BBTF.org/m/soccer : OT: The Soccer Thread: January 2013

Thursday, May 02, 2013

OT: The Soccer Thread, May 2013

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posted 2 weeks ago by Shooty is in the Trust Tree to soccer | 802 comment(s)

This is it, the biggest month of the year for soccer. Some key games/dates:

May 2nd: Europa League semifinals—Benfica v Fenerbahce and Chelsea v Basel

May 4th: Final day of the season in England’s second division. Wolves look done but Barnsley will attempt to escape the drop. Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest and Leicester City will try to snatch the last play off spot from Bolton while Hull needs a win to secure automatic promotion or risk losing it to Watford.

May 8th: Chelsea v Tottenham

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1151. SuperGrover posted on January 24, 2013 at 03:04 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

OK just saw an angle on Sky Sports. Absolutely no way did Hazard push him. The p.o.s. simply fell as Hazard tried to grab the ball.

I'm going more towards Gaelan's opinion here. #### that kid. Hazard did nothing wrong. Had I been in the same situation I would have done the same thing.

EDIT: Saw another angle. It's even worse. This guy is scum. To Hell with Swansea and their douche bag board member sons.

1152. sardonic posted on January 24, 2013 at 04:32 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

Yeah, I'm with Hazard on this. I'm no Chelsea fan, but #### that kid. It's hard to blame Hazard -- the kid's action was not only wildly inappropriate and ########, but completely bizarre. I've never seen anything remotely like it, so it's not surprising that Hazard didn't quite know how to react. It's not like Hazard's first reaction was to violence either. There's also a strong case to be made that he was kicking at the ball to get it out, which is his right. Even then the kick was hardly vicious.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubL5ux5WcBg

1153. sardonic posted on January 24, 2013 at 04:39 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

It seems clear to me that Hazard did not push the kid down -- the kid intentionally fell on the ball to waste time, and then refused to get off of it. Hazard first tries to roll him off the ball and the kid is actively resisting him.

1154. Swedish Chef posted on January 24, 2013 at 05:28 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

Deloitte has released their Football Money League. The usual suspects are up there. The most noteworthy thing is that Valencia fell off to ensure that the Real-Barcelona hegemony stands out even more. They both pull in more than four times as much as their nearest domestic "competitors".

1155. Biff, highly-regarded young guy posted on January 24, 2013 at 06:07 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

I haven't watched it again, but with multiple people saying Hazard didn't push him (as I had been sure he had), I guess I must have seen it incorrectly.

1156. Shooty is in the Trust Tree

posted on January 24, 2013 at 08:27 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

Iker Casillas broke his hand. He's had an up and down year to say the least. Fernando Llorente is officially a Juventus player. Boo! Man U are about to sign Wilfried Zaha according to the BBC. Spurs are sort of chasing Gary Hooper. Honestly, I'd rather have Jozy if they're setting their sights at that level of striker.

edit: Also, it's kind of a bummer that ballboy-gate is taking the spotlight off Swansea shutting Chelsea out over 2-legs and nothing in Hazard's game makes me thing he's a dirty or overly aggressive player. Unfortunate all around.

1157. frannyzoo posted on January 24, 2013 at 09:20 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

I think it's clear Rafa paid this board-member's son ballboy scum to do that to deflect attention from the fact that his world-class team got beat by some Welsh outfit 2-0 (not just 1-0). Manti Te'o is involved, too, obviously, although he'll deny it surely.

1158. Matt Clement of Alexandria posted on January 24, 2013 at 09:21 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

Zaha's numbers for Palace are not immediately eye-catching. Five goals and four assists in 27 games (all starts). 42 shots, 21 on target are ok to good numbers, but the lack of finishing quality seems notable. Obviously there's a lot more to player quality than shots, goals, and assists, and there are surely context issues to be worked out. Plus, a kid who recently turned 20 has some time to develop his game. But still, if you're paying £15M, don't you want a little more production at the Championship level?

Compare Zaha to Blackpool's Thomas Ince, another winger, who is about ten months older and has been linked to a Premier League transfer at a lower cost. With 13 goals (7th in the Championship), 11 assists (2nd), Ince is only player in the top ten in both stats. He's also taken 72 shots, putting 39 on target. That's the sort of thing you'd like to see in an expensive transfer target from a lower league.

1159. Jose Can Still Seabiscuit posted on January 24, 2013 at 09:31 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

My take is that both Hazard and the kid were being jackasses. The kid covering the ball like that was absolutely being inappropriate and as MCOA noted above there should have been in game sanctions (time added back on, kid removed from field) and I think Swansea deserve to be fined for not controlling their ballboy.

That doesn't excuse Hazard kicking him. Even if you take the more benign view that Hazard is kicking the ball it's a ball being held by someone and that's a dangerous act. If Michu was rolling around on top of the ball like that and Hazard "kicked the ball" like that there would be no argument that a red card was deserved (probably for both).

Both people in this situation acted inappropriately.

1160. Swedish Chef posted on January 24, 2013 at 09:43 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

For the 2000 season Swedish giant Malmö FF had been relegated. They had recognized super talent Zlatan Ibrahimovic on top (sold in the summer of 2001 to Ajax for 10 million euro). He scored 12, trailing two non-entities no one outside of Sweden has ever heard of.

1161. RB in NYC (Now Semi-Retired from BBTF) posted on January 24, 2013 at 10:22 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

With that said, let's get back to something we can all agree is hilarious.

Perhaps Arsenal should sign Balotelli, they can exchange notes on the difficulties of modern football gear.

I'm with #1159 (or 1150, which basically says the same thing) on this issue. But I can't believe of all the times for Hazard to lash out like that, he does it in the League Cup. The League Cup! I know--as Arsenal would be happy to tell you--that a trophy is a trophy, but goodness me, you couldn't wait to do that in a competition that really matters?

1162. zack posted on January 24, 2013 at 11:23 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

It probably had more to do with some snickering little #### than the competition.

1163. Mattbert posted on January 24, 2013 at 11:33 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

NYT has published Klinsmann's comment on raising the bar for US players, in full. Here's a part of it:

The stage where we are with soccer in this country, and also the stage with a lot of American players that are actually in Europe, is a stage where there’s a lot of education still necessary. A lot of them were not introduced — and it’s not their fault — they were not introduced yet to what it means to perform consistently on their own personal highest level. They think: “What I do off the field is no big deal. I know how to perform on the field.” But they can’t read themselves yet, and say: “You know what? That was only an 80-percent performance.” The player thinks it was a good performance. I come as a coach and say, “No that was not good enough.”

They were not benchmarked, really, in the past, and that’s why I came in and said: “Your benchmark should be higher. Clint Dempsey, your benchmark should be a championship team. That’s your benchmark, not Fulham.” All due respect to Fulham, obviously. Wherever you are right now, that’s not really your benchmark. If you really want to become a so-called exceptional player, your goal should be a Champions League team. Your goal should be, within a Champions League team, to become a leader. Your goal should be winning a competition like that. At the end of the day, you want to get to the World Cup and get a couple of rounds further than you ever did before. That’s the level of the Champions League. If you want to go to the World Cup quarter or semifinal one day, you’ve got to perform with the best out there. And the best out there play the Champions League in Europe.

1164. Shooty is in the Trust Tree

posted on January 24, 2013 at 11:34 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

So what happens to Valencia now that it's been taken over by the state? That seems like an untenable situation.

1165. Shooty is in the Trust Tree

posted on January 24, 2013 at 11:57 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

Fox Soccer Channel is dead.

The inevitable. I thought there was a chance they might try to do with the Bundesliga and the Brazilian top flight what they did for English soccer but they're probably making the right call.

1166. Shooty is in the Trust Tree

posted on January 24, 2013 at 12:04 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

A russian doll of Spanish debt.

I found this googling Valencia. So, you have a municipality that is in debt which now has a stake in 3 debt ridden clubs that owe money to banks it can't pay, said banks also owned by the state for being in debt. Yikes!

1167. DA Baracus is gritty and hits with RISP posted on January 24, 2013 at 12:05 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Michael Bradley gets a headline at Zonal Marking.

1168. Swedish Chef posted on January 24, 2013 at 12:14 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

An easy solution to Spanish football's financial woes would be to make Real pay a Drama Tax for each episode of silly antics in the press (like the current Ramos-Casillas Mourinho ultimatum thing) and use it to support the 18 other teams.

1169. Mattbert posted on January 24, 2013 at 12:17 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Iain Macintosh sums up my thoughts on the hazardous ballboy kerfuffle (to the extent that I bothered to have any) pretty much perfectly. In essence: Wanker gets a boot in the ribs for acting like a wanker. Life goes on. Professional athlete likely to cop a ban for poor, but understandable, lapse of judgement and self-control. Life goes on. Let's talk about Swansea.

1170. Shooty is in the Trust Tree

posted on January 24, 2013 at 12:19 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

I don't know, I feel like I should pay Real for all the free entertainment. They make me feel like one of the 47%.

1171. Shooty is in the Trust Tree

posted on January 24, 2013 at 12:19 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

1172. RB in NYC (Now Semi-Retired from BBTF) posted on January 24, 2013 at 12:23 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Fox Soccer Channel is dead.

I'm not surprised, and--while I know that's where the money is--it's a little silly to look at primetime ratings for FSC, when clearly their most popular programming airs in the early AM. Which is a big part of the problem, I suppose.

1173. ursus arctos posted on January 24, 2013 at 01:02 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Swiss Ramble was rather optimistic about Valencia 16 months ago.

The cajas made Greek banks look like exemplars of financial probity.

1174. Shooty is in the Trust Tree

posted on January 24, 2013 at 01:20 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Oh Jimmy Kebe, I love you, man!

1175. Shooty is in the Trust Tree

posted on January 24, 2013 at 01:30 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

The cajas made Greek banks look like exemplars of financial probity.

Is there a point at which the buck stops? They keep shuffling this debt around but it seems the state and the banks are increasingly unable to forgive late interest payments as they have their own creditors breathing down their neck. And how does this fiscal nightmare end with Roberto Soldado in the lilywhite...

1176. ursus arctos posted on January 24, 2013 at 01:31 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

I think it may come down to whether the ECB would accept Soldado as collateral.

1177. Shooty is in the Trust Tree

posted on January 24, 2013 at 01:35 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

I think it may come down to whether the ECB would accept Soldado as collateral.

Oh boy. And my bosses are bullish on Europe...

1178. DA Baracus is gritty and hits with RISP posted on January 24, 2013 at 01:36 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Newcastle signed another play from France because why not.

1179. Shooty is in the Trust Tree

posted on January 24, 2013 at 01:43 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Newcastle signed another play from France because why not.

Moussa Sissoko. He's a good one. Has a premier league club ever reinvented itself in the January window like this before? That's 6 new players, I think, all from Ligue 1. They now have 10 French-based outfield players! I'm very intrigued as to how it works out for them.

1180. Swedish Chef posted on January 24, 2013 at 01:47 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Is there a point at which the buck stops? They keep shuffling this debt around but it seems the state and the banks are increasingly unable to forgive late interest payments as they have their own creditors breathing down their neck.

The Spanish state, unlike the banks, is in pretty good shape compared to Greece and the others, with a quite sustainable debt load. But helping football clubs would be bad politically for a government doing the austerity thing. Bet they're looking to punt that question a long way if it lands on their table.

1181. DA Baracus is gritty and hits with RISP posted on January 24, 2013 at 01:49 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

The Guardian addressed Newcastle as a "struggling Ligue 1 side." I like that.

1182. Crispix Attacks 2: Swag Airlines posted on January 24, 2013 at 01:54 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

This spring Alain Pardieu and Olympique de Nouveauchâteau are going to go on a run against their boorish lager-swilling rivals. It'll be the Norman Conquest all over again, but this time coming from the north.

1183. DA Baracus is gritty and hits with RISP posted on January 24, 2013 at 02:03 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Go here now before it's too late.

"Olympique de Newcastle"

1184. FancyPantsHandle glistening with foreign substance posted on January 24, 2013 at 02:19 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Go here now before it's too late.

"Olympique de Newcastle"

Nickname(s) The French Revolution
Awesome.

1185. DA Baracus is gritty and hits with RISP posted on January 24, 2013 at 02:22 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Damn, it's been changed. Although "Le Toon" is still there.

1186. Crispix Attacks 2: Swag Airlines posted on January 24, 2013 at 02:26 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

At the moment it says

Full name Newchâteau United F.C.
Nickname(s) Le Magpies, Le Toon Army, Le Toon
Founded 9 December 1892
Ground St Jaimes' Park, Newchâteau upon Tyne
(capacity: 52,404[1])

Not enough thought was put into this. "St Jaimes' Park"? How about "Parc des Geordies".

1187. Shooty is in the Trust Tree

posted on January 24, 2013 at 02:30 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Toon fans already have the scarves and berets.

This is going to work out fine.

1188. Crispix Attacks 2: Swag Airlines posted on January 24, 2013 at 02:36 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Olympique de Nouveauchâteau are pushing back against the trend of Premier League teams becoming super cosmopolitan, as there are only six native languages among the whole squad.

English: Simpson, Williamson, Perch, Gosling, Taylor, Elliot, Taylor, Ameobi, Ameobi, Ranger, Ferguson, Tavernier, Dummett, Harper, Campbell
French: Cabaye, Sissoko, Cissé, Ben Arfa, Gouffran, Thauvin, Yanga-Mbiwa, Amalfitano, Haidara, Bigirimana, Marveaux, Tioté, Obertan, Debuchy, Abeid
Spanish: Coloccini, Gutiérrez, Xisco
Dutch: Krul, Anita
Italian: Santon (Who has a French sounding name)
Slovene: Vuckic

1189. I am going to be Frank posted on January 24, 2013 at 02:39 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

With the Zaha signing I guess Nani is gone in the summer. Probably the most talented of United's wide players but too moody and inconsistent.

Is there a risk that Newcastle will have problems like QPR integrating all these new players? I think the players Newcastle got are better than the ones QPR got, but damn that's a lot of roster churn in the middle of the season.

All Fox has left is Champions League and World Cup, right?

1190. Mattbert posted on January 24, 2013 at 02:42 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Is there a risk that Newcastle will have problems like QPR integrating all these new players? I think the players Newcastle got are better than the ones QPR got, but damn that's a lot of roster churn in the middle of the season.

I'm sure there will be some growing pains as the players develop an understanding, but as you point out they do have the considerable advantage of not being s**t.

1191. Shooty is in the Trust Tree

posted on January 24, 2013 at 02:46 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

All Fox has left is Champions League and World Cup, right?

They've got Europa League and A-League, too! Not enough to build a network around.

1192. ursus arctos posted on January 24, 2013 at 03:01 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

In French, santons are the figures used in nativity scenes.

There's a strong chance that both Cisse and Bigirimana didn't encounter French until they began to go to school in Senegal and Burundi, respectfully.

1193. Textbook Editor posted on January 24, 2013 at 03:39 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

So with Comcast I now get Fox Speed but not Fox Fuel... So I guess I would get Fox Sports 1 but not Fox Sports 2? Which would CL games be on? You'd think FS1 owing to the afternoon start times, but who knows?

1194. I am going to be Frank posted on January 24, 2013 at 04:14 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

I think Champions League would be on both Fox Sports 1 and 2, just like how they are on FSC and FSP.

1195. sardonic posted on January 24, 2013 at 04:22 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

I'm sad no one took a screenshot of the Wikipedia page.

1196. sardonic posted on January 24, 2013 at 04:25 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Can still see a prior version of the Newcastle page here.

1197. sardonic posted on January 24, 2013 at 04:28 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Heh, my French friend suggest "Les Miserables" as Noveauchateau's nickname.

1198. Shooty is in the Trust Tree

posted on January 24, 2013 at 04:30 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Newcastle are now linked with a midfielder from Bastia. Fantastic.

1199. I am going to be Frank posted on January 24, 2013 at 04:54 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

I had to look up Bastia to find out where it was and what league it plays in. Its crazy that a team from the second biggest city (really a town) on Corsica plays in the top French League. Hell I just realized that there are two Corsican teams in Ligue 1.

1200. ursus arctos posted on January 24, 2013 at 05:48 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

I'm guessing that you don't know that Bastia played in a UEFA Cup Final then, either.

Or that Jacques Tati made a film about them.

Back on this side of the pond, a very fine article on how Tijuana have embraced the ambiguities of the border.

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Thursday, May 02, 2013

OT: The Soccer Thread, May 2013

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