Random Soccer Chatter

• Laley23

  

  ohiobucks1;1041920 wrote:Donovan got an assist in his first game with everton too

  second right? Howard scored the only goal in Landys first game.
  
  And awesome for Clint. Hat tricks in any competition are awesome.
  
  So glad the Holiday break is over. UCL, La Liga, EPL, FA Cup and Europa should be in full swing again and I cant wait!
• Automatik

  

  Henry's loan to Arsenal is final. I think he's making his debut Monday against leeds in an FA Cup match.
  
  I'm interested to see how this works out. He played great last season for NY, but will now face much stiffer competition.
• OSH

  

  United beat City today in the FA Cup 3-2.
  
  A very controversial red card to Kompany when United was up 1-0 in the first half. Rooney bags two. Danny Welbeck gets his 7th goal in all competitions.
• Automatik

  

  Henry put's Arsenal through in the FA cup earlier today. Game winner in the 78th after coming on as a sub.
  
  Beautiful through ball.
  [video=youtube;xM0wwboy0GI][/video]
• gorocks99

  

  That's awesome. He's the reason I follow the Arsenal and to see that in his return is really special. Love it.
• Mulva

  

  Henry is a dick sucker. Probably my least favorite soccer player.
• Automatik

  

  Mulva;1045367 wrote:Henry is a dick sucker. Probably my least favorite soccer player.

  lol....Ireland supporter?
• Mulva

  

  Automatik;1045373 wrote:lol....Ireland supporter?

  Not in the slightest. The only nation I remotely support outside of the US are the Dutch. I can't even really explain the hate. I just dislike everything about him.
  
  I admit he was a hell of a player in his prime, I just can't stand him for some reason.
• OSH

  

  I've never liked Henry either...probably because he plays for Arsenal.
• OSH

  

  Robbie Rogers signed with Leeds United.
• OSH

  

  It's MLS Superdraft day. I'll be there.
  
  Also, big Homegrown Player signing by the Crew getting Ben Speas.
• Pick6

  

  Wenger taken 1st by Montreal. Zip Darren Mattocks taken second by Vancouver
• OSH

  

  My first MLS SuperDraft -- well, first draft ever.
  
  It was a lot of fun. The Sporting KC supporters section are really good. They did it really nicely.
• OSH

  

  Eric Wynalda sparking some controversy at the NSCAA National Convention today.
• DeyDurkie5

  

  OSH;1051754 wrote:Eric Wynalda sparking some controversy at the NSCAA National Convention today.

  those tweets were hard to read...from what i was able to comprehend, he was speaking the truth?
• OSH

  

  DeyDurkie5;1051758 wrote:those tweets were hard to read...from what i was able to comprehend, he was speaking the truth?

  Honestly, it's hard to tell with Wynalda. He's just relishing in the "soccer's Mr. Bad Boy..." role -- in my opinion. He's got a microphone and will just spout off with whatever. Basically, it was a profanity laced tirade on the state of the MLS in the US and how they've either failed or didn't take the opportunities to succeed (if that makes sense). I think he just talks, honestly. He listens to himself so much.
  
  I don't think there is a WHOLE lot that he said that really had merit. It's hard to tell though. Should we have promotion/relegation? I believe so...but will it work? Probably not right now. Could the season change to fit the "international" schedule...possibly. But not right now. Any REALLY drastic changes could be detrimental to the league. You cannot interfere with football playoffs, the Super Bowl, and/or bowl games expecting to succeed. It just won't happen right now. So, what's he say...give a two month break in the winter. Okay...who does that and is actually that relevant? No top major soccer leagues do that and do it well (Russia just moved to a similar format a season or two ago). The EPL has flirted with it in recent times, but they won't do it. It would basically be two different seasons, a spring and a fall season.
  
  To me, Wynalda spouting off is just showing proof that there is a reason why he isn't doing ANYTHING in the soccer business (oh yeah, he's working with a Mexican third division side...wow). He's the self-proclaimed "Charles Barkley of soccer." He has a voice and he wants to be heard, mainly by his own two ears.
  
  He thinks he knows what it takes to make soccer work in the US: a) move to a FIFA calendar; b) put incentives in the contracts, players shouldn't get paid first but should have to earn their money; and c) as a result of changing the schedule, the US will be fully engaged in the international market. I don't buy much of what he has ever said, this isn't much different. But, it did ruffle feathers with an MLS representative, supposedly. I don't think it'll be the last we hear of it.
• Zombaypirate

  OSH;1051876 wrote:Honestly, it's hard to tell with Wynalda. He's just relishing in the "soccer's Mr. Bad Boy..." role -- in my opinion. He's got a microphone and will just spout off with whatever. Basically, it was a profanity laced tirade on the state of the MLS in the US and how they've either failed or didn't take the opportunities to succeed (if that makes sense). I think he just talks, honestly. He listens to himself so much.
  
  I don't think there is a WHOLE lot that he said that really had merit. It's hard to tell though. Should we have promotion/relegation? I believe so...but will it work? Probably not right now. Could the season change to fit the "international" schedule...possibly. But not right now. Any REALLY drastic changes could be detrimental to the league. You cannot interfere with football playoffs, the Super Bowl, and/or bowl games expecting to succeed. It just won't happen right now. So, what's he say...give a two month break in the winter. Okay...who does that and is actually that relevant? No top major soccer leagues do that and do it well (Russia just moved to a similar format a season or two ago). The EPL has flirted with it in recent times, but they won't do it. It would basically be two different seasons, a spring and a fall season.
  
  To me, Wynalda spouting off is just showing proof that there is a reason why he isn't doing ANYTHING in the soccer business (oh yeah, he's working with a Mexican third division side...wow). He's the self-proclaimed "Charles Barkley of soccer." He has a voice and he wants to be heard, mainly by his own two ears.
  
  He thinks he knows what it takes to make soccer work in the US: a) move to a FIFA calendar; b) put incentives in the contracts, players shouldn't get paid first but should have to earn their money; and c) as a result of changing the schedule, the US will be fully engaged in the international market. I don't buy much of what he has ever said, this isn't much different. But, it did ruffle feathers with an MLS representative, supposedly. I don't think it'll be the last we hear of it.

  I agree with him. The MLS should model itself after the EPL. Always model yourself from something successful.
• OSH

  

  Zombaypirate;1053093 wrote:I agree with him. The MLS should model itself after the EPL. Always model yourself from something successful.

  The EPL can be looked at as "unsuccessful" though too.
  
  The majority of clubs are in the red. After halfway through the season the top 3-5 teams have already established themselves as the EPL contenders, FA Cup champs, and Carling Cup champs -- this often leads to lower attendance rates at the clubs who have nothing to fight for except avoiding relegation.
  
  Yes, the EPL is viewed as the "best" league, but La Liga is making a case for itself (especially in the Champions League). The financial security of the Bundesliga, as well as the competitiveness, stakes its claim as the top league. The EPL has also contemplated taking a winter break -- this is something the Russian top flight has done since its moved to the FIFA calendar. While I won't say that the EPL isn't the "best" league, it certainly has its downfalls.
  
  But...I won't agree with Wynalda totally. There are some things that work and some that won't. Right now, I don't know if making major changes to the MLS will actually be beneficial. I also don't think that "modeling yourself from something successful" works 100% of the time. There are a lot of things that don't work when they are modeled after the successful. It may be successful somewhere else, but that doesn't mean it'll be successful everywhere. It is possible to make too many changes, get too big, and do it too quickly, see: NASL (first generation). The MLS will make changes, it won't operate how it always has. But it's not going to happen overnight. The American soccer society and American society in general hasn't fully accepted the MLS, that won't change overnight. Remember, the EPL wasn't an overnight success.
• ohiobucks1

  

  Anybody watching Arsenal Swansea? Unreal last 2 mins
• SportsAndLady

  

  ohiobucks1;1053250 wrote:Anybody watching Arsenal Swansea? Unreal last 2 mins

  
  Ridiculous...Swansea netted that third goal before I could even blink lol
• ohiobucks1

  

  SportsAndLady;1053251 wrote:Ridiculous...Swansea netted that third goal before I could even blink lol

  Henry is about to score I can feel it
• DeyDurkie5

  

  henry disappeard in those final 20 minutes...spurs with the critical tie..next week is a showdown with man city..will definitely be getting up for that 8 am game.
• Zombaypirate

  ohiobucks1;1053250 wrote:Anybody watching Arsenal Swansea? Unreal last 2 mins

  I watched it. A great game Swansea out Arsenaled Arsenal.
  
  GO SWANSEA!!
• OSH

  

  It may not be this year, but it appears that French international Djibril Cisse will be playing in the MLS in the future. He has been quoted as saying, "Playing in the United States is in my plans for the future. It's a country I adore."
• ohiobucks1

  

  OSH;1054497 wrote:It may not be this year, but it appears that French international Djibril Cisse will be playing in the MLS in the future. He has been quoted as saying, "Playing in the United States is in my plans for the future. It's a country I adore."

  Really? He used to shit on the MLS and acted like we were pussys