Might as well start a general Footy/Soccer thread

**snowday** · 03-19-2021, 11:25 AM

Originally Posted by Woodsy

The amount of shit Roofe likely took from green clad fans in Glasgow the last few years, he likely snapped .

Tasty draw for UCL
Champions League schedule: Quarterfinal

Manchester City v Borussia Dortmund
FC Porto v Chelsea
Bayern Munich v Paris Saint-Germain
Real Madrid v Liverpool

Champions League schedule: Semifinal
Semifinal 1: Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain v Manchester City v Borussia Dortmund
Semifinal 2: Real Madrid or Liverpool v FC Porto or Chelsea

Haaland facing his future team!

**Woodsy** · 03-19-2021, 12:17 PM

Originally Posted by snowday

Haaland facing his future team!

He wont play PSG until the semi....

All this talk of horror tackles and Haaland at city made me find this

**Woodsy** · 04-13-2021, 03:21 PM

Always great to see an American as a major piece of a CL semifinal team, even if its Chealsea

PSG look good. Spurs fans must be breaking shit. Bayern were a good team even with no Pollack

**retirwntm** · 04-13-2021, 05:14 PM

I have great respect for Poch but I think PSG are more PSG than his coaching at this point...which is pretty phenomenal. BM v. PSG may have been the final again.

I’m a chelski fan so pleasantly surprised they’ve rebounded so well and made it to the semis. I think their d which has been their shining star under Tuchel will get carved open by RM. then again, RM are kind of all over the place so it could be a toss up. MC vs. PSG looks delightful!

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**BmillsSkier** · 04-13-2021, 07:06 PM

Happy to take in some round of 16 CONCACAF Champions League tonight in town, which saw ATL UTD take down Costa Ricans Alajuelense in extra time.

Most importantly for UTD fans, star striker Josef Martinez made his return after blowing his ACL in the 2020 season opener. Ironically, my last pro sporting event in person. Hopefully a sign of normal times to come.

**EWG** · 04-14-2021, 12:14 PM

Fucking Arsenal.

That is all.

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**Woodsy** · 04-19-2021, 11:07 AM

Fuck this superleague and every team ownership that proposed it. Fucking American owners most of em and it sucks.
https://www.theguardian.com/football...ampions-league

Been supporting Manchester United since 93, may be in need of a new club. thinking Villa at the moment..

**dunfree** · 04-19-2021, 11:13 AM

Hey, it’s nice they let the Washington Generals errrrr Arsenal in.

**subtle plague** · 04-19-2021, 11:17 AM

American owners? It's more like emirates and oligarch league. And jp Morgan money league.

Interestingly the current 9th of the premiere league thinks of themselves as "one of Europe's top teams".

And no qualifications needed for the league. Well except being rich and greedy.

Luckily I'm only a fan of the fc cologne. 2nd German league here we come.

**PNWbrit** · 04-19-2021, 11:29 AM

Originally Posted by Woodsy

Fuck this superleague and every team ownership that proposed it. Fucking American owners most of em and it sucks.
https://www.theguardian.com/football...ampions-league

Been supporting Manchester United since 93, may be in need of a new club. thinking Villa at the moment..

Most of them?

I can see Real, Barcelona and Bayern pulling out due to fan ownership and the thing going off the rails.

Since 93? Wow.

Isn't it just three teams with American owners?

**~mikey b** · 04-19-2021, 11:30 AM

garbage

**Woodsy** · 04-19-2021, 01:57 PM

Originally Posted by PNWbrit

Isn't it just three teams with American owners?

It is 3 of the PL teams with US owners, but this whole thing reeks of Ed Woodward/ Glazers. Ed Woodward joined JP Morgan in 1999. Woodward helped the Glazer acquire ( and saddle with debt) Man Utd in 2005. Woodwards former employees @ JP Morgan are the ( lent) money behind this Super league.

Under Woodward United have been a stunning commercial Success and declined on the pitch. This league is all about a commercial reward and nothing about football for real.

( I had just read the Guardian piece " Americans are ruining football" when I posted so that was top of mind

**nwslider** · 04-19-2021, 02:12 PM

Can't remember where I read it but it was reported Bayern, Dortmund, and Porto all declined. I wonder if any other "big" clubs declined.

It's only three teams with American owners but the semi-closed league format is very American.

**Schemeboat** · 04-19-2021, 02:19 PM

Originally Posted by Woodsy

Fuck this superleague and every team ownership that proposed it. Fucking American owners most of em and it sucks.
https://www.theguardian.com/football...ampions-league

Been supporting Manchester United since 93, may be in need of a new club. thinking Villa at the moment..

EVERTON

**PNWbrit** · 04-19-2021, 02:30 PM

Originally Posted by Woodsy

It is 3 of the PL teams with US owners, but this whole thing reeks of Ed Woodward/ Glazers. Ed Woodward joined JP Morgan in 1999. Woodward helped the Glazer acquire ( and saddle with debt) Man Utd in 2005. Woodwards former employees @ JP Morgan are the ( lent) money behind this Super league.

Under Woodward United have been a stunning commercial Success and declined on the pitch. This league is all about a commercial reward and nothing about football for real.

( I had just read the Guardian piece " Americans are ruining football" when I posted so that was top of mind

Thanks for explaining English football to me....

The NYT had a realistic assessment on the subject.

This very thing was discussed as a future possibility when the premier league was founded. (I was at a bunch of the meetings) but that was before you were a Man U fan.

The UK government today seem determined to shut down the English clubs from participating in this. That combined with suggestions of players facing WC and Euro bans... it's not going anywhere other than as a money grab from UEFA for Champions League income.

**MarcusBrody** · 04-19-2021, 02:33 PM

Originally Posted by PNWbrit

Most of them?

I can see Real, Barcelona and Bayern pulling out due to fan ownership and the thing going off the rails.

Since 93? Wow.

Isn't it just three teams with American owners?

Bayern doesn't seem willing to join (or at least commit to joining) at the moment, so that's a big hit to the league ever taking off.

I'm not sure about Barcelona, but it would take a LOT from the fans at RM to make them back down now. Florentino Perez seems to be the mastermind behind the whole ESL and he just got re-elected to a new term as RM president until 2025.

The incentives for the Spanish giants is a bit different too. There's no real worry with either of Barca or Madrid missing the Champions League like some of the English (and Italian) participants. I think both of them see the writing on the wall that they won't be able to compete in perpetuity with teams that are owned by extremely wealthy backers and are trying to sure up their revenue stream to compete and maintain their position in the hierarchy.

As to how I feel about it personally: One one hand, I love seeing small teams make Cinderella runs, even if they haven't actually won the Champs League since Porto did it almost 20 years ago. On the other, I really hate EUFA/FIFA and the Spanish Liga leadership. My ideal situation is EUFA/FIFA suing to stop the ESL and getting just wrecked by Florentino and the clubs in court, but the ESL either flopping due to lack of fan support or eventually just basically becoming what the Champions League has been over the past few years.

**dunfree** · 04-19-2021, 03:11 PM

The modern more than just champions version of the cup isn’t that old, kinda silly to pretend it was ever more than just “the best”.

**The SnowShow** · 04-19-2021, 04:42 PM

Observations from opening weekend in the MLS?

**MarcusBrody** · 04-19-2021, 05:23 PM

Originally Posted by The SnowShow

Observations from opening weekend in the MLS?

My observation was that I didn't realize it happened.

I was really into it when I lived in DC and the (grubbier) tailgates before games were just about my favorite space in DC. Since moving away, though, I haven't been able to muster the same enthusiasm. I was hoping that Vegas would get one of the expansion franchises during the last round, but no luck. I do plan to go support the USL team once things are more back to normal. I should try to get into watching some more MLS though and maybe catch a game when I'm in LA sometime.

**Woodsy** · 04-19-2021, 06:10 PM

Originally Posted by PNWbrit

Thanks for explaining English football to me....

Didnt explain anything except Ed Woodwards background and parasitic behaviour of him and his employers.

But thanks for your contribution to the game.

**PNWbrit** · 04-19-2021, 07:06 PM

Originally Posted by Woodsy

Didnt explain anything

You didn't.

You didn't need to.

**PlayItLeo** · 04-19-2021, 07:07 PM

This whole thing is fucking garbage

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**Kinnikinnick** · 04-19-2021, 07:44 PM

So these six teams would play each other over and over instead of extended champions league round robin? So either fewer games or always Real Madrid vs english team or both?

Lame idea

How could they even do it? Seems like European regulators would have a problem with such clearly anti competitive/monopolistic/collusive behavior.

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**PlayItLeo** · 04-19-2021, 08:25 PM

Originally Posted by Kinnikinnick

So these six teams would play each other over and over instead of extended champions league round robin? So either fewer games or always Real Madrid vs english team or both?

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No - Theoretically there would be 15 “founding members” (there’s 12 signed up now) plus 5 more invited teams each year. Break into 2 divisions of 10. Play home and away aggregate legs in division. Top 4 teams from each division advance to a knockout round for the championship at the end of the season.

Plus keep playing in domestic leagues.

Fucking bullshit.

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**retirwntm** · 04-19-2021, 08:28 PM

The only observation I have is that the league then CL format may not be fair to all. The EPL is extremely competitive and physically rigorous. English teams have a hard time competing in the EPL and going all the way to the CL finals.

Who’s consistently winning or getting to the final rounds? Barca, RM, PSG, BM. Part of that has got me convinced it’s that they play a less rigorous league schedule and are sometimes already wrapped up first place before the semi-final CL games. Who cares who wins the Spanish league? RM, Barca and AM are almost assured a top 4 finish and CL next season.

I’m not exactly sure how this new super league fits into that but PL teams may view this as a way to be on more even footing.

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