World Football Thread VII

[MikeH]

Might not just be between you and Spurs Blackburn have a great run in. 6 home games and 4 away games against the bottom 4.

[MikeH]

Personally I don't think that Arsenal are good enough defensively to win it. Yes, they have 6 clean sheets, but that's a surprise.... Liverpool and Porto were built on more solid foundations.

There are a few teams with the attacking prowess of Arsenal and stronger defences. So I would be very surprised if they made the final but good luck to them.

On the plus side for England in the world cup, Real getting knocked out meant that none of the England players who played in this round have a chance of appearing in the final...

[Footie Mad]

Wouldn't surprise me if Bolton nicked the fourth champions league place.

[Cort Haus]

Originally posted by Footie Mad
Wouldn't surprise me if Bolton nicked the fourth champions league place.

Not on the basis of their performance against Newcastle.

I agree with Mike that Blackburn could be in the running. They looked very good against Spurs at the weekend - despite the result.

[Cort Haus]

Originally posted by MikeH
Personally I don't think that Arsenal are good enough defensively to win it. Yes, they have 6 clean sheets, but that's a surprise.... Liverpool and Porto were built on more solid foundations.

What might surprise you even more is that after Chelsea and Liverpool, whose defensive strengths are not questioned, Arsenal have the third best defensive record in the PL. Most of the defeats have been 1-0 to PL clubs hoofing the ball up for Phil Senderos to misjudge, or get muscled off the ball. The remaining teams in the CL don't play that kind of game.

It is true that (Morinho's) Porto & Liverpool were / are more defensively oriented sides than Arsenal, but both sides last night proved that attacking play doesn't automatically mean poor defending. If Arsenal fail to progress beyond the QF's, I expect it to be down to missed opportunities at the front rather than inherent weakness at the back.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Wow... not a good week for English squads. Surprising really.

[reds4ever]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
Wow... not a good week for English squads. Surprising really.

"Squads"?? Do you this stuff on purpose?

You need to watch "Green Street"

[Imran Siddiqui]

I guess Arsenal was happy with their tie game against Madrid, since it was all they needed

[duke o' york]

Their what????!!!!!!

Goddamit Imran, talk the talk or walk the walk!

I can't think of a single English squad above the 1st division (3rd division to anyone born before Andy Gray ruled planet footie in England), and even then I'm hard-pressed.

[Imran Siddiqui]

*must think of more American phrases for English terms*

I like how the CL fields are nicely landscaped. I'm certain the fields in Eastern Europe, though, are pretty bad .


Oh, and in other, silly, news. Red Bull has bought their second team (first being Red Bull Salzburg), the NY/NJ Metrostars, which are now being renamed to Red Bull New York. Wonder if the players will get free drinks.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Almost forgot the press release:

http://redbull.newyork.mlsnet.com/MLS/news/team_news.jsp?ymd=20060309&content_id=53487&vkey=pr_met&fext=.jsp&team=met

Red Bull takes over the MetroStars
Red Bull New York Media Relations
• Major League Soccer release >
Red Bull is expanding its interest in soccer with a unique, yet logical, next step in a process that began less than a year ago: the MetroStars will take the field in the upcoming 2006 Major League Soccer season as Red Bull New York.

With that, the fall champion of the Austrian Bundesliga, Red Bull Salzburg, will become the first organization in the history of Austrian soccer to gain a sister team in the MLS - one of the most rapidly expanding leagues in the world.

Red Bull CEO Dietrich Mateschitz said, "18 million Americans actively play soccer in the USA. Up to 60 million are soccer fans. We were so fascinated by these figures that we made the decision to join and support this development by taking over the responsibility for the MetroStars. Our goal is to further strengthen the team and position the New York Red Bulls as the soccer metropolis of the East Coast, as well as to join the investment for a new tailor made soccer stadium - the "Red Bull Arena"- which will serve as the new home for the New York Red Bulls."

Close collaboration between Red Bull Salzburg and the Red Bull New York is planned. Synergies in athletic areas as well as in management and marketing will be tapped. Projected plans include talent scouting, mutual training camps and friendly matches as well as joint marketing, merchandising and public relations activities.

The president and general manager is Alexi Lalas, one of the most prominent individuals in US soccer. The former defender for the US national team (played in the 1994 WC, in the 1998 WC for the U.S. team in France and played seven seasons in MLS) was the first American to receive a pro contract in Italy. The most prominent players in the present cadre are Youri Djorkaeff, part of the French world championship team in 1998 and Marvell Wynne, the first MLS draft pick overall this year.

The New York Red Bulls will kick off the season on the road against D.C. United on Saturday, April 2, and return to Giants Stadium for their first home game on Saturday, April 8, against the New England Revolution.

And a logo in the corner of this picture:

[duke o' york]

Did you see the Anfield pitch last night?
It wasn't quite as bad as Stamford Bridge has been lately, but then we've yet to see the state of their relaid pitch - they're usually never that good for a couple of games at least. Groundsmen are footie's unrecognised heroes if you've got a team that likes to pass the ball (or hoof it up against higher-league opposition in the FA Cup if they water it a lot. ).

[duke o' york]

Oh, and Imran, you obviously forgot that Chelsea scored a penalty "in overtime".

[reds4ever]

Do you mean Chelseas field goal?

[duke o' york]

No, but the shotgun on the last play paid huge dividends when the Barcelona Catalans illegally sacked Terry in their endzone.