Football (Soccer) Thread

[Norgy]

I know.

Actually, North America, was rather fiercely competetive in soccer until it was seen as un-American and the Great Depression came.

A Norwegian, Werner "Scotty" Nilsen was the first from my country to play in the World Cup. For the USA team in 1934. Players came from England and Scotland to play for teams like Bethlehem Steel or Fall River Timbers. They paid them well. I don't know how soccer became such a low-earning sport in the US. I remember cheering for Canada in 1986 and the US (along with England) in 1990. Both were, let us face it, below average sides.

The English have tried franchising clubs. Wimbledon, for example. Who became MK Dons. The old Wimbledon teams were a bunch of hard cunts like Vinny Jones and played a kind of football I would never ask my players to do, were I a manager. The fans, however, did not follow. And started a supporters' trust and a new Wimbledon club managed to climb the ranks of the English league. I think when they beat MK Dons last season, their point was proven.

The US had a thriving game with several great sides until the Great Depression, and then it was revived again in the 1970s with the NASL. Imagine watching New York Cosmos with both Pelé and Franz Beckenbauer? Wow. George Best at Fort Lauderdale. But for the best players, playing in the NASL, it was just something they did in summer breaks. And when TV deals disappeared, it was goodbye to the NASL and hello indoor soccer. Anyone who's played a bit knows that playing indoors is rather demanding because suddenly you have very little space and have to rely on skill alone. I know I would never have been good at it. I needed a slow left back and lots of space.

Football is a game of passion. And the Italian fascists realised that when they made the Serie A. The US never had a dictator that could unite the rather differing associations and clubs that existed. FDR might have tried, if he'd not been stuck in a wheelchair and couldn't kick a ball nor see through Stalin.

I don't buy into that the MSL is any more franchised or run by money than the English Premier League. We can argue about this, and what is a real club and not forever, but the bottom line is that professional football is run by income and expense. Do I love that trend with every single oil wealth fund buys a club? No. But I think what destroys football right now, is that we, the fans, lose a bit of interest every time a player is signed for the combined GDP of Ghana and Burkina Faso. European football needs a spending cap. Both on wages and transfer fees.

Back to the original point; I support Nottingham Forest, one of the oldest clubs in England, let alone the world. My hometown team won the Norwegian Cup in 1962. It has been a curse.

There are no clubs more real or authentic than others. Football, soccer, has a long, long history in North America. Oh. And in Brazil and Argentina. Because of British sailors.

[Duque de Bragança]

Got some free tickets for olympic Mali-Israel in the Parc des Princes. 
Israeli anthem booed a bit.

[Duque de Bragança]

Pitch invasion by Moroccans during the ARG-MOR game, which led to an interruption while the game was at 2-2 following a goal in stoppage play (90 * 16 mib!).'
When the game resumed eventually, VAR so the most late Argentine goal was deemed off-side.

And the Olympics have not started yet, officially. 

1-1 Mali-Israel (Mali scored two goals, as per last Euro fashion
2-1 Spain-Uzbekistan

[HVC]

Canadian women's soccer team got caught spying on New Zealand with a drone.

[Jacob]

That's terrible. People should be fired for that. Completely unacceptable behaviour - even more so for the Olympics.

[HVC]

Assitant coach and employee sent home IIRC.

[crazy canuck]

Coach has also now been suspended pending further investigation.  Turns out this has happened before and it seems unlikely the head coach did not know.

[crazy canuck]

Oh God, new reporting that the men's team also employed drone scouting/spying at COPA, and there is some chance this was something Soccer Canada had a role in the deciding iwas a good idea.

[Sheilbh]

Before Marsch's time....but there was a spying scandal at Leeds under Bielsa. They ended up getting fined for it.

Seems like a weird coincidence.

[HVC]

Before Marsch's time....but there was a spying scandal at Leeds under Bielsa. They ended up getting fined for it.

Seems like a weird coincidence.

Bev Priestman. Woman's coach. How dare you besmirch our hero Marsch

[Norgy]

Yeah, he was such a success at Leeds. 

Almost as good as Billy Davies at Forest.   

[Duque de Bragança]

Oh God, new reporting that the men's team also employed drone scouting/spying at COPA, and there is some chance this was something Soccer Canada had a role in the deciding iwas a good idea.

6 points penalty for the ladies' squad at the olympics plus a fine.
Tournament over after the group phase.

[HVC]

That seems a bit harsh. I'm all for the fine (and the one year ban the coaches are getting) but so far it doesn't seem like any of the players are involved. I mean Russia has doping and a war going on and they're still able to compete under another new fake name.

[Duque de Bragança]

Not many Russian athletes in the Olympics with most pro-Putin useful idiots calling it a clear double standard since  Israel is still allowed to compete, while conveniently forgetting Turkey, Azerbaijan, China etc.

[HVC]

If canada beats Colombia they're through on goal differential. 1st or 2nd relies  on France losing to new Zealand.