I'm with you on this one. If I need a good nap, I'll put golf or soccer on. I don't mind nascar though.
OT: World Cup of Soccer and General Soccer Talk
- Thread starter ClassLessCoyote
- Start date
I'm with you on this one. If I need a good nap, I'll put golf or soccer on. I don't mind nascar though.
How much soccer have you really watched in your lifetime and how much do you really know about soccer?
Played it since I was a kid. Around6 yrs up to high school. I was a goalie and defense. I know quite a bit about it. Was a huge sandsharks fan when we had an indoor soccer team.
Bondurant
Registered User
I enjoy the local USL Pro side, Arizona United, that plays at Peoria Sports Complex. New owners took over and re-branded the woeful Phoenix FC.
ck26
Alcoholab User
Wow, love this thread for so many reasons, hahaha ...
Went to 3 or 4 FC Phoenix games last summer and enjoyed them ... it's very, VERY minor league so don't expect a lot of amenities, but it's a nice night of sports for not a lot of coin. They had food trucks at a couple of the games last year and the prices of everything are really good.
World Cup ... wooooooo ... I was living in Germany in 2010, and the whole month was surreal ... took the whole thing off from work, went to Cologne/Frankfurt/etc for Germany games, Paris/Marseilles (France), Milan (Italy), etc ... it was huge, boozy, sexy street party after huge, boozy, sexy street party ... you haven't watched soccer until you and 3 other Americans take your cowboy hats / Statue of Liberty costumes / USA tracksuits to an East London pub and watch the Colonists vs the Empire with 200 of your new English "friends" ...
If you're looking for watching parties, Google / Facebook search for "AO Phoenix" to find contact info for the local American Outlaws fangroup ... they usually meet up at Tim Finnegan's on I-17 or the George and Dragon downtown to watch games, and both bars will have all the WC games on. Super-nice group that will help teach you a thing or two if need be and are fun to watch with. I'm stuck in Afghanistan this summer but the Afghans are huge fans too and we get the games on TV ... the guys I'm working with are mostly supporting Iran.
Hate making predictions, but what the heck.
Group A: Brazil, Croatia, Cameroon, Mexico
Group B: Holland, Chile, Spain, Australia (bet the farm that Spain disappoints ... the Madrid contingent just won the Champions League, the Barca contingent are on borrowed time as elite players, there hasn't been enough of a youth infusion and Chile are just going to run this team to death)
Group C: Colombia, Ivory Coast, Japan, Greece (is Falcao healthy?)
Group D: Italy, Uruguay, England, Costa Rica (Italy is soooo good right now)
Group E: France, Ecuador, Switzerland, Honduras
Group F: Bosnia, Argentina, Nigeria, Iran (those who know know Bosnia are loaded)
Group G: Germany, USA, Ghana, Portugal (Donovan missing won't matter, we're fine)
Group H: Belgium, South Korea, Russia, Algeria
Kinda as an aside, if anyone is ever headed over to Europe and wants to take in a game as part of their vacation, hit me up if you need tips/advice ... traveling for booze and sports is my favorite hobby in the world, and soccer is the one sport that rates ahead of hockey ...
Went to 3 or 4 FC Phoenix games last summer and enjoyed them ... it's very, VERY minor league so don't expect a lot of amenities, but it's a nice night of sports for not a lot of coin. They had food trucks at a couple of the games last year and the prices of everything are really good.
World Cup ... wooooooo ... I was living in Germany in 2010, and the whole month was surreal ... took the whole thing off from work, went to Cologne/Frankfurt/etc for Germany games, Paris/Marseilles (France), Milan (Italy), etc ... it was huge, boozy, sexy street party after huge, boozy, sexy street party ... you haven't watched soccer until you and 3 other Americans take your cowboy hats / Statue of Liberty costumes / USA tracksuits to an East London pub and watch the Colonists vs the Empire with 200 of your new English "friends" ...
If you're looking for watching parties, Google / Facebook search for "AO Phoenix" to find contact info for the local American Outlaws fangroup ... they usually meet up at Tim Finnegan's on I-17 or the George and Dragon downtown to watch games, and both bars will have all the WC games on. Super-nice group that will help teach you a thing or two if need be and are fun to watch with. I'm stuck in Afghanistan this summer but the Afghans are huge fans too and we get the games on TV ... the guys I'm working with are mostly supporting Iran.
Hate making predictions, but what the heck.
Group A: Brazil, Croatia, Cameroon, Mexico
Group B: Holland, Chile, Spain, Australia (bet the farm that Spain disappoints ... the Madrid contingent just won the Champions League, the Barca contingent are on borrowed time as elite players, there hasn't been enough of a youth infusion and Chile are just going to run this team to death)
Group C: Colombia, Ivory Coast, Japan, Greece (is Falcao healthy?)
Group D: Italy, Uruguay, England, Costa Rica (Italy is soooo good right now)
Group E: France, Ecuador, Switzerland, Honduras
Group F: Bosnia, Argentina, Nigeria, Iran (those who know know Bosnia are loaded)
Group G: Germany, USA, Ghana, Portugal (Donovan missing won't matter, we're fine)
Group H: Belgium, South Korea, Russia, Algeria
Kinda as an aside, if anyone is ever headed over to Europe and wants to take in a game as part of their vacation, hit me up if you need tips/advice ... traveling for booze and sports is my favorite hobby in the world, and soccer is the one sport that rates ahead of hockey ...
Well I know where I'll be for the USA games at least. That's just a 20-minute train ride for me. That way I can get trashed and not have to worry about driving back!
Bondurant
Registered User
They're playing a US Open Cup match tonight at 7:30. You can get in for $10. If they win, they host LA Galaxy in the next round.
If you like soccer it's worth checking out at some point. A few of their players are of good quality for a lower division club. Some of them have MLS and European experience. For a team that was cobbled together over a two week period and no pre-season training, they aren't too shabby.
Bondurant
Registered User
The official AOPHX bar is the Tilted Kilt in downtown Phoenix. It was at Tim Finnegan's for about a year after the original official bar, 16th St Sports Bar, closed. The majority of paying members desired a more central valley location with light rail access and TK was the only place that would accommodate us.
George & Dragon is an England bar and focuses more on foreign clubs. Not the best place to watch US matches but you certainly can. Tim Finnegan's will have a reasonable AOPHX crowd as well on top of their regulars. Folks in the far east valley are working on a location as well. As of now it may be at Desert Eagle.
If you want to watch with US fans specifically you'll definitely want to visit Tilted Kilt downtown or Tim Finnegan's.
Pulling for Germany first, the States otherwise. Hoping to make it over to Tim Finnegan's for at least one US match; counting on it being a cool experience. I'm expecting a crowd, which is a bummer because I love getting their garlic "chips" and some wings.
I've played soccer my entire life - competitively until senior year of high school - and I didn't know "you can't be called offside on your half of the field" until last year. Blew my mind.
I've played soccer my entire life - competitively until senior year of high school - and I didn't know "you can't be called offside on your half of the field" until last year. Blew my mind.
The owner of the Tampa Bay Bucks and Manchester United passed away.
http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/1...anchester-united-owner-malcolm-glazer-dies-85
http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/1...anchester-united-owner-malcolm-glazer-dies-85
Lewis
Registered User
Go England and all that; as usual I'm very pessimistic about our chances.
but hey we beat Peru 3-0 tonight so who cares
but hey we beat Peru 3-0 tonight so who cares
USA is in tough to get out of their group.
I cheer for Germany and they should make it to the final 4 or the tournament was a disaster.
My dark horse is Greece. They are incredible defensively.
England caught a break with a key injury to Italy this week.
I cheer for Germany and they should make it to the final 4 or the tournament was a disaster.
My dark horse is Greece. They are incredible defensively.
England caught a break with a key injury to Italy this week.
BUX7PHX
Registered User
- Jul 7, 2011
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Even though I already made my picks with Greece coming in 2nd out of their group, when I was in Vegas a few weeks ago, I put $20 each on Greece and South Korea to win their respective groups. Since those groups, IMO, are the two with the "weakest" overall fields, I am hoping that at least one of them pulls the upset and finishes 1st. Greece is 10/1 to win their group and S. Korea is 6/1.
Also, there have been a lot of interesting injuries in these friendlies so far. Italy, Mexico, and Ecuador all have had some injuries that may cost players games, and there are still several friendlies leading up to the start of the tournament.
BUX7PHX
Registered User
- Jul 7, 2011
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^^^
Ummm, I think that if they won it all, it would be a surprise, but not a total shock. I think most major betting lines have Belgium at about the 5th favorite to win behind Brazil, Argentina, Germany and Spain.
Those first 4 teams are all in single digits (9-to-1 or fewer odds to win), whereas once you get to the next group - Belgium, Italy, Portugal, are all around 15-1 to 20-1. So, not a bad bet. The major issue with Belgium is that no matter what happens in the group stage (I fully expect them to move to the next round) - they have to play against the 1st or 2nd place team from the U.S.'s group. If the U.S. manages to finish 2nd in their group, then Belgium could move on. The U.S. is the only team from Group G that I could see Belgium beating for certain in the next round. Whereas a team like Italy or Uruguay has a better betting line and an easier road, as they are less likely to play a top team in the first game out of the group stages. (Would you rather play Colombia or Germany?)
As for dark horses with huge odds - Russia, Chile, and Bosnia would be the three that probably have the best return. But it is a wing and prayer for all three of those teams, to be honest.
Ummm, I think that if they won it all, it would be a surprise, but not a total shock. I think most major betting lines have Belgium at about the 5th favorite to win behind Brazil, Argentina, Germany and Spain.
Those first 4 teams are all in single digits (9-to-1 or fewer odds to win), whereas once you get to the next group - Belgium, Italy, Portugal, are all around 15-1 to 20-1. So, not a bad bet. The major issue with Belgium is that no matter what happens in the group stage (I fully expect them to move to the next round) - they have to play against the 1st or 2nd place team from the U.S.'s group. If the U.S. manages to finish 2nd in their group, then Belgium could move on. The U.S. is the only team from Group G that I could see Belgium beating for certain in the next round. Whereas a team like Italy or Uruguay has a better betting line and an easier road, as they are less likely to play a top team in the first game out of the group stages. (Would you rather play Colombia or Germany?)
As for dark horses with huge odds - Russia, Chile, and Bosnia would be the three that probably have the best return. But it is a wing and prayer for all three of those teams, to be honest.
I dunno I don't think that Portugal is anything to write home about outside of the Madrid contingency.
While the US could easily struggle in that match and go home early because of it I think a squad the level of Belgium should have the firepower to match CR7(Lukaku, Hazard, etc) and move on.
And Ghana seems to be a bogey side for the Yanks, but again, I think they could be beaten by a team of a higher skill level.
Of the three long shots you mentioned you'd have to figure that Chile will fair the best of the three, right?
While the US could easily struggle in that match and go home early because of it I think a squad the level of Belgium should have the firepower to match CR7(Lukaku, Hazard, etc) and move on.
And Ghana seems to be a bogey side for the Yanks, but again, I think they could be beaten by a team of a higher skill level.
Of the three long shots you mentioned you'd have to figure that Chile will fair the best of the three, right?
SweYote
Registered User
Fifth? Really? That can't be true. I realize they're a good team nowadays (unlike just a couple of years ago) but there is just no way that Belgium is the fifth best team in the world. I would in fact call it a shock if they were to win the entire tournament.
Everyone knows the Qatar bid was paid for. It basically says as much if you look at FIFAs official report on the potential host sites. Qatar shouldn't have even qualified in the first place. Even when it did, it was ranked dead last in pretty much everything.
Most of the voters have been caught up in corruption scandals since the vote went down.
It's not so much an allegation so much as it's pointing out the obvious truth. FIFA is just a corrupt organization that doesn't give a ****, much like the IOC.
BUX7PHX
Registered User
- Jul 7, 2011
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Betting lines, yes they are either 5th or 6th. That's why I avoided Belgium in betting though. I think they have a lot of talent, but truthfully, they are probably not the 5th best team.
BUX7PHX
Registered User
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I think Chile is the strongest of those 3, but how strong you are doesn't matter. It's the road to get there. Chile, being in Group B, has to finish ahead of one or both of Spain and the Netherlands. Not impossible for the team to come in 2nd, which sets up a match with the first place team in Group A, which will be Brazil.
Bosnia has a much easier road, but you never know what can happen.
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