Official Football Thread

[Genghis Khan]

YW! 

If I may ask, is your family of Croatian origin or of another country near to it?

My parents, all four grandparents, younger brother and I were born in Croatia.  I lived there until December 1988.  There is a definite Hungarian ancestry on my paternal side. 

I never cheer for Hungary when it comes to soccer, not only because I do not "feel" Hungarian but because they've sucked since the '50s.  The two countries do have a long history together, as you may know, and partially as a result of that they've joinely bid for Euro 2012.  They've received zero votes, however, probably due to the fact that their economies are in worse shape than that of Ukraine and Poland.  I also know that since Korea/Japan 2002, J. Blatter swore he'd never have two countries sharing a tournament if they do not have the same currency.  I never feel as much Croatian as when football is being played; I'm Canadian in other contexts.  But we both know how much Canada sucks in football.

There is something I wanted to ask you myself for a while.  I've noticed you keep using "YW"; what does it mean? 

@ Annoying_Suns: FUCK!  Look not only did you violate the mods order by coming back, you're still posting jibberish.  Did you not learn anything?

 

[Forostar]

You're welcome

Thanks for explaining. It will be a passionate summer!

 

[____no5]

My parents, all four grandparents, younger brother and I were born in Croatia.  I lived there until December 1988.  There is a definite Hungarian ancestry on my paternal side. 

LOL Genghis Khan is a Croatian ! Excellent   

@ Annoying_Suns: FUCK!  Look not only did you violate the mods order by coming back, you're still posting jibberish.  Did you not learn anything?

violate the mods order ???    how's that ? they didn't give him a "second" chance ???
and yes.... thousand, HE IS RIGHT : do NOT do the same thing any more !!

You're welcome

Thanks for explaining. It will be a passionate summer!

obviously you speak for football here, and not for your futur vacances in Croatia
LOL I just remembered ....Rodez (what a shity village  )

 

[Forostar]

I've been in (or "through") Rodez ! The only thing I remember is its sight, seen from a wide plain, when I cycled towards it, under a burning sun, back in the early nineties. 

 

[Albie]

I also know that since Korea/Japan 2002, J. Blatter swore he'd never have two countries sharing a tournament if they do not have the same currency.

With respect, GK, Blatter has no influence on who UEFA choose to host their own tournament. UEFA not opting to go with a Croatia/Hungary joint bid, would not of been down to Blatter (or FIFA) not wanting to have a joint hosting of two nations with two different currencies.

It's just not natural to sit at a football match

It has always been odd to sit at matches, you just can't get the atmosphere right.

I would be in favour of the style in Germany, where there are fold-up seats, as a compromise. It may not be as fun, but it's safer and better than seating.

Something along those lines is a good compromise, or at least more safety barriers dotted about to stop too much uncontrolled crowd movement. The only ever World Cup match I ever went to was to see England play Romania in France '98. This game was held in Toulouse and the seating arrangement (bearing in mind it was a World Cup match) was chronic to say the least. The end terrace, where I was, had just an array of concrete steps and on each step was small plastic bum-rests with no back. Every one stood thoughout the game and had any crowd movement occurred, there would have been very little to stop a whole section of people to loose their footing and suffer some nasty injuries, or worse.

 

[Anonymous]

they didn't give him a "second" chance ???

I thought I explained to you that we did? 

 

[Genghis Khan]

With respect, GK, Blatter has no influence on who UEFA choose to host their own tournament. UEFA not opting to go with a Croatia/Hungary joint bid, would not of been down to Blatter (or FIFA) not wanting to have a joint hosting of two nations with two different currencies.
It has always been odd to sit at matches, you just can't get the atmosphere right.

Does a committee decide the hosts then?  I was sure Blatter had a vote, at least. 

I thought I explained to you that we did? 

I'm all for second chances, but it seems to me that 1000_Suns does not post here to converse but just to get his kicks.

 

[Albie]

Does a committee decide the hosts then?  I was sure Blatter had a vote, at least.

A committee does decide the hosts, but for UEFA tournaments, such as Euro 2008 and so on, only UEFA people sit on this committee. Blatter is FIFA and has no say, even though he is actually European.

 

[Genghis Khan]

Thank you Albie.

I have a discussion in mind.  I'm sure everyone here will be watching the Euro tournament religiously; I know I will.  Which player do you predict as the top scorer for the tournament?

 

[Forostar]

That's always very difficult to predict. There's two players on my mind (with help of the qualifications topscorer-list):

Eduardo da Silva (Croatia)
Euzebiusz Smolarek (Poland)

 

[Genghis Khan]

I was going for De Silva myself for obvious reasons.  He's scored so many goals in such a short time.  As an aside, it is ironic that Brazil considered him 2nd rate.

 

[Dr. Eddies Wingman]

There seems to be an atmosphere of no inspiration inside my office today, so I think I'll post my thoughts on the Champions League round tonight. The group stage is about to end, and we are in for some drama, that's for sure.

In group A, only two points separate the group leaders Porto from Besiktas in 4th. In between we have Marseille and Liverpool, who meet tonight at the Stade Velodrome. All teams have the chance to go through, but both Liverpool and Besiktas need to win (Liverpool will manage with a draw if and only if Besiktas beat Porto). Marseille can manage with a draw (because then Liverpool are behind because of the result at Anfield), Porto will also advance with a draw. The most dramatic would of course be a draw in Marseille combined with a late Besiktas winner ... that would see Liverpool through on goal difference because the "internal table" between Porto, Marseille and Liverpool says 5 points each) ... My tips are Porto and Marseille through (a draw in France).

Group B is exciting as well. Schalke 04 play home against Rosenborg, and will go through if they win. Otherwise, Rosenborg are through. If the latter happens, Valencia may grab the spot in the UEFA Cup if they beat Chelsea. (Or get a draw, if Scalke 04 should lose). However, I think Schalke must be regarded as big favourites against Rosenborg. The Norwegian league finished over a month ago - I don't think the team is in the best form. My tip here is Schalke to win and Valencia to finish 4th.

Group C is almost as fascinating as group A - Werder Bremen and Lazio both have to win. Werder will qualify for the next round if they win, regardless of the result at Bernabeu, while Lazio not only need a win at Bernabeu but also a fitting result between Olympiakos and Werder. Scenarios:

Lazio beat Real, Olympiakos beat Werder: Lazio and Olympiakos through (Lazio ahead of Real because of results 'ead-to-'ead
Lazio beat Real, draw in Athens: Same as above
Lazio beat Real, Werder win in Athens: Werder are through, goal difference decides if Lazio, Real Madrid or Olympiakos follow them.

My tips are, however, that we see two home wins and Real and Olympiakos through to the round of 16.

On the TV channels I have access to, they will show Schalke 04 vs Rosenborg and probably Marseille vs Liverpool. Two decisive matches, excitement guaranteed ...

 

[national acrobat]

Marseilles vs Liverpool is a really hard one to call, but I have a feeling Liverpool will do it.

I can't understand Benitez's obsession with the Champions League, and his preference to it over the Premier League. I'm quite sure he'd be happy winning the Champions League and finishing 4th in the league again, but he doesn't seem to realise that none of Liverpool's fans are happy with this: they wan't their team to win the Premier League!
Where is the logic in substituting off Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres with 20(!) minutes to go against Reading, when they're two goals down? - not by any means an unattainable margin.
Where is the logic in resting (£25million) Torres for a league game against Birmingham and then playing him in the League Cup a week later?
Where is the logic in saying you're resting your star striker at the start of the season so he'll be fit for the last 15 at the run-in? Firstly, he might be injured for the last 15 games. Secondly, having rested him at the start of the season, your team will probably be out of the running with 15 games to go. Thirdly, why can't professional footballers (athletes!) play in 50 matches a season? Answer: they can.

Benitez really drives me mad. Peter Crouch should be 4th choice striker at no club. He scores when he plays, he finished top-scorer last season....!! Crazy.

 

[Albie]

2-0 up after 15 minutes? I fancy Liverpool as well.

Thirdly, why can't professional footballers (athletes!) play in 50 matches a season? Answer: they can.

Back in the old days, they used to. And they were no where near as fit.

 

[national acrobat]

Yessssssssssssssss!!!!! Burnley 0 - 2 QPR!!!! What a result! I can start talking about my own team again!! 

Southend won too, well done.

 

[Dr. Eddies Wingman]

The air went out of the balloon in all three groups early today. When Liverpool and Porto got early goals, group A was settled. Schalke were up 2-0 against Rosenborg before 20 min were played and were never really threatened - and Real Madrid showed strength against Lazio. We could perhaps say that the longest lasting exciting point was whether Olympiakos or Werder Bremen would follow Real.

A couple of interesting matches tomorrow as well:

Rangers-Lyon: Rangers will finish 2nd with a draw, Lyon will need a win at Ibrox. Tough to guess, but I hold the Scots as favourites here.

PSV Eindhoven need to get a better result against Inter than Fenerbahce get against CSKA Moskva. I don't see that happening, I think Fenerbahce will have little problems getting the three points that will see them through.

Because of the popularity of English football in Norway, these matches will have to give way to AS Roma vs Manchester United and Arsenal vs Steaua Bucuresti. (I think all matches are actually broadcasted, but all except the two mentioned will go on subscription channels that most don't have access to). As United is "my" team abroad, I don't complain, but many will.

To National Acrobat - congrats on the QPR win ...and Albie is a Southend fan, right? If so, congratulations to Albie as well.

 

[Forostar]

PSV Eindhoven need to get a better result against Inter than Fenerbahce get against CSKA Moskva. I don't see that happening, I think Fenerbahce will have little problems getting the three points that will see them through.

Perhaps, but will Internationale (already qualified) be motivated? Anyway, at least PSV will play European football after the winter break (to kick Rosenborg's ass ).

 

[Dr. Eddies Wingman]

Perhaps, but will Internationale (already qualified) be motivated? Anyway, at least PSV will play European football after the winter break (to kick Rosenborg's ass ).

Well, it wouldn't bother me that much - it would certainly stop the mouth of some cocky locals here. I do like it when Norwegian teams do well in Europe, but here in Trondheim there are some people who think that it's every Norwegian citizen's duty to support Rosenborg with all their heart when they play abroad. I'm starting to have enough of that. I mean, I am mainly a Fredrikstad supporter and will never be able to (neither do I want to) express much feeling for another Norwegian club.

But still, PSV shouldn't kick Rosenborg's ass, because that would spoil the chance of an intense, passionate meeting between Rosenborg and Brann in the round of 16. (The teams, and the cities of Trondheim and Bergen as well, are rivals). Of course, Brann aren't through yet, but since the match between Rennes and Dinamo Zagreb must end at least 3-0 (to get Rennes through) or 0-2 (for Dinamo to go through), I think their chances are good. And (sorry for stating the obvious) Brann and RBK are both certain to get their ass kicked in the round of 32. I mean, it was evident yesterday that Rosenborg suffered from not having played a league match in a month. Then imagine their form in February - one month and a half before the beginning of the new season. It's going to be a walk in the park for their opponents. Just a nice mid-week training session. (Unless one of them face a Swedish team, they are off-season as well at that time).

I would like to see PSV through rather than Fenerbahce - after all, it is the club that sold Ruud van Nistelrooy to Manchester United  That is a good thing.

 

[Albie]

Southend won too, well done.

That's them into the third round of the FA cup, thanks to that win. As I said earlier, a glamorous tie against Dagenham and Redbridge.

NA, what do you think about Capello as the likley man for the England job? He has a good pedigree and is of a good age and experience, but he does not speak a lot of English. If he can get his message across without it been lost in translation (if that is what it will come too), then I think he could be quite good - he may make England a bit more pragmatic, but if they start winning again, I'm happy.

---

Rangers-Lyon: Rangers will finish 2nd with a draw, Lyon will need a win at Ibrox. Tough to guess, but I hold the Scots as favourites here.

I'm tipping Rangers as well - we can't have Gers going out and Celtic progressing. That will not do.

...and Albie is a Southend fan, right? If so, congratulations to Albie as well.

Southend are my local(ish) side (I used to live in Southend, but now have moved closer to London), so I always like to see them do well. Although, where I live now is closer to West Ham than Southend.

[/quote]

 

[national acrobat]

NA, what do you think about Capello as the likley man for the England job? He has a good pedigree and is of a good age and experience, but he does not speak a lot of English. If he can get his message across without it been lost in translation (if that is what it will come too), then I think he could be quite good - he may make England a bit more pragmatic, but if they start winning again, I'm happy.

I'd be very happy with his appointment. I would have preferred Mourinho, but as he clearly doesn't want it I think Capello is the outstanding candidate who DOES want the job. His record in Italy and Spain is just remarkable. Regarding the language, it's about 9 months until the next competitive international for England, plenty of time to learn quite a bit, I reckon.
I heard Ian Holloway on the radio the other day, and Capello's lack of English came up. Ollie's reply was along the lines of:
"He does speak quite a bit of English actually, I know for a fact because last season at Plymouth we played his Real Madrid in a friendly. I was standing in the corridor and he said 'Can you move?'"
Well, it made me chuckle anyway.