The [Horribly Unpopular] Soccer Thread

[Punity]

With the exception of FC Dallas, who's supporters have an actual drumline, the drums are typically used to keep the beat for chants/songs as well as add some "boom" factor. Not to mention you can hear trumpets at a couple stadiums. Houston have a couple, you can hear one in Portland often (usually during the Tetris song), and Seattle have a band.

The bands pretty fun does the march to the match then plays outside Clink until sometime.

 

[Pappers_]

Trumpets are a part of Section 8 in Chicago.

 

[Pappers_]

Norwich 1- Arsenal 0 at the half. Norwich is winless for heavens sake.

 

[Pappers_]

Dammit

 

[Obliviousbrew]

Wow I´m watching Barcelona-Deportivo 3-0 in the first 18 minutes...

 

[FlyDoctor]

Wow I´m watching Barcelona-Deportivo 3-0 in the first 18 minutes...

Need to watch this one on dvr - 9 total goals.?!? That's action (and poor defending!)

 

[Obliviousbrew]

I´ve watched the game and I´m still not sure if it was a good game or just the weirdest match that I´ve seen from Barcelona in a long time. Fun to watch anyway, and Messi 3 goals while his girl is propably in labor of his first son...

 

[mrgstiffler]

Been a crappy season, but I'll take the Cascadia Cup!

 

[Punity]

Been a crappy season, but I'll take the Cascadia Cup!

Better then last

 

[Grannyknot]

Watched most of the Seattle v FC Dallas game last night.
Great, wide open play. I'm quickly learning to appreciate the MLS.
Saturday however, I did not appreciate Arsenal.

 

[aygov]

Norwich 1- Arsenal 0 at the half. Norwich is winless for heavens sake.

Saturday however, I did not appreciate Arsenal.

That was just dire. We had the square root of f-all going forward... I blame the crappy inter-lull.

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

Watched most of the Seattle v FC Dallas game last night.
Great, wide open play. I'm quickly learning to appreciate the MLS.
Saturday however, I did not appreciate Arsenal.

Sounds like you are comparing two leagues based on two games. That's just odd.

Don't forget, those games with wide open play from both sides is often an indicator of poor quality teams. Good to watch, but not indicative of good quality. Arsenal, on the other hand are famous for being dull.

 

[Grannyknot]

Sounds like you are comparing two leagues based on two games. That's just odd.

Don't forget, those games with wide open play from both sides is often an indicator of poor quality teams. Good to watch, but not indicative of good quality. Arsenal, on the other hand are famous for being dull.

Definately not comparing 2 leagues based on 2 games.
I've watched EPL long enough to know its nothing like any other league in the world. And yes, the wide open play in the Seattle v Dallas game was mostly due to little-to-no midfield efficiency and crappy overall defending. Still doesn't mean its not exciting to watch.

Arsenal are far from being famously dull.

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

Definately not comparing 2 leagues based on 2 games.
I've watched EPL long enough to know its nothing like any other league in the world. And yes, the wide open play in the Seattle v Dallas game was mostly due to little-to-no midfield efficiency and crappy overall defending. Still doesn't mean its not exciting to watch.

Arsenal are far from being famously dull.

My lot are shipping 3-4 goals per game. I don't think that's exciting at all!!! ipe:

 

[Pappers_]

Yes, shockingly, transferring the best scorer in the Premiership to the strongest team in the league hasn't led to exciting football for the Gunners.

 

[Grannyknot]

Going back for as long as I've followed Arsenal (10 years now), they've lost one of their best players to the summer transfer window almost every year. The plastic fans start calling for Wengers head, and the media talks about how they are going to struggle to stay above relegation, but they still finish top 4 every single year. There isn't another team with that sort of streak who isn't getting cash infusions from some sort of oil tycoon or publicly admitting massive debts, as is the case for Man U.

They start off the season on a slow note, but they usually pick it up around Christmas and finish strong.

When Financial Fair Play takes full effect in the PL, Arsenal will be one of the teams to really flourish, along with Everton, if they can keep Moyes around.

 

[Pappers_]

Going back for as long as I've followed Arsenal (10 years now), they've lost one of their best players to the summer transfer window almost every year. The plastic fans start calling for Wengers head, and the media talks about how they are going to struggle to stay above relegation, but they still finish top 4 every single year. There isn't another team with that sort of streak who isn't getting cash infusions from some sort of oil tycoon or publicly admitting massive debts, as is the case for Man U.

They start off the season on a slow note, but they usually pick it up around Christmas and finish strong.

When Financial Fair Play takes full effect in the PL, Arsenal will be one of the teams to really flourish, along with Everton, if they can keep Moyes around.

I've been an Arsenal supporter for longer than that and yes, the soccernomics guys love Arsenal. But its not surprising that the club are middle of the table at this point.

 

[jwitt]

If only it was easier to find Bundesliga matches on TV. Overall quality of players might be a notch below EPL (maybe a bit more financial responsibility and a reluctance to go out and buy the likes of *cough* Balotelli etc), but every time we catch a game on Gol TV it's great. Well...especially when Bayern is on

 

[Reno_eNVy]

If only it was easier to find Bundesliga matches on TV.

True... but I also remember saying the same thing about MLS 5 years ago or so. Then MLS 2.0 kicked in and all was well

You could always stream some Bundesliga matches... I know they're always on the big sites.

 

[lgilmore]

"Don't forget, those games with wide open play from both sides is often an indicator of poor quality teams. Good to watch, but not indicative of good quality. "

And I always thought that was called direct play. I would think an indicator of poor quality would be things like touch,passing, strike, positioning and conditioning. I watched Sea and FCD and saw as good of possession and passing as you see in the EPL. The strike on the ball is much better in the EPL. Positioning about the same with a nod to conditioning to the EPL.

The MLS still does not have the finishers the EPL does, but they've advanced a ton in touch on the ball. They used to have to run 5 steps to collect the ball off their traps, where now most have enough foot skills to control the ball well.

As for the game, FCD was playing for their playoff lives, the idea that they could sit back as the visiting side and collect a point was already gone. They had to press numbers forward which encouraged Seatle to counter attack as they often had numbers in attack. Seattle's game is the counter attack which some teams all over the world play in their respective leagues.

Seattles two goals in the run of play were off well placed combination passes, not kick and run.

 

[Grannyknot]

The biggest difference I notice in the EPL and MLS is the back line play and quality of center backs.
I guess this is a result of, when a team does have a quality defender (ie Geoff Cameron), he is sold off to Europe.

 

[Reno_eNVy]

That's a very good point. I've been worried about the same thing happening to Omar Gonzalez...

 

[Grannyknot]

That's a very good point. I've been worried about the same thing happening to Omar Gonzalez...

I think its time that Omar starts getting more run-outs for USMNT. Have you looked at the age of our back line recently?? By the time WC14 comes around, assuming we make it, those guys will be collecting filing for AARP membership.

I hope Omar doesn't get sold off to Europe, only to sit on the bench of some relegation zone team.

 

[Reno_eNVy]

CCL Update:

Houston ties Olimipa 0-0, moves on to next round.

Salt Lake ties Herediano, is eliminated.

Toronto plays Santos Laguna today, needs to win by 3-0 or by two if they score four goals.... not looking good for them.

Seattle plays Marathon today, is already in next round. Playing for seeding.

LA plays Isidro Metapan tomorrow, is already in next round. Playing for seeding.

 

[jwitt]

I'll have to catch more MLS. I always thought "let's try to count how many throw-ins in a half" but I've heard so many people comment on the improvement in quality, I better get on board with our domestic game. It's tricky though, as I don't have a TV, so I rely on a buddy with fox soccer and his lake house with fox and GolTV.

I have caught some streams before- streaming was my only source for several years, and stream quality sucked back then! Seemed like every cross or through ball made the stream lag for about 10 seconds.

 

[Reno_eNVy]

Nope all is well in the streaming world. You can find some nice crisp ones now. But you won't see any MLS regular season on Fox Soccer. Maybe some Champions League, but MLS has deals with NBC Sports Network, NBC, ESPN, and a surprisingly large number of local-market channels. Plus you're lucky to have an in-state club to cheer for! When I was a young lad growing up in Vegas I adopted the closest city/club, LA.

 

[HoppyDaze]

Been a crappy season, but I'll take the Cascadia Cup!

I can't believe they pulled that off

 

[Grannyknot]

Pretty cool that the US will be hosting the Copa America in 2016.
Great chance to see some high quality south american teams field their best players on US soil.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/s...ost,-participate-in-2016-copa-america?cc=5901

 

[Reno_eNVy]

Indeed! It's about time they included CONCACAF in the tournament. Throw in the fact that we automatically qualify and are hosting and you have my attention for sure.

 

[Obliviousbrew]

It is great news, I think I´ll be heading to the US in 2016 for beer and soccer. Sounds like a good combo. Four more years... it is a long run but I´ll try to be there.