Might as well start a general Footy/Soccer thread

[SumJongGuy]

You really do have to give Madrid credit.

They beat three teams, two of which were definitely better than they were, to get to the final. Then, they beat a team which was much better than they were.

Courtois was simply spectacular. He is really the reason they won. Liverpool did not play a great game but they were clearly the better team. Madrid had a bit of luck, which they seem to have had in abundance.

VInicius Jr. has really elevated himself. The great thing for Madrid is that he now has a UCL winning goal, and all the confidence that comes with it. Maybe they won't be as bitter about Mbappe now

The bottom line for Liverpool is that they got beat by an inferior team. Courtois was nuts, but they still had some chances they didn't take. They blew it. They really should have added another trophy, after Man City lost it was right there for them.

This is two years in a row that an English side has lost to a side that they were clearly better than. Of course, last year that side was also English. I do wonder whether there is something to the grind of trying to win the EPL. That said, last year Chelsea were struggling to finish in the top 4, so it's not like those end of the year EPL games mattered only to Man City. It's possible that Madrid having La Liga wrapped up helped them.

I guess I never thought Courtois was THAT great of a goalie. Obviously I'm wrong. I'm no expert, but that is simply one of the best big games I have seen a goalie play.

They did that due to the behavior of Liverpool fans and all the history of Liverpool fans behavior. Liverpool fans have regularly used fake tickets and jumping security measures to access stadiums. They did it at the Madrid and Athens finals. And the horrible tragedy in Heysel. English fans were also a complete disaster at the last euro championships at Wembley. English fans misbehaving at finals is a regular occurrence and police all over Europe prepare differently when teams from the island visit. The UK government even regularly sends pictures and warnings to police of known hooligans that might be traveling for games.


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No lies detected..

[BmillsSkier]

Raining yellows on Morocco in this USA match. 3 so far on one PK play.

[Woodsy]

Weah bringing more heat 🔥 in Cincy than the Reds whole staff

[BmillsSkier]

Weah bringing more heat �� in Cincy than the Reds whole staff

While at my son’s soccer game the other weekend I was talking to another dad who’s a native of SW OH and some other dad walks up wearing a Reds Jersey while they were 4-23 or some shit.

“Look at this bold sonufabitch” he said not so quietly to me.

That said, Cincy and Cbus both got really cool soccer-only stadiums in the last couple years; I hope to catch a match at both one day. (I’ll make due with Mercedes-Benz Stadium for now )

[Woodsy]

Not the best opponent in the world, but the US performance last night gacve me a lot of hope for the fall.
Tons of brightspots.

[BmillsSkier]

Pulisic calls out US fans for not showing up.

https://www.espn.com/soccer/united-s...o?platform=amp

[Woodsy]

No offense, but maybe they should venture outside of Ohio? Seems like where they played most of their matches this year.

Also prices for a mid week friendly were stoopid

[skaredshtles]

Srsly - expecting a good turnout for a soccer match in Ohio seems... overly optimistic.

[BmillsSkier]

No offense, but maybe they should venture outside of Ohio? Seems like where they played most of their matches this year.

Also prices for a mid week friendly were stoopid

Believe it or not Ohio has a massive soccer fan base and one of the biggest US Youth Soccer populations in the country, and home to 2 MLS clubs.

Cincy fans basically willed a new USL franchise in 2015 up to the MLS in 3.5 years and a new soccer-only stadium in 4.5 years. US Soccer knows where they can get eyes on games.

That said, I looked at the ticket prices and you're right, midweek friendly against an opponent that < 90% of the population couldn't find on a map started at $80 for the worst seat in the house is a little much to ask.

[Woodsy]

not saying Ohio is not a good choice as I know the facts you spew but four times in eight months?

Spread the love. Seattle would fill, San Fran, NYC, Atlanta, Austin, LA, etc
the perception is the US needs to play in Ohio to draw a US friendly crowd against all teams south of Texas, which may or may not be true, but a friendly against Morocco??!?

And the ticket prices are stoopid

[BmillsSkier]

not saying Ohio is not a good choice as I know the facts you spew but four times in eight months?

Spread the love. Seattle would fill, San Fran, NYC, Atlanta, Austin, LA, etc
the perception is the US needs to play in Ohio to draw a US friendly crowd against all teams south of Texas, which may or may not be true, but a friendly against Morocco??!?

And the ticket prices are stoopid

I don't disagree that any of those cities can and would draw a capacity crowd, but yeah, against a CONCACAF opponent, it would not be the most US friendly crowd.

$200 for a decent seat (multiply that for a family) for a Wednesday night against Morocco is insane.

[altacoup]

Not the best opponent in the world, but the US performance last night gacve me a lot of hope for the fall.
Tons of brightspots.

Morocco is actually a pretty good team. Lots of top talent on that team (they just don’t play in the premier league). Really the best team besides Mexico (and is argue that offensively they’re better than Mexico) the US has played this year.

[MarcusBrody]

You really do have to give Madrid credit.

They beat three teams, two of which were definitely better than they were, to get to the final. Then, they beat a team which was much better than they were.

Courtois was simply spectacular. He is really the reason they won. Liverpool did not play a great game but they were clearly the better team. Madrid had a bit of luck, which they seem to have had in abundance.

VInicius Jr. has really elevated himself. The great thing for Madrid is that he now has a UCL winning goal, and all the confidence that comes with it. Maybe they won't be as bitter about Mbappe now

The bottom line for Liverpool is that they got beat by an inferior team. Courtois was nuts, but they still had some chances they didn't take. They blew it. They really should have added another trophy, after Man City lost it was right there for them.

This is two years in a row that an English side has lost to a side that they were clearly better than. Of course, last year that side was also English. I do wonder whether there is something to the grind of trying to win the EPL. That said, last year Chelsea were struggling to finish in the top 4, so it's not like those end of the year EPL games mattered only to Man City. It's possible that Madrid having La Liga wrapped up helped them.

I guess I never thought Courtois was THAT great of a goalie. Obviously I'm wrong. I'm no expert, but that is simply one of the best big games I have seen a goalie play.

I'm a bit late on this, but I feel like the Premier League has been infiltrated by Pep Guardiola's belief that the better team is determined by midfield possession, style, and shot numbers rather than winning matches.

I thought Liverpool was the better team for the first 40 minutes of the Final, but after that, not really. Madrid's pattern this year has been to absorb pressure in the first half, then ramp it up in the second half, with the younger bench players (Rodrygo/Camavinga/Valverde/Asensio depending on who started) coming in for the older, more structured players (especially Kroos and Casemiro) in the 65-75 minute if Madrid is tied/down, and then suddenly jumping on the opponent's tired legs. I just looked it up and in La Liga this year, they scored 30 first half goals and gave up 17. In the second half, they scored 50 goals and gave up 14. In the Champions' League, they scored 8 first half goals and 21 second half goals. The pattern that you saw in the Liverpool game was basically what you saw all year in all competitions.

In the second half, Courtois made one really good save (the Salah shot from the right where he got it with the top of his arm), but I think the rest of them are made 98% of the time by him or any other top keeper. The one dive to the left looked spectacular, but I would have been shocked had it not been saved. I guess he almost got wrong footed on the little Jota deflection, but again, I think it would have been a mistake had it gone in, not a great save for keeping it out.. He played extremely well, but he played extremely well all year. The 4:3 game against Man City where he was mediocre was definitely the exception to the rule. He had a rough first year at Madrid, but has been spectacular ever since and was one of the best players in La Liga this year.

Plus, Madrid's defense was just really good. Carvajal turned back the clock and gave a masterclass. Casemiro - especially in the second half - was great. Madrid blocked 7 shots in the second half. Obviously they scored the only goal, but I thought they had the second best chance as well, when Ceballos cocked up his 1v1 (maybe equal with Salah's shot from the right). They seemed totally comfortable with letting Liverpool have the ball and crack shots as they were getting equal to better chances on the other end and they didn't need to score.

And the only potential refereeing controversy wiped away a potential Madrid goal. I don't really have a problem with it as the call on the field was offside and I've watched it about 100 times in slow motion, and still can't tell for sure whether Valverde shot it and it was blocked immediately or whether Fabinho took it off his toe. But in any case, that it was offside at all depends on thinking he did shoot it and that Konate's tackle, which definitely took place before the potential shot was off Valverde's foot, was not "playing the ball" even though it went in the direction he was trying to have it go. During my broadcast the UEFA ref consultant believed it should be given and the Guardian Minute by Minute commentator was left stating that he had no idea what the offside rule was anymore. So not saying that Madrid was hard done, keeping it as first called is fine to me. But Liverpool can't feel jobbed by the refereeing when the one major decision went in their favor.

Plus, on a macro sense, Liverpool didn't score in 330 minutes of play in Cup finals. They didn't beat a single one of their top 4 rivals this year in the league. They faced off with Madrid in a two-legged UCL tie last season and Madrid beat them then too. Madrid won their league in a walk (the ease of which was down to poor play from rivals of course). They eliminated PSG and the other two top 3 Premier League teams, while Liverpool faced Inter, Benfica, and Villareal.

I just don't get the narrative that Liverpool is somehow this uber-team that was struck by unlikely misfortune and Madrid is an inferior team that just got lucky when Madrid won in a similar fashion again and again against the best competition out there. Defense, goal keeping, and finishing are parts of football. They're not weird gusts of wind or refereeing errors that somehow cause freak, underserved results.

Also, ending that particular rant but still talking about defense and Final: Boy did I think Konate looked good. Does he always play that well? And if so, how is he not a full time starter? His ability to come out and defend/help defend Vinicius was really impressive for a big central defender. He looks like he could be a rock in there for years.

[Woodsy]

Liverpool didn't score in 330 minutes of play in Cup finals. They didn't beat a single one of their top 4 rivals this year in the league. They faced off with Madrid in a two-legged UCL tie last season and Madrid beat them then too. Madrid won their league in a walk (the ease of which was down to poor play from rivals of course). They eliminated PSG and the other two top 3 Premier League teams, while Liverpool faced Inter, Benfica, and Villareal.

I just don't get the narrative that Liverpool is somehow this uber-team that was struck by unlikely misfortune and Madrid is an inferior team that just got lucky when Madrid won in a similar fashion again and again against the best competition out there. Defense, goal keeping, and finishing are parts of football. They're not weird gusts of wind or refereeing errors that somehow cause freak, underserved results.

.

WORD

Part of Madrids je na se quois this year was how they played with an experienced coach and experienced players who didnt get flustered against other teams. Like when Liverpool blew out of the gates with their "ROCK AND ROLL FOOTBALL" they managed, sought weaknesses in that high press and exploited it. Then just kept absorbing the pressure and won the match.
Lot of gents on that field and sideline that have been there and done that.

[dunfree]

Even if that is a 17 year old. Real Madrid win, it’s what they do

[Woodsy]

Even if that is a 17 year old. Real Madrid win, it’s what they do

The last time Real Madrid lost a Major European cup final… Sir Alex Ferguson’s Aberdeen 🏴󠁧
🐐

[~mikey b]

Pulisic calls out US fans for not showing up.

https://www.espn.com/soccer/united-s...o?platform=amp

yeah we don’t support the team because they’re weak

15th in FIFA rankings?

🤣

[~mikey b]

England looked super soft today

[The SnowShow]

yeah we don’t support the team because they’re weak

15th in FIFA rankings?

🤣

15th? Who paid for that ranking?

[~mikey b]

https://www.fifa.com/fifa-world-rank...dateId=id13603


good question

[~mikey b]

England 5th?

even funnier

[SumJongGuy]

If you want to watch winners, watch the US Women.

[~mikey b]

well yeah

[SumJongGuy]

Things got Messi for Estonia today....

[Woodsy]

'Merica!