• The KillerFrogs

2023-2024 European Football Thread

dawg

Active Member
Spurs were too sloppy in the final 3rd. They owned the match and Liverpool were hardly impressive, but if you don't score you can't win. I think that 2nd goal isn't a dagger if that penalty isn't awarded early. I don't think Liverpool had it in them today to dictate the outcome. If they're level at nil in the final 5 minutes I don't think Liverpool have that chance.

Sickening to see Liverpool rewarded after that performance. They weren't great today and didn't earn the win IMO. Spurs just didn't bring the quality to connect that final through ball to make them pay.

At least you guys denied City the CL title, and for that Spurs have the gratitude of all good football fans everywhere (outside of half of Manchester).
 

TCUBetterThanYou

Active Member
Just look at the stadium capacity differences. Stadion An der Alten Fösterei for Union holds about 22k, while Mercedes-Benz for Stuttgart holds 60k. Big disappointment of a season for Stuttgart.

Speaking of Kaiserslautern, Bayern played a charity match with them on Monday w/ all proceeds going towards helping them pay their license fee for Germany's 3rd flight league. They got relegated to Bundesliga 2 back in 2012 and then down to Liga 3 in 2018. Bayern did the same for Offenbach last year to help them avoid bankruptcy. Love this club.
That’s pretty dang cool.
 

TCUBetterThanYou

Active Member
Lots of sadness around here so I just wanted to drop by to remind everyone that Chelsea is the only London club with a major European trophy(s).

Suck it gunners and spurs!
 

Chongo94

Active Member
Well, club season is done but let’s keep this going. Maybe PortlandFrog will rename the thread or something but I enjoyed this so let’s keep it moving. There’s a lot of international stuff this summer including the women’s World Cup, which is a huge meh for me but I know others enjoy it.

This article lays out the various international tournaments with some more infor and links about each.

WELCOME TO THE SUMMER OF SOCCER
http://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/26787032/welcome-summer-soccer
 
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Chongo94

Active Member
Also, for the gamers among us, any FM aficionados out there? Any PES aficionados as well?

Fifa sucks so bad but those other two games are addicting at times if you like soccer games.
 

Purp

Active Member
Well, club season is done but let’s keep this going. Maybe PortlandFrog will rename the thread or something but I enjoyed this so let’s keep it moving. There’s a lot of international stuff this summer including the women’s World Cup, which is a huge meh for me but I know other enjoy it.

This article lays out the various international tournaments with some more infor and links about each.

WELCOME TO THE SUMMER OF SOCCER
http://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/26787032/welcome-summer-soccer
Maybe a separate Summer International thread would do. I'm ambivalent either way.

I'll follow the Women's WC, but I've grown less interested due to the overt politicization of the team and LGBTQRSTLNE cause they're hellbent on advancing. I honestly don't care that Megan Rapinoe is gay, but I do have a problem with the US Federation and ESPN insisting that I care and celebrate it. Worse, it irritates me that they claim to be doing this in the name of equality, acceptance, and inclusion yet they leave out the most talented left back in the player pool b/c she refused to wear the rainbow numbers during pride month due to her religious convictions. That doesn't seem very inclusive and accepting to me.

I enjoyed following the women's team for years b/c they were dominant and had players you wanted to get behind organically. Hamm, Chastain, Scurry, Akers, Lilly, Foudy, etc. were excellent players who played the right way and that made them naturally endearing. Mia was a finishing legend, Lilly had an unmatched work rate, Foudy was a classic #10, Chastain scored one of the most famous goals in US soccer history and had maybe the greatest celebration ever, Akers was maybe the most dominant center back ever in the women's game, Scurry was an elite athlete in goal, etc. Lots of great story lines and names generated solely from what they did on the pitch.

The next generation benefited from the legacy they built in 1999 and players like Wamback, Solo, Lloyd, and Morgan continued it. Then Hope Solo went off the rails in the Olympics and things never were the same. She started to advocate for a cause and became an absolute clown show, Wambach got in on the act as she started to lose her world class abilities, and the program tried to advance their causes and started to lose me. The didn't lose me because of the cause; they lost me because it became more about the cause for them than the game.

Lloyd and Morgan seem to have stayed out of the controversy and other young players have come in who seem to do it right also. Tobin Heath may be setting a new standard for work rate beyond what Lilly did. But too many seem more than willing to dive head first into it. I watch for the soccer, not the drama. If they don't bring some excellent soccer in a couple weeks I'll ignore it because of all the drama. I'll still follow it, but may not watch it all.

/rant
 

Purp

Active Member
Excited for the Gold Cup this year, though. Really anxious to see what the USMNT puts out there. Lots of potential that excites me.
 

Chongo94

Active Member
Maybe a separate Summer International thread would do. I'm ambivalent either way.

I'll follow the Women's WC, but I've grown less interested due to the overt politicization of the team and LGBTQRSTLNE cause they're hellbent on advancing. I honestly don't care that Megan Rapinoe is gay, but I do have a problem with the US Federation and ESPN insisting that I care and celebrate it. Worse, it irritates me that they claim to be doing this in the name of equality, acceptance, and inclusion yet they leave out the most talented left back in the player pool b/c she refused to wear the rainbow numbers during pride month due to her religious convictions. That doesn't seem very inclusive and accepting to me.

I enjoyed following the women's team for years b/c they were dominant and had players you wanted to get behind organically. Hamm, Chastain, Scurry, Akers, Lilly, Foudy, etc. were excellent players who played the right way and that made them naturally endearing. Mia was a finishing legend, Lilly had an unmatched work rate, Foudy was a classic #10, Chastain scored one of the most famous goals in US soccer history and had maybe the greatest celebration ever, Akers was maybe the most dominant center back ever in the women's game, Scurry was an elite athlete in goal, etc. Lots of great story lines and names generated solely from what they did on the pitch.

The next generation benefited from the legacy they built in 1999 and players like Wamback, Solo, Lloyd, and Morgan continued it. Then Hope Solo went off the rails in the Olympics and things never were the same. She started to advocate for a cause and became an absolute clown show, Wambach got in on the act as she started to lose her world class abilities, and the program tried to advance their causes and started to lose me. The didn't lose me because of the cause; they lost me because it became more about the cause for them than the game.

Lloyd and Morgan seem to have stayed out of the controversy and other young players have come in who seem to do it right also. Tobin Heath may be setting a new standard for work rate beyond what Lilly did. But too many seem more than willing to dive head first into it. I watch for the soccer, not the drama. If they don't bring some excellent soccer in a couple weeks I'll ignore it because of all the drama. I'll still follow it, but may not watch it all.

/rant

I feel ya Purp. I followed the og’s too and while I always thought Chastain was extremely overrated, she worked her butt off as did most of those others. Akers was legit awesome. Hell, she honestly could’ve held her own on many men’s teams back then. Mia is MIA, what else can you say. Foudy was always a favorite. Throw in understated but worthy players like Mitts and Venturini and those teams and that era was great.

Used to watch the women a lot back in the day too but got annoyed with the CONSTANT media fawning over them while consistently ignoring the men’s team during those days. Never understood why the public didn’t gather that our women have had a 25-50 year head start over almost every country in the world in this sport and fail to see why it’s so hard for our men’s team as it’s the inverse of the women.

But then you add in Solo’s antics, the corporate pushing of the team, Wambach and her idiocy as of late and it just grates. Add in that international women’s soccer is, for me at least, a bit like women’s college basketball in that there are maybe 5-6 good teams and after that, absolutely nothing. Way too top heavy which leads to very mediocre games and quality.
 
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Chongo94

Active Member
Excited for the Gold Cup this year, though. Really anxious to see what the USMNT puts out there. Lots of potential that excites me.

Yeah same here although also a bit cynical of things as well sadly.

Looking forward to the Copa even though I’m confuse as if this is a real one or if next year is...they’ve had so many Copas lately.
 

talor

Active Member
Also, for the gamers among us, any FM aficionados out there? Any PES aficionados as well?

Fifa sucks so bad but those other two games are addicting at times if you like soccer games.
I love FIFA.

Summer transfer window should be really fun to watch this year. There are many stars that will be playing for new clubs next year.
 

Chongo94

Active Member
I love FIFA.

Summer transfer window should be really fun to watch this year. There are many stars that will be playing for new clubs next year.

I used to. I just couldn’t do it this year man. Compared to PES it just wasn’t my bag this year, but I always check out the demo every year to be sure.

Yeah transfer season is definitely gonna be interesting.
 

Purp

Active Member
I feel ya Purp. I followed the og’s too and while I always thought Chastain was extremely overrated, she worked her butt off as did most of those others. Akers was legit awesome. Hell, she honestly could’ve held her own on many men’s teams back then. Mia is MIA, what else can you say. Foudy was always a favorite. Thrown in understated but worthy players like Mitts and Venturini and those teams and that era was great.

Used to watch the women a lot back in the day too but got annoyed with the CONSTANT media fawning over them while consistently ignoring the men’s team during those days. Never understood why the public didn’t gather that our women have had a 25-50 year head start over almost every country in the world in this sport and fail to see why it’s so hard for our men’s team as it’s the inverse of the women.

But then you add in Solo’s antics, the corporate pushing of the team, Wambach and her idiocy as of late and it just grates. Add in that international women’s soccer is, for me at least, a bit like women’s college basketball in that there are maybe 5-6 good teams and after that, absolutely nothing. Way too top heavy which leads to very mediocre games and quality.
This pretty well sums it up for me in a nutshell. The only reason I will likely follow is because major international tournaments are major international tournaments and I just can't help but care a little.
 

dawg

Active Member
I share y'alls sentiments on the WNT; I'll pay attention to the SportsCenter highlights but not not much beyond that. No where near the level of dialed-in-ness that accompanied the MNT's participation in 2014.

Did not know this tourney was taking place, but the US advanced to the quarters U20 World Cup. Beat France (who supposedly were the favorites) and have Ecuador next.
 

Purp

Active Member
I share y'alls sentiments on the WNT; I'll pay attention to the SportsCenter highlights but not not much beyond that. No where near the level of dialed-in-ness that accompanied the MNT's participation in 2014.

Did not know this tourney was taking place, but the US advanced to the quarters U20 World Cup. Beat France (who supposedly were the favorites) and have Ecuador next.
I've been following it a bit. Don't get any channels this may be televised on, unfortunately. This is a link to what I think is the best reading out there on the subject from a US perspective.

https://www.goal.com/en-us/team/united-states/9vh2u1p4ppm597tjfahst2m3n
 
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