The Official Football/Soccer Thread: 2017-2018 Season
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Daniel Alves will soon be announced as Barça new player. Tomorrow Luis Aragonés will announce his 23-squad, that's supposed to be this one: ...............................Casillas-Reina-Palop...................................... Ramos-Arbeloa..Puyol-Marchena..Albiol-Juanito..Capdevila-Navarro .......................Xabi Alonso-Senna-De la Red.................................... ....Iniesta------------Xavi-Cesc Fabregas--------------Silva-Riera----------- ---------------Fernando Torres-Bojan----Villa-Güiza................................ It will be a weird Euro Cup without Raul, Lampard, Totti, Rooney, Gerrard...
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21st Century Paul:
yes, I've seen it. Both matches on TV here. CongraManchestertations.
thanks Deserved, all I can say
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btw, the Real Madrid general manager has just announced "Real Madrid has the liquidity (cash) and solvency to sign Cristiano Ronaldo, "And even have profits with it, marketing, etc.". So it looks like it's gonna happen soon, if the cost is nothing... 70 milions (euros) has to be the transfer. Cristiano have said a lot he wants to play in Spain, he's Portuguese and his girlfriend is Spanish, and he's "bored of England". Even Ferguson seems to be angry. Another rumours partly reliable are Drogba, Hleb, Lampard, Alonso and Cesc. Drogba and Hleb are the most sure to be sold. Hleb's agent has said he's gonna leave Arsenal like Flamini.
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21st Century Paul:
btw, the Real Madrid general manager has just announced "Real Madrid has the liquidity (cash) and solvency to sign Cristiano Ronaldo, "And even have profits with it, marketing, etc.". So it looks like it's gonna happen soon, if the cost is nothing... 70 milions (euros) has to be the transfer. Cristiano have said a lot he wants to play in Spain, he's Portuguese and his girlfriend is Spanish, and he's "bored of England". Even Ferguson seems to be angry. Another rumours partly reliable are Drogba, Hleb, Lampard, Alonso and Cesc. Drogba and Hleb are the most sure to be sold. Hleb's agent has said he's gonna leave Arsenal like Flamini.
nah, Ronaldo wont leave... They always start these rumours up, but United will do whatever it takes to keep him
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InTheSkyWithDiamonds:
21st Century Paul:
yes, I've seen it. Both matches on TV here. CongraManchestertations.
thanks Deserved, all I can say
A rather belated well done to you Intheskywithdiamonds. Very glad that Chelsea didn't make it the end Never mind about Arsenal. I heard the other day that Flamini has gone! Has anyone else heard this?
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Spanish list still not officially anounced but it seems Bojan is gonna be out because phsychological stuff, it seems he's too young to play in the team. And I think that's one of the reasons Spain never wins, we take it too seriously. When Spain won Ukraine, it looked like we were champions of the World, everybody talking about it everywhere... it's not so important!. I can understand why the players seem paralysed at the big games. The one instead of Bojan can be Luis Garcia(Espanyol), Cazorla (Villareal) or Sergio Garcia (Zaragoza), no... not Raul. By the way, Raul's not too young, he's the Spanish player who has played more games and scored more goals in Spanish league, Champions League and with the national team. I'm gonna vote my own 23 guys. http://www.as.com/especial/eurocopa/encuesta.html
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21st Century Paul:
It will be a weird Euro Cup without Raul, Lampard, Totti, Rooney, Gerrard...
I'm very much looking forward to it myself. The lasting image I have of Raul wearing the red shirt of Spain is of him missing that 89th minute penalty against France in the 2000 quarterfinals. I actually can't recall anything positive he's done for La Furia apart from that nice volley against Nigeria ten years ago.
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unclesox:
21st Century Paul:
It will be a weird Euro Cup without Raul, Lampard, Totti, Rooney, Gerrard...
I'm very much looking forward to it myself. The lasting image I have of Raul wearing the red shirt of Spain is of him missing that 89th minute penalty against France in the 2000 quarterfinals. I actually can't recall anything positive he's done for La Furia apart from that nice volley against Nigeria ten years ago.
Can you recall anything made by anyone for La Furia in the big matches lately? . Well, he's the player with more goals in the national team ever, so I guess he has done something... and anyway, and even more important, I don't know anyone in the world who could do more than him now. The final list is the one I post above but Bojan substituted by Sergio Garcia (Zaragoza), cause Bojan has renounced. And the only surprise is Cazorla (Villareal) for Riera (Espanyol). Germany has announced their list today, I guess with no surprise.
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I read yesterday Sport, the newspaper, and the front page looked like the Rubbick's cube, with lots of colours and pics of players that Barça is trying to sign. Alves, Benzema, Mario Gomez, Pique, Adebayor, Keita, Ribery, Palacio, Hleb, Coloccini... Abidal was seen the night before playing the Mallorca game at 4.30 AM in a Barcelona disco, according Sport too... This can be the last game in Barça of a lot of players, especially Ronaldinho, Golden Ball once, and FIFA world player twice. And maybe the most surprising football player in the last years. Still most of the things he did are not so strange. If you watch Street Football anywhere (or at least here in Spain or in Brazil) you'll see people doing the same things and still people got amazed of seeing that... I've find a video with all his famous things. And, for the first time, I'm gonna comment it and to explain it's not so strange in the street.
00.32 the pass with the shoulder, I know a guy that does a lot of times and much better. Not very usual though, some think that is not illegal like it would be using the arm. 1.20 the "elastica", I've never able to do it, some other guy I've played a lot did that a lot too, is what Romario did sometimes too. 1.37 there's no space to do in street football cause there's always someone behind who gets the ball 1.40 I do that a lot of times (and in much more complicate ways), somewhat common. Once I received a pass like that, and I scored shooting inside the are the same way, like a pass. 1.42 Same that above. 1.55 The bycicles, very usual in many people. 2.21 the pass without looking, typical of Michael Laudrup but Ronie used to do it looking and then looking to other side and passing, the good version is never looking at who you pass and then pass, usually because you see the player but being in what you see but in what you look (I've seen some guys doing it) and sometimes knowing where the player is by the place he was some second ago (I've only seen myself doing it :lol. 2.25 This kind of bycicle kick,"chilena", I played with a guy that did a lot, he got the ball from the ground, put it high and then kicked, I've saw 2 more doing it. 2.36 the sombrero, "the hat", very common when the others pressure a player and the ball is bouncing 2.40 kind of 1.40 but somewhat complicate, I do a lot of times too, not many people though 2.54 Typical of me (before I ever see Ronie) and who knows how many players. kind of 3.07 3.02 the tunnel, very common 3.10 kind of 2.54 and 3.07, same with 3.11 3.21 pass with the chest, somewhat common, I've saw it for the first time done by Weah 3.53 the roulette, typical of Zidane, I played with a guy every day in high school that did that a lot of times, too much really. If you want to go the left, step the ball first with the left foot and viceversa. Somewhat usual. 4.20 the pass in a parabole, typical of Laudrup. I do it a lot, you've got to step on the ground first, and then go up with the ball. Othings thing of Ronie not in the video. His last goal in Barça. A low bycicle, kicking the ball almost with your back on the floor. I don't try this, I did it once and scored but hardly you get a crossing in street football. The famous bycicle when he got pass with Xavi, stopped it with the chest and did a low bycicle. Typical of that guy I've played with too. Now, now that's is the difficult one, really. His goal in Paris St Germain, where he shooted from distance after dribbling 2 or 3. That is the only thing I've never seen cause is very difficult to shoot from distance after dribbling some players. -
21st Century Paul:
unclesox:
21st Century Paul:
It will be a weird Euro Cup without Raul, Lampard, Totti, Rooney, Gerrard...
I'm very much looking forward to it myself. The lasting image I have of Raul wearing the red shirt of Spain is of him missing that 89th minute penalty against France in the 2000 quarterfinals. I actually can't recall anything positive he's done for La Furia apart from that nice volley against Nigeria ten years ago.
Can you recall anything made by anyone for La Furia in the big matches lately? . Well, he's the player with more goals in the national team ever, so I guess he has done something... and anyway, and even more important, I don't know anyone in the world who could do more than him now. The final list is the one I post above but Bojan substituted by Sergio Garcia (Zaragoza), cause Bojan has renounced. And the only surprise is Cazorla (Villareal) for Riera (Espanyol). Germany has announced their list today, I guess with no surprise.
Fair comment about no one doing anything for the national team. But just because Raul is Spain's all-time leading scorer doesn't mean he's "done something". He's great during the qualifying rounds and in friendlies, but in 18 matches played at the finals of the World Cup and the EURO he's only scored six times. He's failed on the big stage. His ommision from EURO 2008 won't be missed. David Villa, Dani Güiza and Niño Torres are very deserving to be in the team. Joaquín left out is a bit of a surprise but I like the players Aragonés has selected. I haven't seen the German list yet but I heard that Hildebrand is not in the team, replaced by Rene Adler of Leverkusen. A bit surprised because Timo has had some great performances even though Valencia didn't do well as a team. Oli Kahn and Ottmar Hitzfeld were given farewells by Bayern Munich today. Very nice to see. And Markus Merk reffed that game (against Hertha Berlin). He's retiring because he's reached the age limit of 45 to be a FIFA referee. I didn't watch the FA Cup final. I heard Portsmouth won a very boring contest.
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21st Century Paul:
I read yesterday Sport, the newspaper, and the front page looked like the Rubbick's cube, with lots of colours and pics of players that Barça is trying to sign. Alves, Benzema, Mario Gomez, Pique, Adebayor, Keita, Ribery, Palacio, Hleb, Coloccini... This can be the last game in Barça of a lot of players, especially Ronaldinho, Golden Ball once, and FIFA world player twice. And maybe the most surprising football player in the last years.
Funny, but sad too.
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When searching videos for Ronie, I see there's some of him on the disco... I'm not gonna comment that... Well, at last still there is sense of humour. Well, no-one does nothing in the national team when the tough matches come. That's like a curse. Yesterday Spain under-17 became Euro Champions winning France 0-4. And that's very usual. Spain uses to win in all "under-whatever" championships, Euro or Worldly. To add more mystery about the pro national team lack of success.
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21st Century Paul:
Yesterday Spain under-17 became Euro Champions winning France 0-4. And that's very usual. Spain uses to win in all "under-whatever" championships, Euro or Worldly. To add more mystery about the pro national team lack of success.
Juan Santisteban needs to take over the senior team. His record with the Spanish youths nearly rivals what Jose Pekerman accomplished with the Argentine youths.
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unclesox:
21st Century Paul:
Yesterday Spain under-17 became Euro Champions winning France 0-4. And that's very usual. Spain uses to win in all "under-whatever" championships, Euro or Worldly. To add more mystery about the pro national team lack of success.
Juan Santisteban needs to take over the senior team. His record with the Spanish youths nearly rivals what Jose Pekerman accomplished with the Argentine youths.
Okey, then again Raul will be called. j/k I think it's not a question of coaches... Spanish youths of all aged are used to win in the last 20 years. BTW! Schuster has said that Raul is out of the Spanish team by "not football related questions", there's something wrong between him and Aragones or between him and the president of the football federation or whatever, but it's not because Aragones thinks he's not good enough as a player to be in the national team. It seems not Aragones neither Raul wanted to say it, but as Schuster is bold... he doesn't care...
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21st Century Paul:
I think it's not a question of coaches... Spanish youths of all aged are used to win in the last 20 years.
Here is the list of honours: -- Champion, U-16 European Championships (1991) -- Runner-up, U-17 FIFA World Championships (1991) -- Runner-up, U-16 European Championships (1992) -- Runner-up, U-16 European Championships (1995) -- Runner-up, U-18 European Championships (1996) -- Champion, U-16 European Championships (1997) -- Third Place, U-17 FIFA World Championships (1997) -- Champion, U-16 European Championships (1999) -- Champion, UEFA/CAF Meridian Cup (1999) -- Champion, UEFA/CAF Meridian Cup (2001) -- Champion, U-16 European Championships (2001) -- Third Place, U-18 European Championships (2001) -- Champion, UEFA/CAF Meridian Cup (2003) -- Runner-up, U-17 UEFA European Championships (2003) -- Runner-up, U-17 FIFA World Championships (2003) -- Runner-up, U-17 UEFA European Championships (2004) -- Champion, UEFA/CAF Meridian Games (2005) -- Third Place, U-17 UEFA European Championships (2006) -- Champion, UEFA/CAF Meridian Cup (U-18 Level)(2007) -- Champion, U-17 UEFA European Championships (2007) -- Champion, U-19 UEFA European Championships (2007) -- Runner-up, U-17 FIFA World Cup (2007) -- Champion, U-17 UEFA European Championships (200 Santisteban was the coach of all of these teams. How can you say it's not a question of coaches when these youth players have accomplished nothing with the senior team? Surely, Santisteban had to have played a key role in all that success. And bringing him in to lead the selección would be ideal since the players know what he can do (and thus gain more confidence) and how he plays.
21st Century Paul:
BTW! Schuster has said that Raul is out of the Spanish team by "not football related questions", there's something wrong between him and Aragones or between him and the president of the football federation or whatever, but it's not because Aragones thinks he's not good enough as a player to be in the national team.
I thought it was well known by now. Raúl, Salgado and Cañizares allegedly criticised Aragones very passionately on his tactics during the 2006 World Cup. That's the reason many believe Raul hasn't been selected. Raul asked for that meeting with Aragones a couple of months ago to try and smooth everything out in a desperate attempt to get on the squad. But Aragones supposedly believes that Raul is very influential with many players and the team doesn't need to be distracted any more than they already are with that "underachievers" label hanging over them. Besides, Spain have looked good in qualifying and have gone 14 games unbeaten without Raul including wins over England, Greece, France and Italy. "If it's not broke, don't try and fix it" Defence is where the problem lies with the team. Specifically central defence. And as talented as those midfielders are, many are similar in style. Probably too many. If I was a betting man, I'd probably say Spain do the same as always: Out at the quarterfinal stage. But I'm hoping for at least the semifinals.
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Good luck to Man U fans on Weds night!! It will be a tough one as both teams are unbeatable at the moment. I would love to see Chelsea lose but reckon it will be draw. If it is, Chelsea will complain bitterly and we'll never hear the end of it.
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Final score: Man U: 1 Chelsea 1 But Man U win 6-5 on penalties WELL DONE MANCHESTER UNITED ((((((((((((((((( To all Man U fans on this board including Intheskywithdiamonds )))))))))))))))) Thank you s0oooooooo much
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21st Century Paul:
The match of Aguero will go down in history. Someone sign him before it's too late. I'm quoting myself... "Ok, even worse... 55 euro milions away... they could have signed almost anyone else... Cesc, Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo, mmm... Diego, Aguero, Villa, Iniesta? , Essien..." I think it's easy. They are gonna become the next greatest players.
unclesox:
Those people you listed are already recognizable names. Give me some new names that I've never heard of. And I don't mean someone like Pato, whom everyone is already dubbing as the next great talent. Have you heard of either Ezequiel Lavezzi or Pablo Piatti?
21st Century Paul:
No, I don't know those two you mention.
Your introduction to Lavezzi may come on Saturday. He's been included in the Argentina squad to play Catalunya at Camp Nou.
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Congrats MU I supported MU for Tomasz Kuszczak* of Poland as substitute goal-keeper * [koosh-chuck]
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Now the footie is over what are we going to talk about in this thread? Next season? Yeah, I want to know who the Gunners are going to buy this summer. I heard that Everton have put in a bigger bid for a French player than the Gunners. Don't know if this is true or not .... can anyone clarify?? Sorry I don't remember the name of the player and have lost the paper it was in (sorry!!)