Author Topic: World Cup/Soccer Thread (2009/2010/2011)  (Read 38778 times)

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Offline Potomac Cannons

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Re: World Cup/Soccer Thread (2009/2010)
« Reply #775: November 23, 2010, 10:48:31 PM »
MLS is saying that, along with mention of a "simulated" promotion/relegation system, just in time to convince the FIFA powers that be that the US is a good place to host the 2022 WC.  I'd be shocked if the schedule change actually happened any time in the next 15 years.

Offline Ali the Baseball Cat

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Re: World Cup/Soccer Thread (2009/2010)
« Reply #776: November 24, 2010, 11:37:46 AM »
The summer season blows.  The only upside is that MLS teams can beat up on marquee opponents like AC Milan when they are out of practice and out of shape. 

soccer insider says that MLS is considering a switch to a late summer to spring schedule to line up with the other leagues n the world. it wont happen next year though

please let this happen. i like being outside in cold weather

Online JCA-CrystalCity

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Re: World Cup/Soccer Thread (2009/2010)
« Reply #777: November 24, 2010, 07:45:49 PM »
So in South America, does playing soccer in their summer blow?  What makes you think MLS will draw better and get more attention when American Football, basketball, and hockey are the competition? Do you eliminate or move the remaining teams that play in mixed use stadiums? What muni is going to want to finance an outdoor soccer stadium given how uncertain the crowds are in the winter for the sport in this country.  For that matter, would this impair the bonding for existing, publicly financed stadiums?

This "let's be like Europe and the rest of the world" ignores uniquely American factors that make spring to fall the only reasonable time to play in the US and Canada. 

Offline Potomac Cannons

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Re: World Cup/Soccer Thread (2009/2010)
« Reply #778: November 24, 2010, 07:57:03 PM »
MLS is not looking to switch the schedule at this point in time.  It's entirely a ploy to appease FIFA as part of the WC 2022 bid.

As for the stadiums, several teams already have their own and more are already being built.

Online JCA-CrystalCity

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Re: World Cup/Soccer Thread (2009/2010)
« Reply #779: November 24, 2010, 08:16:44 PM »
As for the stadiums, several teams already have their own and more are already being built.
You are right that more soccer-specific stadiums have been built and are on the way.  I'm thinking the Revs are one of the last ones in a mixed use stadium and a new facility is under serious discussion (Colorado use Invesco? KC?).  However, I believe most are public money deals, so I'd think there may be representations made in order to float bonds about attendance and when the games would be played. I'm not sure Anschutz can deal with another fraud case.

Offline Potomac Cannons

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Re: World Cup/Soccer Thread (2009/2010)
« Reply #780: November 24, 2010, 08:34:06 PM »
Colorado built their own 2-3 years ago.  KC's stadium is supposed to open next year I believe.  San Jose is in talks. 

DC and NE are the only long term teams not in their own building and DC is because of the idiocy of Fenty.

Any realistic shot of an "international" calendar is at least 10 years off and likely more in the 20 range.  The league is way too small on a popularity scale to deal with the weather issues of winter and the monster of NFL/NBA/NHL/CFB/March Madness all as direct competitors.

Offline ronnynat

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Re: World Cup/Soccer Thread (2009/2010)
« Reply #781: November 28, 2010, 12:58:19 PM »
That Liverpool-Tottenham game was fantastic.

Offline Dave B

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Re: World Cup/Soccer Thread (2009/2010)
« Reply #782: November 28, 2010, 01:05:22 PM »
yeah. 2 goals and a missed pk in the second half for tottenham.  modric is fast as hell. lennon too.  i really like that bale guy. he gets a solid shot off regardless of how he receives it

Offline eckseid

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Re: World Cup/Soccer Thread (2009/2010)
« Reply #783: November 28, 2010, 05:51:43 PM »
I'm trying to get into soccer and would love to follow a team. DC United would be my team for MLS if I got into it, but whats the best international league? And what are some fun teams to follow?

Offline ronnynat

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Re: World Cup/Soccer Thread (2009/2010)
« Reply #784: November 28, 2010, 05:56:14 PM »
I'm trying to get into soccer and would love to follow a team. DC United would be my team for MLS if I got into it, but whats the best international league? And what are some fun teams to follow?

The English Premier League is probably the best league, but the two best teams in the world, Real Madrid and Barcelona, play in Spain.

I follow Manchester City, but I have recommended Tottenham to other people trying to get into the sport because they play up tempo and are really fun to watch.

Offline eckseid

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Re: World Cup/Soccer Thread (2009/2010)
« Reply #785: November 28, 2010, 06:47:47 PM »
The English Premier League is probably the best league, but the two best teams in the world, Real Madrid and Barcelona, play in Spain.

I follow Manchester City, but I have recommended Tottenham to other people trying to get into the sport because they play up tempo and are really fun to watch.

Thanks for the quick response. I don't care about following the best teams in the world. I don't want to look like a bandwagoner. How did you get into following Manchester City?

Also one more question: How do you guys watch their games? Stream online or do you guys order a football package on your tv provider?

Offline ronnynat

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Re: World Cup/Soccer Thread (2009/2010)
« Reply #786: November 28, 2010, 07:39:24 PM »
Thanks for the quick response. I don't care about following the best teams in the world. I don't want to look like a bandwagoner. How did you get into following Manchester City?

Also one more question: How do you guys watch their games? Stream online or do you guys order a football package on your tv provider?

I started following Manchester City because I really liked their style when I watched a couple of their games. I'm a huge fan now.

A lot of the Saturday and Sunday games are on Fox Soccer Channel (FSC). I think it's free through most providers.

Just don't follow Stoke City. Their style sucks. They just boot the ball down the field every time and hope one of their strikers gets it and scores. It's boring. I do like Kenwyne Jones, though. He's a solid striker.

Offline eckseid

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Re: World Cup/Soccer Thread (2009/2010)
« Reply #787: November 28, 2010, 07:49:00 PM »
I started following Manchester City because I really liked their style when I watched a couple of their games. I'm a huge fan now.

A lot of the Saturday and Sunday games are on Fox Soccer Channel (FSC). I think it's free through most providers.

Just don't follow Stoke City. Their style sucks. They just boot the ball down the field every time and hope one of their strikers gets it and scores. It's boring. I do like Kenwyne Jones, though. He's a solid striker.

Yeah, searching through my guide while the caps were on and found the FSC channel. The team you suggested I follow is on against Liverpool atm.

Edit: Looks like they ended up winning 2-1. Lol. Good sign for someone possibly wanting to follow them. :P

Offline EdStroud

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Re: World Cup/Soccer Thread (2009/2010)
« Reply #788: November 28, 2010, 08:38:26 PM »
Watch what you do with your balls in Guatemala

Police in Guatemala have found the body of a professional soccer player chopped up and left in five plastic bags in a rural area.

 
TRAGIC SPORTS DEATHS
Sports has lost many athletes way too soon. We list a few.National Civil Police spokesman Donald Gonzalez says the remains were found Sunday with a message saying Carlos Mercedes Vasquez was killed for "messing with other women."

The spokesman says investigators are trying to determine whether that was the real reason for the slaying of Vasquez, who played for Malacateco in Guatemala's first-division soccer league.

Gonzalez says the body was found in the rural community of Malcatan a day after the 27-yeard-old was kidnapped while driving with two friends.


Offline Dave B

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Re: World Cup/Soccer Thread (2009/2010)
« Reply #789: November 28, 2010, 10:09:12 PM »
Thanks for the quick response. I don't care about following the best teams in the world. I don't want to look like a bandwagoner. How did you get into following Manchester City?

Also one more question: How do you guys watch their games? Stream online or do you guys order a football package on your tv provider?

i try to keep up with fulham. they have americans clint dempsey and eddie johnson. dempsey gets a lot of playing time and has 5 goals for the season (15th in the league). fulham isnt doing so hot though. however, this still makes things interesting because they need to not finish in the bottom three so they can stay in the premier league. they arent on tv as much as the popular teams.   i think adhte.net has a decent amount of games with decent quality. so you can probably find them there. in additionto fsc, espn or espn2 also has a game on saturdays at like 730 am

Offline Potomac Cannons

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Re: World Cup/Soccer Thread (2009/2010)
« Reply #790: November 28, 2010, 10:45:23 PM »
Over the years I've picked various teams from watching when I still had FSC and Gol TV.  I really like the German Bundesliga.  I've somewhat closely followed Borussia Dortmond in Germany, Napoli in Italy, Newcastle in England, and Villareal in Spain.

I also play Football Manager and use the LLM (Lower League Manager) style of play.  As such, I've become a fan of Eastbourne Borough.  They've gone from local pub club to the level right below England's League 2 (4th level) called the Football Conference.  This is their 3rd season in the Conference and they're mid table and seem to have solidified their position in that league.  Last season they added their very first full time player (most below League 2 are part time players receiving bubkus on their contract).  You won't see them on TV any time in the next 10 years most likely but that's the club I most want to see next time I get to England.

Offline Ali the Baseball Cat

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Re: World Cup/Soccer Thread (2009/2010)
« Reply #791: November 29, 2010, 10:03:52 AM »
Barcelona vs Real Madrid is on 3:00 today...this is without a doubt one of the biggest rivalries in sports (and sometimes becomes a rivalry in war, as it did in the 1930s).

Offline ronnynat

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Re: World Cup/Soccer Thread (2009/2010)
« Reply #792: November 29, 2010, 03:21:57 PM »
2-0 Barcelona early on. They have so many great players.

Offline Nathan

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Re: World Cup/Soccer Thread (2009/2010)
« Reply #793: December 01, 2010, 04:45:02 PM »
I don't understand soccer at all.

Offline EdStroud

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Re: World Cup/Soccer Thread (2009/2010)
« Reply #794: December 02, 2010, 03:00:07 PM »
The United States on Thursday lost its bid to host the 2022 World Cup to Qatar in a stunning rebuff to the country many had considered the front-runner to host the world’s grandest sporting event.

Qatar, which has never qualified for the competition, becomes the first Middle Eastern Arab nation to host the World Cup, and signals FIFA’s desire to engage the Muslim world. Qatar, with only 1.7 million inhabitants, will also become the smallest nation  to host a World Cup.

The choice also puts an emphatic capstone on the legacy of FIFA president Sepp Blatter, who has taken the Cup around the planet in an effort to broaden the game’s social and political legacy.


Online JCA-CrystalCity

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Re: World Cup/Soccer Thread (2009/2010)
« Reply #795: December 02, 2010, 03:06:56 PM »
I guess with SA not advancing beyond the first round, being the first host not to do so is no longer a concern to the WC committee. 

Offline HalfSmokes

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Re: World Cup/Soccer Thread (2009/2010)
« Reply #796: December 02, 2010, 03:08:20 PM »
The lesson here is bribery works when the institution has no shame

Offline Dave B

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Re: World Cup/Soccer Thread (2009/2010)
« Reply #797: December 02, 2010, 06:17:06 PM »
this qatar bid seems to fail every possible sanity check. building ten stadiums in a 25km radius. air conditioning them. dismantling them and donating them.

i would not be surprised if in 2020, FIFA says, "Hey, US you have a lot of stadiums, dont need air conditioning, you wanna do this crap?" after qatar fails to do everything necessary. Maybe the region becomes more unstable. Maybe they lose all their money. i think the chance of it coming back to the US is at least 50%.

FIFA might know Qatar is not feasible and just selected them to make it seem like they are reaching out to the Muslim world. Although not picking Qatar so they could later host in China might have been the better reaching out

Offline Potomac Cannons

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Re: World Cup/Soccer Thread (2009/2010)
« Reply #798: December 02, 2010, 06:20:29 PM »
Sepp Blatter makes me remember that US sports commissioners are no where near the worst in the world.

Offline mitlen

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Re: World Cup/Soccer Thread (2009/2010)
« Reply #799: December 02, 2010, 06:40:50 PM »
Qatar ?    FTWC