Soccer, footie, football, futbol

[Lavabe]

Go Wigan!!

Anyone but ManU.

Two games left in the EPL. Liverpool are down three points, and ManU have a game at hand. Uggh!

[Lavabe]

And so it goes...

ManU wins the EPL, Liverpool 2d, followed by Chelsea, and Arsenal.
Relegated are West Brom, Middlesbrough, and Newcastle United.

Moving up into EPL next season are: Wolverhampton, Birmingham City, and either Sheffield United or Burnley.

Liverpool says goodbye to Sami Hyypia.

Awaiting the CL final.
Cheers,
Lavabe

[colchar]

In other soccer related news, idiot Rangers (Glasgow Rangers) supporters in Northern Ireland (even though they are a Scottish team) beat a Catholic to death while celebrating Rangers winning the Scottish league title for the first time in 3-4 years, I guess because they assumed he was a Celtic supporter (in Scotland, Catholics support Celtic while Protestants support Rangers). Typical. No wonder I despise soccer so much as I am the son of a Scottish Protestant father and a Scottish Catholic mother (Scotland's version of a mixed marriage) and have been putting up with this crap within my own extended family for years.

[Lavabe]

I, for one, am glad that Christiano Ronaldo, and all his weenie-dom, is gone from the EPL (for some $115+ million dollars ... or is it 115 million Euros) and ManU. As much as I loathe ManU, I am glad the wanker is no longer there, teasing the manager, fans, and all of English football. Good luck, Real... you'll need it.

And who gets Ribery?

And England keeps rolling along!!

Cheers,
Lavabe

[Rolvix]

Thank God Ronaldo is gone!

Now... Arsenal only needs to sign another decent experienced midfielder, and a few defenders and they will be a force to be reckoned with

Real Madrid is like the future Kentucky team...

[wilson]

Y'know, I really like soccer, but I can't quite get into European club football, mostly because I can't really watch the games here. I love national team football, and will watch almost any teams play a non-friendly (and I'll watch any game the U.S. plays, as well as friendlies involving otherwise compelling teams).
If I ever could get more into European clubs, Arsenal would definitely be my team, primarily because they have the coolest team name in all of sports. I'd love to give a history lesson about the cultural and linguistic origins of the arsenal for anyone who's interested.

[Rolvix]

Y'know, I really like soccer, but I can't quite get into European club football, mostly because I can't really watch the games here. I love national team football, and will watch almost any teams play a non-friendly (and I'll watch any game the U.S. plays, as well as friendlies involving otherwise compelling teams).
If I ever could get more into European clubs, Arsenal would definitely be my team, primarily because they have the coolest team name in all of sports. I'd love to give a history lesson about the cultural and linguistic origins of the arsenal for anyone who's interested.

Oh, I am very interested! Pray tell.

I only get a chance to actually watch very few European League games, because I tend to stay pretty busy during the winter/spring. I didn't know very many people who were interested in European futbol when I first got into it, so I had no idea which team I should cheer for. I finally decided on a good-but-not-amazing team, Arsenal, through the video game Fifa. Now that some of my friends play Fifa occasionally as well, they have chosen their own teams: Liverpool, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, and AC Milan. Thank God I talked one of them out of playing as ManU. That would have been totally unfair :roll: He still supports Ronaldo though, poor guy. Now I follow Arsenal very closely, mainly reading about them - especially if I miss the game. I might get to see a Bayern Munich game next summer though! A foreign exchange student, now one of my good friends, has invited us to travel around Europe on a train with him for two weeks and then go to a Bayern game! How exciting that would be.

[rockymtn devil]

Y'know, I really like soccer, but I can't quite get into European club football, mostly because I can't really watch the games here. I love national team football, and will watch almost any teams play a non-friendly (and I'll watch any game the U.S. plays, as well as friendlies involving otherwise compelling teams).
If I ever could get more into European clubs, Arsenal would definitely be my team, primarily because they have the coolest team name in all of sports. I'd love to give a history lesson about the cultural and linguistic origins of the arsenal for anyone who's interested.

U.S. has an interesting game on Monday afternoon against World Champion Italy in the FIFA Confederations Cup. I fully expect the U.S. to get crushed given how shaky they've been in the back the past few weeks. But, it could also prove to be a great chance for the team to step up and come into its own before the final stretch of Cup qualifying.

<bracing for outrage> Arsenal may be my least favorite team in European ball. They have such a Boston Red Sox mentality (the mindset that feasts on always being second best to Man U and can't handle success because their identity is grounded losing) that I have to hate them. The parallels are so real that when the Nick Hornby book "Fever Pitch" (about Arsenal) was made made into an American movie, the screenplay replaced Arsenal with the Red Sox. But, I'll agree that they have a cool name and the best crest in the EPL.

In EPL, I'll pull for Chelsea, but that's more because I'm a fan of any team owned by a Russian mob boss. I've always liked Bayern Munich best of the European clubs, but I wouldn't call myself a fan of any one team.

[Rolvix]

U.S. has an interesting game on Monday afternoon against World Champion Italy in the FIFA Confederations Cup. I fully expect the U.S. to get crushed given how shaky they've been in the back the past few weeks. But, it could also prove to be a great chance for the team to step up and come into its own before the final stretch of Cup qualifying.

<bracing for outrage> Arsenal may be my least favorite team in European ball. They have such a Boston Red Sox mentality (the mindset that feasts on always being second best to Man U and can't handle success because their identity is grounded losing) that I have to hate them. The parallels are so real that when the Nick Hornby book "Fever Pitch" (about Arsenal) was made made into an American movie, the screenplay replaced Arsenal with the Red Sox. But, I'll agree that they have a cool name and the best crest in the EPL.

In EPL, I'll pull for Chelsea, but that's more because I'm a fan of any team owned by a Russian mob boss. I've always liked Bayern Munich best of the European clubs, but I wouldn't call myself a fan of any one team.

Haha don't worry, I'm not an intense enough fan to "outrage". Nor have I been following them for nearly as long as I would need to in order to argue your reasons for disliking them. Now if you were talking about Duke like that... But anyways, most of my friends are Red Sox fans, so if I were to ever start following baseball, I would probably cheer for them. Or maybe not, considering my doctor's son just got drafted by the Yankees!

Next season will be great for Arsenal Man U won't know what hit 'em.

[rockymtn devil]

Haha don't worry, I'm not an intense enough fan to "outrage". Nor have I been following them for nearly as long as I would need to in order to argue your reasons for disliking them. Now if you were talking about Duke like that... But anyways, most of my friends are Red Sox fans, so if I were to ever start following baseball, I would probably cheer for them. Or maybe not, considering my doctor's son just got drafted by the Yankees!

Next season will be great for Arsenal Man U won't know what hit 'em.

All of my friends are Arsenal fans too, so that probably adds fuel to the fire.

[Ben63]

I am a huge fan of Euro club football and pretty much think it is the greatest thing ever. It is tough to get into because of the lack of games on American TV. International football is alot easier to find on TV, just look at the fact that ESPN carried every single World Cup 06 and Euro 08 match. My addiction started from World Cup 06 where I found my favorite player, Michael Essien, from Ghana. I found out he played for the English club Chelsea and from there I bought his jersey and became a fan.

Later I found out that Chelsea were two time defending champs and were pretty much the Yankees of England. I kind of felt like a bandwagon fan but I'm not one to leave my teams. I later considered switching allegiances but I realized to be a fan in the USA and to be able to watch matches on TV here you have to follow Chelsea, ManU, Liverpool, or Arsenal.

Football is one of my favorite things on this planet and I now understand the global craze. Those who say they hate "soccer" have never even given true footie a chance. Because when you understand the game and the teams it is nothing short of a major addiction.

I really hope to be able to go to Chelsea v AC Milan in Baltimore on July 26th.

[Rolvix]

My ultimate dream is to attend to a European soccer game... They seem like Cameron x50. I mean heck, most teams have their own theme songs - some more than one! :shock:

[Ben63]

My ultimate dream is to attend to a European soccer game... They seem like Cameron x50. I mean heck, most teams have their own theme songs - some more than one! :shock:

The songs are only the beginning my friend. Check out this site. I can kill multiple hours here.

http://home.wanadoo.nl/maarten.geluk/

[Rolvix]

Wow! I could probably spend hours on that website too!

[DevilAlumna]

I feel like a soccer/football lame-o, because I enjoy watching MLS (and the now-defunct WUSA), but don't really care about the Euro teams. I miss being in DC to cheer along with the DC United crowd - they were so much fun.

Barcelona is coming to play the Seattle Sounders FC in August, so I'm trying hard to get tickets to the match. The two pre-sales and work group sales events have already sold out; I have a feeling this will be an easy sell-out crowd. Even tonight's Sounders match against the last-place San Jose was sold out. (We won, 2-1. )

[Rolvix]

I feel like a soccer/football lame-o, because I enjoy watching MLS (and the now-defunct WUSA), but don't really care about the Euro teams. I miss being in DC to cheer along with the DC United crowd - they were so much fun.

Barcelona is coming to play the Seattle Sounders FC in August, so I'm trying hard to get tickets to the match. The two pre-sales and work group sales events have already sold out; I have a feeling this will be an easy sell-out crowd. Even tonight's Sounders match against the last-place San Jose was sold out. (We won, 2-1. )

You aren't a lame-o! I would LOVE to watch MLS in person. Any type of professional soccer is great. And holy crap, I need to get a ticket for that Sounders game! I absolutely love the enthusiasm that the Sounders fan base has. A game against Barcelona would be incredible! Maybe games like these and fans like the Sounders will help transform the MLS.

[rockymtn devil]

I am a huge fan of Euro club football and pretty much think it is the greatest thing ever. It is tough to get into because of the lack of games on American TV. International football is alot easier to find on TV, just look at the fact that ESPN carried every single World Cup 06 and Euro 08 match. My addiction started from World Cup 06 where I found my favorite player, Michael Essien, from Ghana. I found out he played for the English club Chelsea and from there I bought his jersey and became a fan.

Later I found out that Chelsea were two time defending champs and were pretty much the Yankees of England. I kind of felt like a bandwagon fan but I'm not one to leave my teams. I later considered switching allegiances but I realized to be a fan in the USA and to be able to watch matches on TV here you have to follow Chelsea, ManU, Liverpool, or Arsenal.

Football is one of my favorite things on this planet and I now understand the global craze. Those who say they hate "soccer" have never even given true footie a chance. Because when you understand the game and the teams it is nothing short of a major addiction.

I really hope to be able to go to Chelsea v AC Milan in Baltimore on July 26th.

You're in the clear with Chelsea. They aren't the Yankees of the EPL. That distinction goes to Manchester United. Chelsea is more like the Atlanta Braces of England. The blues have actually only ever won the premiership title three times (they have won the FA Cup five times).

[rockymtn devil]

I feel like a soccer/football lame-o, because I enjoy watching MLS (and the now-defunct WUSA), but don't really care about the Euro teams. I miss being in DC to cheer along with the DC United crowd - they were so much fun.

Barcelona is coming to play the Seattle Sounders FC in August, so I'm trying hard to get tickets to the match. The two pre-sales and work group sales events have already sold out; I have a feeling this will be an easy sell-out crowd. Even tonight's Sounders match against the last-place San Jose was sold out. (We won, 2-1. )

Not lame at all. I'm a former Columbus Crew season ticket holder (from inaugural year up to 2000). Even today I follow them and go watch when they play the Rapids.

[Ben63]

You're in the clear with Chelsea. They aren't the Yankees of the EPL. That distinction goes to Manchester United. Chelsea is more like the Atlanta Braces of England. The blues have actually only ever won the premiership title three times (they have won the FA Cup five times).

I understand the fact that ManU is the Yankees in terms of winning, but they don't buy players quite the way Chelsea does. Chelsea buys players like the Yankees. Last season when Drogba got hurt, they went out and bought Nicolas Anelka for 13 million pounds. Turns out he wins the golden boot this year, but they only went out and got him temporarily. They also bought Florent Malouda and Jose Bosingwa for ridiculous prices.

[rockymtn devil]

You're in the clear with Chelsea. They aren't the Yankees of the EPL. That distinction goes to Manchester United. Chelsea is more like the Atlanta Braces of England. The blues have actually only ever won the premiership title three times (they have won the FA Cup five times).

I understand the fact that ManU is the Yankees in terms of winning, but they don't buy players quite the way Chelsea does. Chelsea buys players like the Yankees. Last season when Drogba got hurt, they went out and bought Nicolas Anelka for 13 million pounds. Turns out he wins the golden boot this year, but they only went out and got him temporarily. They also bought Florent Malouda and Jose Bosingwa for ridiculous prices.

Gotcha. Yeah, that's been Chelsea's MO for the past few years since they were bought by Abramovich. To his defense, Russian mobsters don't like to lose.