Soccer Discussion

Postby **Gaucho** » Mon Jul 13, 2015 11:23 am

And Sterling to City for a ludicrous fee. But it's ok to make City pay ludicrous fees.

Postby **Pavement** » Mon Jul 13, 2015 11:27 am

Schneiderlin to Man U.

You would think Di Maria will be sold to fund the purchase of another striker--a team that had RVP and Flacao with Rooney last year will not be going with Rooney and James Wilson. They need a CB too.

So, how's the 3-5-2/5-3-2 supposed to work? I guess one of the requirements is a bunch of slow center midfield options?

Carrick
Fellaini
Blind
Herrera
Schneiderlin
Schweinsteiger

No pace there at all. I guess Herrera can move well enough (I like him quite a bit as a player).

The WB options seem either disinterested in tracking back (Januzaj, Depay, Young, Di Maria), primarily defensive (Shaw, Blind) or fit for the role bit disfavored (Valencia).

I guess I don't really understand how it's supposed to work, but I'm genuinely curious.

In an ideal world, the wing back would be as effective going forward as they are defending. Doesn't happen like that too often though and I think they are generally stronger in one way or the other.

Postby **Kraftster** » Mon Jul 13, 2015 12:24 pm

Yeah, I guess that makes sense that it's rare to find the complete package. The personnel for the system still seems strange. With the offensively-minded WB options, you'd presumably rely quite a bit on the defensive midfield options to help the back 3, but the midfield is quite slow, so you would seemingly need a striker that can hold play up to allow those players to get forward. No one seems really suited for that.

Mata presumably has to fit in somewhere, but he's slow and small, and you probably run into the same problem unless he's distributing gems to the pacy WBs, which if he or someone else is not, then you are seemingly wasting one of the positive attributes of the WB options on the team. I guess Mata could play behind Rooney as one of the two up front, but that doesn't seem to fix the problem.

I guess the system makes a little sense as a counterattacking system?

I don't know, it just seems like if you have wing backs that can/want to bomb up and down the flanks you want to take advantage of that. I have a hard time seeing how this personnel does that.

Postby **Pavement** » Mon Jul 13, 2015 1:17 pm

Yeah, I guess that makes sense that it's rare to find the complete package. The personnel for the system still seems strange. With the offensively-minded WB options, you'd presumably rely quite a bit on the defensive midfield options to help the back 3, but the midfield is quite slow, so you would seemingly need a striker that can hold play up to allow those players to get forward. No one seems really suited for that.

Mata presumably has to fit in somewhere, but he's slow and small, and you probably run into the same problem unless he's distributing gems to the pacy WBs, which if he or someone else is not, then you are seemingly wasting one of the positive attributes of the WB options on the team. I guess Mata could play behind Rooney as one of the two up front, but that doesn't seem to fix the problem.

I guess the system makes a little sense as a counterattacking system?

I don't know, it just seems like if you have wing backs that can/want to bomb up and down the flanks you want to take advantage of that. I have a hard time seeing how this personnel does that.

I tend to agree with what you are saying. I think LVG is still trying to build his own squad and the next couple of signings might help to make sense of what he's trying to do.

I'm not too familiar with the Italian they've just signed. Not sure if he's more defensive minded full back type player.

They definitely need another striker.

Postby **Avyran** » Mon Jul 13, 2015 10:14 pm

Two thoughts on the US / Panama game so far...

1) This KC crowd is incredible. Constant chanting, very loud.

2) This ref is not incredible. Seems somewhat biased toward Panama / against the US at the moment.

Postby **MalkinIsMyHomeboy** » Mon Jul 13, 2015 10:24 pm

Ugh why does Fox Sports 1 have this game?

Took forever to find the channel

Postby **MalkinIsMyHomeboy** » Mon Jul 13, 2015 10:28 pm

Sloppy play by the defense

Postby **Avyran** » Mon Jul 13, 2015 10:55 pm

Nine changes to the starting lineup in a game that doesn't matter for the US (they already clinched the group) versus a team desperate to force a playoff... yeah, it's sloppy.

That said, the Panama players are impressive divers.

Postby **MalkinIsMyHomeboy** » Mon Jul 13, 2015 11:32 pm

Refs with some sketchy calls. We (haha) waited too long to turn the jets on but a draw is OK. It'll be great if CR somehow misses the knockout stage

Postby **tifosi77** » Tue Jul 14, 2015 10:55 am

For all the positive impact Zardes had coming in as a sub v Haiti, he was almost impossibly awful as a starter. Nearly every attack that built up through him died when he played the ball on; he had no quality at all. And Dempsey missed a huge opportunity around the 80th, when the ball was played to him in the middle; he had his back turned, but Bradley was making a good run and had 25 yds of unfettered space between him and the goal. By the time he realized it, the play was lost.

Postby **redwill** » Wed Jul 15, 2015 10:41 pm

Man. Great game tonight between Mexico and Trinidad & Tobago. As far as last-minute drama, the best match I've seen in a long time.

Edit: To recap, Mexico was cruising with a 2-0 lead. T&T came back, scoring three unanswered. Mexico tied it up on a T&T own goal in the 85th minute and then took the lead with a minute or so to go in regulation. In extra time, with seconds to go, T&T had a corner kick. As the guy was taking it, trash and water bottles started raining down on him. He served it up and with a CANNON of a header, T&T tied it up and won the group. Cool.

Postby **shafnutz05** » Wed Jul 15, 2015 11:04 pm

Nice Redwill, was just about to mention that. Crazy finish, and Trinidad wins the stage.

Postby **Avyran** » Thu Jul 16, 2015 9:29 am

Quality fans.
http://streamable.com/dwyq

Postby **shmenguin** » Thu Jul 16, 2015 9:58 am

Quality fans.
http://streamable.com/dwyq

pretty much the best thing i've ever seen.

between the scumbag fans and the "gamesmanship" from the players, i hate that the rest of my soccer watching life will be so latin america-heavy.

Postby **count2infinity** » Thu Jul 16, 2015 10:04 am

The only thing I've seen that was more awesome was this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQOYyviANak

Someone threw a banana at him (racially motivated, banana, monkey, you've seen Remember the Titans), so he just picked it up, ate it, and kept playing.

Postby **large garlic** » Thu Jul 16, 2015 3:37 pm

Yeah, that ending for T&T and Mexico was fantastic. I played with some guys from Trinidad in college(who were all incredibly nice and laid back), so I always root for them a bit anyhow, but that is pretty much instant karma for those stupid Mexico fans. I hope Mexico loses before the final, but watching the U.S. beat them is such a sweet experience...comparable to the Pens beating the Flyers for me.

Postby **MalkinIsMyHomeboy** » Thu Jul 16, 2015 4:38 pm

too bad Mexico still advances, would've loved to see them be gone already

Postby **the errey i breathe** » Thu Jul 16, 2015 7:04 pm

too bad Mexico still advances, would've loved to see them be gone already

I'm sure they will be soon. I doubt they'll beat Costa Rica

Postby **tifosi77** » Thu Jul 16, 2015 7:33 pm

I still can't believe Herrera simply didn't know who to ask to have Chicharito available for both the Copa America and the Gold Cup. Sort of a moot point for the latter, given the injury, but still.

Postby **Rocco** » Thu Jul 16, 2015 10:18 pm

2 years after Rodgers dumped Andy Carroll because Carroll didn't fit into his scheme Pool are going to sign Benteke, who is slightly better Belgian version of Carroll. I don't quite get why Pool enjoy setting money on fire just to watch it burn but it's not my money.

Postby **Pavement** » Fri Jul 17, 2015 12:34 pm

Fabian Delph is in the process of performing a fairly major u-turn and is having a medical at Man City. Only a few days after declaring that he had turned down a move and wanted to stay at Villa.

Postby **MalkinIsMyHomeboy** » Sun Jul 19, 2015 8:00 pm

An I the only one that prefers watching Mexico games on Univision vs an English channel (when they're not playing the US)?

It feels so much more immersive despite not knowing what the commentators are saying.

Postby **Avyran** » Sun Jul 19, 2015 8:33 pm

Dear Mexico, please lose. No offense meant.

Postby **large garlic** » Sun Jul 19, 2015 8:52 pm

It's a pretty intense game right now between Mexico and Costa Rica. I'm hoping for a Tico win in PKs.

Postby **MalkinIsMyHomeboy** » Sun Jul 19, 2015 9:10 pm

Both teams have had great chances but they're shanking them 20 yards over the net