about just in general. Only friendlies but they’ve been beating some good squads lately. 

[bukie]

1 minute ago, UMFan83 said:

How about just in general. Only friendlies but they’ve been beating some good squads lately. 

They've looked better lately, but today was just an unprecedented result. Worst defeat for Uruguay as far back as Wikipedia lists results.

[soccer10k]

On 11/13/2025 at 11:01 PM, soccer10k said:

Some crazy stuff happening in CONCACAF qualifying going into the final matchday.

Group A has Panama (33), El Salvador (81), Guatemala (106) and Suriname (137). Suriname leads the group on GD and is 3 goals up on Panama. They're at least guaranteed a playoff match as the runner up. Win at Guatemala and they're likely in the WC.

Group B has Jamaica (63), Curacao (90), Trinidad (100) and Bermuda (168). Curacao leads the group and is 1 point up on Jamaica. They play at Jamaica in the last game. They're also guaranteed at least a playoff match.

Group C has Costa Rica (54), Honduras (75), Haiti (83) and Nicaragua (133). Honduras currently leads the group over Haiti on GD and they're 2 points up on Costa Rica. However, Honduras plays at Costa Rica while Haiti is home to Guatemala. So if Haiti wins, there's a decent chance they qualify automatically.

Suriname and Curacao have never made the WC. Haiti made it once, in 1974. Jamaica made it once, in 1998.

Group A, unfortunately Suriname lost while Panama won, so Panama qualifies automatically.

However...

Group B, Curacao got a 0-0 tie in Jamaica to qualify for the first time ever.

Group C, Haiti beat Nicaragua and Honduras tied Costa Rica so Haiti qualified automatically.

Suriname could still qualify via the inter-confederation playoffs.

Costa Rica, who had made 5 of the last 6 WC's, won 1 of 6 games and finished 3rd in their group. Honduras, who made it in 2010 and 2014, didn't even make the playoffs.

[UMFan83]

10 hours ago, soccer10k said:

Group A, unfortunately Suriname lost while Panama won, so Panama qualifies automatically.

However...

Group B, Curacao got a 0-0 tie in Jamaica to qualify for the first time ever.

Group C, Haiti beat Nicaragua and Honduras tied Costa Rica so Haiti qualified automatically.

Suriname could still qualify via the inter-confederation playoffs.

Costa Rica, who had made 5 of the last 6 WC's, won 1 of 6 games and finished 3rd in their group. Honduras, who made it in 2010 and 2014, didn't even make the playoffs.

Yeah I haven't been following qualifying too closely but saw the results last night.  Crazy that several of the countries that you'd normally see in the hex like Costa Rica, Honduras, El Salvador, Jamaica, Nicaragua and T&T either were eliminated or only made the playoff while countries like Curaco and Haiti qualified directly.  It's going to be an interesting WC with the new format and all the first time qualifiers.

[bukie]

Couple other fun stories in World Cup qualifying:

- Scotland beat Denmark to win their qualifying group and make the World Cup for the first time since 1998.

- Norway beat Italy (twice!) to win their qualifying group and make the World Cup for the first time since 1998.

- Erling Haaland of Norway scored 16 goals in the qualification tournament, which is an insane number considering 40 of the teams in qualifying didn't score that much (including Switzerland, France, Scotland and Germany, who won their groups and qualified).

It also means there's still a possibility that all 4 of the parts of the UK can qualify. England and Scotland won groups, Wales and Northern Ireland made the playoff.

[soccer10k]

3 hours ago, bukie said:

- Erling Haaland of Norway scored 16 goals in the qualification tournament, which is an insane number considering 40 of the teams in qualifying didn't score that much (including Switzerland, France, Scotland and Germany, who won their groups and qualified).

He also led all of qualifying with those 16 goals despite Norway only playing 8 games. Second place was a guy from Qatar who scored 12 goals. However Qatar played 18 games in qualifying.

[soccer10k]

It’s really dumb that they do the WC draw before all teams have qualified. It’s not a lock Italy and/or Denmark will qualify, but by the rankings, they would be in Pot 2 if they qualified. However, all 6 playoff teams are placed in Pot 4 by default.

[bukie]

58 minutes ago, soccer10k said:

It’s really dumb that they do the WC draw before all teams have qualified. It’s not a lock Italy and/or Denmark will qualify, but by the rankings, they would be in Pot 2 if they qualified. However, all 6 playoff teams are placed in Pot 4 by default.

Somebody is going to end up getting some nightmare Morocco-Norway-Italy draw, and I just hope it's Mexico.

[JHBulls]

50 minutes ago, soccer10k said:

It’s really dumb that they do the WC draw before all teams have qualified. It’s not a lock Italy and/or Denmark will qualify, but by the rankings, they would be in Pot 2 if they qualified. However, all 6 playoff teams are placed in Pot 4 by default.

The playoffs were always in 7-10 months before a WC tournament (except the last WC which was held in December and the playoffs were in June of the same year). 
 

But I think because there is just so much football now (Nations League started in September 2018) and the WC has expanded to 48 teams, there are just too much International matches happening at the same time. Either an International break will have nations league matches (where WC qualifiers used to go) or WC qualifiers.