The Official European Football Thread

[POJO_Risin]

People are rabid for soccer here in the Carolinas...but it has never translated to a professional level...nor will it...

we're a country chalk full of quick and fast...and lots of it...

soccer is neither quick (ie...over quick and fast), nor are there lots of goals (which the general public would want)...so I don't know if it will catch on...

although a good showing in the cup may be enough...

[POJO_Risin]

Really...other than Mexico...the US doesn't play anyone of quality...you'd think they'd play teams like Columbia and Brazil more often...

but we don't...

[Seshmeister]

It's fucking ludicrous.

I'm listening to a BBC podcast from Friday where the pundits are saying that there will be an Ivory Coast England final.

Fucking idiots.

[POJO_Risin]

So give me a few players over the next few weeks to pay attention to...

I was talking to a friend today...Brazilian by birth...who's telling me there's this 26 year old for Brazil...Ronaldini...Ronaldino...some shit like that...and people are saying he could be the best...

true?

who else?

[Seshmeister]

Originally posted by POJO_Risin
People are rabid for soccer here in the Carolinas...but it has never translated to a professional level...nor will it...

we're a country chalk full of quick and fast...and lots of it...

soccer is neither quick (ie...over quick and fast), nor are there lots of goals (which the general public would want)...so I don't know if it will catch on...

although a good showing in the cup may be enough...

I don't think that Americans get it at all. I've taken Americans to see my local team in the lower leagues see a 0-0 draw and they thought is was incredible.

It's all about the experience. Von constantly says that soccer is shit and if I was in the US I wouldn't go either. I absolutely know for a fact if I took you or Von to a 'proper' soccer match you would be blown away.

When I was is in Argentina last year a bunch of Americans went to a Bocca Juniors game and were blown away.

Soccer games in the US are like going to a Loverboy gig cmpared to Europe or South America where it's like Classic Van Halen.

It's not even the quality of what you are watching.(although womans soccer is shit beyond belief), it's the atmosphere.

Cheers!

[POJO_Risin]

LMFAO...I'm actually physically fearful of going to Soccer games in Europe...

[Seshmeister]

That's what is all about...

I need to take you to one.

[Wawazat]

Originally posted by POJO_Risin
So give me a few players over the next few weeks to pay attention to...

I was talking to a friend today...Brazilian by birth...who's telling me there's this 26 year old for Brazil...Ronaldini...Ronaldino...some shit like that...and people are saying he could be the best...

true?

who else?

Ronaldinho has been awarded the FIFA World Player of the Year award twice (2004, 2005), as well as the European Footballer of the Year award and the FIFPro World Player of the Year award (both 2005)

Champions League Winner 2006:

On May 17 2006, Barcelona became European Champions after defeating Arsenal 2-1 in the Champions League final, the goals coming from Samuel Eto'o and Juliano Belletti, who were both assisted by Henrik Larsson. Ronaldinho finished the season with 25 goals in all competitions, his best ever tally.

Who else ?

All of the brazilian Team

[jero]

Originally posted by Wawazat

Who else ?

All of the brazilian Team

I would say: Ballack, Robben, Van Persie, Riquelme, Crespo, Henry, Nedved, Gatusso, Toni (Luca), Torres, Drogba, Kone and forget about the Brasilian players.

[Wawazat]

I would like to add: I´m not impressed by the dutch performance so far.

Robben is one cool motherfucker though

[jero]

I'm not either. Playing ugly but winning is something San Marco van Basten must have learned from the Germans.

[Wawazat]

Quite rightly so.

Can´t wait for tomorrow evening

[jero]

Kroatia rules!

[Wawazat]

place your bets & shut up

[trueblue]

Originally posted by Seshmeister
I don't usually like German football but this team isn't like the usual ones. Very attacking with a shit defence.

What people always forget is that half the games after the group stages end up being penalty shootouts which means there is a hell of a lot of luck involved and Germany are brilliant at shootouts and Holland, Italy and England are shit at them.

Everyone seems to assume that Brazil will win but it's in Europe. South American teams never win in Europe, when was the last time 1958?

i
There is every chance that Germany will win it.

It's unlikely England will win it because their manager is such an insanely useless cunt. They have a couple of great midfielders but no strikers.

Hi Sesh, i get your point... i know of countless fans that think German teams are full of robots on auto-pilot and play like machines, that the German game is too physical and lacks "flair"...i obviously don't quite agree with these popular stereotypes...but i confess the obvious here: the current German team is nowhere near the league of past teams, but they play outrageously strongly in offence and seem to be scoring shiploads of goals recently...this is of course, offset by a lousy, shaky defence that leaks in far more goals than past German teams used to...I have several complaints about Jurgen Klinsmann's approach, one of which is his almost comical enthusiasm for some odd American gimmicks learned in California that he thinks are like silver bullets to solve some of the problems in German football..then he seems to be perfectly happy with winning hockey style games with scorelines of 4-3 or 5-4..ughh!!!...He also pisses me off by his habit of explaining away and glossing over the mistakes that this German team repeatedly makes...he just did it again after the Costa Rica game and i felt like putting him six feet under...you're right about Sven..a moronic drone that should maybe be selling iceberg lettuce outside the stadium instead of coaching the England team..


and hey, i don't rank Brazil as a run-away favourite at this WC, but not for the reason you cite here...1958 and 2006 are totally different contexts...back then, only a handful of Brazilians were playing in Europe and the continent and playing conditions were totally alien to the Brazilians. Brazil winning it back then in Sweden was arguably a far more remarkable achievement than Brazil winning it now....Today, countless Brazilians play all over Europe...their first team consists of almost ALL players playing overseas in Europe....so the mystery is gone, and for many of the players it must feel like an extended end-season engagement, only this time not with their clubs but with country...

you're spot on, Germany are odds-on favourite to win penalty shoot-outs against anybody, and knock-out stages will involve at least one such game if you wanna reach the final...anyway, hope Germany win at home again, only if Australia exit early...