Futbol Talk

[brewcity77]

Yup, adopted them as my EPL team since Lando and Timmy were there.  Could’ve been worse, almost picked Fulham when Clint was there.

It gets worse than Fulham...I've been a Reading supporter since the Bobby Convey/Marcus Hahnemann days.

[shoothoops]

Today, U.S. International Antonee Robinson laces em up for Fulham in the Premier League.

Robinson
Ream
McBride
Bocanegra
Dempsey
Johnson
Keller
Lewis

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

It gets worse than Fulham...I've been a Reading supporter since the Bobby Convey/Marcus Hahnemann days.

I find this fascinating about EPL fandom.  My teams have been my teams since childhood.  They are all based on geography and family history (ie, they are the teams my dad rooted for.)  Nothing parallel to that exists for me in the EPL.  Sure, I like storylines and like to watch the games.  But once Tim Howard left Everton, I didn't have much interest in continuing to follow them.  If my basis for being interested in them was a player, and that player is gone, why would I continue to be interested?

BTW, this isn't criticism.  People can root for who they want for whatever reasons.  It just is difficult for me to do something similar.

[Its DJOver]

Haven't seen it mentioned here but Reggie Cannon made the switch to Boavista in Portugal.

Yedlin, Dest, Cannon. That's some right back depth there, so much so that I'd consider throwing whomever is most comfortable in at left-back.

[Pakuni]

Yup, adopted them as my EPL team since Lando and Timmy were there.  Could’ve been worse, almost picked Fulham when Clint was there.

A friend from my teen days played for Fulham, so I had a rooting interest in them back in the day. Fortunately, that ended when he left.

Unrelated, and to borrow a line, Man U is a hot mess inside a dumpster fire inside a train wreck.

[reinko]

I find this fascinating about EPL fandom.  My teams have been my teams since childhood.  They are all based on geography and family history (ie, they are the teams my dad rooted for.)  Nothing parallel to that exists for me in the EPL.  Sure, I like storylines and like to watch the games.  But once Tim Howard left Everton, I didn't have much interest in continuing to follow them.  If my basis for being interested in them was a player, and that player is gone, why would I continue to be interested?

BTW, this isn't criticism.  People can root for who they want for whatever reasons.  It just is difficult for me to do something similar.

I think pride of fandom for me.  It’s rare when you actually “adopt” a team, and learn a lot about them, their history, how they play.  I grew to love players outside of Howard and Lando like Leighton Baines, Tim Cahill, Phil Jagielka...as an adult, it was a fun experience and say, hey, this is my new squad, good times and bad.

[shoothoops]

Sergiño Dest (Barcelona) becomes the 5th U.S. International to play in La Liga.

Dest
Moore
Onyewu
Altidore
Keller

[Its DJOver]

So Mane and Thiago. Pretty important players?

[JWags85]

I think pride of fandom for me.  It’s rare when you actually “adopt” a team, and learn a lot about them, their history, how they play.  I grew to love players outside of Howard and Lando like Leighton Baines, Tim Cahill, Phil Jagielka...as an adult, it was a fun experience and say, hey, this is my new squad, good times and bad.

Same for me with Liverpool. Michael Owen at the 1998 World Cup brought me to them and by the time he left 5 years later, I was enamored with the club and guys like Hyppia, Carragher, Xabi Alonso, and oh yea that Stevie Gerrard guy.  I’ve grown to love them and their history as much as any American sports team i grew up.  But it makes sense, cause if you love the sport, short of family history in Europe, you’ll struggle to have a direct line.

But at the same time, it’s always weird for me domestically. One of my roommates in college was an Eagles fan cause he loved Donovan McNabb. He grew up in Cincinnati and had no ties to either Philly or even Cuse when he was there. But he also couldn’t tell you anything about their history or legacy, though he was a fervent fan of the team when he was there.  Same way I completely don’t get “Lebron fans”, not fans of an NBA team, who were huge Cavs fans and now talk about the Lakers as “we”

[shoothoops]

It's often said that whomever you root for as a 10-12 year old or so, even (8-12) are the teams/players you will root for long term. School, geography or personal life experience can also build longer term allegiances.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

Gunnersaurus sacked by Arsenal.   

[shoothoops]

U.S. Women popularity playing in England's Women's Super League:

https://twitter.com/wosovavel/status/1313046719865724928?s=19

[JWags85]

Gunnersaurus sacked by Arsenal.

Wrong Red club

[ZiggysFryBoy]

Wrong Red club

Gunnar is next.   

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Gunnersaurus sacked by Arsenal.   

Better defender than David Luiz

[ZiggysFryBoy]

Better defender than David Luiz

You are probably a better defender than sideshow bob.

[Its DJOver]

Hey, United would take Luiz in a heartbeat, he usually waits until the 80th minute or later to screw up, Bailly, Shaw, and Maguire sunk United within the first 10 minutes, and lets not pretend like Lindelof would have done any better.

[Its DJOver]

https://twitter.com/24_mercato/status/1313169809799028737

This would be the greatest thing ever.

[JWags85]

https://twitter.com/24_mercato/status/1313169809799028737

This would be the greatest thing ever.

I’m usually happy to hate on anything Madison related, but Forward Madison’s marketing and social media people are fantastic and have been since their inception

[Hards Alumni]

I’m usually happy to hate on anything Madison related, but Forward Madison’s marketing and social media people are fantastic and have been since their inception

Also, the stadium is a ton of fun and very close to downtown

[brewcity77]

I find this fascinating about EPL fandom.  My teams have been my teams since childhood.  They are all based on geography and family history (ie, they are the teams my dad rooted for.)  Nothing parallel to that exists for me in the EPL.  Sure, I like storylines and like to watch the games.  But once Tim Howard left Everton, I didn't have much interest in continuing to follow them.  If my basis for being interested in them was a player, and that player is gone, why would I continue to be interested?

BTW, this isn't criticism.  People can root for who they want for whatever reasons.  It just is difficult for me to do something similar.

For me, a number of reasons. Hahnemann was there for a long time & I was well-vested by the time he left. I had a few Reading kits sent from overseas, had attached myself to other non-American players like Gylfi Sigurdsson & Shane Long, and had steeped myself in the lore of players like Robin Friday & Steve Death. And I'll admit, early on there was a rugged determination to finding online radio streams of Championship matches or typed play-by-play on Sky Sports.

Shortly thereafter, Danny Williams joined and was immediately an impact player, then Andrija Novakovich switched from Marquette to Reading & (even though he never made an impact) reinvigorated my love for the club.

I also think the small clubs are dedicated to growing their fanbases. Any time I ordered something online, it came with personal touches. Postcards or hand-written thank you notes, invitations for tours if I'm ever abroad, they're good at making me as a fan feel valued, certainly more so than any American pro sports team ever did.

It might also come from me being a bit of a sports vagabond growing up. My parents weren't into sports, so I formed all my allegiances independently, which made following Reading a similar process to the way I gravitated to sports teams as a kid.

[shoothoops]

The 10 U.S. Men's National Team Players (all 25 or under) on Champions League Teams for 2020-2021:

https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2020/10/pulisic-mckennie-adams-dest-and-reyna-headline-list-of-10-usmnt-players-on-champions-league-squads

[Billy Hoyle]

wow, teams threatening to leave the EPL, power being concentrated in the hands of the "big six" clubs, teams further down the pyramid in serious trouble financially with EPL teams not wanting to help them out, reduction of teams from 20 to 18 (the relegation race would be fierce!).  The EPL and the big six are becoming like the NCAA and the Power 5.

https://www.espn.com/soccer/english-premier-league/story/4207376/top-clubs-threatened-premier-league-exit-during-project-big-picture-talks-fa-chief

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

wow, teams threatening to leave the EPL, power being concentrated in the hands of the "big six" clubs, teams further down the pyramid in serious trouble financially with EPL teams not wanting to help them out, reduction of teams from 20 to 18 (the relegation race would be fierce!).  The EPL and the big six are becoming like the NCAA and the Power 5.

https://www.espn.com/soccer/english-premier-league/story/4207376/top-clubs-threatened-premier-league-exit-during-project-big-picture-talks-fa-chief

It's tough.  The top clubs earn the $$.  The bottom clubs need it.  They have to give up something in return.

I think the big six through out their top proposal and will negotiate down from there, but undoubtedly things will change.  It has to.  Whether than means no League Cup or an 18 team Premier League, the EFL can't expect to get support but give nothing in return.

[brewcity77]

The Big Six are full of crap. They want extra voting shares for the 9 longest serving members, even though some of those have been in the PL for less than a decade currently? And saying the EFL members give nothing in return ignores they have to continually meet stadium regulations just to adequately compete in their own leagues in the event they are promoted. It's a classic example of money ruining sport. Billionaire owners are convinced they don't have enough of the pie so they are trying to cut off the support system below that allows them to exist in the first place.

This is basically Amazon forcing your local grocer out of business and then complaining they don't get enough tax breaks. It's driven by greed from foreign investors that don't understand or care about the system they bought in to and just want to rape it for every last penny they can.