Soccer 2023-24 (A/K/A Futbol)

[English Natsie]

BBC Sport really uplifiting fans of the Global Powerhouse, prior to the Euro's...  

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c51nze4407wo

[Natsinpwc]

USMNT looks like they’re trying to get Berhalter fired.  Very confusing bringing him back.

[Natsinpwc]

Euro 2024 schedule including USA tv.

https://amp.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/euro-2024-groups-full-schedule-how-to-watch

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

Italy/Albania should be spirited...Albanians still have a bit of an axe to grind 85 years on.

[English Natsie]

Italy/Albania should be spirited...Albanians still have a bit of an axe to grind 85 years on.

85 years? When the GP plays France, we're still smarting about 1066...     (and the French want to get their own back for Agincourt...)

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

The GP 

Historical context is important!  Someone here had a "Sherman #64" Nats shirt for away games in Atlanta.

[imref]

The GP 

Historical context is important!  Someone here had a "Sherman #64" Nats shirt for away games in Atlanta.

copecowboy

[English Natsie]

The GP 

Yes - we've Fox Sports to thank, for that one (you may recall it's how they described England prior to the game with the USA, in Qatar...I recall it went something like 'Team USA faces the Global Powerhouse that is England - a title so laughable that it had to stick... )

Having said that, the bookies somehow have the GP installed as favorites for Euro '24 - now, if only France don't turn-up...

[English Natsie]

Actually, with Friday approaching, what policy do we want with regard to live game posting?

[Natsinpwc]

Actually, with Friday approaching, what policy do we want with regard to live game posting?

Only posts about the Global Powerhouse! 

USMNT supposed to play Brazil tonight here in Orlando.  Big storms and lots of rain forecast. USA might get lucky and have it postponed.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Actually, with Friday approaching, what policy do we want with regard to live game posting?

OK to post if you put a black spoiler over it for 24 hours.

To put a spoiler over a line or a post, put the word "spoiler" inside two brackets at the start of the stretch you want blacked out (that is, spoiler between []), then, at the end of the blacked out stretch, place "/spoiler" inside brackets. You are able to read what is under the spoiler label by putting your cursor over the black line.

You can try it with the following: Harvey is better than Finnegan .  I think by quoting this you will see the bracket and spoiler placement.

[English Natsie]

OK to post if you put a black spoiler over it for 24 hours.

To put a spoiler over a line or a post, put the word "spoiler" inside two brackets at the start of the stretch you want blacked out (that is, spoiler between []), then, at the end of the blacked out stretch, place "/spoiler" inside brackets. You are able to read what is under the spoiler label by putting your cursor over the black line.

You can try it with the following: Harvey is better than Finnegan .  I think by quoting this you will see the bracket and spoiler placement.

Thanks for that, JCA - I think no live posting might be for the best; I'm sure all at WNFF will still enjoy lively debate. 

[English Natsie]

Only posts about the Global Powerhouse! 

Thanks PWC - unfortunately, and strangely, I might not be able to live post about all of the GP's games anyway,  as I don't know what events my social secretary (a.k.a.Mrs Natsie...) has lined up - it might be all I can do just to try and keep in touch with the game in progress...       

[English Natsie]

How have you managed without this?...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c9rr13g4p6xo

(if it doesn't work, in the US, complain to the Beeb... )

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

A friend reports lots of guys in kilts drinking in the street outside her office building in Munich 

[English Natsie]

A friend reports lots of guys in kilts drinking in the street outside her office building in Munich 

Scottish soccer fans drinking? Surely not...   

[Natsinpwc]

Scottish soccer fans drinking? Surely not...   

I hope they drank enough to miss that game.

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

Was it Mitlen who referred to Croatia as the "Bob's Big Boys"?  It seems the page has been turned on them.

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

Whoah Albania 

[Natsinpwc]

Whoah Albania 

Most of the fans not even in their seats.

[Natsinpwc]

Wonder what the over was for this game?

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

Imagine if the Albanian diaspora players weren't on other national teams (eg, Xhaka & Shaqiri for Switzerland)

[English Natsie]

So far, two stand outs:

1 - Where had that Germany team been hiding? A real wake-up call for the rest of the competition.

2 - The Croatia rebuild is going to be far more challenging than thought...

[imref]

Whoah Albania 

albanian fans were tormenting Italy fans by breaking dried pasta in half.

[English Natsie]

Have Fox Sports been busy, in Denmark ? Their supporters are calling the team 'Danish Dynamite'...

And another design classic (ahem!...) from NIke - the Slovenia away (road) shirt looks like someone rolled a tire up the front. Maybe they're hoping for a sponsorship deal from Good Year...