OT: soccer thread

Fred Williamson · Post #121 » by **Fred Williamson** » Tue Apr 27, 2010 7:14 pm

1:0 Bayern !!

Fred Williamson · Post #122 » by **Fred Williamson** » Tue Apr 27, 2010 7:31 pm

incredible game by Bayern. Probably their best performance of the season so far

doc.end · Post #123 » by **doc.end** » Tue May 18, 2010 11:22 am

I guess some of you soccer enthusiasts would like to know - czech NT squad nominated for friendlies in USA against USA and Turkey:
(if diacritics wouldn't display correctly let me know pls)

Goalkeepers:

Čech (Chelsea - ENG)
Laštůvka (Dnipropetrovsk - UKR)
Daněk (Pilsen)

Defensmen:

Kušnír (Sparta Prague)
Limberský (Pilsen)
Mazuch (Anderlecht - BEL)
Pudil* (Genk - BEL)
Rajnoch (Ankaragücü - TUR)
Sivok (Besiktas - TUR)
Skácel* (Larissa - GRE)
*those two are actually more of wingmen than wingbacks but left wingback is missing and it was already announced they will play that position in those two games

Middfielders:

J.Černý (Slavia Prague)
Holek (Dnipropetrovsk - UKR)
Hübschmann (Shakhtar Donetsk - UKR)
Morávek (Schalke - GER)
Plašil (Bordeaux - FRA)
Polák (Anderlecht - BEL)
Sionko (Sparta Prague)

Forwards:
M.Černý (Slavia Prague)
Fenin (Frankfurt - GER)
Lafata (Jablonec)
Necid (CSKA Moscow - RUS)
Pekhart (Jablonec)

Missing due to injuries or (if *) their club didn't let them go:
GK:Drobný
DF: R.Hubník, Suchý, Pospěch, M.Kadlec*
MF: Rosický
FW: Baroš, Svěrkoš, Bednář, Magera*

Overall pretty weak squad with several new faces and some questionable picks

Post #124 » by **fatlever** » Tue May 18, 2010 1:59 pm

thanks for the info doc. looking forward to seeing my fav goalkeeper vs the us squad.

i bought a petr cech t-shirt last week.

Fred Williamson · Post #125 » by **Fred Williamson** » Sat May 22, 2010 6:01 pm

45 minutes left....

Post #126 » by **fatlever** » Sun May 23, 2010 2:55 am

tough loss today for bayern, but im ok with inter winning. im a fan of many of their players. you had to know that once inter went up 1-0 the game was over.

and that new world cup commercial is sick.

Post #127 » by **fatlever** » Wed May 26, 2010 5:38 pm

23 man USA squad announced today

http://preview.ussoccer.com/News/Mens-N ... d-Cup.aspx

U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION (All-Time World Cup Roster Appearances)
GOALKEEPERS (3): Brad Guzan (2010), Marcus Hahnemann (2006, 2010), Tim Howard (2006, 2010)
DEFENDERS (7): Carlos Bocanegra (2006, 2010), Jonathan Bornstein (2010), Steve Cherundolo (2002, 2006, 2010), Jay DeMerit (2010), Clarence Goodson (2010), Oguchi Onyewu (2006, 2010), Jonathan Spector (2010)
MIDFIELDERS (9): DaMarcus Beasley (2002, 2006, 2010), Michael Bradley (2010), Ricardo Clark (2010), Clint Dempsey (2006, 2010), Landon Donovan (2002, 2006, 2010), Maurice Edu (2010), Benny Feilhaber (2010), Stuart Holden (2010), José Torres (2010)
FORWARDS (4): Jozy Altidore (2010), Edson Buddle (2010), Robbie Findley (2010), Herculez Gomez (2010)

a few surprises on the squad, most notably robbie findley.

e4Nf6 · Post #128 » by **e4Nf6** » Wed May 26, 2010 7:17 pm

I'm shocked that Brian Ching isn't going and Findley is, Findley hasn't looked impressive at all in international play....

I guess Dempsey is playing up top then, we'll know for sure if he does it on Saturday. I can't imagine that guys like Buddle/Gomes/Findley are going to be starting in the WC when none of them have significant history playing with the national team. I suspect we'll see something like this on the 12th vs. England:

Cherundolo------Demerit------Onyewu-------Bocanegra

-------------------Bradley-----------Edu--------------------------

------------------Holden--------------Donovan------------------

------------------Altidore----------Dempsey---------------------

Maybe we'll have Goodsen in for Demerit if he is still not 100%. Clark in for Edu is also possible. I'm okay with only 7 defenders since most of them play multiple positions.

Post #129 » by **fatlever** » Wed May 26, 2010 9:59 pm

i suspect you are correct e4. i am hoping dempsey plays up top in a roaming role behind jozy. that is his best position. let holden, donovan and beasley handle the wings.

i would probably start spector vs england simply because he should know all those guys pretty well by now.

still a little nervous about gooch. he didnt look so hot last night. hopefully he can get his timing back before june 12.

Post #130 » by **fatlever** » Wed May 26, 2010 10:24 pm

this is what i want to see vs england, but it would require playing some guys in spots they havent been playing much with the NATs

-----------------------------------howard-----------------------------------
dolo---------------boca-------------------demerit------------spector
--------------------------- edu-----------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------bradley-------------------------------
----donovan--------------------------------------------------beasley----
---------------------------dempsey-----------------------------------------
--------------------------------------altidore--------------------------------

Post #131 » by **fatlever** » Sat May 29, 2010 7:33 pm

torres! he looks fantastic. best player on the field in the second half.

Post #132 » by **fatlever** » Sat May 29, 2010 7:50 pm

today definitely settles the outside backs debate... dolo on the right, boca on the left and spector on the bench next to bornstein.

bradley has to find a way to get torres on the field more. we cant play the entire wc with two defensive center mids. torres is the only one who can hold the ball, pass, change sides of play and link to the forwards.

dempsey does his usualy coast for 75 mins then score a great goal.

Post #133 » by **fatlever** » Sat May 29, 2010 7:58 pm

im so happy for torres. ive been a huge fan since is first US game.

e4Nf6 · Post #134 » by **e4Nf6** » Sun May 30, 2010 3:20 am

Torres killed it today, He looked like Xavi out there today. And not only distributing the ball, he had a few solid tackles as well....

Could he start next to Bradley in the middle? I may have to drink the cool-aid and say yes. I still worry because of the Costa Rica game in qualifying where he started and the midfield got completely over run. Although that game also feature Pablo Maestroeni and Beasley at LB IIRC, so maybe it wasn't his fault...

SWedd523 · Post #135 » by **SWedd523** » Tue Jun 1, 2010 12:29 am

SWEDD523 wrote:It was a fantastic game. Fats, I told you Torres deserves more PT Unfortunately, now with Davies out for the next year or so, we'll probably slide Dempsey up top and (hopefully) put Torres in his place. He's far too technically gifted to not be in the middle of the field somewhere making plays.

and that's from October of last year! Glad to see Torres finally opening some peoples' eyes

e4Nf6 · Post #136 » by **e4Nf6** » Wed Jun 2, 2010 4:06 am

Every touch from Torres vs. Turkey:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AILW6g-r ... r_embedded

Post #137 » by **Walt Cronkite** » Wed Jun 2, 2010 7:59 pm

I've been trying to get into soccer since it's a world cup year. Go USA!

WaydownSouth · Post #138 » by **WaydownSouth** » Thu Jun 3, 2010 11:03 am

2 sleeps.................... grudge match............

Post #139 » by **fatlever** » Fri Jun 4, 2010 6:58 pm

no ballack, no essien, no drogba... not a good world cup for chelsea fans.

i was really looking forward to watching those 3 guys lead their respective national teams.

but hey, at least we arent liverpool. ouch. things looking rough at anfield.

WaydownSouth · Post #140 » by **WaydownSouth** » Fri Jun 4, 2010 10:48 pm

fatlever wrote:no ballack, no essien, no drogba... not a good world cup for chelsea fans. i was really looking forward to watching those 3 guys lead their respective national teams.

but hey, at least we arent liverpool. ouch. things looking rough at anfield.

That's putting it politely..... I'd almost rather be a Portsmouth supporter at the moment.. It's depressing...

Liverpool will be mid pack for the next few years....