Futbol Talk

[shoothoops]

A keeper from one of our girls teams is being recruited by Stanford. She took a recent visit l, and, she spent a lot of time with Katie on and off of the field. She had a great experience with her.

Very sad.

[MU82]

Katie Meyer killed herself. Beyond sad. What a horrible time for her family.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/2022/03/04/katie-meyer-parents-interview-stanford-soccer-star-death-suicide/9374744002/

[JWags85]

On a more upbeat note, Jesse Marsch landed on his feet quickly as the new manager at Leeds United earlier in the week. Becomes the first American to coach at an actual English EPL club (no offense Bob). Lower expectations but a great club with history and a great fan base. Let's hope he can make some noise

[jesmu84]

On a more upbeat note, Jesse Marsch landed on his feet quickly as the new manager at Leeds United earlier in the week. Becomes the first American to coach at an actual English EPL club (no offense Bob). Lower expectations but a great club with history and a great fan base. Let's hope he can make some noise

No US coach will ever get a fair shot in EPL

[JWags85]

No US coach will ever get a fair shot in EPL

What an unnecessarily pessimistic and silly sentiment.  People said the same thing about American outfield players at non-Fulham EPL clubs 7-8 years ago too.  Marsch is an accomplished coach with European success already.  If he keeps them up and the off-season isn't a disaster he'll get plenty of leash to work next year.

And even if he doesn't last all that long...the EPL has 8 managers out of 20 who have a tenure over 2 years.  It's not exactly a haven of job security.  Plenty of managers from all nationalities and experience levels have gotten an unfair shot. 

[jesmu84]

What an unnecessarily pessimistic and silly sentiment.  People said the same thing about American outfield players at non-Fulham EPL clubs 7-8 years ago too.  Marsch is an accomplished coach with European success already.  If he keeps them up and the off-season isn't a disaster he'll get plenty of leash to work next year.

And even if he doesn't last all that long...the EPL has 8 managers out of 20 who have a tenure over 2 years.  It's not exactly a haven of job security.  Plenty of managers from all nationalities and experience levels have gotten an unfair shot.

Nah. Look what happened to Bradley

Though I acknowledge your point about coaching in the EPL overall

[JWags85]

Nah. Look what happened to Bradley

Though I acknowledge your point about coaching in the EPL overall

Bradley was hired from a Ligue 2 club, the hire was widely panned and thought to be American nepotism from the start, based on Swansea's new American owners.  And the fan ownership trust of Swansea was very unhappy with the hire.  Then Bradley only won 2 out of 11 and gave up 30 goals.  He was objectively awful, even for a short stretch.

Marsch has already had 2 positions more prestigious than Bradley ever had and more success in Europe. His situation and Bradley's have nothing in common other than both being American.

That's like saying cause Jozy Altidore struggled at Hull no American forwards will ever succeed in England

[panda]

Nah. Look what happened to Bradley

Though I acknowledge your point about coaching in the EPL overall

Marsch will be given a legitimate oppurtotunity. Relegation battle man management is always different than coming in fresh in pre season. Should be a really tough spot, but he should be given this half season and next year to prove his worth.

[jesmu84]

Bradley was hired from a Ligue 2 club, the hire was widely panned and thought to be American nepotism from the start, based on Swansea's new American owners.  And the fan ownership trust of Swansea was very unhappy with the hire.  Then Bradley only won 2 out of 11 and gave up 30 goals.  He was objectively awful, even for a short stretch.

Marsch has already had 2 positions more prestigious than Bradley ever had and more success in Europe. His situation and Bradley's have nothing in common other than both being American.

That's like saying cause Jozy Altidore struggled at Hull no American forwards will ever succeed in England

Let's hope he does well

[BM1090]

Fulham going back up barring a complete disaster. Hopefully Silva fares better than Parker did. They are far more enjoyable and dominant this season than the last Championship campaign, but they are also far more talented than the other clubs in the second tier.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

Crazy riot in ligaMX, queretaro fans attack atlas fans in the stands.  Reports of fatalities.   Just nuts

[JWags85]

Crazy riot in ligaMX, queretaro fans attack atlas fans in the stands.  Reports of fatalities.   Just nuts

I don't advise watching the videos circulating if you're easily bothered. It's absolutely horrific. Atlas fans unconscious on the ground as Queretaro fans walk by and kick and punch them or strip them naked before assaulting further.  A number of confirmed fatalities already.  Q fans attacking anyone with an Atlas jersey on, including women and kids.

I saw a video of a stadium worker pulling an unconscious guy to the side/safety, she gets pushed out of the way so random guys can drag the body back into the concourse for more violence...and I decided that was enough.  Absolutely no reason the club shouldn't be booted from LigaMX

[ZiggysFryBoy]

I don't advise watching the videos circulating if you're easily bothered. It's absolutely horrific. Atlas fans unconscious on the ground as Queretaro fans walk by and kick and punch them or strip them naked before assaulting further.  A number of confirmed fatalities already.  Q fans attacking anyone with an Atlas jersey on, including women and kids.

I saw a video of a stadium worker pulling an unconscious guy to the side/safety, she gets pushed out of the way so random guys can drag the body back into the concourse for more violence...and I decided that was enough.  Absolutely no reason the club shouldn't be booted from LigaMX

Queretora didn't have security present.  Atlas is a big rival.  That's like no security at a raiders/49ers game.

[Its DJOver]

PSG gonna PSG. The most mentally weak team I've ever seen in any sport.

[JWags85]

PSG gonna PSG. The most mentally weak team I've ever seen in any sport.

What's remarkable is it's continued manager to manager.  It was a problem under Blanc, then Emery, then Tuchel, and now still under Poch.  I guess that's what happens when you pound on a mediocre league most of the year

[ZiggysFryBoy]

Sucks, PSG will fire Poch, he'll go to ManU, and won't be available to come home when Conte burns out.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

Chelsea and abromovich have had their assets frozen by the UK govt.

https://mobile.twitter.com/Steven_Swinford/status/1501847597140660226

[jesmu84]

Chelsea and abromovich have had their assets frozen by the UK govt.

https://mobile.twitter.com/Steven_Swinford/status/1501847597140660226

This situation is gonna get dicey

[Golden Avalanche]

PSG gonna PSG. The most mentally weak team I've ever seen in any sport.

I disagree with this. The game was a pretty straightforward example of a colossal mistake by one player and a manager who didn't manage.

For three halves and 15 minutes, Madrid looked impotent. When Ancelotti brought on Rodrygo/Camavinga, Pochettino did nothing when that was the time to pull Paredes for Gueye and step on their throat with 10 behind the ball.

A few minutes later the arrogance of Donnaruma allows a lifeline. This is the colossal mistake. And Pochettino responds by........doing nothing. Anyone with a pulse recognized the shakiness to come. Hell, even Wijnaldum would have been a decent choice. Double swap at the moment with Paredes/Danilo off?

But it's a further ten minutes until Pochettino does the eventual Paredes/Gueye swap and at that point it felt, again, only a matter of time for a second Madrid goal so the move meant nothing.

A deflected second goal. A gift for the third. Pochettino's choice to bring on DiMaria? Awful. DiMaria still has a tank but anyone who has watched PSG more than twice knows the front four can't work together. And yet, because Pochettino is bankrupt of ideas, he makes a prayer move.

Draxler? Woof. crap, if you're throwing it at the wind put on Simons for five minutes. At the least that kid will run after crap whereas Draxler can't even racewalk.

The PSG collapse narrative is easy. But also lazy. This was down to a manager in way over his head and a guy who's only been there for seven months making a boneheaded play.

[Its DJOver]

Messi missing a pen in the first leg, no one stepping up and taking a yellow to stop Modric in the build up to the second goal, having 7 players in the box but no one marking Benzema for the second goal, Marquinhos inexplicably clearing the ball low and across the middle when he could have just booted it for a throw or even a corner for the third. Poch certainly didn't cover himself in glory either, but PSG is a mentally weak team.

[Golden Avalanche]

Messi missing a pen in the first leg, no one stepping up and taking a yellow to stop Modric in the build up to the second goal, having 7 players in the box but no one marking Benzema for the second goal, Marquinhos inexplicably clearing the ball low and across the middle when he could have just booted it for a throw or even a corner for the third. Poch certainly didn't cover himself in glory either, but PSG is a mentally weak team.

If these four things are what you truly consider "mentally weak" then every team in the entire world qualifies for the description. 

[Its DJOver]

Ability to perform away from home and grind out result, even if you're not playing your best, in a hostile arena is a sign of a mentally strong team.  Being up 1-nil on the night, 2-nil on aggregate with a half hour to go, and throw it away is mentally weak. 

"One game sample size, blame it all on Poch".  Okay lets look at their other Champions League games away from Paris.

November 24th, Manchester. Up 1-nil with a half hour to play with a chance to either win the group outright or put yourself in a very good position to on the final matchday (I'd have to go back and re-check the math).  Find a way to lose 2-1, mentally weak. 

"Well Man City is a world class team, with a world class manager, of course they're going to find a way".  Completely agree, lets keep digging.

November 3rd, Leipzig. Up 2-1 with 5 minutes to play against a now sacked Jesse Marsch led team, despite Leipzig missing a pen. Find a way to steal a draw from the jaws of victory with a 93 minute equalizer, and the game ends 2-2, mentally weak.

"Well, despite having a now sacked manager, that team has some quality to it."  Sure, I guess, lets look at another.

September 15th, Brugge.  Find a way to draw against Club Brugge, mentally weak.

"Well, all the games you're looking at are from this season, it's all on Poch."  Sure I could buy that, I didn't watch every game live, but he certainly was bad against Real.  Lets look into their history a bit.

The only time that they have advanced past the quarterfinals since the takeover was when games were either being played with no fans, or limited capacity, due to Covid (i.e. '19-'21).  Doesn't exactly reinforce the "hostile environment" narrative. That run just happens to include the now infamous tie against Barca in 16-17 when they won 4-0 in Paris, only to exit in spectacular fashion losing 6-1 at the Nou Camp, with a 95th minute goal, mentally weak.

PSG have a history of being mentally weak in the Champions League, and no matter how much of yesterday's match should fall on Poch, that narrative got a significant boost.  They are a mentally weak team no matter how much you may not see it.

[MUDPT]

The Ricketts and Ken Griffin, favored to buy Chelsea. The rest of the EPL fans should be screaming in delight.

[JWags85]

The Ricketts and Ken Griffin, favored to buy Chelsea. The rest of the EPL fans should be screaming in delight.

Idk, they feel like FSG taking over Liverpool, which paid huge dividends. Put smart people in charge and invest heavily.  Love him or hate him, Griffin isn't going to make an investment without seeing an edge.

I personally want Nick Candy's bid to get it, cause his ostentatious oligarch catering real estate development seems to fit perfectly with Chelsea

[JWags85]

German fans deciding they can't let Mexican fans have all the terrible fan spotlight as the Gladbach/Bochum game gets abandoned with 20 minutes left cause some douche pelted the assistant ref in the head with a beer mug