World Cup and European leagues

Started by Jim Matson, June 11, 2006, 12:00:45 AM

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blooter442

Chelsea came back from 3-0 down at halftime to 3-3 yesterday, while Leicester just won 5-2 against Man City at the Etihad. 2020 is a nonsense.

TyWebb

As a Foxes fan I still don't believe what I saw today. I know I'm bias but I felt all 3 penalties were legit calls. The defenders were
beaten goal side each time. It seems Pep didn't wait long to improve the defense after such a thrashing. City has apparently just signed
defender Ruben Dias from Benefica.

blooter442

Quote from: TyWebb on September 27, 2020, 08:17:42 PM
As a Foxes fan I still don't believe what I saw today. I know I'm bias but I felt all 3 penalties were legit calls. The defenders were
beaten goal side each time.

It's funny you say that because I'm pretty sure I read elsewhere someone highlighting exactly that (maybe The Athletic?). FWIW objectively I did think they were all penalties and thought Leicester were good value for their win, even if it looked like City would run away with the game in the early going. Vardy and Ibrahimovic should go into the fine wine business together, what a remarkable story he has been. And the fact that he has stayed loyal to Leicester while others have sought other opportunities to varying degrees of success is admirable. I'm also a big fan of Maddison, he has remarkable ability and I think he's only going to get better. And I think the Soyuncu-Evans partnership will go to another level in their second full year together.

Quote from: TyWebb on September 27, 2020, 08:17:42 PM
It seems Pep didn't wait long to improve the defense after such a thrashing. City has apparently just signed
defender Ruben Dias from Benefica.

(Apologies in advance for bringing in my own team but) Having expected the title race to be much closer, I found it interesting that City actually kept more clean sheets than Liverpool last season, but seemed much more defensively suspect. In looking at the numbers more closely, I found that City tended to either blow teams out or drop points while Liverpool had much better resiliency in terms of grinding games out (City won 5 games by one goal, the Reds won 14, which is exactly equal to the margin between 1st and 2nd). Additionally, City had 10 games from August to March where they gave up 2+ goals; Liverpool had just 2. Interestingly, Liverpool conceded in 12/15 games to start the season, but even then they only conceded more than once on 1 occasion (a 5-2 home win vs. Everton) and got 7 shutout wins in a row between Bournemouth away and Man Utd at home. In sum, despite City having more clean sheets and conceding slightly more goals over the season (35 vs. 33), Liverpool generally only conceded once when they were breached while the floodgates sometimes opened when that happened with City. I know Laporte was out for 5 months, but I also think the departure of Kompany was way more impactful than anyone had anticipated, and having to deploy Fernandinho as emergency CB wouldn't have been Pep's first choice. I expected them to get Koulibaly so I am curious to see how Dias can help them, particularly if Laporte can stay fit this season.

blooter442

Woof, what a weekend.

Didn't see 7-2 coming (or 6-1 to Spurs) but I did feel LFC were due a bad result after some unconvincing spells since February, and any complacency that existed is surely now gone. Either way, after that result, no real defensive moral high ground can be claimed over United (still feel Liverpool's back 5 is superior). Normally any weekend with City dropping points (Leeds were good value for their point) is a good weekend, and made even better by United getting thrashed at home, but that was a rude awakening. Fair play to Villa, though, they had a few deflected goals but that could have easily been 10. Worthy winners.

For their part, Spurs were excellent. Son is getting to be up there with Mane in terms of LW talents in the Premier League, and Kane looked back to his best - his assist for Son's first was incredible vision. Pretty sure Moura's equalizer against Liverpool at Anfield in March 2019 came from the same situation (quick free kick played while the defenders were sleeping). And who knows what kind of impact Bale can have (noting his age)? Tell you what, I don't like Mourinho as a character but I have to say I was impressed by him in the All or Nothing documentary. I think he's got a point to prove, too, and I wouldn't be surprised if Spurs sneak in the top 4.

Chelsea are starting to click into gear, they looked much better against a potentially tricky Palace side on Saturday, and Arsenal rebounded well after suffering their first defeat. Everton do look the part and given LFC's defensive implosion yesterday I am genuinely concerned about the upcoming trip to Goodison (10 years to the day that they last beat the Reds). Have a feeling that Everton may put paid to that winless streak; admittedly they were unlucky not to win in the last Merseyside Derby with Davis hitting the post. We'll soon find out!


jknezek

Quote from: Gray Fox on April 20, 2021, 12:03:28 PM
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2021/04/19/what-is-the-super-league/

Comments

This iteration is going to fail. Chelsea and Man C already are backing away. They didn't get the Germans or the French on board first. The publicity is almost uniformly negative across GB and the Continent. Doesn't help that it's seen as a very American idea pushed by a bunch of partly American owners. But I do expect it to happen someday. Just as I expect eventually the Power 5 will break away from the rest of the NCAA. The money is just too good to let any of it slip through their greedy fingers.

But this time around? Not likely. They bungled the public relations side so badly that it has probably set them back 5 or 10 years, thankfully in my opinion.

Gray Fox

Any comments on the World Cup drawing on Friday?
Fierce When Roused

Saint of Old

Indeed. It is the greatest show on Earth and this year even Thanksgiving Turkey and Santa will be there.

My main interest lies though in the .5s and who else will sneak in.
Would love to see the Wales team and atleast one more great player with something left to prove get to grace the Qatar stage.

Hopkins92

I believe it's unprecedented for the US to be in Pod 2... Being Pod 1 in 94 doesn't really count. By rising in the FIFA rankings, they are avoiding 7 of the best teams on the planet.

Doesn't negate a possible (and dreaded) group of death, but it sure cuts down on the odds.

Canada, on the other hand... yeesh.

blooter442

Quote from: Saint of Old on April 01, 2022, 07:39:12 AM
My main interest lies though in the .5s and who else will sneak in.
Would love to see the Wales team and atleast one more great player with something left to prove get to grace the Qatar stage.

I'm pulling for Andy Robbo and Scotland but Wales seems to be the favorite on paper — Bale is still class even as a septuagenarian (jokez) and they have some decent threats; Ramsey has been around seemingly forever but is only 31. If Ukraine makes it then that is the story for me.

Gray Fox

Current thoughts on the World Cup.
Fierce When Roused

Hopkins92

Games in the middle of the European season. No beer at the stadiums. Way to go FIFA!

jknezek

I have never been so uninterested in a World Cup as this one. It's just at completely the wrong time of year for me to care. I suppose if the U.S. men's team makes a good showing I'll probably gain interest, but mostly it just doesn't register as important the way they have in the past. My dad took me to bars to watch in '86 and especially the U.S. getting overmatched in '90, I went to several games in 1994, lied my way in to bars to watch 1998, was up at 1 and 2 a.m. to watch 2002, was completely disgusted by what I saw from the U.S. team in 2006, suffered through the Vuvuzelas in 2010, was enraptured by 2014, and watched a huge chunk of the Dictator Cup in 2018. But this one? Man it's hard to care.

Hopkins92

What's really sad is this is, by far, the most talented squad the US has ever fielded. And incredibly young (youngest in the entire field.)

I just have a really tough time with this having been awarded to Qatar. I'll leave it there, as I know this board doesn't do politics. (rightfully so.)

I'm definitely watching the US games... Good group of neighborhood friends with varying loyalties and allegiances will make it a fun ride.

EnmoreCat

Very low expectations for Australia, it seems a very long time now since we won the 2015 Asian Cup and much longer back to 2006 when arguably our best ever team got to the second round of the WC.  The 2022 team is a hardworking one, but I can't imagine them scoring, let alone getting a result.