The Official Football/Soccer Thread: 2017-2018 Season
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unclesox:
21st Century Paul:
Well, SPAIN never performed well when Spain needed the most (now it's the other way round). It's all a history of bad performances and missed chances.
They performed well in the mid-80s but were quite unlucky. Lost the EURO 84 final to host country France, which was arguably France's best ever side with Platini, Giresse and Tigana. And they only went out of the 86 World Cup to Belgium on penalties. Well, I don't believe in luck... Spain has faced far more difficult matches in Euro Cup and World Cup but winning this time.
21st Century Paul:
Results have showed over the years that you can stop using your best player and win anyway. Probably the most shocking example is Denmark winning the Euro Cup and winning the EuroCup with Michael Laudrup (probably the best Danish player ever... ) at home because of coach's decision.
It wasn't the coach's decision not to call Laudrup into the team. Laudrup had disagreements with coach Richard Møller Nielsen and voluntarily quit the team in late 1990. He made himself available for selection again in 1993 even though Nielsen was still the coach. The Denmark win at EURO 92 was a fluke in many ways, the biggest being that they didn't even qualify for the finals and only re-entered when Yugoslavia were forced to withdraw due to their civil wars.
yes, that's what I meant, Denmark could be named the less fav team that year for not even qualifying normally and Laudrup was not on the team and they won the Euro Cup. So, you can certainly leave your best player at home and win. That doesn't make Laudrup kind of bad player....
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unclesox:
AS, the sports daily that is very much pro-Real Madrid, were forced to issue an apology after they had posted a photoshopped image that apparently showed Dani Alves being offside on Barcelona's first goal against Athletic Bilbao. Later the paper printed the correct image and cited a "computer glitch" as the reason for the mistake. How the heck does a computer eliminate a player from a photo without being programmed to do so? :
I guess this was a human "mistake" Btw, it's offside anyway...
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Olympique Lyon 1-1 Real Madrid History repeated. Ever since 2005 both teams have played 7 games and Madrid still hasn't won any. Like last year, Real Madrid playing with 2 defensive midfielders and not creating much attack game... it could have been a 0-0 a 0-1 or a 1-0 too. In the end it's a good result for Real Madrid but anything can happen in Bernabeu.
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21st Century Paul:
I guess this was a human "mistake" Btw, it's offside anyway...
Not in that bottom image. He's even with the last defender.
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unclesox:
21st Century Paul:
I guess this was a human "mistake" Btw, it's offside anyway...
Not in that bottom image. He's even with the last defender.
no, he's not even really, not that I care much, that night was not a very good referee performance with mistakes against both teams... If ever I care that Cristiano yesterday's assist to Benzema is not being accounted in Fantasy Football. That's an assist, hey, 3 points.
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well, standings of the Macca Board Champions League 1 Daniel 35 345 2 Oliver 41 328 3 Unclesox 36 309 I wouldn't be surprised if Real Madrid was knocked out by Lyon, if they play again the 2 defensive midfielders way it's gonna be a 0-0, 1-0 or 0-1 game. I guess Mourinho doesn't want that. "Raul amazes Germany" maybe a stretch but these are words of a German newspaper "Raul is doing a fantastic job, he's so on fire that he could paint a wall in black and it would shine like gold" well, one of these days I'll compare Raul, Messi and CR7. Schalke to German Cup final after knocking out Bayern Munich. Typical Raul goal
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It was a well worked goal all around, from Farfan's corner to Höwedes' header to Raul sneaking in at the far post to finish. No doubt a play perfected on the training ground. Always good to see Bayern lose domestically (Bundesliga and Pokal), although I hope they can finish the job against Inter Milan. As for Real Madrid, CRonaldo is out injured and could possibly miss the Lyon match. I'm sure he'll play, though. And Mourinho continues to make a fool of himself during press conferences. I'm now waiting for him to criticize Pellegrini for not fielding a strong lineup (which Pellegrini has admitted to doing) like he criticized Preciado a few months ago. :
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unclesox:
It was a well worked goal all around, from Farfan's corner to Höwedes' header to Raul sneaking in at the far post to finish. No doubt a play perfected on the training ground. Always good to see Bayern lose domestically (Bundesliga and Pokal), although I hope they can finish the job against Inter Milan. As for Real Madrid, CRonaldo is out injured and could possibly miss the Lyon match. I'm sure he'll play, though. And Mourinho continues to make a fool of himself during press conferences. I'm now waiting for him to criticize Pellegrini for not fielding a strong lineup (which Pellegrini has admitted to doing) like he criticized Preciado a few months ago. :
So you think that was a trained play? Well, the usual one is not like that, it seems like the usual moment when Raul "appears" to score a "lost" ball. Well, at least you and I agree in some match, both wanted Schalke to win. You know CR7, he is going to play, I don't know he'll be on his top form or 80 %, 90%... anyway if they play again the same way he's not gonna receive great balls... Di Maria is surprising me lately, I thought it was only a running dribler but he's doing all kind of great things. Mourinho... well.... we should remind than a coach is just a coach not the PR man of a club, just like a player is just a player. Sometimes it seems like Mou is the "image" of Real Madrid and well, his job is being the coach, he gets asked all kinds of questions. I'm not about watching his personality like I don't watch the player ones... I really think there are too many questions asked to some coaches, some of them are very strange....
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And as new feature, I'd like to point out my list of the top 10 players of the moment... More room to discussion... I must admit, as you will see below, that this is very very La Liga based, the list will change as my impressions will change. Top Ten Now 1. Messi 2. Cristiano 3. Raul 4. Xavi 5. Iniesta 6. Casillas 7. Dani Alves 8. Di Maria 9. Ozil 10. Puyol
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21st Century Paul:
unclesox:
It was a well worked goal all around, from Farfan's corner to Höwedes' header to Raul sneaking in at the far post to finish. No doubt a play perfected on the training ground. Always good to see Bayern lose domestically (Bundesliga and Pokal), although I hope they can finish the job against Inter Milan.
So you think that was a trained play? Well, the usual one is not like that, it seems like the usual moment when Raul "appears" to score a "lost" ball.
I thought it was. Raul made his run as the ball floated over from the corner and Höwedes headed precisely into Raul's path. After the goal Raul went to Farfan to celebrate, and Höwedes was the second person to arrive for the celebration. Very well worked by all three. But I'm hoping second division Duisburg wins the final. Only two second division teams have ever won the German Cup.
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21st Century Paul:
And as new feature, I'd like to point out my list of the top 10 players of the moment... More room to discussion... I must admit, as you will see below, that this is very very La Liga based, the list will change as my impressions will change. Top Ten Now 1. Messi 2. Cristiano 3. Raul 4. Xavi 5. Iniesta 6. Casillas 7. Dani Alves 8. Di Maria 9. Ozil 10. Puyol
Pique has had a better season than Puyol, imo. I love Puyi, but I wish he had stay retired from the Furia Roja after the World Cup. Dirk Kuyt netted a hat-trick today against Manchester United. And Lisandro Lopez scored three for Lyon yesterday in Ligue 1. He missed the first game against Real Madrid but he'll play in the second game.
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unclesox:
21st Century Paul:
unclesox:
It was a well worked goal all around, from Farfan's corner to Höwedes' header to Raul sneaking in at the far post to finish. No doubt a play perfected on the training ground. Always good to see Bayern lose domestically (Bundesliga and Pokal), although I hope they can finish the job against Inter Milan.
So you think that was a trained play? Well, the usual one is not like that, it seems like the usual moment when Raul "appears" to score a "lost" ball.
I thought it was. Raul made his run as the ball floated over from the corner and Höwedes headed precisely into Raul's path. After the goal Raul went to Farfan to celebrate, and Höwedes was the second person to arrive for the celebration. Very well worked by all three. But I'm hoping second division Duisburg wins the final. Only two second division teams have ever won the German Cup.
maybe it's trained then... (or maybe still it's Raul typical intuition)
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unclesox:
21st Century Paul:
And as new feature, I'd like to point out my list of the top 10 players of the moment... More room to discussion... I must admit, as you will see below, that this is very very La Liga based, the list will change as my impressions will change. Top Ten Now 1. Messi 2. Cristiano 3. Raul 4. Xavi 5. Iniesta 6. Casillas 7. Dani Alves 8. Di Maria 9. Ozil 10. Puyol
Pique has had a better season than Puyol, imo. I love Puyi, but I wish he had stay retired from the Furia Roja after the World Cup. Dirk Kuyt netted a hat-trick today against Manchester United. And Lisandro Lopez scored three for Lyon yesterday in Ligue 1. He missed the first game against Real Madrid but he'll play in the second game.
hmm... I prefer Puyol to Pique. Of course Pique is better on the ball but I've seen Pique do many defensive mistakes, he's really a defensive midfielder in my opinion like Marcelo is a midfielder really but Barça or Real Madrid can allow themselves to have such players to attack more, but you know they're gonna receive some goals because of them. Mou now never lines Marcelo against big teams. Kuyt is other player that is much better than it seems to be.
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Dirky the turkey is dire skill wise. But he's been played out of position by that muppet Benitez for years (like Lucas). His true role is goal poacher......feeding off the scraps in the six yard box, like Lineker or Muller. If he gets this sniffer/moocher role with Kenny's Liverpool he could stay for 3 or 4 more years. The big news is Suarez who so far is quite simply the dogs wotsits! Long may he continue.....and if Andy 'what's that coming over the hill, is it a monster, is it a monster!' Carroll starts rampaging the team may just start to claw their way back to the top of the world game. This summer is big though.....LB needed, also a CD, 2 or 3 wide men/attacking midfielders, a playmaker/hard man in centre midfield and another striker too. Rumour has it that we are getting £60million plus sales to spend. That if spent wisely should allow us to acquire some excellent young talent. First up Arda Turan.
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david mitchelson:
Dirky the turkey is dire skill wise. But he's been played out of position by that muppet Benitez for years (like Lucas). His true role is goal poacher......feeding off the scraps in the six yard box, like Lineker or Muller. If he gets this sniffer/moocher role with Kenny's Liverpool he could stay for 3 or 4 more years.
that's also Raul's story... Played out of position all his life, Van Nistelrooy, Ronaldo, Morientes... The problem is as Raul or Kuyt are good at defending too, the coach can use them as midfielders.
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Barcelona 3 - 1 Arsenal Shakhtar Donetsk 3 - 0 Roma Schalke 3 - 1 Valencia Tottenham 0 - 0 Milan Shaktar is shocking me a bit. Yet another record for "the guy that does nothing" cause in the quarterfinals he'll become the player who has played more matches (140) in the Champions League, above Maldini (139). And I think he has been discussed in probably and hundred of something of them. Weird match in Barcelona. Van Persie yellow card was a yellow card, there is no way to discuss that... and well, there was a penalty to Messi not given, similar things in the first match so... I didn't understand Arsenal strategy of being defensive with a XI full of attacking midfielders. I don't know what the media would be talking if Mou would have done what Wenger has done. "Van Persie is not going to play, 100%" even hours before the game. And sure he played, not all the match, but it wasn't because an injury... As usual Iniesta appeared when things got tough asking for the ball.
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21st Century Paul:
"the guy that does nothing"
"... for Spain." This what I have always said. His longevity at club level is something to celebrate, but my stance has always been that with the national team he has done nothing that deserves a celebration.
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unclesox:
21st Century Paul:
"the guy that does nothing"
"... for Spain." This what I have always said. His longevity at club level is something to celebrate, but my stance has always been that with the national team he has done nothing that deserves a celebration.
Well, no-one of his "time" has made something for Spain that deserve a celebration the way you see it... as Laudrup never did "a thing" for Denmark, Di Stefano for Spain... His performance at the Spain 9 - Austria 0 is one of the best I've ever seen. In many goals he steals the ball, make some passes and scores at the end.
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Raul genius this Saturday.