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Soccer/football thread 2022
- Thread starter Priller
- Start date
As a fellow long-time disappointed CMNT supporter - I whole heartedly agree. I want to celebrate but won't let myself yet. And yes - this is a very different squad - their self-belief in themselves and their teammates is incredible.
I've been a TFC supporter since day 1 (was at the first home game ever) - and it's been a fun ride. I get what you're saying though - while the quality of the football has gotten much better over the years, if you watch an MLS game right after watching a European game - the differences are glaring.
It looks like I will be checking out Fubo. I personally could care less about the Champions League games - although it was nice having a game playing on my extra screen while working from home.
I am not allowing myself to get super excited, but I will say 2 things that are helping with my otherwise typical canadian soccer cynicism
1. They won all 3 in the last international break including that win against USA. It will take a cataclismic collapse to not qualify at this point - including a lot of results to go out of their favour.
2. This team is not playing scared especially on the road (this team used to cower when on the road, especially in Mexico, Honduras and El Salvador), or playing the strategy of having the whole team back, have no possession, and prey they score on a counter.
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Mad Mike
Well-known member
I'm a fan of all sports, I played soccer recreationally for 20 years and coached kids soccer for 10.
I have trouble watching a match on TV, after 30 minutes I need toothpicks to keep my eyes open. I can stay awake when watching it live at a pitch, but on TV it puts the sleeper on me.
I have trouble watching a match on TV, after 30 minutes I need toothpicks to keep my eyes open. I can stay awake when watching it live at a pitch, but on TV it puts the sleeper on me.
Priller
Well-known member
Frig. This is really testing my 'no piracy' policy. Will likely be a couple months on for the groups, cancel for winter break, back on for the knockouts.
As for CMNT, this team is different on so many levels. As a buddy put it, they can now get CONCACAFfy with the best of them, working those dark arts that the rest of the countries take for granted with the mostly awful reffing. They're not intimidated by anybody, and will get stuck in on every level.
Where I was most impressed in the latest round of games is they lost Davies and Eustaquio (for two of three, anyway) and didn't skip a beat. Others stepped up, and they looked like the same team. Still, until it's actually done, I'm not getting too excited.
I'm very curious where David ends up next year, as there's no way he stays at Lille. I had big hopes Liverpool would get him, but it's less likely after they paid big money for Luis Diaz from Porto in the winter window, as he plays essentially the same role. Sounds like Arsenal are the front runners now, which isn't ideal for Canada as Arteta isn't quite the development wizard that Klopp is. As long as he doesn't end up at a rigid 'system' club that chokes the creativity out of him...
Big day today. Hoping Inter continues their recent poor form...
I feel the same way about hockey, myself. Most North American sports, actually, with all the stoppages in play, commercial breaks etc. I still love the CFL as a reminder of what pro sports used to be before the big money separated the players from the fans, but I never watch the regular season on TV.
Priller
Well-known member
Even first half, Inter poured it on at the start of the second but couldn't put one together, Liverpool weathered the storm, Inter ran out of gas, Liverpool capitalised. Second goal was big, but wishing away goals mattered again...
Bayern struggled against Salzburg today after getting stomped 4-2 by Bochum (!) in the Bundesliga on the weekend. Phonzie is a big miss for them.
PSG found a way with a bit of Mbappe magic against a Madrid that looked like they were a premier league side trying to steal a point to avoid relegation.
And Man City did what they do against weaker sides and just demolished them. I'm no Guardiola fan (though I do hugely respect him), but I really enjoy the game he plays with reporters where he will complain when they win 5-0 and will say it was their best performance of the year when they lose 2-0.
Next week sees Atleti vs ManU (the Who Do I Hate Slightly Less? Cup, with the main bonus being that one will go out), Chelsea vs Lille (Jonathan David's audition for the Premier League), Benfica vs Ajax (cannon fodder for the quarters? Maybe Ajax can surprise again), and Villareal vs Juve (wait, are you sure you didn't misspell Barcelona? It doesn't start with a V...). Other than hoping David scores more goals, not much for me to get excited about, so go underdogs!
I used to be an Arsenal fan back in the days. They had a strong team in the late 90s, early 2000s. But I wasn't a fanboy and used to enjoy all EPL, Spanish and Champions League games. After 2015, I kind of stopped watching football. Now only follow International football during major events (World cup, Euros, Copa America, etc.).
Priller
Well-known member
I was a big Wenger fan (just wish he wasn't shilling for the stupid biennial World Cup - nobody wants it except crooked FIFA), but Arsenal supporters have gone slightly insane collectively since they stopped being good. They'll be back, but I'm not sold on Arteta as the poor man's Guardiola...
Wife had bought me an Arsenal jersey back in 2013 or so, which still fits me. So I used to wear it from time to time... A few years back, someone came to me and told me we beat ya. I had to ask what he meant and he said he was a Chelsea fan lol. I haven't worn that jersey much after that lol. I think this was in 2019.
Their team with Henry, Pires, Bergkamp and Vierra was great. Wenger was good also up until the mid/late 2000s, then it all went downwards.
I have a friend who is an Arsenal fan. All his football related posts are “memories of when we were good” stuff. Makes me chuckle. Bergkamp was fun to watch though. No love for Ray Parlour?
It’s good to see registered charities represented on GTAM.
Priller
Well-known member
I have to admit, I give other cars with Manchester United paraphernalia side eye, but resist the urge to flip them the bird. It's been easier to be magnanimous with Liverpool doing generally better lately, though. It's been some lean years for Arsenal, even losing the fabled St. Totteringhams Day for the past few years (though they have a shot to get it back this year)...
I think in hindsight, all those years in the 2010's of finishing top four with a really thin squad were really impressive by Wenger. I listened to an interview with him, and he said he was basically told by ownership that they absolutely had to make the Champions League every year to pay for the stadium, but they couldn't give him much money for players because they had to pay for the stadium. It must've been a very weird way to manage a club.
So many false dawns. At least Liverpool punctuated the awful years (Roy Hodgson's blinking, owlish stare still makes me break out in hives) with improbable title runs, FA Cups or even a Champions League win. Still, there but for the grace of Klopp go we...
More memorable for his hair and maybe that one goal in the FA Cup final!No love for Ray Parlour?
Priller
Well-known member
I've historically been on the Celtic side, as their politics are closer to my own, and there are lots of connections to Liverpool for the same reason (both sing You'll Never Walk Alone, though Dortmund does as well - when LFC played Dortmund in the Europa League a few hours ago, it was incredible hearing both sets of supporters sing it together). When Gerrard went to Rangers, it wasn't a happy day for me. Also, Dortmund has among the best supporters in Europe, and Klopp still has strong connections to the club.
BUT, that said, the best thing about the knock-outs is a good old-fashioned underdog story, and this definitely qualifies. It'd be a great story for Scottish football. I turned it on when I saw the score was 4-1, and while Dortmund did pull one back with a speculative long shot, Rangers had more chances and control of the ball right up until the last few minutes of stoppage time when they starting sitting back.
Barcelona and Napoli drew 1-1, which was apparently a fun game. I'd love to see Napoli dump Barcelona from Europe altogether. And Lazio lost 2-1 to Porto, which is always fun as a Roma fan. I like Sarri (and wish Roma finished the promised deal with him instead of being tempted by Mourinho's resume), but not enough to want anything but losses for Lazio...
Agree with you about the Dortmund fans. I went to see a game vs Stuttgart and they are amazing. They arrive 2 hours before the game and start singing and waving flags. The whole “home end” stand holds 25000 fans and it was packed. We never sat down once. It was incredible. BvB forever!
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