2017-2018 GENERAL FOOTBALL (SOCCER) THREAD
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marga86
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 03, 2017 8:10 am    Post subject:

Aeneas Hunter wrote:
The Adidas contract is bigger than the TV contracts. MLS is in a weird place right now. It's doing well by any reasonable standard. The quality of play has improved tremendously, and most games are played in actual soccer stadiums with no hash marks. MLS has gotten past the retirement league phase. But it's not as good as LigaMX and it will always get compared to the big Euro leagues. American fans are not patient.


There have also been mumblings about their ratings (which have vastly improved of the years) being some what inaccurate.. This season specifically hasn't been as successful, ratings wise, as it was expected based on previous growth.

I do agree, the league is in a weird spot. The fans need to abandon the european leagues and ferment the local league.. it's the only way. The salaries need to be addressed too, you can't have a player on the pitch earning $6M and another earning $90k.. Hopefully the TV deal allows them to spread the wealth a little better. I get why they have franchise tags, but dang man. One of the few good things liga MX has going for it is how well it pays it's players relative to latin america, and how even salaries are across the board.
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 03, 2017 10:22 am    Post subject:

My main problem with the game itself isn't the lack of technical ability or bad tactics, it's that the game moves slow. Not necessarily lack of speed among individuals, but lack of speed in the transitions between defense, midfield, and attack and in the passing. The game lacks dynamism. I guess it's just a product of lack of talent, compared to Europe.
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Aeneas Hunter
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 03, 2017 2:56 pm    Post subject:

MLS is a mixed bag. I've seen some really well played games. It's not going to have the dynamism of the top leagues in Europe, and you wouldn't expect it to. On the other hand, I saw a few EPL games last year that were pretty poor.

The thing about MLS that has impressed me the most is the rise of home grown supporter culture in a many cities. Actually, there is a lot of that in the lower divisions, too. There are a surprising number of people who embrace soccer as a participatory experience.
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 03, 2017 2:58 pm    Post subject:

Unbelievable.

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Fabrizio Romano‏Verified account
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Official: Neymar's release clause has been paid to Barcelona from PSG: €222M! Biggest transfer ever is now done 🇧🇷💰 #NeymarPSG


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FC Barcelona communiqué on Neymar Jr


They're sooo bitter.

At least be more like North Ferriby and have a laugh.
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lakersken80
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 03, 2017 6:07 pm    Post subject:

Aeneas Hunter wrote:
MLS is a mixed bag. I've seen some really well played games. It's not going to have the dynamism of the top leagues in Europe, and you wouldn't expect it to. On the other hand, I saw a few EPL games last year that were pretty poor.

The thing about MLS that has impressed me the most is the rise of home grown supporter culture in a many cities. Actually, there is a lot of that in the lower divisions, too. There are a surprising number of people who embrace soccer as a participatory experience.


Seattle, Portland, Orlando, Atlanta, areas of the country you probably didn't think would support soccer have openly embraced their MLS teams.
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Aeneas Hunter
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 03, 2017 7:04 pm    Post subject:

lakersken80 wrote:
Aeneas Hunter wrote:
MLS is a mixed bag. I've seen some really well played games. It's not going to have the dynamism of the top leagues in Europe, and you wouldn't expect it to. On the other hand, I saw a few EPL games last year that were pretty poor.

The thing about MLS that has impressed me the most is the rise of home grown supporter culture in a many cities. Actually, there is a lot of that in the lower divisions, too. There are a surprising number of people who embrace soccer as a participatory experience.


Seattle, Portland, Orlando, Atlanta, areas of the country you probably didn't think would support soccer have openly embraced their MLS teams.


I wouldn't put Seattle and Portland on that list. They did pretty well in the USL. I can remember watching them play back in the days of Fox Soccer Channel. Cincinnati has been the real eye-opener for me. They've drawn over 30,000 several times with a USL team. That's the most dramatic story, but there are USL teams in places like San Antonio and Louisville that are drawing 5,000 to 10,000 on a fairly consistent basis.

Orlando and Atlanta are interesting stories, for sure. Orlando has its Brazilian owner with Kaka on the roster. Now they have Dwyer. Atlanta has the same owner as the Falcons and hired a former Barcelona coach. Atlanta in particular seems to have shaken things up in the league, in terms of getting out of the cookie cutter mindset that you tend to see in MLS.
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 03, 2017 7:28 pm    Post subject:

Wilt wrote:
My main problem with the game itself isn't the lack of technical ability or bad tactics, it's that the game moves slow. Not necessarily lack of speed among individuals, but lack of speed in the transitions between defense, midfield, and attack and in the passing. The game lacks dynamism. I guess it's just a product of lack of talent, compared to Europe.
or you just only watch Real Madrid which is very different from the majority of the world.
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marga86
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 04, 2017 10:13 am    Post subject:

Wilt wrote:
My main problem with the game itself isn't the lack of technical ability or bad tactics, it's that the game moves slow. Not necessarily lack of speed among individuals, but lack of speed in the transitions between defense, midfield, and attack and in the passing. The game lacks dynamism. I guess it's just a product of lack of talent, compared to Europe.


to be honest, outside of 4-5 clubs in la liga, the quality there is pretty bad itself.

watching alaves vs betis is far from exciting.. Even Valencia is boring these days.

I think the EPL, followed by the bunderliga and liga mx are by far the most exciting leagues to watch. EPL may end up with the table looking the same year after year, but the race has gotten tighter and the intensity makes it so you never know whos going to win, even if there is a favorite.

Just my take really.. I find nothing exciting about unpredictability -- take it from a guy that loves football, but doesnt have any favorites in europe... even the champs league gets predictable these days... 2-3 teams will shuffle out of the top 8.. arsenal will somehow choke, some italian team will put up a fight, spain's top teams will likely end up in Semis, bayern to give everyone a headache.. blah blah blah. Same story, different year.

I do agree, MLS' worst issue is their coaching.
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 08, 2017 7:29 pm    Post subject:

Okay, what the heck -- EPL preseason predictions. Yes, I know that predictions are problematic when the transfer window is still open. Make whatever assumptions you want.

Top 6:

Man City
Man U
Chelsea
Tottenham
Liverpool (unless they can do something big with the 90M euros they're getting for Coutinho, which I don't think they can)
Arsenal

Relegated:

Huddersfield
Swansea
Burnley

First Manager Sacked:

Hughes (Stoke)
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Wilt
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 08, 2017 9:10 pm    Post subject:

Manchester United was absolutely brutal today in the European Super Cup, and Madrid wasn't even playing great. The score wasn't really indicative of how the game went. Madrid hit the post a couple times, and displayed some fitness problems late in the game, which gave United some life.
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 08, 2017 9:21 pm    Post subject:

I wonder what Liverpool is going to do with all that money. I hear Aquilani is available...

My meaningless premier league top 4 :

1. Man City
2. Spurs
3. Arsenal
4. Chelsea
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Moses
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 09, 2017 8:49 am    Post subject:

I think Liverpool and Spurs are the ones finishing outside of top 4.

Liverpool, especially if they lose Coutinho, just strike me as the worst squad of the top 6 in terms of star quality and match winner type players.

Spurs I think haven't strengthened in line with some of the other clubs around them, and playing at Wembley will likely be an adjustment for them compared to their WHL pitch.

Man City are my pick to win the league.
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Wilt
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 09, 2017 5:47 pm    Post subject:

City will probably win it.

The other 5 spots will come down to the final few weeks of the season. All those teams are similar in strength.
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Aeneas Hunter
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 09, 2017 7:11 pm    Post subject:

Moses wrote:
I think Liverpool and Spurs are the ones finishing outside of top 4.

Liverpool, especially if they lose Coutinho, just strike me as the worst squad of the top 6 in terms of star quality and match winner type players.

Spurs I think haven't strengthened in line with some of the other clubs around them, and playing at Wembley will likely be an adjustment for them compared to their WHL pitch.


I agree with that assessment, but I think Arsenal may be in a death spiral. If Wenger makes me eat those words, good for him. However, I wouldn't be surprised at all if Everton or West Ham finished above Arsenal.

As for Liverpool, I'm not sure what's up with Coutinho. If Barcelona really offered 90M euros, or 85M + 15M in add-ons, they should have done the deal. Notwithstanding the Neymar silliness, that is more than Coutinho is worth in my opinion.
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Wilt
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 09, 2017 7:52 pm    Post subject:

Forget Neymar, the Kyle Walker deal increased everyone's value in England. If a defender (who isn't even that great of a player) is worth almost 60 million euros, then someone like Coutinho should be sold close to a 100 million.
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 09, 2017 8:22 pm    Post subject:

Wilt wrote:
Manchester United was absolutely brutal today in the European Super Cup, and Madrid wasn't even playing great. The score wasn't really indicative of how the game went. Madrid hit the post a couple times, and displayed some fitness problems late in the game, which gave United some life.


Played decently for about 30 mins (first 10 mins and last 20 after Lukaku scored); still need another winger and maybe a leftback.
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Aeneas Hunter
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 10, 2017 4:34 am    Post subject:

Wilt wrote:
Forget Neymar, the Kyle Walker deal increased everyone's value in England. If a defender (who isn't even that great of a player) is worth almost 60 million euros, then someone like Coutinho should be sold close to a 100 million.


Maybe. Man City paid almost that much for John Stones last year. Maybe Walker will turn out to be worth the money.
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 11, 2017 6:13 am    Post subject:

Things heating up on the Coutinho transfer saga.

Quote:

James Pearce
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Coutinho made the transfer request via email around 1pm today. #LFC adamant that it changes nothing and he won't be sold.
5:57 AM · Aug 11, 2017


After failing to acquire VVD, this window has taken a turn for the worse for Liverpool fans.
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 11, 2017 6:24 am    Post subject:

Will he go on a strike like Dembele did in Dortmund?

Hopefully this won't set a precedent, similar to holdouts in the NFL.


Looks like Mbappe is not going to Madrid after all. Reportedly, he demanded too much money and so did Monaco for the transfer. Latest reports say he's about to go to PSG.

Madrid still needs to add a striker.
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Aeneas Hunter
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 11, 2017 7:45 am    Post subject:

This really is the silly season. I really don't understand why these kids get so wound up about playing for Real or Barcelona. I know the obvious, instinctive response from Real and Barca fans, but take a deep breath and think about it for a minute. How many kids have basically wrecked their careers chasing the "dream"?
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marga86
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 11, 2017 8:37 am    Post subject:

Aeneas Hunter wrote:
This really is the silly season. I really don't understand why these kids get so wound up about playing for Real or Barcelona. I know the obvious, instinctive response from Real and Barca fans, but take a deep breath and think about it for a minute. How many kids have basically wrecked their careers chasing the "dream"?


Barca and Real Madrid literally ate up the market in the mid 2000s and never let it go. Kids eat it like candy -- no one wants to be the giant slayer, they all want to join the giant. In my eyes, that adds that much more value to what dudes like Gerrard do, what teams like Atletico do. They have to slay giants with endless budgets.

Barca wont miss out on Dembele, much to people's dismay, they will dish out the cash necessary. The sad part is seeing them rip coutinho away from liverpool, he is a special player in my eyes... people think he is good, but i dont think he gets the praise he deserves.

the current state of euro football is sad (in my opinion), definitely miss other big players like Inter and AC Milan. Heck i look at that 2002 milan roster and cringe, such a good team.
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 11, 2017 10:27 am    Post subject:

Eh, I think this is cyclical. We just passed through a period of Spanish hegemony, and you can already see it fading. This is not to say that Real and Barca are about to become ordinary teams. It's that they rode a wave for ten years that was based on a golden generation from Spain, plus a relative handful of imported stars like Ronaldo and Messi. I don't mean to troll La Liga fans, but here's a serious question: Who is the best Spanish player in La Liga under the age of 30? Busquets, maybe? When you go outside your country, you start to pay large premiums for players, and that changes everything.

I'm old enough to remember when Serie A ruled the world. It wasn't that long ago that the EPL had three teams in the UCL semis. La Liga had an impressive run, especially with some of the smaller clubs like Sevilla. However, (1) the market will tend to level things out, and (2) the rest of the world has absorbed or adapted to the Spanish style of play. This is the way things work in sports. Barca or Real Madrid may very well win the UCL again this year, but the pack is catching up with them.

What I don't get is why these kids get so wound up about going to Real or Barca. I have no problem with a kid wanting to play for one of those clubs, or for Man U, Bayern Munich, Juventus, AC Milan, or whoever. I get it. A lot more kids dream of playing for the Yankees than the Brewers. But you don't see a lot of kids acting out when they don't get a transfer to one of the other big clubs. It makes me wonder how much "tapping up" is going on.
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 11, 2017 10:35 am    Post subject:

Best Spanish player under 30? As of right now, it's clearly Isco. He might be the best player in Madrid.

You also have Carvajal, probably the best right back in the world.

David de Gea, Thiago, Asensio, Koke, Morata, etc. All young and talented players.
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Aeneas Hunter
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 11, 2017 11:19 am    Post subject:

Wilt wrote:
Best Spanish player under 30? As of right now, it's clearly Isco. He might be the best player in Madrid.

You also have Carvajal, probably the best right back in the world.

David de Gea, Thiago, Asensio, Koke, Morata, etc. All young and talented players.


Isco? He gets a lot of hype, I suppose. Otherwise, you've got a right back and some guys who don't play in La Liga (which was specified in my question). When you get down to guys like Asensio and Koke, you're making my point. This generation of Spanish players is unremarkable, at least compared to the previous generation.
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 11, 2017 1:06 pm    Post subject:

Arsenal's gonna Arsenal.

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