• The KillerFrogs

2023-2024 European Football Thread

Purp

Active Member
What makes you think it would cause drama? Gooch has already held senior positions in sports organisations, this is not his first experience and I think he has every chance of succeeding!
After the Stewart/McBride/Berhalter era I think the valuable lesson that should be learned is former players in federation leadership positions can lead to unnecessary and very caustic public drama like we saw at the WC with the Reyna family. Those old relationships can and do cloud judgements and have already led to many bad decisions. It's best to avoid those situations.

That said, I've always loved Gooch and do believe he can succeed. I just hope he leaves the role by the time some of his peers have kids in the program.
 

Purp

Active Member


Other than the absence of Adams due to injury this group is the best we’ve ever assembled.

I agree. Interesting the Gio is listed as a midfielder. I'd also like to see Steffen or Slonina in this group, but I suspect they're going to get plenty of run at the Gold Cup, which would also be great. I also expect we'll see guys like Dest (hasn't played much and will be fresh for 2 tournaments), Cannon, Yedlin, Sargent, Pefok, and a few from this roster who don't get much run in the two games to play a lot in the GC too. Maybe a Malik Tillman can be healthy by then too. I feel like we've got a solid chance to defend both titles this summer. Strangely, Canadia worries me more than Mexico. I really want to add an extra L to LLLLa Tri.
 

Putt4Purple

Active Member
I wish I knew enough about Soccer to become interested. European leagues, World Cup Qualifiers, North American Soccer, CONCAF, ?
I’m seriously not trying to be disrespectful.
I truly like watching the World Cup every 4 years but aside from that where do I begin?
 

Purp

Active Member
I wish I knew enough about Soccer to become interested. European leagues, World Cup Qualifiers, North American Soccer, CONCAF, ?
I’m seriously not trying to be disrespectful.
I truly like watching the World Cup every 4 years but aside from that where do I begin?
We're about to play 2 tournaments this summer. Nations League is the big one and we play Mexico first in the semifinal and then probably Canadia. After that is the full Gold Cup tournament. Our best players will play Nations League, but we'll still bring a formidable roster to the GC.

These tournaments happen in summer during the gap between European League seasons.
 

Putt4Purple

Active Member
We're about to play 2 tournaments this summer. Nations League is the big one and we play Mexico first in the semifinal and then probably Canadia. After that is the full Gold Cup tournament. Our best players will play Nations League, but we'll still bring a formidable roster to the GC.

These tournaments happen in summer during the gap between European League seasons.
Which leads me to my next question. When is the European season and leagues to follow?
Thanks
 

tyler durden

Tyler Durden
I wish I knew enough about Soccer to become interested. European leagues, World Cup Qualifiers, North American Soccer, CONCAF, ?
I’m seriously not trying to be disrespectful.
I truly like watching the World Cup every 4 years but aside from that where do I begin?
There are many ways to go here, but I’ll recommend one approach. Several European countries have big leagues, England, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, and others. I’d recommend Premiere League, which is England, because NBC airs a regular slate of games. From there, I’d pick maybe one or two teams, maybe one of the traditional powers, like Liverpool or Manchester United and another for a sentimental reason (like your ancestors came from near there, or you like the logo or colors, or you love an underdog club, whatever). It just makes it a little richer experience to have some kind of skin in the game. That way you can regularly experience who the manager is, who the top players are, what the fans are like, the songs they sing, etc. One thing to keep in mind is that they play games that aren’t all for the League title. Think of it like this, if most NFL games were for the standings leading to who plays in the Super Bowl, but other games against NFL teams were for the American Cup, for example. It’s weird, but you’ll get a hang of it.
 
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dawg

Active Member
Which leads me to my next question. When is the European season and leagues to follow?
Thanks

The European league season runs from late August through late May/early June. Each club plays everyone else in the league twice, home and away, with three points for a win and one for a draw. No hiding from anyone, or lucky schedules where you “miss someone this year.” Most points after 38 matches (34 in Germany) wins.

I’d say just start watching. Like @tyler durden mentioned, the English Premier League is relatively easy to follow; NBC & USA broadcast multiple matches per week, and they do a really good job with coverage and have a really high production value (every match is available on NBC’s Peacock service, as is a Red Zone-esque channel called Goal Rush). The other “big leagues” are more accessible with more matches available then ever: German Bundesliga and Spanish La Liga are on ESPN+, and Italian Seire A on Paramount+.

Just start watching. It may take a year or two, or it may take a month or two, but gradually you’ll find yourself drawn to a particular club. For whatever reasons, and whatever reasons are totally valid, a club will grab you. We aren’t born into a club like many in Europe; think of yourself as a free agent and go with it.

It’s a great time to be a soccer fan in the States. Welcome aboard, and get ready to set your alarm for those 6am matches!
 

Purp

Active Member
There are many ways to go here, but I’ll recommend one approach. Several European countries have big leagues, England, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, and others. I’d recommend Premiere League, which is England, because NBC airs a regular slate of games. From there, I’d pick maybe one or two teams, maybe one of the traditional powers, like Liverpool or Manchester United and another for a sentimental reason (like your ancestors came from near there, or you like the logo or colors, or you love an underdog club, whatever). It just makes it a little richer experience to have some kind of skin in the game. That way you can regularly experience who the manager is, who the top players are, what the fans are like, the songs they sing, etc. One thing to keep in mind is that they play games that aren’t all for the League title. Think of it like this, if most NFL games were for the standings leading to who plays in the Super Bowl, but other games against NFL teams were for the American Cup, for example. It’s weird, but you’ll get a hang of it.
This is similar to my approach. I went with Spurs bc they're a huge club who would feel like an underdog if they won like the Cubs and Red Sox under the Billy goat and Bambino curses. Then I follow all of the American players and support them when they aren't playing my club. I also chose to hate all other big clubs who buy championships with regularity, which makes it conflicting when the Americans go to those clubs. Germany is another great league to follow. Ligue 1 (France), Serie A (Italy), and La Liga (Spain) are hard to follow. They're VERY top heavy and less compelling throughout the season, though Juventus' slide has made Italy competitive again.
 

Purp

Active Member
U-20s having a rough afternoon. The pitch is sloppier than Hope Solo's "lady" parts and a bad bounce early in the 2nd half appears to have done them in. Cowell should have had one in the 80th or so, but it hit his own man (Pukstas) in the back of the shoulder. Sometimes you just don't get the bounces.
 

Moose Stuff

Active Member
U-20s having a rough afternoon. The pitch is sloppier than Hope Solo's "lady" parts and a bad bounce early in the 2nd half appears to have done them in. Cowell should have had one in the 80th or so, but it hit his own man (Pukstas) in the back of the shoulder. Sometimes you just don't get the bounces.
Graphic.

U-20 (and anything below full national level for that matter) can be so weird. In no universe should Israel’s national team at any level beat Brazil.
 

Purp

Active Member

If you don’t want to read it I can save you the time…. All our expected better players were mostly awful and the second tier guys mostly had good seasons.
Read that yesterday. It's amazing how uniformly poorly things seemed to go for all our best players, but the 2nd tier of guys really made great strides. Our center back depth is starting to really look incredible to the point where Chris Richards better figure it out quickly or he may never find my run with the Nats. Really excited about Balogun and Tillman.
 

Frog-in-law1995

Active Member
Found a pub in Venice to watch the final tonight. Probably would prefer Man City, but I’m greatly outnumbered and a tad worried about what might happen if I openly root against Milan and they lose.
 
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