Beautiful Game 12/13 Thread (Major EPL slant)

[Macca00]

put your leg up like that and you are at the mercy of the ref.

Have they drawn the brackets for the next round yet? Could be an all German final.

[fsquid]

put your leg up like that and you are at the mercy of the ref.

Have they drawn the brackets for the next round yet? Could be an all German final.

nope they do the quarterfinal and semifinal draws next Friday I believe.

[Macca00]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... H5t58FCs3k

Nani's was way worse.

The media can stop complaining now and ask why United collapsed, why Rooney was on the bench, and why a guy who scored a hattrick 4 days ago was also riding the pine.

[Macca00]

Liverpool yet to beat a team outside of the top 2.

[10spro]

Mancini doesn't give a hoot that Carlitos got arrested a few days ago with a suspended license. As far as he's concerned he can get arrested over and over after his latest hat trick.

[pk500]

Any other dudes who combine a love of football and motor racing recognize the third guy from the left in the back row of this picture of the Veterans team for FC Eichichens, a team in the Swiss League?

[Zeppo]

he looks so short and tiny!

[Macca00]

Really Bayern, REALLY?

FFS.

To be fair this is all my fault after I went off on the weekend about how I thought Bayern were going to win the CL...so of course they come out a play like dogsh!t. Unlucky for Arsenal.

[Macca00]

Any other dudes who combine a love of football and motor racing recognize the third guy from the left in the back row of this picture of the Veterans team for FC Eichichens, a team in the Swiss League?

Would you want him to drive the team bus, or would that just make the entire team s*** their pants?

[rhymes450]

Barca have had a tough few weeks but last night's performance suggests that there's still life in the old tiki taka dog.

Back on topic, I forgot to mention that the main man was there to celebrate:

http://www.sport.es/es/noticias/barca/s ... rt+en+RSS)

[10spro]

Barca have had a tough few weeks but last night's performance suggests that there's still life in the old tiki taka dog.

Starting Mascherano from the get go, opened up the lines a bit for Barca. Messi was awesome and Iniesta seemed to have more control of the midfield. Expected them to win, but not by that much. Mascherano is more solid when it comes to distributing the ball to the midfielders than Puyol, Villa had a good game too.

[rhymes450]

Yeah 10s, Mascherano's a fabulous player but he did make the tiny mistake that led to AC Milan's best chance, probably because he's not really a central defender. Puyol's not the world's most aesthetic player but as a central defender he gets the job done as well as almost anybody and then adopts the "if you've got a dog, why bark yourself" attitude in just leaving it to Xavi and Iniesta to play it out of defence. It is striking that players of the calibre of Fabregas, Mascherano and Villa seem more tactical options than regular first team players but I guess that's the way it is at Barca. Busquets was so excellent yesterday that you could almost understand why Yaya Toure was considered surplus to requirements.

[fsquid]

Really Bayern, REALLY?

FFS.

To be fair this is all my fault after I went off on the weekend about how I thought Bayern were going to win the CL...so of course they come out a play like dogsh!t. Unlucky for Arsenal.

What's the matter? The tie was only in doubt the last eight minutes.

[Macca00]

What's the matter? The tie was only in doubt the last eight minutes.

They lost 2-0 at home!

That Bayern team should have absolutely battered Arsenal - particularly since the Gunners didn't have Wilshere. I still think Bayern are one of the favs for the CL but if they play like they did today against the teams that are left they'll be in big trouble.

[fsquid]

No Ribery, no Schweisteiger. Still had most of the possession and had most of the chances. Barca is still the favorite simply because they are Barca.

[10spro]

Bayern-Juve, PSG-Barca. Intriguing match ups, I still think Dortmund may surprise all the way to the finals.

[Naples39]

Plenty of fuel to panic about Klinsmann and the USA WCQ campaign. Critical game this Friday...

http://aol.sportingnews.com/soccer/stor ... d-cup-2013

In conversation after conversation, the same themes emerged:

— Klinsmann and chief assistant Martin Vasquez either lack the tactical acumen and game-day chops to successfully lead the team or fail to communicate their wishes effectively.

— Too much time and too many resources are spent on initiatives that don’t translate to the field.

— Constant lineup changes and building resentment over the perceived importance and attitude of the German-born players are harming team chemistry.

[RobVarak]

Whether or not Jurgen's the right man, or his methods the right methods, I feel like somebody had to come in here and break some eggs. The US has an almost unique set of challenges and opportunities when it comes to the international game, and as much as we have progressed since the 80's-90's nadir we've still been stuck in a holding pattern. Those challenges were not being addressed and the opportunities are left unexploited.

Again, not saying that this particular coach is making strides at this point yet. I just think the job called for a bit of radical change. At the end of the day if we have a mediocre but successful qualifying process followed by a mediocre and frustrating Finals, how is that remotely different than the last 3 cycles anyway? If Klinsman gets the structural and organizational changes right it's more than worth ruffling the feathers of guys like Bocanegra. If he doesn't, it's unfortunate but was an admirable try to move US Soccer out of its lackluster patterns.

[wco81]

What German-born players?

Who are the new generation of players? Anyone likely to have impact like Donovan did in 2002 as a youngster?

Klinsmann has only been around a couple of years and he was suppose to make infrastructure-level changes? Doesn't seem like enough time to see if such changes will produce.

Maybe they should just give citizenships to a few African and South American players.

[Jimmydeicide]

I still think Dortmund may surprise all the way to the finals.

Not if they play like they did against Bayern recently, they played like a reserve side compared to the team that beat city early on.

[Naples39]

What German-born players?

Jermaine Jones, Timmy Chandler, Fabian Johnson, Danny Williams, and Terrance Boyd. All recently joined the team, some barely speaking english.


As for Klinsmann in general, I was a fan of his hiring to push the program and the players. An adjustment period is fine, but he's got to settle things eventually and failing to qualify for the WC would simply be a disaster.

[10spro]

Gorgeous tying goal by Balotelli in a good friendly against Brazil.

[Murph]

USA & Costa Rica breaking out the orange ball. Weird watching a WC Qualifier in such heavy snow.

[pk500]

They're still using the yellow ball, which is nuts!

[RobVarak]

That game never should have been played. Nevertheless, I won't love anything in sports all year as much as the sight and sound of the American fans chanting and singing their way through a freaking blizzard for 2.5 hours to watch a terrible soccer match.