The [Horribly Unpopular] Soccer Thread

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On the college sports front I think that's were a large difference lies. College sports is HUGE business over here in the states. England not so much. Professional teams over there already have well established youth academies packed with up and coming youngsters. I'm seeing the practice start up over here but I can imagine the push back that will occur once it gains traction. Teams offering youth contracts to 16 year olds will certainly ruffle the feathers of academia. Not to mention the hesitancy of new players opting for this new system over the old tried and true way. In a draft you seem to have more chances at getting a spot. With the academy you're kind of hitching your cart to one horse expecting that that horse won't dump you along the way.
 
Well come on now. Soccer is the civilized sport haha

There's actually some truth to that. Studies have shown soccer fans on average are more intelligent.

The only (even slightly) heated discussions I've had about soccer are with anti-soccer people.
 
Reno_eNVy said:
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The only (even slightly) heated discussions I've had about soccer are with anti-soccer people.

Isn't that the truth. Back in the states I always had to defend soccer from the usual complaints, "it's boring", "it's slow", "no one scores", etc. I am a big fan of baseball as well and pretty much use the same material to defend baseball to Europeans.
 
"There's actually some truth to that. Studies have shown soccer fans on average are more intelligent"

Yes, I always point out when people decry public education in America and cite other nations as superior, that all those soccer hooligans are really MBA's and PHD's on their day off........

It goes like this "Soccer is a gentleman's sport played by hooligans and Rugby is a hooligan's sport played by gentlemen."

Nice pop in the eye by the columbian defender today while the ball was away...
 
On the college sports front I think that's were a large difference lies. College sports is HUGE business over here in the states. England not so much. Professional teams over there already have well established youth academies packed with up and coming youngsters.

Those academies even sign kids under 10 and educate them themselves. They can be worth several million at 16. If they waited for them to finish playing low quality footy at university, they would be well past playing at the top level. So yeah, it's a make or break situation as far as a career in footy goes.
 
Some notes on the MLS action:

- Damn, Portland... get your s**t together. Maybe instead of sacking Spencer it should have been Boyd that got replaced by a striker who can actually finish
- FCD national anthem singer.... just... wow. Worst rendition ever... and even worse that she druuuuuuug it on and on. It actually hurt to listen. I'm glad LA won, almost as a punishment to whoever let this poor girl sing
- Great goals each from Alonso and Lenhart
- F**k you Portland, your fans deserve better (sorry I had to mention them more than once because they were just that bad)
 
Reno, pretty much spot on. I actually turned away from LA/Dallas because of that anthem. Man, it was hard on the ears and didn't seem to want to end.

As far as Portland, can't figure them out. They play Seattle like it's war, but lay down for just about everybody else. They play very uninspired football in the games I've watched. The back four is horrid. And Boyd, well Boyd looks like the international you used to see in the old NASL, the guy that was a star in europe, but retires to the US to finish their career. Too slow, not enough ball skills to dominate here. Portland needs to overhaul the entire side. They've gone backwards this season.
 
Yeah, Portland are the enigma of the league. And you are 100% correct about the old NASL analogy.

Either way, the fans are true supporters for continuing to show up in droves... the question then is can they keep that up if the quality of play continues to dwindle.
 
I can't figure out what the Timbers are thinking, they have what I think is some of our best talent sitting the bench and continue to get new people and immediately put them in as starters. Richards and Kimura both looks to nervous to play, as soon as they get the ball they are immediately looking for a way to get rid of it, Boyd is F'ING worthless 95% of the time with his walking around or wrestling the defender so he has an excuse for not getting to the ball. In the pre-season build up of Boyd they claimed if he touches the ball, it will be a goal. Yeah right.

Spencer definitely was not the teams problem as they have proved since getting rid of him.

We had a meet the team BBQ Sunday the only players from Saturdays game brave enough to show up were Songo, Kaliff, and Kimura

I would like to see them field Fucito, Mwanga, Songo, Zizzo, Nagbe, Kaliff, Jewsbury, Chabala, Horst, Futty, and Perkins
 
A decent showing by the USWNT against North Korea. Yup, North Korea... because "Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea" is beyond laughable.

And officiating stays consistently awful.
 
I was a bit disappointed they didn't do better, but then they didn't have to. But if they were happy with their play, why where they aggressive near FT? as Brandi was saying - risking injury when they should've just played possession...
 
Personally, I expect commentators to be neutral and report what's going on. Brandi Chastain is not an awesome commentator (understatement) but even a good one should keep his/her opinions to his/herself, a la Arlo White (best MLS commentator, IMMHO.)

Solo shouldn't have said that but still...
 
Personally, I expect commentators to be neutral and report what's going on. Brandi Chastain is not an awesome commentator (understatement) but even a good one should keep his/her opinions to his/herself, a la Arlo White (best MLS commentator, IMMHO.)

Solo shouldn't have said that but still...

Ah, no way. The best commentators are the completely harsh European commentators who will call a play absolutely wretched with no second thought. :D

As far as Chastain, all I really remember her saying was that defenders had a particular job and that the player in question didn't do that. I respect that you think that's out of line, but I absolutely do not agree. I want commentators to add context. I find them useless if they just say what's happening on TV. I'm watching. I can see what's happening. If all you can do is tell me what I'm watching, you're not adding anything.

At least not for me. :mug:
 
Ah, no way. The best commentators are the completely harsh European commentators who will call a play absolutely wretched with no second thought. :D

As far as Chastain, all I really remember her saying was that defenders had a particular job and that the player in question didn't do that. I respect that you think that's out of line, but I absolutely do not agree. I want commentators to add context. I find them useless if they just say what's happening on TV. I'm watching. I can see what's happening. If all you can do is tell me what I'm watching, you're not adding anything.

At least not for me. :mug:

I agree, but I think the problem is that she just isn't a good commentator. She doesn't phrase things right and she says them at the wrong time. That comment about the defender came significantly after the play. If I hadn't been thinking the same thing during the play, I wouldn't have any idea what she was talking about.
 
mrgstiffler said:
I agree, but I think the problem is that she just isn't a good commentator. She doesn't phrase things right and she says them at the wrong time. That comment about the defender came significantly after the play. If I hadn't been thinking the same thing during the play, I wouldn't have any idea what she was talking about.

i certainly agree with that. And if that had been hope solo's complaint, I would have no issue with it.
 
And I may just be acting the homer, but I really like LA's local commentator/former-keeper Mark Rogondino. SWMBO and I always refer to him as "Fat Matthew Perry"

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"We need more ex-player commentators like Kasey Keller."

What I like about Kasey is he is a homer to a degree, but he still will comment on poor play or decisions that lead to send offs, but in a way that show disappointment, rather than criticism.. Sort of " I "know" Ozzie can keep his cool better than that, he just lost his head for a momment, the league will punish him for that. " (this actually happened on a two footed challenged that was called but not carded. The league decided later it was a straight red.

Anyway, Keller criticisms so far have been done in such a way that you don't feel he's attacking the player personally.
 
Punity said:
Where you at LA? Muhahahah

Ugh.... my pride is severely damaged :D

But seriously, that was awful. LA made some great chances while it was still 1-0 but then lost their push.

Also, terrible officiating. I saw at least two hand-balls in the box as well as a judo takedown by Seattle.

Oh well, LA has gone 7-2-2 since they got their s**t together so a slip is acceptable... for now...
 
What's the word on Urso? All I could see was that he was picked up from a bar at 12:50 AM Sunday morning, taken to a hospital, and pronounced dead.

On a lighter note, how'd Sounders' new mid Tiffert look? I picked up the final 15 minutes on the radio while driving home from the in-laws'.
 
No news on Urso... they're not releasing any information until the autopsy, which is a good thing (to discourage rumors.)

As sad as it is to say, my hope is that it was some kind of congenital ticking-time-bomb thing and not anything malicious or self-inflicted...
 
No news on Urso... they're not releasing any information until the autopsy, which is a good thing (to discourage rumors.)

As sad as it is to say, my hope is that it was some kind of congenital ticking-time-bomb thing and not anything malicious or self-inflicted...

I hope it is some freak "natural" happening too. He was only 22. Its sad to hear he was texting earlier in the night cheering on his team which makes it seem so much more sudden and tragic.
 
As far as the ref in LA v Seattle, he missed or let calls go both ways. He wasn't a factor as much as LA's back line was in their lack of speed. I've seen this before with LA, it's just Seattle took full advantage of it. LA is a team built to attack, Seattle's back line did a great job last night. If LA's not scoring and not possessing more, they lose.
 
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