OT: FIFA World Cup 2018 - Russia

[trostol]

Incredible goal

he got all sorts of lucky on that

 

[trostol]

also i am going for England..i mean at some point they gotta win it again

 

[trostol]

FFS..Liverpool is the Flyers...bad goaltending when it is needed

 

[FLYguy3911]

GK is having a hell of a match.

 

[kudymen]

he got all sorts of lucky on that

Nothing compared to the second one though

 

[trostol]

Nothing compared to the second one though

that was all sorts of awful...i feel bad sorta for dude..but i knew as soon as Salah went down we weren't winning this unless it was a miracle 1-0

 

[Foggy14]

Wow, between Mo going down, and the misadventures from Karius, that was a pretty ugly game for Liverpool.

Beautiful goal by Bale.

 

[1865]

also i am going for England..i mean at some point they gotta win it again

Don't hold your breath mate. Logic would dictate we'd have more than one, but we're the football equivalent of the Maple Leafs. The media rip them to pieces at every mistake or hesitation.

For example, Raheem Sterling has had a tattoo of a gun on his leg. It's to remind him of certain issues (his dad was shot dead when he was 2) and there are calls for him to step down from the squad.

Insanity.

 

[Captain Dave Poulin]

Wow, between Mo going down, and the misadventures from Karius, that was a pretty ugly game for Liverpool.

Beautiful goal by Bale.

Karius had a massive stinker, but the villain of the piece was Sergio Ramos. I have never in my life seen a bigger example of s**thousery in every respect, and that includes Rivaldo in the 1990s. Only thing to do is put it in the rear-view and forget about it. Onwards and upwards. YNWA

 

[Hollywood Cannon]

Don't hold your breath mate. Logic would dictate we'd have more than one, but we're the football equivalent of the Maple Leafs. The media rip them to pieces at every mistake or hesitation.

For example, Raheem Sterling has had a tattoo of a gun on his leg. It's to remind him of certain issues (his dad was shot dead when he was 2) and there are calls for him to step down from the squad.

Insanity.

He probably should have his leg amputated.

 

[Captain Dave Poulin]

He probably should have his leg amputated.

You're not wrong. He's horrible.

 

[usahockey22flyers]

USA youngsters looked good last night against a crap Bolivia side. Balotelli returns from the abyss to score against Saudi Arabia.

It's starting to hit me. I have no teams in the world cup. Devastated.

Going to go for Costa Rica (been there a bunch of times), Morocco (friends with a Moroccan in Rome), Mexico (spent a lot of time studying immigration at the border), Panama (CONCACAF), and Japan (love this country). And I will be rooting for Alisson and Brazil I guess.

 

[YEM]

I'm glad the U.S. isn't in it
The national federation is way too close with the business interests of the MLS and & they should have never encouraged all of the guys playing in much better leagues abroad to come home and play here

 

[Captain Dave Poulin]

I'm glad the U.S. isn't in it
The national federation is way too close with the business interests of the MLS and & they should have never encouraged all of the guys playing in much better leagues abroad to come home and play here

I'm as patriotic as anyone, in general, but I can't stand anything about US soccer and have never rooted for them. If I even started to go into how I really feel about the whole thing I would get banned for life from at least this board, if not the entire internet lol.

 

[eddygee]

I'm glad the U.S. isn't in it
The national federation is way too close with the business interests of the MLS and & they should have never encouraged all of the guys playing in much better leagues abroad to come home and play here

That's a great example of a straw man argument/excuse that the Euro-centric MLS detractors use. Don't blame MLS it's not EPL but is still a top 10-15 league in the world. The blame should go strictly on the players for not keeping up to form and lacking professionalism. It's the quality of MLS that has allowed teams like Costa Rica, Panama, and Honduras to improve, especially Costa Rica with their surprise World Cup showing in 2014. Majority of that lineup was from MLS as is majority of the World Cup team now. The best US player ever Landon Donovan who brought us heroics and skill through the years played most of his career in a MLS that barely resembles the league today. The players just got big headed, comfy and lost their drive. A lot of it can be pinned down to Klinsman trying to Germanize the team and change what had been a successful playing style through the years.

The US basically lacked identity and intent they lost the fighting spirit US teams had always had. We should get back to being the lethal counter attacking team we were in the Bradley Era where we ended Spain's FIFA record unbeaten streak and almost shocked Brazil in the Confederations Cup going up 2-0 before losing last min 3-2.

Go back to that playing style and stick with your identity Netherlands attacks thats what they do try to be great at what you do and execute don't try to be what you are not. Along with getting back to that playing philosophy and adding in the more technically skilled youth coming through the US system they will be back strong in the 2022 World Cup; regardless of where US players play.

 

[1865]

You're not wrong. He's horrible.

Horrible? He's turning into a superb player.

 

[YEM]

That's a great example of a straw man argument/excuse that the Euro-centric MLS detractors use. Don't blame MLS it's not EPL but is still a top 10-15 league in the world. The blame should go strictly on the players for not keeping up to form and lacking professionalism. It's the quality of MLS that has allowed teams like Costa Rica, Panama, and Honduras to improve, especially Costa Rica with their surprise World Cup showing in 2014. Majority of that lineup was from MLS as is majority of the World Cup team now. The best US player ever Landon Donovan who brought us heroics and skill through the years played most of his career in a MLS that barely resembles the league today. The players just got big headed, comfy and lost their drive. A lot of it can be pinned down to Klinsman trying to Germanize the team and change what had been a successful playing style through the years.

The US basically lacked identity and intent they lost the fighting spirit US teams had always had. We should get back to being the lethal counter attacking team we were in the Bradley Era where we ended Spain's FIFA record unbeaten streak and almost shocked Brazil in the Confederations Cup going up 2-0 before losing last min 3-2.

Go back to that playing style and stick with your identity Netherlands attacks thats what they do try to be great at what you do and execute don't try to be what you are not. Along with getting back to that playing philosophy and adding in the more technically skilled youth coming through the US system they will be back strong in the 2022 World Cup; regardless of where US players play.

I respect your opinions, but can't really agree with any of them
Every footballing nation has their ups-and-downs in form [Italy & the Netherlands not being in the Cup is just so weird] but I don't see any advantages at all in having Americans NOT going abroad to play in much better leagues [those Bradley teams you mention from not too long ago had a lot of players in Europe and doing well there]. Further to that, as you mention, the littler CONCACAF nations like CR and the like have gone from total nothings on the international scene to fairly respectable sides with the MLS being a good developmental league for them...I just staunchly believe that if your players are playing in a 3rd rate league like the MLS, your guys aren't going to improve and they will stagnate, like they have.

 

[Captain Dave Poulin]

Horrible? He's turning into a superb player.

Not as a player, as a person. I'm not being serious anyway - I'm bitter over the way he left my club and can't stand him.

 

[eddygee]

I respect your opinions, but can't really agree with any of them
Every footballing nation has their ups-and-downs in form [Italy & the Netherlands not being in the Cup is just so weird] but I don't see any advantages at all in having Americans NOT going abroad to play in much better leagues [those Bradley teams you mention from not too long ago had a lot of players in Europe and doing well there]. Further to that, as you mention, the littler CONCACAF nations like CR and the like have gone from total nothings on the international scene to fairly respectable sides with the MLS being a good developmental league for them...I just staunchly believe that if your players are playing in a 3rd rate league like the MLS, your guys aren't going to improve and they will stagnate, like they have.

Yeah we can agree to disagree your opinion of MLS being 3rd rate when its a top 10-15 league says it all. We are all entitled to our own opinions though. After it's next TV deal MLS stature and talent level will continue to rise and people who have just put it in their mind the league is 3rd rate will continue to think in the same antiquated ways. It goes like this most of the time. You say third rate so I don't watch it. So when is the last time you watched(2/3 games) the answer is 5-6 yrs ago.
The problem is people making uninformed opinions on things based of having knowledge of a situation 5-6 yrs ago if that. As far as your other comments about Costa Rica and MLS I disagree but will respect your opinion. As far as the World Cup I will watch but it won't be the same.

 

[Captain Dave Poulin]

Yeah we can agree to disagree your opinion of MLS being 3rd rate when its a top 10-15 league says it all. We are all entitled to our own opinions though.

Those are equivalent. Once you get past the top five or so leagues, you have third-rate (at best) leagues, and MLS is certainly that. There's nothing wrong with a young league being that, but it's also not much to crow about.

 

[eddygee]

Those are equivalent. Once you get past the top five or so leagues, you have third-rate (at best) leagues, and MLS is certainly that. There's nothing wrong with a young league being that, but it's also not much to crow about.

I agree the optimism is just that, it's a young league and is in growing. Since I started watching consistently in 2006 I've witness MLS surpass the Scottish Premiership, J league, the Scandinavian leagues (Denmark, Norway, Sweden) and are about more or less equivalent to the Dutch and Belgian leagues presently. The next step is catching the 2nd rate leagues like the Turkish, Russian, Portuguese, Mexican, Brazilian and Argentinian leagues. But this gets me to my point, other WC teams have players who play in 2nd or 3rd rate leagues. Yet some want to use playing in MLS as a slight. Those people need to blame the players mindset not the league.

 

[YEM]

Those are equivalent. Once you get past the top five or so leagues, you have third-rate (at best) leagues, and MLS is certainly that. There's nothing wrong with a young league being that, but it's also not much to crow about.

bingo

and @eddygee, I've been to maybe 30 MLS games over the past 5-6 years; I live 15 minutes from Red Bull Stadium in Newark & have a friend who works for the team so I get free tix rather often. I think it's a crap league, I thought that 10 years ago too. Is it getting better? Yes. Did they have nowhere to go but up? Also yes.

 

[eddygee]

bingo

and @eddygee, I've been to maybe 30 MLS games over the past 5-6 years; I live 15 minutes from Red Bull Stadium in Newark & have a friend who works for the team so I get free tix rather often. I think it's a crap league, I thought that 10 years ago too. Is it getting better? Yes. Did they have nowhere to go but up? Also yes.

You are entitled to your own opinion its the internet bud I just disagree. Whens the last game you went to as the Red Bull actually play quite a attractive blend of soccer. I remember when they took down Chelsea in the ICC series which is basically a glorified friendly. The the real achievement was they did it with a team of reserves against a team of Chelsea starters. Some clips of the league I really like the review show and hope they bring it to the North American market.

 

[YEM]

I don't begrudge anyone for liking or enjoying the MLS, I've enjoyed many a game I've seen

but I just don't think it's a league where you want your best/international players playing in
I don't see any value for, say a guy like Pulisic to come back and play in the MLS just like we wouldn't have wanted Nolan Patrick in the ECHL last season. Let the cream rise up and join the top, rather than fermenting in the middle. I think it will be a very, very slow rise [if at all] for US Soccer if they want to "develop" our guys stateside.

 

[eddygee]

I don't begrudge anyone for liking or enjoying the MLS, I've enjoyed many a game I've seen

but I just don't think it's a league where you want your best/international players playing in
I don't see any value for, say a guy like Pulisic to come back and play in the MLS just like we wouldn't have wanted Nolan Patrick in the ECHL last season. Let the cream rise up and join the top, rather than fermenting in the middle. I think it will be a very, very slow rise [if at all] for US Soccer if they want to "develop" our guys stateside.

We can agree on Pulisic but I wouldn't mind it if MLS get a big US TV deal of say 300-450 mil US pr year and then can maybe crack Ligue 1 level. I don't think Pulisic should play in the EPL.
Good points.