Discussion The Football/Soccer Thread

[seorang]

An english only final sucks arse. None of the finals where both sides are from the same country entertain.

 

[Lohnt]

Well it looks like the Cup finals will be a Spanish only side too.. what are you gonna do? The problem is that soccer quality has dropped lately, did you even SEE the last world penalty cup?

Anyway, I think M.U. has a great formula, and they are very likely to return, I'd say next year will be very very interesting.
Milan is possibly going to have 2 more Brazilian nationals on their roster, Real Madrid is buying a lot of good potential players, Barca will get over their slump, and Man U will continue to be strong.

In Budesliga news: Gekas is unstoppable, God DAMN Greece hasn't had a striker this good in the past 6 years, and one that is playing in a non-Greek team in the past 12 and I am SOOOO glad he's going to Leverkeusen next year. By 2009 I expect British/Spanish teams to be throwing money at him too if he continues this way.

I'm not too excited about the Milan-Man U. rematch though, this weekend, they're both facing really tough games and they may lose in order to reserve their strength for the Champions League.. in which case that game may be a 1-0 0-0 match or something.. I could of course be wrong.

 

[seorang]

Am I supposed to do anything? I can't knockout teams.

Quality of soccer has dropped...... thats iffy. Depends on what you define quality.

 

[Lohnt]

Having to decide half the World Cup games by penalties = bad quality.

 

[seorang]

Would you rather they keep going until they dropped dead?

I agree that penalty shootouts are by no means a fair decider, but that has nothing to do with quality of the game.

 

[Lohnt]

I would prefer that either coaches teach their forwards how to score, or just play more open games and lose if they have to because having 9 players in the small area when the other team attacks is ridiculous and it means that national teams don't trust their defensive players at all.

Besides it has gone down, watch soccer in the 70's and you'll see incredible players/teams. Watch it in the 90's even and you'll still see better games than you do now, even if they are 3-3 games every second makes you scream in anticipation rather than what goes on now with nothing but defense.

I'm not again defense, it's how Greece stole the Euro in 04, but hey defense when it counts, not ignore your game COMPLETELY and just sit there defending.
It's not fun to watch 9 players behind the half, and a single player chasing the goal.

 

[Ichimaru Gin n Tonic]

But still, there are great games even now. 0-0 scoreline doesnt look that bad during the Sweden vs Trinidad Tobago match in the last World Cup. And you couldn't say that both team play a defensive games, Sweden made almost 20 shots on goal, but T&T goalkeepers kept them all out.
And playing a defensive game isnt all that bad. AC Milan won against Bayern Munchen on their last meeting after a wonderful display of catenaccio and they won 2-0. And nowadays it's not just the forwards that are looking to put their name on the scoresheet, players like Frank Lampard, Steven Gerard, or Iniesta has scored many times. It's a whole different ball game now. We can still see alot of good forwards scoring great goals, like Hernan Crespo & Adriano at Inter, or Drogba & Shevchenko at Chelsea (even if Sheva didnt score that much of a goal, poor guy), but nobody seems to mind when the midfield or defense players also got their name(s) on the scoresheet.

It's not just about how many goals scored in a match, it's also the passion and the tenacity of the players that makes the game the best game in the world.

 

[Lohnt]

I never said I minded 1-0 games that are great, I said I minded games decided by Penalties, especially if it's a 0-0 game + overtime.

I honestly have no problem with the crazy 3-3 games that have penalties, or even the 1-0 games. I LIVE for the 1-0 incredible games, but the last world cup was just not exciting at all for me.. nor for any media outlet I even watch.

 

[Ichimaru Gin n Tonic]

Manchester Utd won 2-4 against Everton!! w00t!!!!!!
Chelsea drew 2-2.

 

[Epul]

Man utd are so close to the title now. If Chelsea drew against Arsenal and Man utd beat Man City this weekend, that will be all she wrote...... GLORY, GLORY MAN UTD!!!!

 

[Lohnt]

Milan won.. no raped...

So it's Liverpool vs Milan in a 2005 rematch.
I don't want to root for either.

Milan have been showing a sub-par show in the Champions League, they played when they wanted to and lost games out of lazyness when they didn't. Also, they cost my favorite team the advance by losing to Lille in the group stage.

Liverpool is.. i don't know w/e not a fan, but I don't necessarily hate them.

 

[Ichimaru Gin n Tonic]

Did anyone saw Man City vs Man Utd last night. I dunno, but looks to me both penalties came from diving. Don't get me wrong, i'm happy United won, but Ronaldo is "famous" for his graceful fall. Oh well, two more match to go.

 

[Epul]

Chelsea drew 1-1 with arsenal!! That means man united are the premier league champion!!!!! Glory Glory!!! Man utd!!! Next up is the FA cup final against Chelsea. Go man utd!!

 

[thegreatest08]

Man utd drew with Chelsea 0-0 in the prem.

 

[bebekhappy]

So they won the title right?? congrats for MU...even though i still hold a grudge on them for killing Roma 7-1 in quarter final...LoL .I'm Roma fan and it's sad to see them out from CL with that kind of beating. Anyway congrats for MU , God i really wish to see Milan having they sweet revenge on Liverpool in CL final

I hope Serie-A will be more competitive when Juventus made their comeback from Serie-B. I'm not sayin' that i hate Inter for winning the scudetto, they deserve it...but it's seem they become too superior after the calciopolli thing.

 

[Zaloof]

Roma pawned Inter-Milan 6-2 in the finals cup

 

[bebekhappy]

Woohoooo.......
MILAN won!!!!......MILAN won the UCL!!....FORZA MILAN!!!!

 

[GrayFoxx]

Well, I'm not so happy about that, I don't simpatize with Milan or Liverpool, either way it would be bad news for me But anyway congratulations to Milan, They won the Match, fair and square. Ichi~ must be going wild, right now

 

[Ichimaru Gin n Tonic]

Yes I am, Foxxi. I just got back from celebrating with my friends after watching the match at a local sports bar here. Woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!! Forza Milan!! Super Pippo!! *regains composure* So, yeah.. Milan won, but imo Liverpool won the ball possession

Spoiler

too bad this time they didn't won the cup too.

 

[Epul]

congrats milan. But I think all milan fans were biting their nails when Liverpool scored