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Soccer (Football) ~ Everything About The Beautiful Game


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They will win the last two qualifiers, earning themselves a short and humiliating stay in the World Cup.

 

The whole program should be blown up and started again. Probably won't. We'll still be rolling out the likes of Tim Howard and Clint Dempsey for the next Gold Cup...

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They will win the last two qualifiers, earning themselves a short and humiliating stay in the World Cup.

 

The whole program should be blown up and started again. Probably won't. We'll still be rolling out the likes of Tim Howard and Clint Dempsey for the next Gold Cup...

 

They didn't even roll out Tim Howard last night.

From what I heard and read, that seems to be the case. Yuck.

 

 

They still might eke it out. But, really - what might they expect to accomplish if they do qualify?

 

Also - is 2022 the first WC where the field is being greatly expanded? (I despise that decision, btw.)

 

I don't know.  But it should be the last one where slave labor is used to build stadiums in the desert.

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I don't know.  But it should be the last one where slave labor is used to build stadiums in the desert.

 

Amen to that.

 

I'm teetering away from the NFL because I can't effing stand the greed that drives the league's owners.

 

And, yet, I tend to think I'm finding some sort of refuge in international soccer?

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Amen to that.

 

I'm teetering away from the NFL because I can't effing stand the greed that drives the league's owners.

 

And, yet, I tend to think I'm finding some sort of refuge in international soccer?

?????

 

What greed?

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  • 2 weeks later...

I heard an unfathomable stat today. Actually the second time I've come across it so I feel comfortable relaying it while not bothering to verify: if Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich's Goalkeeper) had let in every single shot on goal he faced in the Bundesliga last season, Bayern would still have won the league.

 

That's a dominant team.

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I heard an unfathomable stat today. Actually the second time I've come across it so I feel comfortable relaying it while not bothering to verify: if Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich's Goalkeeper) had let in every single shot on goal he faced in the Bundesliga last season, Bayern would still have won the league.

 

That's a dominant team.

 

It's also a league.  Getting better, though.

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Huh? The Bundesliga is one of the top three leagues in the world (with the EPL and La Liga) and has been for a while. It's also the second richest soccer league in the world (next to the EPL).

It also has sensible ownership regulation (51% of every team must be owned by fans in trust, though Leipzig (Red Bull) seems to have effectively scammed this system, stay tuned) thus keeping prices low and actual fans in the stadium and is actually fun to watch both for the on-field product and the atmosphere the aforementioned fans create.

 

I'm not a huge fan of La Liga, speaking of leagues. Sure, Real and Barca. Sometimes Atletico. After that, a miles-deep free fall. IMHO.

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It also has sensible ownership regulation (51% of every team must be owned by fans in trust, though Leipzig (Red Bull) seems to have effectively scammed this system, stay tuned) thus keeping prices low and actual fans in the stadium and is actually fun to watch both for the on-field product and the atmosphere the aforementioned fans create.

 

I'm not a huge fan of La Liga, speaking of ###### leagues. Sure, Real and Barca. Sometimes Atletico. After that, a miles-deep free fall. IMHO.

 

I agree about La Liga... I find it boring to watch the two richest teams in the world (Barca & Real) destroy weaker competition week after week. La Liga also has a low % of foreign players, which isn't desirable for a top league.

 

I watch every Dortmund game that is televised. Maybe it is just wishful thinking, but I think Dortmund has a shot at Bayern this season.

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The fourth placed team advances to the intercontinental play-off.

 

So if USA ends up in 4th place they will have to play against the winner of Syria - Australia.

 

Should be better than either of those two teams, Australia is really weak so good chance of playing against Syria though.

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Huh? The Bundesliga is one of the top three leagues in the world (with the EPL and La Liga) and has been for a while. It's also the second richest soccer league in the world (next to the EPL).

 

It is getting better but I don't think it's been top three for "a while."  It might be now (Italy might vehemently disagree), but still there is quite a bit of distance between it and the top two.  And I think Ligue 1 would have had a decent claim to "top three" status recently.

 

But really, it's "top two" and a bunch of also-rans.

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It is getting better but I don't think it's been top three for "a while."  It might be now (Italy might vehemently disagree), but still there is quite a bit of distance between it and the top two.  And I think Ligue 1 would have had a decent claim to "top three" status recently.

 

But really, it's "top two" and a bunch of also-rans.

 

The Champions League final 5 years ago was Bayern vs. Dortmund.

 

I think there is a difference between one or two rich teams in an otherwise "average" league and a deep league with a lot of rich teams. The EPL is definitely the deepest league w/ 8 of the 20 richest teams in the world and the biggest TV contract.

 

La Liga and Ligue 1 have a few clubs that dwarf the others in terms of resources.

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They will win the last two qualifiers, earning themselves a short and humiliating stay in the World Cup.

 

The whole program should be blown up and started again. Probably won't. We'll still be rolling out the likes of Tim Howard and Clint Dempsey for the next Gold Cup...

 

I feel like the USA is in a "tweener" stage where the old core group of guys like Donovan, Howard and Dempsey have gotten old and there wasn't a "next group" of guys to take their place. We do have new wave of young talent in guys like Pulisic (already established), Weston McKennie, Josh Perez, Matt Miazga, Hyndman, Zelalem, CCV, and others. But, they're not quite ready yet. So, we're stuck with a weird mix of guys past their prime and career MLS guys.

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Borussia vs. Borussia coming up on FS2. Two of the best US men's national team players going head-to-head in Christian Pulisic (turned 19 earlier in the week) and Fabian Johnson.

D'oh, Dortmund give up their first goal this season.  Scoring five themselves earlier in the game was probably a good idea.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Laughing so hard I can't breathe. Seriously, the sheer bellicosity in a not at all self-aware manner is exactly why literally everyone else doesn't like us.

 

https://twitter.com/sebisalazarfut/status/917487116858331136

 

I think he's talking about the rough style of play in CONCACAF as opposed to UEFA, and I think he's right.  He's not being jingoistic or anything.

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I think he's talking about the rough style of play in CONCACAF as opposed to UEFA, and I think he's right.  He's not being jingoistic or anything.

 Even giving him the benefit of that doubt, it's silly.  You can't kick what you can't get anywhere near.  More than twice, anyway.  And I don't think he was being jingoistic.  Let's call it mechanically overenthusiastic. 

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Oh, oh no. You thought the Sabres were bad. Have a gander at what our illustrious men's national team is doing right now. Down 2-0 to farging Trinidad and Tobago. Lucky it's not 4.

 

Scores elsewhere, if nothing changes, would indicate the US qualifies automatically anyway. Boy, howdy they do not deserve to.

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That's great, because as of right now, it doesn't look like we're making it.

Oh, oh no. You thought the Sabres were bad. Have a gander at what our illustrious men's national team is doing right now. Down 2-0 to farging Trinidad and Tobago. Lucky it's not 4.

 

Scores elsewhere, if nothing changes, would indicate the US qualifies automatically anyway. Boy, howdy they do not deserve to.

 

We are completely at sea in this one.  We look like an MLS team out there.

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