WE ARE A MONTH AWAY FROM EVERY DAY BEING MESSI DAY!

Lionel's club debut is expected in the League Cup against Cruz Azul on 7/21.  

This puts his MLS (and home) debut on 8/20 vs Charlotte.  And 8/26 he'll be in Jersey, which I'm sure will get quite the tv feature. 

Anyway, on with the summer!

Gold CUp begins this week, as does the EuroU21. (a few matches of the UEFA U21 to start are on CBS Sports Network, but for those of you who don't have Paramount+ should look into the Pluto app/site for CBS Sports Golazo Network (which you should really have bookmarked for Serie A and other leagues anyway). Gold Cup games are on FS1/2. Martinique, Guadeloupe and St Kitts and Nevis took the final three spots.

 

USA's group is Jamaica, Trinidad/Tobago and St Kitts and Nevis. I think if I was a gambling man, I'd set the Over/Under for US Group stage goals to.. say.. 7.5.

 

and to follow up on the last thread's scotland news, here's a thought. they have 4 wins out of 4, there's four games left, and their next game is against Cyprus. It'd be completely unbelieveable for them to not finish top two, but still somehow completely on brand,

 

So far the Europa fluff up has netted Jose a 4 game Euro ban.  Nothing else yet from the supporters at the airport.

11 hours ago, SirFozzie said:

USA's group is Jamaica, Trinidad/Tobago and St Kitts and Nevis. I think if I was a gambling man, I'd set the Over/Under for US Group stage goals to.. say.. 7.5.

I dunno... that's multiple matches where they play two countries at the same time. I think the fix is in.

2 minutes ago, Pete said:

I dunno... that's multiple matches where they play two countries at the same time. I think the fix is in.

Something something Jack Warner 

1 hour ago, Pete said:

I dunno... that's multiple matches where they play two countries at the same time. I think the fix is in.

"Dude. We gotta play Trinidad AND Tobago?"

 

(actually, random Foz's memory is weird moment, the first time I heard that nations name is in Meatballs (the precursor to the It Just Doesn't Matter speech.)

Tripper: That's just the attitude we don't need, Phil. Sure, Mohawk has beaten us 12 years in a row. Sure, they're terrific athletes. They've got the best equipment that money can buy. Hell, every team they're sending over here has their own personal masseuse. Not masseur. Masseuse. But, it doesn't matter. Do you know that every Mohawk competitor has electrocardiogram, blood and urine tests every 48 hours to see if there's any change in his physical condition. Do you know that they use the most sophisticated training methods from the Soviet Union, East and West Germany, and the newest Olympic power, Trinidad Tobago. But, it doesn't matter. It just doesn't matter. It just doesn't matter! I tell you it just doesn't matter! It just doesn't matter!

Edited June 21, 20233 yr by SirFozzie

Santos-Corinthians called off due to rockets on the field.

 

Wait, what?

 

 

The First Brand New Expanded Club World Cup competition, consisting of 32 teams, to happen in 2025 will be hosted by the US.  It won't be 4 years from this year's CWC, but I know the proposal was supposed to be the previous 4 UEFA Champions League winners plus 8 more teams, previous 4 Copa Libertadores winners plus 2 more, 4 AFC winners, 4 CAF winners, 4 CONCAF Winners, 1 OFC winner, and 1 extra from CONCACAF since the US is hosting.

 

I don't know what they plan to do about repeats, but no one's really happy about a 4 round tournament happening in June and if the leagues are going to approve it.

Edited June 23, 20233 yr by Raziel

More football from tired footballers. 

FIFPRO needs to finally do something with some teeth. 

Outside of FIFA wanting more money, I don't know why there so pushing to get a bigger tournament that's only ever been won by teams from UEFA or CONMEBOL, and I can't see any Euro teams being happy that almost half the teams are European.

 

Well, FIFA wanting more money answered my own question...

I think it's not only money, it's that the Champions league is arguably best football played now, no longer the World Cup. 

So, CWC is in theory "champions league + Comnebol teams + Concacaf teams l + Asia teams+ AFC teams" so it should be bigger if not better. 

And Football Manager just got more evidence that it's so real... Mexico just got FM'd in real life.

Possession 76-24
Shots 25-1
Corners 7-0
Passes completed 580-127

All in favor of Mexico. Final score? 1-0 Qatar.

It's their tactics, mate.

It's because they suck. And CONCACAF tried to refball to help Mexico and it still didn't work. 

Jimenez should have got a red card for striking the Qatari player in the face around the 70th minute. Seemingly every other Qatari player had a yellow card while Mexico kept getting away with BS. The ref never stopped the match after multiple PUTO chants. And he gave 10 minutes stoppage time in the 2nd half. 

Edited July 3, 20233 yr by cubbymark

...so I guess I need to set up a filter that word too. 😕

Declan Riccccccce deal w Arsenal seemingly done £100m and add ons

On 7/3/2023 at 12:25 PM, Dolfan in NYC said:

...so I guess I need to set up a filter that word too. 😕

The Spanish equivalent of, “manly beyond my wildest expectations?” 
 

To add more salt in the wound of the Mexico/Qatar fiasco, there’s video circulating of a fan being stabbed with a knife inside Levi’s Stadium during a fight as that match was going on.  

you mean it's unusual for fans to get stabbed during Mexican soccer matches? ("usually they get stabbed after the match")

Former Manchester United and Ajax goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar is being treated in intensive care after suffering a bleed on his brain. Fucking hell. Best wishes go out to van der Sar, his family and friends.

Pulisic completes his move to Milan. In other news, just like ESPN+ is going to become the Wrexham network, CBS Sports (+Golazo) are probably going to air a AC Milan game weekly.

David de Gea confirms he's leaving Manchester United.

31 minutes ago, The Natural said:

David de Gea confirms he's leaving Manchester United.

It's probably the right time for this, honestly. For his legacy as one of the true great keepers in United history along with the legacy of being one of the few true bright spots on what's been a middling era in United history compared to expectation. 

James Trafford's value just went through the roof.

England didn't give up a single goal in 6 games. That's nuts. (and the the cherry on the top was the penalty/rebound save)

Was there anyone who played on all the under 17, under 19 and under 21 winning teams? 

Megan Rapinoe announced her retirement, effective at the end of this season