Author Topic: THE FOOTBALL/SOCCER THREAD (Read 213550 times)

Himu · « **Reply #180 on:** July 13, 2014, 02:35:28 PM »

Anyone have any tips for dribbling a soccer a ball? It's pretty hard. I can do stuff with my feet, but I always seem to kick it too far when trying to dribble.

Momo · « **Reply #181 on:** July 13, 2014, 02:47:41 PM »

Quote from: Formerly Known As Himuro on July 13, 2014, 02:35:28 PM

Anyone have any tips for dribbling a soccer a ball? It's pretty hard. I can do stuff with my feet, but I always seem to kick it too far when trying to dribble.

Dribbling as in slalom between players? My coach always had me zig zag through safety cones placed increasingly closer to each other, you develop a nice sense of touch that way.

Himu · « **Reply #182 on:** July 13, 2014, 02:50:09 PM »

No, momo

Momo · « **Reply #183 on:** July 13, 2014, 04:47:04 PM »

Do what I say with a ball at your feet

Himu · « **Reply #184 on:** July 13, 2014, 06:25:48 PM »

SEATTLE V PORTLAND DERBY

Haven't watched MLS all year. Perfect time to jump back in.

Himu · « **Reply #185 on:** July 13, 2014, 09:42:26 PM »

Match in a few minutes

Himu · « **Reply #186 on:** July 13, 2014, 09:53:04 PM »

http://www.voetbalzone.nl/doc.asp?uid=219412

fred is done with caps. exodus, chime in?

Himu · « **Reply #187 on:** July 13, 2014, 10:11:47 PM »

I'm on mobile. I'll have to buy the tinychat app. I'm fine just posting in here

Himu · « **Reply #188 on:** July 13, 2014, 10:16:37 PM »

That Rodriguez goal > van Persie goal?

What?

Himu · « **Reply #189 on:** July 13, 2014, 10:19:10 PM »

There's an amazing clip that has the entire cup in one long video on espn2 now and it's fucking beautiful

Himu · « **Reply #190 on:** July 13, 2014, 10:22:11 PM »

Sounders dude screaming over the reporter

Himu · « **Reply #191 on:** July 13, 2014, 11:45:08 PM »

Definitely prefer Portland home kit

Mr. Gundam · « **Reply #192 on:** July 14, 2014, 12:05:52 AM »

Quote from: Esch on July 13, 2014, 10:32:01 PM

These Seattle fans are shocking me. They have a crazy fan culture over there for real. Seems weird watching Americans do the whole soccer thing with the chants.

These Portland jerseys are pretty awful

Shocking? Maybe you should've glanced over us at in the last three or four years. It's been this way.

Mr. Gundam · « **Reply #193 on:** July 14, 2014, 12:54:36 AM »

MLS is pretty amateurish at times, but I'm ok with that. It's our local product, I'll support it hard.

Also, it bugs the shit out of me that Alaska Airlines sponsors the Timbers. Alaska is a Seattle-based company.

Himu · « **Reply #194 on:** July 14, 2014, 12:59:43 AM »

People say that there's no point in watching local soccer because it's amateurish but how the hell can it grow beyond being amateur if we don't support it?

Mr. Gundam · « **Reply #195 on:** July 14, 2014, 01:06:29 AM »

You're talking about the Timbers. I'm gonna use harsh words.

The passing and footwork is not on par with some of the top-tier international leagues, but I don't really care. I love my Sounders.

Mr. Gundam · « **Reply #196 on:** July 14, 2014, 01:15:10 AM »

Quote from: Esch on July 14, 2014, 01:13:02 AM

Sounders look good for sure. You might just win the shield and cup eh?

That would be fantastic...

Except we always blow it in the playoffs.

That's just me being a realistic lifelong Seattle sports fan.

TEEEPO · « **Reply #197 on:** July 14, 2014, 01:33:57 AM »

i think it's time i start watching MLS

Momo · « **Reply #198 on:** July 14, 2014, 02:13:18 AM »

Which MLS team can I support to piss off the majority of people here?

Kara · « **Reply #199 on:** July 14, 2014, 02:38:48 AM »

Quote from: Momo on July 14, 2014, 02:13:18 AM

Which MLS team can I support to piss off the majority of people here?

Gals

Momo · « **Reply #200 on:** July 14, 2014, 02:50:56 AM »

Sounds like targeting Mandark is going to give me the most joy here.

EDIT: Yeah the lack of promotion/relegation kinda puts me off American sport, I would imagine it would piss off people in non franchise cities much more though.

Himu · « **Reply #201 on:** July 14, 2014, 02:53:06 AM »

Quote from: Momo on July 14, 2014, 02:13:18 AM

Which MLS team can I support to piss off the majority of people here?

There's really no one on that level. It is individual. If it were me, Dallas, because I'm a Houston supporter. If it's Gundam, Portland. In general? Maybe LA Galaxy.

But in the future the team to hate is the second New York club and the new Miami club. Fuck both of them.

Kara · « **Reply #202 on:** July 14, 2014, 02:56:18 AM »

Quote from: Momo on July 14, 2014, 02:50:56 AM

Sounds like targeting Mandark is going to give me the most joy here.

Then you definitely want the Gals.

Finally level on league titles and MLS Cups.

Himu · « **Reply #203 on:** July 14, 2014, 02:56:33 AM »

Quote from: Esch on July 14, 2014, 02:24:34 AM

Well you can support the Timbers to rustle Mr. Gundams jimmies. I get the feeling Mandark is a DC united fan so you could support the NY Red Bulls, who also seem to rustle jimmies across the net and receive many accusations of frauding.

I may support Sporting KC but I'm holding out to see if St Louis gets an MLS team but if i didn't you could rustle my jimmies by supporting the Houston Dynamo, who Himu likely support.

Why would Htown piss you off?

Himu · « **Reply #204 on:** July 14, 2014, 02:57:25 AM »

Momo wait for the second New York team. Every MLS fan hates that team and they haven't even played a game yet

Himu · « **Reply #205 on:** July 14, 2014, 03:02:28 AM »

Quote from: The Business on July 14, 2014, 02:47:12 AM

The thing I wish most from American soccer is that in had promotion/relegation. No matter how much I support my local USL Pro team they will never be MLS (or even NASL). Kind of a bummer. Good thing I love OKC and will support whatever soccer we have here regardless. These guys playing here are from all over the country and came to OKC to play soccer professionally—you've got to respect that.

On a side note, one thing that really bothers me is our local hooligans. My tickets are in the "fan zone" behind the north goal. These guys play drums the whole match and sing songs which is great. What's not great is the fact that they spend the rest of their time heckling the visiting team. It's not friendly heckling either—it's stuff like, "hickory dickoroy dock, the yellow team can suck my cock." I'm glad they're so passionate but OKC is supposed to be an exceedingly friendly town (our Thunder fans are not like that). This isn't the kind of image we should be projecting to UPL Pro. We're not Pittsburg! What makes me even more mad is the hooligans are basically fat reddit-looking nerds. They would never in their lives say the kind of things they're saying to our visiting teams to anyone on the street—especially athletes. It bothers me a lot. I'd like to figure out a way to reverse this trend within our fans.

It's unfortunate but I doubt we will ever get promotion/relegation. Reason being, these sponsors help pay millions in dollars to build stadiums. I don't think they'd help support the building of stadiums for teams that can be kicked out of the MLS and into the lower leagues. I wish we could get it but it just isn't in the cards. One can hope, though.

RE: more teams. I feel we should stop at 20 teams. Premiere League has 20 clubs. Perfect number. Leagues like NBA have way too many teams. And in the past, too many teams has made the American soccer leagues suffer. Leave it at 20.

Momo · « **Reply #206 on:** July 14, 2014, 03:04:25 AM »

Quote from: Formerly Known As Himuro on July 14, 2014, 02:57:25 AM

Momo wait for the second New York team. Every MLS fan hates that team and they haven't even played a game yet

Oh man, sounds like a troll whet dream

Himu · « **Reply #207 on:** July 14, 2014, 03:05:23 AM »

Quote from: Momo on July 14, 2014, 03:04:25 AM

Quote from: Formerly Known As Himuro on July 14, 2014, 02:57:25 AM
Momo wait for the second New York team. Every MLS fan hates that team and they haven't even played a game yet
Oh man, sounds like a troll whet dream

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City_FC

Kara · « **Reply #208 on:** July 14, 2014, 03:05:28 AM »

Quote from: Formerly Known As Himuro on July 14, 2014, 02:56:33 AM

Why would Htown piss you off?

I know nu-Quakes fans have no love for them.

I often think of absurd new Texas teams that could be created by moving the nu-Quakes to troll their fans. My favorite is Lokamotiv El Paso. (Dynamo was a VSS in the Soviet Union.)

Himu · « **Reply #209 on:** July 14, 2014, 03:06:36 AM »

Yes but Esch isn't from there.

Himu · « **Reply #210 on:** July 14, 2014, 03:09:24 AM »

How many teams then? If not 20 I'd settle with 22.

Himu · « **Reply #211 on:** July 14, 2014, 03:12:34 AM »

25 then.

*crosses arms* but no more than that.

Himu · « **Reply #212 on:** July 14, 2014, 03:21:24 AM »

Maybe in the future when MLS has a good foothold in American culture, but one of the big downfalls of past American soccer leagues is rapid expansion and over spending. Especially in cities that cannot support them. MLS is gearing towards expansion right now. But I'm worried they'll try to bank on their boom and not look at the history of past American leagues, notably NASL.

What year would you predict 30 teams being a possibility?

Kara · « **Reply #213 on:** July 14, 2014, 03:26:42 AM »

The talent pool is diluted in the NBA with the number of teams it has and basketball is a popular sport across all segments of American society.

It's not just the number of teams per citizen/resident, it's also the number of capable players that can actually be fielded.

Himu · « **Reply #214 on:** July 14, 2014, 03:29:29 AM »

Exactly. I don't want an NBA situation at all. Most American leagues have too many teams.

And MLS is already expanding in head scratching ways (Atlanta, Miami).

http://m.washingtonpost.com/blogs/soccer-insider/wp/2014/04/15/mlss-imperfect-expansion-plans/

Aside from Orlando, it's starting to look like expansion for the sake of expansion and not actually taking the sport to places where there's a demand and history (STL). Which, for America's third soccer league in history, doesn't really bode well.

Kara · « **Reply #215 on:** July 14, 2014, 03:39:19 AM »

Fair point wrt the physical requirements of basketball.

Kara · « **Reply #216 on:** July 14, 2014, 03:47:14 AM »

I've watched matches where the match was shrunk down to picture in picture size so that advertising could be run on the screen simultaneously.

Wish I could remember what league it was doe. Maybe J or A League? I used to really dredge the bottom of football when I had Fox Soccer Channel and no life.

Mandark · « **Reply #217 on:** July 14, 2014, 04:45:41 AM »

LeBron mighta been a hell of a centre-half, though.

The top NBA and NFL players wouldn't necessarily be populating our national team (or even MLS) if soccer were the king sport in the US. However, you have a ton of young athletes with bodies suited for soccer who never played it seriously, and instead get scholarships as point guards, cornerbacks, etc.

As to athleticism of the current team, they're very fit. But with a larger pool to draw from you'd presumably have some equally fit players with actual skills to boot. To get that pool of talent the US will probably need better high-end youth programs and just more interest. It's a cliche to say soccer's a "street sport" everywhere but here, but it's true. Adolescent boys don't obsess over soccer as much as they do other sports, or at least they haven't in the past.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

*and German youth squads

[close]

Mandark · « **Reply #218 on:** July 14, 2014, 04:52:53 AM »

Really, if the question is "what does the US need to do to improve at soccer?" then the answer is some form of "take our insane, probably socially unhealthy obsession with sport and make soccer a higher priority within that."

Momo · « **Reply #219 on:** July 14, 2014, 08:00:24 AM »

oh my god

"Joachim Low says Bayern Munich's Mario Goetze, 22, proved he is better than Lionel Messi after coming off the bench to score Germany's extra-time winner against Argentina."

fuck off

http://www.espn.co.uk/football/sport/story/323943.html?CMP=OTC-RSS

Cerveza mas fina · « **Reply #220 on:** July 14, 2014, 08:09:28 AM »

Dude is delusional

Himu · « **Reply #221 on:** July 15, 2014, 10:28:59 PM »

What's next for CONCACAF:

http://m.goal.com/s/en-us/news/4959529?ICID=HP_HN_4

Himu · « **Reply #222 on:** July 15, 2014, 10:32:35 PM »

Lampard to Momo's MLS club:

http://www.fifa.com/world-match-centre/news/newsid/240/593/2/index.html

Portland makes first girls youth academy program in the US:

http://s.oregonlive.com/UO0ZdRQ

Himu · « **Reply #223 on:** July 15, 2014, 10:57:13 PM »

It's certainly not talked about as often as La Liga and EPL.

Himu · « **Reply #224 on:** July 15, 2014, 11:19:55 PM »

EPL interests me more than La Liga. La Liga is too lopsided in power. Bundesliga is better but it's not broadcasted in America much. Sucks because I love German soccer and their style.

I mostly follow EPL, MLS, Budesliga, and La Liga. EPL and MLS more than the other two.

Kara · « **Reply #225 on:** July 16, 2014, 12:35:41 AM »

Quote from: Formerly Known As Himuro on July 15, 2014, 11:19:55 PM

EPL interests me more than La Liga. La Liga is too lopsided in power.

Feel free to correct this because I think I might be wrong, but I think in the amount of time the Prem has existed the same number of teams have won La Liga as have won the Prem (5).

Unless your team financially dopes or plays in the Bundesliga, it's not going to win its league unless it's one of a handful of powerful clubs.

Himu · « **Reply #226 on:** July 16, 2014, 01:00:45 AM »

Quote from: Karakand on July 16, 2014, 12:35:41 AM

Quote from: Formerly Known As Himuro on July 15, 2014, 11:19:55 PM
EPL interests me more than La Liga. La Liga is too lopsided in power.

Feel free to correct this because I think I might be wrong, but I think in the amount of time the Prem has existed the same number of teams have won La Liga as have won the Prem (5).

Unless your team financially dopes or plays in the Bundesliga, it's not going to win its league unless it's one of a handful of powerful clubs.

Sure. But look at the past ten years of premiership champions versus la Liga.

Kara · « **Reply #227 on:** July 16, 2014, 01:15:53 AM »

Quote from: Formerly Known As Himuro on July 16, 2014, 01:00:45 AM

Sure. But look at the past ten years of premiership champions versus la Liga.

3 champions, 2 of which are notorious for financial doping?

Himu · « **Reply #228 on:** July 16, 2014, 01:17:48 AM »

Quote from: Karakand on July 16, 2014, 01:15:53 AM

Quote from: Formerly Known As Himuro on July 16, 2014, 01:00:45 AM
Sure. But look at the past ten years of premiership champions versus la Liga.

3 champions, 2 of which are notorious for financial doping?

Aside from Atletico, two champs in ten years. In it's current state, la Liga is far more lopsided than EPL. This is a very common critique towards the league. It isn't anything new.

Himu · « **Reply #229 on:** July 16, 2014, 01:19:49 AM »

Quote from: Esch on July 16, 2014, 01:13:54 AM

Also, Himu was right about the potential hate for NYCFC

the fact that New York is getting 2 teams by itself is

buying up star power to start

being from New York in the first place

Told ya. They haven't played a game and I already hate them.

DCharlieJP · « **Reply #230 on:** July 16, 2014, 01:21:49 AM »

EPL isn't technically the best but the games tend to be end to end stuff with a ton of atmosphere and oodles of excitements!

Only 4 weeks to go - i HATE international football, but this world cup distracted me enough to not make the gap between seasons too unbearable!

Momo · « **Reply #231 on:** July 16, 2014, 02:24:16 AM »

oh man, thats really really good. always hated the ones that gives the blue and black stripes equal size. Inter's design was made for pinstripe

Himu · « **Reply #232 on:** July 16, 2014, 02:30:11 AM »

Beautiful

Fifstar · « **Reply #233 on:** July 16, 2014, 05:59:44 AM »

Quote from: Esch on July 15, 2014, 11:09:39 PM

Didn't it used to be like;

EPL > La Liga > Serie A > Bundesliga

and now it's like

EPL >= La Liga > Bundesliga >>> Serie A?

Hard to argue that EPL is superior to La Liga when you look at European Cup titles in the last 5 years (Europa League: 3x Esp and 1x Eng; Champions League Esp2x Eng 1x) and the Club coefficients http://www.uefa.com/memberassociations/uefarankings/club/index.html. La liga tends to fall apart beyond the top 5 or 6 clubs though, plus a lot of teams are in bad financial shape. EPL and Bundesliga are more evenly matched, although in all leagues the discrepancies between top class, extended contenders that battle for the occasional champions league spot and the rest are growing.

Momo · « **Reply #234 on:** July 16, 2014, 11:55:40 AM »

yup, thats quatar

Momo · « **Reply #235 on:** July 16, 2014, 12:06:15 PM »

probably cause i pronounce it kwatar and not katar

Momo · « **Reply #236 on:** July 16, 2014, 12:37:53 PM »

This is probably 100% correct

headwalk · « **Reply #237 on:** July 16, 2014, 12:41:21 PM »

la liga is a bunch of ponces mincing around talking rubbish.

Himu · « **Reply #238 on:** July 16, 2014, 02:40:45 PM »

Himu · « **Reply #239 on:** July 16, 2014, 09:14:57 PM »

Red bulls is the worst name ever

News:

Author Topic: THE FOOTBALL/SOCCER THREAD (Read 213550 times)