Men's Soccer (Football) Thread [Archived] Soccer • Page 831

He’s a Barca academy guy

 

Ah ok. The only academy guys getting a run with the first team right now didn’t include him.

 

From what I’ve read, he seems highly praised. He was called up to the Barca B squad a couple games but he refused a new contract (doesn’t say why other than he was made aware of outside interest). Once he refused his new contract they quit calling him up to Barca B team.

 

Interesting. I’m only aware of Aleña and O. Busquets from B right now. Both are supposedly joining the first team next year.

 

My idea, ran by @Platy, is this:

The top sixteen teams will be assigned at random. Top sixteen will be chosen by FIFA rankings.

And then the bottom sixteen will be assigned at random.

Everyone will have the two teams. If your top 16 team wins, you’ll get 75% and the runner-up gets 25%.

HOWEVER. If your bottom sixteen team wins, you get the whole pot.

If two bottom sixteen teams make the final, it reverses to the 75/25 split between winner/Runner-up.

 

Sounds cool to me

 

Count me in for World Cup draw

 

I’m real high tech as you can tell.

I’ll probably also set up some bracket predictor through ESPN or something for all of us.

 

Fifa bracket predictor

FIFA has a bracket league that involves winning a VIP trip to Madrid to attend an Atleti game, so why not?

 

England’s midfield looks pretty weak. How are they expected to lineup? I’m thinking 4231 is the best option but I know they’ve been trying to do 3 CBs recently. I don’t know if that’s ideal though.

Walker, Cahill, Stones (or Jones), Rose at the back

Henderson, Dier at CM

Sterling, Dele, Lingard (or Rashford) at AM

Kane up top

 

I don’t know if any of you guys subscribe to The Athletic site but they just announced a bunch of new writers for their soccer coverage. It looks like one of the main guys from Howler will be leading the team.

There’s a good article regarding Arsenal’s managerial search.

 

Iniesta and Buffon play their last games for their respective clubs seventeen years later this weekend. I’ve seen it happen all the time in other sports, but this changing of the guard feels especially stark and poignant.

And I don’t get to watch either.

 

Marchisio not being able to let go. Someone cutting onions in here?

 

Harsh penalty imo.

 

Go on lads, sure if you play it backwards or to the side one more time it'll eventually work.

United have been atrocious from front to back here. Can't string a pass together.

 

Not our day unfortunately. Wish Lingard stayed on instead of Martial.

 

My opinion: United looked like scoring but taking off Lingard & Rashford at exactly the same time neutralised the threat. If they’d just taken one off for Lukaku (presumably Rashford) they may have continued the momentum.

Overall: dull match. As a neutral I wished Liverpool, City or Tottenham had made it just to add some pace and excitement.

Pleased for Conte who has been harshly treated this season.

Edit: definite penalty.

 

Happy to get the trophy as I did not expect a win. Nice that Conte has at least got an FA Cup to go with last years title win before he leaves, but even the players were taking digs at his defensive tactics in the post-match interviews

 

Not sure how it can be considered a harsh penalty. Makes a really weird, flailing challenges, misses the ball and gets the man.

Really drab game overall though. For two teams packing that much quality, there wasn't a huge amount to get excited by.

 

It's a shame Lukaku was injured. We're a much better team with him.

 

Frankfurt just scored. 2-1 with 9 minutes left


Maybe not. Going to VAR.

Yes it is. 2-1 Frankfurt

 

Thank god we have VAR. This way we can watch 10 replays of a clear penalty and the ref still decides to not give it.

But also: congrats to Frankfurt, they had two great cup runs in a row and deserve to win one.

 

Vela magic

 

So we are signing Anderson Talisca. Underwhelming start to the summer.

 

United want Toby
Spurs want Martial
Both clubs value their player at ~45m

Is there a deal to be made?