Random Soccer Chatter

• patriots34

  I got tickets for USA vs Mexico in a partially obstructed area. Don't care I am just pumped to be going to the game. Plus it doesn't seem like too many places in Crew stadium would be too terribly obstructive.
• ohiobucks1

  

  patriots34;1481879 wrote:I got tickets for USA vs Mexico in a partially obstructed area. Don't care I am just pumped to be going to the game. Plus it doesn't seem like too many places in Crew stadium would be too terribly obstructive.

  
  Where is there even a partially obstructed area in CCS?
• iclfan2

  

  Mulva;1481759 wrote:My ticket application was unsuccessful. Fack.

  Me and 2 other guys I know we're unsuccessful also. Who the hell they let win this thing??
• OSH

  

  Mulva;1481868 wrote:That's really where you could have stopped.

  What's so bad about it? Tottenham is a mess. He wasn't getting minutes there (22 appearances and 7 starts -- 29 total league matches). So why stay?
  
  The terms of the contract with Seattle is tremendous, $32-41 million for 4 years. Seems like legitimate amount of money to leave, to me. Dempsey wants to compete. The USMNT has a legitimate chance to compete in Brazil in 2014. A move to MLS allows him to stay healthy and train with his teammates. That's how I see it. I have NO doubts that Jurgen has been involved in counseling this transfer.
  
  The EPL was crap in the transfer market this offseason. They lost more than they gained. It's still a strong league, and still stronger than MLS...no doubt. But for a USMNT member to effectively commute back and forth for training...miserable. That's why so many have forgone their international careers over club careers so early on. This may be Deuce's last chance for a shot at Cup glory, so why not give it one last go? He's still got a chance to make another go with another club. Seattle can loan him out -- that ONLY helps MLS.
  
  This is nothing but a positive move, in my opinion. He'll be playing. He's training -- club and country. And, he's not having to do the wear and tear of major international travel to do both. Now, he's also bringing more and more positive media to US soccer.
  
  As long as he stays healthy and preforms, he'll command offers. So, there'll still be teams coming to get him after the Cup. Seattle can move him next year. Then, Deuce can probably retire from international play if he wanted to...odds are his time in major competitive international competition is done.
• sportchampps

  When will Dempsey join the sounders I can't wait to see him at crew stadium
• SportsAndLady

  

  Love the move
• gorocks99

  

  sportchampps;1481919 wrote:When will Dempsey join the sounders I can't wait to see him at crew stadium

  My guess is next week some time - definitely in time for the Sounders game at Cbus on 8/31
• sportchampps

  Damn if he's here on 8/31 I will be at the game
• ohiobucks1

  

  Yeah, personally I think that there is a huge difference between needing to be in Europe at 19-28 and at 31. He's as good as he's going to get. He just needs to be playing
• OSH

  

  Well, Soccer By Ives is saying that Jurgen is "not happy" with Dempsey's move. So...my theory is wrong. I figured that Dempsey would've surely been counseled by Klinsi in this move.
  
  Now, there's the chance he plays the remainder of the season with Seattle, goes on loan for a few months, then comes back to Seattle, all before the Cup. That's not all that bad. There's all kinds of possibilities. I guess I just see him wanting to ensure he's in good standing with the USMNT boss. I do see the travel to and from being a major part of this move closer. That's terrible for someone to try and endure.
• Automatik

  

  US football coach taking over Spurs.
  
  Hilarious.
  [video=youtube;6KeG_i8CWE8][/video]
  
  "Wanker....I think it just means great."
  
  
  edit: embedded version
• Laley23

  

  I see both sides to the Dempsey argument.
  
  For me though, with Bale gone, I think he sees a really high level of competition you just can't replicate in the MLS (EPL and Europa League). I see him playing a lot with the way Spurs offseason has transpired, but maybe he felt (or was told) differently.
  
  As for last season, Dempsey was new and Spurs started off really hot in attack. Dempsey found his groove and more playing time as the season wore on. I felt he was poised to be a leader and main cog like Fulham this season.
  
  ...maybe I'm way off base on playing time. Someone could prob lay refute that with a simple game log check lol
• Automatik

  

  Laley23;1482054 wrote:I see both sides to the Dempsey argument.
  
  For me though, with Bale gone, I think he sees a really high level of competition you just can't replicate in the MLS (EPL and Europa League). I see him playing a lot with the way Spurs offseason has transpired, but maybe he felt (or was told) differently.
  
  As for last season, Dempsey was new and Spurs started off really hot in attack. Dempsey found his groove and more playing time as the season wore on. I felt he was poised to be a leader and main cog like Fulham this season.
  
  ...maybe I'm way off base on playing time. Someone could prob lay refute that with a simple game log check lol

  I felt he was about to take the next step w/ Spurs also, similar to how it played out in Fulham. He went from sub, to occasional starter, to full-time, then they were running the entire attack through him.
  
  I rarely watch the MLS, can't get into it, which means I won't be seeing much of Dempsey unless he's suiting up for the US.
• Mulva

  

  Laley23;1482054 wrote:I see both sides to the Dempsey argument.
  
  For me though, with Bale gone, I think he sees a really high level of competition you just can't replicate in the MLS (EPL and Europa League). I see him playing a lot with the way Spurs offseason has transpired, but maybe he felt (or was told) differently.
  
  As for last season, Dempsey was new and Spurs started off really hot in attack. Dempsey found his groove and more playing time as the season wore on. I felt he was poised to be a leader and main cog like Fulham this season.
  
  ...maybe I'm way off base on playing time. Someone could prob lay refute that with a simple game log check lol

  Even if he wasn't going to break into Spurs... there were plenty of other European alternatives, including clubs in England. I mean, Sunderland went out and got Jozy... there would have been teams interested in Clint. Moving to Seattle, he obviously doesn't care about how successful a club is or the competitions they'll be playing in, so a mid-table EPL move would have been possible. The move is 100% about money, let's not pretend it isn't.
• ohiobucks1

  

  I'm just being selfish and want our best players to stay in the MLS. With more teams being added we need to keep adding older US national teamers to the league. Maybe it will hurt our Natl a little bit, but personally I think that is very overrated.
• Automatik

  

  I'm the complete opposite. I want our best to be abroad. Sorry, the MLS is minor leagues. Getting better? Yes, but it doesn't hold a candle to the top Euro leagues.
  
  In other news...
  
  How about this 11 year old kid signing with Real Madrid's youth squad. Oh yeah...he's American!
  http://deadspin.com/11-year-old-american-soccer-prodigy-joins-real-madrid-1012943694?utm_campaign=socialflow_deadspin_facebook&utm_source=deadspin_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow
• ohiobucks1

  

  I agree we don't hold a candle to them, but I refuse (besides the turf issue) to believe that a guy playing 1/3 to 1/2 of the seasons minutes at Spurs is a step up to all the mins in the MLS at 31. At 18-28, OK, I sess ya, but Dempsey isn't getting any better. He just needs to not get worse.
  
  
  After 29 I say bring them all home. Worked fine for Donovan and I'm sure will be fine for Dempsey
• OSH

  

  Tottenham did sign: Paulinho, Soldado, and Chadli this summer for a combined $76+ million. There's no doubt that probably weighed in on Dempsey's playing time future. All are MF/F. Add into that of Bale's departure and the potential signings with that remaining money...Dempsey could've fallen down the depth chart even more.
  
  Maybe there were other clubs that wanted him. But, there weren't all kinds of clubs bending over backward last year. And, who was going after him this year? Yeah, Sunderland got Jozy, but Jozy also played at Hull City...how'd that go for him?
  
  There's moves to stay abroad, and then there are positive moves. The move to Seattle is an ambitious one, no doubt. It's an interesting one, no doubt. I'm interested to see if Deuce will have any comments about it. Same goes for if Klinsi will have any comments about it. No one would argue that MLS is not to the standard of EPL, La Liga, Bundesliga, etc. But, we'll never get there as long as people keep criticizing players for trying to build the league. The only way the league will get better is if good players get here. If the good players keep coming, the money will hopefully get better, then the financial structure will change to ensure that more and more good players will continue coming.
  
  To my knowledge, we've never seen our national team playing like they have been playing, and they are doing it with a large MLS roster and then a mix of players from abroad. When MLS was started, the goal was to make the national team better. We are now seeing the fruits of those labors.
• Automatik

  

  ohiobucks1;1482092 wrote:I agree we don't hold a candle to them, but I refuse (besides the turf issue) to believe that a guy playing 1/3 to 1/2 of the seasons minutes at Spurs is a step up to all the mins in the MLS at 31. At 18-28, OK, I sess ya, but Dempsey isn't getting any better. He just needs to not get worse.
  
  
  After 29 I say bring them all home. Worked fine for Donovan and I'm sure will be fine for Dempsey

  I kinda agree with your thoughts regarding age, but my comments were more to do with the competition in Europe, not minutes played.
  
  At the end of the day, I'm just salty lol
  
  I watched a ton of Clint's games since he moved to England and now he's headed to....Seattle. I can't get pumped about that at all.
• gorocks99

  

  sportchampps;1481958 wrote:Damn if he's here on 8/31 I will be at the game

  To answer your question, his first game will be 8/25 against Portland, per the Sounders site:
  
• OSH

  

  gorocks99;1482130 wrote:To answer your question, his first game will be 8/25 against Portland, per the Sounders site:
  

  WOW! What a debut!
• OSH

  

  Dempsey is supposed to have a press conference tonight at 5pm ET.
• iclfan2

  

  Glad I signed up for those US tix. Now the crews ticket sellers won't leave me alone. Annoying
• gorocks99

  

  Aron Jóhannsson is getting called up for the game against Bosnia. Good to have him tied to the US!
• OSH

  

  Just saw a bummer of a table...10 of the 19 MLS clubs have a decreased attendance number from 2012 through this time last year.