Hey soccer fans!

AWS260 · Post by **AWS260** » Wed Mar 02, 2016 9:05 pm

Leicester City must be blessed. Despite managing only a draw this week, they solidified their lead, as Spurs, Arsenal and Manchester City all managed to lose very winnable games.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Wed Jul 06, 2016 10:41 am

Crabbs, 2014 wrote:Get over yourself Donovan, you're good, but you're not fucking Lionel Messi.....

Good thing, too.

Argentina and Barcelona footballer Lionel Messi has been sentenced to 21 months in prison for tax fraud.

His father, Jorge Messi, was also given a jail term for defrauding Spain of €4.1m (£3.5m; $4.5m) between 2007 and 2009.

They also face millions of euros in fines for using tax havens in Belize and Uruguay to conceal earnings from image rights.

However, neither man is expected to serve time in jail.

Under the Spanish system, prison terms of under two years can be served under probation.
...
As well as the jail terms, Messi was fined about €2m and his father €1.5m. They made a voluntary €5m "corrective payment", equal to the alleged unpaid tax plus interest, in August 2013.

Carpet_pissr · Post by **Carpet_pissr** » Mon Jul 11, 2016 9:46 am

Anyone know if there is an existing UEFA thread? Surprised no talk in this thread! Just the moth plague alone was chat worthy!

tjg_marantz · Post by **tjg_marantz** » Mon Jul 11, 2016 10:18 am

We're in mourning. Hurts to lose to those fuckers.

Scraper · Post by **Scraper** » Mon Jul 11, 2016 11:09 am

tjg_marantz wrote:We're in mourning. Hurts to lose to those fuckers.

I call it just deserts for injuring Ronaldo. I still can't believe they didn't even call a foul on that play.

tjg_marantz · Post by **tjg_marantz** » Mon Jul 11, 2016 11:17 am

Because there wasn't one? Contact happens. Free kick yeah but not card worthy. It's not because he was hurt that it should merit anything.

But regardless, POR won.

Ralph-Wiggum · Post by **Ralph-Wiggum** » Mon Jul 11, 2016 12:54 pm

I was cheering for France, but I'm just glad Portugal didn't win on that incorrect handball call. That would have been a really crappy way to lose.

Carpet_pissr · Post by **Carpet_pissr** » Mon Jul 11, 2016 1:52 pm

tjg_marantz wrote:We're in mourning. Hurts to lose to those fuckers.

Which non-fuckers were you pulling for?

Scraper · Post by **Scraper** » Mon Jul 11, 2016 2:08 pm

tjg_marantz wrote:Because there wasn't one? Contact happens. Free kick yeah but not card worthy. It's not because he was hurt that it should merit anything.

But regardless, POR won.

I didn't say that it was a cardable offense, but it was absolutely a foul and an obvious one at that.

gilraen · Post by **gilraen** » Mon Jul 11, 2016 2:33 pm

Ralph-Wiggum wrote:I was cheering for France, but I'm just glad Portugal didn't win on that incorrect handball call. That would have been a really crappy way to lose.

I was cheering for Portugal but yeah, that call was really bad and would have been worse if they had scored on it. I thought it was going to penalty kicks, I'm impressed with the way Portugal managed to squeeze out a win against a really good opponent even without Ronaldo.

Xmann · Post by **Xmann** » Mon Jul 11, 2016 3:02 pm

Very entertaining and fun game. I didn't care who won, so it was fun either way .

Carpet_pissr · Post by **Carpet_pissr** » Mon Jul 11, 2016 3:39 pm

Sweet goal at the end from a no-name, late sub as well. Seriously, what was up with the moth invasion? I started the game late and didn't hear them discuss it (I assume they did).

tjg_marantz · Post by **tjg_marantz** » Mon Jul 11, 2016 4:58 pm

Carpet_pissr wrote:
tjg_marantz wrote:We're in mourning. Hurts to lose to those fuckers.
Which non-fuckers were you pulling for?

Germany, Wales, Iceland, Belgium. All would have been fine.

Best thing about the hand ball getting messed up, those two hands did not look alike...

And while it wasn't scored on that specific play, it sure did tilt the field ever so slightly. And when you have such even teams, this can happen.

Ralph-Wiggum · Post by **Ralph-Wiggum** » Mon Jul 11, 2016 6:01 pm

tjg_marantz wrote: And while it wasn't scored on that specific play, it sure did tilt the field ever so slightly. And when you have such even teams, this can happen.

For sure. The goal game immediately from the inbounds after the missed free kick, if I remember correctly. The ball would most likely have been on the other side of the field if the call had been correct.

tjg_marantz · Post by **tjg_marantz** » Mon Jul 11, 2016 9:12 pm

Ralph-Wiggum wrote:
tjg_marantz wrote: And while it wasn't scored on that specific play, it sure did tilt the field ever so slightly. And when you have such even teams, this can happen.
For sure. The goal game immediately from the inbounds after the missed free kick, if I remember correctly. The ball would most likely have been on the other side of the field if the call had been correct.

You are correct in your recollection and your assessment.

mori · Post by **mori** » Tue Jul 12, 2016 7:52 pm

Scraper wrote:
tjg_marantz wrote:Because there wasn't one? Contact happens. Free kick yeah but not card worthy. It's not because he was hurt that it should merit anything.

But regardless, POR won.
I didn't say that it was a cardable offense, but it was absolutely a foul and an obvious one at that.

It was not a foul. The ball was there to be won and Payet won the ball. He did not get him with his studs or played it dirty in any way so the flak he is receiving on social media is ridiculous.

Scraper · Post by **Scraper** » Wed Jul 13, 2016 8:30 am

mori wrote:
Scraper wrote:
tjg_marantz wrote:Because there wasn't one? Contact happens. Free kick yeah but not card worthy. It's not because he was hurt that it should merit anything.

But regardless, POR won.
I didn't say that it was a cardable offense, but it was absolutely a foul and an obvious one at that.
It was not a foul. The ball was there to be won and Payet won the ball. He did not get him with his studs or played it dirty in any way so the flak he is receiving on social media is ridiculous.

It was absolutely a foul. Ronaldo had possession of the ball. The only reason Payet gained possession was because he rammed into the side of Ronaldo's legs. Which the last time I checked ramming into someone to knock them off the ball so you can gain possession is a foul. Again I'm not saying it's as serious as a yellow, but it was a foul to gain possession.

I'll take it one step further and bet that the ref thought Ronaldo was flopping and therefore didn't award a foul, but watching the replay it is a foul.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Mon Oct 03, 2016 12:14 pm

Swansea City

Former United States men’s national team manager Bob Bradley, who brought the Yanks to extra time of the round of 16 at the 2010 World Cup and a second-place finish at the 2009 Confederations Cup, has become the first American to manage a major European soccer club.

On Monday morning, Swansea City announced that he will be replacing Francesco Guidolin at the Premier League club effective immediately.
...
Guidolin had taken over last January and not only saved the club from relegation but also guided it all the way up to a 12th-place finish. When he got to a 1-5-1 start to the season, however, putting Swansea in relegation danger once again, chairman Huw Jenkins decided to take a chance on Bradley.
...
Instead, he parlayed an 11-year stint as head coach at Princeton University – beginning at age 26 – into an assistant job with Bruce Arena’s D.C. United in Major League Soccer in 1996. From there, he went on to coach the Chicago Fire, winning the 1998 MLS Cup and U.S. Open Cup in its expansion season, and then the New York MetroStars and Chivas USA. In 2006, he succeeded Arena as national team head coach, posting a 43-12-25 record before his firing in 2011 after a 4-2 Gold Cup final loss to Mexico.

Thereafter, Bradley went abroad. He brought Egypt within a game of reaching the World Cup in spite of unspeakable violence and unrelenting turmoil in the country, which shut down the local league that provided him most of his players. Next, he took puny Norwegian club Stabaek, a team apparently doomed to relegation when upon Bradley’s appointment Stabaek not only survived but also reached the Europa League the next season. Almost a year ago, Bradley signed with French second division club Le Havre, which had ambitions to reach Ligue 1, and he very nearly delivered on the final day of the season, falling a single goal short.

In spite of his typically strong body of work – although it should be said, Le Havre had made a forgettable start to the season and lingers in 10th place – it took a club with American ownership to give Bradley his big shot. In July, an American consortium that includes Landon Donovan as a stakeholder took over the club, and so it was unsurprising that it was willing to consider a countryman.

AWS260 · Post by **AWS260** » Mon Oct 03, 2016 1:27 pm

Good for him.

mori · Post by **mori** » Mon Oct 03, 2016 9:47 pm

Swansea was predicted by many to be relegated before the season began, and this decision reinforced many of those predictions. The club has certainly took a turn for the worse since the team tanked on Gary Monk as manager and now with new ownership that has not steadied the ship.

Lassr · Post by **Lassr** » Sun Apr 08, 2018 7:47 pm

My wife & son leave for Barcelona next month to see Barca vs Real Sociedad. My son may finally get to see Messi since he did not come with the team when we went to DC a few years back.

mori · Post by **mori** » Sun Apr 08, 2018 11:15 pm

And I am leaving for London at the end of April to watch Crystal Palace vs Leicester. Yea no Messi or any other superstar on the pitch. Just hoping for 3 points and a good time.

Lassr · Post by **Lassr** » Mon Apr 09, 2018 8:46 am

mori wrote: ↑Sun Apr 08, 2018 11:15 pm And I am leaving for London at the end of April to watch Crystal Palace vs Leicester. Yea no Messi or any other superstar on the pitch. Just hoping for 3 points and a good time.

Sounds like fun! I wish I was going with them but still paying for my daughters wedding last year so I'm staying home to save a couple of grand.

Alefroth · Post by **Alefroth** » Mon Apr 09, 2018 12:06 pm

Lassr wrote: ↑Sun Apr 08, 2018 7:47 pm My wife & son leave for Barcelona next month to see Barca vs Real Sociedad. My son may finally get to see Messi since he did not come with the team when we went to DC a few years back.

Wow. that's not a bad consolation.

Alefroth · Post by **Alefroth** » Mon Apr 09, 2018 12:09 pm

How is everyone planning to watch the World Cup matches this year?

I was thinking of getting a Sling Blue subscription. Haven't been able to confirm whether FOX and FS1 are supported by their CloudDVR system.

mori · Post by **mori** » Mon Apr 30, 2018 7:37 pm

Just got back from London and the Crystal Palace vs Leicester City match. Photo taken from my seat right before the match start.

It was a great time and we won 5-0

. Not bad for being my first attended match. The weather was shitty and it got worse every day that I was in London.

Lassr · Post by **Lassr** » Mon Apr 30, 2018 11:19 pm

Cool.

tjg_marantz · Post by **tjg_marantz** » Mon Apr 30, 2018 11:25 pm

Any good chants or inflatable penises flying about?

Good seats!

mori · Post by **mori** » Tue May 01, 2018 1:27 pm

There were some good chants but I did not see any inflatable penises. One of the funniest things I saw was a boy about 11-12 standing on his seat giving the jack-off motion with each hand yelling "You're fucking shit!" to the Leicester traveling support after they were down by 2 and started singing. They teach them young.

tjg_marantz · Post by **tjg_marantz** » Wed May 02, 2018 8:03 am

Sounds about right.

Lassr · Post by **Lassr** » Sun May 20, 2018 2:43 pm

Wife and son are at the game but Messi is not starting...hopefully he subs in since it is Iniesta's last game!!!

Lassr · Post by **Lassr** » Sun May 20, 2018 4:16 pm

Messi has subbed in!

Unagi · Post by **Unagi** » Sun May 20, 2018 7:01 pm

Lassr wrote: ↑Sun May 20, 2018 4:16 pm Messi has subbed in!

Unagi · Post by **Unagi** » Sun May 20, 2018 7:07 pm

mori wrote: ↑Mon Apr 30, 2018 7:37 pm Just got back from London and the Crystal Palace vs Leicester City match. Photo taken from my seat right before the match start.

It was a great time and we won 5-0 . Not bad for being my first attended match. The weather was shitty and it got worse every day that I was in London.

I am seriously capable of thinking this is a FM2018 screenshot. So weird.

mori · Post by **mori** » Mon May 21, 2018 5:40 pm

Lassr wrote: ↑Sun May 20, 2018 4:16 pm Messi has subbed in!

Awesome. Barca won as well.

pr0ner · Post by **pr0ner** » Wed May 23, 2018 12:34 am

Wayne Rooney is most likely coming to DC United this summer.

He's not what he was in his 20s, but dammit, I'm excited anyway.

mori · Post by **mori** » Sat May 26, 2018 2:43 pm

Champions League Final time! Although I am no Liverpool fan, I hope they do well.

Alefroth · Post by **Alefroth** » Sun May 27, 2018 5:48 pm

Was hoping Real Madrid would lose, but that was a beautiful goal by Bale.

mori · Post by **mori** » Sun May 27, 2018 7:00 pm

Real Madrid is a hard club to like. But they have built a Champions League winning side.

Alefroth · Post by **Alefroth** » Wed Jun 13, 2018 11:31 am

North America chosen to host World Cup 2026. That's going to be a lot of traveling. I wonder if this will start a trend of regions or continents hosting, rather than countries.