Football (Soccer) Thread

[Josquius]

A smaller serie B would make sense. Same too for La Liga.
The gulf between bottom and top in those leagues is just too huge.

You mean Serie B or Serie A? I don't know in Italy, I don't think La Liga needs to go below 20. Maybe Serie A doesn't need to, either, but I'm not that familiar with the current situation, I know there are lots of teams in economic difficulties and lately lots of teams from smaller places have been promoted while historical sides with lots of baggage flounder in the lower divisions. I would reduce the Segunda División from 22 to 20, though, and out Segunda B needs a serious rework too, but that doesn't really affect the top tier.

Woops yes. Meant A.
La Liga just seems crazy. You've these gigantic best in Europe clubs, Barcelona and Real, then maybe.... I don't know.... 6? 8? Decent Premier league quality teams (perhaps valencia and athletico are an intermediate between the two?).
Below that though... There seems to be so many teams that are just training games for Barca.

[The Larch]

A smaller serie B would make sense. Same too for La Liga.
The gulf between bottom and top in those leagues is just too huge.

You mean Serie B or Serie A? I don't know in Italy, I don't think La Liga needs to go below 20. Maybe Serie A doesn't need to, either, but I'm not that familiar with the current situation, I know there are lots of teams in economic difficulties and lately lots of teams from smaller places have been promoted while historical sides with lots of baggage flounder in the lower divisions. I would reduce the Segunda División from 22 to 20, though, and out Segunda B needs a serious rework too, but that doesn't really affect the top tier.

Woops yes. Meant A.
La Liga just seems crazy. You've these gigantic best in Europe clubs, Barcelona and Real, then maybe.... I don't know.... 6? 8? Decent Premier league quality teams (perhaps valencia and athletico are an intermediate between the two?).
Below that though... There seems to be so many teams that are just training games for Barca.

On paper the difference is really big between Real Madrid and Barcelona and the rest, yeah, but then in the field it's different. This season Real Madrid has already lost against Betis and Girona, two sides that are, on paper, much weaker than them, and drawn at home against Levante and Sevilla. 2nd or 3rd tier Spanish teams also perform pretty well in European competitions, and it's not unusual for a small or newly promoted teams to go in one or two seasons from promotion to competing for continental competitions. Going from 20 to 18 teams won't make the league harder for the big clubs, it'll just rob smaller clubs of the opportunity to play in the top division.

[Duque de Bragança]

A smaller serie B would make sense. Same too for La Liga.
The gulf between bottom and top in those leagues is just too huge.

You mean Serie B or Serie A? I don't know in Italy, I don't think La Liga needs to go below 20. Maybe Serie A doesn't need to, either, but I'm not that familiar with the current situation, I know there are lots of teams in economic difficulties and lately lots of teams from smaller places have been promoted while historical sides with lots of baggage flounder in the lower divisions. I would reduce the Segunda División from 22 to 20, though, and out Segunda B needs a serious rework too, but that doesn't really affect the top tier.

Woops yes. Meant A.
La Liga just seems crazy. You've these gigantic best in Europe clubs, Barcelona and Real, then maybe.... I don't know.... 6? 8? Decent Premier league quality teams (perhaps valencia and athletico are an intermediate between the two?).
Below that though... There seems to be so many teams that are just training games for Barca.

Mixing up Athletic Bilbao and Atlético Madrid?  FC Sevilla exists on the European level at least with Europa Leagues, or is the post Unai Emery era too difficult?
Besides, I am sure The Larch would agree the Spanish Liga needs a strong Galician club, though the previous strong one, from A Corunha, would not get his vote. 

The so "many teams that are just training games" vibe is something unmistakable to see from the PSG in the French league, itself not in the top 4 Leagues in Europe.

PS: The Larch put it in another words with examples from this season cf. Girona-Real Madrid.

[The Larch]

In a different topic, the president of La Liga has been ranting today (once again) against "state clubs" PSG and City, accusing them of financial cheating and saying that they've been already denounced them for violating the FFP rules.

[Duque de Bragança]

I thought the rants were mostly against PSG? I blame the French press! 

[The Larch]

I thought the rants were mostly against PSG? I blame the French press! 

PSG is his main target, yeah, he himself said that City's case is not as blatant as PSG's.

[Duque de Bragança]

Since he is such an uninvolved part in the case, I will take his word for it.

[Liep]

Oh my god.

Christian Eriksen hat trick against Ireland. Russia here we come!

[Liep]

And Bendtner to 5-1

Denmark is officially going nuts.

[Liep]

Paddy Power @paddypower 40m40 minutes ago

Helena Christensen, Brigitte Nielsen, Hans Christian Andersen, the drummer from Metallica, Caroline Wozniacki, Cnut the Great, those pricks from Hamlet, Viggo Mortensen, Scarlett Johansson's dad, Carslberg and that bald lad from Aqua. Your boys... played well. Congratulations.

[Admiral Yi]

No Jessica Biel! 

[Liep]

No Jessica Biel! 

[Admiral Yi]

Holy shit!  I've been thinking she was Danish for decades now. 

[Duque de Bragança]

Loser Mundialito?

Adding even more insult to injury...

U.S. exploring games with Italy, others that will miss World Cup

LEIRIA, Portugal -- The U.S. Soccer Federation is looking into the possibility of hosting pre-World Cup international matches involving the United States, Italy, the Netherlands, Ghana and Chile.

U.S. Soccer told ESPN FC and other media outlets on Tuesday that it was exploring the idea with Major League Soccer's marketing arm, Soccer United Marketing.

The USSF indicated that talks are in the exploratory stage, so it is unclear if an actual tournament will be held involving the above-mentioned teams or just a series of friendlies.

Each of the teams referenced has failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Italy's failure to get past Sweden in a two-legged playoff saw the Azzurri miss out on the World Cup for the first time since 1958.

The U.S. failed to qualify for the first time since 1986, while one has to go back to 2002 to find the last time Ghana or the Netherlands were eliminated during qualification.

Chile, the reigning South American champions, missed out on the World Cup as recently as 2006.

North America also figures to be an appealing destination for friendlies for some of the countries that qualified for Russia, especially teams from Central and South America as they make their way to Europe.

http://www.espnfc.com/united-states/story/3269935/us-soccer-exploring-pre-world-cup-matches-with-netherlands-italy

[Maladict]

Good job Danes, you have been appointed substitute Dutchies