2008/09 Soccer Thread in Shock £50m Chelsea Switch! (And Other Ludicrousness)

TheGameguru wrote:

TO was ousted on the Superstars!!! :(

*cough*

93_confirmed wrote:
TheGameguru wrote:

TO was ousted on the Superstars!!! :(

TO should play for the USA soccer team. His speed and decent ball handling skills might be a nice addition.

Gods knows he has a hard time catching. Perhaps his feet are better.

Just finished watching the USA-Spain match ... I felt like I was watching Real Madrid or Barca napping against Real Betis. While this win is great I am still not convinced.

maxox wrote:

Just finished watching the USA-Spain match ... I felt like I was watching Real Madrid or Barca napping against Real Betis. While this win is great I am still not convinced.

Maybe so, but like Al Davis says, "Just win, baby!".

pop58 wrote:
maxox wrote:

Just finished watching the USA-Spain match ... I felt like I was watching Real Madrid or Barca napping against Real Betis. While this win is great I am still not convinced.

Maybe so, but like Al Davis says, "Just win, baby!".

While it is a great accomplishment ultimately it means nothing. Possession was 65-35 Spain last time they showed it. Let's not get a false confidence over a counter-attacking team that still doesn't seem to have any inkling of what it is doing tactically. The back 4 of Spector-DeMerit-Onyewu-Bocanegra (and Bradley-Clark dropping back) weathered the storm this time and their play was encouraging, but much like in the NFL you can't keep your defense on the field 65% of the time and expect to keep winning.

If we beat Brazil in the Final and Mexico at Azteca then I'll eat crow.

maxox wrote:
pop58 wrote:
maxox wrote:

Just finished watching the USA-Spain match ... I felt like I was watching Real Madrid or Barca napping against Real Betis. While this win is great I am still not convinced.

Maybe so, but like Al Davis says, "Just win, baby!".

While it is a great accomplishment ultimately it means nothing. Possession was 65-35 Spain last time they showed it. Let's not get a false confidence over a counter-attacking team that still doesn't seem to have any inkling of what it is doing tactically. The back 4 of Spector-DeMerit-Onyewu-Bocanegra (and Bradley-Clark dropping back) weathered the storm this time and their play was encouraging, but much like in the NFL you can't keep your defense on the field 65% of the time and expect to keep winning.

If we beat Brazil in the Final and Mexico at Azteca then I'll eat crow.

In that eventuality, what condiments do you prefer?

I might be eating crow for assuming Brazil. Tight game so far (75th minute).

It was like winning a preseason NFL game - meaningless in the context of anything else. Spain played poorly and still managed 29 shots, and from the highlights I saw Howard demonstrated his usual shotstopping ability to keep the US in the game. Both goals were a result of poor play by Spain - out of position CB's and an appalling one handed flap by Casillas for the first, closely followed by a spectacular example of Sergio Ramos's mental inadequacies as he attempted to control a ball in his own six yard box rather than hoofing it.

In other news, it's being reported that Man City have bid €15m plus Elano for Brazil RB Maicon. I didn't think RB was a need position, but Inter are keen on Elano, so may be a possibility.

maxox wrote:

I might be eating crow for assuming Brazil. Tight game so far (75th minute).

Dani Alves wins it, and shows the world he got his own name tattooed on his body. More or less tasteless than Steve-O having himself tattooed on his back?

Prederick wrote:

More or less tasteless than Steve-O having himself tattooed on his back?

No, that's so the coroner can identify his body in case a stunt goes horribly, horribly wrong.

davet010 wrote:

It was like winning a preseason NFL game - meaningless in the context of anything else. Spain played poorly and still managed 29 shots, and from the highlights I saw Howard demonstrated his usual shotstopping ability to keep the US in the game. Both goals were a result of poor play by Spain - out of position CB's and an appalling one handed flap by Casillas for the first, closely followed by a spectacular example of Sergio Ramos's mental inadequacies as he attempted to control a ball in his own six yard box rather than hoofing it.

That's a poor analogy. The Confederations Cup is an important tournament for the countries that are in it and most of the teams (including Spain) are playing their best players with the intent of winning it all. NFL Preseason is notch above practice with the goal of checking out inexperienced players and very little concern about wins and losses.

The 'Spain played poorly' argument is lame. They had 60%+ possession, 29 shots, and pretty much camped out for the latter 45 minutes in USA's third of the field. Plenty of opportunities to score and they couldn't do it because of a combination of goalkeeping and D inside the box. And in regards to the USA goals, sure there was some luck with the deflections but they shot and scored no matter how you slice it.

Spain had every intention of winning the game and playing on against Brazil in the final. They failed - period.

BlackSheep wrote:

The 87th minute red card ...... was a terrible call, but the US somehow got just in front of nearly every good look on goal that Spain had to deflect or stop it altogether.

Yeah that's how I saw it too.

trip1eX wrote:
BlackSheep wrote:

The 87th minute red card ...... was a terrible call, but the US somehow got just in front of nearly every good look on goal that Spain had to deflect or stop it altogether.

Yeah that's how I saw it too.

Here is an article stating the obvious (to USA fans) about the USA being on the wrong end of too many important calls.

Not going to lie I didn't see the game but caught the highlights for the 2 goals and it was pretty bad stuff on Spain's part. Its that kind of inconsistency that has plagued them in the past that they managed to shed last year at the Euro to win it.

Brazil has an interesting team. Its a powerhouse but not comparable IMO to ones not so long ago that had guys like Roberto Carlos, Cafu, Rivaldo, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho in them. Considering how long South Africa stuck around the US has a punchers chance against them but at the same time Brazil has the technical level to put teams away when served up the chances.

for example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXWQO...

if you setup a wall like that vs Dani Alves I expect the same result 9/10 times.

jowner wrote:

Not going to lie I didn't see the game but caught the highlights for the 2 goals and it was pretty bad stuff on Spain's part. Its that kind of inconsistency that has plagued them in the past that they managed to shed last year at the Euro to win it.

Tell me about it....I used to bet on them at the start of every tournament, until I got sick of them making a pig's ear of it every time (or even before time, as when Santi Canizares got knocked out of the WC squad after dropping a bottle of aftershave on his foot), and then stopped - right before Euro 08

In proper football news, it is being reported that when the Ladyboy moves from the Spawn of Satan to the FIFA-approved Ruiners of Football, then Man U will receive the £80m transfer fee....in cash, and in full. Expect more ludicrous bids from them.

Liverpool have also refinanced their debt, on the back of one of the Yanks selling his stake in the Montreal Canadiens. Note that he hasn't reduced it, merely spread it out. Might give Rafa Benitez a bit more to play with, though paying £18m for Glen Johnson isn't a stunning recommendation for giving him more to splurge.

davet010 wrote:

or even before time, as when Santi Canizares got knocked out of the WC squad after dropping a bottle of aftershave on his foot

Oh, remember that.
They came 3rd in group in 1998 where they had great squad (young Raul, Luis Enrique, Hierro) because of Zubizaretta's strange own goal against Nigeria, remember that?

UCRC wrote:
davet010 wrote:

or even before time, as when Santi Canizares got knocked out of the WC squad after dropping a bottle of aftershave on his foot

Oh, remember that.
They came 3rd in group in 1998 where they had great squad (young Raul, Luis Enrique, Hierro) because of Zubizaretta's strange own goal against Nigeria, remember that?

Yes, I was working in Belfast that year, and no one in the hotel bar I was in understood why I was so annoyed, as I could see my £20 bet disappearing up in smoke.

I think Luis Enrique is one of my top ten all time favourite European players. Hierro, on the other hand, was an extremely unpleasant neo-fascist who ended up playing at Bolton Wanderers, which I would almost regard as punishment enough.

Ugh some of the English rags are running the rumor that Wenger is going to sell Ade to AC to finance the hijacking of Benzema from Lyon to United.

I made that transfer rumor up last year and its my dream. Benzema under Wenger the way Arsenal play. Its just perfect dream match made in heaven. Stop teasing me timesonline and newsoftheworld and hey f*ck you dailystar were not in for Ribery for 40m.

I'd much rather have Ribery than Benzema, though. Never mind, you could always sell Adebayor (and Kolo Toure to City, allegedly) to finance the purchase of Darren Bent from Spurs, whose value appears to have mysteriously risen by £2m from his time of purchase, despite Spurs ending up reacquiring both Defoe and Keane. I can't see anyone with £18m to spend doing so on Darren Bent.

Speaking of bent, and Spurs, brings me neatly to something perfectly pitched to warm the cockles of my heart....yes, it's another dodgy transfer investigation (for using unlicensed agents), and why don't we all have a guess who was involved ? Yes.....it's Spurs, and yes, it's Harry Redknapp (at Portsmouth) over the initial sale of Jermaine Defoe. Last year, I believe Luton were docked 10 points for the same offence, so let's get the season off to a great start with a similar penalty for these two crooks (Spurs chairman Daniel Levy and Redknapp), and now that they are at the same place, let's cut Pompey out of it and just start Spurs off on -20.

I would ordinarily say that any chairman with integrity (stop laughing at the back) would dismiss Redknapp if this were proven, but as the chairman in this case is also accused, I won't be holding my breath.

davet010 wrote:

I'd much rather have Ribery than Benzema, though. Never mind, you could always sell Adebayor (and Kolo Toure to City, allegedly) to finance the purchase of Darren Bent from Spurs, whose value appears to have mysteriously risen by £2m from his time of purchase, despite Spurs ending up reacquiring both Defoe and Keane. I can't see anyone with £18m to spend doing so on Darren Bent.

Unless they're Sunderland.

Sunderland were looking to pay about £10m for him, not £18m. The thought that anyone believes him to be worth even £10m is quite disturbing.

It's 74th minute and scoreboard reads: RSA 1 Spain 0. Even more of crappy defending, especially poor marking from Raul Albiol, Real's new man. But let's give hosts the justice, they're decent at defending and creative going forward.

Pretty good 3rd place game. 3 goals in 5 minutes at the end of regulation. Then again I'm saying it is good because I turned it on late and got to see goals.

SA were a little unlucky in extra time, Casillas had to make 2 or 3 very good saves. Spain looked v ropey at the back, SA kept springing the offside trap with ease.

OMG!!!! USA 2-0 at half! Why must I be at work right now?!

Crap 2-2! Wake up USA!

maxox wrote:

Pretty good 3rd place game. 3 goals in 5 minutes at the end of regulation. Then again I'm saying it is good because I turned it on late and got to see goals.

Yeah, exactly. I watched last 20 minutes of regular time and it was awesome.

Oh well. We made a good go at it at least.

dumb_kid wrote:

Oh well. We made a good go at it at least.

Yeah. I'm disappointed, of course, but they made a great go of it. I really did like what Donovan had to say after the final whistle, that we aren't looking for respect anymore, that it's about results.

Disappointed as they are, I want them t take this momentum into Azteca and beat Mexico's ass.

dumb_kid wrote:

Oh well. We made a good go at it at least.

I saw only second half, but comparing this to RSA performances against Brazil and Spain, hosts deserved that place in final much more.
Side note: how could linesman not see that Kaka header crossing the line?