Official Soccer Thread

[SoxFan1]

Awesome article

He really uses the term "world-class" loosely.

[DBAHO]

Another young Serbian international signs with a big club today as 21 year old Nemanja Matic joins Chelsea. Vidic, Tosic, and Ljajic at ManU, Ivanovic, Rajkovic, and now Matic at Chelsea, Milijas at Wolverhampton, Zigic at Valencia, Dragutinovic at Sevilla, Subotic at Dortmund, Stankovic at Inter, etc....

Good luck to Matic getting a game in that midfield though.

 

My guess is he'll be loaned out somewhere to get some first team football.

[ChiSox_Sonix]

He really uses the term "world-class" loosely.

 

Give it a f***ing rest already. We get it. You think US soccer is a joke and not worthy of discussion blah blah blah. He used that term once to describe what, 4 players? Howard has been playing at Man U and now Everton over the past 5 or so years so there's nothing wrong with labeling him as that. Donovan could play just about anywhere in the world if he so chose to. Oguchi Onyewu was a manistay at Standard Liege, the best team in Belgium, and was just signed by AC Milan. No problem there either. Dempsey is a bit of a stretch, yes, but he has been playing in the Premiership for a while. He doesn't even mention Altidore there who has a legit possibility to become a 'World Class' player in the near future.

 

You're a moderator. You don't need to run in and try and cut down or belittle or make snarky comments whenever someone mentions the US or something about US soccer in a positive light. It's like trolling, and it get's old.

 

Another young Serbian international signs with a big club today as 21 year old Nemanja Matic joins Chelsea. Vidic, Tosic, and Ljajic at ManU, Ivanovic, Rajkovic, and now Matic at Chelsea, Milijas at Wolverhampton, Zigic at Valencia, Dragutinovic at Sevilla, Subotic at Dortmund, Stankovic at Inter, etc....

 

But by all means, keep bringing up your beloved Serbia all the time. Everyone here cares about them so much.

 

Oh and as to the bold...you're really using the term "big club" loosely there aren't we?

Edited August 19, 2009 by ChiSox_Sonix

[DBAHO]

It all depends on what you consider "world - class" to be.

 

I'd consider world class to basically be elite, and that means approx the top 10 players in the world. Of course none of those mentioned in Simmons' article would make it, I'd have it as this.

 

Cristiano Ronaldo

Leo Messi

Kaka

Fernando Torres

Steven Gerrard

Frank Lampard

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Xavi Hernandez

Frank Ribery

Karim Benzema

 

BTW Slav, I was going to put in Vidic possibly, but I think he has a weakness against speedy forwards (as Fernando Torres showed at Old Trafford last season). Sounds like he is also going to move to Barcelona at the end of the season possibly.

 

Of the players mentioned, Howard is probably a top 10 goalie in the world, and Everton is a top 10 PL club, but he had a chance to be the #1 at Man Utd and he blew that opportunity.

 

Donovan, well he's played at the top level in the German Leagues, but I don't think he's good enough to play for the best clubs in Europe.

 

Onyewu is an interesting one because he didn't show much when he was on loan to Newcastle and now he's playing for AC Milan. He has the physical attributes to be a top center back in the future however.

 

Dempsey is carving out a decent role at Fulham rotating as a winger and a second striker for Roy Hodgson.

 

The one player I'd really take a good look at this season is Freddy Adu. Needs to show something at Benfica this season, otherwise people are going to start wondering if he can ever make it at the top level.

[SoxFan1]

Give it a f***ing rest already. We get it. You think US soccer is a joke and not worthy of discussion blah blah blah. He used that term once to describe what, 4 players? Howard has been playing at Man U and now Everton over the past 5 or so years so there's nothing wrong with labeling him as that. Donovan could play just about anywhere in the world if he so chose to. Oguchi Onyewu was a manistay at Standard Liege, the best team in Belgium, and was just signed by AC Milan. No problem there either. Dempsey is a bit of a stretch, yes, but he has been playing in the Premiership for a while. He doesn't even mention Altidore there who has a legit possibility to become a 'World Class' player in the near future.

 

You're a moderator. You don't need to run in and try and cut down or belittle or make snarky comments whenever someone mentions the US or something about US soccer in a positive light. It's like trolling, and it get's old.

 

 

 

But by all means, keep bringing up your beloved Serbia all the time. Everyone here cares about them so much.

 

Oh and as to the bold...you're really using the term "big club" loosely there aren't we?

I wasn't trying to belittle or cut down US soccer at all. I honestly did not. But his use of the term "world-class" irked me. Read DBAH0's post, World Class means the elite players in the world. None of the players he listed are close except for Howard, who I think is one of the best goalies in the world right now. I'm not trolling at all, soccer is my favorite sport. I'm just stating my opinions, sorry if they don't agree with yours. BTW, you REALLY overrate Landon Donovan.

 

And yes, I'm fully aware Wolves is not a big club, I thought about it while posting and meant to put top leagues but never changed it. My apologies sir

 

Good luck to Matic getting a game in that midfield though.

 

My guess is he'll be loaned out somewhere to get some first team football.

Yeah, it seems to be the most likely scenario. That's what they did with Rajkovic, though he is still out on loan to Twente I believe.

 

It all depends on what you consider "world - class" to be.

 

I'd consider world class to basically be elite, and that means approx the top 10 players in the world. Of course none of those mentioned in Simmons' article would make it, I'd have it as this.

 

Cristiano Ronaldo

Leo Messi

Kaka

Fernando Torres

Steven Gerrard

Frank Lampard

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Xavi Hernandez

Frank Ribery

Karim Benzema

 

BTW Slav, I was going to put in Vidic possibly, but I think he has a weakness against speedy forwards (as Fernando Torres showed at Old Trafford last season). Sounds like he is also going to move to Barcelona at the end of the season possibly.

 

Of the players mentioned, Howard is probably a top 10 goalie in the world, and Everton is a top 10 PL club, but he had a chance to be the #1 at Man Utd and he blew that opportunity.

 

Donovan, well he's played at the top level in the German Leagues, but I don't think he's good enough to play for the best clubs in Europe.

 

Onyewu is an interesting one because he didn't show much when he was on loan to Newcastle and now he's playing for AC Milan. He has the physical attributes to be a top center back in the future however.

 

Dempsey is carving out a decent role at Fulham rotating as a winger and a second striker for Roy Hodgson.

 

The one player I'd really take a good look at this season is Freddy Adu. Needs to show something at Benfica this season, otherwise people are going to start wondering if he can ever make it at the top level.

I agree with you that Vidic does have issues against speedier forward, but that match against Liverpool was a hardcore outlier. He's done fantastic against some fast strikers in the EPL and in international play, including shutting down Mutu and Henry. Torres is something else though, that was a horrific match.

[ChiSox_Sonix]

I wasn't trying to belittle or cut down US soccer at all. I honestly did not. But his use of the term "world-class" irked me. Read DBAH0's post, World Class means the elite players in the world. None of the players he listed are close except for Howard, who I think is one of the best goalies in the world right now. I'm not trolling at all, soccer is my favorite sport. I'm just stating my opinions, sorry if they don't agree with yours. BTW, you REALLY overrate Landon Donovan.

 

My apologies then. It came across to me at least as a quick little jab.

 

I guess I don't have such narrow guidelines for the term 'world class.'

 

 

[SoxFan1]

My apologies then. It came across to me at least as a quick little jab.

 

I guess I don't have such narrow guidelines for the term 'world class.'

To be honest, for as long as I have been watching and following soccer, "world-class" has ALWAYS meant the elite players at the time.

 

[SoxFan1]

Wow, Burnley up 1-0 on ManU early. Fantastic volley. Burnley wins it 1-0, ManU not looking too hot early on this season. Tottenham smashed Hull.

[danman31]

My apologies then. It came across to me at least as a quick little jab.

Regardless of that being a jab, he's thrown them before. Don't apologize for taking a stand.

[Ozzie Ball]

Wow, Burnley up 1-0 on ManU early. Fantastic volley. Burnley wins it 1-0, ManU not looking too hot early on this season. Tottenham smashed Hull.

Valencia has looked decidedly poor for United in these first two games. I don't remember his first touch being this weak when he was at Wigan. I think Man Utd might really struggle to score goals this season as all their strikers are in the creative mould as opposed to the "give me the f***ing ball so I can score" mould.

[SoxFan1]

Valencia has looked decidedly poor for United in these first two games. I don't remember his first touch being this weak when he was at Wigan. I think Man Utd might really struggle to score goals this season as all their strikers are in the creative mould as opposed to the "give me the f***ing ball so I can score" mould.

I know I'll be called a homer, but their best replacement for Ronaldo was in-house and they haven't given him a legit chance yet, and it's Zoran Tosic. Right now, he's basically in the best form of his career. Here's what he did last Wednesday vs South Africa...

 

 

Nani has been a total disappointment so far at ManU, Anderson isn't going to be a spark and Valencia hasn't looked too good.

[DBAHO]

The Arsenal and Man Citeh double in the upcoming fixtures is the easiest money you'll find on the betting market this w/e.

 

Spurs vs. West Ham on Sunday should be a good game also, hopefully we'll provide a little more competition than Hull did yesterday.

[ChiSox_Sonix]

Liverpool lost to Aston Villa 3-1 today. They haven't looked good to start this season.

[The Critic]

Liverpool lost to Aston Villa 3-1 today. They haven't looked good to start this season.

Liverpool had control of the ball most of the match, but a bad own-goal and a really nice header off a corner put them in a hole they couldn't climb out of.

They got one back kind of late, but the following penalty kick goal really deflated them. They just mailed it in after that.

[DBAHO]

Liverpool lost to Aston Villa 3-1 today. They haven't looked good to start this season.

Simply because they miss Xabi Alonso more than anything.

 

Aquilani won't be back until October as well apparently.

[DBAHO]

Anyone ever seen Green Street before?

 

You'd be familiar with these type of scenes then;

 

[danman31]

Talk about life imitating art. That's f***ed up.

[ChiSox_Sonix]

UEFA charge Eduardo for "deceiving ref"

 

I am so glad to see this. This is what UEFA, FIFA et al need to be doing. I can't stand when players take dives so I would love if they started cracking down on this. Basically telling them ya you might get away with it during the game but that doesn't mean you're gonna get away with it afterwards.

[ChiSox_Sonix]

Abramovich keen to stop big spending City

 

So basically Roman Abramovich is trying to get rules passed to disallow teams like Man City to do what they're doing. AKA the same thing Abramovich did when he bought Chelsea! Looks like the big 4 clubs in England are getting worried.

 

This is also being supported by Milan and Internazionale, two of the richest clubs in Italy. These owners are only coming across as hypocrites IMO

[DBAHO]

Man Utd. vs Arsenal was quite an entertaining match for all of the wrong reasons. Diaby scored an own goal and then Wenger got sent off at the end.

 

Utd played terribly though, and really didn't deserve a point, let alone all 3.

[ChiSox_Sonix]

Chelsea getting served quite the punishment by FIFA

[MexSoxFan#1]

Gooooool!!

 

Dos Santos with a spectacular shot,Mexico up 1-0 at halftime.

If Mexico wins or ties,they're right in the thick of things.

 

Looks like those that were gloating here about Mexico not making it to the WC spoke a tad bit too soon.

[zenryan]

Wow, the US game might have been the worst officiated game I've ever seen. I'm still trying to figure out how Altidore's goal was taken away.

 

 

 

Watching some of the Mexico game and it pisses me off that CONCACAF allows Costa Rica to play on such a horrible surface. It's like a parking lot painted green.

[zenryan]

CR is melting down! hahaha

 

 

If they cant comeback to tie this at 2 then they are in a world of trouble. With games at ELS and USA, they might be heading down to South America for a playoff.

[LittleHurt05]

good win for the US, especially being down one and getting a goal called back, but they definitely outplayed them

 

Mexico up 3 in Costa Rica, gonna make these last 3 rounds interesting, Costa Rica was looking like a lock, now they might have to worry bout facing Argentina to get in