Oso planning to go pro
Hate to break it to you, but that colombia squad isn't that great compared to the last few years. Don't know the American team that well but don't put a win over the U-20 colombia side as a baseline.
[quor=Golden Avalanche link=topic=27124.msg736188#msg736188 date=1434213110]Johnston again was great versus Sweden. Rapinoe quieter. But the midfield/forward tandems continued to be a fractured mess. Ellis has no idea who to play and where to play them and, shocking as it seems, the US is now basically a catenaccio convert.Well, the Azzurri did pretty well playing that way, didn't they?
USA vs. Colombia in the round of 16. Vamos Colombia. Could never cheer for the US over Colombia.
Why?
Half Colombian (though if you met me you would never guess it), mom was born there. Absolutely love the country have the best time whenever I visit. Plus it would mean so much more to the people there then it would to the US.
Ah...that's right...I remember you mentioning this last year too.
Go figure, Colombia gets shut out by Venezuela of all teams and comes back to beat Brazil the next time out with a goal from their worst defenceman of all people.
Is this actually true? If it were a junior or senior men's team, then it's unquestionable, but does it still hold for the women's team? Men in Blazers were talking yesterday about how huge the WWC is in the USA compared to other countries. They were comparing the TV coverage here (2 of the 3 USA group games were broadcast OTA on Fox, the other nationally on FS1) versus Rog struggling to find the England game on TV in London. They also said when you see WWC coverage abroad, it is more likely to focus on how the Americans are so into it rather than covering the actual soccer. I realize this is anecdotal and likely embellished for comedic purposes, but I suspect it also has some truth to it. Here's a screenshot from the Bogota newspaper El Tiempo's Futbol page. The morning after advancing to the knockout stage, there is one article and the WWC does not even get a link in the Futbol Topics of the Day at the top of the page. On the other hand, US publications have been giving the WWC considerable coverage.
There is some good MLS soccer this weekend as its rivalry week. Sunday has NYCFC vs Red Bulls, Yankee Stadium looks like it will be sold out (I'll be heading there in blue of course). Its tough to tell how much that means in attendance since not all sections are opened (directly behind home plate would be terrible seats so they don't open the section. Looks like this time they have nearly the entire stadium open, so I'm guessing around 45,000 will be there.On another related note, NYCFC is rumored to be adding Andrea Pirlo. Another aging star, but an absolute legend.
An intriguing story/dynamic....http://www.hudsonriverblue.com/2015/6/22/8822895/report-nyc-staff-wanted-younger-dp-man-city-overruled-them?utm_campaign=hudsonriverblue&utm_content=article%3Atop&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter#
Yeah it is, I've been following it somewhat closely and don't think its too much the controversy as some of the reporters are making it out to be.I think Kreis and Reyna wanted a younger forward initially, then CFG said, "We can bring in Pirlo". There isn't any way you turn down the chance to sign Pirlo. I doubt there was any push back from Kreis/Reyna on the idea of bringing him in.And personally, I understand wanting to bring in younger players with star potential to build around long term, but this is a brand new team. Bringing in an Italian legend into NYC will help generate some interest in the team in these first couple of years, bring in the younger star when he retires.
Considering Kreis' comments after he turned down the chance to sign Xavi two months ago I think he feels there is every way he would turn down the chance to sign Pirlo.It's ironic that the Pirlo news comes as NYC is actually resembling a decent football team with their play after weeks upon weeks of dogcrap. Way to upset the apple cart, Sheik Mansour Dumbass.
Man does that Women's World Cup bracket look unbalanced. The top three teams (Germany, USA, France) all playing into the same semi-final. Whoever comes out on that side will certainly be favored in the final.
Agree to disagree. Pirlo's game doesn't require him to run all that much, and his game is still very elite. There is a big difference between him and Xavi as Xavi has been coming late off the bench for Barca, whereas Pirlo plays full 90 consistently for Juve, and Liverpool was just trying to sign him. He was named Serie A player of the year as recently as 2014. The guy still has plenty of game and the demand for him this year was miles higher than Xavi.
Pirlo's demand is likely the same place it had been for Xavi.....the middle east (Liverpool wasn't realistic). For Kreis' purposes, Pirlo and Xavi don't have much difference in their games as both would be deferential to Mix and Lampard. Even the NYC color analyst Ian Joy talked two weeks ago how Pirlo doesn't fit the system nor style Kreis wants and he wouldn't see any benefit to NYC using a DP slot on Pirlo, regardless of the player Pirlo has been. This was before the Sheik demanded the signing so I'm sure we'll see Joy change his tone in the upcoming days.No denying Pirlo has the fountain of youth elixir in his back pocket but many, many people have and will opine that he's not what NYC needs. This is pure marketing.
To be honest, I'm not too sure where Liverpool being unrealistic is coming from, just that they were making a serious run at him, but it would most likely come down to him staying at Juve or coming to NYC. The other place thrown out was Sydney, but I don't think that ever had serious potential.
There was never a serious run at him. That was all tabloid nonsense.If they wanted to keep an aging midfielder to sit back, play 40 yard balls, and take set pieces, they would have kept Gerrard.