2011/12 Soccer Thread - Because Vacations Are For Cowards

I didn't get to see Alexis Sanchez this year because he didn't play in the only Udinese match I watched, but what a player. Terrific second-half from him in the Chile-Uruguay game with Chile dominating possession. A shame none of the Chile matches have been broadcasted but I just discovered that the Canadian network broadcasting the Copa America is streaming the matches.

davet010 wrote:

Being reported in the local paper as £30m per annum. Quite right about the other teams getting support though - Real Madrid's bogus €500m deal from the local authority sticks long in the craw of those really interested in financial 'fair play'

I stand corrected. The Guadian originally reported it was a 10-year deal valued at about £100 million. They've since said "up to £400m".

Roke wrote:

I didn't get to see Alexis Sanchez this year because he didn't play in the only Udinese match I watched, but what a player. Terrific second-half from him in the Chile-Uruguay game with Chile dominating possession. A shame none of the Chile matches have been broadcasted but I just discovered that the Canadian network broadcasting the Copa America is streaming the matches.

Hah, I've only saw the first half How did it end?

Oh England. (RE: Women's World Cup) As opposed to the men's team, I felt genuinely disappointed for this lot. And i'm probably going to be more disappointed when Brazil vivisects the USWNT.

Prederick wrote:

Oh England. (RE: Women's World Cup) As opposed to the men's team, I felt genuinely disappointed for this lot. And i'm probably going to be more disappointed when Brazil vivisects the USWNT.

Come now, we can do this!

Prederick wrote:

Oh England. (RE: Women's World Cup) As opposed to the men's team, I felt genuinely disappointed for this lot. And i'm probably going to be more disappointed when Brazil vivisects the USWNT.

Must be in our DNA. Unfortunately, the match still looked like 22 labradors chasing a casey round the beach.

UCRC wrote:
Roke wrote:

I didn't get to see Alexis Sanchez this year because he didn't play in the only Udinese match I watched, but what a player. Terrific second-half from him in the Chile-Uruguay game with Chile dominating possession. A shame none of the Chile matches have been broadcasted but I just discovered that the Canadian network broadcasting the Copa America is streaming the matches.

Hah, I've only saw the first half How did it end?

1-1 draw with Chile dominating possession. When Uruguay got the ball they didn't do anything with it.

I didn't expect to get absorbed by Japan v. Germany, but I did when I tuned in for the 2nd half, and Japan just pulled off the biggest upset in WWC history, knocking out the European and World champions. The winner was a damn fine pass and finish as well. Wow, that was fun.

W imię globalizmu, pierwsze zdanie tego postu jest w języku polskim. Przynajmniej, Google Translate, że to właśnie w języku polskim. Osobiście jestem pewien jego czytelność.

Anyway, Unirea Urziceni of Romania has ceased to exist, if Brazil or Argentina wins the Copa America it will be because everyone else let them or that CONMEBOL is that weak, Almunia and Bendtner are on their way out of Arsenal (no shock there), the world's least deserving Ballon d'Or winner Fernando Cannavaro has retired, match-fixing in Turkey, Paul Scholes slams England players, Erik Lamela to Roma, and the Cesc to Barca story will never end.

Blimey, who would have thought you could get so much information into three lines of what I guess is Polish ?

In other news, some German bloke has spat the dummy about City, even hinting that City might be 'exiled from Europe'. Some news for you, Fritz - you don't get to make them decisions, even if you are Platini's catamite.

Translation of story. BM tap up City player. City refuse to sell him for their ludicrous offer. Fritz has a whine, pining for them good old days when BM just bullied any Bundesliga team into selling them anyone they wanted. And they wonder why they are despised in Germany.

It's also odd that in the great pantheon of 'disgraceful' deals that Etihad's sponsorship of a significant area of East Manchester including large scale regeneration supported by the City Council is somehow worse than the €120m one Juventus signed in 2005 with a Libyan oil company. Not long after they had Gaddafi's son on trial.

Roke wrote:

1-1 draw with Chile dominating possession. When Uruguay got the ball they didn't do anything with it.

[smug filter]Reading Zonal Marking this morning[/smug filter] I was surprised to discover that Bielsa isn't coaching them anymore.
Still, both teams lined up with three-man defences, so it was very interesting to observe, even when it got so scrappy.

As for Unirea, something tangential: I don't know about other countries around here (Czech, Slovakia etc.), but in Poland it's pretty common for owners to, uh, disband whole clubs or merge with other for mostly financial reasons: club from smaller cities backed by local bussiness decide to move to bigger cities or their backers just lose interest.
To make Dave happy, I've chosen two teams that have beaten City in Europe as examples:

1) Groclin Grodzisk Dyskobolia was very successful team from town of only seven thousand backed by local factory of car parts. In 2008 the owner decided to relocate to bigger city and settled on Polonia Warszawa. Groclin was relegated to fourth division and their license migrated (along with all staff and players) to Polonia.

2) Whole of current Lech Poznań setup is based on 90s club Amica (taking it's name from producer of kitchenware) which was based in Wronki, 12k city some fifty kilometres from Poznań. In 2005 whole squad and licence went to Lech, because for Amica it made more sense to back high-profile club with biggest support in the country.
Meanwhile Amica left without sponsor is doing pretty well and playing in third division, thank you for asking.

Oh wait, I think I've already written about Groclin once. edit: wait, did I just spend 20 minutes researching this?

Prederick wrote:

Przynajmniej, Google Translate, że to właśnie w języku polskim.

At least Google Translate that it in actually Polish language.

See, the lesson is 'Beat City and die' !

Other than the obvious Wimbledon - MK Dons situation, the only similar occasions I can think of is in Scotland, where Airdrie went bust and bought out Clydebank FC to re-form, or when Meadowbank Thistle were moved to Livingstone.

Man, the Brazilians are far better passers than the US women. Same thing in the men's game, really - US players don't seem to play with much finesse. I don't know if you'd call the US game "power soccer", but it's not super pretty, even when it's good.

That said, very pleased to be up 1-0 at the half!

I am going to have a heart attack. Thankfully, my daughter thinks daddy screaming and going wild is funny.

Maybe it is.

What an amazing performance by the US women! Heart of a champion, baby!

I got no love for that ref, but at least she didn't keep the US women from advancing.

Go USA! Let's win this thing!

Every time that there's something that could get Americans interested in soccer, the game gives a bunch of reasons why they shouldn't.

iaintgotnopants wrote:

Every time that there's something that could get Americans interested in soccer, the game gives a bunch of reasons why they shouldn't.

...I don't think that game contributes to that. If we hadn't gotten the right result, sure, but everyone on my Facebook feed is super pumped.

Almunia + Bendtner out, Gervinho in and Wenger convincing Nasri to stay would be a great week for Arsenal.

Poor papers would have to cool off the doomsday reports.

Oh, Karl-Heinz. It's OK when Bayern do it, but obviously not the other way round...you rancid snake.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot...

The Vancouver Whitecaps have a press conference announcing a new player tomorrow. If they sign Owen Hargreaves my Whitecaps blogger/fan friend is going to absolutely lose it. I'm kind of hoping the player is Hargreaves just to see the fireworks.

I'm not sure what that kind of signing would say about the MLS. A perma-crocked player whose best years are far, far, FAR behind him? Is Michael Owen coming too? I'm not sure if Hargreaves would be good, because it'd show the MLS is willing to take all sorts of players, or good because it shows the MLS has grown to a point where they can make terrible personnel decisions just like every other league, or bad because there is nothing exciting about holding midfielders.

EDIT: Do we even dare to imagine the kind of financial shenanigans that had to occur to make this happen? And i'm sure it'll work out just as well as it did last time.

Prederick wrote:

EDIT: Do we even dare to imagine the kind of financial shenanigans that had to occur to make this happen? And i'm sure it'll work out just as well as it did last time.

If it happens, I don't give a crap if they sold the Brazilian national grid. Just a few points.

£35m ain't enough.
City should not be involved in paying any of his wages.
Sell-on clause should be invoked whereby any resale back into Europe nets City 10%.

I'd still prefer the 'Higuain plus €25m' option, but there you go.

According to reports, Corinthians are actually quite flush - TV deal is worth £50m p.a, shirt sponsorship about £25m and they are either planning or building a 68,000 seater stadium. So let's see the colour of the money, and let's see if El Wet Dog is serious about going back to play in S America for the sake of his missus and kids.

davet010 wrote:
Prederick wrote:

EDIT: Do we even dare to imagine the kind of financial shenanigans that had to occur to make this happen? And i'm sure it'll work out just as well as it did last time.

If it happens, I don't give a crap if they sold the Brazilian national grid. Just a few points.

£35m ain't enough.
City should not be involved in paying any of his wages.
Sell-on clause should be invoked whereby any resale back into Europe nets City 10%.

I'd still prefer the 'Higuain plus €25m' option, but there you go.

According to reports, Corinthians are actually quite flush - TV deal is worth £50m p.a, shirt sponsorship about £25m and they are either planning or building a 68,000 seater stadium. So let's see the colour of the money, and let's see if El Wet Dog is serious about going back to play in S America for the sake of his missus and kids.

35m pounds is enough.. problem is like every deal in this transfer window its all window dressing.

That actual 35m is over several years probably in the wrong currency and with you footing a portion of his wage most likely....

Similar would be the 20m for Nasri. The Arsenal bloggers are all getting their panties in a twist that you have to take 20m for him if he walks next year. Problem is there is no 20m bid in reality. Sure City have stupid money to throw around but they can have him free next year if they actually do have him tapped up.

People need to remember papers =/ reality.

Anyways Wenger has pretty much came out and said hes willing to lose Nasri for free.... So hes not leaving. Which makes sense to me cause Nasri isn't Clichy. Hes worth that gamble to try and keep. If hes honest and Arsenal go on to compete and win this year and still walks hes the hypocrite and he can go on to have fabulous careers like, Flamini, Hleb and Ade who all thought they were much better then they were.

I don't wish well to Chelsea but its sad to see Essien out for 6months. Great player to watch when on his game.

Andy Carroll was £35m, City have been quoted £40m for Aguero.

Therefore, £35m is not enough. And if we need him off the books for FFP purposes, then paying large portions of his wages is not going to achieve that.

Oh, and I don't want Nasri above anyone else - the guy is a lightweight, a flat-track bully. Much rather have Sneijder and Eto'o (for Tevez and £10m, if required). Not likely, I know, but I felt Nasri flattered to deceive at the end of the season when the big boys come out to play.

France looked really good today, but USA still pulled it off. Tough for France, great for me.

@TheBillWalton: After witnessing the courage of the US Women's soccer team, comparing Chris Bosh to a female athlete is disrespect to every female athlete.

lol.

Venezuela - Paraguay today at Copa America, Venezuela is leading the group (completed by Brazil and Ecuador) and is already qualified for the quarter finals, but we'll rather win today than risking a theoretically tougher opponent next match. Wish us luck.

Tell us how did it go when it's over, I'm going to sleep

Downing to Liverpool.... and yet another signing by the top clubs that has me not shaking in my boots.

so far for Liverpool.... Downing 20m region o_0, Charlie Adam, and Henderson.

So far Liverpool and United have managed to buy and spend money on 0 players I am envious besides maybe DeGea if he pans out yet im not holding my breath on a 20 year old keeper.

UCRC wrote:

Tell us how did it go when it's over, I'm going to sleep ;)

There you go!

We classified second due to Brazil's higher goal average, we'll face Chile next sunday, and there's plenty of chance we'll be facing Brazil again if we enter the semis.

Stuart Downing, £20m. Two things I never thought I would see in the same sentence.

Liverpool really going hard to ensure they finish top of the 'We've qualified for the Europa League !' league.

And only spent £75m to do it.