Random Soccer Chatter

Pro Sports 4,462 replies 106,000 views
Mulva's avatar
Mulva
Posts: 13,650
Feb 22, 2012 4:41pm
Bayern will probably win by 3 goals at home, but still a surprising result there.
OSH's avatar
OSH
Posts: 4,145
Feb 23, 2012 8:18pm
Well, Man United sweated that one out. Although Ajax won 2-1, United advances on aggregate 3-2. On to the round of 16 in Europa...
OneBuckeye's avatar
OneBuckeye
Posts: 5,888
Feb 26, 2012 8:37am
Anyone know where I can watch the arsenal and hotspur game?
Laley23's avatar
Laley23
Posts: 29,506
Feb 26, 2012 8:58am
Spurs up early, 1-0 in the 26th minute.
OneBuckeye's avatar
OneBuckeye
Posts: 5,888
Feb 26, 2012 9:10am
0-2 Spurs. Bale draws a penalty and Adebayor buried it.
Laley23's avatar
Laley23
Posts: 29,506
Feb 26, 2012 9:16am
Wow, that was quick. 2-2. Sagna first then Van Persie with a great curler.
OneBuckeye's avatar
OneBuckeye
Posts: 5,888
Feb 26, 2012 9:19am
Are you watching the game? I am just reading a live blog. Any idea where I can watch it?
iclfan2's avatar
iclfan2
Posts: 6,360
Feb 26, 2012 9:27am
Channel 1318 on Time Warner has the Arsenal vs. Tottenham game. Chelse vs. Bolton was decent yesterday un til Chelsea pulled away in the 2nd half. Lamphard and Drogba both got one.
iclfan2's avatar
iclfan2
Posts: 6,360
Feb 26, 2012 9:58am
What a turnaround for Arsenal. Von Persi is a boss, and great run on that last goal by Walcott (sp?).
SportsAndLady's avatar
SportsAndLady
Posts: 35,632
Feb 26, 2012 11:40am
OneBuckeye;1096126 wrote:Are you watching the game? I am just reading a live blog. Any idea where I can watch it?
google first row sports whenever you want to watch a sporting event

I say google it because the url is always changing. Pretty sure it's firstrowsports.eu right now, but I just google it and it works.
Laley23's avatar
Laley23
Posts: 29,506
Feb 26, 2012 11:47am
iclfan2;1096144 wrote:What a turnaround for Arsenal. Von Persi is a boss, and great run on that last goal by Walcott (sp?).
I had to quote cause I got a chuckle. Theo Walcott is spelled right, but Von Persi is all kinds of wrong. Robin Van Persie.

Anyway, I watched the first half, then I had to leave the apt. Quite a 2nd half though, it would appear, from Arsenal.
OSH's avatar
OSH
Posts: 4,145
Feb 26, 2012 6:17pm
Wow...I'd like to catch a replay of the Carling Cup final and the Arsenal/Tottenham games.

I don't want to see a replay of Man United and Norwich City though...sheesh! United has to rely on the vets to get it done...The Ginger Prince in the 7' and Giggsy celebrating his 900th appearance with the winner in second half stoppage. Unbelievable.

Hard to believe there are only 12 (or so) EPL games left this season...
OSH's avatar
OSH
Posts: 4,145
Feb 29, 2012 8:02am
Big day today for US soccer...

USWNT plays at noon against Denmark in the Algarve Cup.

USMNT plays at 2:30ish against Italy.
OneBuckeye's avatar
OneBuckeye
Posts: 5,888
Feb 29, 2012 8:36am
Is it going to be on TV?

Can someone who knows soccer breakdown our roster and tell me why we suck.
Automatik's avatar
Automatik
Posts: 14,632
Feb 29, 2012 9:25am
It should be on tv, probably espn2.
OSH's avatar
OSH
Posts: 4,145
Feb 29, 2012 10:28am
OneBuckeye;1100102 wrote:Is it going to be on TV?
The USMNT is going to be on ESPN2, Automatik is correct. Game will probably be between 2:30-3:00pm. The stuff says "2:30pm," but that is probably when the coverage starts. I'll start watching then.
OneBuckeye;1100102 wrote:Can someone who knows soccer breakdown our roster and tell me why we suck.
We suck? That's news to me.

Are we the best in the world, no. But we certainly aren't the worst. Soccer is relatively young here compared to the rest of the world. I say relatively because we've only had a professional league since 1994 (first games started in 1996, but it was "founded" and planned in 1994). There have been numerous other leagues and establishments for longer, but as a top tier league, only having a league for 16 years is nothing.

We are not a top tier national team because of that...and because we are just now beginning to have a "culture of soccer." In the US, you've traditionally had football, basketball, and baseball. Whenever you played outside growing up, you did those three sports. No one ran around a track with their friends. No one played volleyball unless you were on a team or at a family reunion. No one kicked around a soccer ball unless you were on a team. In the last 16ish years, we've started to have that culture being developed...and it's still in pockets. You couple that "culture" being developed along with the international influence ALL over the country and soccer continues to grow.

You just can't expect the US to be top of the world in EVERY sport. We have the population to do such though...probably. Look at Australia, they have a pro league that is younger than the MLS and they aren't anything spectacular with their national team. Anytime a country is competing with other sports (Australia has Aussie Rules Football, for example) the younger sport is going to have to do some catching up. Most other countries that are excelling in soccer have had soccer longer than everyone else AND it's been the only sport for longer.

It's growing. It's fun to see. I say this regularly, in the next 5-10 years, I expect to see HUGE strides in where soccer is to what it will be.
gorocks99's avatar
gorocks99
Posts: 10,760
Feb 29, 2012 10:42am
A strong domestic league is a great starting point to getting soccer established in the States. Really, the impetus for growth of the sport in the country was the '94 WC (which basically led to the foundation of MLS). When you consider that, we've really only been "trying" for 18 years, we've made some good progress already (consistent WC qualifier, three rounds of 16 ('94, '02, '10) in the last five WC). The next step - becoming a consistent world player, the likes of England, Spain, Argentina, France - is a big one, but certainly not out of reach for a country with more than 300 million people and a metric fuck ton of money to put behind it.
Automatik's avatar
Automatik
Posts: 14,632
Feb 29, 2012 2:40pm
Whats the chances the US can get a W? I'm going with 2%.
gorocks99's avatar
gorocks99
Posts: 10,760
Feb 29, 2012 2:41pm
I'll go 5% win, 15% draw, 80% loss.
chicago510's avatar
chicago510
Posts: 5,728
Feb 29, 2012 2:42pm
Automatik;1100644 wrote:Whats the chances the US can get a W? I'm going with 2%.
Without LD, you might be right.
Laley23's avatar
Laley23
Posts: 29,506
Feb 29, 2012 2:45pm
No Landon sucks. Im hoping, even if we lose, that we go forward and take the game to the Italians. I think if you do that, they may go into their defensive minded game that they like to play.
B
buck
Posts: 140
Feb 29, 2012 2:45pm
Automatik's avatar
Automatik
Posts: 14,632
Feb 29, 2012 2:46pm
Italy is my most despised international team. So with our recent run of shit form and on their turf, I'm guessing we get rolled.

I just hope we show SOME positive play.
Automatik's avatar
Automatik
Posts: 14,632
Feb 29, 2012 2:48pm
Automatik's avatar
Automatik
Posts: 14,632
Feb 29, 2012 2:49pm
Glad to see Brek Shea get the start!