The Official Football/Soccer Thread: 2017-2018 Season
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Laporta is angry with the Spanish Federation because they didn't allow the Catalunya-USA friendly to be played. They're trying to reschedule for October since Spain won't be playing. I think on October 17. 0-0 at halftime but no one outside of Spain can watch the Osasuna-Barca game. So frustrating. Have to listen via RadioBarca.
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unclesox:
Laporta is angry with the Spanish Federation because they didn't allow the Catalunya-USA friendly to be played. They're trying to reschedule for October since Spain won't be playing. I think on October 17. 0-0 at halftime but no one outside of Spain can watch the Osasuna-Barca game. So frustrating. Have to listen via RadioBarca.
It was more than the Catalunya game, actually the Catalunya games are bad for Barça as Puyol, Xavi, etc are supposed to go, but they usually don't go... Henry went with the France national team though he couldn't play by red card penalty... I guess they wanted him to train with all the rest of team even if he can't play... and that triggered something in Laporta. 0-0 I saw some part of the game, while Spain was not playing... or maybe The worst game I've seen of Barcelona since... Gaspart times or so... I don't understand. Osasuna put the defense not near the goalkeeper but almost in the midfield, anyway Barça players couldn't any great pass... It was ridiculous for some time, Not Ronaldinho, Iniesta, Deco made good passes, they failed for 10 metres. : What makes a player do this? Not being tired or even injured... Ronaldinho was changed for some other. Deco throwed a free kick on the side crossing to the other side (a la Beckham...) and he failed for 15 metres! He threw the ball to the other side of the field and Ronie placed his hands in his head! The only good thing is that Bojan played for a while and he did a thing... that only is remembered to be done for Pele... I can't explain it in English. Though he says it was luck and he wanted to do another thing... less pressure for him...
That's the video... what's this? Pele? Maradona?... not Maradona... -
Bojan is sick. Since I've seen video of him a couple years ago he's slowly overtaking Messi as my favorite player. With him and Giovani coming of age, I'm very much in favor of selling either Ronaldinho or Eto'o plus Deco next summer and using the money to try and get Arsenal to bite on selling Cesc back to Barcelona. I forgot that Laporta wanted Henry for the Copa Catalunya final since he was suspended from the Scotland game. Barca started 8 players from the B team along with Oleguer, Ezquerro and Sylvinho in losing to Nastic. Do you know if Sneijder is available to play in the Champions League for Real Madrid? I had thought he played for Ajax against Slavia Prague in the qualifying round, which would've ruled him out for playing with Real. But his name appears to be listed on Real's squad list.
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Sneijder has played with Real Madrid this night. But the man again... Raul. He scored the first goal, as usual, he opened a defense as usual... finding a hole into a lot of defenders, as usual and getting the ball in. I've never seen a player like Raul. In the first goal there's no player of Real Madrid into the penalty are and six of Werder Bremen (and the goal keeper), he enters the area running and places himself where it's needed sooner that anyone of the defense notices him... a crossing and a goal. It seems easy but the hardest thing in football is to open a defense that's close to his goalkeeper. Casillas did a mistake in the goal of Werder Bremen. But Raul and Guti and Van N. did some passes and goal. And again Raul was the clever in the goal. Bojan and Raul for Spain!!! I think he have the two best strikers in the world... and they never play in the national team... (now that's Spain, "different"...) Champions League Round 1 take one. Oporto 1 - Liverpool 1 "A boring Liverpool" they say O. Marsella 2 - Besiktas 0 Milan 2 - Celtic 1 R. Madrid 2 - W. Bremen 1 Olympiakos 1 - Lazio 1 Schalke 0 - Valencia 1 Chelsea 1 - Rosenborg 1 (surprise in Stanford Bridge!) Shaktar 2 - Celtic 0 Real Madrid didn't win his first match in Champions League since... 4 years ago!... and the most important thing is that after scoring 2-1 they kept on attacking they did not went back to defend. That's the real Real Madrid.
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In the Bundesliga, Werder Bremen have 7 points from five matches, which includes two defeats including this past Saturday against Dortmund. Their goal differential is 5 for and 10 against. Bremen aren't the same as last season.
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I see the Special One has finally parted company with The Wealthy One. It's been the subject of gossip for some months going back into last season. It would appear that the final nail in the coffin was the appointment of Avram Grant as Director Of Football against The Special Ones wishes. Avram has apparently just attached himself to The Special One's coat tails shadowing his meetings, coaching sessions and just sitting behind him at matches. It was quite clear what The Wealthy One's intentions were. The BBC has it that Avram Grant will be announced as The Special One's permanent replacement within hours. Martin
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martinput:
I see the Special One has finally parted company with The Wealthy One. It's been the subject of gossip for some months going back into last season. It would appear that the final nail in the coffin was the appointment of Avram Grant as Director Of Football against The Special Ones wishes. Avram has apparently just attached himself to The Special One's coat tails shadowing his meetings, coaching sessions and just sitting behind him at matches. It was quite clear what The Wealthy One's intentions were. The BBC has it that Avram Grant will be announced as The Special One's permanent replacement within hours. Martin
he he he...wonder where he will go next...? Wednesday will be looking for a new manager soon... :
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Scolari's contract with Portugal ends after EURO 2008. I can see Bobby Robson's translator taking over as he has in the past called it his dream job. Must admit, though, that as much as he got under my skin, especially during those Barcelona-Chelsea matchups, I am a bit disappointed to see Mourinho leave Chelsea.
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uefa cup Tottenham 6 - 1 Anorthosis Famagusta 5' Y Kaboul 1 - 0 40' M Dawson 2 - 0 42' R Keane 3 - 0 43' D Bent 4 - 0 65' J Defoe 5 - 0 81' 5 - 1 A Zlogar 90' J Defoe 6 - 1
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Bolton v Tottenham Form L-L-W-L-L / L-D-L-W-L Sheff Wed v Hull Form L-L-L-L-L / W-D-L-W-D
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Mourinho can come back again to Barcelona with Van Gaal, those where the funniest days ever (talking with the press), except for the Barcelona supporters... even winning three Leagues wasn't enough for bearing with that... http://www.vi.nl/upload/3b0e751b-8e20-4249-b5c1-1d2b7ab9cf1c_121266_340_1053598420583-mourinho01_460_244.jpg
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The way Real Madrid loves to change managers after two or three bad results, I can easily see Mourinho at the Bernabeu before 2007 is out.
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We're different really. We can change a manager even with good results. Lots of managers have been fired of Real Madrid after a season winning the Spanish League (Capello twice) or the Champions League (Del Bosque, Heynckes). The climax of this happened back in 1992 when Real Madrid was first by far on Spanish League after 11 matches. 10 wins 1 draw. Anyway Radomir Antic was fired because, the same old story, winning is not enough in Real Madrid, it's winning with a certail style of playing (that Barça has fairly copied since Cruyff was coach...). Real Madrid lost that league in the last match. After that lesson in Madrid managers are changed but not in the middle of a season. The Mourinho style will be useless here... it's winning without the style we want and that's only good after... a long time without winning and without style... that's why Capello came back again.
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The anthems have played and the teams are about to kick off in the USA vs ENGLAND quarter final match in the Women's World Cup Final in China. Best wishes to both teams, let's have good one............ Martin
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USA Women progress to the semi-final something they have achieved every single time they have competed in this tournament. England leave with their heads held high after a good showing at this level. This was the first time they reached this stage of the competition. Final score 3 - 0 with all three goals coming in the second half. Scorers in order of goals: Abby Wambach Shannon Boxx Kristine Lilly Best wishes for the semi-finals. Martin
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I think the last time the U.S. and England women played each other it ended in a draw and the U.S. women were amazed at how much the English had progressed. Could the ladies someday bring the World Cup back to England before the men do?
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Well the BBC chose to give this tournament blanket coverage with the English teams matches on mainstream TV and other matches all being hosted on digital interactive. That decision is admittedly probably due to Sky and Setanta having tied up most of the Premiership, Championship and Champions League contracts, leaving BBC with very limited live football to cover. However it has definately raised the profile of Womens Football here in the UK - hopefully we'll see more of the national league on TV as well. More TV = more advertising revenue so our side could become better funded. One other odd quirk from this - England in their success in this tournament has qualified for the Olympics next year - sadly they may not be able to attend as the UK fields a British team not an English team - so there will have to be hasty negotiations between the Scottish, English and Welsh national boards to see if they can set aside national rivalries and set up a representative team in time that meaning selecting a coach, training staff, agreeing funding, registering as an Olympic organisation etc etc - before even considering who to pick for the team! Martin
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Liverpool fans say constantly in Rafa we trust.....well I support them and I don't. He has won us the Champions League (just) and lost the second time when we shouldn't have (the wrong tactics in both finals and the wrong men playing)....he has got us into the top 4 in the Englsih Premiership....but he is still not the right man, unable to take us to the very top where we belong. He has the irritating habit of tinkering, rotating his team every game. I mean if you want to build on two excellent early matches you don't drop Torres do you?....I mean common sense says you play your world class striker for every match. And you play attacking football....what is the point of buying top class attacking players and then being boring? Look at Arsenal without Henry....bloody marvellous football. This is really going to stick in the throat (coz I can't stand the little turd I am now going to name as the man to bring us glory)....but kick Benitez all the way back to Real and bring in.....GULP!.....Jose. He is the only one who will get us to the top.....and if they are going to do it do it NOW!
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Sheff Wed 1 - 0 Hull 40' F Jeffers 1 - 0
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david mitchelson:
.... kick Benitez all the way back to Real and bring in.....GULP!.....Jose.
Actually, you'd be kicking Benitez all the way back to Valencia. Should Benitez really take such blame? Where were Liverpool before he arrived? And let's be honest, even Liverpool's B team should've put at least one past Birmingham. What would be your starting XI and what do you say to the players on the bench who will eventually get frustrated being there game-after-game? A double-edged sword, really. It's the price a team pays for having depth in the squad, no? Under Benitez Liverpool have in recent seasons began slow in the league. They're only four points off the pace of Arsenal this season. Second best goal differential with a +9, just 2 behind the Gunners. And as great as Arsenal are looking with the young guns, many feel their real test will come when they start to suffer injuries because it's believed they don't have the depth that a Liverpool or Chelsea have. Lots of football still to be played.