World Cup and European leagues

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

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Stinger

It was a great atmosphere at Soldier Field yesterday.  I just finished watching the TV broadcast so I could watch some of the questionable calls (or non calls).  The referee was brutal, Wynalda was right. The no call against Wolff was awful and the foul that led to Ronny's goal was wrong.  Bocanegra had a right to be PO'd.

The US didn't back down, and it was great to see.  I wish they would play more games in Chicago, that place was jumping. 
There's only two things I hate in this world. People who are intolerant of other people's cultures and the Dutch.

Nigel Powers - Goldmember

ScotsFan

Quote from: Stinger on September 10, 2007, 06:43:28 AM
The US didn't back down, and it was great to see.  I wish they would play more games in Chicago, that place was jumping. 

I was very impressed with the crowd at Soldier Field.  Especially given the fact that the Bears season opener with San Diego was on at the same time!  Very impressive turnout in Chi-town especially considering how passionate Chicagoans are about their Bears and also the fact that the Bears are coming off of a Super Bowl season and are favored to get back this year as well.  Nice to see the support for 'real' football! ;)

Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)


Champs league group phase opens today.  Most every match is at least dangerous, with the notable exception of Chelsea hosting Rosenborg.  That one could be ugly.
Lead Columnist for D3hoops.com
@ryanalanscott just about anywhere

Stinger

There's only two things I hate in this world. People who are intolerant of other people's cultures and the Dutch.

Nigel Powers - Goldmember

Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)


Nice article Stinger.  I'm lucky.  One of my friends in an office upstairs has a boos fro Argentina.  Major football matches are always on in their office.  I run a lot of "errands" during that time.
Lead Columnist for D3hoops.com
@ryanalanscott just about anywhere

Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)


I shouldn't have said that.  Chelsea needed a goal from Sheva near the end to escape with a draw.  Fear Rosenborg!


A bunch of draws today, which always makes group play more fun.  Celtic went down 2-0 to Shankar Donestk; I have to think that's an upset.
Lead Columnist for D3hoops.com
@ryanalanscott just about anywhere

Hoosier Titan

Hoops, I thought of you as we heard the Chelsea score announced during the Liverpool match. 

Liverpool looked sluggish until Jermaine Pennant got sent off with half an hour to go.  The Porto goal came on a penalty that was well deserved--Sami Hyypia got beat and Reina came out to challenge the attacker.  Reina clearly took the attacker down.  Sami made up for it at the other end shortly thereafter when he sent a lovely ball in to Dirk Kuyt.  Porto spent the rest of the match trying to get calls against Liverpool (often succeeding).  Once they went a man up and didn't score, though, their fans turned on them and started "booing"--whistling--at them instead of at Liverpool.  Tough crowd!

Anyway, an away draw is a win, so things look better for Liverpool than for Chelsea at the moment.  And I would call the Celtic result an upset too.
You'll never walk alone.

Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)


So Mourinho skips town in the middle of the night?  I see the vikings are still pillaging England.  Fear Norway!
Lead Columnist for D3hoops.com
@ryanalanscott just about anywhere

Hoosier Titan

This from the BBC:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/chelsea/7004780.stm

Since Mourinho is getting a severance package, it seems the departure might not be so much by mutual agreement as it first sounded.

Now Liverpool have lost Daniel Aggar and Xabi Alonso to broken metatarsals.  I never heard of broken bones being contagious, but it's starting to look that way!
You'll never walk alone.

Hoosier Titan

Hello from London again,

We are just back from a weekend in Liverpool.  Some of our trips are directed toward education, and some are intended as a more general cultural education--that was this weekend.  We visited the childhood homes of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, rode the Magical Mystery Tour bus, and visited the Beatles Story museum--and we took a tour of Anfield, home of Liverpool Football Club.

The Anfield tour was wonderful.  There were nearly 50 people, ranging from female IWU students who admittedly knew nothing about football, to die-hard Reds fans, and the guide somehow managed to make it fun for everyone.  The changing room is tiny--no bigger than the living room of our flat!  The players' shirts are hung on the wall by approximate position--defense, midfield, and striker--so that if the coaches want to address one aspect of the game, it's easy.  We had lots of time for photographs (somehow I got the seat of honor on the physio table used by Steven Gerrard).  The guide took a photo of our IWU group in the interview area, and I got mine taken in front of the "This is Anfield" sign.  When we went out to the pitch, my first impression was that it's smaller than the one my daughter plays on back in Bloomington.  I thought that was an illusion, because it's bounded by stands, but the guide said no, it actually is small (I think I remember 110 x 74).  Whenever they play a European match there, they have to get special permission.  Another reason why they need a new stadium (along with limited seating by EPL standards).

It was a fantastic afternoon.  We came out of the Museum with only a few minutes in the shop, and so we had to go back the next morning.  The students are talking about finding a pub with Sky TV to watch Liverpool play Marseille later this week.  Hopefully we've made some new football fans!
You'll never walk alone.

sac

Awesome stuff, thanks.

Hope the Marseille match didn't turn off any future interest.  Yuck!

Hoosier Titan

In the end, no one went looking for the Liverpool--Marseille match--they had a quiz and a paper due the next day.  The highlights, such as they were, were pretty gruesome.  Not sure what's up with the Reds--there is lots of questioning of Rafa's rotation from all sides.  The break for the international matches may have come at a good time for Liverpool.

Quick report from our group living in London--we just returned from nine days in York and the Yorkshire Dales (think James Herriot stories and the "All Creatures Great and Small" TV shows).  We visited castles and ruined abbeys, saw how they make the Wensleydale cheese (Wallace's favorite of "Wallace and Gromit"), and saw how Theakston makes beer the old-fashioned way, using gravity.  We went on a hike and miraculously did not get rained on.  A good time was had by all, hopefully some learning went on, and we were back in London in time for "the rugby" last night.  The whole country was watching "the rugby."

Oh yes, the football news from our group--they started playing themselves, in the Dales.  Of 21, 16 were playing football for up to four hours each afternoon and early evening!  And they are calling it "football."  Amazing.  I have no idea where they got the football.

I've gone from finding rugby incomprehensible to just being confused.  I still find about half of the commentators' remarks strange--I know they're in English but I don't know what they mean--but I am now interested and am trying to figure it out.  We missed England's win over Australia, but the 11-9 win over France last night was high drama.  England scored on the first play of the game, lost the lead a few minutes later, and didn't get it back until less than 5 minutes were left on a Johnny Wilkerson drop goal (his kicks were responsible for 9 of England's 11 points).  England's defense was brilliant and kept France from scoring except on penalties.  Next week they play in the World Cup final after being given up for dead.

Wayne Rooney's return to the England football side was productive but pretty anti-climactic after the rugby match.  Sounds like Owen-Rooney is not a match made in heaven, as both of them work best playing off a bigger man.  Now they need a tie in Russia to go through to the next round.  It should be doable, but we all know why they play the games.
You'll never walk alone.

Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)

Quote from: Hoosier Titan on October 14, 2007, 07:18:59 AMWayne Rooney's return to the England football side was productive but pretty anti-climactic after the rugby match.  Sounds like Owen-Rooney is not a match made in heaven, as both of them work best playing off a bigger man.  Now they need a tie in Russia to go through to the next round.  It should be doable, but we all know why they play the games.

Plus the England squad is going to have to adjust to playing on FieldTurf, which has only been allowed for these matches very recently.  None of the Englishmen like the idea all that much.  We'll see what sort of havoc that wreaks on their heads.
Lead Columnist for D3hoops.com
@ryanalanscott just about anywhere

Hoosier Titan

Quote from: Hoops Fan on October 15, 2007, 08:32:29 AM
Plus the England squad is going to have to adjust to playing on FieldTurf, which has only been allowed for these matches very recently.  None of the Englishmen like the idea all that much.  We'll see what sort of havoc that wreaks on their heads.

And knees, and metatarsals.  They are saying it won't make a difference, but we'll see. 

Michael Owen has taken some stick in the press--a rare occurrance--for publicly saying that playing for England is of greatest importance to him.  The Newcastle fans and manager are not thrilled with that.
You'll never walk alone.

Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)


I don't know the specific make-up of the Russian field, but I've played on FieldTurf before and if there is any sort of inclement weather (as I suspect Russia in October can provide) I'd prefer the fake stuff to real turf.  It holds up much better.



By the way, the US has assembled a pretty solid Euro-based squad to face Switzerland in a friendly on Wednesday.  We should have our full compliment of defenders there, which will hopefully make up for a lack of midfield help.
Lead Columnist for D3hoops.com
@ryanalanscott just about anywhere